Lake Toxaway Country Club is set to debut the newest golf course in the mountains of North Carolina, a layout that carries the distinction of being the first original design by noted architect Kris W. Spence.
This $9 million championship course opens Aug. 20. Spence, a Donald Ross restoration specialist who has done numerous course remodels, was charged with creating a design.
“What Kris has done on this piece of property is nothing short of amazing,” says director of golf Lou Biago. “We’ve always had this beautiful setting, but the course was cramped and never took advantage of the scenery Mother Nature provided. It does now.”
Lake Toxaway, 640 acres of clear blue water, rests high among the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Pisgah National Forest and the Nantahala National Forest.
“I couldn’t ask for a better setting to create my first original 18 holes. Everywhere you look there’s dramatic scenery, from mountains with rock outcroppings to stunning lake waters,” Spence says. “There’s even a waterfall halfway up the mountain behind the fifth green.”
Spence spent a lot time walking the hills and valleys of the property, studying land forms and multiple angles of play. He decided upon a plan that reversed direction on nine holes, while repositioning five others.
“My intention was to build a graceful, subtle design that’s both strategic and interesting,” Spence says. “I tried to create a course more in the mold of an Augusta style of play, where you have a lot of room off the tee and it’s very inviting off the tee. The game really begins on your shots into and around the greens.”
For owner Reg Heinitsh Jr., the end result validates his hunch that Spence would be the ideal designer for Lake Toxaway Country Club.
“We really caught Kris at the perfect stage in his career,” Heinitsh says. “He’s on the cusp of greatness. Thanks to his talents, all of our amenities are now in balance. The lake has always been sensational. Now the golf course is sensational too.”
Heinitsh was struck by Spence’s passion for Donald Ross and classic architecture, along with the voracity with which Spence pours over old drawings and field notes of the masters.
Spence included a classic feel to the new course at Lake Toxaway Country Club. The routing is not forced upon the topography, nor is it overly penal. Much like Ross, Spence created challenge around the greens with swales, hollows and grass-faced bunkers.
The course measures 6,418 yards from the back tees with a par of 71. Lake Toxaway President David Dew says Spence was careful to create a course that accommodates golfers of various skill levels.
“When I look at the course, I see an excellent layout by all standards,” says Dew. “It’s challenging for low handicap golfers and fun for the medium to high handicap golfers. And it’s placed within a natural setting that may be unsurpassed on the East Coast.”
Heinitsh and Dew expect the redesigned course to increase demand across all areas of the Lake Toxaway Company portfolio, from real estate sales and vacation rentals to resort packages at the Four-Diamond Greystone Inn.
“There is certainly a buzz. We’re fielding a lot of inquiries,” Dew says. “Reg Heinitsh had a vision of what this project would do for Lake Toxaway and that’s coming to fruition. We couldn’t be more pleased with the result.”
For information on golf, real estate offerings, vacation rentals or resort packages, call Lake Toxaway Company at (800) 443-0694, or visit www.laketoxaway.com.