Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel
Tennessee National project manager Kevin Downs was so busy trying to begin construction of a championship golf course that he could easily have made a rickety old barn disappear.
Along with 18 holes, he had 13 lakes to build.
So it's a good thing he didn't look past a rickety old barn that had one side propped up with a pole.
He saw a landmark, a piece of history, something worth saving.
"For one thing, it's a pretty neat barn," Downs said. "Somebody did a beautiful job of building it and used tongue and groove wood. I just wanted to be able to keep it as one of the main features alongside the golf course.
"But I remember thinking, 'There's no way we can save that one,' when I first took a look at the barn," Downs said. "It was leaning to one side and the only thing that seemed to keep it from falling was a pole bracing against it. I talked to a farmer who said it had been that way for about 14 years. It almost looked like a good strong wind could blow it over."
The barn and a red silo will be between No. 1 green and No. 2 tee. It is part of a "down-home feel" for a $500 million project on 1,463 acres near the Tennessee River. Along with a par-72, approximately 7,500-yard golf course designed by Greg Norman, there will be more than 1,700 home sites, a marina and wellness center, among other amenities.
The course could open in the summer of 2006, depending on weather conditions during construction.
Founder memberships cost $25,000 and 45 of 75 have been sold. These memberships include a 10-percent discount for lot prices, which are expected to range from $125,000 to $200,000 for golf view and $250,000 and up for riverside.
Nick Carter of Atlanta is selling the founder memberships and Ben Brovet is Tennessee National's director of sales and marketing.
"Everyone involved with the design and construction of the Tennessee National Golf Club is excited with the progress and potential of this project," Brovet said.
Crews began working in November and have focused on lake excavation and infrastructure that includes storm-water drainage and utilities.
The front nine is being routed through a valley where 13 lakes are being built. The golf course contractor -- United Golf Construction Inc. -- began shaping a four-hole stretch (Nos. 5 through 8) and recently started to shape Nos. 1 and 10.
The holes alongside the river will be Nos. 12, 13, 16 and 17.
Chattanooga businessman John "Thunder" Thornton owned the land with breathtaking views and Norman's Medalist Development Co. is in charge of construction.
"It is a magnificent piece of property and reminds me of something you would expect to see in England," said Norman, an Australian who won the British Open twice and has 20 victories on the PGA Tour. "We will build a golf course -- as well as a residential community -- that is second to none in that area."
Downs also was involved in the development of Norman's acclaimed Shark's Tooth at Wild Heron in Panama City Beach, Fla., as the project engineer.
"The first time I visited this site was just before Thanksgiving in 2003," he said. "As soon as I drove through this area, I knew I wanted to be involved. I called my boss right away and he could not believe how excited I was. It's just a perfect location and the layout is perfect; not only for a golf course, but for the development itself. It's no wonder I was so excited -- this is pretty awesome."
And a rickety old barn will be restored in hopes of tying everything together.
"There were some barns we had to take down because so much of the wood was rotten," Downs said. "But we saved the timber that we could and will try and use it for a comfort station -- if not the clubhouse."
The thought of Tennessee National trying to shape the future with the past should be comforting for a lot of people.
