Lookout Mountain Community,
 
As your neighbor, we wanted to reach out to the entire community to update you and make you aware of what is going on at the Lookout Mountain Club. As I am sure you have seen, we are beginning the execution phase of our Master Plan with the start of the restoration of our Golf Course. Materials have been delivered, equipment is on the course, and the architects, and their team are on site attending to every detail.

I know many of you will be curious and very interested in the process. However, it is critical that the community understand that THIS IS A CONSTRUCTION SITE. As such, there are many unknowns - particularly to those who are not familiar with the site - that can be extremely hazardous. With that said, I want to be very clear that our number one priority is and will always be the safety and well-being of our members, community, staff, and team.

The Board and Management takes this initiative VERY SERIOUSLY and have consulted numerous advisors, including the City of Lookout Mountain as well as the Lookout Mountain Georgia Police Department, to develop a plan focused on achieving this goal.  To that end, we are asking everyone, effective immediately, to please not access ANY PART OF THE COURSE. This includes our furry friends as well. Should we find people not adhering to this, we will consider it trespassing and those individuals will be subject to penalties including, but not limited to, citations and fines.

​To make sure everyone is aware, we are asking each household to review this thoroughly and carefully with all family members and guests, so we can do everything to protect the safety of everyone.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
 
Thank you for your support and for helping to keep our Mountain safe.
Caroline Williams
LMC President
board@lookoutmountain.club
 
 
 
 

The Lookout Mountain Club recently announced plans for the restoration of its historic Fairyland Clubhouse and Seth Raynor-designed golf course, based on an overwhelming majority vote by the membership. In October 2021, the Master Plan Phase One improvements passed with a supermajority for both Proposal One - facilities renovation at 80.5 percent approval; and Proposal Two - golf course renovation at 89.4 percent approval.  

“We are unbelievably fortunate to have a solid foundation of unique assets and services here at the club that the Master Plan can build upon to enhance the member experience,” said board president Caroline Williams. “Our members have clearly embraced the importance of investing in this special place that has provided so many wonderful memories and experiences for our members, our community, and for the next generations to come.” 

Originally founded as a resort property in 1925, the Lookout Mountain Club is still a popular dining, social, and recreational retreat for its members and their friends, an integral part of the Lookout Mountain community. The club includes two unique mountaintop properties located less than two miles apart, atop picturesque Lookout Mountain, Ga. In addition to the stately Tudor Fairyland clubhouse perched on the brow of Lookout Mountain, the club boasts a spectacular golf course designed by renowned golf course architect Seth Raynor. A favorite among top raters and classical golf course enthusiasts, the course was one of Raynor’s final designs before his untimely death and is one of the few remaining Raynor courses in America.  

After much research by the LMC board of directors, the Atlanta-based architectural firm Kuo Diedrich Chi (KDC) was selected for its depth of experience and breadth of expertise, specializing in award-winning master planning and designs for private clubs worldwide. Mark Diedrich and his team at KDC developed a design for the club amenities at both campuses, which addressed expectations from membership outlined in the strategic plan.  

“The renovations to the historic Fairyland clubhouse are designed to respect the tradition while creating a more casual and elegant atmosphere for member gathering and dining,” said Diedrich. “The new member bar will become a centerpiece of the new experience, with 180-degree views of the Tennessee River Valley from the mountain, while covered outdoor dining will be added to allow members a place to enjoy the view outdoors with the comforts of ceiling fans and radiant heaters for a year-round experience,” he said.

World-renowned golf architects Kyle Franz, Tyler Rae, and Jim Ryan were selected to implement the restoration plans of the club’s course, according to Gil Hanse’s 2009 design plans to complete the restoration work of Seth Raynor’s original design begun by architect Brian Silva over 20 years ago.  

“The land, views, and unique setting of the Lookout Mountain Club give us a wonderful opportunity to revive the golf course and show off its true potential,” said Tyler Rae. “Seth Raynor was very bold in his vision for the property, and we cannot wait to expose and highlight all the inspiring features found at Lookout Mountain. Both Kyle and I are humbled and grateful for the rare opportunity to restore a historic 1925 Seth Raynor masterpiece. We have spent countless hours studying the golf courses he left behind and feel we’re at the right stage in our career to provide the club with a thoughtful, hands-on approach that will lend a timeless, enduring product.”

 “The restoration and improvement of our current facilities will provide members with an environment that blends historic charm with modern amenities that will enhance the overall dining, social and recreational experience,” said Williams. “The board and management are excited to move into this promising new phase for the club, as we transition to new heights and lay the groundwork to create an exceptional club experience, exceeding member expectations and genuinely becoming one of the premier clubs in the region.”  

“While a lot of groundwork has been done, we are really just beginning,” Williams said.
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The next step will be to finalize the financing with potential banking partners. Once that is solidified, the club will engage KDC to start the full design phase for the facilities and solidify contract negotiations for the restoration of the golf course.  “We are thankful for the strong support of our members and are confident these improvements will significantly increase the value of membership for years to come,” Williams added.

Chris Cox is excited to join the Lookout Mountain Club tennis staff as a part time assistant to the pro, Sue Webb.

​He graduated from Covenant College in 2018 with a degree sports administration and coaching and was a standout member of the men’s tennis team (the Scots) for four years. He earned All-USA South honors three times and was twice named to the USA South All-West Division first team. Chris also holds the program record for singles wins at 56 and set the program’s career doubles wins record with 55, alongside doubles partner Matthew Harvie ’18. During his senior year, he broke the record with a 17-3 score overall in singles play and was undefeated in conference play. His play was crucial on some of the best teams in program history. The Scots won back-to-back USA South West Division titles in 2017 and 2018, with a program-record 15 wins in 2018.

Chris is a USPTA and PTR certified tennis coach and a PPR certified pickleball coach. He is currently the assistant tennis coach at Covenant College, where he met his wife, Mackenzie. Mackenzie, a wedding photographer, also loves to play tennis. When they aren’t on the courts, they like going to local restaurants, as well as listening to true-crime podcasts in their spare time.
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Chris is teaching live ball on Mondays at the club and is excited to offer this to members. During this fun activity, folks listen to broadcasted music while they hit balls that Chris feeds.  It is an incredibly fun cardio workout! Chris also offers private lessons for adults, juniors and small groups. This summer, he hopes to offer more programs, games, and other activities to enrich the tennis program and bring excitement and fun to all ages. You can tell that Chris is excited about working at the club, and he is a great addition to the staff!

by Gwin Tugman

What a way to tee up 2021 for the Lookout Mountain Club. GOLF Magazine’s expert course raters ranked the Lookout Mountain Club Course as one of the best golf courses in Georgia. The Lookout Mountain Club golf course came in at No. 11 of the 15 best courses in the state. According to GOLF Magazine, “We empower and hold accountable a group of 97 well-traveled - and well-connected - golfers/aficionados, each capable of expressing their own sense of design excellence at the highest level.” The magazine adds, “The group is seasoned and experienced - we look for raters who know what’s out there, what’s changing and what’s coming down the pike.” This approach is “one of the main reasons GOLF’s Top 100 Courses rankings are the most esteemed in the game.”
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Seth Raynor designed the Lookout Mountain Club golf course in 1925, along with Charles Banks. This course was Raynor’s final accomplishment. While in Florida, opening his Everglades Course in 1926, he suffered a sudden death at only 47 years old. The New York Post’s obituary wrote of Raynor, “Probably no other man has accomplished so much in the building of golf courses throughout the United States as has Seth Raynor … the most famous courses in the country bear the touch of his unusual skill … the golf world will miss its greatest designing genius.” Charles Banks, who had partnered with Raynor in the design and building plans, completed the course in early summer of 1927. In Golfer’s Magazine in 1927, Eric Hart wrote of Seth Raynor’s final course, titling it “His Final Masterpiece.” Charles Banks described the course to Hart, saying, “The course is so laid out that while it will try the prowess of the skilled player, it will also be a delight to the average player, because there is no place where the tee shot is too difficult for anyone familiar with the grand old game.”

Lookout Mountain’s golf professional, Adam Campbell, agrees, saying, “In July 2020, our course was also ranked by Golfweek at No. 142 of the top 200 Classic Courses in the country.” Campbell explains that a “classic course” designation requires a course to have been built before 1960. According to Campbell, “Our course is the only Seth Raynor course built on a mountain.” Seth Raynor has more courses in the top 15 in the world than any other golf course architect. Of the “classic” courses in the United States, Campbell adds, “We are always ranked in the top 200 of thousands of courses, and it’s really nice to recognized in that number.” Adam Campbell and Miles Stephens, assistant to Campbell, said they constantly get calls from all over North America from golfers wanting to come play the Lookout Mountain Club course. “We get calls from Boston, Chicago, California, Canada and more.” Only 35 Seth Raynor courses are still in existence today, with the closest being two in Charleston and two in Florida.

King Oehmig wrote wonderful articles about the history of the Lookout Mountain course. In speaking with Garnet Carter, Oehmig recounted that Seth Raynor was not sold on the initial site chosen for the course. Raynor said, “I can turn this into another golf course, but not one of the three or four outstanding courses of America. Let me look around.” Oehmig wrote that Raynor “roamed the mountain alone. He explored everywhere. One day, he wandered into ‘Indian Village.’ This rock formation fascinated him, and the view from the brow thrilled him. Sauntering on, he stepped into a clearing - and stopped with a gasp of satisfaction.” Raynor saw a “broad expanse of plateau, partly enclosed by rugged cliffs -nature’s handiwork of 1,000,000 years of upheaving and leveling by earthquake and glacial flow.” Seth Raynor found his location exhilarating and told Mr. Carter, “This course can be one of the finest in the entire country.”

Some of the comments from GOLF Magazine’s current raters hold true for this beloved course. John Dempsey of Pinehurst has two trustworthy rules of thumb when it comes to assessing a world class track. The first he lists is “the quality of the architecture … when I walk up to the ball and there are five different ways I can hit the shot. That’s when you know you’re playing somewhere special.” The second is when you walk off 18 and ask, ‘Can I do that again?’”

Another one of GOLF Magazine’s course raters is Brooke Mackenzie, who grew up skiing and later developed the ski apparel company Kjus. When this company moved into golf apparel, she decided to try the game herself. On the course, as on the slopes, Mackenzie was struck by the beauty of the landscape, and the artful obstacles it threw in her path.”She recognized what she described as a “kinship between a round of golf and a downhill run: Each is meant to take you on a journey.”

In an analysis by Shot Scope, a golf supply company, golf has seen a spike of 40 percent during the pandemic since lockdowns began in March. Golf helps reduce stress and provides fitness as an outdoor activity while so many other things are unavailable. Golf is also enjoyed across generations. At the Lookout Mountain Club, you can find grandfathers and grandmothers with granddaughters and grandsons, fathers-in-law teaching new sons-in-law, and many more groups of people playing together. The views are magnificent, and the course is challenging every time it is played. Our Golden Age, classic course is a true mountain treasure.

How GOLF Magazine Ranks
America’s Best Golf Courses:
“For the newly released 2020-21 U.S. list, each panelist was provided a list of 489 courses. Beside that list of courses were 11 “buckets,” or groupings. If our panelists considered a course to be among the top three in the country, they ticked that box. If they believed the course to be among Nos. 4-10 in the U.S., they checked that box, followed by 11-25, 26-50, and so on.

“Panelists were also free to write in courses that they felt should have been included on the ballot (we had fewer than a handful of such additions in the U.S. vote).

“Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly. It is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it invariably produces results that are widely lauded. Like the game itself, there’s no need to unnecessarily overcomplicate things.”

by Greyson Brown

Courtney White and her husband, Nathan, who graduated from Covenant College, moved here from Atlanta with their two children. In the first part of June, Courtney started teaching barre classes at the Lookout Mountain Club. Barre is a hybrid workout class that combines ballet-inspired moves with elements of Pilates, dance, yoga and strength training. Most classes incorporate a ballet barre and use classic dance moves, such as plies, alongside static stretches, and focus on high reps of small range movements.

Courtney’s class is a 60-minute full body workout that is easy on your joints.
Courtney stresses that her Barre class is a low impact exercise that folks of any age can do, adding that you do not have to be a dancer or flexible to participate. She loves the workout and is excited to share it with all of us. She started taking group fitness classes with her very small children at the local YMCA and fell in love with the group fitness class atmosphere and the encouragement and community in these classes. Courtney is certified in Level 1 and 2 and also has a balance/rebounding certification.

Courtney is very passionate about helping women during pregnancy and after delivery to continue and maintain a safe and effective fitness routine, and she is working on an additional pre/post-natal certification. The Whites now have three children and love living on Lookout. Courtney’s energy is contagious, as is her love of barre.

Liana Cross started co-teaching the club’s Barre classes the last week in July, after taking a maternity leave for the birth of her daughter, Waverly, on April 15. Liana is a former CPA who left that field to pursue other interests, one of which was fitness. When she was an indoor cycling instructor, she began taking Barre classes and fell in love with them. For the last four and half years, she has been teaching Barre and is also Levels 1 and 2 certified.

Liana said barre is one of the best fitness programs she has ever experienced, and she loves to share it with others. She is excited to be at the LMC and looks forward to meeting more club members. A music buff, Liana makes sure she has a great playlist for each class.

An avid gardener, Liana also loves traveling, and she and her husband, Adam, have been on a quest to visit all 50 capitals and have been to 23 so far. Liana also teaches bounce classes (cardio classes on a mini trampoline) and says she is obsessed with her trampoline because there are many health benefits and it’s just super fun! She is a very busy, energetic young lady who loves to share her passions with others!
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Welcome to you both. We’re sure you will be a great addition to the club’s fitness program.

by Gwin Tugman

After an extensive search led by Charlie Stout and his search committee, Todd Bretzlaff took over at the Lookout Mountain Club as general manager last summer. Todd grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Georgia Tech. He began his career with ClubCorp and has worked in Atlanta, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, China, and the Philippines. He served as the general manager of the American Club in Taiwan for eight years and led that club to platinum club status, which is the epitome of success in the private club industry.
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He returned to the United States in 2019 to be closer to his parents, who live in Atlanta, and has most recently been the general manager of the Club LeConte in Knoxville. He has strong financial skills and is very savvy in the business world, and he likes to focus on staff and team development.

According to LMC, “He has a particular passion for the food and beverage department and views that as an amenity for building member satisfaction and loyalty, as well as an important source of revenue generation.” Since arriving in June, Todd has focused on developing new menus for both the Fairyland and golf club locations that are varied and reasonably priced. Because he has also served with well-known golf course superintendents, he has learned all there is to know about golf club operations, evident in the success of the recent Swing Ding.

This new manager has the formable job of trying to get the club activities up and running while respecting the COVID-19 restrictions. He hopes that when the restrictions are lifted, he can add even more fun family affairs. He strongly believes that there should be consistency in the food and in the service, and so far, all the reviews on both have been consistently excellent!

Since Todd has been here, he has been very hands-on. He has been seen working in the snack bar at the pool, setting up tables, waiting on tables, answering the phone, delivering take-out - you name it, and he has done it. He believes in having his hands in every aspect of the club’s operations.

Todd and his wife, Lynn Wu, and their nine-year-old daughter, Samantha (Sammy), bought a home in North Chattanooga, where Sammy attends Normal Park. Todd says he loves Chattanooga,  and he loves the club. He loves also the warmth of our community and finds that it is very family oriented while still having a contemporary feel. The Bretzlaffs are excited to be part of the community, and Todd is very excited to make the club a better place for all, which is certainly in the works. According to the LMC board, “The club is poised to be a top-tier country club, not only in our local market, but also in the entire United States. The board is confident that Todd possesses the right skill set, experience, and leadership ability to take us to that next level.”

Welcome to all of you!
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by Gwin Tugman