After winning his second Tour Championship in three years at Atlanta’s historic East Lake Golf Club, Scottie Scheffler celebrated like any other member: grabbing a cold beer at the clubhouse. As Scheffler told the Associated Press, there was an open bar inside: “All right, I’m grabbing a beer. It tasted great.”
It likely did, considering that Scheffler had just earned $10 million for capturing the FedEx Cup title, surpassing Tiger Woods as golf’s all-time money leader with over $130 million in career earnings. While Scheffler wrapped up another remarkable season, Kuo Diedrich Chi Architects must have had great delight in the clubhouse revelry knowing the hometown multiple reimagined player/member-focused amenities were being put to good use.
Just as Scheffler leaves his mark on the game, KDC is doing the same at historic clubs nationwide — including the firm’s newly renovated dining and food and beverage venues at Ansley Golf Club in Midtown Atlanta.
Situated in one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods and namesake parks, Ansley might not carry the public profile of East Lake — where Bobby Jones learned the game — but it is no less prestigious. Founded in 1912, Ansley is home to longtime Atlanta resident and 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink, and ranks No. 40 on the Platinum Club of America’s biennial list.
Ansley members have long mastered having fun at what feels like the ultimate neighborhood club. By nature of its ideal green-friendly oasis in the heart of Atlanta, the urban club is one of the region’s younger, more diverse and family-oriented memberships, according to KDC’s lead designer at Ansley, JC Chi. The club is also rich in tradition, anchored by generational members who have been its lifeline for over half a century. And both young and old certainly know how to have fun, Chi adds.
Highlights include the new 1912 Lounge, an entry point to the renovated third-floor dining room. Both the lounge and dining room overlook downtown Atlanta. Once rigid and formal, these spaces now feature a comfortable, transitional feel framed by modern black-steel windows and doors that stay open as members mingle.
Downstairs, a second dining venue caters to families using the pool and racquet facilities. All Ansley’s food-and-beverage outlets are intentionally relaxed and informal — just as the membership prefers, even as the club maintains a multi-year waitlist.
“We don’t have a white-linen table dining room in this club,” adds Chi, who is spearheading a more ambitious round of strategic capital improvement projects in the next couple years, an estimated $48 million campaign called “Ansley Forward.” “Ansley is just all about casual. They like the moniker that this is Atlanta’s ‘fun club.’
It’s a place where a down-to-earth Scheffler would fit right in for his next celebratory beer.
BREAKING GROUND ON BLACK DIAMOND RANCH HOMES
Escalante Golf, a boutique owner and operator of 26 luxury golf properties across 17 states, recently broke ground on a limited release of four turnkey residences at Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida.
Located in Crosswater Village, the homes represent a targeted residential release rather than a broad development. According to Escalante, the homes are priced between $1.4 and $1.5 million, and are slated for completion by spring 2027.
“This release is about creating an even deeper connection to the Black Diamond Ranch lifestyle,” said Escalante Golf president and partner David McDonald. “Crosswater Village places residents within walking distance of the clubhouse and directly alongside two of Tom Fazio’s golf courses, allowing them to immerse themselves in the game and the club experience every day. As we continue investing in Black Diamond Ranch, including the recent transformation of the Ranch Course, these homes represent an opportunity to become part of a vibrant golf community at a particularly exciting moment in its evolution.”
The project follows an extensive Ranch Course renovation by Tripp Davis in December 2024 — part of Escalante’s $15 million property-wide reinvestment that brought new member accommodations and club enhancements to the 1,320-acre resort.
Black Diamond Ranch offers 49 holes of Tom Fazio golf, including the acclaimed Quarry Course, the renovated Ranch Course, the nine-hole Highlands Course and the four-hole Diamond Dunes short course.
19TH HOLE CHATTER
Walden Golf Group expanded its portfolio with the $9 million acquisition of Baytree National Golf Links in Melbourne, Florida. Located near the Space Coast, the Gary Player-designed championship course tapped Charlotte-based Pinnacle Golf Properties to manage operations. Walden Golf principal Steven Schorr announced immediate upgrades, including a covered Toptracer Range. The deal marks another milestone for Walden and Pinnacle, who have jointly acquired over 32 golf facilities since 2023. …
Brooke Management Group, led by LPGA Professional of the Year Kelley Brooke, assumed management of Pine Ridge Golf Course in Coram, New York. The company, which also operates Bethpage State Park, plans a multi-phase transformation to blend "an upscale private club feel with public golf accessibility." Planned upgrades include a tech-driven range with F&B service, GPS golf carts, clubhouse renovations, irrigation improvements, Pinehurst-style waste bunkers, and expanded Golf Channel Academy programming. "Our goal is always the same — to elevate public golf while making the sport welcoming and accessible to everyone,” Brooke said. …
Jon Rubinton (SWJR Naples LLC) won preliminary approval from the Collier County Planning Commission for a new private golf club on Naples' South Naples Citrus Grove, despite local opposition. The proposed club includes an 18-hole layout, range, clubhouse and up to 10 member cottages. Previous residential plans to build 423 homes on the 170-acre property were rejected due to the property's proximity to the environmentally sensitive Picayune Strand State Forest and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. County commissioners will issue a final vote in late September.