From Bethpage Black to The Keep: Play Rees Jones’ Championship Designs at McLemore Resort
Rees Jones’ championship courses are home to world-renowned tournaments like this year’s 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. You too can play two Rees Jones designs, the Highlands Course and The Keep, as a guest of Cloudland at McLemore Resort.
When it comes to golf course design, few names resonate like Rees Jones. Known as “The Open Doctor,” his portfolio boasts some of the most renowned championship layouts in the world — including Bethpage Black, host of the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup. It’s only fitting, then, that McLemore’s very own Highlands Course and The Keep spring from the creative mind behind such iconic venues.
Situated atop the breathtaking Lookout Mountain, the Cloudland at McLemore Resort provides golfers with an unforgettable experience crafted by a designer whose work continues to shape golf at the highest levels. Through his layouts within the McLemore Resort community, Rees Jones brings his signature philosophy — melding challenge, playability, and a respect for natural beauty — to every fairway and green.
What Makes Rees Jones a Golf Design Legend?
To truly appreciate the Highlands Course and The Keep, it helps to understand what sets Rees Jones apart. His meticulous approach has produced tournament-worthy courses that challenge and thrill both professionals and amateurs. Jones’s designs, known for their strategic variety and storytelling holes, invite golfers to test their creativity, focus, and shot-making every round.
Just like the questions posed at Bethpage Black or other revered Ryder Cup venues, each hole at The Keep and the Highlands Course demands thoughtful choices and encourages friendly competition. Whether you’re chasing a new personal best or simply savoring mountain views with friends, the golf courses available to play as guests of Cloudland at McLemore Resort offer a championship-caliber golf experience you won’t soon forget.
The Highlands Course: A Championship-Worthy Experience
Every element of the Highlands Course speaks to the vision brought forth by renowned course architect Rees Jones, in collaboration with acclaimed designer Bill Bergin. Their partnership has resulted in a course that’s consistently ranked as one of the top public courses in the Southeast. Yet, what truly sets it apart isn’t just its accolades — it’s the experience.
Breathtaking Elevation and Views: High atop the mountain, the original 18-hole Highlands Course offers dramatic elevation changes and sweeping views of the valley below. Tee shots here don’t just challenge your skill; they lift your spirits. This is golf with a view, where even a casual round feels otherworldly.
Strategic Challenges for All Skill Levels: True to form, the Highlands Course was created to be as welcoming to beginners as it is thrilling for seasoned players. Risk-reward opportunities abound, with wide fairways that tempt bold play while strategically placed hazards require careful consideration.
Natural Integration: Jones has masterfully used the contours of Lookout Mountain to shape the course. Instead of bulldozing nature, he worked with it, allowing the land’s natural beauty to shine through. The result? A layout that feels timeless and organic — a true reflection of the mountain.
Much like championship venues such as Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines and Baltusrol—courses Rees Jones shaped for the U.S. Open and PGA Championship—the Highlands Course demands a mix of instinct, smart play, and tactical finesse. Jones, often called “The Open Doctor” for his mastery of major championship course design and renovation, partnered with acclaimed architect Bill Bergin, who himself has contributed to celebrated layouts like Chattanooga Golf & Country Club and the renovations of historic sites such as Chattanooga’s Council Fire Golf Club.
Together, their combined expertise invites golfers at the Cloudland at McLemore Resort to experience the same sense of thrill and challenge as the pros at golf’s most prestigious tournaments. Every shot here echoes the drama and excitement found at iconic venues that have made history, ensuring the Highlands Course offers a championship-worthy experience in every round.
The Keep: A Test of Skill and Nerve
Playing The Keep is an experience that engages every sense. It’s a course built to deliver unforgettable moments, where the sheer beauty of the surroundings is matched only by the brilliance of the design.
A Cliffside Spectacle: The defining feature of The Keep is its jaw-dropping setting. Several holes are routed directly along the cliff’s edge, with fairways and greens seemingly suspended in the air. The view down into the valley is both inspiring and intimidating, creating a psychological challenge that no other course can replicate. This is golf where the stakes feel as high as the elevation.
Infinity Greens and Hero Shots: The design brilliantly incorporates the dramatic landscape. You’ll face approach shots to “infinity-edge” greens that appear to drop off into the horizon. You’ll stand on tee boxes where the fairway vanishes over a crest, daring you to hit a blind shot fueled by faith and commitment. The Keep is a course built for the "hero shot"—the kind of bold, all-or-nothing play that defines Ryder Cup legends.
Strategic Variety and Unending Fun: While the cliffside holes provide the signature drama, The Keep is a complete and varied test of golf. The course moves between different environments, from the cliff's edge to more sheltered, rolling terrain. This variety keeps you engaged and thinking on every hole, rewarding creative shot-making and strategic thinking over brute force.
A round at The Keep isn’t just about posting a score. It’s about the stories you’ll tell afterward: the tee shot that soared over the valley, the clutch putt on a cliffside green, the sheer thrill of playing in such a magnificent and imposing environment, which officially opens for play in October.
Beyond Golf: The Full Cloudland Experience
The Cloudland at McLemore Resort is more than a world-class golf destination — it’s a mountain sanctuary designed to offer the ultimate escape. Whether exploring solo or traveling with friends and family, the experience here extends far beyond the course.
Fine Dining: After a thrilling day on the fairways, enjoy a well-deserved meal at Auld Alliance, Cloudland's exceptional dining destination. Pair locally inspired dishes with sweeping mountain views and toast to your best-ever round.
Luxury Accommodations: Cloudland’s mountaintop accommodations blend rustic charm with upscale luxury. From elegant guest suites to cozy spaces that invite relaxation, every detail is curated for comfort.
Relax and Recharge: The Highlands Course is exhilarating — and maybe a little tiring, too. Wind down with a holistic spa treatment or simply lounge on the terrace, soaking in the stunning scenery as the sunset paints the sky.
Whether you need a full recharge or are celebrating the thrill of your best shots, Cloudland has everything you could ask for and more.
Carrying the Torch: The Jones Legacy and the Lasting Influence of the Southeast
The story of McLemore’s celebrated golf courses begins long before a single fairway was carved on Lookout Mountain. It’s a story rooted in the enduring legacy of the Jones family—one of golf’s most influential names—and the Southeast’s special place in the history of American golf architecture.
Robert Trent Jones Sr. was a visionary whose belief in “hard par, easy bogey” design forever changed how the game was played and experienced. His creativity and meticulous approach gave rise to countless iconic courses, inspiring a generation of golfers and designers. His courses throughout the Southeast set a new standard, with legendary sites like Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta and Pinehurst No. 7 exemplifying how a golf course could be both a strategic challenge and a celebration of the land’s natural character.
Rees Jones inherited not only his father’s technical skill and passion, but also his respect for the land and his devotion to creating memorable experiences. He learned that each course should reflect its landscape, offering challenges that feel both timeless and fresh. The Southeast’s rolling terrain, dramatic vistas, and rich heritage have served as the perfect canvas for Rees’ enduring work—from the dazzling renovations of classic layouts to the creation of entirely new championship venues.
In the spirit of his father, Rees Jones approaches every project—like the Highlands Course and The Keep —with a sense of stewardship and innovation. His courses invite both seasoned and novice players to experience the subtle art of risk and reward, with each tee box, fairway, and green telling a story that blends history, natural beauty, and modern strategy.
This lineage of excellence is woven into the very fabric of the Cloudland at McLemore Resort. Here, on the shoulders of Lookout Mountain, the vision of two generations comes alive, offering a golf experience that feels both grounded in history and shaped for the future. Every round on the Highlands Course and The Keep is more than a game—it’s a connection to the tradition of great design, the allure of the Southeast, and the enduring influence of a family that changed golf forever.
By playing the Highlands Course or The Keep, guests are not just walking fairways; they’re engaging with a living legacy that continues to elevate the game, one unforgettable shot at a time.
It’s time to elevate your game — literally. Book your stay at Cloudland to experience the excitement for yourself.
