Construction of Kawonu Golf Club in Simpsonville, South Carolina, will begin in early 2025. It will be the first new private club in the Greenville area for more than 30 years and will include a golf course designed by Andrew Green.
The development is led by founding partners Scott Ferrell and Barton Tuck. Among Ferrell’s various roles in the golf industry, he has worked for the PGA Tour, managing marketing for TPC properties, and as president of Gary Player Group. Tuck is serving as development partner due to his experience in real estate, developing new courses and managing golf properties. His GolfSouth company has helped to build and manage more than 60 golf courses in the southeast of America.
The Kawonu club will be built on a 290-acre property that was once home to the Cherokee people, with the name ‘Kawonu’ deriving from the Cherokee word for the ducks that inhabit the ponds and waterways of the property. The natural water features will be incorporated in the course, which will be laid out over rolling pastures and through mature woodlands.
Kawonu will have a clubhouse, overnight accommodation, a Founder’s Village located between the ninth and thirteenth holes, a Founder’s Fish House restaurant as well as indoor and outdoor spaces.
The grand opening is expected to be spring 2027.