an exclusive golf-only club rooted in heritage elevated by design

An exclusive golf-only club rooted in heritage and elevated by design

“It took us a minute to find the right piece of ground, but i have to say, we found the right piece of ground. The close of this golf course will be one of the most talked about things in the game of golf for a long time.”


“It took us a minute to find the right piece of ground, but i have to say, we found the right piece of ground. The close of this golf course will be one of the most talked about things in the game of golf for a long time.”

ABOUT KAWONU

WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER


Kawonu Golf Club will sit on a property in Upstate South Carolina that would tell countless stories if it could speak, stories of the days when Cherokee Indians walked its fields and forests and lived off the provisions they supplied. Listening to the calls of the waterfowl and wildlife who have graced this property for centuries, they gave the name Kawonu to the ducks that still make their homes among the ponds and waterways so plentiful here. 


Since then, generations of families have continued hunting and fishing on these hallowed grounds, making unforgettable memories and creating lasting legacies. The lure of this land ties the past to the present, and Kawonu Golf Club will stay true to the heritage of this historic site as members honor traditions, forge friendships, and pursue the conquest of the game of golf.

OUR LEGACY

KAWONU IS CALLING

WHERE MEMBERSHIP MEANS MORE


Kawonu offers an intimate community, a championship-caliber course, and a timeless golf experience rooted in the natural beauty of Upstate South Carolina. The atmosphere blends ease with elegance—designed with intention, built for the long game, and shaped to be truly unforgettable.


Membership is by invitation only and extended to those who share our vision and values: camaraderie, heritage, and the enduring pursuit of great golf.

INQUIRE ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

THE LATEST

News & Updates


By Athlon Sports June 9, 2026
After years restoring some of American golf’s most important venues, Andrew Green is nearing a new milestone with Firefly in Tennessee and Kawonu Golf Club in South Carolina. Andrew Green’s name has become almost shorthand for one of the most important movements in modern golf architecture. When a historic course needs to remember what it once was without becoming frozen in time, Green has become one of the industry’s most trusted voices. His restoration and renovation work has touched major championship venues, PGA Tour stages and some of the country’s most studied clubs. But the next chapter is not about restoring someone else’s original intent. It is about seeing Green’s own intent come to life. Over the next year, two very different projects will move from construction story to playing experience. Firefly, a new luxury golf community in Spring Hill, Tennessee, is preparing to open an 18-hole championship course and 9-hole short course in fall 2026. Kawonu Golf Club, a private, golf-only club near Greenville, South Carolina, is moving through grassing and grow-in toward a 2027 opening. Together, they create one of the more compelling architecture stories in American golf. Same architect. Same belief in land, strategy and restraint. Two completely different assignments. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.
By UpstateBizSC June 9, 2026
First renderings reveal timeless clubhouse architecture rooted in the land that has inspired Andrew Green’s championship course. Kawonu Golf Club, the private golf-only club under construction near Greenville, South Carolina, has unveiled the first renderings of its clubhouse complex. Designed by architect Joel Newman, the facilities represent another milestone in the development of the club and offer members and prospective members a glimpse into the gathering spaces planned for the property. “From the beginning, our goal has been to create a club that feels authentic to the land and true to the traditions of the game,” said Scott Ferrell, founding partner of Kawonu Golf Club. “While the golf course will always be at the heart of Kawonu, these facilities are an important part of the overall experience. Joel has designed spaces that feel timeless, welcoming and perfectly suited to the character of the property.” Designed around the club’s golf-only philosophy, the clubhouse complex will be anchored by a dedicated Golf House positioned behind the practice area. The approximately 5,000-square-foot facility will include a golf shop, indoor teaching bays, a halfway house, golf fitness space and an outdoor patio overlooking the practice facilities. Connected by a breezeway, the 9,500-square-foot main clubhouse will overlook the 18th green and the surrounding landscape, and will include locker rooms, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, a private dining room, and seven individual overnight rooms on the lower level. Together, the two structures are designed to offer a cohesive, purposeful arrival and fitting finish to a round of golf. Among the additional amenities planned for the property is Tuck’s Cabin, a fishing cabin overlooking a 10-acre lake at the center of the front nine. The cabin is named in honor of Barton Tuck, who brings decades of real estate development experience to his role as Founding Partner at Kawonu Golf Club, and his son, Noel Tuck, who serves as the club’s Development Manager. The cabin will feature a fireplace, casual furnishings, an honor bar, and fishing gear, creating a relaxed retreat for members and guests. To bring the clubhouse complex to life, Kawonu partnered with Newman, whose work is widely recognized for its thoughtful approach to club and hospitality design. Based in Beaufort, South Carolina, Newman is a partner at Thomas & Denzinger Architects and has designed facilities at Chechessee Creek Club, Spring Island Club, and Ohoopee Match Club, as well as projects at Kiawah Island and Palmetto Bluff. At Kawonu, he is leading the design of the clubhouse, lodging accommodations, training center, and golf course comfort stations. “Every building on this property should feel like it belongs here – rooted in the land, not imposed upon it,” said Newman. “What makes Kawonu exceptional is that the land itself tells you what to do. The rolling topography, the varied tree species, and the way light falls across the Reedy River corridor – all of it informs how we approach each structure. Our goal is to create spaces that are purposeful and unhurried, where the architecture draws you deeper into the golf experience rather than pulling you away.” Construction on Tuck’s Cabin is projected to begin this year. Construction on the Golf House is slated to begin in 2027, with the main clubhouse to follow. Situated on more than 290 acres of rolling meadows, hardwood forests, and Reedy River frontage, Kawonu Golf Club is the first private golf-only club developed in the Upstate in more than 30 years. The club’s Andrew Green-designed championship golf course is under construction, with grassing underway, and is expected to open in spring 2027.
By Golf Digest June 9, 2026
It’s no secret that it gets hot in South Carolina. But in terms of golf, the state has never been hotter than it is now. When it comes to the quality and relevance of new course construction, South Carolina is burning. Andrew Green is a designer who until now has been one of the profession’s most sought-after renovation specialists for his work at clubs like Inverness, Congressional’s Blue Course, Oak Hill’s East Course, Scioto and East Lake among others. He’s now venturing into original designs, including Kawonu Golf Club near Greenville. The course occupies nearly 300 acres with holes playing alternately through grasslands and sections of hardwoods and pine, some which border natural bodies of water and others on the second nine that run along the rims of deep ravines. Kawonu is currently under construction and will open to members in 2027.