With a storied history in a breathtakingly picturesque, natural setting, Reynolds Lake Oconee serves as the perfect backdrop to a life well lived. Founded in 1988—the year George H. W. Bush was elected president of the United States and the No. 1 film was Robert Zemeckis’ hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit—Reynolds Lake Oconee (RLO) was already garnering headlines and foreshadowing what it would become.
With more than four times the shoreline of Georgia’s Atlantic Coast, Reynolds Lake Oconee has evolved into a globally recognized and awarded club and community featuring first-class recreational and culinary amenities that have attracted members from 48 states.
Now numbering nearly 4,000 members, the private club features seven golf courses, 11 restaurants, five full-service marinas, more than 21 miles of walking and biking trails, cutting-edge modern fitness facilities, boating, 16 hard and clay tennis courts, 17 dedicated pickleball courts, more than 40 member clubs, a plethora of events and activities daily, bucolic sporting grounds, and one of the world’s only lakefront Ritz-Carlton resorts.
Residences at Reynolds Lake Oconee, which is 85 miles from Atlanta, are spectacularly ensconced in vivid green surroundings that rival the best of what America has to offer. They feature a variety of superior designs befitting an upscale community nestled among majestic trees or fronting the community’s namesake lake.
With its cottages, condominiums and homes ranging in price from $750,000 to $10 million, its enormous offering of activities for people of all ages, and its community-minded focus, RLO has evolved over the past 10 years into a more generational community, resulting in a drop in age, from 63 to 56, of the average owner.
“A few years back, we tweaked the membership to allow certain members to add either their adult children or their parents as generational members for a one-time fee. This allows a member’s adult child to maybe come down and put her two kids in a golf camp or get on the lake without needing to be tethered to their parents all day,” says David Short, senior vice president for strategic planning and marketing and sales for Reynolds Lake Oconee. “The ability to add your adult children and their kids has brought an additional vibrancy to the community.”
In fact, Short and his family are not only members, but their property is right in the “bullseye” of Reynolds Lake Oconee. “I would guess that our house is the very center, which is roughly the size of Manhattan, or about 12,000 acres,” he says. “It’s wonderful to live right in the heart of Reynolds, whether I’m walking the woods to lay out the next 15 homesites or maybe hunting a golf ball that got away from me.”
Reynolds Lake Oconee, which is attracting younger families and a greater permanent population, is supported by excellent schools and hospitals, plenty of retail offerings and all of the industry that supports a burgeoning community.
“If you came to Reynolds 15 or 20 years ago, it had much more of a retirement or pre-retirement rhythm,” says Short.
Since Reynolds’ founding, the community has evolved into a globally recognized operation that is defined by extraordinary recreational facilities, including more than 170 fitness classes per week, an authentic spirit of Southern hospitality, and the consistent rhythms of the Oconee Forest and its iconic lake.
Dating back 100 years as a family retreat along the shores of the Oconee River, the striking beauty of the river and the Oconee Forest created a natural haven that felt like a world apart. Many quickly decided to “linger longer,” and one- or two-day visits became three-, four- and five-day family stays.
Since its opening, golf has played a prominent role, and on average each household at Reynolds is home to at least one golfer, and often many more. Designed by legendary architects Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Jim Engh, Rees Jones and Bob Cupp, the award-winning courses were thoughtfully imagined and are meticulously maintained.
As luck would have it, RLO can likewise boast an exclusive experience for golf instruction and club fitting. Aptly named The Kingdom at Reynolds Lake Oconee, the renowned facility is one of only two in the world providing club members and guests with an exclusive retreat for full-game improvement, combined with same-day club building.
“It’s like the Mayo Clinic for golfers,” Short says with a grin. “In one end early in the day and out the other end that afternoon with a better swing, some trendy apparel and new gear built for you that day in front of your eyes.”
In addition to the wide variety of physical activities at Reynolds, the community has long enjoyed an “edu-tainment” curriculum program: The Linger Longer Living Series, which includes a dizzying variety of lectures, discussions and performances featuring topics such as The Legacy of Duke Ellington, The Beautiful World of Orchids, Afternoons With Harper Lee, A World in Disarray, The Constitution & Political Gerrymandering, Beyond Dian Fossey’s Gorillas in the Mist, and the Best of Cole Porter.
In order to experience all that RLO has to offer, residents need to acquire a membership at the closing of their real estate purchase. “About 99% of the real estate owners of Reynolds are members of the Club at Reynolds Lake Oconee, and membership is only available to those folks who own real estate,” says Short.
The energy and camaraderie amongst the members within Reynolds Lake Oconee is contagious and something newcomers can feel almost immediately. “People move here for the lake and the golf, but they stay for the neighbors and friends that they come to love,” says Short.
“The lake is obviously busier on holiday weekends, but from Monday through Thursday, you can nearly always find a private cove and just float the day away,” he says, adding that the area doesn’t experience the annual trauma of the yearly hurricane season so common in the southeastern United States.
Lake Oconee is managed by Georgia Power, and according to Short, the company is a great steward of the lake. “Lake Oconee is very clean, and Georgia Power pays a great deal of attention to the environment,” he adds.
Another community-minded feature in the RLO community that has garnered a vast following among its members is the large variety of clubs that exist. “Some are kind of what you’d expect, such as book clubs or bridge clubs, but there’s also a motorcycle club, a club for folks with convertibles who day trip, and even a Suzanne club for folks named Sue, Susan or Suzanne that gets together from time to time to have great wines and trade stories with each other,” Short says. “If the club doesn’t exist, then a member can start one. There’s a little bit of everything here. The fastest way to get assimilated for new owners is through one of the groups, but for those who don’t play, there are dozens of ways to get dialed in quickly.”
Perhaps clubs to celebrate the presidency of George H. W. Bush or the films of Robert Zemeckis? Clearly, the sky’s the limit at Reynolds, and who could ask for more? *
Ellen Uribe is an award-winning journalist and a communications expert. She is a sought-after speaker, participating as a moderator and panelist at numerous industry events, conferences and broadcast outlets. She has contributed to Vanity Fair, Palm Beach Life, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and Time Magazine.
