Lookout Mountain Club Deemed Best Renovation Nationally By Golf Digest

Finally, the rest of the golfing world recognizes what Doug Stein and the late King Oehmig knew to be true all along.

After leading a crusade since the early ‘90s to bring about the completion of golf course architect Seth Raynor’s original plans for Lookout Mountain Club nearly a century ago, their oft-vanquished dreams became a reality earlier this year. (See Lookout Mountain Club Restoration for the entire story)

Under the masterful creativity of architects Tyler Rae and Kyle Franz, their finished work unveiled last June quickly garnered attention on a national scale. This was validated on Saturday when Golf Digest named Lookout Mountain Club recipient of the Best Renovation in the country for 2023.

Golf Digest annually ranks the best new public and private courses along with the courses that have undergone renovations and complete transformations. Lookout Mountain Club was selected among 30 candidates for Best Renovation. (Click Golf Digest Story for a link to the full story)

The announcement brought about a sense of confirmation for Stein, who continued his crusade even after Oehmig’s death in 2015.

“It’s a bit of a relief coupled with ‘I told you this could be special. I told you it was a unique and irreplaceable opportunity.’ I am so very grateful to everyone who stayed with the project,” Stein said.

While Golf Digest termed the makeover as a renovation, it was in reality a completion of what Raynor intended prior to his unexpected death just weeks after finalizing his plans for the course. The tandem of Rae and Franz were finally able to build out the spectacular holes that Raynor and his successor, Charles Banks, were unable to accomplish.

“The original layout and plans of Seth Raynor and Charles Banks were very spirited and bold, matching the unrelenting nature and scale of the property,” Rae said. “We feel people are finally experiencing their grand vision for the property and playing all of their bunkers and greens as originally intended has opened everyone’s eyes.”

Lookout Mountain Club members finally get to enjoy the vision Raynor had for the golf course while benefitting from the creativity deployed by Rae and Franz. The course climbed seven slots to No. 12 in Golf Digest’s recent rankings of top golf courses in Georgia.

“The game was incredibly taxing and daunting in the golden age, but so was life,” Rae said. “I think golfers are up for the challenge and are enjoying the restored golf course. Luckily, with continued time and healing over the next few seasons, the golf course will only get better and become more enjoyable as it matures.”

The Rae/Franz combo also earned plaudits for their work at Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford, Conn. which was listed as third runner-up in the Best Restoration category.

Nashville’s Richland Country Club was named second runner-up among Best Transformations under the guidance of architect Bill Bergin.

(Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com)