Cliffs Living - Spring/Summer 2021

C LI F FS LIVING S P R I NG / SU M M E R

2021

A Magazine With, For & About Members at The Cliffs

The

RESILIENCE I s s u e

B E C AU S E YOU WOU L D M OV E M OU N TA I N S F O R M OM E N T S , J U S T L I K E T H E S E .

W E L C OM E H OM E .

MOUNTAIN AND LAKE HOMES AND HOMESITES | CLUB MEMBERSHIPS | 864.249.4379 | CLIFFSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM

Contents NOTE 5 PRESIDENT’S A message from Rob Duckett, President

of The Cliffs, followed by a development update from leadership.

15 GATHER A snapshot of festive (and socially distanced) gatherings from across The Cliffs.

23 SPIRIT Sprinkling personality into cakes; teeing up a new golf initiative; and talking kid life at Keowee Vineyards and Walnut Cove.

35 YONDER Celebrating a blessed bicentennial; working in front of – and behind – the camera lens; and recharging enthusiasm with e-bikes.

-STAR DINING 44 EIGHT Meet the master chefs behind the menus.

56 GAME (STILL) ON

Elite athletes play the field – and the courses – at The Cliffs.

WRIGHT VISION 66 THE Ben Wright shares a player’s guide to The Cliffs Valley golf course.

77 HAVEN Making retirement productive as can

bee; building amidst nature’s charm – and challenges; living color; making it worth the splurge; and evolving a deeply rooted space.

91 VISTAS A look ahead at events and happenings taking place across The Cliffs.

100 APERTURE A collection of words and images by members at The Cliffs.

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PRESIDENT’S NOTE

Welcome to

CLIFFS LIVING Dear Members at The Cliffs, We are happy to share with you the newest edition of Cliffs Living – A Magazine With, For & About Members at The Cliffs.

By the time you receive your magazine, the songs of the season will have arrived with fresh blooms sprouting, vibrant colors popping, and new sound tracks of our resident wildlife playing.

As we inch closer to our spring and summer seasons in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s important to reflect on the obstacles we have overcome as a community this past year, but also take in new moments to celebrate what we have in store for the future.

During the last year, we have cultivated substantial growth at all seven of the Clubs through our dedication to enhance the service and programming. It was the goal of South Street Partners and our leadership team at The Cliffs to rejuvenate our staff in order to provide a first-in-class member experience. I am extremely proud and grateful that we continue to leap over any hurdles forged in our path to success.

There are many exciting enhancements and expansions in the works, including the role Cliffs Builders will play in developing future built-for-sale offerings in our communities. Likewise, we are making substantial investments in all the Clubs, with numerous renovations as well as new amenities that will round out our already impressive offering.

Apart from the new developments, in this issue of Cliffs Living, readers will get up close and personal with our eight esteemed chefs, hear the story behind the creation of The Cliffs Valley golf course from course designer Ben Wright, and discover why a handful of professional athletes choose to call The Cliffs home.

If you want to get invigorated and refreshed with what life can offer at The Cliffs, look no further than the pages before you.

The stories in this magazine, especially the ones about our members, certainly will inspire in many ways. The future at The Cliffs continues to dazzle, and we can’t wait to see how brightly we can shine.

Warm regards,

ROB DUCKETT President, The Cliffs

Please let us keep hearing from you. To submit photos, story ideas, or feedback about Cliffs Living, email magazine@cliffsliving.com. We also invite you to help grow your community by sharing Cliffs Living with family and friends, and then invite them to join you as a member here.

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NEW HOMES, ELEVATED A MENIT Y PROJECTS UNDERWAY Momentum is building at The Cliffs WILDWOOD

A new turnkey built-for-sale home program by Cliffs Builders is enjoying robust sales since its launch in the fall of 2020.

Clubhouse refreshes are complete in two communities, with updates underway in one more. A reconstructed Lakehouse at Keowee Vineyards opened last summer, and elevated amenities are in the works elsewhere, some in the design stage, others shovel ready.

Positive progress was part of the plan when South Street Partners acquired The Cliffs in 2019. With so much already in place – well-designed golf courses, attractive amenities, stunning homesites – we envision enhanced programming across all seven the communities.

Following are a few updates. Details – especially regarding projects still in the design phase – are subject to change.

Next up for Cliffs Builders is Wildwood, also within The Cliffs at Walnut Cove but tucked into a more forested area. The architectural vision makes the most of this wooded setting, with rustic elements, wood accents, beamed ceilings, and plenty of natural stone.

Reminiscent of a cabin in the wood – a high-end cabin in the woods – the exteriors will be a modern take on rustic design; the interiors will be more transitional, with brighter colors and clean lines.

Wildwood comprises 22 lots – 13 of them built-for-sale homesites with nine set aside for custom homes – all centered around social amenities including a pavilion, oversized firepit, and shared gathering space.

CLIFFS BUILDERS:

SOLSTICE PARK

Meadowview, Wildwood & Solstice Park The Cliffs Builders program is filling a niche in luxury new construction, with an offering midway between spec and custom.

It’s an intriguing option for buyers who want new, high-end homes – now. These built-for-sale houses combine custom aesthetics with turnkey convenience, making them ideal for buyers who lack the time and/or inclination to go through the full design/build process.

Planning is underway on built-for-sale opportunities within The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, too. Solstice Park will offer 10 homesites surrounding a central park and another 18 that are more golf course oriented. Additonally, a new release at The Landing will include built-for-sale homes by Cliffs Builders on five interior lots with a spectacular view of Lake Keowee.

ELEVATED AMENITIES:

MEADOWVIEW

Some New, Some Improved

Led by Director of Construction Kevin Adams, Cliffs Builders comprises in-house draftsmen and project engineers plus a licensed interior designer; the team partners with local architects and well-vetted subcontractors. The program launched in late 2020 with Meadowview, a cluster of 12 homesites within The Cliffs at Walnut Cove; it’s expanding to Keowee Springs and Mountain Park this Spring.

Meadowview is located in a lush valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with lots sized from approximately a quarter to twothirds of an acre. The architectural style is Mountain Traditional, designed with two floorplan options – both 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths – either single or double story. The neighborhood enjoys proximity to Walnut Cove’s Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

Mid-2020 brought renovations to The Cliffs at Glassy Clubhouse and The Cliffs Valley Clubhouse.

The grand exteriors of these amenities boast timeless appeal – but it was time to rejuvenate inside. Glassy now boasts a cool, new bar and updated interior design, while Valley enjoyed a good, overall refresh that makes it more modern, more functional.

A refresh is underway at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. The Turnhouse will enjoy interior updates, while The Tavern undergoes a more extensive overhaul. New furniture and finishes will bring the ambiance of a high-end restaurant to the main dining room, and the outdoor patio will be covered to create more functional indoor/outdoor dining space.

Design is almost complete on a new Clubhouse at Keowee

“People like this program. Buyers want new construction – and many of them want the convenience of skipping the design/build process.”

— CHRIS CALLOWAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT THE CLIFFS

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“People see positive things happening, and they want to be a part of it.

We expect the spring selling season to remain strong.”

— CHRIS CALLOWAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT THE CLIFFS

Springs. This project elevates an amenities package that already includes The Beach Club and Surf Shop along with The Bistro, The Porch, and the player-friendly Tom Fazio golf course.

A top priority for South Street Partners, this clubhouse will comprise upwards of 15,000 square feet of indoor space and another 7,000 square feet of decking and porches. It’s designed to complement the scenic community’s natural framework. Ideally situated atop a hill – overlooking the 18th hole and the practice range – it’s all about elevating social connections, with an open-air breezeway as the main arrival point and a series of interconnected pavilions to house a variety of activity areas. These include a golf shop; a bar and lounge; dining spaces; and a wellness center.

Another project still in the design stage is The Landing Lake Club within The Cliffs at Keowee Springs. This development – with future planned coveted homesites on a prime peninsula – includes a shared amenity envisioned as one principal structure with myriad social spaces, both inside and out.

Early renderings of the 6,000-square-foot project suggest a lowslung gable roof on a stone base with plenty of local, natural

materials. An abundance of windows and operable walls would blur the line between indoors and out. Expect a fitness room and multiple swimming pools, plus an adjacent event lawn.

On the drawing board is a boardwalk leading to a bait shop, more gathering spaces, and a private dock, making the complex accessible via boat.

Amenity upgrades at The Cliffs at Mountain Park are also finishing up the design stage. An architect has been engaged for a new wellness and sports center overlooking the ninth hole of the Mountain Park golf course; expect a wellness center, pool, pool kitchen, locker rooms, and tennis and pickleball courts. Other possibilities include expanding the existing Cabin, upgrading kitchen and pro shop areas, and enhancing indoor and outdoor dining experiences. There may be improvements to the flow of the Audubon-certified golf course, arrival sequence, and circulation patterns. Recreation possibilities include an amphitheater, bike trails, and a bump track for mountain bikes.

It’s an exciting time at The Cliffs and we look forward to sharing more information as we have it.

“We’re progressing in the architectural plans for The Lake Club at The Landing.

It’s going to be a wonderful space.”

— CHRIS CALLOWAY, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT THE CLIFFS

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Cr eati ng ex tr aor d i na r y home s i n a l l seven Cl i f fs com mu n itie s .

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EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Anderson, The Cliffs MANAGING EDITOR Kristie Harris, The Cliffs EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Diane Jackson, Community Journals CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristy Adair, Community Journals PUBLISHER Mark B. Johnston, Community Journals GENERAL MANAGER Susan Schwartzkopf, Community Journals VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Holly Hardin, Community Journals

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Diane Jackson, John Jeter, M. Linda Lee, Tessa Pinner, Sandy Smith, Stephanie Trotter, Bo Wood

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS, ILLUSTRATORS & DESIGNERS Aaron Fine Architectural Photography, Timothy Banks, Kris Decker/Firewater Photography, Kasi Hubbard, Jack Robert Photography, Andy Lukacs-Ormond, Will Malone, Laurie Metzger, Patrick O’Brien, Michael O’Bryon, Stephanie Trotter, Bonfire Visuals, Bo Wood

ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES Lizzie Campbell, Camden Johnson ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Kim Collier COMMUNITY JOURNALS MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Allison Gambone, Sangeeta Hardy, Mary Hill, Donna Johnston, Heather Propp, Meredith Rice

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Cliffs Living is published two times a year by The Cliffs in partnership with Community Journals LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any material in this publication without publisher’s permission is strictly prohibited. For copies, customer service, or to distribute at a business, please inquire at magazine@cliffsliving.com.

Advertisement herein for any product or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by The Cliffs or its affiliates.

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GATHER

CELEBRITY MEMBER CHEFS NIGHT ® MASTERMINDS OF MIXOLOGY ® PICKLEBALL PALOOZA ® END-OF-SEASON TENNIS CELEBRATION ®

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Celebrity Member Chefs Night The Cliffs at Mountain Park

Food, fellowship, and plenty of fun!

Members and guests gathered at The Cabin to enjoy the culinary talents of “celebrity” member chefs Dan Balogh and Chick Steinberg alongside Mountain Park’s Chef Kevin Furmanek. These enthusiastic epicureans donned aprons, rolled up their sleeves, and showcased favorite family dishes, accompanied by a few Cabin specialties, to serve up a uniquely fabulous meal.

Chick Steinberg, Executive Chef Kevin Furmanek, Dan Balogh

Romaine Heart Salad

Ting Carlson, Dianne Sontag

Chick Steinberg’s Jewish Beef Brisket

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Dan Balogh’s Cuban Pork Tenderloin

David Sontag, Andy Quay, Chuck Allen

Bob Banks, Peter McNaughton

GATHER

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Masterminds of Mixology The Cliffs at Keowee Falls

The masterminds behind everyone’s favorite cocktails at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls don’t keep the recipes secret – in fact, they host monthly classes to share tips of the trade with home-bar enthusiasts. From essential techniques to recommended ingredients to picking out gadgets and glassware, this series of workshops definitely makes us say “Cheers!”

Emelyn & Neil Jones

Bonnie & Larry Evans

Jeanne & Rick Puckett

James & Janet Scardo

Suzette Bunnell

Lexi Moulding, Michael Wilson

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GATHER

Pickleball Palooza

Bruce Leech, Bill Atkins

The Cliffs at Glassy A smashing good time!

More than 20 picklers gathered on the Glassy courts for an inaugural event that was equal parts competition and camaraderie. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America – and at The Cliffs, too, where members adore the fun, fast-paced play.

When it comes to Pickleball Palooza, everyone has a ball.

Doug & Jodi Wicks

Austin Cashwell, Rhonda Williams

Ray & Julie Condren

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GATHER

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End-of-Season Tennis Celebration The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

An ace of a celebration! A couple dozen tennis players turned out for a carnivalthemed party complete with munchies, mingling, and competitive matches – plenty of prizes, too – to mark the end of a fun-filled season at Walnut Cove.

Bob Nicholson

Rachel Genevie, Colette Rodbell

Margaret Onulak

Tessa Lang, Hanane Toumi

Doug Cioce, Richard Serbin

Todd Fredin

Mark Stejbach, Ginger Bertoli, Wendy Cover, Chris Onulak SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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SPIRIT

PLATED ® FAIRWAY ® KIDS Q&A ®

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L ET T HEM E AT CA K E ‘Cake Ninja’ sprinkles personality into everything she bakes

Judi Wojciechowski has been busy, as the five cakes covering an entire kitchen island can attest.

Purple flowers festoon a sweet-potato cake with maple cinnamon buttercream, and pastel candies wreathe a vegan lemon cake. An overturned wine glass is embedded in the top of a red velvet with burgundyhued chocolate ganache spilling over the sides, while in another trompe l’oeil effect, Reese’s Pieces pour out over the peanut-butter buttercream atop a chocolate cake. The pièce de résistance, however, is a fourlayer white almond sour cream cake that reveals a multicolored checkerboard when sliced.

And in case you’re wondering: Yes, they all taste as good as they look.

To see these showpieces in Wojciechowski’s kitchen in The Cliffs at Mountain Park, you’d swear she must be a pastry chef when, in fact, she has no formal culinary training. In her former life, this selftaught baker negotiated advertising contracts for TV stations in New York, commuting three hours a day to work and raising two sons – a schedule that left little time for cooking.

It wasn’t until December 2018, after she retired and moved to The Cliffs at Mountain Park with Michael Custardo, her partner of 13 years, that she attempted to bake her first cake.

“We were having neighbors over and I decided to make a red velvet cake covered in white fondant,” recalls Wojciechowski, who decorated her creation with an edible green bow and put Christmas Hershey’s Kisses around it. “When our guests walked in, they were overjoyed. I just couldn’t believe how grateful they were and how much fun they had with it.”

Their joy sparked her interest in making more cakes. Wojciechowski started reading recipes, watching YouTube tutorials, and practicing on

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PLATED more and more elaborate confections until baking rose from a hobby to a passion – perfectly complementing the couple’s love of entertaining.

Now when Wojciechowski serves dessert at the end of a dinner party, her health-conscious guests from The Cliffs all start off saying, “Oh, just give me a sliver!” After that disappears, they often sheepishly ask, “Judi, would you mind just another sliver?”

“And if the cake isn’t gone by the end of the dinner, they’re packing it up and taking it home,” the gracious host says with a smile.

Wojciechowski takes her inspiration from the person for whom she’s baking. “I always try to do something different for everybody,” says the Massachusetts native, describing the Year of the Rat Lunar New Year cake she made for a Chinese friend, complete with an edible Ratatouille-like rat on top.

Against her better judgment, she even agreed to make a wedding cake for a dear friend’s daughter last summer. The three-tiered masterpiece took a week to complete, but the real challenge was transporting it to Hotel Domestique.

“I crawled into the back of a friend’s SUV and held onto the cake for dear life,” she says. Her efforts were rewarded when the bride saw the cake, garnished with blooms that matched her bouquet, and tears came to her eyes.

“I love how special my cakes make people feel,” reflects Wojciechowski. “I get such a kick out of it.”

Friends and neighbors frequently request her creations for birthdays and other special occasions, but the “Cake Ninja,” as one friend calls her, refuses to accept payment. If they insist, she asks them to donate to her favorite charity, the Augustine Literacy Project, where she tutors children in reading twice a week.

Time-intensive Italian meringue buttercream is her go-to frosting. “It’s so good, but there’s a pound of butter in every batch of it,” she confides.

That’s where her exercise regimen comes in.

Michael calls her “The Breeze,” as she’s always breezing in and out, from one activity to another.

Golfing, kayaking, walking, cycling, and Pilates all figure in the mix.

Living at The Cliffs, she counts herself lucky to have convenient access to all these activities. You could say it’s just icing on the cake.

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Judi’s Italian Meringue Buttercream INGREDIENTS 4 large egg whites, room temperature 3 dashes cream of tartar Pinch of salt 1/3 cup sugar + 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup water 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract METHOD Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix on low until frothy. Add 1/3 cup sugar slowly to frothy mixture; mix on low.

While the above is mixing, dissolve 1 cup sugar into the water over medium heat.

Bring to 240 F, then drizzle this simple syrup into the frothy mixture. Increase mixer speed to 10. Mix for 15-20 minutes.

Add butter in small chunks (Judi uses Challenge Butter). Add vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

Voila! You now have the best-tasting buttercream ever. Somewhat labor intensive, but so, so worth it.

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BEST OF T HE BEST Variety defines evolving golf programming The Cliffs is teeing up a new series of interclub golf tournaments designed to elevate competition – and camaraderie – across all seven communities.

“We’re evolving our tournament programming with the goal of offering members a variety of golf experiences that are as diverse as our golf courses,” says Rob Duckett, President at The Cliffs.

Diversity and variety define the golf course offerings at The Cliffs. With seven clubs encompassing one community, it was important to create golf events to establish camaraderie outside of their normal four balls and playing partners. The Cliffs team began to strategize new initiatives, which are now off and running.

The interclub initiative kicked off last summer with Best of the Best. This inaugural event, hosted at The Cliffs at Mountain Park, invited qualifying winners from each of the seven clubs, plus each community’s golf pros – 70 golfers in all – to compete in gross, net, pro, and team aggregate categories.

“Best of the Best was a good, fun take on the member-member format,” says Scott Allen, Head Golf Professional at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs. Each club competed as one

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large team for community bragging rights, but beyond good-spirited rivalry there was an overall seven-in-one zen. “This opportunity for members from seven clubs to play together as one brought a whole new element to the tournament, something that’s not possible in a stand-alone club.”

Justin Tugman – who scored a swanky Best of the Best trophy with his son, Aiden, as men’s gross champion – agrees. “I think it’s terrific, these interclub tournaments,” he says. The seven-in-one membership was a huge draw when the Tugmans moved to Keowee Springs, and an event that brings all seven clubs together is an added ace. “We’re absolutely looking forward to the next one.”

The Cliffs team was tasked with making the inaugural Best of the Best, well, the best.

“We’d never done a tournament of champions before and we wanted it to be memorable,” Allen says, listing myriad special touches, from personalized nameplates to creative swag, designed to elevate the member experience.

“They really made us feel special,” says Cathy O’Brien, who earned bragging rights as ladies’ gross champion with Julie Nestler, her Keowee Falls neighbor and frequent golf partner. “The Best of the Best tournament organizers did such a nice job. We loved having this level of competition so close to home.”

In addition to Best of the Best – played next at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in 2021 – the interclub tournament series will include Reign

of the Region and War by the Shore, and more are in the works.

With thousands of golfers at The Cliffs, the addition of new interclub competition has been met with great enthusiasm. Unique offerings will continue to drive participation, adding a little fuel to members’ competitive fire.

WHO IS THE B ES T OF THE B ES T? 2020 Best of the Best interclub tournament champions include: OVERALL TEAM: The Cliffs at Keowee Springs MEN’S GROSS: Justin and Aiden Tugman (Keowee Springs) MEN’S NET: Mark and Phillip Hablinski (Walnut Cove) LADIES’ GROSS: Cathy O’Brien and Julie Nestler (Keowee Falls) LADIES’ NET: Susan Goldy and Lizbeth Yacovone (Mountain Park) PRO TEAM: Matt Pavia and Camden Jones (Valley)

FAIRWAY

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Overall Team Champions

“This opportunity for members from seven clubs to play together as one brought a whole new element to the tournament, something that’s not possible in a stand-alone club.”

— SCOTT ALLEN, HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL AT THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE SPRINGS

Ladies’ Net Champions

Men’s Net Champions

Men’s Gross Champions

Ladies’ Gross Champions

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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HEADS UP

Kids at The Cliffs

THE CHEV ES

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From | K E O W E E V I N E Y A R D S

The Cheves family – parents Wallace & Sloan and children Beau, 14; Darby, 12; Eden, 7; and Rhett, 3 – live in Greenville, South Carolina, but spend weekends at their lake house at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards. The three older kids, who attend Christ Church Episcopal School, chatted with Cliffs Living about what makes their weekend home such a splash.

Q What’s your favorite thing about The Cliffs?

A Beau: My favorite thing is probably being able to go on the boat and pick up really good food.

Q What’s your favorite?

A Beau: Probably their pizza – cheese pizza.

Eden: Also going to see the horses in the barn and I love to do the stand-up paddle board.

Darby: I like the playgrounds that they have – I go with my little siblings, and we can just have lots of fun.

Q We hear you guys play golf.

A Darby: Yes, sir, golf is a fun thing to do. I’m pretty good. Some holes are a little bit harder, but then some holes are a bit easier. Just a little bit of both.

Q Have you made friends there?

A Darby: Yes, I met some friends when I took lessons at the Keowee Vineyards kids golf clinic and at the Beach Club at Keowee Springs.

Eden: I have two friends that are 4 years old. They’re twins. We swim, and we play these games where we’re trying not to get tagged in the water.

Q When you’re in Greenville, what do you tell your friends about The Cliffs?

A Beau: I tell them it’s a wonderful place to be on the weekends, just to come up here, being able to hang out; sit out on the porch and eat, sometimes watch football games by the fire.

Darby: It’s a really fun place to go, and the water is amazing! I had my friends up here Friday and we jumped in the lake at 49 degrees, but the water was warmer than it was outside.

Q Which do you like better, the pool or the lake?

A Darby: I think the pool’s a good place that you can jump in and I take my little brother Rhett down the slides at the Beach Club.

Beau: I think I like the pool. Well, it really depends on when it is.

The pool is heated and sometimes the lake water’s a little colder. And then some days the lake water’s a lot warmer than the pool water.

Darby: I like the lake, too.

Q What else do you like to do at The Cliffs?

A Darby: Oh, riding our scooters and bikes around.

Eden: And once I rode my scooter into the lake!

Q When you’re at The Cliffs, do you spend any time indoors or are you always at the lake, the playground or the Beach Club?

A Eden: Well, I do a lot of those things – I like all of them. I spend time with my parents, I go to the playground, and I go to the Beach Club a lot.

Q If you could have the lake house all to yourself, what would you do?

A Beau: I would probably take out the boat, maybe go pick up some food, and then, if I had some friends up here, we would go tubing.

Q What about the littlest Cheves – what does Rhett enjoy about life at The Cliffs?

A Sloan: He really likes the playground at Keowee Vineyards and the slides at the Beach Club at Keowee Springs.

Q What do you do in the evenings?

A Sloan: We do a lot of family time at night, especially because we have a fire pit, and the kids love to do s’mores, and we watch movies out on the screened-in porch.

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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MORGANKEEFE.COM NCGC LIC# 15897 • SCGC LIC# G99904

JUST KIDS

Kids at The Cliffs

THE BA LL ARDS

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From | WA L N U T C O V E

Reese: I swim a lot. I work out at school on weekdays but on the weekends I go to the gym at the Wellness Center. It’s a very nice place to go on the weekends; it’s usually really quiet.

Brody: We go fishing.

Reese: Yeah, there’s a lot of big fish in the lakes here, the ponds.

There’s one a quarter-mile from here and one on the golf course where we can go fish.

Q What have you caught?

A Reese: Some bass, some bream. Brody caught, like, a threepounder!

Q What do you tell your friends about living at Walnut Cove?

A Reese: I say it’s pretty chill; it’s kind of quiet because there’s not many kids. I mean, it’s kind of isolated from everything else, but close to Asheville too.

Brody: Yeah, it’s private, like what Reese said. There are some of my friends around the neighborhood, like, I have a good friend who lives right up the street, and we hang out sometimes.

Q Besides the Wellness Center, do you take advantage other amenities at The Cliffs?

A Reese: We play golf a lot at Walnut Cove. It’s so hard – I think it’s one of the hardest courses.

Brody: I bike on the roads, but I wish there were more trails.

Michelle: Brody actually built his own mountain bike trail through the woods here.

Q Sounds like you’re outside a lot.

A Reese: We’re at home a lot of the time, but we’re usually out in Life’s a picnic for the Ballard family – parents J.B. & Michelle and teenagers Reese, 15, and Brody, 14 – who live at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. That’s partly because, last summer, Michelle started the Asheville Picnic Company, a concierge service that delivers elegant picnic baskets filled with locally sourced products for people hungry for a taste of Asheville.

The Ballard boys are breathlessly busy. Reese, a ninth-grader at Christ School, plays second and third base for the Greenies’ baseball team.

Brody, in eighth grade at the French Broad River Academy, enjoys mountain biking and playing the drums. Cliffs Living caught up with them, and their entrepreneurial mom, to talk teen life at The Cliffs.

Q You’ve lived full-time at The Cliffs for five years. What do you guys like to do around here?

A Brody: We always go to the Wellness Center, which is right up the street [from our house]. I like to bike around the neighborhood, too.

the driveway. I have a hitting net. But in the summer, when it’s hot, we go to the pool almost every day and just swim for hours.

Michelle: For a week after July Fourth, the boys go to Cliffs Camp [here at Walnut Cove] – they’ve done it every year for the past seven years. That’s one of their favorite things to do in the summer.

Q If your parents weren’t around and you had the run of The Cliffs, what would you do?

A Reese: I would probably just go around everywhere and swim in the pond and the pool, and go to the Wellness Center all the time, stuff like that. And I’d have a lot of friends over.

Q What do you guys think of your mom’s picnic basket business?

A Brody: I think it’s cool. I don’t think I’m ready to be in it yet, like, have a job there, but if that takes off, that would be really cool.

Michelle: Brody’s going to be my social media guru!

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COMMUNITY

Rock of Ages McKinney Chapel, nestled within The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards, marks bicentennial

E

astatoe Valley has stood witness to infinite changes over the years. This lush, verdant landscape has hosted Cherokee Indians and frontier settlers, 20th-century bootleggers, and 21st-century developers.

Yet across two centuries, one vibrant element has withstood the march of time and traditions: McKinney Chapel.

This iconic church, founded in 1820, is nestled within The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards – and embraced wholeheartedly by the community’s residents.

“It’s amazing to be able to worship in a place like this, with such a rich past,” says Scott Hughes, who lives at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards and volunteers at the chapel. “You can come in here and your denomination doesn’t matter. You can relate to the Bible readings, you can relate to the people, you can relate to the families, and you can relate to this building.”

McKinney Chapel is secluded amongst the trees off Cleo Chapman Road. Having recently celebrated its bicentennial, the quaint, one-room church stands sentinel where the first structure arose, just a few years before Pickens County was officially formed. Oral history describes how a simple log building was pieced together on land given to John McKinney as a Revolutionary War grant. For decades it was the center of the active mountain community, serving as church, school, and meeting place. In

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“The simplicity itself is what did it for me. Its size, its history, its beauty, its simplicity allows me to worship with purity, and not get caught up in other stuff.”

— JAN HEPPE, MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE VINEYARDS

1891, local families came together to build the current house of worship.

The late Georgia Chapman, who grew up a mile down the road, adored hearing stories about the chapel. A descendent of one of the founding families – the McKinneys, Chapmans, Stewarts, Mosleys, Ellenburgs, and Bowies – she felt akin to the property. In the 1980s, the matriarch was a motivational force in refurbishing McKinney Chapel, which had suffered years of neglect and a close call with a forest fire. Before she passed in the autumn of 2020, Chapman was known to cry emotionally about how this simple church was the last remaining symbol of a lost era, a bygone community.

COMMUNITY

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The Rev. Beverly Kelly

The Rev. Beverly Kelly serves as chapel minister today. She preaches behind the pulpit on holidays and other special occasions, and offers it to visiting pastors of various denominations on the fourth Sunday of every month. Although ecumenical in nature, McKinney Chapel is affiliated with Grace United Methodist Church in Pickens.

“This church has been through a lot, and [2020] in particular, but it keeps standing,” says Kelly, also a resident at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards. “People who want to worship God will find a way and will endure many things. That’s what we do. We are a part of life in our community. We baptize their children, marry their sons and daughters, and we bury them. We want people to feel that assurance of God’s presence at all times of their lives.”

That’s exactly what Jan Heppe was looking for when relocating from New Jersey to The Cliffs.

“The simplicity itself is what did it for me,” Heppe says. “Its size, its history, its beauty, its simplicity allows me to worship with purity, and not get caught up in other stuff.”

SERVICES AT

MCKINNEY CHAPEL McKinney Chapel hosts an ecumenical service at 10:30 a.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month, with sermons from visiting ministers of different denominations. Services are also held on holidays and special occasions with The Rev. Beverly Kelly officiating.

The public is always welcome to attend. For more information, visit McKinneyChapel.com.

Cliffs members who volunteer at the church include, from left, Dick Bollman, Jan Heppe, and Scott Hughes.

Dick Bollman, a Keowee Vineyards resident who also volunteers at the church, enjoys the intimate, ecumenical services.

“We get an intersection of people, which creates a different stew than if it’s all Presbyterians, or all Methodists,” he says. “It’s a mixture of people and I think that’s good.”

Hughes, who is Catholic, agrees: “The Cliffs [members and residents] by definition have almost all come from somewhere else and are looking for unification in their faith, and this is it.”

Heppe adds upon reflection, “There’s a sense of faith that is projected from the pulpit and members of the community, and it starts with Keowee Vineyards. The people who are attracted here would naturally make it home. And it’s open to all.”

May its doors never close.

MON T H LY T I T H E S ARE D ON AT ED T O GOLDEN PANT RY F OOD BAN K , MEAL S ON WH EEL S AN D FAM ILY P ROM IS E. DONAT IONS F OR C H AP EL MAI N T E N AN C E C A N B E S ENT T O: M C KINNEY C H AP E L / MAI N T EN AN C E F U N D , P.O. B OX 4 3 , S U NS ET, S C 2 9 6 8 5 .

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JOURNEY

Wellness on Wheels Cyclists recharge enthusiasm with e-bikes

“We’re all trying to stay active, to preserve whatever youth we have, and for some of us, e-bikes make that more possible.”

— KRIS BIERBAUM, MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS VALLEY

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ete Rodgers has been riding bikes since his boyhood in 1940s Brooklyn, New York, when pushing pedals was a kid’s standard mode of transportation. Back then, two wheels meant freedom, exploration, adventures with friends.

“So, that hasn’t changed,” laughs Rodgers who – now 81 years young – still hops on a bicycle multiple times per week with The Cliffs Riders, an unofficial club that’s all about fresh air, fitness, and fellowship. The cycling group typically rolls Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from The Cliffs Valley, often including a stop at a bakery or brewery along the way.

What’s different for a few of them who aren’t, ahem, getting any younger is the addition of an electrical drive system on their bikes – a battery, a motor and a mechanism to integrate the motor’s power into the drivetrain. These electric bikes, or e-bikes, are recharging the enthusiasm of riders who might otherwise age out of the sport.

“I thought I’d feel guilty, getting an e-bike, but it makes riding our hilly terrain fun again,” says Rodgers, who has done many of the country’s famed endurance events over the past four decades. “I’m the oldest guy in this group. Rides that we used to do all the time,

no trouble, just kept getting harder and harder, and I started struggling to keep up.”

Rodgers initially resisted the e-bike temptation because it felt a little like cheating.

“I didn’t want to knuckle under, but I didn’t want to give up group riding, either,” he says.

As it turns out, he’s riding as hard as ever – it’s just easier to go faster. That’s because the “pedal-assist” motor on the e-bike boosts, but doesn’t replace, the power created by his own pedal strokes.

“The tough climbs are still tough, the hard stretches are still hard, but now the younger, faster guys don’t have to wait on me,” Rodgers says. “My e-bike lets me enjoy being part of the group again.”

Kris Bierbaum agrees. He led The Cliffs Riders for years, first from the front of the peloton, then gradually, as he aged into his 70s, from behind.

“We’re all trying to stay active, to preserve whatever youth we have,” he says, “and for some of us, e-bikes make that more possible.”

Bierbaum retired to The Cliffs Valley 15 years ago, after living, working and riding all over the country. A cyclist for most of his life, the decision to settle south was sweetened by the terrain of the Carolinas mountain region.

“Cycling routes don’t get much better than

JOURNEY

“I love my e-bike.

I’m planning to ride it ‘til I’m 90.

Hopefully longer.”

— PETE RODGERS, MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS VALLEY

this,” Bierbaum says. “The Cliffs has furnished us with a perfect setting to pursue an active lifestyle. We’re in a place where it’s easy to share the joy of cycling with our friends and neighbors.”

The Cliffs Riders share local miles regularly and, occasionally, travel to other states, sometimes even other countries, for bucket-list events. What’s more, members have the opportunity to ride with former pros George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, and Bobby Julich,

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who are cycling ambassadors at The Cliffs.

“They’re just a nice group of ‘regular’ guys who are fun to be around,” Rodgers says. “Now [that several of us are riding e-bikes] it’s even more fun because we can ride as fast as they can … well, almost.”

When Bierbaum decided it was time to get plugged in, too, he purchased a Specialized Turbo Creo SL with three levels of assist. Weighing in at 29 pounds, it’s 10 heavier but handles just as well as his standard Cannondale Synapse – “which I haven’t been on since I got the e-bike,” he admits.

“Switching to an e-bike was the right decision,” says Bierbaum. “That little assist allows me to stay with the group and maintain the social aspect of cycling.”

Indeed, the technology is designed to lengthen cyclists’ years of participation in the sport.

“I love my e-bike,” Rodgers says. “I’m planning to ride it ‘til I’m 90. Hopefully longer.”

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE CLIFFS RIDERS? MESSAGE K R I S B I E R B A U M @ G M A I L . C O M T O C O N N E C T W I T H A G R O U P T H AT G O E S T H E S P E E D / D I S TA N C E / D AY S T H AT W O R K B E S T F O R Y O U .

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PEN & PAPER

Storied Careers Working in front of – and behind – the camera lens

L

inda & Michael O’Bryon focused their careers on opposite ends of the camera lens.

She’s an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist and he’s a Pulitzer-nominated freelance photographer. At the end of the day, however, the couple describe themselves as storytellers.

“Storytelling is the essence of journalism,” says Linda, who retired as CEO of SCETV in 2017. “If you can tell a good story, people remember it.”

Ditto for photojournalism. “I always felt there were photographers who like to tell stories, and there were people who like to tell stories who were photographers,” adds Mike, who considers himself the latter. “To be good at photography, you have to embrace the little things in life that most people ignore.”

The dynamic duo, who now split their time between homes in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and The Cliffs at Glassy, began dating as freshmen at the University of Miami in Florida, where he majored in mass communications, she in journalism.

“The irony is that Linda wanted to be a newspaper reporter, and I wanted to be a television director,” Mike shares. “We got out of school and I have never worked one day in a television station, and Linda has never worked one day for a newspaper.”

Instead, Linda honed her broadcasting skills through live television, beginning with her first job out of college doing TV news for the ABC affiliate in Salt Lake City. When the couple married in 1973, she moved back to Miami, where Linda worked for a TV station and Mike was a photographer at The Miami Herald.

Eventually, she wound up in public television, forging an illustrious career punctuated with awards, culminating with The Order of the Palmetto – the highest civilian honor granted by the State of South Carolina – and a National Lifetime Achievement Emmy in Business and Financial Reporting. Indeed, Linda blazed trails as the first female news director of a TV station in South Florida, and the first female full-time president of SCETV in Columbia, South Carolina.

While in Miami, she launched “Nightly Business Report,” a program that ushered in a whole new genre of business news programming.

Mike clicked with sports photography while at The Miami Herald, where he was twice nominated 40

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PEN & PAPER

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“Storytelling is the essence of journalism.”

Mike O’Bryon captured this image of Tiger Woods on the first day – on the first tee – of the 1995 Masters … in other words, Tiger’s first-ever swing in a major championship.

for a Pulitzer Prize, and ended up covering the golf beat. While shooting for the paper at the Masters one year, he met some photographers from Sports Illustrated, an encounter that led to a series of freelance assignments – his photo of Jack Nicklaus made the magazine’s cover in 1986, the year Nicklaus won his sixth Masters and record 18th major championship. A historic piece of art, indeed.

Mike’s been photographing golf tournaments nearly 50 years. In that time, he’s covered 20 Masters tournaments, 10 U.S. Opens, and 10 PGA Championships. His portfolio includes shots of nearly all the golf greats of the past half-century, everyone from Greg Norman, who’s become a close friend, to Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Bryson DeChambeau, and, of course, Tiger Woods.

“I was lying down taking pictures on the driving range at TPC Sawgrass the morning Tiger won his first U.S. Amateur in 1994,” Mike recalls. “It was just Tiger and myself and he was hitting wedge shots over my head.”

— LINDA O’BRYON, MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS AT GLASSY

At The Cliffs, Linda continues to do consulting work, recently wrapping up a series of interviews called Women Vision SC that highlights accomplished women across South Carolina. When he’s not on assignment, Mike loves taking photos of the couple’s three grandchildren atop Glassy Mountain at sunset. He has an entire hard drive dedicated to their pictures, which he estimates at more than 200,000.

Both the O’Bryons appreciate the amenities that living at The Cliffs affords them. An avid golfer and self-proclaimed “professional practicer,” Mike hits the driving range almost every day, while Linda relaxes by swimming, walking, and connecting with nature.

Storytelling is a thread that continues to weave through their personal lives. “Both Mike and I have traveled the world for work, and the people we meet here at The Cliffs come from all over,” Linda says. “It’s so nice to exchange and share those life stories.”

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DINING

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C

COOKING, THEY SAY, IS LIKE LOVE: IT SHOULD BE ENTERED INTO WITH COMPLETE ABANDON … OR NOT AT ALL. Lucky for us, there’s passion aplenty amongst the seasoned chefs at The Cliffs. To these men, the kitchen isn’t a job — it’s a calling — and they felt led to these seven communities, which are nestled in the mountains and scattered along the shorelines of the most gorgeous swath of the Western Carolinas.

After establishing their bona fides — from Michelin-starred restaurants to Jean-Georges properties to the Ritz-Carlton, even the James Beard House itself — these award-winning chefs found their way to The Cliffs. Here, they satisfy a hearty appetite to create not merely a meal, but an enriching member experience.

At The Cliffs, chefs ply their trade in a tasteful array of venues — the rustic Cabin at Mountain Park, the gracious Tavern at Walnut Cove, the casual Bistro at Keowee Springs, just to name a few — where every touchpoint provides an opportunity to nourish both body and spirited lifestyle.

There’s an old cliche that chefs must think like a scientist, organize like an accountant, plate like an artist, and, most of all, cook like a grandma. The Cliffs chefs could do all of this — and more — at any fine-dining establishment, anywhere in the country, but happily for us, they do it here.

Cliffs Living sat down with the communities’ seven Executive Chefs, plus the Chef de Tournant, to get to know them a little better.

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“I enjoy this recipe because it is simple to prepare with complex flavors. The fennel gives it an aromatic crunch, the citrus gives it bright acidity, the avocado delivers richness, and the Asian ingredients give it umami. The tuna is a clean protein to absorb all the complexity of this dish.”

FRANCIS TURCK

Senior Executive Chef at The Cliffs & Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards

Grilled Tuna with Shaved Fennel, Avocado & Citrus Salad FOR THE SALAD: • 1 fennel bulb, shaved paper thin • 1 blood orange, segmented (remove skin, seeds, and bitter white pith) • 1 naval orange, segmented • 1 large avocado, diced • 1 tbsp of fresh mint, chopped FOR THE DRESSING: • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1 tbsp light soy sauce • 1 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine) • 2 tsp sesame oil • 1/2 tsp Sriracha hot sauce, optional In a large mixing bowl, combine the herbs, fruits, and vegetables. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Pour dressing over the salad and lightly toss being careful not to break up the avocado.

FOR THE TUNA: Season two tuna steaks with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with oil. On a hot grill cook a minute or two per side until desired internal temperature (I prefer it rare). Pair the grilled tuna with the fresh salad, a crisp sauvignon blanc, and enjoy!

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Francis graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in professional studies. He is a Certified Sommelier via The Court of Master Sommeliers.

Chef Francis has been with The Cliffs since 2006; prior to that, he worked at Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida; Jean-Georges, a 3-Michelinstar restaurant in NYC; and Ta-Boo Restaurant in Palm Beach, Florida.

AT HOME, DO YOU ALWAYS PREPARE

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MEALS FROM SCRATCH? Most of the time, yes. I really enjoy cooking with my family gathered around the kitchen; it’s the heart of our home.

The kitchen is where we discuss dayto-day life and share funny stories, and it’s all done while cooking and eating together.

setting and the teamwork behind the scenes. There is a gratification of starting with raw ingredients and being able to creatively convert that into a crafted dining experience – there is nothing better than greeting a table and having them love what you prepared.

WHAT’S YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF BEING IN A KITCHEN? My mom worked in the hospitality industry and because of her, I was able to immerse myself in professional kitchens early on. I fell in love with the fast-paced

YOU’RE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND – WHAT FIVE FOOD-RELATED ITEMS DO YOU BRING, AND WHY? I’d bring my fishing pole, as hopefully this island is surrounded by a beautiful ocean where I can catch

seafood – my favorite – and cook fresh fish daily. I’d bring many cases of liquified grapes that have been fermented and bottled, to enjoy every evening at sunset. I’d bring rice, because at some point I’ll get bored of plain grilled fish and need to jazz it up with dishes like paella and risotto. Next, I’d bring some hot chili pepper plants. I love a little kick in my food! Finally, I’d bring bars of extra dark chocolate – 85% cacao.

It’s one of my guilty pleasures and it tends to pair quite nicely with my liquified grapes.

ERIC FULKERSON

“This is a chocolate pound cake that my dad has made for years from ‘The Joy of Chocolate.’ Definitely a family favorite.”

Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Keowee Springs

Chocolate Pound Cake • 1 cup cocoa powder (I use Pernigotti cocoa from Williams-Sonoma) • 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 2 tbsp instant coffee powder (or 1/4 cup brewed coffee, i.e., 1 cup of coffee boiled to 1/4 cup ) • 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened • 3 cups granulated sugar • 2 tbsp vanilla extract (I use Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract from Williams-Sonoma) • 5 eggs • 1 cup buttermilk • 1/4 cup water (eliminate if using brewed coffee) Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt, and instant coffee; set aside. This cake is most easily made using an electric mixer. Cream the butter until it is fluffy. Continue beating and add the sugar in a slow stream. Beat at a high speed for 5 minutes.

Slow the mixer to add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each egg. Mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the liquid, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the mixer bowl as necessary. When the batter is well blended, pour it into the prepared tube pan and bake in the upper third of the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then unmold onto a cake rack. Let cool completely before serving. This cake stays moist for days.

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Eric got his first cooking job at age 16, and he’s been in the industry ever since. He earned a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University. He has worked as Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia; Executive Chef at The Bald Headed Bistro in Cleveland, Tennessee; and Executive Chef at Currahee Club in Toccoa, Georgia.

Chef Eric’s career highlights include

preparing a dinner at The James Beard House in New York City WHAT’S THE NEXT INTERESTING CULINARY TREND? Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I think we will still focus on take-out food. How nicely can we present food in a to-go container? How do we ensure great quality in take-out food? To elevate this trend at The Cliffs, we’ve offered a weekly pizza menu that’s available for pick up and we created themed

carryout menus – Italian, Chinese, Tex-Mex, and so on – that are multiple courses that can be easily re-heated.

YOU GET ONE LAST MEAL. WHAT IS IT, AND WHY? My mom’s Parmesan meatloaf and butterbaked sliced potatoes, followed by my grandmother’s Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake. I still make mom’s meatloaf to this day, and it reminds me of being home with my family.

The cake is what my grandmother made for all our birthdays – being from Texas, it was almost a rite of passage to have that cake! She’d top it with pecans that my cousins and I gathered and shelled from her backyard.

WHICH KITCHEN TOOLS ARE WORTH THE SPLURGE, AND WHICH ONES ARE OKAY TO BUY ON THE CHEAP? Spend money on good knives and only a few dollars on lots of wooden spoons.

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“This recipe works for both St. Louis cut ribs and baby back ribs – I prefer St. Louis.”

SHAWN CREEF

Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Keowee Falls

Easy BBQ Ribs • One rack of ribs

FOR THE DRY RUB:

• Dry rub (included)

• 1 cup kosher salt

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup apple juice

• 1/4 cup chili powder

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup paprika

• BBQ sauce (as needed)

• 1/4 cup black pepper • 1/4 cup granulated garlic • 1/4 cup granulated onion • 2 tbsp granulated ginger • 2 tbsp dry basil

Preheat smoker to 225-235 F. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Heavily season both sides of the ribs with the dry BBQ rub. Place on the smoker for 3 hours.

Gather 2 large sheets of aluminum foil and place them on top of each other. Remove the ribs from the smoker and place on the foil. Sprinkle the ribs with the brown sugar and top with butter. Add the apple juice and wrap the ribs tightly with both sheets of aluminum foil (be careful not to puncture the foil).

Return to the smoker for 2 hours. Remove from the smoker and unwrap carefully. Gently place the ribs back on to the smoker and brush with your favorite BBQ sauce (you can also blend the juice from the foil with the sauce). Cook for an additional 30 minutes for ribs that bite from the bone and closer to an hour for ribs that fall off the bone.

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Shawn holds a degree in culinary arts technology from the Culinary Institute of the Carolinas at Greenville Technical College. He has worked as Chef de Partie, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef and Executive Chef at The Piedmont Club in Spartanburg, South Carolina; Larkin’s Restaurants and Rick Erwin Dining Group in Greenville, South Carolina; Lake Lanier Tea House in Landrum, South Carolina; and The Cliffs Valley and The Cliffs at Glassy.

WHAT EXPERIENCES BEST PREPARED YOU FOR BECOMING A CHEF AT THE CLIFFS? I most definitely learned about culture and work ethic while playing

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high school and collegiate soccer.

From a food standpoint, I’ve had the opportunity to work in a wide range of environments from fast-paced pubs to high-end restaurants to banquet outlets. On any given day at The Cliffs, we can be a pub, a fine-dining establishment, a special-event outlet, and a wedding venue; I’m able to draw from all work and life experiences to keep things fresh and new.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE ON FOODWINE PAIRING? Drink more wine! The more variety you taste, the better you understand different flavor profiles.

I like to include as many people as possible when writing menus for wine

dinners. Typically, my sous chefs and our sommelier sit down together to talk about flavor profiles and craft the menu. Later, we pick out the wines, which we all taste throughout the process. At The Cliffs, we’re fortunate to have so many sommeliers to lean on for pairings; our members have the same access!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD MEMORY? Most definitely my childhood at Maw Maw and Grandaddy’s house in Waynesboro, Virginia. We used to call before leaving South Carolina to “place our order” for dinner after our eighthour drive … I always asked for

fried chicken, stewed green beans, mashed potatoes, and one-pot mac & cheese. My grandparents teamed up for breakfast, with Maw Maw taking care of the cheddar cheesestuffed biscuits and Grandaddy tackling the sausage, bacon, and fried eggs.

We grandchildren always had to go down to the basement – a really scary place for a young kid! – to bring up homemade jams and jellies, zucchini pickles, and beans that Maw Maw canned the year before. After getting over my fear, I remember being fascinated by the amount of neatly preserved food that lined the walls.

JOEY FAZIO

Chef de Tournant, The Cliffs

“This is a recipe that I frequently use at home as well as The Cliffs – but I cannot take credit for perfecting it. I spent several years as Sous Chef at Ristorante Bergamo in downtown Greenville; the chef is a native of Bergamom Italy, and this is how he makes his pomodoro sauce.”

Pomodoro Sauce • 1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes (fresh is better, but that is only happening three months a year) • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil • 6-8 large leaves of basil, chiffonade • Salt and pepper, to taste Puree tomatoes in food processor. Strain seeds and set aside. Add olive oil and garlic to cold saucepan. Bring up over medium-high heat, making sure not to get any color on the garlic as the oil gets hot. Once garlic starts to become translucent (3 or 4 minutes) and the oil is hot, add pureed tomatoes and basil. Continue cooking until the oil has emulsified and the sauce begins to take on an almost orange color. Season to taste and serve over pasta.

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Joey grew up helping his mom in the kitchen and got his first job in high school at a local pizzeria. He spent his early career working as a Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine in popular Upstate South Carolina restaurants – including Ristorante Bergamo, Stellar Restaurant & Wine Bar and The Owl – where he learned the culinary trade from some of the region’s most well-established chefs.

HOW HAS BEING A PROFESSIONAL CHEF CHANGED YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FOOD YOU EAT? I’ve become more aware of my food’s origins

and, especially, how animals are raised, which makes me a more responsible, conscientious consumer. Farm-to-table is always ideal, but not always easily attainable. Commercially raised livestock aren’t always treated humanely – I struggled with this in my early 20s and spent almost eight years as a vegetarian.

WHAT DO YOU MOST LOVE TO COOK AT HOME? AT THE CLIFFS? I rarely cook at home but when I do, the focus is more about who I’m cooking with rather than what I’m making. My 12-year-old daughter enjoys cooking and it’s

always fun to spend time in the kitchen with her.

At The Cliffs, I love preparing wine dinners and special events. I like the attention to detail that is required and I appreciate the opportunity to use ingredients that are not always practical on a daily menu.

DO YOU HAVE A CELEBRITY CHEF CRUSH AND, IF SO, WHO? Massimo Bottura, an Italian restaurateur whose 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, has been in the top 5 at The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards since 2010.

Massimo defines his food as “traditional Italian, but seen from 10 miles away” … this reinvention of classic dishes could be viewed by purists as blasphemous, but his 35-seat restaurant gets requests for 125+ reservations every day.

The way he prepares and plates his dishes in whimsical and playful styles really speaks to me. Sometimes food is taken way too seriously and becomes pretentious, particularly certain cuisines. Massimo irreverently thumbs his nose at that notion and I absolutely love it.

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“Here is a fun, simple potato recipe – my interpretation of a classic French dish.”

EDWIN BLOODWORTH

Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove

Potatoes Boulangere • 2 tbsp butter • 1 onion, fine julienne • 1 tsp dried thyme • 1 tsp hyssop • 3 cups vegetable stock • 1 large pinch bonito flakes • 3 small Yukon potatoes, medium matchsticks • 3/4 tsp salt Melt butter in a rondeau.

Add onions and salt; cook slowly to caramelize. Add thyme, vegetable stock, bonito and potatoes; simmer until tender. Move to your favorite serving dish, and enjoy!

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Edwin honed his craft working under James Beard Award nominees and Food & Wine Award-winning chefs. A graduate of Appalachian State University, he has served as Executive Chef at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Sylva, North Carolina; Lex 18 in Asheville, North Carolina; and The Gamekeeper Restaurant in

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Boone, North Carolina. He also previously worked at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove as Executive Sous Chef. Chef Edwin’s list of guest chef appearances includes the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour Dinner Series in Eggleston, Virginia, and Indie Chefs Week in Austin, Texas.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE CONSIDERING A CULINARY

CAREER? My advice to someone new in the field would be to start at the bottom washing dishes. Don’t skip a step in the hierarchy. Travel and work for some really great chefs. Be patient. It’s a long road.

successful in many different avenues of the hospitality industry: hotels, clubs, and restaurants – upscale casual to haute cuisine – with a very broad set of skills, from baking and pastry to wild game and foraging.

IF YOU WERE A CELEBRITY CHEF, WHY WOULD YOU BE FAMOUS? If I were famous, it would be for my culinary versatility. I have been

WHAT’S YOUR FOOD-RELATED GUILTY PLEASURE? My favorite guilty food pleasure is sweet stuff, mainly cookies and ice cream.

KEVIN FURMANEK Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Mountain Park

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Kevin earned a certificate in culinary arts from the Morris County School of Technology in New Jersey and an associate of science degree from Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island. His first kitchen job was at Rosemary and Sage in Riverdale, New Jersey. He also worked as Sous Chef at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, Rhode Island; and at the James Beard Award-winning Neath’s Asian Bistro in Providence, Rhode Island. Chef Kevin has worked at The Cliffs since 2005.

WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR COOKING STYLE? My passion for food began at a young age. I grew up eating homemade sausage, perogies, and other specialties of my Polish heritage. My first kitchen job trained me in French cuisine, at a restaurant that incorporated only the purest, most seasonal ingredients. After culinary school, I worked under a chef who inspired me to traditional Italian cuisine. I later worked with James Beard Award-winning Chef Neath Pal, whose menu is best categorized as French-Asian fusion;

he reinforced my early introduction into the value of fresh-picked vegetables and just-caught fish.

These diversified experiences with multiple styles of cuisine make me a virtual chameleon in the kitchen – and they’re the basis of my commitment to scratch-made dishes created with fresh, local ingredients.

IF YOU COULD PICK ANOTHER CHEF TO CATER YOUR NEXT MEAL, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Chef Martin Yan (a Chinese-American chef and food writer, who has hosted an awardwinning PBS-TV cooking show since 1982), because when I was growing up, “Yan Can Cook” and “World Class Cuisine” were the only TV shows to watch for cooking. The Food Network was just starting to air on TV, and these two shows influenced me to begin my cooking career. Because of him, I have always enjoyed using Asian ingredients and cuisine.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE, CAN’T-LIVEWITHOUT INGREDIENT? As a chef, it would be very hard to narrow down to one ingredient. Man, I would say fresh thyme.

“This seasoning can be used on beef, poultry, fish, or pork – I like using it the most on Seared Ahi Tuna.”

Togarashi Spice • 1 tbsp green cardamom seed

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 1/2 tbsp coriander seed

• 1 1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp garam marsala

• 1 star anise

• 1 tbsp bonito fish flakes

• 1 tbsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 tbsp granulated garlic • 1 tbsp turmeric powder

Grind cardamom, coriander, white pepper, black pepper, and star anise in coffee grinder. Then mix all ingredients in mixing bowl until blended together. Use this spice to season fish, poultry, beef, or pork.

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“My wife Kristin and I have a love for Lowcountry cuisine and this recipe is close to our hearts.”

NATHANIEL SARGENT Executive Chef, The Cliffs at Glassy

Shrimp & Grits with Tasso Gravy FOR THE GRITS: • 2 sticks butter • 1/4 cup bacon drippings • 16 cups water or chicken stock • 4 cups uncooked stone-ground grits • 1/2 cup milk • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese • Chopped canned chipotle chiles, to taste • 2 tbsp kosher salt FOR THE TASSO GRAVY: • 6 ounces tasso, finely chopped • 2 tbsp butter, melted • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion • 1/4 cup minced garlic • 1/4 to 1/2 cup all-purpose flour • Juice of 2 lemons • 3/4 cup clam juice • 1 cup heavy cream • 4 tarragon springs, chopped • Kosher salt & white pepper, to taste FOR THE SHRIMP: • 15 to 25 shrimp, peeled and deveined • Kosher salt & white pepper, to taste • Olive oil THE GRITS: combine the butter, bacon drippings and water in a large stockpot; bring to a boil.

Add the grits and mix well, removing any impurities that float to the surface. Simmer over medium-low heat for 2.5 hours or until the grits are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk, Parmesan cheese, Monterey Jack

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cheese, chipotle chiles and kosher salt. Keep warm.

THE GRAVY: Sauté the tasso in the butter in a heavy stockpot for 2 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add flour and cook until bubbly, whisking constantly. Add lemon juice, clam juice and cream. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, whisking constantly and adding additional cream if needed for the desired consistency. Season with tarragon, kosher salt and white pepper.

THE SHRIMP: Season shrimp with kosher salt and white pepper.

Sauté in a small amount of olive oil in a skillet. Add some of the tasso gravy and mix gently.

TO SERVE: Spoon grits into serving bowls. Top with shrimp and ladle additional tasso gravy over the top. Garnish with chopped parsley and tarragon and serve immediately.

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Nathaniel is a graduate of the nationally accredited culinary arts program at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, where he was part of the award-winning Hot Food Team. He holds the titles of Certified Culinarian by the American Culinary Federation and Disciple de la Toque Blanche. He has worked as Sous Chef at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; and Chef de Cuisine at Stoney Knob Cafe in Weaverville, North Carolina. He was Executive Chef at the historic Woodfield Inn in Flat Rock, North Carolina; Carter at Main in Elizabethton, Tennessee; and Highland Lake Inn in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD MEMORY? My grandmother cooking a steak and finishing it with butter on the grill. This was the first time I smelled butter caramelizing and wow, how decadent it was! Now, every time I smell that smell it

reminds me of my grandmother; I can see her in the kitchen cooking that steak on that day years past.

Because of this, I want to invoke a memory of food or an ingredient from a time in your life that relates to feelings of family and seasons.

Food is such a valuable ingredient in memories, and my goal is to bring a new excitement to a fond memory.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FOOD QUIRKS? Yes! I cannot ever decide what to eat – ever – so I end up having a bit of everything … which isn’t such a bad choice.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COOK A MEAL FOR, AND WHY? My late grandmother. She always believed in my spirit, so preparing a meal for her would be a chance to prove her right. Of course, I would cook her a wonderful, butter-basted steak!

RICHARD GRAS Executive Chef, The Cliffs Valley

“I love this sauce for more than just grilled meat.

Potatoes, fish, vegetables … it makes everything better!”

Chimichurri • 3 bunches cilantro, stems cut off • 1/4 cup dried oregano • 1 bunch parsley, stems cut off • 4 ounces garlic cloves • 1.5 shallots, sliced • 1 tsp red chili flakes • 1 tbsp cumin powder • 3/4 cup lime juice • 1 1/2 cup olive oil • 1 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tbsp pepper Place all ingredients into a blender and puree until thick but still chunky.

CULINARY BACKGROUND: Chef Richard has worked across the world, serving on the opening teams of The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s J&G Grill/St. Regis Bal Harbour, and Pier A in New York City. He also served as Chef de Cuisine at Oak Restaurant in Dallas, Texas; Executive Sous Chef at The Omni Hotel and Resort Amelia Island; and Executive Chef at Grove Park Inn in Asheville,

North Carolina. He worked as Executive Chef at Ritz-Carlton properties in Amelia Island, Half Moon Bay, Lake Tahoe, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Chef Richard is a graduate of Johnson & Wales Rhode Island, where he earned an associate degree as well as a bachelor of science degree in culinary arts.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COMFORT FOOD? Meatloaf is probably my favorite – it’s the one really good

thing my mom cooked when I was a kid and I have loved it ever since. My own recipe deviates a little from hers, with added pickles and cheddar cheese; it’s so good, and it will eventually make its way onto the menu at The Cliffs.

WHICH INGREDIENTS ARE WORTH THE SPLURGE, AND WHICH ONES ARE OKAY TO BUY ON THE CHEAP? Butter is worth the splurge. Very good butter has a higher fat content and definitely

makes a difference. Vinegars are just as good whether cheap or expensive. I love vinegar in a lot of items I cook but you will not find me spending too much money on it.

HOW PRECISELY DO YOU FOLLOW A RECIPE? To the gram! Most of the recipes I have are in grams; this is to make sure the consistency of the product is always the same.

Consistency is very important to me and to our team.

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GAME (STILL) ON Elite athletes play the field – and the courses – at The Cliffs

BOBBY JULICH

GLENN BLACKWOOD

JEFF DAVIS

GEORGE HINCAPIE

COURTESY OF YES NETWORK

STEWART CINK

CJ SPILLER

PAUL O’NEILL

CHRISTIAN VANDE VELDE

Jeff Davis & CJ Spiller

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W

hen you play with champions, you want to live like one, too. And that’s just part of the appeal of the seven award-winning golf and residential communities comprising The Cliffs.

“Winners like to be surrounded by winners,” says Jeff Davis, a member at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs who – in his college years – was captain of the Clemson Tigers’ 1981 National Championship football team before moving on to play six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “The Cliffs offers us a venue where we can continue to cultivate those relationships … and we know what it means to enjoy the best of living.”

Davis isn’t the only elite athlete who enjoys membership at The Cliffs. Indeed, he’s among a remarkable number of sports heroes here – football and baseball players, golfers, cyclists – who made their names in the NFL, MLB, PGA Tour, and UCI. Mostly retired from the majors, though some continue on as coaches or broadcasters or ambassadors, they’re game for the active lifestyle that defines The Cliffs.

Paul O’Neill is one of them, a right fielder with five World Series rings. The MLB star played with the Cincinnati Reds from 19851992 and the New York Yankees until 2001.

O’Neill, who has owned a second home at The Cliffs at Mountain Park for about 10 years, also won three Emmy Awards as an announcer with the Bronx Bombers’ YES Network.

“When we get down there, which isn’t enough, we absolutely love it,” says O’Neill, who lives in Cincinnati when he’s not flying between New York and another home in Florida. “You just find yourself running and running, and with three kids, the next thing you know, you don’t get down there. But then there’s this, ‘Wow, why don’t we get down here more?’”

While at The Cliffs, O’Neill relishes the opportunity to practice a swing that’s entirely different from that of his baseball career. “It’s basically golf and working out and walking in the hills and the mountains,” he says.

Davis echoes the delight of tackling something new. “The fitness, the golf – I love the golf!” the former linebacker says. “We [still] like to play hard.”

Paul O’Neill

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“THE CYCLING H E R E [ AT T H E CLIFFS] IS AS NICE AS E V E RY T H I N G ELSE: T H E G O L F, THE TENNIS, THE GYM, THE LAKE— IT’S JUST A C O M B I N AT I O N OF ALL THOSE THINGS.” – GEORGE HINCAPIE, RETIRED PRO CYCLIST & MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE VINEYARDS

George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, Bobby Julich

It’s not always easy catching up with The Cliffs’ hard-playing, hard-working elite athletes, who also include George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, and Bobby Julich of Tour de France cycling fame; Glenn Blackwood, formerly of the Miami Dolphins; and Stewart Cink, a golf major championship winner.

Still, they stop long enough to talk about their favorite mountain and lake escapes, where they pursue activities other than the ones that made them famous, thanks to the pro-level amenities

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across the communities. Indeed, they all manage to squeeze in as much golf as possible on any – or all – of The Cliffs’ seven courses.

Cink, for instance, chatted with Cliffs Living just before he was set to tee off at the Bermuda Championship. Asked what he does when he’s at The Cliffs, the winner of seven PGA Tour victories (so far) and the iconic Open Championship win in 2009 responds with an ironic smile. “Yeah, it’s a little bit like a busman’s holiday, but I have a great

time playing golf at The Cliffs with friends and my kids,” Cink says. “While it’s impossible to completely just turn off the ‘care factor’ where I don’t care if I play well or not, I still enjoy just being outside experiencing the courses.”

Courses he ranks among the best he’s played since turning pro in 1995.

Likewise, Hincapie considers the roads and mountains around the Western Carolinas to be among the world’s best cycling venues. Cliffs Living catches the 17-time Tour de France competitor – and winner of three USA Cycling Professional Road Race National Championships – just as he returns to Greenville after several weeks traveling to Dubai and Beirut, as well as Aspen, Colorado, and filming TV commercials in North Carolina.

This popular cyclist, celebrated locally as Big George, keeps pushing the pedals for – if you can imagine this – relaxation from his lake house at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards.

“I can climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 40 miles and do over 8,000 feet of climbing,” he says, referring to ascents not too dissimilar from some in the mountains of southern France.

Of the wide-ranging amenities at The Cliffs, the spokes-man says, “The cycling here is as nice as everything else: the golf, the tennis, the gym, the lake – it’s just a combination of all those things.”

Like Hincapie, Vande Velde and Julich ride on; in fact, the three serve as cycling ambassadors at The Cliffs, leading spirited excursions throughout the year for

“ I R E A L LY F E LT LIKE WE NEEDED A PLACE FOR OUR KIDS TO GO AND BUILD MEMORIES.” – GLENN BLACKWOOD, FORMER MIAMI DOLPHIN & MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE FALLS

Glenn Blackwood

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Stewart Cink (in red) with family.

“YEAH, IT’S A LITTLE BIT LIKE A BUSMAN’S H O L I D AY, B U T I H AV E A G R E AT T I M E P L AY I N G G O L F AT T H E C L I F F S WITH FRIENDS AND MY KIDS.” – STEWART CINK, BRITISH OPEN CHAMPION & MEMBER AT THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE SPRINGS

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other members who also love to ride bikes. At a slightly slower pace, of course.

Julich, an Olympic medalist and winner of the Critérium International, always looks forward to putting in miles with The Cliffs Riders, an unofficial cycling club that draws as many as 25 cyclists per ride, including one regular who is in his 80s.

“I see the passion that [Pete Rodgers, an octogenarian cyclist] has for the sport, and riding with Christian and George and me, he just lights up like a Christmas tree,” Julich says. “They’re all extremely receptive and passionate about what they’re doing in their lives. It’s just this fellowship of good people, and we have a blast.”

Indeed, whether former pro racer or newbie rider or somewhere in between, the cyclists at The Cliffs enjoy wheeling through the breathtaking scenery and rolling topography of the Carolina mountains.

“The bike riding up on the north side is second to none. It’s so challenging. It’s absolutely gorgeous and almost impossible to beat,” says Vande Velde, a member at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls who, when off the bike, spends plenty of time golfing at Mountain Park.

Cliffs Living talked with Vande Velde just as he emerged from his downstairs studio at his home in Greenville, where he was broadcasting commentary for NBC Sports during “Vuelta a España,” the Return to Spain

cycling championship.

Were it not for work, he likely would have been at The Cliffs “having lunch or a drink by the pool to have a break from being on the boat. I love bringing the kids to The Beach Club, playing on the stand-up paddleboards.”

Vande Velde also lauds The Cliffs’ management, echoing the communities’ other elite athlete-members who all sound as if they’re referring to the owners of a championship sports team.

“They’re just going from strength to strength right now,” he says, adding commentary on the continuing addition of all-star amenities. “It’s just so much fun to watch.”

Blackwood, who played strong safety for the Dolphins from 1979 to 1987, agrees. The former NFLer focuses more on golf balls than pigskins these days.

“The thing that continues to blow my mind is the ability to play seven golf courses as a member,” says Blackwood, who now enjoys trying his hand at club tournaments. “There’s such variety in the courses … and so many good, enjoyable people to be around.”

At the end of the day – or, let’s say, at the end of a pro golf tournament, a world-class cycling race, four pounding gridiron quarters or nine innings – the guys say they looked to The Cliffs to provide a special retreat for their families.

“I really felt like we needed a place for our kids to go and build memories,” says Blackwood, who built his lake house a dozen years ago at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.

Davis, who has six children and one grandchild – so far, he says with a chuckle – repeats that sentiment almost word for word. The former Tiger is in the process of building at Keowee Springs, where his large family has long enjoyed membership.

“I can foresee me having a really nice place where we can continue to make great memories and enjoy one another as a family, along with other great families,” Davis says.

MEET A FEW OF THE

PRO ATHLETES AT THE CLIFFS GLENN BLACKWOOD — NFL Glenn Blackwood, 63, from San Antonio, Texas, played for the University of Texas Longhorns before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1979. He played on defense as a strong safety for nine seasons, including six with his brother, Lyle; in one particular Monday-night game against the Buffalo Bills, the two earned the nickname, “The Bruise Brothers.” Blackwood’s son, Jake, played for Georgia Tech.

STEWART CINK — PGA TOUR Stewart Cink, 47, continues his PGA Tour career. Since 1997, he has earned 14 professional victories, including the 2009 British Open Championship, and most recently, the Safeway Open in 2020 in Napa, California. In November, his most recent tournament, he tied for fourth at the Bermuda Championship, with an impressive 12-under-par performance. Beginning in 2004, Cink spent more than 40 weeks in the Top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

JEFF DAVIS — NFL A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Jeff Davis helmed the Clemson University football team when the Tigers won the 1981 National Championship in the Orange Bowl, and he was named ACC Player of the Year. That same year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him, and he went on to play six seasons. Now 60, he became the fourth member of Clemson’s prestigious Ring of Honor before the Tigers’ season opener in 1995. In 2007, Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

GEORGE HINCAPIE — UCI George Hincapie competed 17 times in the Tour de France. Specializing as a “domestique,” he has provided yellow-jersey winners a slipstream, or draft, along the course to help the leader go faster.

Born of Colombian ancestry in Queens, New York, the 47-year-old athlete has earned multiple titles, with victories in a record 17 Ronde van Vlaanderen races and a second-place finish at the grueling Paris-Roubaix. He also won the USA Cycling Professional Road Race National Championships in 1998, 2006, and 2009. Retired from racing in 2012, he now rides as a cycling ambassador at The Cliffs. He also co-founded Hotel Domestique and Restaurant 17 in Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

BOBBY JULICH — UCI Texas native Bobby Julich, 49, won a silver medal in time-trial competition in the 2004 Olympics.

He is a two-time winner of the Critérium International and was the first American to win Paris-Nice.

Julich, who finished third place overall in the 1998 Tour de France, owns five yellow jerseys from international championships. The noted time trialist is a cycling ambassador at The Cliffs.

PAUL O’NEILL — MLB Paul O’Neill, a right fielder from Columbus, Ohio, played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1985 to 1992 and the New York Yankees through 2001. A five-time World Series champion and five-time All-Star, O’Neill is the only MLB player who has been part of the winning team in three perfect (no-hitter) games. Since retiring from baseball, O’Neill, 57, is a lead game analyst and color commentator for the YES Network (Yankee Entertainment and Sports Network), where he has earned three Emmy Awards.

CJ SPILLER — NFL A native of Lake Butler, Florida, CJ Spiller is one of the most decorated playmakers Clemson University football has ever seen. He was ACC Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American in 2009. Clemson retired No. 28 in his honor. A first-round NFL draft pick by the Buffalo Bills, he spent eight seasons in the NFL and played for seven different teams. Spiller was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012. Now 33, the former Tiger running back has been added to Dabo Swinney’s staff as the new running backs coach

CHRISTIAN VANDE VELDE — UCI Christian Vande Velde has cycled all over the world, from the Bahamas to Oman to Spain and, of course, in France, earning first-place finishes at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, Tour de Luxembourg, and Tour of Missouri. From 1998 to 2003, he was part of the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team with George Hincapie in the Tour de France, among numerous other marquee championship races. The 44-year-old native of Lemont, Illinois, retired from professional cycling in 2012. He is an NBC Sports commentator and rides as a cycling ambassador at The Cliffs.

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THE W R I G H T VISION Challenging design process yields beautiful, playable golf course at The Cliffs Valley

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“I always wanted to do the course parkland-style because we had access to a nursery and plundered it for 3,000 trees and 10,000 shrubs. In fact, the whole idea was a user-friendly golf course that felt like ‘A Walk in the Park.’”

— BEN WRIGHT, RETIRED CBS GOLF COMMENTATOR AND GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT, THE CLIFFS VALLEY

I

t’s 25 years to the autumn day The Cliffs Valley golf course opened for play, and architect Ben Wright comes by to reminisce.

His voice – that Emmy and Peabody Award-winning voice – booms with pride as we stroll along this impeccable, parkland-style course, which Wright designed with a generous assist from Mother Nature.

Wright’s affection for this space remains strong, a quarter century after the celebrated opening match by four PGA Tour winners, and the mood becomes nostalgic as we chat about how the project came together.

PLAYABLE BY DESIGN The origins of the Valley design process predate Wright’s involvement. A different golf course designer had initially been tapped and the routing portion of the course was nearly complete when The Cliffs sought out the famed golf commentator, who had designed a few courses in Europe. Wright was already familiar with The Cliffs brand, having voiced a promotional video for The Cliffs

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at Glassy (his tenure at CBS connected his distinct British accent to the game for decades, much like Nick Faldo’s does today).

Enter the golf mind of Ben Wright, blunt and straight to the point.

“I told them, ‘To be honest, you have 15 or 16 blind shots that would make this a very, very hard course to play,’” Wright says, recalling his preliminary review of the soon-to-be-redesigned plans. “I said, ‘If I’m going to do anything for you, it will be user-friendly in the extreme.’”

Indeed, why waste such beautiful space on a course that would only frustrate most golfers?

“Don’t ask me to design the hardest golf course in the world … I despise that form of torture for golfers,” Wright says.

The original routing plan called for more than a million dollars’ worth of bridges – something else Wright loathed when analyzing the early design.

“I hated that it proposed going backwards and forwards across the creeks,” Wright says.

Stone bridges were ultimately placed throughout the Valley course in a way

that ensured efficiency, beauty, and proper use of the design budget.

NATURAL BEAUTY The raw land for The Cliffs Valley project was stunning, and while deciphering the terrain was not without unique challenges, Wright could envision its full potential. Originally a working cattle farm, the property had environmentally sensitive creeks running throughout – so there were conservation concerns to address – and it bordered U.S. Highway 25, so there were noise issues to avoid as well.

“It was very difficult to build from the point of view of the environmentalists,” says Wright. “But we had great in-house builders. Terrific bridge work and rock work.”

There were other trials, as would be expected. Rain and water sources are critical to keep any golf course in top form but sometimes The Cliffs Valley gets more than its share.

“We were washed out during construction on a regular basis with thunderstorms,” says Wright, noting

the drastic change in elevation on two greens from front to back. “I fixed the exhibition match too early; we really opened before we finished No. 2 and No. 10.

They washed out most often.”

If you have ever wondered why the cart path follows the creek on hole 14 and ends up two steps off the green, you are not alone. To this day, Wright voices disdain for what he considers a design blunder.

“In my original plans, I had the cart path to the left on No. 14,” says Wright. “But my construction chief – and I never forgave him – decided to route the path across and run it down the creek.”

Wright was off site at the time – “I was away with CBS for 11 weeks with the Tour,” he explains – and by the time he returned, the tweak was already in place.

To much anticipation, The Cliffs Valley golf course opened for play in 1995 and was recognized as one of the year’s best new courses by Golf Digest. Fast forward to present day and enthusiasm remains strong as ever. To ensure this memberfavorite course stands the test of time, The Cliffs invested in a major renovation in 2017, to the tune of $500,000.

“I will always talk to someone who loves the game.”

— BEN WRIGHT, RETIRED CBS GOLF COMMENTATOR AND GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT, THE CLIFFS VALLEY

In addition to greens restoration from bentgrass to Bermuda, the project added “Ben’s Bloody Bunker” at No. 8 and repositioned the fairway bunker on No. 9, moving farther from the tee boxes and into the typical drive area. The renovation also reclaimed a fairway bunker on No. 6 in the approach area, and expanded the fairway bunker on No. 12 to stretch more into the fairway and landing area. The No. 1 tee complex changed from three distinct pedestal tees (for the back three sets of tees) to one continuous tee, and it was grassed with Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda.

PASSION PLAY

Ben Wright

Wright’s love for the game of golf is steadfast.

And he enjoys talking to anyone who will reciprocate the affection.

No doubt, the journeyman’s storied career across the golf industry is legendary. But maybe even more impressive is his stint in the British MI6 unit, where he served as a Russian interpreter during the Cold War. Wright eventually settled in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1982, where he bought a “Leave It to Beaver” home. (The Englishman admits he still has no idea what that means.)

The challenges in the design of The Cliffs Valley golf course never deterred Wright, who had a clear vision for the course from the moment he joined in on the project.

“I always wanted to do the course parkland-style because we had access to a nursery and plundered it for 3,000 trees and 10,000 shrubs,” Wright says.

“In fact, the whole idea was a user-friendly golf course that felt like ‘A Walk in the Park.’”

The Valley Clubhouse is reminiscent of Wright’s British roots, too. It was important to him that project included a touch of his motherland’s flair as a focal point.

“I asked The Cliffs to build a clubhouse you might find in England,” Wright says. “If you ever go to London, look up a pub in Fleet Street – Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese – where Charles Dickens used to drink.”

He wanted a replica of its bar at Valley and got it.

For the countless memories made at The Cliffs Valley thus far – and for many more still to come – cheers to you, Mr. Wright. We are chuffed you are forever part of The Cliffs’ family.

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VALLEY HOLE BY HOLE (yardages from black tees)

* PG A TO UR ch am pi on Pa ul Az in ge r - a cl os e fr ie nd of co ur se ar ch ite ct B en W ri gh t ea gl ed on No . 1 du ri ng th e fi rs t- ev er ro un d pl ay ed at Th e Cliff s Va lle y.

Clubhouse NO. 1: PAR 4 - 395 YARDS This downhill par 4 is indicat ive of the elegant ly designed holes ahead. A big drive down the middle to lef t-hand side of the fairway, gent ly sloping down to the righ t, will leave you wi th a wedge or short iron to this large, flat green. One of the best views on this hole is offered from the green as you look back up the fairway to the magnificent Valley Clubhouse.

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NO. 2: PAR 3 - 178 YARDS The second hole is a demanding, uphill par 3.

The green is a big target, with t wo bunkers to the left, but the t wo-tiered, sloping green itself is extremely challenging. It’s best here to leave your shot on the same level as the pin or face some quick, dramatic breaks as you work extremely hard to get to the hole in t wo.

NO. 3: PAR 4 - 385 YARDS On the third hole, you’ll tee off from a hillside with a view all the way to the green. It’s one of the shorter par 4s on the Valley course; however, the tree line hard to the righ t is out of bounds and there also is trouble to the left. Visually, this hole looks more intimidating than it actually plays, since a birdie here, with a good drive, is a real possibility.

NO. 4: PAR 4 - 406 YARDS This par 4 is perhaps the most thrilling and memorable hole on the Valley course. Ben Wrigh t has placed an extreme emphasis on tee shot accuracy. On the tee, you’re forced to carry a lake to get to the fairway, while avoiding another lake left of the landing area that borders the rest of the fairway all the way up to and beyond the left side of the green. Out-of-bounds stakes sit just above the cart path that runs along the righ t side of the hole, tigh tening, along with the left-side water, the tee shot landing area. This dogleg left hole is as beautiful as it is demanding.

n e r in te n d ed ig es d e s r u o c * Th e g o lf ee n w a y o u t in r g 3 . o N e th to p u t la n d g r ee n o f is e th k in th by th e w a te r u t w a s v et o ed b ss a r g w a TCP S s ts . en vi ro n m en ta li

NO. 5: PAR 4 - 459 YARDS From the elevated tees, Valley’s fifth hole is a visually thrilling — but also intimidating — dogleg righ t, where Wrigh t forces golfers to place their tee shot to the center-left portion of the fairway.

If not, the lake to the righ t of the fairway, whose range is definitely reachable from every tee box, is certainly in play as it was placed hard by the righ t rough and extends along the hole for nearly 100 yards. From the fairway, the golfer must carry a 30-foot-wide creek that guards the approach to a small and undulating green, framed on three sides by large pines and hardwoods.

NO. 6: PAR 5 - 499 YARDS The first par 5 at Valley is reachable and scoreable.

Playing uphill, favor the left or middle portion of the fairway. Be wary of the fairway bunker and greenside bunker that both come into play on your second and third shots, respectively. The green itself is made up of t wo sections, so be sure to leave your approach on the same level as the pin or face some of the most challenging putting on the course.

NO. 7: PAR 3 - 184 YARDS

e n W r i g h t ’s B s i 4 . o N * w a s a h o le fa v o r i t e : “ It d i t s e lf !” t ha t d e si g n e

The real danger of playing hole 7 is a shot that comes up short and nest les into the grass bunkers fronting the green. This is a straigh tforward, traditionally designed par 3, where the best play is to pick the righ t club for the distance and make sure you get it to the green. Easier said than done, especially if wisping winds are coming through the Valley.

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NO. 8: PAR 4 - 461 YARDS The high tee box at this par 4 offers one of the great views at Valley. Attemp t to blast your tee shot over the creek that runs across the fairway, but the safer play is a tee shot that lands short of the creek and on the lefthand side of the fairway as the trees that sit in the righ t rough completely block the approach shot from the far righ t side. The green is kidney shaped, and is the largest green on the course, with a well-positioned bunker – “Ben’s Bloody Bunker” – protecting the middle portion of the green.

* B en Wr ig ht ’s be st ro un d at Th e Cliff s Valle y wa s 79 . He ho led a lon g pu tt to br eak 80 .

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* “B en’s Bloo dy Bunk er” wa s added in 2017 as pa rt of a $500,000 cour se enhancement.

NO. 9: PAR 5 - 578 YARDS This hole is a perfect example of an elegant ly designed par 5.

What a striking scene from the tee as the huge landing area is set before you, and a fairway that slopes up and away to the left, disappearing past the dogleg. A good tee shot and a strong second shot straigh t down the middle of the fairway leaves you a short iron into the small green at the base of the clubhouse.

NO. 10: PAR 4 - 435 YARDS Players tee off on the backside with a demanding par 4, challenged with a tee shot over water but given a large landing area to work with. Avoid the large bunkers on the left side of the fairway to set up your next shot. Be wary of the approach apron that rolls short shots back down the hill, making club selection your key to success.

NO. 11: PAR 3 - 178 YARDS This is a pretty, downhill par 3 with a bunker left of the green and a pond to the righ t. It’s the only downhill par 3 on the course, so choose your club wisely. The green is large, however, and fairly flat, so another good birdie opportunity is presented here.

* Th e Cliff s Valle y op en ed wi th an exh ibi tio n go lf ma tch fea tu rin g PG A TO UR st al wa rts Pa ul Az in ge r, Ja y Ha as , Ji m Co lb er t, an d Bo b Mu rp hy .

A cr ow d 3, 00 0 st ro ng tu rn ed ou t to wa tch .

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NO. 12: PAR 4 - 352 YARDS This dogleg left is the shortest par 4 on the course.

With the tree line hard by the left side, however, favor the middle to righ t-hand side of the fairway here with a 3-wood or long iron. A strong tee shot will leave players with a wedge or short iron into this tiny green set near a hillside.

NO. 13: PAR 5 - 550 YARDS

* The Cli ffs Valley gol f cou rse ma de its deb ut wit h hon ors fro m Gol f Di ges t, whi ch nam ed it one of Am eri ca ’s bes t new gol f cou rse s.

Here is a dogleg righ t, three-shot par 5 topping more than 500 yards from most tee boxes. Two large bunkers guard the left side of the landing area, and a tree-lined creek runs hard along the righ t side of the fairway.

The best position is to leave your drive righ t in the middle of the fairway. Keep in mind that the creek runs all the way along the righ t side of the hole. The green is unprotected by bunkers, and it’s fairly flat, so a birdie here, even after playing conservatively, is a possibility.

NO. 14: PAR 4 - 384 YARDS This par 4 is a straightforward hole with no sand bunkers.

A number of grass bunkers lurk along both sides of the fairway and on the backside of the green. Tee shots and approach shots that fly too far right end up in the creek that meanders throughout the back nine.

NO. 15: PAR 3 - 225 YARDS

NO. 17: PAR 5 - 534 YARDS

This hole is demanding. It’s the longest par 3 on the course and the creek comes into play here on the left, front, and right sides of the green. Be cautious of the large bunker on the right side of the green, too.

The par 5s on the Valley course are sensational, and the view from the tee box here is beautiful, too. The hole features a subtle dogleg left with a hillside to the left of the hole and a creek to the right. Play this hole all the way down the middle of the fairway to position yourself for the approach to the small green and another birdie opportunity.

NO. 16: PAR 4 - 415 YARDS This is a direct par 4 that rewards a big tee shot. A generous landing area allows players to play a variety of shots, but don’t get too greedy and find yourself close or in the creek trickling down the right side of the fairway. The green is round and slight ly elevated with a large bunker to the right.

s am fo u rb all in cl u de re d s t’ gh ri W en B * ac k N ic kl au s J , er m al P d ol n Ar B en H o ga n , os te . an d C at he ri n e La C

NO. 18: PAR 4 - 432 YARDS Most Valley holes offer generous landing areas and some fairly open holes with room for mistakes. Now, at the home hole, Wright forces you to hit a straight tee shot on the tightest hole on the course. This par 4 isn’t long, but it requires tee-shot accuracy. Pull out the driver if you’re feeling confident, but the safer play off the tee, using good course management, could pay dividends. Players should slight ly favor the middle left of the fairway to put themselves in scoring position. The small green is protected on the left by a sand bunker and a grass bunker beyond the green.

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Designs for

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GREEN LIVING

PRODUC T I V E A S C A N BE E A retirement filled with honey-do lists

He’d heard about that sweet spot in retirement — the place where couples don’t work but still stay happily occupied — so as the big date drew near, Jeff Moser started thinking of hobbies that would complement his wife DeAnn’s interests.

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She likes to garden. He enjoys cycling and motorcycles. He also likes nature … and that’s how he landed on the idea of beekeeping.

“She’s so good with the flowers and birds, and I felt like beekeeping was a natural extension of that,” says Moser, a former investment industry executive. “We both love seeing my bees on her flowers.”

The Mosers are double dwellers at The Cliffs. The couple built their lake house at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls in 2009, and last spring they relocated from Charlotte, North Carolina, to The Cliffs at Mountain Park.

He’d launched his beekeeping hobby four years ago, while still living in the Queen

• Find educational offerings at state and local beekeepers associations.

• Join your state’s beekeepers association and get active in the local chapter.

– South Carolina Beekeepers Association (SCStateBeekeepers.com) – Piedmont (PiedmontBeekeepers.org) – Oconee County (@oconeebees) – Pickens County (@PickensCountyBeeAssoc) – Spartanburg County (SpartanburgBeekeepers.com) – North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCBeekeepers.org) – Buncombe County (WNCBees.org) • Don’t do it for the honey – you may not harvest any for a variety of reasons (think: Moser’s bear).

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• Check out the workshops at CarolinaBeeCo.com and BeeWellHoneyFarm.com.

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• Take a class or watch YouTube videos.

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• Tap into local groups and shops for mentors.

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WANT TO BECOME A BEEKEEPER?

City, and during the move to Mountain Park he relocated one of his bee boxes to the couple’s lake house.

“It was the best hive I’ve ever had,” Moser says. “That queen was just the best laying queen. Every time I’d go check on it, that hive was always full of bees and they were happy making honey.”

Two weeks shy of his first honey harvest, he pulled into the lake house driveway and found his frames spread across the yard.

“My heart sank,” he recalls. “I knew immediately, a bear had gotten to it. I was bummed for an hour and then I thought, ‘I do this to be a part of nature and that bear needs to eat, too.’ I looked down and there were big ol’ paw prints where you could see she got as much honey on her paws as she could, and just started licking it off.”

Next spring, Moser plans to set up more hives in his backyard at The Cliffs at Mountain Park, overlooking the pond and the 11th hole pin.

“I like working with the bees,” he says, explaining his passion. “I like opening up the hive and watching them and seeing what they’re doing. It’s fascinating to see how they’re forming the cells and the honey and pollen.”

He also enjoys mentoring other new beekeepers, who include Jim Evans, Director of Agronomy & Superintendent at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.

“We put up two hives [on the golf course] this year between holes 8 and 9,” Evans says. “The members love it. It provides benefits to the environment, and it’s a way to cross lines and provide honey to Shawn Creef, our executive chef.”

No. 12 at The Cliffs at Glassy is home to two hives, tended

by Golf Course Superintendent Tim Ale and Horticulturist Jeff Melvin. Superintendent Ty Roberts and Groundskeeper Doc Jones maintain six hives on the course at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs.

All of this has Evans buzzing with ideas to make beekeeping an even bigger venture across The Cliffs communities.

“Next spring, the hives will be part of a large vegetable garden, as we develop the agri-business side and live off the land a little bit more,” he says.

And the land needs help. For reasons not fully understood, the worldwide honeybee population has suffered a catastrophic decline over the past decade.

That’s a huge concern, as healthy humans depend on healthy bees. In addition to pollinating the flowers we love to see, and producing the honey we love to eat, bees play a vital role in our food supply. Bees pollinate a third of the world’s crops. In the United States, bees pollinate approximately 130 agricultural products including fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

The Honey Bee Health Coalition points out that every third bite of food Americans take relies on some form of pollination.

Hobbyists are helping honeybees make a comeback.

Moser likes taking an active role in protecting the land.

“I love nature and being part of the solution to help flowers and plants and trees,” he explains. “On a warm, sunny day, my hives look like the Atlanta airport with bees going in and out, and in and out. It’s a wonderful thing.”

BU

Jeff Moser

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• It’s good to be queen: a worker bee lives for eight weeks, while a queen lives up to five years.

• Honeybees forage during the day, and seal honey away inside the hive at night.

• The honeybee is the only insect that produces food eaten by man.

• Humans have been keeping bees for their honey for more than 9,000 years.

• Average per capita honey consumption in the United States is 1.3 pounds.

• Honey is one of the few foods that never spoil.

WHAT DOES IT COST? (according to local bee supply companies) Hive: $200-$250 Package of bees: $125 Queen bee: $20-$40 Jacket: $60 Hat and veil: $20-$40 Gloves: $20 Smoker: $30-$40 Tools: $20

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ROOM WITH A VIEW

V IL L A BEL L A V ISTA Mother Nature brings charm – and challenge – to design/build process The view took their breath away – and then it removed any trepidations Matt & Joyce Aguiar might’ve had about building their home on the property’s tough topography.

“We knew construction would be challenging – we definitely did our due diligence – but the views were worth it,” says Matt, pointing to a panorama of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway, visible to the south or west from almost every room of this stunning

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mountain estate. “It’s pretty incredible.”

Indeed, Mother Nature imbued the Aguiars’ homesite – nine heavily sloped acres – with equal parts charm and challenge. So the couple enlisted a skillful design/build team who made the most of natural beauty while melding a 6,400-square-foot house into a tricky ridgeline right next to Pisgah National Forest.

The result is Villa Bella Vista – literally, a home with a beautiful view – within The Cliffs at Walnut Cove. Designed by Brad Wright of Wright Design, it was built by Morgan-Keefe Builders with generous assists from Steep Creek Stoneworks and Barry Cosgrove Landscaping.

Constructed with reclaimed timbers and locally quarried stone, the home exudes an Old World

elegance that marries well with the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“We call it a European mountain house,” Matt says.

The exterior is noteworthy for incredible stonework and multiple archways, an architectural motif that carries throughout. A decorative turret is in fact a “pivot point” following the flow of the mountain. The courtyard with European paver stones features an arched porte cochere – a mix of form and function – and an enormous, natural boulder crafted into a water feature.

“That waterfall is an interesting story,” Matt notes, relaying the tale of a massive rock that proved impervious to removal efforts. So instead of fighting nature, the landscaping team played

ROOM WITH A VIEW

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gneiss, turning what might’ve been an obstacle into an ornamental element.

The arched entryway welcomes visitors with a wow: a direct sightline to an expansive picture window at the back of the house.

“As soon as you walk in, you see the spectacular view,” Joyce says, describing an ever-evolving vista at various times of the year, day, or even hour. “It changes constantly – based on clouds or weather, this view can change completely in 10 minutes.”

Exterior arches are echoed – sometimes softly, often robustly – across the home’s living space as well as bedrooms and baths. Most dramatic is a stone archway between the living and keeping rooms; it’s repeated with smaller stone arches over the living room fireplace and kitchen cook space. The motif extends onto the patio, too, with an arched stone fireplace, barrel roof, and curved timber supports.

Another delightful repetition is Asian artwork, beginning in the foyer with a shadowbox of goldleaf script from a Burmese Bible. An antique Singaporean fan hangs over the living room mantel. Chinese scholar chairs add gravitas to the study; a rubbing of Angkor Wat on rice paper lends grace to the dining room.

“We’ve collected a lot of things from the Asian continent,” Joyce says, noting the couple spent a decade in Singapore during Matt’s 39-year career with ExxonMobil. “As with all art collections, [the advice is] if you’re drawn to something then it’s something you’ll enjoy – that’s how we selected these pieces.”

Next up is incorporating North Carolina art into their home, beginning with the dining room’s live edge table by Asheville craftsman Brian Boggs.

Of course, Villa Bella Vista is itself a work of art. The kitchen is filled with hand-hewn cabinetry by Forest Millwork. An accordion wall draws Mother Nature’s own handiwork into one gracious space that flows effortlessly between inside and outside living areas.

“When it’s open, we can have a large gathering and it doesn’t feel crowded at all,” Joyce says.

A gorgeous spiral staircase features a beamed ceiling and three-tiered chandelier – plus a strategically placed wine cellar nestled within.

The lower level boasts a rec room centered around a restored 1890s-era pool table that weighs a literal ton.

The Aguiars’ room-with-a-view story is a tale of two cities: the couple splits time between The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and a high-rise in downtown Houston, where a likewise lovely view is decidedly more urban.

“It’s a very different lifestyle,” says Matt. “We leave the middle of the big city and come back to such peace and tranquility in North Carolina.”

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STYLE FILE

L I V I NG C OL OR A home – and a lifestyle – built on vibrancy Color is the first thing people notice about Adrienne and Mike Hogan’s home at The Cliffs Valley.

The gray-blue hue – called Chesapeake – is based on a stain Mike found and had reproduced in exterior paint. Sparks of a red dubbed Borscht light up the front doors and trim. The vibrant palette stands out among the earth-tone exteriors of many houses in the community.

“The color is probably the home’s most distinctive feature,” Mike says.

The Hogans chose The Cliffs Valley, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, because they love the topography and – relative to their previous home in Austin, Texas – the cooler climate. They purchased property in Phase II of Stone Creek in 2013, well in advance of their retirement, and completed the home in December 2019.

When the Illinois natives planned their retirement lifestyle, they opted for a smaller house with an open floor plan and the main living space, including the master bedroom, all on one level.

With just over 3,100 square feet of finished space, the house – designed by architect Garry Price, owner of Design Elite, and built by Colby Hubble of Alair Homes – delivers on their wishes.

Though the exterior suggests a Craftsman style, the interior leans toward modern.

“We like clean lines,” Adrienne says. “We did an electric fireplace so we didn’t have a chimney blocking the view.”

Instead, a wall of windows stretches across the back of the home, looking out on the wooded site.

“When it’s foggy out, you can’t see anything but the shapes of the trees,” she adds. Doors to the screened porch fold back, extending the living space and bringing the outdoors in.

Centering on a cobalt-blue island topped in quartzite, the kitchen is the heart of the home.

Adrienne’s affinity for chrome accents manifests itself in the high stools that cozy up to the island, while the backsplash she chose to go above the stovetop shows off a star pattern in blue and white.

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Overall, gray dominates the interior color scheme, which Marquette Edwards, owner of Design Remedy, livened up with pops of color. She took inspiration for the gold recliner in the living room and the beet-red accent wall from the couple’s print of a bird of paradise flower.

Contemporary furniture blends with vintage pieces, such as Mike’s grandfather’s oak rocker in the living room, and a pinball machine that belonged to Mike’s mother in the family room downstairs.

Also downstairs are two additional bedrooms and baths, plus Mike’s unfinished woodworking shop. He took up woodworking as a hobby several years ago and the home highlights his handiwork.

Most notably, he crafted the wood-covered walls in a small keeping room off the kitchen, which Adrienne uses as an office. The intricate right-hand wall alone consists of 1,270 individual pieces of poplar and maple cut from trees on their property.

“I arranged them in a random pattern of different sizes and colors,” he explains, “including some I painted with a wash of the same blue from the kitchen island.” From start to finish, Mike estimates the project took five months to complete.

Ask the couple what appeals to them about their active retirement at The Cliffs, and Mike is quick to answer: “Seven golf courses!” Since moving in, he and Adrienne have immersed themselves in The Cliffs lifestyle, getting out on the golf course at least twice a week.

“The house turned out so well,” Adrienne declares. “We love the colors and the layout.

And the people here are so nice; we never want for things to do.”

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TREND REPORT

WOR T H T H E SPLU RGE What a delight, discovering luxuries we love throughout The Cliffs! Members don’t merely live here – they dwell well in homes designed for dream lifestyles.

At Dan & Gay Balogh’s, for example, the downstairs is devoted to socializing, with a 2,500-bottle wine cellar, tasting room, and playroom comprising a bar, pool table, four TVs, even a waterfall.

“We built our home in Mountain Park to entertain family and friends,” Dan says. “Our downstairs ‘fun room’ was definitely worth the splurge!”

DO YOU HAVE A HOME FEATURE THAT WAS WORTH THE SPLURGE? LET US KNOW

BY EMAILING MAGAZINE@CLIFFSLIVING.COM.

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BALOGH HOME The Cliffs at Mountain Park

Architect: Design Elite Architecture & Interior Design Studio Builder: Bergeron Custom Homes

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GREEN THUMB

The garden has matured beautifully over the past decade, settling into a comfortable rhythm punctuated by delicate spring ephemerals, lush summer greens, and starker winter structure in turn.

GROW HOME Garden evolves into deeply rooted space And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. ~ William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”

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Hidden within the folds of Glassy Mountain, cradled on a bed of granite, Chuck & Mary Elder’s garden employs the vernacular woodland plants and rock with the artistry of a master storyteller.

A giant bronze rabbit named Chauncey stands at the entrance of the Elders’ home in The Cliffs at Glassy, his ears comically oversized and front paws poised close to his body in a pose that suggests he is examining every human passerby. Chauncey is a welcoming committee of one, setting the tone of the garden and representing the spirit of its owners.

“He is fun and whimsical, just what a garden should be,” laughs Mary.

Tall, evergreen hedges effectively seclude the garden from roads on two sides, yet seem to melt into the surrounding woods. Inside, a Celtic-inspired sky blue gate opens to an intimate clearing with just enough room for a fire pit. On the far side of the clearing, a steeply sloped glen encircled by generous stone steps forms a cocoon at the heart of the garden.

Two monumental stone cairns flank the path, conjuring a visceral jolt with their stoic, bearlike forms, and the elevation change creates the feeling of discovery. Within this dramatic frame, an ever-changing tapestry of native understory plants cloaks the forest floor, offering a gentler yin to the yang of tree and stone. The combined effect is one of a transportive secret world that feels cohesive with the surrounding landscape.

When the Elders relocated to The Cliffs from Des Moines, Iowa, their home was newly built and the surrounding property was yet to be magical. The site had been scraped of much of its native flora

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for the building process, and the remaining trees provided little inherent privacy.

A keen gardener herself, Mary reached out to garden designer Dabney Peeples to enlist his help in creating something of her own. The pair struck up a friendship that has grown in tandem with the garden.

“The side yard was nothing – just a hill going down to the street – but it had a huge, natural bolder,” Mary recalls. “[Dabney and I] sat together on the boulder just talking about his ideas and my ideas. I knew that I wanted a garden that was private, not an entertaining space. I wanted it to be personal.”

The Collins Group, a local landscape contractor known for craftsmanship and execution, oversaw the installation, including construction of the bespoke stone cairns.

“We let the mountain tell us what to do,” Peeples says, noting that Mary didn’t want a typical, suburban-style garden. “It’s actually less maintenance because everything that we plant is chosen to suit the environment … we used mainly native plants and tried to work within natural plant succession.”

The garden has matured beautifully over the past decade, settling into a comfortable rhythm punctuated by delicate spring ephemerals, lush summer greens, and starker winter structure in turn.

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“Gardens are kinetic, never in stasis,” explains Peeples. “We set the table and now we are watching to see what the garden tells us and how it responds. It has been interesting to see how it has evolved.”

Professional gardener Michael Styers joins Mary periodically to lend a discerning eye and practiced hand.

“Old-growth trees and shrubs are the bones in the garden,” Styers says.

“Stone is a major portion of the garden, and one has to work around it. That has been a challenge but one that brings a lot of satisfaction; we put things into rocky nooks and they rise and fall in a seasonal fashion.”

For example, he planted 100 plastic pots of tulips to add to the spring show while protecting the tasty bulbs from voles. The fluid style of planting also gives Mary freedom to experiment on her own.

“I want it all to be as natural as possible,” she says. “That’s the whole story of this garden. It has naturally evolved with the terrain, and Dabney has been involved from the very beginning.”

A true gardener’s garden, the place feels deeply rooted and subtly spiritual.

“It is not a massive garden and that is part of its charm,” says Mary. “It’s just a place where I can go and walk and be amazed at nature.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Compassion. Confidence. Care.

When living with a serious illness, Four Seasons can help you make the most of each moment and feel better doing it.

Care Navigation Home Care Palliative Care Hospice Care Grief Services Research & Innovation Foundation

(828) 692.6178 FourSeasonsCFL.org

The Care You Trust

PRESENTING

Pe a c e o f M i n d

K i a wa h G e t s You

k i a w a h i s l a n d . c o m / c l i f f s

|

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Kiawah Island Club & Real Estate is a trade name and not a legal entity. Kiawah Island Club, Inc. and Kiawah Island Real Estate, LLC are entirely separate entities involved in different businesses on and around Kiawah Island. Kiawah Island Club, Inc. operates a private membership clubwith dining, golf, and other recreational amenities. Kiawah Island Real Estate, LLC is a real estate brokerage fi rm featuring properties on Kiawah Island and within the neighboring Cassique community. Obtain the Property Report required by Federal Law and read it before signing anything. No Federal or State agency has endorsed or judged the merits of value, if any, of this property. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offer to buy real estate in any jurisdiction where prohibited by law. This offer is made pursuant to the New York State Department of Law’s Simplifi ed Procedure for Homeowners Associations with a De Minimis Cooperative Interest (CPS-7). The CPS-7 application (File No. HO16-0007) and related documents may be obtained from the sponsor. This project is registered with the State of New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Real Estate Commission. Obtain and read the NJ Public Offering Statement before signing anything (NJ Reg#16-15-0011 and 0012). An affi liate of Kiawah Partners.

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THE TEAM TO CREATE YOUR DREAM

www.ParagonGroupHomes.com 227 AUSTIN BROOK ST, SIMPSONVILLE, SC 29680 | 864-414-7194

VISTAS

SAVE THE DATES ®

APERTURE ® IN MY OWN WORDS ® LAST LOOK ®

CLUB CONTACT ®

Laurie Metzger

91

www.villaveronadesign.com

3598 Hwy 11, Suite 106, Travelers Rest, SC 29690

1-855-337-9139

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SAVE THE DATES

Save the Dates!

Mark your calendars for these fun-filled events taking place across The Cliffs this spring and summer.

KIDS WATERSPORTS CLINIC KEOWEE SPRINGS • June 24-25: Ages 7-10 • July 22-23: Ages 11-14 • August 5-6: Ages 15-18

MARCH

MONDAY, MARCH 8 • TRUST DINNER (Valley)

MONDAY, MARCH 1 • EMPLOYEE-MEMBER SCRAMBLE (Keowee Falls)

• MEMBER/GUEST DAY (Keowee Springs)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 • WOMEN WHO WINE (Glassy)

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 • CHAPEL CONCERT & DINNER (Glassy)

THURSDAY, MARCH 4 • LADIES’ NIGHT (Valley) • TIPSY AT THE TAVERN (Walnut Cove)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 • UNCORKED WINE SEMINAR (Walnut Cove)

• CHILI COOK-OFF (Keowee Springs) • OUTDOOR PURSUITS SHAMROCK RUN (Keowee Springs) • SUPPER CLUB (Keowee Vineyards)

• ST. PADDY’S PUTTING WITH THE PROS (Keowee Falls)

SUNDAY, MARCH 14 • FIRESIDE CHAT: BRACKETOLOGY (Walnut Cove)

• LUCK OF THE IRISH DINNER (Keowee Vineyards)

• CHEF’S TABLE: WINE DINNER (Keowee Falls) • ST. PATTY’S DAY BASH (Keowee Springs)

FRIDAY, MARCH 5 • ARTS & CRAFTS (Walnut Cove)

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 • SPRING VEGETABLES COOKING CLASS (Valley)

• GRAVEL BIKE RIDE (Keowee Springs)

• CHEF’S DINNER: PIZZA NIGHT (Walnut Cove)

• COUPLES MARCH MADNESS GOLF TOURNAMENT (Keowee Vineyards)

• SOUTHPAW STABLEFORD (Keowee Vineyards)

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 • SCOTCH/IRISH WHISKEY TASTING (Keowee Springs)

MONDAY, MARCH 15 • PADDY SHACK KICK-OFF DINNER (Mountain Park)

SATURDAY, MARCH 13 • MOVIE NIGHT ON THE RANGE (Mountain Park)

TUESDAY, MARCH 16 • PADDY SHACK TOURNAMENT (Mountain Park)

SATURDAY, MARCH 6 • LOBSTER NIGHT (Glassy) • ACTIVITY HIKE (Walnut Cove)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17 • SHAMROCK GOLF CHALLENGE (Walnut Cove)

THURSDAY, MARCH 18 • MIXOLOGY CLASS (Valley) • JOCASSEE LAKE TOUR (Keowee Springs) FRIDAY, MARCH 19 • COOKING CLASS (Mountain Park) SATURDAY, MARCH 20 • PAINT & SIP (Keowee Falls) • PXG DEMO DAY (Keowee Springs) SUNDAY, MARCH 21 • COUPLES SPAGHETTI OPEN (Keowee Falls)

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 • SPRING WREATH-MAKING CLASS (Glassy)

THURSDAY, APRIL 8 • MASTERS GOLF DINE & DASH (Valley)

• MASTERMINDS OF MIXOLOGY (Keowee Falls)

• CHEF’S DINNER: JACK NICKLAUS MASTER FEAST (Walnut Cove)

THURSDAY, MARCH 25 • NOBLE WINE PARTY (Walnut Cove)

FRIDAY, APRIL 9 • MASTERS PICK-A-PRO TOURNAMENT (Walnut Cove)

• TURF TALK WITH TIM (Glassy)

• KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

FRIDAY, MARCH 26 • RAIL TO TRAIL BIKE RIDE (Keowee Springs) • SPRING HARVEST WINE DINNER (Keowee Springs) SATURDAY, MARCH 27 • FARM TO FORK DINNER (Valley) • VIRTUAL SIPPIN’ SATURDAY (Glassy) SUNDAY, MARCH 28 • MEGA SPRING FLING (Keowee Falls) • SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY GUEST DAY (Keowee Vineyards) MONDAY, MARCH 29 • COFFEE CLUB (Valley) • 9 & DINE THEME NIGHT (Mountain Park) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31 • BINGO GAME NIGHT (Walnut Cove) • PUTTERS CLUB SOCIETY SOCIAL (Keowee Falls)

APRIL FRIDAY, APRIL 2 • NEW MEMBER MINGLE (Walnut Cove) • GOOD FRIDAY FISH FRY (Keowee Falls) SATURDAY, APRIL 3 • FUNNY BUNNY THEME NIGHT (Glassy)

From hand forged to clean lines, our artisans combine craftsmanship and technology to add original, one-of-a-kind details to your home.

TheHeirloomCompanies.com Proud member of the Greenville Home Builders Association

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CLIFFS LIVING

• ADULT EASTER EGG HUNT (Mountain Park) • JUNIOR GOLF GALA (Keowee Vineyards) SUNDAY, APRIL 4 • EASTER BRUNCH (Walnut Cove, Glassy, Keowee Falls, Keowee Springs & Keowee Vineyards) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 • COOKING CLASS (Glassy) • MASTERS PAR 3 TOURNAMENT (Keowee Falls)

• COUPLE’S GREEN JACKET GOLF EVENT (Keowee Vineyards) SUNDAY, APRIL 11 • MASTERS BRUNCH (Walnut Cove) MONDAY, APRIL 12 • MONDAY AFTER THE MASTERS PRO-AM (Keowee Falls) • ROCKIN’ ON THE RANGE (Mountain Park) • PRO EXHIBITION TENNIS SEASON OPENER (Valley) TUESDAY, APRIL 13 • BEAT THE PRO PICKLEBALL ROUND ROBIN (Valley) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 • FARE-WAY DINNER (Glassy) THURSDAY, APRIL 15 • SPRING TAILGATE (Valley) • COCKTAIL CLASS: CURIOSITY COCKTAILS (Walnut Cove) • LOBSTER & WINE DINNER (Keowee Vineyards) FRI.-SUN., APRIL 16-18 • KEOWEE DYNAMIC DUO MEMBER/MEMBER (Keowee Springs, Keowee Falls & Keowee Vineyards) SUNDAY, APRIL 18 • YAPPY HOUR (Walnut Cove) • FLAT STICK SOCIAL (Mountain Parks) MONDAY, APRIL 19 • BREWERY TOUR (Valley) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 • GRILLIN’ WITH YOUR POOCH (Glassy) • PROGRESSIVE DINNER: DINNER ON THE COURSE (Keowee Vineyards) THURSDAY, APRIL 22 • PUTTERS CLUB SOCIETY SOCIAL (Keowee Falls) THURSDAY, APRIL 23 • SPRING FLING MEMBER/GUEST (Keowee Springs)

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SAVE THE DATES • KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

FRI.-SUN., APRIL 23-25 • REIGN OF THE REGION (Mountain Park, Valley & Glassy)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19 • MEMBER/EMPLOYEE GOLF EVENT (Mountain Park)

SATURDAY, APRIL 24 • MAD HATTER DINNER (Valley)

THURSDAY, MAY 20 • JOCASSEE LAKE TOUR (Keowee Springs)

• ACTIVITY HIKE (Walnut Cove) SUNDAY, APRIL 25 • SPRING MEMBER/ASSOCIATE SCRAMBLE (Keowee Springs)

FRIDAY, MAY 21 • GARDENING TECHNIQUES CLASS (Walnut Cove)

MONDAY, APRIL 26 • 9 & DINE (Mountain Park)

• SPRING GRAND WINE TASTING (Walnut Cove)

TUESDAY, APRIL 27 • KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

• BONNIE & CLYDE TOURNAMENT (Keowee Springs)

• WALLEYE DINNER (Keowee Vineyards)

SUNDAY, MAY 22 • PAINT & SIP (Keowee Falls)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 • PICTIONARY GAME NIGHT (Walnut Cove) THURSDAY, APRIL 29 • THE GRAPES OF GLASSY (Glassy) • LADIES PLAYAROUND (Keowee Vineyards) FRIDAY, APRIL 30 • BREWERY TOUR (Walnut Cove) • PRIME RIB DINNER (Keowee Falls)

MAY SAT.-SUN., MAY 1-2 • COUPLES MEMBER/GUEST (Valley) SATURDAY, MAY 1 • BEACH CLUB OPENING WEEKEND (Keowee Springs) • DERBY DAY (Glassy) • RUN FOR THE ROSES (Keowee Falls)

• OUTDOOR MOVIE (Walnut Cove) SUNDAY, MAY 2 • 9 & DINE (Walnut Cove) • “DAY AFTER” COUPLES 18 HOLE (Keowee Vineyards) MONDAY, MAY 3 • DOG DAY AT THE BEACH CLUB (Keowee Springs) TUESDAY, MAY 4 • KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs) WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 • CINCO DE MAYO PICKLEBALL PARTY (Valley)

SUNDAY, MAY 9 • MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH (Walnut Cove) MONDAY, MAY 10 • ROCKIN’ ON THE RANGE (Mountain Park) • MONDAY MOVIE NIGHT (Keowee Springs) TUESDAY, MAY 11 • CHAPEL CONCERT & DINNER (Glassy) WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 • GAME NIGHT: ASHEVILLE TRIVIA (Walnut Cove)

• DINNER & A SHOW – IAN FLANIGAN CONCERT (Keowee Springs) SUNDAY, MAY 23 • SPRING FLING COUPLES MEMBER/GUEST (Walnut Cove) MONDAY, MAY 24 • COFFEE CLUB (Valley) • WALK THE COURSE WITH WELLNESS (Glassy) TUESDAY, MAY 25 • PAINT & SIP (Glassy) • FULL MOON KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

THURS.-SAT., MAY 13-15 • THE BOOTLEGGER MEMBER/ MEMBER (Glassy)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 • MEMORIAL DAY 5K COLOR RUN (Mountain Park)

• PUTTERS CLUB SOCIETY SOCIAL (Keowee Falls)

THURSDAY, MAY 13 • MASTERMINDS OF MIXOLOGY (Keowee Falls)

• CHARADES GAME NIGHT (Walnut Cove)

• FAJITAS & MARGARITAS (Walnut Cove)

• CHEF’S DINNER: TRIP TO CHARLESTON (Walnut Cove)

THURSDAY, MAY 27 • CARNIVAL DINE & DASH (Valley)

THURSDAY, MAY 6 • RUBBER DUCK DERBY & DINNER (Valley)

SATURDAY, MAY 15 • CHARLES DICKENS OPEN (Valley)

• THE GRAPES OF GLASSY (Glassy)

• TIPSY AT THE TAVERN (Walnut Cove)

• COFFEE CONNECTION (Walnut Cove)

THURSDAY, MAY 28 • MEMORIAL DAY BASH (Keowee Falls)

SUN.-TUES., MAY 16-18 • GOLF CLINIC WITH JON TATTERSALL (Keowee Springs)

• FRIDAY NIGHT SKINS (Walnut Cove)

• CINCO DE MAYO FARE-WAY DINNER (Glassy)

FRIDAY, MAY 7 • WOULDA, COULDA, SHOULDA TOURNAMENT (Mountain Park)

• LAKEHOUSE OPENING (Keowee Vineyards)

• SPRING GUEST DAY (Walnut Cove)

SUNDAY, MAY 16 • BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Keowee Springs)

• TEQUILA TASTING (Keowee Springs)

• PUTTING SOCIAL (Walnut Cove)

SATURDAY, MAY 8 • UNCORKED WINE DINNER (Walnut Cove)

MONDAY, MAY 17 • 9 & DINE (Mountain Park)

• BATTLE AT THE COVE (Walnut Cove)

TUESDAY, MAY 18 • SIP ’N’ SWING TENNIS SOCIAL (Walnut Cove)

SUNDAY, MAY 30 • THEME NIGHT: FLAVORS OF ASIA (Walnut Cove)

• SUPPER CLUB (Keowee Vineyards)

SATURDAY, MAY 29 • THE CLIFFS PARENT/CHILD TOURNAMENT (Keowee Falls)

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Experienced Leaders Specializing in Tax-efficient, Multi-generational Legacy Planning Our entrepreneurial, executive, and legal backgrounds allow us to bring immediate value to a broad spectrum of clients with complex and diverse planning needs.

MONDAY, MAY 31 • BOCCE BALL & LIVE BALL TENNIS TOURNAMENT (Valley) • MEMORIAL DAY TOURNAMENT & COOKOUT (Glassy)

MONDAY, JUNE 14 • FLAG DAY TOURNAMENT (Valley)

• KIDS’ TENNIS & POOL PARTY (Walnut Cove)

• 9 & DINE (Mountain Park)

• COUPLES MEMORIAL DAY WINDDOWN (Keowee Vineyards)

TUESDAY, JUNE 15 • PICKLEBALL PALOOZA (Glassy)

JUNE

• SIP N’ SWING TENNIS SOCIAL (Walnut Cove)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2 • FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER (Keowee Vineyards)

• KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

• THE PLAYERS GOLF TOURNAMENT (Mountain Park) FRIDAY, JUNE 4 • MEMBER/GUEST (Glassy) • COFFEE & CARDIO FITNESS EXPO (Walnut Cove) SATURDAY, JUNE 5 • OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT (Walnut Cove) • PADDLEBOARD YOGA (Keowee Springs)

John B. Tripoli

Brett G. Smith

Wealth Management Advisor

Wealth Management Advisor; Managing Director Three generations of Tripoli’s enjoy making memories at Cliffs at Glassy

Wealth Management Advisor; Business and Estate Planning Specialist

CLU®, CFP®, MBA, LL.M., J.D.

MBA, CLU®, CFP®

MBA, CFP®

SUN.-MON., JUNE 6-7 • GOLF CLINIC WITH DANA RIDER (Walnut Cove)

Donald Scott Clardy, Brett George Smith and John B Tripoli use Upstate Legacy Planning Group as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual. Upstate Legacy Planning Group is not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency or federal savings bank. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) and its subsidiaries. Donald Scott Clardy, Brett George Smith and John B Tripoli are Insurance Agents of NM and provide investment advisory services as Advisors of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC), Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of NM and federal savings bank.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 • COVE KIDS: LIVE FLYING FALCONRY EXPO (Walnut Cove) • COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA TOURNAMENT (Keowee Springs) SATURDAY, JUNE 19 • MEDIEVAL DINNER (Valley) • FATHER’S DAY CHOPHOUSE (Keowee Falls) • COFFEE CONNECTION (Walnut Cove) • PADDLEBOARD YOGA (Keowee Springs)

• THEME DINNER: TASTE OF ITALY (Walnut Cove)

• FATHER’S DAY DINNER (Walnut Cove)

MON.-THURS., JUNE 7-10 • JUNIOR TENNIS CAMP (Walnut Cove)

• FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH (Keowee Springs)

• KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9 • UNCORKED WINE SEMINAR (Walnut Cove) THURSDAY, JUNE 10 • PUTTERS CLUB SOCIETY SOCIAL (Keowee Falls)

Financial Representatives do not render tax advice. Consult with a tax professional for tax advice that is specific to your situation.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

SATURDAY, JUNE 12 • MEMBER/GUEST (Keowee Falls)

CLIFFS LIVING

THURSDAY, JUNE 17 • LADIES OF THE VINE (Keowee Vineyards)

SUNDAY, JUNE 20 • FATHER’S DAY GRILL & CHILL (Glassy)

FRI.-SAT., JUNE 11-12 • ROCKIN’ & ROLLIN’ ON THE RANGE: LADIES MEMBER/ GUEST (Walnut Cove)

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 • MUSICAL BINGO GAME NIGHT (Walnut Cove)

SUNDAY, JUNE 6 • MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY (Valley)

TUESDAY, JUNE 8 • CHAPEL CONCERT & DINNER (Glassy)

501 E. McBee Ave, Greenville, SC upstatelegacyplanning.com | 864-232-2881

SUNDAY, JUNE 13 • PUTTING SOCIAL (Walnut Cove)

• MEMORIAL DAY COOKOUT (Mountain Park)

FRI.- SAT., JUNE 4-5 • MEMBER-MEMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT (Keowee Vineyards)

Don S. Clardy

• INTRO TO WATERSPORTS (Keowee Springs)

• HOLEY MOLEY COUPLES 9 HOLE (Keowee Vineyards) MONDAY, JUNE 21 • EMPLOYEE-MEMBER TOURNAMENT (Walnut Cove) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23 • FARE-WAY DINNER (Glassy) • WINE DINNER: OLD WORLD VS. NEW WORLD (Walnut Cove) THURSDAY, JUNE 24 • THE GRAPES OF GLASSY (Glassy) • WINE MASTER CLASS (Keowee Falls) • FULL MOON KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

SAVE THE DATES

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• FREEDOM FEST (Mountain Park) • FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION (Keowee Falls) • DINNER & FIREWORKS (Walnut Cove) • BEACH CLUB SMOKEHOUSE (Keowee Springs) SUNDAY, JULY 4 • KIDS’ THEME DAY (Valley) • JULY 4TH CELEBRATION (Glassy) • 4 CLUBS ON 4TH (Walnut Cove) • DIRTY DOZEN (Keowee Springs) • INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION (Keowee Vineyards)

• LOBSTER & WINE DINNER (Keowee Vineyards)

MON.-FRI., JULY 5-9 • KIDS’ CAMP (Valley)

FRI.-SUN., JUNE 25-27 • BEN WRIGHT MEMBER/ MEMBER (Valley)

MONDAY, JULY 5 • KIDS’ TENNIS CLINIC & POOL PARTY (Walnut Cove)

• MEMBER/MEMBER & BEST OF BEST QUALIFIER (Keowee Falls)

TUESDAY, JULY 6 • SUNRISE KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

FRIDAY, JUNE 25 • GUEST CHEF WINE DINNER (Keowee Springs)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7 • UNCORKED WINE DINNER (Walnut Cove)

SATURDAY, JUNE 26 • LUAU AT THE POOL (Glassy)

• JUNIOR GOLF CLINIC (Keowee Vineyards)

SUNDAY, JUNE 27 • CHA-CHA TOURNAMENT (Glassy) MONDAY, JUNE 28 • PADDLE MASTER PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT (Valley) TUESDAY, JUNE 29 • KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30 • TUBING THE NORTH SALUDA RIVER (Mountain Park)

FRIDAY, JULY 2 • ALL AMERICAN HIKE & PICNIC (Mountain Park) • ARTS & CRAFTS: GLASS FUSION (Walnut Cove)

• FIRECRACKER COUPLES 9 HOLE TOURNAMENT (Keowee Vineyards) SATURDAY, JULY 3 • SNAP, CRACKLE, POP DINNER (Valley)

• JOES VS. PROS (Glassy)

MONDAY, JULY 12 • TRUST DINNER (Valley) • 9 & DINE (Mountain Park) TUESDAY, JULY 13 • CHAPEL CONCERT & DINNER (Glassy) • KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs) WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 • TRIVIA GAME NIGHT (Glassy)

• THE SCRAMBLER VERSION 2.0 (Mountain Park)

THURSDAY, JULY 15 • PUTTERS CLUB SOCIETY SOCIAL: NIGHT GOLF EDITION (Keowee Falls) • FAMILY COOKING CLASS (Walnut Cove)

>>

FRIDAY, JULY 23 • LADIES 9 HOLE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Walnut Cove) • BEACH CLUB TIKI PARTY (Keowee Springs) • SCRATCH & SINGLE DIGIT HANDICAP GAME (Keowee Vineyards) SAT.-SUN., JULY 24-25 • MEN’S & LADIES’ CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Walnut Cove) SATURDAY, JULY 24 • WAR OF THE ROSES PAIRING PARTY (Glassy) • PADDLEBOARD YOGA (Keowee Springs) SUNDAY, JULY 25 • COUPLES GOLF (Valley) • WAR OF THE ROSES (Glassy)

• JOCASSEE LAKE TOUR (Keowee Springs)

• MINIATURE GOLF NIGHT (Keowee Vineyards)

FRI.-SAT., JULY 16-17 • CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Keowee Vineyards)

MONDAY, JULY 26 • FULL MOON KAYAK TOUR (Keowee Springs)

SAT.-SUN., JULY 17-18 • FAZIO MEMBER/MEMBER TOURNAMENT (Keowee Springs)

WED.-SAT., JULY 28-31 • BEVERAGE WEEK (Walnut Cove)

TUESDAY, JULY 20 • SIP ’N’ SWING TENNIS SOCIAL (Walnut Cove) WEDNESDAY, JULY 21 • COOKING CLASS (Glassy) • FIRESIDE CHAT (Walnut Cove) • MEMBER/EMPLOYEE TOURNAMENT (Keowee Vineyard)

• 1776 FLAG TOURNAMENT (Glassy)

GO

MON.-FRI., JULY 12-16 • KIDS’ CAMP (Walnut Cove)

• TACKLE BOX & CONCERT (Keowee Vineyards)

SUNDAY, JULY 11 • FIRE & ICE TOURNAMENT (Keowee Falls)

JULY

THURSDAY, JULY 22 • BEER DINNER (Valley)

• 7 KINGDOMS TOURNAMENT (Glassy)

SATURDAY, JULY 10 • PADDLEBOARD YOGA (Keowee Springs)

• CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT (Walnut Cove)

• JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP (Keowee Springs)

THURSDAY, JULY 8 • SUMMER MEMBER/GUEST (Keowee Springs)

• BREAKFAST AT WIMBLEDON (Walnut Cove)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 • WOMEN WHO WINE (Glassy) FRIDAY, JULY 30 • SIP & SMOKE (Glassy) • FRONT, MIDDLE, BACK SCRAMBLE (Mountain Park) SATURDAY, JULY 31 • SUMMER BLOCK PARTY (Valley)

FOR COMPLETE EVENT INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER ONLINE, VISIT MEMBERS.CLIFFSLIVING.COM

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Please visit cliffsliving.com/preferredbuilders for more information on this esteemed group of master builders and the specific regions that they serve.

BU I L D W I T H T H E B E S T Building a custom home at The Cliffs should be as rewarding of an experience as living here. To that end, we’ve assembled and thoroughly vetted the finest custom home builders in the region to form The Cliffs Preferred Builder Program.

By choosing to build your custom home at The Cliffs with one of our Preferred Builders, you can be confident the firm you choose to work with has the experience and commitment necessary to understand and execute your unique vision.

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APERTURE

M E M B E R

S U B M I T T E D

S IG H T S O F THE C LIFFS

Amy Bolick

Vicky Wynn

Vivian Dunlop

Skyler

100

Jeanne Puckett

Scott Mitchell CLIFFS LIVING

APERTURE

Peter McNaughton

Bob Burton

John Eskuri Scott Pritchard

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Carol Antilla Michael Lancellot

Jim McGuire SPRING/SUMMER 2021

101

>

APERTURE

M E M B E R

S U B M I T T E D

S IG H T S O F T HE C LIFFS

Barrie Heinzenknecht

Sierra Paturalski

Ken Ward

Pam Storen

Bob Burton

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CLIFFS LIVING

Riley Murphy

Dawn Sonneborn

APERTURE

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James Nugent

Michael Krauss

Bill Rufner

Cindy Miller

Jeanne Puckett

Amy Bolick

Greg Prisk

Ken Ward

SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Crescent Hospitality, LLC Offering Luxury Accommodations and Property Management Services

OUR TEAM IS AT YOUR SERVICE! THE CLIFFS LUXURY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: • 40+ years Combined Experience in Lodging/Hospitality • Turn-key Vacation Rental Management Services • Residential Property Management Services • Year-round Program for Non-Resident Second Homeowners • Customized to Meet Each Owner’s Individual Needs • On-Call Management for After-hours Emergency Services • Coordination with Real Estate Agency for Listed Properties • Extended Vacation Services for All Homeowners • Periodic Inspections and Preventive Maintenance • Property Care Services; Vendor Appts., Service Calls • Trusted Vendor Network • Exterior and Grounds Inspection • Inclement Weather Inspection/Emergency Response

For more information, contact: Residential Property Management 864-660-8473 Brandy@CrescentHospitalityLLC.com 104

CLIFFS LIVING

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: • Renovation and Repairs • Water Damage Restoration • Roof Repairs/Leak Damage • Pressure Washing/Softwash Services • Handyman Services PRE-ARRIVAL SERVICES CONCIERGE: • After-Hours Guest Services Response • Coordination of Group Accommodations • Concierge Grocery Delivery By Request PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICES: • Full-Service Housekeeping • Annual Deep Cleaning • Construction Cleaning • Pre-move In/Post-move Out

For more information, contact: Reservations/Guest Services 864-660-8474 Reservations@CrescentHospitalityLLC.com

APERTURE

M E M B E R

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S U B M I T T E D

PEOPLE OF TH E CL I FFS

Micha Dowling

David Allen

John Eskuri

Jane Dockendorf

Sherri Daniels

Brad Bylenga

Ronnie Mabra

Carolyn Thiel SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Find your sweet spot

Tucked away in the Blue Ridge foothills, Tryon Estates, a premier Acts Retirement-Life Community, surrounds its residents with gorgeous scenery, a catered lifestyle, and Acts Life Care, which offers a full continuum of care for one predictable monthly fee even if needs change. Call us today to discover the retirement of your dreams.

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APERTURE

M E M B E R

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PEOPLE OF TH E CL I FFS Maddux Ramminger

Peter McNaughton Riley Murphy

Edward Krung

Jacci Brown

Brian Tolleson

John Tripoli

David Jones SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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IN MY OWN WORDS

M A K I N G A L I S T, CHECK ING IT NICE

by Sandy Smith, Member at The Cliffs at Glassy

We had a relocation list, but never dreamed of finding one place that checked all the boxes. Then, we drove through the gates at The Cliffs at Glassy.

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When we decided to relocate, my husband, Mark, and I were looking for a beautiful nature community where we could enjoy a moderate, four-season climate. We wanted a vibrant, friendly neighborhood.

We were seeking an active lifestyle filled with cultural amenities and a variety of opportunities to give back.

As we drove into The Cliffs at Glassy for the first time, the waterfalls along the roadway glistened in the sun and a forest of hardwoods and evergreens accompanied us all the way to the top of the mountain.

The azaleas were in bloom and a breathtaking, 180-degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains met us at The Pavilion. Natural beauty: check!

We could not have imagined then the warm friendships we were soon to make. The Glassy motto

IN MY OWN WORDS

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Mark & Sandy Smith relocated from the Chicago area to The Cliffs at Glassy in 2012. Mark settled right into active retirement, after 38 years in the commercial mortgage industry; Sandy continued working as the national sales manager for a nonprofit magazine until retiring in 2019 after 40 years in publishing and radio/TV. The couple met at the University of Wisconsin Madison and they were married within a year.

Sandy Smith

is true: “Come for the views – stay for the people.” Check!

There’s a wildlife preserve at the back of our property and our trail cams pick up all sorts of wildlife trekking. Glassy is a National Audubon Society community and bird life is abundant. Double check!

Rounding out our checklist was Glassy’s prime location, with proximity to GSP International Airport and the city of Greenville, where world-class dining, arts, and entertainment await. We can sit on our back porch enjoying a serene sunset one day and the next day take in a Broadway performance or city festival. Check!

An equally big draw for us was The Cliffs’ “1-equals-7” lifestyle approach. We enjoy our Glassy Clubhouse and chef-inspired dining options, the wellness center, and a plethora of interest-specific clubs. We often sip wine at The Pavilion while admiring the sunsets or join weekly Glassy gatherings with our

neighbors. Mark and I both enjoy the community clubs, which span all types of special interests, from card games to recreational activities.

Variety adds spice to life and while Glassy is a mountain community, we also enjoy boating and other water sports at the three lake communities within The Cliffs; we can play golf at all seven courses, too. Variety: check!

Since moving to The Cliffs, we have found a multitude of volunteer opportunities. Mark joined the Glassy Mountain Fire Department and a work crew for Habitat for Humanity; he also leads the Glassy Mountain Monday Hiking Society. I found my volunteer spirit in special assignments with Cliffs Resident Outreach, our Glassy POA, and my local church; I also enjoy writing for nonprofit organizations. Giving back: check!

It’s a blessing to live at The Cliffs at Glassy, where the beauty of nature is surpassed only by the warm friendships found here!

T O S U B M I T A N E S S AY O R P O E M F O R I N M Y O W N W O R D S , P L E A S E R E A C H O U T T O M A G A Z I N E @ C L I F F S L I V I N G . C O M F O R D E TA I L S A N D D E A D L I N E S .

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REAL LIFE,

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LAST LOOK

[ T H E C L I F F S AT K E O W E E FA L L S ]

LAST LOOK

“M

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Y SUN SETS TO RISE AGAIN.” Words by the poet Robert Browning; image by Laurie Metzger, member at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.

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CLUB DIRECTORY

REAL ESTATE & MEMBERSHIP SALES Real Estate Sales................................................864.249.4379 Lake Keowee Region....................................866.411.5769 Mountain Region...........................................866.411.5773 Asheville Region............................................828.684.5151 Membership........................................................864.371.1003 Club & Membership Accounting..........................864.371.1075

THE CLIFFS AT GLASSY Gatehouse..........................................................864.895.0205 Clubhouse..........................................................864.663.8106 Golf Shop...........................................................864.663.8114 Wellness Center..................................................864.660.1155

THE CLIFFS AT MOUNTAIN PARK

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE FALLS

Gatehouse..........................................................864.836.2260 Cabin..................................................................864.516.1766 Golf Shop...........................................................864.660.1133 Wellness Center..................................................864.516.1684

Gatehouse..........................................................864.944.7657 Clubhouse..........................................................864.944.2010 Golf Shop...........................................................864.944.8721 Wellness Center..................................................864.916.6120

THE CLIFFS VALLEY

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE SPRINGS

Gatehouse..........................................................864.836.4411 Clubhouse..........................................................864.660.1100 Golf Shop...........................................................864.836.4653 Wellness Center..................................................864.660.1180

Gatehouse..........................................................864.868.3547 Bistro..................................................................864.372.3108 Golf Shop...........................................................864.372.3102 Beach Club.........................................................864.372.3106 Porch..................................................................864.372.3105

THE CLIFFS AT KEOWEE VINEYARDS Gatehouse..........................................................864.868.5022 Clubhouse..........................................................864.868.7000 Golf Shop...........................................................864.868.4444 Equestrian Center...............................................864.868.9969 Marina................................................................864.868.7772 Wellness Center..................................................864.868.8300 Lakehouse..........................................................864.898.8073

THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVE Gatehouse..........................................................828.681.8121 Tavern.................................................................828.687.1738 Golf Shop...........................................................828.687.7965 Wellness Center..................................................828.681.9759 112

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www.FairviewLLC.com 864.836.1133

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G L A S S Y M O U N TA I N PA R K VA L L E Y K E O W E E FA L L S K E O W E E S P R I N G S K E O W E E V I N E YA R D S WA L N U T C OV E

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