A nniversAry 50th Keowee CommemorativeKeyMagazine september 2022
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Celebrating50Years... Keowee Key is Golden! 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 3
4 ‹ KEOWEE KEY 5 A Message from CGM Kevin McCracken 6 A Message from Board President Tony Gody List of Past Board Presidents 9 KEOWEE KEY LIFESTYLE TODAY The Golf Course That Helped Build a Community The Journey of a Club Keowee Key Boating Award Winning Fitness & Racquet Center Tennis ShuffleboardBuildingExcitingEveryonePickleballNewTrailsThen & Now Bocce The New Old Game 49 KEOWEE KEY HISTORY Pre-Revolutionary War Duke’s Impact to the Area Early Keowee Key Development Keowee Key Development 1980 – Early 2000s Keowee Key in the 21st Century 61 OUR PEOPLE A LEGACY OF ENGAGEMENT Volunteer Professionals Keowee Fire Department Lake & Mountains Garden Club Philanthropy at Keowee Key Humanitarian of the Year Community Impact Newcomer Club TamasseeFOLKS DAR School Long Time Residents List Long Time Employees List 91 BUILDING A STRONG FUTURE Strong Financial Basis Strategic Direction KKUS MaintainingSuccessWhat We Have Building Resiliency 109 REFERENCE SECTION KeoweeThanks Key Historic Timeline CONTENTS Keowee Key Property Owners Association 1392 Stamp Creek Road, Salem, SC 29676 www.keoweekeysc.com864-944-2312 Copyright Keowee Key Property Owners Association KKPPOA 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without publishers’ permission is strictly prohibited. For copies or distribution information, please contact KKPOA Administration at 864-944-2312. CONTRIBUTOR S Managing Editor: Christine deVlaming Editors: Steve Smith, Scott Irwin, Lenore Malin Writers: Kevin McCracken, Tony Gody, Charles Lutz, David Rosamond, George Henefeld, Derek Massi, Cindy McKean, Patty Robertson, John Walker, Lenore Malin, Laura Havran, Dennis Miller, Judy Griffiths, Christine deVlaming, Brandon Shirley, Alice Guzick, Steve Smith, Dave Eldridge, David Beadle, Dale Wilde, Jason Eller, Joanne Heintz, Margaret Eldridge, Jason Collins, Mark Dahill, Josh Sawyer, Mary Belcher Photography: Russ Carlson Aerial Photography and Video Stills: Bill Koepnick Photography Selection: Christine deVlaming Layout & Advertising: The Journal Keowee Key 50th Anniversary Commemorative Magazine
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 5
Like a quilt made from the fabric of generations, in the 50-year history of Keowee Key, warmth and comfort has been provided to so many. The scale of the impact is breathtaking, and it extends beyond just the residents.
Parents, children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren have formed lifelong memories of their time at Keowee Key, and over the course of our community’s existence, that’s tens of thousands of people. Our community has been a part of countless weddings, birthdays, graduations, promotions, relocations, retirements and life celebrations.
A FROM Kevin McCracken Community General Manager
MESSAGE
Not only has Keowee Key provided a livelihood for so many, but a bond is also formed between many of our employees and the members. This quilt also provides warmth and comfort to the staff. Over the course of our 50 years, we’ve occasionally had to mend the patches of this quilt. Maintaining and enhancing community assets for the enjoyment of the next generation has been a hallmark of this great community. Renovations, expansions and new additions have helped Keowee Key to remain relevant and have sustained our community over these many years. Indeed, in just the last four years we have invested $16 million to sustain our vision for the community. These improvements allow us to enter the next 50 years not threadbare, but in a condition able to provide warmth for generations to come. To the members of Keowee Key, both present and past, thank you on behalf of the staff for allowing us to be a part of this celebration.
To the members of Keowee Key, both present and past, thank you on behalf of the staff for allowing us to be a part of this celebration.
6 ‹ KEOWEE KEY A MESSAGE FROM Tony Gody Keowee Key Board President Keowee Key is Golden! In this magazine you will experience a glimpse of how great this community really is. Fifty years of amazing leaders have worked before me to imagine and sustain a vision for Keowee Key Community. As board president today, I follow this legacy of leaders to serve at a time when the community has accomplished a complete renewal. Keowee Key can be especially proud of its accomplishments over the last few years, updating all of its amenities and establishing a new quality of life with stunning modernization. I admire the successes achieved by past boards and volunteers who dedicated thousands of volunteer hours to give us what we haveOurnow.focus today is to optimize and maintain these amenities, to plan for a financially sound future, and to ensure equal access to all members. I truly enjoy working with all of the great staff and volunteers in this community who dedicate their time and expertise to make this community more of what we love! William Jones 1989 Paul Almondinger 1990-91 Marshall Capelli 1991 Lou Papineau 1992 Don Chamberlain 1992-95 Bob Newmark 1996 Pete Peterson 1997 Bob Edwards 1997 Austin Smith 1998-99 Sharon Robbins 2000 Bob Swank 2001 Duncan Erickson 2002-03 Joe Harber 2004 Don Manly 2005 Karen Graves 2006 Ivor Rich 2007 Bob Foreman 2008 John Donehoo 2009 Susan Brandt 2010 Glen Gilbert 2011-12 Jim Henderson 2013 Rick McRae 2014 Cheryl Keith 2015 Arland McMullen 2016 Margaret Eldridge 2017-18 Steve Smith 2019 Cenia Gilbert 2020 Kevin Minton 2021 Tony Gody 2022 PastKKPOAPresidents
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 7 Make sure to follow our Facebook page for updates about renovations and our grand opening! Congratulations ON 50 YEARS! Currently Offering House Calls706-296-3249— Dr. Monica Parker — OPENING EARLY 2023 8233 ROCHESTER HWY • SALEM, SC 29676
8 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Congratulations Keowee Key On 50 Great Yearslakekeoweebuilders.com307RochesterHwy.Seneca864.886.8056We Live Up To Our Name
Keowee Key Lifestyle Today Our Amenities 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 9
Keowee Key was built around a golf course, and golf became the first social activity orga nized by residents, according to community resident-historian Alice Bad enoch in her 1989 book, “Keowee Key: The Origins of a Community.” Building a golf course was an integral part of the Lake Keowee Development Corporation’s master plan for the lakeside resort com munity that was to become Keowee Key. The earliest advertisements for the com munity boasted of its golf course and it attracted many new residents.
The heart of Keowee Key beats within its amenities; they are the very soul of our community.
By Charles Lutz, previous Board Secretary Architect Richard Mandell, Golf Director Rion Groomes and George Cobb Jr.
Keowee Key was built around its championship golf course, newly renovated to remain a pride of the community well into the future. Our updated and expanded, world-class Fitness and Racquet Center continues to keep members healthy and happy. The incredible rebirth of the Clubhouse, the center of the community’s social life, offers fine wining and dining as well as simpler fare, holiday and special events galore, and venues for meetings and Opportunitiesparties.forboating and fishing on our pristine mountain lake are unsurpassed. Outdoor activities abound, with sports, games and pastimes for any and all — like tennis, pickleball, shuffleboard, swimming and the revitalized game of Bocce. Or maybe your preference is a walk around the leisure trail or one of our two newer walking trails, for exercise or just to enjoy nature. Wherever you go in this community, take a moment to chat with neighbors along the way. It’s all part of what makes residents of Keowee Key family. There is never a lack of activity, fitness, and social fun here at Keowee Key. Amenities are the Core of our Lifestyle
By Charles Lutz, previous Board Secretary
Noted golf course architect George S. Cobb, of Greenville, was commis sioned to design an 18-hole Champion ship Course. He routed the land, locating where the tees, landing areas and greens should be, then submitted his plan to the Corporation which was approved on Nov. 1, Clearing1972. of the land began almost im mediately. However, within a year, due to financial shortfalls, construction of the course, and the development as a whole, came to a screeching, albeit temporary, halt. As a result, though, the first nine holes were not substantially completed until 1976. In 1980, a committee was formed to organize Keowee Key’s golf competitions, the inaugural MemberGuest Tournament being held that same year.Cobb had been a good choice to design the course. His philosophy that “golf is supposed to heal and stimulate, not pun ish” was a perfect fit for a relaxed-lifestyle resort community (although many of Ke owee Key’s golfers would swear the de manding 6,390-yard course he created belies his intent). With seven dogleg holes, one of them a double dogleg, five holes with treacherous water hazards, three with lofted greens, and nary a flat lie to be had on any one of its eighteen fairways, challenges are presented on each and ev ery hole to even the best of golfers. By the time Cobb designed Keowee Key’s golf course, he had already created many landmark public and private cours es, more than 100 during his illustrious career, although seldom getting the recognition he is due. Among his most notable designs are Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte where PGA professionals test their skill each year at the Wells Fargo Championship, and the President’s Cup the golf course that helped Build a Community
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Cobb renovated golf legend Bobby Jones’ East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in prepa ration for the 1963 Ryder Cup, and where the FEDEX Cup championship is decided at the end of each golf season. But perhaps his greatest legacy is his shortest creation — the nine-hole, par-3 course at iconic Augusta National Golf Club. When Augusta National’s members fi nally decided to act on the recommen dation of their 18-hole course architect, Alister MacKenzie, to build a complimen tary par-3 course, they hired Cobb to de sign it. The challenging 1,060 yard “little course” opened in 1960 and is played by the world’s elite professional golfers on the Wednesday before each Masters tourna ment begins. And members thought so much of Cobb’s ability that in 1967, and again in 1977, they asked him to add fresh touches to the “big course” at Augusta Na tional.George Cobb made the best of the land the Lake Keowee Development Corporation had set aside for the course — essen tially the natural drainage system for the community, a practice abandoned long ago by the golf course industry. None theless, while having to work the course through narrow ravines, around bends, up and down steeply sloping fairways, across ponds, and up to many elevated greens, he created a masterpiece. But nothing lasts forever.Over the next 40 years legions of Ke owee Key’s golf enthusiasts flocked to the course, enjoying the community’s premier Golf Ribbon Cutting Ladies’ 9-Holers at Grand Opening
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 11 is to be played in 2022; and the courses at Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island.
12 ‹ KEOWEE KEY amenity. In fact, according to Keowee Key’s director of golf Rion Groomes, an average of 33,500 rounds of golf have been played annually on the course for the past 20 years, far more than the number played at a typical private club. The high number of rounds took its toll on the fairways and greens, but more threatening to the wellbeing of the course was out of sight — the below ground drainage and irrigation sys tems were well beyond their useful life and failing.Turfrequires good irrigation and drain age to keep it healthy. The antiquated sprinkler system was spraying areas where water wasn’t needed, and the pipes were regularly breaking. Lower pressure was required to prevent “blowouts,” which pre vented some areas from getting any water at all. And repairs were costing money and drawing manpower away from routine, but necessary, maintenance chores. Poor drainage was the other subterra nean threat. Since the course was rout No. 3 Par 3 214 537No.yards6Par5yards
The bent grass greens were resurfaced with a new Diamond Zoysia hybrid which can tolerate the extreme heat of a South Carolina summer, as well as the shade common to valley courses. And the greens’ collars and most tee boxes were resurfaced with the more durable Royal Zoysia, also well-suited for Upstate South Carolina’s warm clime. As Sawyer likes to put it, “Bent grass is trying to die, Zoysia is fighting to live!” And the most modern bunker system available replaced the existing ones — resin polymer-lined Better Billy Bunkers.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 13 ed through the natural drainage of the community, even when there were fewer homes overlooking the course the land could not absorb sufficient rainwater to keep the course from over-saturation. As the undersized drainage pipes began to collapse it grew even more problematic. And those dreaded “Cart path only” days that discouraged many residents from even playing golf began to increase. A ma jor renovation was needed, the urgency of which was confirmed by agronomy experts from the United States Golf Association to update the course to modern technology standards.Boardroom Magazine’s 2017 Golf Ar chitect of the Year Richard Mandell, of Pinehurst, who had rebuilt the course’s greens and surrounds in 2006, was cho sen to replace the irrigation and drainage systems and, while at it, recommend other improvements that could be made to the course. He was an excellent choice. Al ready an accomplished course architect, certified arborist, and award-winning au thor of golf history, this student of golf architecture’s masters could be trusted to stay true to the tradition and charac ter of Cobb’s original vision for Keowee Key’s course — “a green river meandering through a wooded valley.”
The 2016 Golf Committee got to work and tailored Mandell’s many options down to a plan they thought would most economically satisfy the course’s needs. Thanks to their efforts, and the wisdom of Keowee Key’s residents, a major renova tion of the golf course was approved in the 2018 budget. And a Golf Course Reno vation Task Force was created to act as ombudsmen to oversee the renovation for members.Wadsworth Construction was hired to do the bulk of the work, with the Keow ee Key Golf Maintenance staff working alongside. Then, Mother Nature stepped in. “Rebuilding 80 acres of golf course is challenging enough but facing unprec edented rain during the renovation made it an even more daunting task.” Said Ke owee Key’s Golf Course superintendent Josh Sawyer. Torrential downpours, up to 6 inches in a single day, repeatedly washed out work that had been done, including the entire back nine three times. “I can’t say enough about our contrac tor,” Rion Groomes said. “Every time we had a wash-out, they came back the next day, fixed the damage, and moved for ward.”“But the wash-outs caused us to miss a grass-growing season, and what had been billed as a nine or ten-month project turned into a 21-month ordeal. It was the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career,” said WadsworthSawyer.replaced the antiquated drainage conduits with larger pipes, while sub-contractor Nutt Irrigation replaced the old sprinklers with a state-of-the-art system made of new, high-density poly ethylene that should last 50 years, and computer-controls to adjust the water flow most efficiently and economically. And Mandell worked with Sawyer, who has a biological science degree and an ecology mindset, to create new buffer areas with longer grasses and native vegetation to fil ter runoff to help protect the lake.
No. 7 Par 3 168 yards
No. 6: Par 5 - 537 yards
No. 371Par154yards No. 471Par145yards
THE SIGNATURE HOLE
14 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Forward tee boxes replaced the make shift ones intended to extend the years of golf for many residents. The new array of tee boxes, five at most holes, provides teeshot equity for golfers at all levels of fitness and skill. Golfers can now move up to the right tee for them, on a par-4 for instance, to more consistently hit tee shots within the 150-yard range for their second shot, while still providing a challenge to better golfers by hitting from further back tees. The fairways were smoothed of ripples and potholes, so severe in places they threatened injury to golf cart riders. The fairways were replanted with the tried-andtrue industry standard Tifway 419 hybrid Bermuda grass, again well suited to our climate. Several rugged hillsides, not only trip hazards but eyesores, were filled in and planted with native grasses since the new sprinkler system could now reach those ar eas. Several cart paths were re-routed to re duce the strain of having to climb some of the steeper fairways, others to bring them closer to tee boxes, and to provide easier access to the driving range and the Bistro. The one Mandell-recommended course design change adopted was to the par five 16th hole which was widened with a split fairway to provide two approaches to the green.
Any one of a number of Keowee Key’s golf course holes could be designated the “signature hole.” Take your pick. Here are a few: No. 3: Par 3 - 214 yards Looking down from the tee box of this long par-3 hole to the green well below, a babbling stone-lined creek meanders along the left side of the narrow fairway with thick woods beyond; and to the right looms a steep, tree-topped golf ball-hiding hill of native grasses. The creek crosses the fairway about ten yards from the deep, vast green, but stops just short of closing the gap, tempting golfers to aim slightly right. However, a bunker on the right corner of the green stands guard at that approach. But it’s the hillside above the stone wall to the left of the green with its clusters of azalea bushes that, when in full bloom, makes this hole so spectacular.
This unique double dogleg hole is a chal lenge for golfers at any level of play. It takes several well-placed shots to stay off the hills between which the narrow fair way winds. A fairway bunker borders the far end of the landing area of the second
The Golf Course Renovation Task Force collaborated with the course superinten dent on the finishing touches. Adopt ing the modern trend of decluttering golf courses, yardage markers and waste bas kets were removed. Ice machines replaced ice coolers. Bathrooms were renovated, furnished with elegant sinks and the walls adorned with artwork. Tee box markers were selected in non-traditional colors to help remove the stigma of playing from more forward tees. And unique stone iden tifiers at each hole, the brainchild of a Ke owee Key resident, replaced the old mark ers.The golf course re-opened in Septem ber 2019. It was well worth the wait. “Our members can now play every day on one of the finest private courses in the South east — a classic design restored and sup ported by the latest science and technol ogy,” said Sawyer. George Cobb Jr., among the dignitar ies invited to christen the newly renovated course on re-opening day, said of his fa ther, “He would have been very proud of how it’s Mandelltransitioned.”summedit up very nicely: “It’s a great piece of property with great lin eage. Now it’s met with a great infrastruc ture.”
Given no chance to catch one’s breath, the most difficult hole on the course im mediately follows. A dog leg right par-4 which, from its appearance, doesn’t seem to be that demanding. But it’s deceivingly so, requiring a well-positioned tee shot down a narrow chute between hills to a broad landing area, then a shot over an in timidating pond and large bunker to reach the slightly elevated, right to left angled sloping green. Another smaller pond sits to the right of the green, with a beautiful rock spillway flowing water from the up per to lower pond.
The bane of many a Keowee Key golfer, the tee shot on this par-5 is pretty straight forward down a wide fairway with woods on the left and a hill on the right. How ever, the player is then faced with either a lay-up to the edge of a gaping ravine, with a golf ball-hungry pond far below, or a daring long shot over it. The longer hit ters can make it across, but seldom reach the green. More typically, golfers cross the great divide on their third shot onto the sprawling, undulating green, par being a challenge regardless of pin position.
No. 7: Par 3 - 168 yards
To complete this memorable threehole stretch is the relatively short Richard Mandell-redesigned par-5. It boasts two fairways separated mid-way by several bunkers. The lower fairway to the left af fords the shortest route to the green, but this narrower fairway slopes slightly to ward a stream that runs along its left side. The fairway to the right is slightly longer and wider and requires a blind second shot over a steep hill to approach the green, al though it avoids any chance of ending up in the water hazard. The route selected is most often determined by where the tee shot lands. The green is large and deep, and from the left fairway is entered over a bunker. From the right fairway, the third shot, if mis-hit, can bound down the steep embankment and, since the green slopes right to left, easily roll off the green.
“With these new main tenance practices and the course maturing nicely, the course has probably never been in better shape,” said Bob Starnes, chair of the 2022 Golf Committee, “and we intend to keep it that way to provide the quality amenity the Community deserves.” No.
484Par165yards
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 15 shot and it takes an accurate third shot to reach the large, elevated green, entry to which is protected on both sides by bun kers. Once safely on the large green, two putts to make par is quite an accomplish ment on this severe right to left, and back to front sloping surface.
No. 16: Par 5 - 484 yards
It’s been three years since the renovation was completed. Since then, the employment of “gap maintenance” has allowed mowing and other necessary work to be done daily with minimal interference to play. And closure of the course for a week each summer to aerate the greens and fair ways will be a small price to pay to keep it in good condition.
This splendid par-3 forces the golfer to carry a large pond every bit the width of its wide green, with a bunker protecting its center and no bailout spots to be found. There are woods to the left of the green, an even larger waterway to the right and a steeply sloping, beautifully landscaped hill behind. Actually, it’s Lake Keowee that sits to the right, offering a distracting view of moored boats bobbing in its pristine waters.
No. 14: Par 5 – 471 yards
No. 15: Par 4 - 371 yards
CONGRATULATIONS ON 5o Years!5o Years!
In 2013, the board authorized an independent study to evaluate what it would take to bring the existing facilities up to current building and energy codes as well as ADA/Handicap codes. The original building and the 1999 expansion did not meet current code requirements, and at that time Building codes were not enforced locally. No government agencies inspected the original 1977 building, nor the 1999 renovation.
When it comes to Clubhouses, The Club at Keowee Key stands out among private clubs as one of the best in the Southeast. The journey of the Keowee Key Clubhouse over the last 45 years reflects a commitment to excellence and improvement, with an eye on trends in the private club and hospitality industry.
The Club at Keowee Key is the heart and center of the community. It is where we socialize, meet friends, enjoy meals, celebrate accomplishments, attend events, conduct community business, relax at the bar, unwind after golf and invite our guests.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 17
The Journey of a Club By David Rosamond Project Manager, Past Board Member
The Journey began in 1977 when the original community developer constructed the clubhouse which included a restaurant, very small bar, large meeting room, the golf pro shop, and golf cart storage. The community then was only several hundred homes used primarily for vacations or weekends. Most members lived within a 2-hour drive of Keowee Key and spent their weekends playing golf or tennis, boating, dining and socializing. As the community grew with more full-time residents and retirees, the need arose for a larger clubhouse, a golf center and event space for larger gatherings. In 1999, the community approved an expansion of the original club and added an event center with a golf pro shop; golf cart storage, library, meeting rooms, event center, and a small “Between the Rounds Café(BRC).” Over the next several years, the Club kitchen was upgraded and the BRC was expanded to offer more food and beverage options.
Newly designed Clubhouse
• Provide an expanded ballroom and address all structural and sound/AV issues
• Make the facility fully code compliant and energy efficient
It was estimated that it would take over $4.5 million just to address the code issues and correct obvious building deficiencies. This study did not address any building modifications or upgrades. At the same time, there was a movement to increase the capacity of the bar and add more casual and outdoor dining areas.
The planning committee recognized the need to conduct a comprehensive study of the Club, BRC, and Event Center, rather than just meet codes. A subcommittee began to look at all aspects including emerging trends and member needs. They visited numerous private clubs, developed a questionnaire sent to all members and organized a series of focus groups to obtain member and staff input.
The emerging trends in clubhouse design dictated more casual dining venues, the addition of flexible meeting/event spaces and more outdoor dining/ socializing spaces. The collected input from hundreds of members and the staff was prioritized, and the top issues were:
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• Provide more indoor/outdoor social and event space Atrium Design and color
• Greatly increase the bar area
• Emphasize more casual dining options
• Offer a facility that can handle a large event and still provide dining/bar options for members
• Option A – Bring facility to full code compliance; refresh/update interior on current footprint
• Option B – Meet current codes, redesign and modernize the Club with minor space additions
• Option C - Raze the existing Club and construct a totally new Club
In the 2017 annual budget, the board included and the community approved funding to engage these professionals to develop concepts, cost estimates and time schedules.
A volunteer committee of members, which included design and construction professionals, was formed to develop conceptual designs and cost estimates. They identified selection criteria and interviewed five architectural firms specializing in clubhouse design and five local construction management firms. The committee selected DP3 Architects and Hogan Construction Group to assist in the study. The selection criteria required extensive experience in renovations and agreement with our renovation approach. Most firms were only interested in constructing a new clubhouse that is much easier to design and manage. Both of these companies understood our needs and desires, and both were well known to KKPOA as they had recently completed the new Administration Building, the North Marina Building/pool and new tennis courts. It was a true three-legged partnership with KKPOA/DP3 Architects/Hogan Construction. The team developed more than 19 conceptual designs. The concepts ranged from $4.5 million to bring the Club up to Code compliance to $12 million for a totally new Club. The committee and board agreed on a concept to modify and expand the existing Club with a target budget of $7.5 million.
Bar
The board had recently instituted a Project Management Process requiring a professional architect and construction manager to be engaged to develop concepts and cost estimates before any major project could be presented to the community for approval.
• Address logistical concerns for timely food delivery to all areas of the clubhouse
• Add sufficient office, storage and wait station space
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 19
The results were summarized in a study and presented to the board for future action. The committee suggested that the follow-on study should address three options:
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A key board requirement was that at least one restaurant/dining venue must be open and available to members at all times during the renovation. This was addressed by dividing the renovation project into two phases. Phase one was to construct the new Bistro with a full kitchen and allow the upstairs Club to continue to serve members. The timing was appropriate since the golf course was starting an 18-month shutdown, which greatly reduced BRC/Bistro usage. Once the Bistro was completed in 2018, the Club was closed. All food and beverage services were moved to the Bistro and the Club renovation began.
A second board requirement was that the major renovation extend the life of the Club by 40 years until 2060. Our professional team of architects, contractors, KKPOA Boards, management, committees and staff accomplished this mission and the building will serve the community long into the future.There were a number of large challenges to produce a design addressing 95 percent of member desires within the approved budget. The primary concern was how to address structural and sound issues such as: various room sizes, interior large columns, a fireplace obstacle, ceiling heights and sound attenuation. Another key concern was how Bistro Terrace
While some members preferred a totally new Club, the negatives were higher cost (resulting in increased member assessments), closing the Club for two years, the loss of Club revenue and the challenge of retaining our dedicated staff. The question then was how to incorporate most of the findings from the initial study into the $7.5 million approved budget. With 83 percent positive member approval obtained and financing in place, work began in earnest. In 2017, a professional architectural services agreement with DP3 Architects and a construction management agreement with Hogan Construction Group were negotiated. The contract included a Guaranteed Maximum Price, with shared costThesavings.team’s assignment was to replace the outdated, traditional facility with a modernday resort, within the existing footprint. The design vision was to create a spacious, pragmatically designed facility that a) harmonized with the natural environment; b) capitalized on panoramic golf course views and proximity; c) complemented the community’s architectural brand; and d) provided a diverse array of interconnected indoor and outdoor dining, gathering, and event venues for 3,200 socially active residents.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 21
The Club at Keowee Key is Top Ranked by Club and Resort Business Magazine Keowee Key was recently awarded “Top Ranked Clubhouses” in Club and Resort Business Magazine’s December 2021 issue! The Club’s renewed space serves a larger total membership than most private clubs and its novel design complements the natural surroundings with many indoor/outdoor spaces. This image shows our very excited and proud managers with the award plaque for the Club.
The selected design solution was to move the ballroom to the east end of the building. The east end of the building was razed and a new column-free Vista ballroom was constructed on the existing foundations/structure with high ceilings, no interior columns, sound-absorbing walls, full-height windows and state-ofthe-art audio/visual system.
The new ball room now seats 250 as compared to the old Magnolia Room that seated 160 (many behind large columns).
Another benefit of flipping the ballroom with the old bar and Overlook room is that a large event in the Vista ballroom (with its own dedicated bar) can be held while members simultaneously utilize the new bar and Cascades dining room.
Bistro
The Vista ballroom has its own separate bar, satellite kitchen and storage rooms for tables and chairs. The Vista ballroom can be subdivided into two separate rooms with a movable wall. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide dramatic views of the golf course and the mountains. The newly renovated bar is three times the size of the former bar and is located adjacent to multiple dining areas. Logistics issues were solved as meals were now served hot and fresh directly across from the updated kitchen, minimizing service traffic in the main corridor.
Left to right: Scott Irwin, assistant general manager; Christine deVlaming, marketing director; Mary Davis, club director; and Kevin McCracken, community general manager.
When members and guests enter the Club, they are greeted with a large open lobby, vaulted ceilings, a large stone wall, concierge/host desk and they can proceed directly to their venue of choice.
to stage a large event and still provide full dining and bar services to members.
The Bistro now has a full-service kitchen with walk-in coolers/freezers, a hot food line, and a pizza oven and the interior walls showcase the breadth of Keowee Key activities. For added member convenience, the venue also offers a bar, grab n’ go items and a self-serve beverage station. All “take out” orders are now prepared and picked up in the Bistro. This moved take-out from the upper-level lobby to the Bistro with convenient parking.
A larger inside dining area was created at the Bistro along with al fresco and covered outdoor dining on the Bistro patio with golf cart parking and a fountain feature. The roof over the expanded Bistro creates a large Bar Terrace on the upper level that is adjacent to the new Club bar with great views of the 18th hole.
The Clubhouse interior, designed by DP3’s award-winning Design Studio in collaboration with a member-led committee, also takes its cues from Keowee Key’s natural surroundings. The clean lines and muted tones create a calm and inviting atmosphere while mirroring the mountain-forest-lake palette. Waterfalls in the Cascades restaurant, and the Bar’s dramatically veined quartz serving area, evoke lakes and mountain streams. The foyer’s towering ceiling, rock wall and stone-hued quartz reception
Multiple rooms including the Overlook, Cascades, Bar and covered Bar Terrace are connected with large doors that can be opened to create one continuous space for large, community-wide special events. The Overlook room provides a private room for special events and our popular chef’s tables.Adesign feature was the creation of a neighborhood café dubbed the Bistro. The former BRC primarily served golfers with hot dogs, sandwiches, and beverages.
Another design feature is the exterior shell of the Club. The Club renovation in 1999 added metal roofing that gave the Club a very dated industrial look. The new design added a wooden roof structure above the existing roof. This provides the majestic look of a totally new Club. The exterior added a welcoming Porte Cochere that allows members to be dropped off under cover. Attractive screening was added to shield the loading dock and new garbage compactor from view. The design featured natural materials of stone and wood that complements a wooded mountain setting. Well-placed exterior lighting accents the beauty of the club at night and highlights the Porte Cochere.
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Vista Ballroom
The Bar Terrace and Bistro’s covered patio have heaters, fans and sun shield roll-down screens to provide optimum usage during most months of the year. The Bar Terrace directly connects to the Club patio, lawn, and a new outdoor kitchen with a large, high BTU propane grill and service/buffet area.
The unique, yet complementary, wallto-wall carpeting found in the interconnected rooms has been a member favorite. Both the carpet and the virtually invisible sound buffering panels were specially designed and manufactured for Keowee Key. Elegant and plentiful contemporary lighting fixtures completed our makeover. In 2021, “Club + Resort Business” magazine recognized Keowee Key Clubhouse as the Best in the Carolinas.Landscaping was a key part of the renovation. Our own “in-house” professional landscape architect, Karl Muzii, developed the landscape design that presents the Club as a focal point and adds landscape longevity with native plants. The golf course side of the Club was landscaped with beautiful plantings around an expansive event lawn with an outdoor kitchen. New landscaping accents the entry to the Bistro and Event Center. The renovation also included a complete update of the Club kitchen. A professional kitchen designer was used to design the new Bistro Kitchen, the upstairs Club kitchen and the bar. The floor of the old kitchen was replaced with a concrete floor and rubberized flooring to provide a cushioned floor surface promoting safety and comfort for our kitchen staff. New walk-in coolers/freezers and additional kitchen equipment were added to handle the increased volume when both the Vista ballroom and the casual dining facilities are maxed out.
The old Club had a lower level on the East end that was basically a disorganized “catch all” storage area. This area was transformed into very inviting usable space, including a new conference room with golf course views, an arts and craft studio with specialized lighting, IT room, event coordinator office, a maintenance shop, men’s and women’s restrooms and several new storage rooms. Other features of the renovated Club: art Creston A/V automation system with 15 large monitors wall and windows, HVAC,
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 23 counter reflect the surrounding Blue Ridge mountains. The images and light offered by undraped floor-to-ceiling windows pair beautifully with large canvases showcased throughout the building.
• State-of-the
ceiling insulation,
LED lighting and controls • Multi-level outdoor patio, grill and service/buffet area • Expanded Club parking and LED lighting • New fire protection/sprinkler system • Updated electrical and HVAC systems • Special sound absorbing ceilings and wall panels • Member art display area in corridor • Jonas Club POS management system Cascades
• Energy efficient
The renovated Club addressed over 95 percent of the issues raised in the multiple studies and was completed within the member approved budget. A “ribbon cutting” ceremony dedicating the new Club was held in July 2019 and included many local dignitaries.
Members noted the new Club exceeded their expectations and there was NO increase in annual assessments and fees required to deliver this beautiful and functional facility. Club usage immediately soared and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While high in-person usage receded, the Club and Bistro focused on take-out, serving more than 180,000 meals. With the pandemic now mostly in the rear-view mirror, Club usage has exploded again. We are also enjoying all the outdoor areas at the Bistro patio, Bar Terrace, and the Club’s two-level patio and lawn area.
Aerial of Club
24 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
The Club/Event center campus can easily accommodate over 500 members/guests today in a very comfortable and non-crowded environment. Members have expressed an appreciation for the Club’s ability to hold multiple simultaneous events. Now, occasions for large groups can take place in the Vista Ballroom and the Event Center at the same time a la carte meals are served in the Cascades dining room and Bar, all the while the Bistro is available to golfers and casual diners.
Mary Davis, our club director, wraps it up by saying, “The Club at Keowee Key now has two full-service restaurants, new kitchens, and various dining spaces which meet the diverse needs of our membership. We can offer a resort-style ambiance, more personal attention and memorable special events for our members to enjoy.”
We are happy to have Executive Chef Shane White as one of our own. Mary Davis began working at the Club as a server in 2003 while attending Clemson University. She was studying to be a paralegal and obtained an internship at a law office in Seneca. That’s when she realized that a desk job was not the career for her social personality. She went to then club director, Brian Wilson, and asked for anSheopportunity.waspromoted as event manager and soon after, she became the food and beverage manager. In 2016, Mary was promoted to club director. “I owe so much to Brian Wilson who carefully trained me and worked with me from server to club director,” says Mary. “He has been a great mentor and we are still in touch today.”
Both Executive Chef Shane White and club director Mary Davis have worked their way up to their current positions at the Club.
Executive Chef Shane White and Club Director Mary Davis
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 25
A Journey of Their Own
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director
Executive Chef Shane White and Director Mary Davis
In 2017, Mary completed her studies and received her certificate in hospitality with an emphasis on financial management, from Cornell University. She has had to grow in her position fast, as the Club renovation created a venue that now serves twice the people served when she started. “We have well over 60 employees and that’s still not enough for our growing services,” she says. “Balancing schedules for a variety of generations of workforce is quite a challenge.” Mary counts on a relatively young management team who have also learned from extensive work experience. “I like to give others the same opportunity to learn and grow that I had,” she said. “Casey Metz, Ashley Worthington, Madison Bivins and Jenni Owen have all been incredible team members.” The Club is an entirely new amenity and Mary Davis, our club director, always greets you with a generous smile.
Shane started as a dishwasher in 1988 at age 15 and within 6 months he had an opportunity to fill in and do prep work. Every time the kitchen needed help, Shane stepped up and by 16, he was cooking gourmet food. “I knew nothing about the culinary field, but I learned every station in the kitchen,” he notes. “I had the opportunity to learn from some amazingWithinchefs.”fiveyears, he was recruited by Carl Sobocinski as sauté cook and kitchen manager at the 858, a new Greenville restaurant. After that, he worked at Occasionally Blues restaurant as sous chef, and then became executive chef there. In 2000, Chef Shane returned to Keowee Key. But after working for three consecutive general managersin a very short period of time, he went back to Greenville as manager and chef for Soby’s on the Side. In 2003, he returned once again to Keowee Key to become executive chef and he has stayed here since. Chef Shane has homegrown expertise, and he says that he learned the ropes under many talented chefs who emphasized technique and seasoning. “Technique is more important than a recipe,” Chef Shane said. It has been an amazing time of growth at Keowee Key and again Chef Shane has stepped up to the opportunity. He now manages both the Club and the Bistro, two fast-paced restaurants. “The family atmosphere has kept me here this long,” he said. “Not only the people I work for but all the people I have trained over the years. I have also made lifelong friends at Keowee Key.”
Elevate the Everyday. Congratulations to Keowee Key! We hope to see you soon. To book a reservation, simply visit www.vangelisbistro.comorscantheQRcode. 119 Ram Cat Alley, Seneca, SC 29678 • 864.973.8887 Cheers to Years
Keowee Key is very fortunate to sit on the shores of its namesake, Lake Keowee, an 18,500-acre lake with pristine blue water and over 300 miles of shoreline. The boating amenity at Keowee Key continues to provide members services to assist them to get out on the lake and enjoy a myriad of fun activities: fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, water skiing or tubing with family or friends, a sunset cruise or lakeshore beach-ups.
The South Marina was the site of our first Clubhouse and marina complex, which consisted of 40 boat slips, a boat ramp, Skipper Store and meeting room. The rapid growth of this community and the popularity of boating meant that by 1997, there were 182 names on the waiting list for a KKPOA boat slip. Members also recognized that the existing docks needed upgrading and the gas facilities were less than adequate.
Boating has a long history with Keowee Key, and like our other amenities, our members helped to chart its course.
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Keowee Key Boating Years of Fun
By George Henefeld, Boating Committee, Past KKUS President, and Derek Massi, Boating Manager Marina Dock
Celebrating 50
North
Following is a description of these upgrades:•2017: South Marina Fuel Dock and Pier Replacement: This project included the replacement of the South Marina Fuel Dock and Pier along with all utilities such as fuel line, water, power and septic line for the pump out station. The wooden fuel dock was replaced with our new style of dock consisting of concrete and PVC decking, which gives the dock a 50+ year lifespan. The fuel pump was also replaced during a later project in 2020.
Derek Massi, Boating Manager
Bill Walker
28 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
In 1999, the Keowee Key Boating Association (KKBA) was formed to represent boaters and their interests. The association continued to serve the boaters in Keowee Key until its dissolution in December 2017. The KKBA was instrumental in persuading the board to form a Boating Committee to represent member interests. The KKBA also made the case to hire a boating manager to oversee all boating facilities, create a five-year plan and manage the KKPOA boating budget. A great number of the boating facilities enjoyed today are a result of member actions through the association or committee. By 2012, the South Marina building constructed in the late 70s had reached the end of its useful life and was replaced with the North Marina building containing the Skipper Store, Lakeview Room and the adjacent swimming pool. To continue to provide first class boating services, the Keowee Key Boating Amenity embarked on an ambitious physical asset upgrade program. In 2017, an extensive renovation program was begun starting with the South Marina Fuel Dock and Pier. Since that time, almost all boating amenity physical assets have either been upgraded through total replacement or complete renovation.
In 1998, the KKPOA Board formed a special Lake Access Committee to obtain the maximum number boat slips for Keowee Key. After a year of petitions to Duke Energy as well as to local, county, state and federal agencies, Keowee Key was granted permission to install additional boat slips in Laurel Park, Chestnut Point, the North Marina, Spinnaker Cove and the South Marina in 1999/2000. Our inventory of 327 community boat slips is the largest of any community on the lake.
•
2021: Dry Storage Lot #7 Addition: Due to the high demand and waiting list for boat storage, a seventh Dry Storage lot was constructed in 2021, which allowed for 72 new spaces. There are now 520 Dry Storage spaces in Keowee Key for members to store their trailers and RVs.
•
2020: North and South Marina Fuel Pumps: Both the North and South Marina Fuel Pumps were replaced in 2020, along with all new fuel lines and wiring.
2019: South Marina and Spinnaker Cove Dock and Pier Refurbishment Projects: These docks were completely refurbished by replacing dock posts, floats, rub rails, dock lights, dock ramps, and all electrical wiring and conduits.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 29 • 2018-2020: 2020 North Marina Dock and Pier Replacement Projects: These projects included the replacement of 12 boat slips and pier at Dock #3, 60 boat slips at Dock #2, the North Marina Pier and the addition of a satellite staff building with public restroom. Both the North and South Marina fuel pumps were also replaced during this time. These new docks have aluminum frames with concrete decking.
The Pier was built on an aluminum frame and sits on aluminum pilings that were driven 8-10 feet down into the lakebed. The deck on the pier is made of 100 percent PVC. These new dock structures in Keowee Key were built to stand the test of time, and they will be here for generations to come!
•
30 ‹ KEOWEE KEY • 2022: South Marina Boat Ramp and Courtesy Dock — This was a project that began with a conversation back in 2019, between the boating manager, Derek Massi, and an official from Duke Energy. Out of curiosity, Derek queried as to why the early developers of Keowee Key had not been allowed to build a courtesy dock at the boat ramp to help members launch their boats. The answer was, Keowee Key had never asked permission to build one. It took several years to obtain the approval from 13 local and state agencies. Then in January 2022, our friends at Duke Energy informed us that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would grant us permission to construct a courtesy dock at the South Marina Boat Ramp and provide our members with a safe way to launch and retrieve their vessels. We also did some revamping of the boat ramp itself and we now have a fine boat launch that every member can easily use. The popularity of boating brings with it some challenges. The number of members wishing to get a slip at one of our community docks has once again led to a waiting list. Since we are limited in the number of slips we can have, the boating department has tried to ameliorate this by offering boat launch and retrieve services, short term boat slip rentals, and a boat valet service. They’ve also expanded their rental fleet to include a Tritoon with a 150hp motor North Marina Building
The Boating Amenity provides many services to our members, including assistance with boat maintenance, transportation, towing, battery replacement, and much more. The Skipper Store, which is located at the North Marina, is well stocked with a plethora of marine supplies, snacks, drinks, alcoholic beverages and Keowee Key Marina apparel. There are also pontoon, Tritoon, kayak, and paddle board rentals available at this location, which can be reserved in person, by telephone, or by visiting the Keowee Key website. Representatives from other communities in the area have visited our Marina to get ideas for their own dock renovations, and many have started to follow the same style of construction that began right here in Keowee Key. Looking to the future, we will continue to renovate and/or replace our community docks to make our facilities the premier marina complex on Lake Keowee!
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 31 to accommodate members who are interested in watersports such as wakeboarding, skiing or tubing. Through community meetings and announcements, the Boating Committee is helping to facilitate boat partnerships where several members share in the ownership of a single vessel. This program has recently taken off in Keowee Key and soon will be commonplace throughout the community.
32 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
Award-Winning Fitness and Racquet Center (FRC)
In 1997, the Fitness Center, then referred to as the Kourthouse, was purchased by Keowee Key to be a part of our community and the evolution from basic gym to a high-level fitness and racquet center began. And, wow, have we come a long way! When it comes to fitness centers among private clubs, the Keowee Key Fitness Center is in a league of its own. In 2021, we placed 11th out of 50 top ranked fitness centers in the U.S. for Health and Wellness Facilities. Awarded by Club & Resort Business Magazine, our fitness center competed against some of the most exclusive fitness centers in the country!
By Cindy McKean, FRC Communications Manager
Aerobics with Patsy Lowery Golf Fitness Training with Bryan Coker, FRC Manager
Equiptment
When it comes to strength training, we have the well-known Matrix brand. And our Keiser strength machines with pneumatic technology offer a stellar workout forgiving to the body with instant adjustable air weight. For those that prefer free weights, we have kettlebells from 10-70lbs, dumbbells from 1-100lbs and an endless supply of barbells and plates. And talk about personal training! Each of our amazing staff offer specialties allowing them to help the members achieve their fitness goals. Offerings include strength training, individualized yoga, pilates reformer, barre and nutrition counseling.
Being top ranked, you can imagine we offer the best workout experience for ourOurmembership.equipment is state-of-the-art and rivals any fitness centers in the Carolinas. Our cardio equipment has a variety of options to meet everyone’s need; row machines, ARC trainers and free runners along with standing, seated, and lateral ellipticals. We have recumbent bikes, spin bikes, motorized treadmills and non-motorized treadmills. The FRC also brings cardio options with our racquetball court, basketball court (inside or out), our outdoor workout area and walking trails – all available to work up a sweat!
Strengh Area with Keiser Equipment New Lobby and Snack Bar Aerobic
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 33
34 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Fitness and Racquet Center Aerial FRC Team and Management
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 35
Top Ranked Keowee Key is Top Ranked by Club and Resort Business Magazine! In the April 2021 issue of the magazine, Keowee Key ranked #11 out of 50 of the Top Ranked Fitness/Wellness Facilities in the United States. The top 10 clubs are all located in either Florida or California, which means that Keowee Key is the # 1 fitness/wellness facility in the Carolinas. Being recognized by an industry magazine such as Club & Resort Business (C&RB) reflects the top quality that Keowee Key has achieved in fitness and wellness and adds to the attraction we have as a community.
36 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
At right: FRC Trainers L-R: Billie Sanders, Laura Sansosti, Caron Bey, Patsy Lowery and Leo Sanders Yoga with Laura Sansosti Virtual Fitness Room Spin Class
When using a personal trainer, the initial meeting consists of identifying current fitness levels, then crafting a personalized workout. Members embark on a fitness journey with expert guidance.Another quality service we offer is our monthy orientation of the entire facility, or you can learn the ins and outs of cardio or strength equipment at separate orientations. Members achieve their workout goals because we are here to help. We are proud of countless member successGroupstories!exercise classes provide a wide range of workouts including yogalates, aerobics, barre/pilates, chair yoga, zumba, cardio kickboxing – there is something for everyone. Our highly qualified group class instructors are dearly loved by our members. The group class schedule is packed full of 53 classes every week, with enough assortment to appeal to everyone’s level of fitness. And if 53 classes aren’t enough, we have a fitness on demand room which
The 25-meter Junior Olympic heated indoor pool is also a member favorite! It is busy all week with either lap swimming, recreational use or our always popular water aerobics classes! The glass enclosed pool facility gives the feel of the outdoors.Didwe mention tennis and pickleball? On site, we have 12 lighted tennis courts and two unlighted courts including eight Har-Tru clay courts, four Omni grass courts and two hard courts. Since pickleball is rising in popularity, we have grown our facility to eight courts. Our two certified teaching professionals provide instruction and assist with all recreational, social and competitive programming for both sports. Tennis and pickleball league teams will vouch our facilities are among the best you will see anywhere in a private community. We now have eight new Shuffleboard and three Bocce courts available for year-round play and they are quite popular with our members and their guests. From social play to friendly league competition, it’s always a fun gathering and is very family friendly. Helping members maintain an active lifestyle is what we are all about at the Keowee Key Fitness Center! Massage and chiropractic services are available to our members in a private environment. We also offer retreats and specialty workshops on a regular basis that support wellness. Maybe you’ll need physical therapy after knee replacement or rotator cuff surgery. Good news! We have ATI Physical Therapy offices on site exclusively for Keowee Key members to use! As we celebrate the Keowee Key 50th anniversary, our focus is not just where we are today but what the fitness future holds for our membership. This is an exciting time to be a part of Keowee Key and we are poised to embrace the future of fitness for all!
Tony Bonitati at the finish line.
Top Innovator Award Keowee Key Fitness and Racquet Center was honored as Top Innovator in Recreation & Fitness in Club and Resort Business Magazine’s December 2020 issue. A triathlon held in October that year boosted member participation and provided an outlet for fitness in a pandemic-friendly format. The event was held lakeside with the 500-meter swim in the lake. The 15-mile cycle was beachside on stationary bikes and the 3.1-mile run was on the Leisure Trail. A video captured the excitement of the top-notch event. Bryan Coker, fitness manager, noted this event’s energy was contagious. It’s now held annually!
Triathlon Lake Swim
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 37
streams over 199 workouts, such as spin classes, core work, dancing via a 150-inch screen TV…you name it, you need it, it is here!
By Patricia Robertson, Keowee Key Tennis Association (KKTA) President Love is in the air when it comes to tennis at Keowee Key — and not just when it comes to score keeping. The full-service amenity boasts a top-notch, beautifully maintained tennis facility nestled among a multitude ofFiftytrees.years ago, when Keowee Key was in the early phases of development, the first tennis courts were built down at the South Marina in Marina Villa. Later, when the Kourthouse was purchased by Keowee Key, the community gained two tennis courts behind the now named Fitness and Racquet Center (FRC) building. Over the years, additional courts were built to accommodate the growth of the community and meet the high demand for tennis. Today, our amazing complex includes 14 courts—eight clay, four synthetic grass and two hard-surface, all lighted for night play. State-of-the-art ball machines are available, as well as a hitting wall. Pavilions and bleachers are interspersed throughout the facility for spectator viewing and social gatherings. Supported by a welcoming, active and organized tennis community, Keowee Key offers a year-round schedule of tournaments and social gatherings that would make a player’s jaw drop. Two seasoned tennis professionals, Brad Huff and Ward Snyder, manage lessons and clinics, and work with teams competing in USTA (United States Tennis Association) leagues.TheKeowee Key Tennis Committee (KKTC) is a volunteer board that recommends the overall programming and offers advice and assistance to enhance the facilities. The Keowee Key Tennis Association (KKTA) is the social arm for the tennis community. This volunteer board organizes and manages the annual schedule of events such as tournaments, exhibitions, and socials. The variety of social functions include club championships, Mimosa Women’s Mornings, Bloody Mary Men’s Mornings, Clemson collegiate tennis trips, gatherings to watch televised tennis finals, Tennis Fun Fridays, an annual dinner-dance and a holiday Whetherbrunch.members are simply interested in the occasional afternoon game with friends or are seasoned tennis aficionados who prefer regular league play, there’s an abundance of opportunity to play tennis at Keowee Key. The community offers an impressive year-round tennis program that includes KKTA events, USTA league play, social tennis, open (block) play, and a Keowee Cup Tennis Event
38 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Tennis Everyone
USTA league play can be found in full force here. League teams are organized by skill rating and compete with likerated teams throughout the area. To be rated, members may take advantage of a free skill evaluation from our racquet professionals.
Keowee Key offers league teams at many age levels (40+, 55+, 65+, 70+, and 75+) and skill levels (3.0, 3.5, and 4.0), including multiple formats (women’s doubles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles, women’s combo, men’s combo and women’s tri-level doubles).
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 39 unique program for inexperienced players — the Novice Tennis Program.
The team captain organizes practices, lessons, matches, and socials. The player commitment typically includes practice once a week throughout the year, plus matches during league seasons. Practices might include clinics with one of the pros to hone skills and work on strategy.
There’s a team for everyone at Keowee Key!Like teams, social groups play on a regular basis, without the pressure and are loosely organized based on skill rating. There are men’s, women’s, and mixed opportunities. Another gateway to social tennis is open play, where residents simply show up and rotate in. Open play is co-ed and scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday mornings, Tuesday evenings, and for inexperienced players, Thursday mornings. The organized rotation process allows players to play with and against multiple players.
If you’ve never played tennis, it’s not too late to learn! The FRC, the tennis pros and the KKTA offer an introductory program that includes a monthly orientation, the Tennis Connect Program, Tennis 101 and the Novice Tennis Program. Tennis Connect ensures new players are connected to all the goings-on in Keowee Key tennis by assigning new players to an active member of the tennis community.There’salso a free, monthly, two-hour orientation session that allows new players to meet the pros, receive a free skill evaluation to self-rate for USTA league play, learn to use the Court Reservation System and sign up for the Court Report. They also become acquainted with the tennis complex and the various court surfaces, learn how to reserve and use the ball machines, properly sweep the clay courts and much more. Whether you’re a casual or dedicated player or want to take up this wonderful sport for the first time in your life, the Keowee Key tennis community offers something for everyone. Tennis Group with ball machine.
Tennis and Pickleball Pros Brad Huff & Ward Snyder
It was 2009 when the fun new sport of pickleball was introduced to Keowee Key. The first games were played on a makeshift court on the concrete patio beside the indoor swimming pool. As interest grew, pickleball court lines were painted on the tennis hard courts. In 2011, the first invitational event with the Upstate Pickleballers from Greenville was held at Keowee Key. In 2012, a community plan was proposed that called for the construction of four clay tennis courts, construction of the Northside pool and renovation of the administration building. Four pickleball courts were added to that plan, and the plan passed. Play on the new courts started in October 2012.
The Keowee Key Pickleball Club was founded in 2013, promoting multigenerational fun, fitness and fellowship for all skill levels with 138 members. Monthly Pickleball Orientation sessions were offered for people new to the sport, and that continues today. Pickleball Club took additional steps to further develop the sport for the entire Keowee Key community.2014and2015 saw increased Pickleball participation along with a desire to improve pickleball play. This prompted volunteers to organize a basic skills workshop to increase levels of play proficiency which further stimulated Pickleball’s growing popularity. Player Development, an all-volunteer program,
40 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
John PickleballWalker,Club & Committee Board Member Pickleball trainer
The Exciting Sport of Pickleball
2016, plans were developed for four additional courts which were approved in 2019. A groundbreaking ceremony happened in July 2020, and the courts including a new Pavilion officially opened for play in September 2021. With the increasing numbers of participants of varying ages, interest in competitive play has grown. Ladder Leagues have developed with numerous Keowee Key Club Championships held throughout the years as well as an increasing number of interclub events.
From the very beginning, the Keowee Key Pickleball Club continues to be socially active with numerous events like our most recent Margaritaville themed party with more than 200 in attendance. All eight courts were packed with players and there was plenty of delicious food, drink and laughter.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 41 was evolving starting with a small number of participants and one trainer. The program today uses all eight courts to serve 32 participants, plus 16 trainers. In 2015, the Board of Directors formed the Keowee Key Pickleball Committee to provide advice and assistance in enhancing and promoting pickleball within Keowee Key and to assist in developing long range plans. The committee is responsible to approve court usage requests, overseeing facility maintenance and programming that is in the best interests of the Keowee Key community.Startingin
The Keowee Key Pickleball Club membership is well over 400 and still growing. With the emphasis on fun, fitness and fellowship, Pickleball Club provides great social activity where you can meet new friends. The sport is so easy to learn in a very short time and then you’re hooked. We look forward to many more years of pickleball fun ahead and, more of what we love! Original courts
The 8th Annual Keowee Key Pickleball Classic Tournament this October will host more than 200 participants, from Keowee Key and the eastern United States.
42 ‹ KEOWEE KEY W hile some of the amenities in Keowee Key can trace their origins back 50 years, mankind has been walking upright for at least 3.6 million years! At Keowee Key we are a walking community. The original leisure trail that curves around the lake shore about 1.3 miles one way was built around 1990. The trail is actually not owned by the community but is accessed by a recreational easement for use by our members. The easement is a part of member properties in Unit 21. The leisure trail has been our most popular amenity, and it would be impossible to assess the miles that have been walked there since its inception.Whenmy husband Bill and I settled in Keowee Key, we were delighted to have so many amenities to experience here, and we too enjoyed the leisure trail, but the idea of getting into our car and driving to go somewhere for a walk in our own community or even to visit neighbors on adjacent streets seemed a bit unreasonable to us, since we live surrounded by a natural park-like setting. Most of the roads in our community end in pipe stems and are without level shoulders; it was difficult to walk anywhere on the south side without walking along South Flagship Drive, one of the most heavily traveled roads here. Despite this, there were many energetic folks that still ventured out on South Flagship onto the uneven shoulders with their dogs or even pushing baby carriages. Safety was becoming an issue. The idea of offering a trail on the south side of Keowee Key has percolated for a long time. At first, a suggestion was made to utilize the space under the Duke Energy power lines, and there is actually a cleared but unpaved path there now. In 2012, Hayes Cross chaired the first Southside Walking Trail Committee. Working with the planning committee, the threephased trail design created by a Clemson engineering class, was presented in a series of community forums in 2013 and 2014 and, sadly, was not endorsed by general consensus.Severalyears later, in a meeting with the community construction manager, we were shown that same design for the walking trail that had been completed in 2011, We created presentation for the Board of Directors explaining how trees were overcrowding and damaging our roadways and the need for a safe pedestrian path.
Building New Trails
Lenore
VolunteerMalin,Professional Lori Nelson and Tina Bullard with dog Ellie. Leisure Trail
Northside Trail Southside Trail
Coincidentally, South Flagship was scheduled to be repaved, and with the support of an energetic board, the idea caught fire with the opportunity to give a facelift to the road with new guard rails, overhanging tree removal, and the creation of a new trail. Knowing that the most requested amenity prospective buyers desired was a walking community provided the incentive for designing the new trail, using medians where possible and the addition of a designated and clearly marked pathways where the trail followed the road itself.
The Roadside Improvement Committee was formed to oversee the all the construction aspects of the roadwork, tree clearing, safety standards and guardrails as well as the development of this trail that now stretches nearly the length of South Flagship for 2.3 miles one way. The celebration for the new Southside Trail was held on April 29, 2018, and it is used every day, bringing a new vibrancy to the community.Afterthesuccessful completion of this new trail, the Board of Directors requested plans for additional possible routes throughout Keowee Key and gave the go ahead for the construction of the Northside Trail that runs 0.8 miles one way from the FRC along North Flagship and Tall Ships Drive with a connection to the Leisure Trail via the North Marina area. Happily, the planning committee has reviewed further potential routes with the intent of building several more walking trails in the next few years. It just took getting started and the persistence of committed volunteers, and now we will reach our goal of making Keowee Key a true walking community.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 43
1229 Stamp Creek Road Salem, SC • (864) 944-1015 Cgratulatis TO KEOWEE KEY ON 50 YEARS For your WinesupportcontinuedofTheEmporium!
Chestnut Point Shuffleboard is a popular Keowee Key amenity used not only by multiple leagues, but by families, visitors, and social groups. Chestnut Point Park is an ideal venue that features picnic facilities, parking and a breathtaking view of Lake Keowee.
However, shuffleboard in Keowee Key was not dead. There was still an avid group of “silver haired assassins” as they affectionately became known. They were wickedly skilled at shuffleboard and presented a great example and challenge to the incoming Baby Boomers that were retiring to Keowee Key. With the influx of fresh blood, shuffleboard grew in popularity. League membership went from 38 to 92. The demand for more and better courts resulted in shuffleboard making the leap from the Northside to Southside in 2021. The new lakeside shuffleboard court location at Chestnut Point rivals the cruise ship decks on many levels. Today in 2022, there are eight shuffleboard courts, 168 shuffleboard players with three leagues with open night play. Shuffleboard is a game of skill, which takes practice (think pocket billiards,) and is an excellent sport for many people of all ages, and ability. It’s easy to learn the basic rules, but difficult to master. If the laughter and competitive banter during league play is any indication, the leap in popularity at Keowee Key has been a good one.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 45
Shuffleboard originated in the 15th Century in England as a tavern game of shoving a coin down the table and stopping as close to the edge as possible. Plenty of drink and money were wagered on the game of “shove board.” In the 1840s, the game made a leap from tabletops to the deck of cruise ships as recreation directors were challenged to come up with games that would entertain passengers. The coins were replaced by weighted disks and long sticks were added to slide these weights. Markings on the new deck courts allowed for scoring. In 1924, the game made another leap and arrived onshore in Daytona Beach, Florida, ground courts were built and consistent rules were created.In1986, with 870 full-time residents in Keowee Key, the game of shuffleboard came to the leisure trail on the Northside with the building of six courts. Three leagues were formed. On the hillside overlooking the leisure trail courts, there were terraced steps that were used for observing shuffleboard games. Residents brought their folding chairs, watched games, indulged in cocktails and cheered on their favorite teams. Over the years, game observation became a thing of the past, the terraced land was reclaimed by the homeowner above and flowering shrubs were planted. By 2015, the sport had diminished to only one league in the Community and about 20 full-time players.
Laura Havran, Shuffleboard Coordinator
Shuffleboard Then & Now
46 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
The beauty of the game is that you don’t have be a great athlete to be a great Bocce player. It is enjoyed by all levels of athleticism and all age groups. This does not mean it isn’t competitive. Rather, everyone can join in the competition and the resultant camaraderie it develops among the players. What the game does require is skill and strategy. It also requires an ability to absorb and dish out the good-natured ribbing that seems to come naturally to all players. Adding Bocce to our list of amenities is one more example of the partnership between members, Board of Directors and management in meeting our members evolving interests.
While Bocce is a relatively new addition to the plethora of leisure activities at Keowee Key, there was a semblance of it at Chestnut Point where there were several courts intended for a similar game of French origin called Petanque. However, these were unused and had deteriorated over time. While planning the redevelopment of Chestnut Point as a community park, the Board of Directors wanted to create an area that focused on family outdoor activities, and they recognized the game of Bocce would be an ideal addition. In 2021, two courts were constructed. From the onset, the community expressed strong interest in learning this “new” old game and clamored for instruction. To accommodate this interest in the particulars of the game, we scheduled a few sessions of Bocce 101 (a four-credit course with a fun final exam). Those sessions were very quickly oversubscribed making it necessary to schedule a dozen classes to accommodate the more than 200 members participating! The initial interest was so intense that a third court was built in 2022 with a fourth on the way.
Dennis Miller, EnthusiastBocce
TheBocce“New”
Old Game
Bocce is an ancient game that is new to Keowee Key. The first known documentation of bocce was in an Egyptian tomb painting that depicted two boys playing (circa 5,200 BCE). The game spread throughout the Middle East and Asia where it was adopted by the Greeks and passed on to the Romans. Since then, Italians have embraced and claimed ownership of the game. Today, any city or town with even a modest Italian American community will have its Bocce clubs. Restaurants, Bars, and social clubs frequently have Bocce courts out back. Bocce has been enthusiastically embraced by the Keowee Key community where more than 30 teams played in the inaugural spring 2022 league! League play isn’t the only way to enjoy the game. It’s great fun to gather a few friends and enjoy a nice Chianti over a spirited game. A substantial group of us gather at the courts in the early evenings with that intent in mind. And the setting for the courts is absolutely beaucolic. We enjoy a peninsula view of the lake surrounding us as we socialize and play.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 47 MORE Personalized Care Access Specialists Your local healthcare experts At Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital, we’re dedicated to supporting your healthcare needs. We’re making healthcare exceptional for everyone across Clemson, Oconee and the surrounding communities. Our hospital specializes in cancer care, infusions, OB/GYN, orthopedics, pediatrics, robotic surgery and is a Primary Stroke Center. Plus, surrounding our campus are many practices and specialty programs. We’re doing even more to help you be your healthiest you. PrismaHealth.org/ExploreOconee 22-2148
48 ‹ KEOWEE KEY OCONEE, SCVisitOconeeSC.comis a c l place to play! 29 Waterfa Hikes This Oconis , SC… And yes, weare friendly!!people Two Wild & Scenic Rivers Fresh Air Clean Mountain Water Four Amazing Lakeswith Endle Sunsets
Keowee Key History A TestPassesCommunitytheofTime Long Reach 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 49
The site of Fort Prince George, located about midway between the Keowee Town Landing and Mile Creek Campground, was later inundated for the creation of Lake Keowee. After the Revolutionary War, many settlers began to make this area their home. General Andrew Pickens, Ephriam Mitchell and John Nean Craig were early landowners. Another early settler was William Hunnicutt. The family purchased a plantation in the area of New Hope Church and owned land from High Falls to Moody Springs.
T
Keowee Key Pre-RevolutionaryHistoryWar
he word “Keowee” is Cherokee for “place of the mulberries,” and the history of the area we now call Keowee Key begins well before the Revolutionary war. Before that time, this area was known as the Cherokee Nation. There were about 11,000 Cherokee Indians in numerous villages along the Keowee River. In addition to planting corn, they hunted deer, buffalo, bear, turkey, and wild boar. In 1730, the English and the Cherokees signed a treaty for a peaceful relationship. In 1751, the English constructed Fort Prince George on the banks of the Keowee river. After about 25 years, tensions between the Cherokees and colonists increased and soon led to outright hostilities. Tragically, most of the villages were destroyed and many of the Cherokee fled. DID YOU KNOW?
Judy Griffiths, 50th Anniversary Chair, Past Board Treasurer Mizzen
50 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 51
There are legacy remains of the Hunnicutt family in Keowee Key today, including a cemetery, on Leeward Court (still maintained) and three chimneys (Skipper, Mizzen and Long Reach). DID YOU KNOW? 65 Long Reach was the former home of James and Ellen Hunnicutt. Also, six of Hunnicutt children attended Warsaw School, a oneroom log structure located at the time near the tennis courts once known as the Kourthouse, now the FRC. DID YOU KNOW? Lake and Hills Garden Club has preserved and beautified the Hunnicutt Cemetery for decades, with some assistance from Keowee Key Grounds Crew. In 1849, German settlers bought almost 6,000 acres from the High Falls area towards the area now known as Walhalla and almost 12,000 acres near West Union. The Germans prospered in the area. Walhalla became seat for the New Oconee County and the Keowee Courier moved there, where it was published until 2019. *Much of this history was documented in the book, “Keowee Key: The Origins of a Community,” by Alice Badenock. Skipper
52 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Happy 50th anniversary, Keowee Key Happy golden anniversary, Keowee Key. For decades, you’ve been an outstanding neighbor and part of this community. All of us at Duke Energy, and especially your friends at Oconee Nuclear Station, are proud to support you with reliable, carbon-free electricity today and into the future. DUKE-ENERGY.COM/ COMMUNITY
DID YOU KNOW?
D uke Power (now Duke Energy) purchased a large amount of UpCountry land in 1916 after recognizing the tremendous potential for hydroelectric power. Not much changed for 50 years after that as the local families, including the Hunnicutts and Craigs, continued to farm corn, oats, wheat and cotton, as well as pastured cows and hogs. In 1955, the Hunnicutt land was sold to a businessman and tree farmer Oscar Wigington. His highly successful forestry operation attracted the attention of agricultural experts from Clemson University who studied his methods for harvesting seeds and growing seedlings. Wiginton’s headquarters was in what is now Keowee Key. The fire tower to safeguard his forest holdings was located on the site of the overlook on North Flagship Drive.In1963, Duke Power began the purchase of the balance of the land needed for Lake Keowee. This included both the Wigington and Craig properties. Duke received its federal license in 1965 to begin construction of the Keowee-Toxaway Project.Bythe fall of 1969, the land had been cleared creating the basins of Lakes Keowee and Jocasssee. This effort was supervised by the Crescent Land and Timber Company, a subsidiary of Duke. During the land clearing there were several archeological digs on the site of the Cherokee villages and Fort Prince George. Many of the artifacts excavated from the area, are on exhibit at Keowee-Toxaway State Park. Did you know? When Duke obtained its Federal Power Commission License, they gifted a $30,000 grant to the University of South Carolina Department of Archeology for the study and preservation of artifacts. The damming of the Keowee and Little Rivers created Lake Keowee with an area of nearly 18,500 acres. On March 25, 1971, Duke Power flipped the switch and began generating hydroelectric power derived from the Recognizinglake. the recreational potential, Duke in conjunction with state and local officials, ensured the lakes were stocked with fish and paved access was provided to both lakes. In addition, Duke sought to ensure high quality (as opposed to random) development of the lakeside. Crescent Land Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duke, set aside 1,600 acres of land for a planned community. In 1971, a Florida-based real estate company, Realtec (a subsidiary of Certainteed Corp), was chosen to develop this “Lake Keowee Community.” Realtec had already opened two Western Carolina projects, Sapphire Valley and Connestee Falls, so this project gave them a resort development triangle. Duke Power gave Realtec a list of over 8,000 names of people who had expressed an interest in buying lake property.
Lake Keowee was originally stocked with 3 million Largemouth Bass, and the same number of Wallaye, by the South Carolina Wildlife Resource Department. Engineers Mapping Out the K-T Basin Photo courtesy of Duke Energy
Judy Griffiths, 50th Anniversary Chair, Past Board Treasurer
Duke’s Impact to the Area
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 53
54 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
n January 1972, Realtec announced its plan for a resort community then known as “Lake Keowee Community.” The preliminary master plan included a golf course, clubhouse, equestrian center, commercial area and sewer treatment facilities for over 1,000 residences. The initial development phase called for both condominium units as well as single-family homes. By early fall of 1972, Realtec had set up sales office trailers on the property. Clearing had begun for the 18-hole golf course, designed by George W. Cobb. Construction was also started on the wastewater treatment plant as well as clearing for four miles of roads. These ran from what is now the North Gate area up to Unit 1 (Mainsail and its arteries) and Unit 2 (Commodore, Skipper and its arteries).
In 1973, the Blue Heron was stylized as the Keowee Key bird logo, which all residents have come to recognize in our brand today. All of this was proceeding well, or so it seemed. However, the real estate development industry was in for some major challenges. First, the recession of 1973-74 and the gas crisis caused by OPEC, Early Keowee Key Development Judy Griffiths, 50th Anniversary Chair, Past Board Treasurer
In September 1972, Unit 1 and 2 were opened to sales, with the first lot sold to Dr. William Gilmore, of Greenville, whose lot was later resold. Seven families bought lots in 1972 and construction began on these properties. In 1973, Unit 3 (Port Tack, Channel, Anchorage, Long Reach and its arteries) were open for sale. By December, there were 340 property owners. In January 1974, the name was officially changed to Keowee Key. Unit 5 (Long Reach Circle and its arteries) opened for sales. Also, in 1974 was a groundbreaking ceremony for the first south-side pool and marina located near Marina Villas. The original restaurant/marina complex was constructed by 1976, with only a few boats in the marina. The marina building was the first club at Keowee Key and was called the Keowee Cove Marina Restaurant. The marina rented cabanas and two original tennis courts were built which still exist at Marina Villas today. DID YOU KNOW?
I
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 55 impacted pocketbooks and the ability to travel to vacation homes. Second, were new accounting guidelines for the development industry. This required Realtec, which was concurrently developing communities in North Carolina as well as Keowee Key, to borrow additional funds to first complete the infrastructure prior to households moving in. These combined to push the development industry to the However, times like this present opportunity, for someone with the vision to buy a distressed vacation community, target it for the over-50 age group and turn the project around. This person was Dick Ford, a trained accountant and experienced land developer. Long story short, Realtec’s parent company Certain-teed hired Ford in 1974. He halted golf course and clubhouse construction and closed the sales office in Keowee Key and focused his attention on the two North Carolina developments.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1975, a classified ad in The Seneca Journal described a package deal for a beautiful, wooded lot and 1600 square foot contemporary 4-bedroom home for $54,950. In late 1975, the first vacation home was completed on Gulfstream, and five other property owners committed to build on their lots. Things began to look brighter in 1976. Between 1976 and 1979, construction began in Units 1, 2, 3 & 5. By 1977, there were 12 residents including Dick Ford himself. At that time, the only marketing tools available were giveaways including a weed-eater, digital watch and a portable Nine holes of golf were opened, unofficially, in 1976. Finally, in the summer of 1979, the Club had its grand opening and over 200 residents attended the gala event. In 1979 the nine-hole golf course was official, and the Pro Shop was moved from a trailer to the upper level of the Club in the corner of the Vista Room overlooking Hole One. Under the Pro Shop was the golf cart storage area where the current meeting room is located.
The Club was renovated between 1999 and 2000 and the Activity Center (now the Event Center) was constructed in 2001. Before that, the north marina building was the first Club at Keowee Key and was called Keowee Cove Marina Restaurant.
The first community general manager was hired in 1997 to oversee operation of the Lake Keowee Property Owners Association, the Lake Keowee Association and KKUS. Then, the Keowee Key Property Owners’ Association (KKPOA) was created by merging the LKA and LKPOA in 1998.It’sworth noting at this time, Keowee Key used what might be called an a la carte model for its amenities. Members could choose whether to take advantage of the Club, golf course, or not. There were separate charges for each amenity. If a member did not use an amenity, they did not pay for it. A bylaw change effective in 2000 made all property owners members of all amenities, although they still paid separate usage charges for each amenity. DID YOU KNOW?
Keowee Key Development 1980 through early 2000’s
In 1980, the marketing of Keowee Key was ramped up, with ads being placed in the Wall Street Journal. That first ad brought 500 responses. Like our current “Discovery Package,” prospective buyers were invited to visit the property. Numerous tours were given and lots were selling. Units 4, 6 and 7 became available for construction and Captain’s Walk Condos were being sold. By 1983, Units 8-15 were available and construction on Harbor Lights and Marina Villas units and the Captains Walk pool commenced. By 1986, Units 16-21, 25, 26, and 28 were opened. In addition, Safe Harbor and Tall Ships condos were constructed as well as the leisure trail. By then, population of Keowee Key had risen to 870. With the increase of lot sales and home construction, Keowee Key was now described as a “mature development.” The social fabric of Keowee Key was in full development as well. Golf became the first social activity. The KKMGA & KKLGA were created in 1981. Exercise classes, water exercise classes, synchronized swimming, Bible study groups, bridge groups, sewing and art groups, bowling leagues, tennis groups and club dining groups all added to the diversity of activities in theGardeningcommunity.became popular with the development of the community gardens. The Scuttlebutt began publication in 1981. And there was the Dixie Key’s band, Key Koraliers chorus, shuffleboard groups, dance club, garden club, single’s club, fishing club, investor’s clubs and the list goes on. DID YOU KNOW?
The first Member Guest golf tournament was held in 1980 with 7 teams, and in 1981 that expanded to 48 teams. In 1987, the Lake Keowee Association (LKA) which had been formed in 1973, was reorganized to purchase, own and operate the Club and golf course. All property owners were assessed $850 to execute the purchase from Certain-teed. And the first Board of Directors was elected. DID YOU KNOW? By 1989 the population of Keowee Key was estimated to be about 1,200 and included residents from 31 different states. 1993 saw the creation of the Keowee Key Fire Department, which was later turned over to a special fire tax district in 2003. Members acquired the water and sewer plant renaming it Keowee Key Utility System (KKUS) and created a separate corporation to oversee its operation. In 1996, the Kourthouse, which is now the Keowee Key Fitness and Racquet Center, was purchased from a third party.
Judy Griffiths, 50th Anniversary Chair, Past Board Treasurer
56 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
Keowee Key became a completely property owner-controlled community, with the purchase of the last land owned by the developer in 2000. The build-out of Keowee Key continued into the early 2000’s with the completion of the Sunrise Pointe Condos. These were built on the site of a conference center that had been created by the developer. The Club Cottages property was sold for development in 2003.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 57 Advertisement from the Wall Street Journal
Keowee Key in the 21st Century South Pool Ribbon Cutting 2018
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Up to this point, our story about Keowee Key focused on the creation of the Community, its growth and development. Keowee Key was about to face some very serious challenges but would emerge in a renaissance.Thebeginning of the 21st century was not the best for Keowee Key. In 2001, our financial condition was not good. Cost overruns on the Club and Event Center projects resulted in a $600,000 special assessment. The passing of the controller coupled with the resignation of his replacement within six weeks and the departure of the community general manager left a serious void in management and financial control. But the spirit of volunteerism that marks our community today was also in evidence back then. Thanks to an Ad Hoc Property Owners Committee, by-laws were rewritten to lay the groundwork to improve financial controls as well as to provide better planning, direction and communication going forward. However, problems remained. Usage of the amenities were declining, particularly for Golf and the Club. Each amenity was structured as a profit center and expected to cover its operating costs. But there simply was not enough revenue being generated by Club sales and golf access fees. The options facing the members at that time were stark: closure of the amenities, raise prices to cover deficits — which would likely further reduce demand, open them to the public or find another way forward.
A team of members crafted the solution. Recognizing the a la carte model was not sustainable, this team recommended the creation of the Single Amenity Support Subsidy (SASS) in 2003. Under SASS, it is “all for one and one for all.” All property owners share responsibility for supporting all amenities. This concept was approved in a community vote. It cannot be overstated enough this move saved Keowee Key. This idea has continued, with some modifications, and to this day, differentiates Keowee Key from most communities.Therewereother improvements in 2003-09 to the community as well. These include: a dining minimum was approved by members to stabilize Club revenue, renovations to the Fitness Center and Golf course greens, replacing Community storm drains, relocation of the Club security gate and renovation of the Leisure Trail.Later in the decade, the original administration building and real estate office were torn down and replaced with the new administration building, and the New Owner Capital Assessment (“NOCA”) was approved to increase our capital reserves. DID YOU KNOW? Our current community general manager, Kevin McCracken, joined Keowee Key on September 19, 2005. This trend continued into the next decade. Beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2021, there were many improvements to our community’s infrastructure and amenities. These include:2011:The construction of the North Marina (including a meeting room, outdoor pool and Skipper store) and the demolition of the deteriorating Marina Villa pool area, 2012: The construction of four Pickleball courts, 2014 to 2016: KKUS’s replacement of 25.5 miles of southside water lines, 2014: An upgrade to the Event Center which suffered severe water damage during a “freeze,” 2015: The demolition and construction of the new Northside and Southside guard houses,2017 to 2019: A $14 million community renovation including the Golf course, Club and Bistro, Fitness Center, South Flagship Drive beautification, Southside Pool and Southside walking trail, which entailed no additional assessment, 2019 to 2020: Complete renovation of Judy Griffiths, 50th BoardChair,AnniversaryPastTreasurer
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 59 North and South Marina docks,2020: An increase to the Club parking lot to meet higher demand from the renovated Club 2021: Construction of eight new Shuffleboard courts and three Bocce courts at Chestnut Point Park, the addition of the Northside walking trail and four additional Pickleball courts.
DID YOU KNOW?
The public website was completely revamped in 2018 using Jonas software, and the internal website was revamped in 2021. In March 2020, COVID-19 struck the world and Keowee Key. Our management and board installed procedures to keep members and employees safe, and to minimize amenity loses, particularly in the Club and Golf amenities. We took steps to secure a government grant through the Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) this allowed us the weather the pandemic, while retaining our staff and minimizing financial impact.What is in store for the future of Keowee Key? You, our members, are the key to answering that question. Our success has been built on the hard work, and the input of many talented people over the past 50 years. As a member-owned community, our members have shaped the direction of the community and will continue to do so. We strive to keep up with emerging trends for communities like ours (think pickleball, bocce and casual dining at the Bistro). We do this by tapping into the insight of our community general manager, marketing director, amenity mnagers and staff, the committees, as well as ideas from our members. All of this contributes to making Keowee Key “more of what you love” as we look forward to the next 50 years.
While most of what has been discussed here focuses on the physical aspects of the community there were also changes and improvements behind the scenes that helped ensure the success of these many projects. A couple of highlights: enhancement of our capital reserves to ensure that funds are available to replace aging assets, a mechanism to help fund new major capital items without the need for assessment increases, a process to help ensure that the cost estimates for projects are professionally developed, a comprehensive Strategic Planning Process and a renewed emphasis on communication with our membership. As noted earlier the “secret sauce” for this has been our members who volunteer their time and skills and collaborate with a strong management team.
Ribbon Cutting Northside Trail During COVID 2021 Shuffleboard Groundbreaking During COVID 2020
60 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Your Land, Your Style, Your Haven! 3321 N. Main Street Suite GH Anderson, SC BrownHavenHomes.com29621
Our People A Legacy of Engagement Pickleball Ribbon Cutting 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 61
What is really behind Keowee Key’s dynamic renewal? That’s simple – a legacy of engagement. The membership is so invested in their community that they have created a model of success. That success is its people and a culture ofImagineinvolvement.atown that is able to benefit from its residents’ expertise. Underlying the town management is a culture of participation and volunteerism. That is Keowee Key. With its myriad of committees and a strong volunteer Board of Directors, this town operates efficiently and cost effectively. Volunteerism has made Keowee Key a very high quality community. The capacity of its engine of people has allowed Keowee Key to improve exponentially. And there is no substitute for this level of interest and dedication. The results are obvious – Keowee Key is very attractive, very marketable and extremely livable. We have coined the term, Volunteer Professionals, to describe some amazing members who have donated countless hours of their time and their amazing expertise. It is a simple fact, Keowee Key could not have afforded to pay for this level of talent and skill. It’s the kind of talent that you can never duplicate because each of these members knows and has a passion for Keowee Key. In this section, we will highlight select volunteer professionals. We spotlight many of the partner organizations that contribute to our rich history. Our People –A Legacy Engagementof
David Rosamond served as board member 2017 –2020 and did double duty during those four years by also serving as the proj ect manager and liaison to all contractors involved with our Club and numer ous other projects at a key time during major renovations.David was deeply in volved in the process for The New Club & Bistro from the inception and with boots on the ground daily to oversee the project from start to finish. He wrote count less project updates that were put out as Eblasts to the community and set a new standard of video walk-throughs with the help of Bill Koepnick. You may not know that David Ro samond retired as senior executive af ter 45 years with Lockwood Greene. He served as president of the SE Asia operations for many years, living in Singapore, China and Russia during thatYettime.hesays he is most proud of his work on the Club where he helped to get an $11 million project accom plished for $7.5 million, that met 95 percent of the members requests. “The Club is the most satisfying project of my 45-year career! It was very person al to me, and I spent more time on the Keowee Key projects than those I got paid for because at the end of the day it was my home,” said David. In 2020 and 2021, David was deeply involved with our latest proj ects: the Club parking lot expansion and landscape enhancements, four new pickleball courts, the bocce and shuffleboard courts at Chestnut Point and the new Northside Trail. David Rosamond has contributed to the Ke owee Key brand by ensuring qual ity and an attention to detail to these many projects over the years. A gradu ate of Clemson University with a B.S. and M.S. in Engineering, the man in the Clemson Tigers hard hat (signed by Dabo Swinney, Clemson football coach and presented by the KKPOA Board), has helped to shape the revi talization of our community.
ProfessionalsVolunteer
David ProjectRosamondManager
By Christine deVlaming Marketing Director
Bill VideographerKoepnick & Sound Editor Bill Koepnick is a multi-talented contributor who started volunteer ing for our marketing efforts in 2016 as sound man for GBA Productions on videos of Keowee Key. But Bill quickly became known for his drone which he used to capture breathtaking aerial images and videos. His shots are used repeatedly for ads and market ing materials for Keowee Key. During the construction of the major projects, Bill regularly produced video shorts with David Rosamond and director of golf maintenance, Josh Sawyer, to up date the community on the projects’ status which set a new standard. You may know that Bill is a serious golfer, on both the 9-hole and 18-hole men’s leagues and is on the course sev eral times a week, but did you know
62 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director David Rosamond
Koepnick
Russ Carlson took up photography in 2015 and it has grown from a hobby to his passion. Russ creates images of Keowee Key with his special touch, and the way he uses light and color, has created an out standing look that cannot be matched. His work brings amazing brand impact for Keowee Key. In fact, he creates the ac tual visual personality of Keowee Key in print through many, many donated imag es. His photos have been used for years in our advertising and he has been the main contributor to the cover of the Scuttle butt newspaper with about 40 covers since mid-2017 when we did our very first color cover.His photos are featured on our Facebook page where these images produce thou sands of clicks, shares, and comments. When the website was redesigned in 2017, we used Russ’ photos for the headers, giv ing our site a consistent look. We have
And he made our amenities shine with a series of videos capturing their successful offerings. These include outstanding cov erage of our award-winning FRC Triath lon, North Marina dock updates, the funloving dog park, spectacular Christmas décor, the new rental Tritoon, the Craft and Art Fair, Nuclear Golf training and our speaker series! Bill chooses music, the visual format and cuts the videos to the proper length to be interesting. He also performed voice overs for numerous videos including those on our strategic planning process and fi nancial governance. Bill makes Keowee Key look great in so many ways, he helps us communicate professionally and pur posefully. We are in awe of the talent, art and expertise that he brings to Keowee Key.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 63 that he also plays drums in a band? His group performed at our Bistro Grand Opening! Also, little known, Bill is origi nally from California, and worked in Hol lywood, where he received several Emmys at the Daytime Emmy Awards. Bill’s skills and talent have taken us to a new level of visual communications, in cluding technical expertise that allowed us to improve The Club’s A/V system, producing remote meetings and forums during COVID-19. He created numerous training videos for golf, tennis and pickle ball that were inspiring and entertaining during COVID-19 lockdown.
Russ PhotographerCarlson
Bill Russ Carlson
Karl has been a member and advisor to the Grounds Committee. He has a 20-year legacy at Keowee Key having contributed landscape design to almost every corner of ourYoucommunity.maynotknow Karl designed and supervised the installation of the wall-wa terfall feature with plantings at our main entrance in front of the Administration Building in 2007. He is also responsible for our original dog park design and plant ings in 2011. He designed the landscapes around the North and South Entrances and gate houses followed by the Club Gate entry sign and landscaping in 2017. He teamed with Bill and Lenore Malin on the design documentation for the Southside Trail in 2017 and the Northside Trail pro posal in 2018. Karl is the genius behind the landscape design at the Club, Bistro and Event Cen ter, and has personally supervised and brought to life the landscapes of these ma jor projects. He still comes by the Club reg ularly to check on the plantings. His de signs use a great diversity of plant material that blends in with the natural beauty of our region and is planned with care for its size in maturity. These many plant varieties create a breathtaking display for each and every season of the year.
Karl LandscapeMuzii Architect Karl Muzii has lived in Keowee Key 29 years and has worked in the horticultural field since 1980 both in nursery manage ment and landscape architecture. He pro vides drawings to Duke Energy for shoreline stabilization and lake excavation permits. He received his landscape architecture degree as well as a master’s degree in hor ticulture right here at Clemson University.
64 ‹ KEOWEE KEY used the images as the headers in many of our e-blast communications representing theRuss’amenities.photos have been on display at the Club and at Keowee Key’s annual Art Show. But did you know Russ does profes sional exhibitions with the Blue Ridge Arts Center in Seneca? His photos have been used on the cover of local publications such as Lake Living and Visit Oconee Visitors Guide. Russ also photographed many of our groundbreaking ceremonies and our grand opening celebrations. Our internal and ex ternal communications have improved with his photographic genius. He donated images to grace the Bistro walls as part of our permanent décor, de picting all the amenities and the surround ing natural environment. It is fascinating how he has captured the true spirit of Ke owee Key and we are most grateful for the time and expertise he offers us. We could never have created the community visual personality quite like Russ has for Keowee Key.
Karl Muzii
Paul and Kathy Ellis
Paul put our new brand standards into a guidebook and was the go-to person for the design and manufacture of our signage throughout the community.
Kathy created the handwritten tag line, “More of what you love,” in her own handwriting. She created additional phras es in her hand for things that Keowee Key needed over time. Such as, “More golf, More fitness, and More of what we love.”
Paul and Kathy Ellis Brand Developers Paul and Kathy Ellis are an ingenious couple who created a new brand for Keow ee Key. They moved to Keowee Key from Long Island, New York. Both had flour ished in busy careers. Paul was an advertis ing executive and Kathy was a successful editor and bookstore manager. They had been creative their whole lives and contin ued to do so when they arrived at Keowee Key.Paul was instrumental in the creation of the new Keowee Key logo, establish ing a brand ideal of shape, font, and colors for the community. The logo has become a clean standard and creates a polished look that is consistent across all amenities.
During 2020, he was instrumental in the design of the new landscape for the Club parking expansion, crafting several designs as the project progressed incorpo rating a great variety of trees. His profes sional design capacity is seen demonstrat ed in the exceptional outcome to the ap proach to the Club, with its stunning rock wall that follows the drive in. The new parking area has been surrounded with beautiful stone pillars and rustic wooden rails.We are so grateful for Karl and all that he contributes to this community mak ing it a very beautiful and high-quality experience for our membership. The visual impression of Keowee Key has been trans formed and Karl has put a distinct touch on every aspect of our community.
Margaret Eldridge Key Influencer Margaret Eldridge is a key influencer with a vision for the community. Previ ous to Keowee Key, Margaret wore many hats throughout her career as bank execu tive, business owner and community lead er. Entering banking at a time when few women held leadership positions, she was a pioneer, rapidly rising to the highest lev els, as a bank president and as chair of the board in Arkansas, her home state. Her career achievements and significant service to the community and state, led to recognition as the first “Arkansas Profes sional Woman of Distinction,” presented by the governor at a banquet in her honor. Her passion to serve and to inspire oth ers to achieve success continued to be evident in retirement. Dave and Mar garet Eldridge moved to Keowee Key in 2006 from Florida. Before being re cruited to run for the board in 2014, she served on the Golf, Club Advisory and Finance Committees.An avid golfer and Margaret Eldridge
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Kathy was also deeply involved with the Couple’s Invitational annual golf event. She created all of the art for the invitations and print materials for the event and co ordinated much of the behind-the-scenes effort that created a super welcome to vis iting couples over many years. We admire Paul and Kathy for all of their creativity and for bringing us a brand standard that will endure. We are very fond of our signature tagline that indicates in a friendly and personal way what the community offers, More of what you love!
66 ‹ KEOWEE KEY KKLGA-18 member for 16 years, she holds League and Senior League Champion titles and served on its Board. In becoming a KKPOA Board Director in 2015, her leadership and banking skills were put to good use. As a ma ture community, Keowee Key had reached the inevitable stage of needing multiple infrastruc ture updates for the Club, Golf Course, Fitness Center and Marinas. Previous boards had worked to develop plans to ad dress these issues, but the chal lenge remained – how to pay for upgrades without creating a large assessment spike. That’s where the magic be gins — Margaret determined there were sufficient funds to do the job with no spe cial assessments. She dubbed this the “Af fordable Assessments Plan.” Previously expiring project assessments were the se cret to this plan. The memorable phrase was, only $34 a month. She then worked with the Finance Committee to obtain a low interest loan for the projects from our bank.You may not know that Margaret had much to do with the Club interior design, leading the Club’s Interior Design Task Force. Margaret selected a particular piece of art that served as the standard of color inspiration throughout the new facility. Since leaving the board, Margaret has continued to provide her financial exper tise focusing on the redesign of the strate gic planning process and serving as chair of the Planning Advisory Council during its inaugural year, culminating in the new Strategic Plan. We thank Margaret for her vision and leadership at Keowee Key dur ing a very critical time, when the commu nity has been completely transformed for the better.
George BusinessHenefeldMinded George Henefield shared his business savvy on so many levels. George moved to Keowee Key with his wife Karen, in 2006 from Manila, Philippines. George holds a B.S. in Industrial Management from Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA in Finance from Georgia State and a PM from Harvard Business School. He com bined all of his training and skills into a very successful career in the electric power industry in the U.S., with Georgia Power and Southern Energy, becoming business unit manager in each Corporation. He then worked abroad with Mirant Philip pines Corporation as executive vice presi dent.Once retired here, he became involved George Henefeld Bill and Lenore Malin
He has been involved with the Boating Committee for five years and has been the chair of that committee for three years. As Boating Committee Chair, George played a key role in the planning and execution of several Boating Department Projects, suchNorthas: Marina Dock and Pier Replace ment Project; Dock #3 Replacement Proj ect; South Marina Fuel Dock and Pier Re placement Project; South Marina Dock Re furbishment; Spinnaker Cove Dock Refur bishment; and Dry Storage Lot #7 Project. He helped in the initial planning stages for all the projects even before Derek Mas si, our Boating Manager and Project Man ager for this work, came on board in 2016. These projects represent a complete overhaul of the boating amenity.
Bill and Lenore Malin Trailblazers Bill and Lenore Malin have made a big difference in active lifestyle at Keowee. The couple met in Sacramento, California, in 1984, and married that same year. Af ter running Malin Construction success fully together for years, they semi-retired in 2006, purchasing in Keowee Key. After five years back and forth, they settled here permanently in 2009. Bill and Lenore have been active in ser vice at Keowee Key. Bill was a member of the Care Committee and is chair of the Tree Committee. He also served on the Care Compliance Committee and was chair of the Roadside Improvement Com mittee. Lenore was a member of the Fit ness Committee, the KKTA Social Com mittee, and co-chair of the Roadside Im provement Committee. They are both avid tennis players.
George served as a KKUS Board Member for six years and was KKUS Board President for four years. He was the lon gest serving KKUS Board President in Keowee Key History. At KKUS, he was instrumental in the southside waterline replacement project from 2014-15, which resulted in a significant reduction of water loss for the community.
The first idea for a walking trail came to them when member, Hayes Cross, brought it up in a forum several years ago. At the time, it was a non-starter. But in a conver sation with Richard Hartford, then con struction manager, he showed them a plan drawn by a Clemson engineering group in 2012 for a walking trail along the South side of the community. That’s when the Malins took the idea and ran with it. They presented a project sugges tion to the board of directors in 2015, and it percolated around until later board presi dent Margaret Eldridge figured out a way to finance it and the other major projects.
Dave
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 67 with the KKPOA Finance Committee for four years including one year as chair. And he served on the Planning, Club Advisory, and Marketing Committees. He was cochair of the Nominating Committee.
Along with Karl Muzii, who played a major role in the design and planning, and with input and assistance from operations director Mark Dahill along with his crew, as well as committee member Alex Ha zlett, the team was able to mark out a trail that wound through the southside of the community running two miles from the Guard House at the South Entrance to the North Entrance, close to the Club Gate.
Using the expertise of Karl and Bill saved Keowee Key about $60,000. The Roadside Improvement Committee re ceived the go-ahead to build the South side Trail which included road, guardrail and tree improvements. Encroaching and overhanging trees were removed from the roadway creating a new openness on South Flagship Drive. The trail was opened just in time for Easter in 2017. Based on the success and popularity of the Southside Trail, the board of directors challenged the Roadside Improvement Committee members to develop addition al trail options. The team recruited two energetic members, Charlotte Cobos and Lucy Voyik, who hiked throughout the community and came up with 14 future trail routes and nature areas. One of the suggestions was the Northside Trail. The Malins stepped up and were in strumental in this project. The trail opened three years later in February 2020. The trail runs from the FRC along North Flagship to Tall Ship Drive and connects with the Leisure Trail at the North Marina. Thanks to Bill and Lenore and their persistence, Keowee Key active lifestyle includes additional trails for walking and wellness, a key amenity that members ap preciate. Dave Metzler Tech Wizard Dave Metzler is a technology wizard at Keowee Key. Dave moved to Keowee Key from Hurricane, West Virginia, with his wife, Mare, in 2013. He was working virtually from home for a couple of years after arrival here and officially retired in 2016.
Metzler
George’s volunteerism has impacted Ke owee Key on so many levels. We are very grateful to have his business and project expertise in our community.
In 2021, Dave was a member of the website redesign team that transformed the member side of the website to be more intuitive and user-friendly. The team, made up of Dave, Bill Koepnick, Ann Savoca, Sam Savoca and Steve Smith, worked for about 10 months to give the site its new design. Dave said his web implementation skills were developed out of necessity for this redesign project. He basically had to learn HTML and JavaS cript to be able to implement the Redesign Team’s concepts. This achievement is very important to Keowee Key members and makes an enor mous difference in how each member in terfaces with the site today. The new clean look and the ease of functionality took many hours of re-engineering to achieve. The site went live in October 2021.
Dave served as Board Director in 2018 and 2019. During 2018, he was the board liaison for the Technology Project, which among other improvements, transitioned our website from AtHomeNet® to Jonas Club Software. During the project, he be came familiar with the back-office part of our website and often would teach others how to edit and maintain our web pages.
Dave’s engineering eye for detail, his technology skills, and expertise in web systems have made a real difference in the community!
Steve CommunicationsSmith Guru Steve Smith has worked with people as a human resources expert for many years and has developed his communications skills along the way. His parents moved to Keowee Key in the late 1980s and he and wife Joanne had been visiting here on a regular basis. They moved to Keowee Key in 2007 to help with his dad’s health is sues.Steve holds a master’s in public admin istration from West Virginia University and he worked in a variety of organiza tions over his career including the city of Chicago, MetLife, Sandoz Pharmaceuti cals and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. While at Novartis, traveling back and forth to headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, opened his eyes to the critical importance of clear oral and written communications, especially when working with colleagues Steve Smith
Dave served as board secretary in 2019 and on the Communications Advisory Committee (CAC) that year. He was a key player in keeping the website project moving along and making improvements in the background when few others were yet well-versed in the programming.
Dave has a diverse engineering back ground. With a B.S. in Chemical Engi neering from Clarkson University in Pots dam, New York, he spent 38 years as a chemical engineer for Union Carbide and later for the Dow Chemical Company. Early in his career he focused on design, construction and operation of global scale chemical and plastic manufacturing fa cilities. Later, he transitioned to a role as an administrator of engineering activities, including managing engineering technol ogy.Dave loves tennis! He was active on Keowee Key USTA Tennis Teams from 2013-2019 and continues with league play twice a week. He has been a mem ber of the Keowee Key Tennis Association since 2013, serving as KKTA Treasurer and Tournament Co-chair in 2016. Dave was a member of the Keowee Key Tennis Committee in 2016 and 2017 helping co ordinate the volunteer painting project for two of the tennis pavilions in 2017.
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Joanne Heintz
The Numbers Gal Joanne Heintz had visited Keowee Key over the years for vacations with her hus band Steve Smith and their two children. They stayed with Steve’s mom and dad, Bud and Dolores Smith. Steve and Joanne
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 69 whose first language was not English. Steve has served in Keowee Key in a va riety of ways. He was a board member of the Boating Association from 2009-12 and its board president 2013–15. He was president of the KKMGA 9-hole league in 2015. In 2014, he chaired a committee for the demolition and construction of new guard houses at North and South Gates. Did you know Steve loves to cook? He has been a member of Les Marmitons of Ke owee (men’s cooking club) since 2010. He was treasurer 2014–18 and has been its vice president 2021 to the present. Steve has also been a board member of the Ke owee Key Community Partnership since 2022.Steve served on the KKPOA Board from 2016-19 and became board president in 2019. While on the board, he was part of a team of very talented board members who helped to transform the community through the renovation of its outdated amenities. Steve’s involvement on the board shined primarily in communica tions. He worked closely with our videog rapher, Bill Koepnick, to develop scripts for the numerous videos that helped to educate the community about the projects, and penned countless Eblast updates.
As a member of the Communications Advisory Committee since its inception in 2016, Steve helped craft the communica tions strategy for educating and inform ing our members about issues facing our community. A long-term CAC member, he continues to be a key writer and editor of weekly eblasts to the community on a large variety of topics. He plans and or ganizes forums and writes Scuttlebutt ar ticles. He is also a fantastic editor helping others to revise their words to a concise format. Steve participated in the internal website revamp team for 10 months, help ing to make the site easy to navigate and more user friendly. Leaving the board in 2019, Steve told his fellow members serving was one of the most rewarding experiences of his profes sional life. And that is the secret to our success. Volunteerism like Steve’s is often the cherry on top.
eventually retired and moved to Keowee Key in 2007 to be close to Bud and Do lores.Joanne has a B.A. in Spanish and French from Gannon university, and an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Roches ter. Then when she got her MBA from the University of Chicago, she fell in love with finance and migrated away from language. She spent 30 years in corporate lending, portfolio management and asset/liability reporting. She retired as managing di rector at Prudential Financial, where she oversaw a team responsible for investing and hedging $70 billion in assets. After coming to Keowee Key, Joanne volunteered as treasurer for the Keowee Key Boating Association 2011-2013. Dur ing 2016 and 2017 she was chair of the Bank Selection Committee for the Afford able Assessment Initiative as Keowee Key embarked on its renovation projects. At that point, she really became our numbers gal at Keowee Key and was in the backdrop keeping her eye on finances for the five years that we refurbished our aging amenities assuring that we main tained our financial strength over that process. She served on the Strategic Plan ning Committee from 2019–20 which Joanne Heintz
70 ‹ KEOWEE KEY impacted our ongoing project success. She served on the Finance Committee from 2017–21, being chair for two years and including two years on the Reserves Over sight
Bob was a KKPOA past board president and while serving as a board member, he was instrumental in introducing and gain ing passage of the New Owner Capital Assessment (NOCA) and codifying and restricting the number of amenity lots within Keowee Key. In the local community, Bob was past president of the Newcomers of the Foot hills and past board member of hospice. And for fun, Bob has enjoyed being a member of Les Marmitons cooking club since 2012.
Bob Foreman
take long to identify that Keowee Key was facing two major problems: financial deficits and a deteriorating infrastructure. In 2002, he determined that he only had two options: move to another community or become positively involved as a change agent at Keowee Key. So, it began. Bob petitioned the 2003 board to allow him to assemble a commit tee of accomplished professionals to study the problems facing Keowee Key and con sider options available to address the chal lenges. The efforts put forth by the com mittee are well documented in the History of SASS narrative available on the Com munity website. The underlying strategic initiative of the committee’s proposal was to increase amenity utilization by encouraging mem ber use across all amenities at one afford able price. Bob personally met with al most 1,000 residents to present the pro posal and fortunately what became known as the Single Amenity Support Subsidy (SASS) passed in 2003 by more than twothirds of the community vote. Originally, SASS applied only to the golf, fitness, swim, and tennis amenities. In 2018, the term Amenities Covered By SASS was expanded and is now defined as “any facilities or activities that provide for the recreation, enjoyment, comfort and convenience of members.” The wisdom of the underlying strategy is evident in the resulting overwhelming support for the capital improvements we enjoy today as a bundled community.
Bob has been active in many organiza tions while here at Keowee Key. He was a member and chair of the Golf Committee and was vice president of the KKMGA. He was the chair of the FRC Committee that initially proposed the current renova tions. He served as chair of the Marketing Task Force and was chair of the inaugural Facility Audit Committee, as well as cochair of the UPO Steering Committee.
JoanneSubcommittee.emphasizes that reserves are es sential to a stable community, helping to prevent spikes in assessments. She was part of a recent multi-year plan to modernize and upgrade our reserve practices to in clude reserves to replace capital assets at end of use, reserves for debt repayment, and operating contingency reserves to cov er unexpected expenses from natural disasters that exceed insurance proceeds. In 2018, she was one of the founding members of the Keowee Key Community Partnership which has a big impact on our local county with the donation and matching of funds to charities. Also lo cally, she was a board trustee and secre tary for the Tamassee DAR School from 2013–19.Joanne is KKPOA Board Treasurer and wants to complement our project success with a sharper focus on improving the member experience and maintaining our beautiful amenities. She continues to have a big impact on our success, and we great ly appreciate the expertise that she gener ously shares. Bob ChangeForemanAgent Upon retirement, Bob Foreman and his wife looked forward to relocating away from the congestion of metro Atlanta. No strangers to Keowee Key, they had visited previously and also became familiar with the area when attending the graduations of their daughter and son-in-law from Clem sonInUniversity.1999,there were very few options for amenity rich communities abutting beau tiful Lake Keowee, so it became a natural choice that fulfilled their search for a vi brant community. They purchased prop erty in December that year and rented a home on site while the new home was be ingSoonbuilt.after, Bob became actively involved in the community and it didn’t
Dave served three governors over 10 years, leading many successful trade missions to include recruiting companies such as Mi chelin, BMW, FujiFilm and Beneteau.
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David BusinessEldridgeDeveloper
Dave’s primary volunteer interest is job creation in the Upstate. He is chairman and CEO of Tri-County Entrepreneurial Corporation, a business incubator for startup companies. He currently serves on the Boards of Tri-County Technical College Foundation, Ten at the Top Strategic Alli ance, Ripple of One, Main Street Walhalla and is a member of the Oconee Economic Alliance.Keowee Key is tied to many of these or ganizations and Dave is a superior ambas sador and contact with outside organiza tions. He has been a big part of the Keow ee Key Community Partnership, helping with relationships and planning. Dave received numerous awards for his work in economic development, including the Fulbright Award in Arkansas for the highest success in International Business Development. In South Carolina, Gov. Richard Riley presented him with the Or der of the Palmetto, the highest honor ac corded to a citizen. In 2021, Dave was recognized by the Oconee Economic Alliance as Volunteer of the Year, an award now named in his honor. If you ever want to hear amazing stories about the formation of companies in South Carolina, you need only sit with Dave to be drawn into a fabulous history. We are proud to have Dave Eldridge as one of our own at Keowee Key. While this write up highlights the con tributions of our Volunteer Professionals, we must acknowledge that there are many, many other members who have given of their time and expertise to our numerous committees over the years. There are sim ply too many to mention by name. But we do want to say, “Thank You” to them. Your contributions both large and small have made Keowee Key, “More of what you love.”
Bob has made a memorable contribu tion to Keowee Key with SASS. He solved a community-wide problem and created the financial foundation that has been the stimulus for all the wonderful capital im provements and amazing value we enjoy as Keowee Key Property Owners.
South Carolina’s economic development program often ranked #1 in the U.S. at thatUltimately,time. he was recruited by the State of North Carolina to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce, responsible for economic development and tourism. After that, he joined Entergy corporation to lead Marketing and Economic Development in Arkansas. He most recently retired as CEO of a manufacturing company in Florida. In 2006, he and Margaret moved to Keowee Key.Dave eagerly volunteers his expertise at Keowee Key and was founder of the Com munications Advisory Committee (CAC), instrumental in formalizing policies and communication procedures for our success.
Dave Eldridge is retired but he never re ally stopped working. He has a passion for bringing business to South Carolina and spends his time engaging the contacts that make things happen. Dave is a graduate of Western Michigan University and served in the Army Special Forces. His career be gan with BF Goodrich. His executive work included labor negotiations, regional plant management and relocating manufactur ing facilities around the world – leading to his interest in economic development.
After heading up Goodrich’s manu facturing in the Carolinas, Dave was re cruited to work in the S.C. Department of Commerce as directorof the International Division. He was later named director of economic development, responsible for all business recruiting efforts in the state.
David Eldridge
The CAC meets weekly to this day. Dave is responsible for negotiating with The Jour nal to update the monthly Scuttlebutt pub lication to color pages.
Let me take you back to March 1995.
Keowee Key is 50 years old! We are humbled and we appreciate being a part of this great community for the last 27 years.
The anticipation was over, and Keowee Key not only put into operation its very own fire station but staffed it with a fire chief and three paid firefighters, each working a 24 hour shift supplemented by 12 volunteers. The fire department’s only responsibility was responding to fire related emergencies.
To become a certified firefighter required 40 hours of training and about two months’ time. The department responded to 29 calls for service in its first year. I was hired in 1996. During the early years, the staff stayed busy creating maps, commercial building drawings, testing fire hydrants and teaching these new volunteers all we could about the trade. While many of our volunteers had spent their careers as test pilots, engineers, CEOs, and various other highly skilled and successful roles, learning to be a firefighter proved to be a challenge. Despite the large learning curve and average age of 64, “the dirty dozen” as we called them, stuck with it and became outstanding assets to our department. Although the days were busy with training, pre-planning, and putting the finishing touches on the newly constructed station, I would be remiss if I didn’t recall all the family barbecues, Friday lunches with the admin staff from the (at the time) LKPOA portable office located in our parking lot and many other fun times we sharedChieftogether.Edward H. Goff was the first fire chief of the department, initially hired as a consultant in 1993 to oversee Today
Keowee Fire Department Yesterday and
72 ‹ KEOWEE KEY W ow!
M. Brandon Shirley, Chief of the Department Chief Goff (white shirt next to door) with fire crew in 1996.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 73 the construction of the station and hiring of the initial staff. Chief Goff had retired from the City of Columbia Fire Department and moved to Tamassee before being asked to help with this new endeavor.
Chief Goff faithfully served the Keowee Fire Department until he retired in 2004, bringing with him 40 years of fire service experience and leadership. The countless hours spent sitting around the firehouse table listening to his stories, his wisdom and absorbing as much as we could from his bigger than life personality, left a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to work with him and helped shape the station into what it is today. Chief Goff passed away in October 2021 at the age of 81. In 2004, Oconee County held a special referendum to establish the Keowee Fire District, moving our operation from a KKPOA funded organization to a taxing district. This was a necessity since the department was no longer covering just Keowee Key, but many of the outlying neighborhoods.Today,theKeowee
Fire Department is composed of 25 paid staff and five volunteers and responds to an average of 600 calls for service annually. The minimum training requires 240 hours in firefighting, along with another 500 hours in medical training. The department is charged with the responsibility of providing professional and efficient fire suppression, emergency preparedness, emergency medical services, dive operations, trench and confined space rescue, fire prevention and public education to the Keowee Fire Tax District. The department covers approximately 30-square miles, 3 commercial marinas, 550 waterfront homes, 10,000 residents and the Oconee Nuclear Station. In addition to providing the mentioned services, we just ordered a new 95-foot E-One ladder truck with an expected delivery mid-2023. We are currently constructing a medical heliport at our headquarter’s station across from Subway. The heliport is expected to be completed in mid-2022. Our goal is to provide the highest level of service in the most efficient manner possible; to constantly safeguard and preserve life and property against the elements of fire and disaster through effective preparation, training and education; and to respond to all emergencies in a safe yet swift manner with sufficient resources to address the situation.TheKeowee Fire Commission, staff, and volunteers of the Keowee Fire Department congratulate Keowee Key on 50 years, and we look forward to serving you in the future.
Recent Fire Department training with first responders.Recent Fire Department training on the lake.
Agroup of ladies gathered with garden clip pers and shov els at the end of a road in Keowee Key. Their goal on that hot, sunny day: to clear vines and dis cover hidden stones. The year was 1988, and one of those people was Barbara Shaver. Led by a passion for making outdoor spaces look beautiful, what they uncovered was a cemetery for the Hunnicutt family, early settlers in the area. Today, the area is neatly lined with stones and the ground is covered with well-tended flower beds and natural moss. It is a place of beauty where ancestors come to honor their loved ones.Beautification of the Hunnicutt Cemetery was the first project undertaken by Barbara and her friends who would offi cially form Lake and Hills Garden Club in September 1989. Directed by their fearless leader and first Garden Club president, Bobbi Heenan, they gathered friends, one by one, inviting them to pay $10 to become a Charter Member of the club. Within a few months, there were 60 members. With her passion and energy, Barbara served as one of the club’s first Presidents and remained on the Executive Board for many years as she fulfilled key roles including treasurer and secretary. Barbara and the early leaders had a vi sion for Lake and Hills Garden Club to contribute to Keowee Key as well as to the surrounding community. The group planted pink dogwood trees throughout Keowee Key and native trees at local el ementary schools for Arbor Day. They decorated The Club at Keowee Key for the holidays and beautified historic markers along area roadsides. The group planted daffodil bulbs at local senior centers and organized formal flower shows that were judged by outsiders. These Garden Club projects continue today. Certification of backyards with National Wildlife Federation was a New Project in the 1992 club yearbook. As Barbara re calls, each member was given an applica tion to certify their backyard. Enthusiasm was so high they set a goal for 100 percent participation, and today Barbara still has her original NWF certificate.
Alice Guzick, Club President Hunnicutt Cemetery 1991
Lakes & Hills Garden Club Then and Now
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In 2018, as a new generation of passion ate and energetic ladies were making their mark on the Garden Club, Alice Guzick was asked to revitalize the National Wild life Federation backyard habitat project. What she discovered surprised her, and she seized the opportunity to do more for Keowee Key. By this time, National Wild life Federation had a program that allowed entire communities, cities and towns to become certified. Alice proposed this larg er project to the Garden Club and volun teered to lead it. For Keowee Key to become a Certi fied Community Wildlife Habitat, educa tion and outreach as well as new backyard certifications were needed. Within nine months, Keowee Key became the first cer tified community in Upstate South Caro lina, the fifth in the state, and the 112th in the nation. Keowee Key is now in its fourth year of active NWF certification with more than 125 backyards, four com mon spaces and the golf course certified as wildlife habitats.
As current president of Lake and Hills Garden Club, Alice encourages members to find a niche in the club that now num bers near 100 people. Whether people are interested in “dig in the dirt” activities or flower arranging, either in Keowee Key or in the larger community, she believes there is something for everyone. Alice says, “Garden club is more fun when ev eryone participates.” This belief is reflect ed in her presidential theme: Create, learn and connect with others. Garden Club members’ recent proj ects include beautification of the Sen eca Library, beautification of the Salem Firehouse, and the creation of a new Pol linator Garden at Keowee El ementary School. Members en gage with residents at two local senior living facilities by creating flower arrangements. They keep bird feeders filled and flowers planted at a rehabilitation center. Members plant young tea plants at Table Rock Tea Company. They create flower arrangements as part of Keowee Key’s annual Art Show. And, yes, members of Garden Club still maintain the gardens at the Hunnicutt Cem etery. These projects bring beauty to the lives of others, and fulfill ment to members. In addition to contributing time and effort to beautification projects, Lake and Hills Garden Club makes monetary contributions to the community. Annual donations benefit Clemson University Scholarship Fund and the Future Farmers of America programs at two local high schools. Donations to South Carolina Botanical Garden, started as seed money in 1995, today support a Children’s Garden, Butterfly Garden and more. As a member of the state and national garden club organizations, Garden Club donates to Garden Club of South Carolina. Close to home, Garden Club donates to Friends
Barbara Shaver & Alice Guzick
National Wildlife Federation Habitat Certificate Holders
In August 2022, Keowee Key earned its fifth year of certification with the National CommunityFederationWildlifeasaWildlife Habitat. — ALICE GUZIK —
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of Lake Keowee Society to preserve the beauty of Lake Keowee. Garden Club’s works in Keowee Key and in the larger community have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Garden Club won six district awards, and 15 state awards for contributions made to the community. A higher-level Southeast Region Award was won for the historic preservation of Hunnicutt Cemetery. The core of fellowship of Garden Club means that each generation of leaders embraces and welcomes new members to the club each season. With its spirit of beautifying and serving others, Lake and Hills Garden Club will flourish in Keowee Key for another 50 years.
In 2022, Keowee Key Community Partnership (KKCP) topped $1 million dollars in donations from its residents to 22 local charities. One of the hallmarks of Keowee Key is the spirit of volunteerism. A survey to the community in 2018 reported that residents donate over 100,000 hours per year of service to our community through numerous organizations. A thought came – if we can donate 100,000 hours, what happens if we start adding dollar signs to that? Could we leverage volunteerism to drive financial contributions as well?
“We knew that Keowee Key members were giving tens of thousands of hours each year as volunteers,” said Jon Bachman, chair of KKCP Board.
Jon Bachman, founder of KKCP, with Mike Harlin, Director of Golden Corner Food Pantry, with donated canned goods.
To help facilitate this, in 2019, the Keowee Key Community Partnership (KKCP) was created by a group of dedicated members, led by Jon Bachman. andPhilanthropyKeoweeKey
Steve Smith, Past Board President
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“We thought that we would leverage that volunteerism to drive financial contributions as well.”
Partners agree to report back quarterly to KKCP the total of those contributions so that we can track our total Keowee Key contribution.Ourpartners provide a range of services to the community in areas such as housing assistance, counseling, child welfare, overcoming addiction, transportation, food insecurity, and teaching self-reliance. They address critical needs for our less fortunate neighbors.Ourmission is to improve the lives of the less fortunate in Oconee County by partnering with nonprofit organizations making a difference here, informing Keowee Key members about them, encouraging their support and seeking matching funds for members’ donations By raising awareness, KKCP has helped to generate over $1 million dollars in donations from Keowee Key members to our partners in a little more than three years. In many instances, our partners are small organizations with limited capacity to raise the funds to support their operations. KKCP provides them with an additional means to gather much needed financial support.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 77 KKCP Partner Organizations Habitat for Humanity Keowee Fire Department Fostering Faithfully Collins Children’s Home Our Daily Rest Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital Foundation Friends of Guardian Ad Litem OconeeGrace’sBabyReadClosetCounty Sheriff’s Department Our Daily Bread Golden Corner Food Pantry Safe Tri-CountyRippleHarborofOneTechnical College Tamassee DAR School Foothills YMCA Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center Ride to Work Ministry Purple Heart Homes Foothills Care Center Christ Central Ministries
The KKCP is not a 501(c)(3), nor does it receive and disperse funds. Instead, it selects local “partner” charities and promotes them to encourage donations.
Julie-ann Shannon, director of Grace’s Closet, with Jon Bachman
Members make donations directly to the charity. KKCP does not know their identity.Thepartnership board carefully screens prospective partners to ensure that they are 501(c)(3) or 170(c)(1) charitable organizations and that the funds donated by our members will be used exclusively in Oconee County.
Caren von Hippel reads to child in the BabyRead program.
BabyRead, a local organization devoted to the low-income families of Oconee County started in 2014 with only eight volunteers. Today, there are more than 60 volunteers serving more than 30 families, emphasizing the need to read to infants from birth. Families often stay in BabyRead for one to four years.Family readers meet with parents or other caregivers and their young children twice a month to read with them, sing songs, do finger plays and recite nursery rhymes. At the end of each meeting, the child receives an age-appropriate book to add to their own library. Parents develop a sense of comfort and familiarity with books that many do not have prior to participating in BabyRead.Theassigned BabyRead family reader and caregiver read together with the baby or toddler in on-to-one sessions in public places such as town or school libraries. The relationship that develops between them is the “secret sauce” of why BabyRead is so effective.
BabyRead founder and (aCarenpresidentvonHippelresidentat Keowee Key) has been awarded Humanitarian of the Year for 2022 by the South Carolina Head Start Association. At a recent luncheon, a variety of awards were presented to people who have made major contributions to Head Start over the years. Caren began her association with Head Start in the 1970s, working with a Head Start program in the South Bronx in New York.
Von Hippel founded BabyRead, a 501(c )(3) all-volunteer nonprofit, to address the need to bring the joy of reading to lower income families with preschool-age children in Oconee County. Nearly 70 percent of preschoolers in the county go to kindergarten unprepared. Fifty-seven percent live at or below the poverty line. These families often do not understand the importance of reading to their little ones from birth. Those who do often do not have sufficient funds to buy children’s books. Head Start and BabyRead share the same goal – to provide experiences to children from birth to kindergarten that will enable them to succeed in school and in life. Because of this shared vision, von Hippel expanded BabyRead’s mission from working with individual families to include reading to children at the local Head Start in 2016 and providing them with free books at Christmas and in early June to take home for summer. Prior to the pandemic, BabyRead volunteers were reading to and playing with the infants and toddlers at the Seneca Head Start facility. During the lockdown, the gift of books was expanded. BabyRead gave the Early Head Start children free books monthly to take home. Now that Americans are learning to live with COVID, von Hippel and other BabyRead volunteers plan to resume their visits to Head Start weekly to read and play with the babies and young children.
Humanitarian of the Year
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Reprinted from The Journal April 21, 2022
Founder and president of BabyRead wins Humanitarian of the Year Award
Residents have served as volunteer firefighters and first responders and raised money for thecouldn’tmeetingHospitalOconeeavolunteers.servetheorganizationsareFoothills.HospicenewservicescommunityimportantsocialliketheYMCAandoftheThosejustafewresidentsasvaluableInfact,representativeofMemorialsaidatthethattheyoperateatleveltheydo without the hours volunteered by Keowee KeyDaveresidents.Eldridge is the director of small business development for Oconee Economic Alliance and a resident of Keowee Key Community.
Reprinted from The Journal
Keowee Key residents are estimated to have purchased more than $53 million in goods and services last year, supporting local and state small business contractors, service providers, retailers, restaurants and the like. Equally as important is how the county benefits from nearly 100,000 hours each year of volunteer efforts with local charities, service clubs, educational organizations and medical support. Resident involvement ranges from teaching kids to read to supporting local shelters, food pantries and organizations that help struggling families, like Ripple of One.
Keowee Key residents are estimated to have purchased more than $53 million in goods and services last year, supporting local and state small business contractors, service providers, retailers, restaurants and the like. Equally as important is how the county benefits from nearly 100,000 hours each year of volunteer efforts with local charities, service clubs, educational organizations and medical support.
It may come as a surprise to learn that Keowee Key has more residents than the employees of these three businesses combined. Think of the economic impact that these three companies and Keowee Key together have had on the economy of the county for 50 years, changing lives with work opportunities and providing the increased tax base to support job skill training, improved education, expanded medical access and social improvements.
But do we ever think about the importance of the neighborhoods and communities that also drive economic impact in Oconee County?
We get excited to see headlines in The Journal when one of our great manufacturing partners announces a multi-million dollar expansion and financial investment or when we welcome a new employer to Oconee County. We realize these positive announcements foretell new job opportunities, growth in the tax base and the welcoming of new industrial neighbors to our community.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 79
Community Impact by an Actual Community View with David Eldridge
Kevin McCracken, general manager of Keowee Key, recently spoke about this during our monthly business forum, where speakers present topics of interest to themthen,whoForSchneiderKoyoItronOconeeemployersthreethe50developedenforcementeducationgovernment,business,andlawleaders.KeoweeKeywasalmostyearsagoduringsametimeframecurrentmajorcametoCounty:Corporation,BearingsandElectric.thoseofuswerearoundwerememberbydifferentcompany names like Sangamo Electric, Torrington Bearings and Square D.
Guest
Welcoming Neighbors for Over 50 Years
Newcomer Club of the Foothills
What a difference 50 years can make — from meetings in local living rooms to a huge membership across much of the S.C. Foothills area! Today, the Newcomer Club of the Foothills has over 500 members, many are Keowee Key residents and retirees, often new to the area, seeking a relaxing rural community with easy access to boating, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many members of the Newcomer Club move here from nearby areas in South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia. The weather here is a huge draw, so a large number come from cooler weather states such as New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Illinois. Over the last couple years, we have even seen some from sunny San Diego escaping the high cost of living (and other things) for the relaxed lake lifestyle. Club members (as couples or singles) run the gamut from retirees to those working for great local companies or remotely for far flung employers or as consultants. All have the same goal - to make new friends and expand their social network. When new members join the club, they are connected to small Social Groups (formerly known as Activity Groups). Many Activity Groups still meet, 5, 10, 15 years after graduation. One group nicknamed Prime Timers was formed in 2010. During their three-year club membership, they met most months for group activities such as tours of BMW, Bad Creek and Taylor Made golf balls. Since they had so much fun with their new friends, trying local restaurants, visiting area venues; after their three-year membership concluded, the Prime Timers kept meeting… and meeting… and meeting. Twelve years later, this Newcomer Club Activity Group is still going strong. About a dozen members attend regular activities and social events. A few moved away to be closer to family members. Some of the original members have passed, but the Prime Timers are there to support the surviving spouses. One Prime Timer tells us “Those were all great days. We’ve enjoyed making long-term friends and learning about everyone’s history. We’ve had so much fun over the years meeting for new experiences and food!” This story is not unique. Many Keowee Key residents have been members of the Newcomer Club, serving on board positions and volunteering with the community and social activities. The Newcomer Club of the Foothills just celebrated 50 years of welcoming neighbors to Upstate South Carolina, promoting friendships and acquainting members with the history, culture and community opportunities in the area. The Newcomer Club still welcomes residents who are new to the area or want to renew their interest in the area. The Club meets in Seneca at St. Mark United Methodist Church on the first Tuesday of the month, August through May. Meetings feature guest presenters, community nonprofit partners with volunteer opportunities for members, special interest groups for hiking, dining, and book clubs and plenty of time to socialize over a cup of coffee and treats. The Newcomer Club has a lasting effect on residents to help them feel welcomed and connected to this area and graduates continue to encourage their friends and neighbors to join the club. Congratulations to Keowee Key on its 50th! The Newcomer Club of the Foothills is honored to have been a partner throughout our shared history! Can’t wait to see what the next 50 brings!
80 ‹ KEOWEE KEY ust as Keowee Key was beginning its growth, a local organization started in the Seneca/Clemson area, designed to welcome new residents. The Newcomer Club of the Foothills was originally known as The Clemson Welcome Wagon Club. Organized on Aug. 3, 1971, the club initially had 22 members, met in homes for lunches and was geared toward new women in the area. The first dues were a whopping $3. The club was also known as the Newcomers Club of Clemson, so in October 1979, the club dropped its affiliation with the Welcome Wagon, and became the Clemson-Seneca Newcomers’ Club. Throughout the 1980s the Club prospered, with membership increasing from the first 22 people to several hundred. Today, over 100 people typically join the Newcomer Club each year for a three-year membership for a $50 fee. On June 14, 2010, the club was formally incorporated as the Newcomer Club of The Foothills, a nonprofit 501(c)(7). Fifty years ago, large employers such as Duke Power (now Duke Energy), Millikin and Clemson University would attract new employees from outside of the region. The Newcomers Club of Clemson was the ideal place for the many stay-at-home moms to find friendships and connections. Back then, the group was about 20 women meeting in homes for coffee or lunch, and they hosted guest speakers. They started an annual fashion show fundraiser and activity groups such as bridge, exercise and crafts. Their goal then was similar to today: “Welcoming those who are new to the Upstate, acquainting them with the area and its opportunities, and linking them with new friends and neighbors.”
Dave Beadle, Club Public Relations Coordinator
“Friends of Lake Keowee Society is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Lake Keowee and its watershed through advocacy, conservation, and education.”
“Because lake organizations in other communities have been very successful in improving water quality, in participating in the development of plans, and in bringing lake-related issues to the attention of decision makers at various levels of “Becausegovernment.politicalboundaries do not coincide with watershed boundaries (and because politicians have not often been among the first to identify with watershed concerns).
In 1993, a group of Keowee Key residents met with representatives from the Lake and Watershed Association of South Carolina (now defunct) to discuss their concern that Lake Keowee had no group dedicated to focus on lake issues. The Association, representatives of Clemson University and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) encouraged them to create a nonprofit organization that would address and advocate for their concerns.InApril 1993, the forming members, who became the original board of directors, produced the first issue of The Sentinel newsletter to pose and answer the question of “Why organize?” and introduce and explain the mission of what would become the Friends of Lake Keowee Society, Inc. (FOLKS). The newsletter’s specific goal was to enroll members.
The first official meeting of FOLKS was held on May 11, 1993. By December 1993, FOLKS was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation for educational, scientific, and charitable purposes, organized under South Carolina and Federal regulations.
By June of that year, 103 families had become members and three years later the rolls had grown to 625 families. Current membership is just under 850 members and growing. Below are several of the answers to the original “Why organize?” question that is still relevant today.
FOLKS History and its beginnings with Keowee Key Dale PresidentWilde,FOLKS
Beginning as a volunteer-staffed organization, its membership grew to approximately 150 with annual dues for a family membership of $10. The founders
“Because a great deal of information about the lake does exist, but there is no medium dedicated to communicating this information to local“Becauseresidents.the federal government, through the Pure Waters Act and the State of South Carolina, through the Department of Health and Environmental Control are mandated to develop watershed management plans which must have citizen“Becauseinput.commercial interests may not always be coincident with the interests of local“Becauseresidents.people who share an interest in the lake and its watershed would like to feel more of a sense of community.”
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Scott Calderwood & Dick Havran from Keowee Key.
A group of FOLKS’ more than 150 2022 Lake Sweep volunteers who help pick up litter along the lake shore and islands.
Folks Lake Sweep Crew
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 83 of FOLKS felt that cooperative community effort could lead to positive accomplishments, based on the premise that ecologically sound management of the lake and its watershed would be, in the long run, in the interest of the Upstate.
FOLKS remains as relevant today as we did 30 years ago. Why? Because our board, our members, our business and corporate members, and our advertisers believe in our mission — “Friends of Lake Keowee Society is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Lake Keowee and its watershed through advocacy, conservation, and education.”
Over the past nearly three decades, FOLKS has made significant impacts to the Lake Keowee Watershed with SCDHEC 319 Grants, Keowee-Toxaway Habitat Enhancement Grants, water quality monitoring programs and regular lake litter cleanups. Today, with environmental impacts by development and water quality issues often on our minds, it seems that there is no reason to question “Why organize?”
FOLKS served as a stakeholder for the Lake Keowee relicensing, is the founding member of the Lake Keowee Source Water Protection Team and is currently serving on the stakeholder committee for the Bad Creek relicensing and Bad Creek II Pre-Application Document and Notice of Intent.
84 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Light Water s e n e c a Proudly supporting Keowee Key for 50 years.
Tamassee DAR School and Keowee Key A Continuing Partnership
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 85 Since the 1980s, Keowee TamasseeyearmothersnewSummertobrightlyandleadership,KeoweeThroughoutTamasseepartiesrides,swimmingKeyInforclockspatternswoodworkingopportunitywoodpartsTamassee.awoodworking,KeyearlyofSchool.moremembers,committeepartners,beenmembersKeyhaveintricatementors,tutors,members,boarddonorsandforTamasseeDARAgreatexamplethiswasduringthe1990swhenKeoweemembers,skilledindevelopedcampusprogramatTransformingoftheoldbarnintoashop,studentshadthetolearntousetools,developandbuildsimplemadeofhardwoodtheircampusrooms.the2000s,Keoweemembersprovidedlessons,boatpicnicsandChristmasforthechildrenofDARSchool.thedecades,KeymembershaveshownkindnessandlovetoTamasseethechildrenandfamiliestheyserve.Today,thatpartnershipcontinuesaseverthroughtheirgenerosityTamassee’sAfterschool,EarlyLearning,DayCampandnowTamasseeresidentialStarlightProgramforwithchildren.Starlightisatwo-soberhomeprogramlocatedonthecampusformothersseeking
As a faith-infused program, Starlight will deliver the love of Jesus and help families work through their trauma, heal and be restored.Tamassee has already started transforming campus homes in preparation for mothers and their children. Keowee Key volunteers have stepped up once again through their generous giving and volunteering their skills to help make this all possible. The words “Thank You” seem much too small to express the incredible impact Keowee Key members have made on hundreds of children’s lives at Tamassee, but we will say them anyway, THANK YOU! Here’s to another 50 years of partnership in changing the stars for children and families.
to permanently heal from addictions, but do not want to leave their young children behind while they complete their therapy, education and gain valuable work and life-skills during that period.
Jason TamasseeEller,DAR School Development Officer
Tamassee DAR event at Keowee Key.
Congratulations,KeoweeKey for 50 years! Tickets & WalhallaPAC.comInformation:|864-638-5277 GreenwoodLee Scan for the schedule! EdwinMcCainBalsamRange ChapelHart
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 87 Name *No. of Years Purchase Date Jerry & Myra Eskew 50 1972 Charles & Dianne McGee 48 1974 Lee & Lee Cerny 41 1981 Don & Carolyn DeMoor 41 1981 Irene Ferber 40 1982 Alice Schrader 40 1982 Barbara Shaver 40 1982 Clark Riley 38 1984 Don Chamberlain 37 1985 Rheal & Roberta Desrochers 36 1986 Bill & Grace Holzhauer 36 1986 Joan Lodes 36 1986 Dolores Smith 36 1986 Charles & Carol Fritze 35 1987 George & Maggie Kavran 35 1987 Fredi Hallman 35 1987 Carolyn McNabb 35 1987 Charlie & Susan Robison 35 1987 Jeanne Welch 35 1987 Bob & Libby Dunlap 34 1988 Albert Kishbaugh 34 1988 John & Monica Leaning 34 1988 Joan Loughran 34 1988 Bob & Jan Naggs 34 1988 Wells & Linda Doty 33 1989 Paula Gauthier 33 1989 Jim Myers & Joni Gregg 33 1989 Josephine Leibfried 33 1989 Phyllis Raver 32 1990 Ellen Plumpe 31 1991 Paul & Linda Trehearne 31 1991 Gerry Walton 31 1991 Keowee Key Is Golden Long Term Residents of 25+ Years Name *No. of Years Purchase Date Owen & Marty Floyd 30 1992 Harry & Dee Helvik 30 1992 George & Patricia Ostapchenko 30 1992 Edna Elfont 29 1993 Greg & Nancy Henning 29 1993 Ed Hicks 29 1993 Bob & Marva Loebe 29 1993 Bill & Marilyn Miller 29 1993 Bob & Edna Rider 29 1993 Ester Dickens 28 1994 Nancy Mahan 28 1994 Al & Nova Nolan 28 1994 Bill & Jan Pennington 28 1994 Rich & Patt Skinner 28 1994 Mike & Eileen Small 28 1994 Jean Teising 28 1994 Jean Westfall 27 1995 Jim & Gretchen Griffin 27 1995 Wayne Hobin 27 1995 Zeus & Peggy Stevens 27 1995 Barry & Sylvia Stuart 27 1995 Lea Allison 26 1996 David & Kathy Beam 26 1996 Ronald Childs 26 1996 Paul & Sherry Kantzler 26 1996 Linda Newmark 26 1996 Chuck & Elizabeth Sisson 26 1996 Len & Pat Hilla 25 1997 Don & Penelope Little 25 1997 Mitch & Nancy Padyjasek 25 1997 Jim & Elly Simmons 25 1997 Jeff & Pat Wolfe 25 1997
Lowery started working at the FRC in 1996 (Kourthouse back then) teaching aerobics and working the front desk. From January 1997 until September 2003, she was the fitness center manager. After a short break to help her family start a small business, she came back in April 2004 to teach aerobics and aquatics and to do personal training after receiving certifications in all three areas. Congratulations to these Awesome Eight for over 25 years of service at Keowee Key.
Randy
Judy Griffiths, 50th Anniversary Chair, Past Board Treasurer Keowee
Mark
Key currently has eight employees that have been working here for over 25 years! Randy Whitener started working for Keowee Key in 1985 and is the longest tenured employee. Randy is a core part of the Golf outstandingthethedaybreak,theregularlyDepartment.MaintenanceHeopensshopbeforereadyingequipmentforday.Whatisisthat
Bobbie served lunch for years at the Club and now she works breakfast and lunch at the “Johnny”inwithto1990forstartedJohnBistro.LindgrenworkingtheClubinaftermovingKeoweeKeyhisfamily1989.Johnenjoys his time working in the kitchen. He likes the social connection he has built with co-workers. Johnny still lives in the community at Captains Walk.
ElizabethDahillCliburnJenniferGuffey
Jennifer does a little bit of everything including housekeeping and prep work.
Keowee Key’s Longest Tenured Employees
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Patricia (Trish) Davis started working at Keowee Key part-time at the FRC in 1996 while raising her two young sons. In 1995, she became certified in Aquatic Fitness and has been teaching classes ever since. Trish finds it rewarding to watch members have fun in the water while increasing their fitness level.Patsy
JohnBobbieWhitenerQueenLindgren
Randy has worked for every golf superintendent at Keowee Key since its original development. Bobbie Queen started working here in 1986, after graduating beentheasBobbieHighTamassee-SalemfromSchool.tookajoba“busgirl”atClubandhasapartofour community ever since.
Patricia (Trish) Davis Patsy Lowery
Mark Dahill started working in 1992 as the Golf becameandSuperintendentCourseyearslaterdirector of operations, a job he has held for seven years. Mark manages about 30 people all dedicated to the maintenance of our facilities and grounds, including our parks, roads, landscaping, and handyman services.Elizabeth Cliburn started working in the heldinwhenCommittee)(nowControlEnvironmentalCommitteeCAREin1995itwashousedatrailer.ShealsopositionsinOperations, Accounts Payable and IT, before becoming the accounts receivable clerk. Her current position is well suited to her personality as she enjoys the daily contact with members, getting to know people and their KeoweestartedJenniferfamilies.GuffeyworkingatKeyin1995 at the Club on Thanksgiving Day where she trained under Bobbie to be a server. She worked for years as a line cook at the BRC and now is a server at the Bistro.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 89 "The Dolly Difference" KeoweeCongratulationsKeyon50-years!“ThankYou”foryoursupport! 864-882-1555 • DollysRoofing.com 15060 Wells Hwy, Seneca, #twelveyearssenecastrongSC Roofing • Seamless Gutters Call Today For A No Obligation Roof Inspection
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90 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
DP3 Architects is honored to have had the opportunity to design the clubhouse renovation that captures the spirit of the community. We know this space will continue to serve as a place where memories are made and friendships are forged . Cheers to the next 50 years!
Congratulations to Keowee Key on 50 years of excellence!
Building a Strong Future Ribbon Cutting at The Bistro 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 91
Our Momentum and Future
What does it take to meet our mission to be a market leader for those seeking a lakeside gated community in the southeastern United States with its all-inclusive amenities, active healthy lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture, modern facilities, financial stability and affordability? It takes an organization of talented managers, staff and volunteers motivated by a supportive community. These combined create amazing momentum.KeoweeKey has developed real momentum for success based on a history of solid governance, well-managed finances, frequent communications and consistent operations. Keowee Key Property Owners Association provides management excellence with a dedicated staff who truly care about our community and member satisfaction. We enjoy a wellmaintained infrastructure and completely modernized amenities. We have well established replacement reserves and an updated strategic planning process plus we have added a new operating reserve. All this provides a solid foundation for the future. What does our future look like?
Keowee Key will continue to have the modern, well-maintained amenities we currently enjoy. We will continue to have financial stability through effective finances, reserves, and strategic planning. We will weather the short-term economic challenges we face today with smart financial decisions and finesse. Our staff and member volunteers will continue to work together as a stronghold. Our five-year plan includes funding for a road and drainage plan, developing and funding a forest management plan, updating the Fitness and Racket Center master plan, the consideration of a golf practice facility and numerous other smaller improvements to the community. I foresee a vibrant community continuing into the future and I believe that our future is bright.
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By Tony Gody, Board President KKPOA 2022 Board of Directors L/R: Director Jack Baringer, Treasurer Joanne Heintz, Secretary Richard Lotspeich, President Anthony Gody, Administrative Assistant to the Board Jo Keah Teague, Community General Manager Kevin McCracken, Vice President Charles Gouge, Director Bill Howell, Director Kevin Minton
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 93 BasisFinancialStrong
In contrast, at Keowee Key we are fortunate to share the costs of all our amenities across the entire broad base of over 1,850 resident households. We benefit from a mix of longtime and newer residents, all of whom share the costs of all the amenities and provide a solid financial base.
The most important disadvantage of this a la carte structure shows up as the community itself and its members age over time. The structure tends to work well early in a community’s life, when amenities are new, and the members are younger and willing to pay for the more expensive memberships like golf. The problems arise as the amenities and members both age. Longtime residents stop using and paying for the expensive memberships and downgrade to social memberships. The financial support for the amenities dwindles, which forces the corporation to increase fees for the remaining active players. This can lead to a detrimental financial spiral and lack of maintenance.
4. We have modern well-structured reserves. We have set up reserves for both operating contingencies and capital assets, all of which have designated assessments and cash on hand for their purposes. Our operating reserve, for example, is dedicated to unexpected expenses that may exceed insurance proceeds from natural disasters.
Our major projects reserve repays the debt incurred recently to renovate our club, and golf course, as well as to build pickleball courts, shuffleboard courts and walking trails. Our capital replacement reserve relies on professional reserve consultants for a reserve study that is updated annually. This reserve pays for the replacement of capital assets as they reach the end of their useful lives.We distinguish ourselves from many other HOAs that have few to no established reserves. They often must resort to high special assessments to cover replacing costly assets. Our funded reserves help us to avoid spikes in assessments often endured by HOAs that have not planned for future needs. We are in a strong position as we look toward the future and our members have the comfort of knowing that we plan ahead.
Summary: We are a unique community of dedicated member volunteers who manage our destiny. We own our assets, set our assessments, fund our reserves and plan for the future. Our community is what we make it – special and wonderful. All of this comes from the dedication and hard work of our member volunteers who give their time and expertise to committees, serving on the Board of Directors and to staffing the many special ad hoc committees that work to resolve our specific challenges in the best way possible. It is we the members who have created this strong financial basis that will serve us well into the future.
1. We are a member-owned community. Keowee Key is owned entirely by us, the members. This means that our interests as members are aligned with the owners of the amenities, ourselves. In contrast, most other homeowner association amenities are owned by the developer or separate corporations, who have profit incentives built into the business of owning and managing the amenities. The corporation owning the amenities has incentive to make a profit by keeping maintenance expenses low and fees high. This misalignment often leads to conflict between the corporation and the members, along with dissatisfaction among members as the amenities age and fees increase to maintain corporate profits overOurtime.mission is to offer all-inclusive amenities, active lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture and modern facilities balanced by financial stability and affordability. Affordability is a key component, and it endures over time as spending on amenities is carefully considered by the members themselves. The natural tension between wanting nicer amenities versus the desire for affordability is balanced by the members, through our committees and elected Board of Directors, all of whom are volunteers. We also express our views on spending every year, when we vote on the operating budget, capital purchases and assessments. Our ownership structure is unusual and requires much volunteer work from its members, but the advantages of aligned interests lead to better affordability and more of what we love for the money spent. 2. Our residents support all of our amenities as a package. The cornerstone of our financial stability is the Single Amenity Support (SAS) concept, in which improved property owners and amenity lot owners equally pay for the net operating costs of all the amenities. This broad support ensures adequate funding to maintain the amenities in line with our expectations.
Our SAS approach stands in stark contrast to those HOAs that have an a la carte approach to paying for amenities. hey often have tiered memberships. For example, the least expensive social membership may come only with dining and fitness privileges; a more expensive membership might add tennis/pickleball; and usually the most expensive membership adds golf as well.
Joanne Heintz, Board Treasurer
IIn Keowee Key, we have a set of unique advantages that will help us continue to prosper well into the future. There are four advantages that distinguish us from other homeowner associations, presented here.
3. We have a diversified portfolio of amenities. We are somewhat rare in that we have a diversified set of revenue earning amenities: full-service dining, bistro casual dining, boating and marinas, golf and a fitness center. We think of each amenity as different from the others, with its own unique set of challenges, opportunities and competitive environment. In contrast, most other HOAs either do not own the amenities themselves or if they do, have just one amenity (say golf) in addition to their dining club. They do not benefit from one amenity being able to have a strong year to help offset another amenity that may be facing challenges. Our experience during COVID-19 is a wonderful example of how the diversity of amenities helped us. Like most restaurants, our club had to severely curtail its operations for months. We were able to pivot toward takeout from the Bistro, which helped us a lot. An even greater benefit came from golf and boating, both of which experienced huge increases in demand, along with strong revenues. This diversification was a very important part of our ability to weather that difficult time as well as we did.
94 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Celebrating 50 Years of Keowee Key Congratulations Your trusted choice for custom homes and home renovations. 35+ years of experience | One-year structural warranty | Free estimates (864) 7015www.dhbuildingsons.com973-6160WellsHwy,SteA•Seneca
Strategic Planning
Planning is a community conversa tion. Preserving our wonderful lifestyle requires an engaged community thinking collectively how to maintain: what we’ve built – our financial strength – our strong management team – our skilled volunteer leadership – strong member satisfaction/ support – our property values – our com petitive advantage – our ability to weather economicAnnuallystorms.determining Keowee Key’s Vi sion, Mission and Values and updating the Strategic Plan are top Board priori ties. Soliciting feedback from all property owners about how to enhance the Keowee Key experience begins the planning cycle. Then the board, standing committees and various task forces work with manage ment to develop and implement feasible strategies and projects. Members serving on the Planning Advisory Council provide administrative support, and the Finance Committee offers guidance on making the plan financially feasible. This is indeed a cooperative community effort.
Focusing on the future. As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary by enjoying our beautiful amenities in our uniquely afford able community, the evidence is clear-- a sustained professional and member driven approach to strategic planning is assur ing that Keowee Key will remain “more of what we love.
Adream comes true. Recognized as a well-managed membergoverned community, Keowee Key is financially sound and filled with up-to-date amenities, delivered at excellent value. These attributes both enhance the lifestyle of current members and are very attractive to potential owners, which is important for a large community that normally experiences annual attrition exceeding 150 properties. A governance culture that values well executed strategic planning has produced this advantageous position. Looking ahead from the beginning. Thoughtful long-range planning was a core element of Keowee Key’s governance philosophy from the beginning. In 1988, when the LKA (KKPOA’s predecessor) as sumed control from the developer, its first Board President Dr. William Jones set the stage. “The first thing we need is a plan ning committee… to see what we want for goals five and 10 years from now… to mar shal people’s opinions…. to find out what they want to make of this community… and then …accept responsibility and make decisions.” This sentiment is preserved in the bylaws, which direct the board “to maintain a planning process that identifies future needs of the KKPOA.”
Margaret Eldridge, Past Board President 2022 KKPOA Vision and Mission Keowee Key is a market leader for those seeking a lakeside gated community in the southeastern United States with its all-inclusive amenities, active healthy lifestyle, vibrant social fabric, diverse arts culture, modern facilities, financial stability and affordability. Deliver superior member satisfaction through excellence in customer service, management, communication and value.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 95
The Key to Maintaining our Lifestyle
Continuity makes a difference. Strate gic planning at Keowee Key is an ongoing process. While the current year’s strategies are being implemented, out year plans are being developed. While the current year’s budget is being spent, future needs are be ing analyzed and funding sources identi fied. In this way, the board can proactively balance financial stability and affordability with maintaining our lifestyle, amenities and facilities. For example, because of an eight-year sustained focus on Keowee Key becoming a financially stable market lead er, we now enjoy a campus replete with upto-date amenities supported by affordable assessments that also contribute to wellfunded reserves.
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Keowee Key Utility Systems
UV System
Stringent State regulations and advanced treatment processes like this one ensure the protection of our wonderful lake asset. In addition to the treatment plant, our topography necessitates several pump stations located throughout the community to pump the waste to the treatment plant. Satellite monitoring located at each station ensures staff is notified if systems begin to fail, so staff can respond before problems occur. And it is this staff that are critical to our success.
High tech water meters located at every home are read remotely when staff drives by your property, and an above ground water tower, located just off Anchorage Lane, helps to maintain water pressure to theOfcommunity.course,such a valuable asset requires maintenance, and in 2014 the membership approved spending $6 million dollars to replace aging waterlines on the south side of the community. This project was incredibly successful in reducing our water loss to below the national average, whereas before the project, it had increased to around 50 percent.
Perhaps the single most important community asset responsible for enabling us to be what we are today is the Keowee Key Utility System. It is often overlooked, but without it, we would not have been able to develop at the housing density we have. Lots in Keowee Key would have been sized to accommodate septic systems and individual wells. And, without the density, it is very unlikely we would have been able to afford the vast array of amenities we enjoy. Imagine spreading the cost to maintain Keowee Key across half as many members.Moreimportantly, our density gives us perhaps our biggest competitive advantage over neighboring clubs; we have people! And, because we have people, we can fulfill one of the central tenants of our mission to provide a “vibrant social fabric” to those seeking a lakeside gated community in the Southeastern United States.Keowee Key is the only community developed on the lake with its own wastewater treatment facility and water distribution system. The water is processed and purchased from the city of Seneca, and our pipes deliver it to your property.
Led by utilities director Jason Collins, the KKUS team is a dedicated group, helping to ease your mind with every turn of the faucet or press of the handle.Without the vision to provide KKUS services onsite to KeoweesurroundingenvironmentandtheserveeconomicallyallowsthesemaintainingUpgradingdifferent.looklandscapecommunityourourwouldcompletelyandassetsustotheneedsofcommunitypreservetheKey.
By Kevin CommunityMcCracken,GeneralManager
Disinfection
The wastewater treatment plant is a critical component that has an enormously important environmental impact. Not only does the presence of our plant eliminate the need for individual septic systems on the shores of Lake Keowee, but the water we treat and ultimately discharge into the lake is cleaner than the existing lake water. The use of ultraviolet light to kill bacteria is but one way we’ve used technology to improve water quality. Prior to its use, we injected chlorine into the water, which was ultimately discharged into the lake. And while that still is an allowable means of disinfection, we opted for the safer, less environmentally impactful method.
Jason Collins, KKUS Director
KKUS Facts and Figures
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 97
By Jason Collins, KKUS Director
The other job of KKUS is to oversee the distribution of water to the Community. There are 1,705 live water taps scattered throughout Keowee Key. We have about 30 miles of water lines and 19 ½ miles have been replaced in the last five years as part of the program to upgrade our facilities.
You may have heard someone say that “Keowee Key is larger than most of the towns in South Carolina,” and we are. And like many small towns, we have our own water and sewer system, Keowee Key Utility Systems, or KKUS. Our wastewater treatment plant handles about 300,000 gallons per day but is permitted to handle up to 900,000 gallons per day. KKUS maintains over 50 miles of sewer lines. Our facility treats the wastewater, utilizing technology that ensures that the water that is discharged into the lake is as clean if not cleaner than the lake itself. The EPA estimates that we have about 3,400 people using our system. That makes us larger than about 75 percent of the municipalities in South Carolina.
Unlike municipal water and sewer systems, KKUS is a completely private entity, owned by our members. This gives us the flexibility to set our own rates and fee structures. KKUS is supported by revenue generated from user fees, there are no assessments. Our dedicated staff is on call 24/7 to address any emergency repairs that might occasionally be needed. KKUS has its own vehicles and specialized equipment to help maintain this important infrastructure. We are truly fortunate to have this level of control over our infrastructure, and not be dependent on someone else.
98 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
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CARE Subcommittees include; New Construction, Site Inspection, Major Renovation, Compliance, Drainage, Landscape & Shoreline, Paint, Repair & Improvement, and Trees.
Mary Belcher, Compliance and ManagerConstructionwithPhil Epstein, Repair and CommitteeImprovementChair
Subcommittee members are available to meet with members to assist in understanding community rules and the application process.
CARE Committee for Architectural Review and the Environment
By Mary ComplianceBelcher,andConstruction Manager
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 99
One of the advantages of living in a community governed by Protective Covenants is the existence of standards and guidelines related to our homesites, which serve to maintain property values. The CARE Committee and associated staff are chartered with implementing, administering and enforcing provisions pertaining to exterior improvements and use of property. The CARE Office assists with helping members get things done within the boundaries of our guidelines.
CARE Committee Afor Rrchitectural eview and Ethe nvironment We can help you get things done!
Over 50 Keowee Key members serve on CARE and its nine subcommittees. The CARE Committee meets twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday in order to review and approve requests, and manage property use issues.
CARE works hard to make it easier for members to proceed, and much of the application process is online.
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director With all of the amazing renovations made to our amenities, the work to maintain them has become even more important than ever. Keowee Key operations and maintenance teams have well-developed systems and schedules as well as the specialty equipment to do this. As you can imagine, this behind-the-scenes work is key to Keowee Key’s future success. Our CARE Department also has an amazing role to fill as they help owners manage their property within community guidelines.
What We Have Golf Course Maintenance Crew
Maintaining
100 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
Golf Maintenance
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 101
By Josh Sawyer, Golf Course Superintendent
Since the completion of the renovation in 2019, the improvements seen to the infrastructure have allowed for better playing conditions for golfers, and that means higher expectations for maintaining those improved conditions. The increase in expectations can be a challenge to achieve in the difficult labor market we are currently experiencing. A great group of veteran staff complimented by enthusiastic new staff members is rising to the challenge. Due to the compact nature of our staff structure, individuals must be cross trained into many different jobs. This allows for the various needs to be addressed as they arise, regardless of which staff member is available.
The work and dedication of the Golf Course Maintenance staff to achieve this professional goal is part of what makes Keowee Key golf such a quality experience.
With the high number of rounds and tournaments experienced on the golf course at Keowee Key, the Golf Course Maintenance staff has become proficient at preparing the course for events and attempting to keep the course “tournament ready” at all times.
The Golf Course at Keowee Key went through a major renovation in 2018 to include completely redesigned tee complexes with additional forward tees, improved drainage and re-shaping of fairways to help handle storm water. The renovation included a new irrigation system, as well as installation of new grasses on greens, tees, fairways, and the natural areas on hillsides.
Josh Sawyer, Golf Course Superintendent
The operations crew consists of 29 employees broken down into several separate areas of responsibility. The Roads Department maintains the roadways and the road shoulders that run throughout Keowee Key. They do the mowing, blowing, snow clearing, tree removal and drainage along the roads. They also assist with Firewise chipping days and are responsible for maintaining the leaf dump and the limb yard.
The Landscaping Department installs and maintains the landscapes throughout Keowee Key. This includes mowing and blowing all lawn areas that surround our facilities such as the Club, Administrative Building, Fitness and Racquet Center and all the main entry gates that lead into our community. They install colorful annuals at the amenity and gate entrances seasonally.TheParks and Recreation Department takes care of our community parks including Laurel, Chestnut, Spinnaker Cove Beach, South Marina and the Dog Park. They maintain the Southside Trail, the Northside Trail and the most popular outdoor amenity at Keowee Key which is the Leisure Trail. They take care of the North Marina and Southside pools during the season and provide residential and commercial trash services yearround.TheHandyman Department is a service that Keowee Key provides to complete small jobs for our residents. These jobs consist of landscaping, leaf blowing, pressure washing, spreading mulch, odd jobs and in some cases blowing off roofs.
Finally, the Facilities Department provides carpentry, electrical work and repair, plumbing and painting. These individuals helped build many of our small shelters and covered areas such as at the Dog Park and South Marina. They even completed remodeling at the operations building, adding some muchneeded office space. Operations is fully equipped to handle all the daily maintenance tasks that come along with a community of this size. Recently we have made a couple of key acquisitions that have increased the efficiency of our staff. These include a Mt 100 mini skid steer and the bobcat excavator, which has improved our ability to efficiently remove trees and distribute mulch on some of the hilly lots. We are also capable of doing small trenching for irrigation installations. We have modern equipment that allows us to accomplish more tasks with fewer people.
102 ‹ KEOWEE KEY Operations By Mark OperationsDahill,Director
Looking to the future, we plan to meet even higher expectation levels, and we are working with the Facilities and Grounds Audit Committee to improve our green spaces and road shoulders. We are also focusing on forestry management.
Keowee Key DepartmentOperationshasgrown since we began Keowee Key’s renovations program about seven years ago. We have been a key part of many of the updates, with skilled builders and renovators on staff making significant contributions. Operations did much of the initial clearing for smaller projects and did most of the prework for the new shuffleboard courts. Operations constructed the covered picnic area and the storage shed for shuffleboard equipment and competed the bocce courts at Chestnut Point, for example.
A typical day in the Operations Department is very busy. There is a weekly schedule of regular work, and monthly checks on a preventative maintenance schedule. We also respond to items reported by our residents. Every day there are numerous work orders that must be completed. In the operations department, the work never stops but the result is the pristine visual appeal that makes Keowee Key look like a part of nature. Keowee Key has never looked better, and we are here to maintain that.
“Once you’ve built something, now you’ve got to maintain it.”
— MARK DAHILL, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR —
Dedicated Keowee Key staff worked for three days to clear debris and roads. Members were seen helping each other cope with ice and the loss of power.
Resiliency is part of the Keowee Key culture. Each new issue and response helps us to build policies and procedures to keep us sound and we continue to look at the trends. The board now anticipates potential issues and develops contingency plans for things such as cyber security, severe weather patterns, environmental changes, and economic stress. Keowee Key will continue to be resilient because we have built it into our culture.
Mark Dahill, Operations Director, and Derrick Duncan, Facilities Manager
The Club shifted to take out meals for months. When amenities could be reopened, safety protocols were put in place to include cleaning and safe distancing.
Building Resiliency
is the ability to recover or bounce back after an upset or an unplanned event. It is the ability to respond quickly and act. Keowee Key has developed its resiliency over time, learning from a variety of challenges we have faced over the years. Most recently we have been tested with unforeseen challenges, yet we have been able to act quickly. And with new challenges, we shore up our plans for futureHerepossibilities.aresomeexamples.
On July 8, 2022, Keowee Key experienced a lightning storm that resulted in some damage to our infrastructure. Among several other things, two gate control boxes were struck by lightning and failed. We had only one spare. Keowee Key IT staff determined the cause of the failures and disassembled the spare to repair both units. These dedicated staff worked diligently on their day off late into the afternoon to get both units back into operation. In January 2022, a winter storm was predicted at Keowee Key beginning Friday night. Keowee Key staff set up berthing in operations and weathered the storm. The storm produced a considerable amount of ice, felling trees and making roads unsafe. Some homes did not have power restored for days.
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 103
The golf course began using one cart per member and washed the carts down after use. Fitness created videos to help members stay engaged in activities and many classes were held out of doors. A committee made up of retired medical professionals was established to provide advice to management, the board and the community going forward.
In 2020, COVID-19 became a pandemic across the globe. In South Carolina, businesses were shut down and people quarantined at home. This was a first. Keowee Key management responded quickly to put processes in place for employees to continue to serve the community while maintaining safety.
By Kevin CommunityMcCracken,GeneralManager Resiliency
B E F O R E
a l a i r c l e m s o n . c o m | 8 6 4 6 4 6 7 6 6 0
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To celebrate a Golden Anniversary, we needed a logo that inspired the momentous occasion. The 45th Anniversary Logo originally created by Kathy Ellis, was a starting point. Our local sign-maker, Allen Loudermilk, at Lexigraphics, actually came up with the new 50th Anniversary Logo revision including its golden glow. When I saw the logo, I fell in love with it and that’s where it all began.
Caption: 50th Anniversary Planning Committee L-R: Christine deVlaming, Debra Swift, Bob Rider, Casey Metz, Judy Griffiths (Chair), Chuck Gouge, Charlotte Glover, Suzette Cross
Thanks When I embarked on this special magazine project in early March of 2022, my vision was to tell the story about Keowee Key today, with the inclusion of some of its rich history. I organized the sections and began inviting members, management and staff to become our writers. This fantastic network of individuals lit up the content with their passion. The 50th Anniversary magazine reflects the heartfelt dedication of so many of you at Keowee Key. Thank you for your support in its production.
By Christine deVlaming, Marketing Director
“In her seven years as Marketing Director for Keowee Key, Christine deVlaming has professionally shaped the imagine and brand for Keowee Key. Her focus on effectively communicating all that Keowee Key has to offer has played a critical role in our success. Because of her efforts, Keowee Key is recognized on the national stage as a market leader. Her vision and tenacity are reflected in this publication, and I cannot thank her enough.”
KEVIN MCCRACKEN Community General Manager
Beyond the outstanding events calendar involving all of our amenities, the team members have gone beyond the basics to organize some very unique celebration memories. These include original mural paintings by our member artists depicting the member experience, a creative 50th Succulent plant display, and the Lakes & Hills Garden Club Beech tree planting. The team had a vision to celebrate those who have lived and worked here for over 25 years at a very special luncheon, and of course we put a great deal of planning into the amazing Gala Celebration at the Club in September. Enjoy what we have!
July 9 70’s Disco Party at the Club
September 9 Beech Tree dedication by the Lakes and Hills Garden Club
July 5 Keowee Big Band Practice at the Club
September 13 70’s Themed Trivia Night at the Club
August 12 Grease Movie Night at the Club
September 18 Dance Club “Keowee Key is Golden”
September 23 Golden Gala Celebration at the Club I dreamed of a magazine cover featuring a Blue Heron. Discussing it with photographer Russ Carlson, we knew it would be hard to find a Heron to photograph and he began an online search for a possible image. Then one day, Russ was out with his camera for other photos when he spotted the Heron sitting on a nearby birdhouse and he captured it standing and taking off. I was overjoyed! It seemed like the bird heard our request – what an inspiration.Thanksto my teammates on the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee who have done an outstanding job making 2022 a special year of celebration. There have been regular communications about our history by our 50th Chair, Judy Griffiiths. These have drawn us in and helped us learn about the foundation that Keowee Key is built on.
August 27 Thanks for the Memories Golden Girls Ladies Luncheon at the Club
Calendar
August 20 Mutt Strut at the Club
April 23 Community Relations Meet & Greet
June 25 Boating Beach Out and Picnic
August 26 Tennis 50th Event “Love 50”
July 22 Pickleball 50th Social “Go for the Gold”
L-R: Alice Guzick, Mike SucculentCreatedDonnaDebraWitteveen,SwiftandBuchananthe50thDisplay.
August 22 Golf 50th Event “Golden Shotgun”
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 107
September 14 Club Luncheon for 25+ Tenured Members, Employees and Past Board Presidents
September 21 FRC Triathlon “Golden Edition”
July 4 Family Connection 4th of July Parade
Keowee Key 50th Anniversary Events
UpstateToday.com/subscribe 210 W. North 1st Street, Seneca 864.882.2375 The Journal We are proud to be your local news source for 50 years and look forward to many more years of service. Congratulations to Keowee Key on your 5oth anniversary.
Fifteen lots were sold at an average price of $10,667 and there were 12 full-time residents. The first maintenance supervisor was hired. 1978 The first Golf Pro was hired in 1978. Sales began to rebound.
Keowee Key HISTORIC TIMELINE
1975 The first home built in Keowee Key was a rustic tri-level vacation home on Gulfstream and the first year-round residents moved in on Nov. 1, 1975.
1987 The Golf Course and Clubhouse were sold by Certain-teed to the Lake Keowee Association (LKA)
The first lot in the community was sold.
The first Member-Guest Tournament was held with seven twosomes.
1973 The blue heron was adopted as our logo and was put into a “landing angle” on the original logo to symbolize settling. The “Lake Keowee Association, Inc.” (“LKA”) was established to serve the social needs of members. Ground was broken for the first property owner’s clubhouse, restaurant, swimming pool and future marina near the Marina Villas tennis courts. The name “Keowee Key” was officially adopted. Construction was halted due to economic uncertainty.
1972
1977
50TH ANNIVERSARY › 109
1983 The developer, began using direct mail to market the community. The population was up to 370 and the average sale price of a lot had increased to $48,098. Marina Villas, Harbor Lights and the Captain’s Walk pool were constructed. The Lake Keowee Association (LKA) was reorganized as non-profit, tax-Exempt Corporation, to purchase, own and operate the Club and Golf Course. All owners were assessed $850 for this purchase. A mixed bowling league the “Key Rollers” was started and still continues.
1980 The Clubhouse and Captain’s Walk Villas were completed. The average sale price of a lot was $22,725 and the population was approximately 80. Realtec began advertising a discovery program for Keowee Key in the Wall Street Journal. The initial ad generated 500 responses.
1984 The Men’s Nine Hole Golf League was created. The number of activities continued to increase. A Civic and Social Committee was created to coordinate and facilitate activities within Keowee Key. The Community Garden won first place in the Southeast Division of the National Community Garden Contest. The first Tennis championship was in the fall of 1984. The tournament entry fee was a can of new tennis balls.
Members become aware of Certainteed’s plan to sell the Golf Course and Club House and began to make plans to purchase them.
1974
Updated by Steve Smith, Past Board President
1981 The Keowee Key Men’s Golf Association was formed. The MemberGuest Tournament attracted 48 teams. Ladies Nine Hole Golf was organized.
1976 Dick Ford took ownership of the new Realtec company and went to develop and market Keowee Key. Unofficially nine holes of the golf course were opened. There was no need for a tee times; you just showed up to play when you wanted to.
1985 Sales hit new record levels.
1982 The Community Garden was enlarged to include 59 plots.
1986 The sales of Keowee Key home sites reached a new peak with the average lot selling for $71,262. Construction of Phase 2, known as the North Side began. Safe Harbor, the Tall Ship condos, the Leisure Trail, Fitness Center and Yacht Club (located at what is now Sunrise Point) came into existence. Cable TV service was added. The Population was up to 870 and close to 1,400 lots had been sold.
1979 The Club opened with a gala event with over 230 residents. Golf became the social focus of the community. The nautical theme for Keowee Key street names was adopted. Numerous exercise groups started (one of which was called the Oconee Belles) Clubs and a Bible study group were formed. The community garden was begun with a first harvest of peanuts.
1990 The LKA began a one-year contract with General Development Corporation, an experienced professional golf course and country club management organization, to manage the operation of the Keowee Key Golf and Country Club.
Keowee Key HISTORIC TIMELINE
2001 The financial decline continued. This was exacerbated by passing of the controller and the resignation of the Community General Manager, creating a significant void in management and financial control of the operations. It became necessary to charge a special assessment of $360 per Improved Property Owner and $175 per Unimproved Property Owner to return the community to solvency.
2003 With a renewed emphasis on financial management the community adopted a new Fee and Assessment Policy and an Operating plan. Financial reserves for the amenities were put into place, a dining minimum for the Club was implemented to generate more business and the mission of the Club was changed to make it the social center of the community. The Keowee Fire Department was turned over to a special County fire tax district and some efforts were taken to revitalize the marketing of Keowee Key. However, the decline in amenity usage continued, led by golf.
2000 KKPOA purchased the last of tract of land owned by the Developer, ending the Developer’s presence in Keowee Key. Keowee Key was now completely owned and operated by its membership. Unfortunately, the Club renovation and Activity Center construction project, completed in August 2000, had significant cost overruns, which contributed to a deteriorating financial situation.
2004 To help right the ship, the property owners approved the Single Amenity Support Subsidy (SASS). Unlike the ala carte model, SASS is based on the concept that all property owners share a responsibility for supporting all
1992 Lake Keowee Property Owners’ Association (“LKPOA”). The community had three separate governing organizations, Lake Keowee Association, Inc. (“LKA”), Lake Keowee Utility Systems, Inc. (“LKUS”) in addition to LKPOA. Each of these organizations was a separate corporation and each had a separate Board of Directors. The developer transferred the Environmental Control Committee (CARE) to LKPOA. However, the developer continued to own all the common areas and amenities except for the Club and Golf Course.
1994 LKPOA acquired the Maintenance Operation, the Marina Activities (docks, etc.), Swim and Tennis Operations, Security, the Administration Operation (but not the building), the Leisure Trail and all other common areas from the developer.
110 ‹ KEOWEE KEY for $1.65 million. This guaranteed access to the Golf course and Club to every property owner. LKA began to assume an active role in planning for the future of Keowee Key.
1988 The Tennis Association was formally organized. All five directors of the LKA Board were resident property owners, elected by the LKA membership.
1989 The estimated population of Keowee Key was 1,200.
1996 The Kourthouse was purchased by the LKPOA and renamed the Fitness and Racquet Center.
2002 Amenity usage continued to decline, especially Golf. The Club lost $456,000.
1993 LKPOA built and began operation of the Fire Department. The Members approved the purchase of the water distribution and sewage treatment plant from LKUS. The new entity was the Keowee Key Utility Systems, Inc. (“KKUS”).
1998 LKA and LKPOA merged and became the Keowee Key Property Owners’ Association (“KKPOA”). Each of the amenities was supported by a separate user fee (the “ala carte” model), but all property owners paid capital assessments. A Facilities Improvement Fund (“FIF”) of $130 per year was established. This was initially used to place a fixed roof on the Kourthouse Pool.
1999 The Bylaws were changed, and all property owners were members of all community amenities effective in 2000. However, the “ala carte” model continued. Plans were developed to renovate the Club and construct an Activity Center (now the Event Center). Funds in the FIF were planned to service the debt of the Club Renovation project.
1997 The first Community General Manager was hired as an Administrative Manager of LKPOA, LKA and KKUS.
The 30-year-old Northside and Southside Gate houses were demolished and replaced.
2005 A Major Capital Project Plan was approved which included five projects: Fitness Center renovation, Golf Course greens renovation, Community Storm Drainage replacement, Club Security gate relocation and Leisure Trail renovation. Kevin McCracken became the third community general manager and there appeared to be renewed and growing interest in Keowee Key by prospective homebuyers and the Real Estate community.
2008 The financial crisis caused an abrupt decline in the sale of existing properties, and new construction began to dry up as well.
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2006 Home sales and new home construction increased and by the end of the year some members became concerned about the growth and the potential negative effect on the amenities along with the necessity of funding a community capital reserve fund.
2014 The Event Center had significant water damage due to a failure of the sprinkler system. Rather than repair it, it was renovated to bring it in line with the needs of the community.
2009 With the approval of the property owners, KKUS installed an automatic monitoring system for the 70 sewer pumps within the community as a mechanism to notify duty personnel in the event of a failure reducing response time to repair.
2010 The Keowee Key Board environment initiative began which included both the Green Team and Firewise. The community rejected a proposal to replace the deteriorating South Marina pool and Marina Club House and Skipper Store as any new construction would not have been owned by KKPOA since the property is deeded to Marina Villas.
2007 The Members voted to adopt a Managed Growth plan that among other things included a re-emphasis and encouragement of the Exempt Lot program and a modification of the Amenity Lot program. The Members also approved the New Owner Capital Assessment (NOCA). New property owners would pay a fee in order to build the community capital reserves.
2013 KKUS submitted a capital plan for the replacing of 25.5 miles of aging and deteriorating water lines on the Southside. The multi-year project was approved by the members.
2015 After years of effort by a dedicated member, the South Carolina legislature approved a change to permit HOA’s use of electronic voting, which Keowee Key adopted. Our marketing director was hired and created a series of programs to engage with local realtors and promote Keowee Key at various trade shows. For only the second time in KK history, the Operating Plan (budget) was not approved.
Keowee aspects of the community. This proved very successful, with the Club generated a small profit for the first time in its history. Usage of the other major amenities increased significantly.
2011 A new Capital Plan was approved that demolished the existing facilities in the Marina Villa area and replaced them with a picnic shelter. A new complex was approved for the North Marina that included a new Skipper store and office, meeting room and a new outdoor pool. Also approved were the demolition of the old administration building and the construction of a new one, along with four new tennis courts and the introduction of four new pickleball courts.
Key HISTORIC TIMELINE
2012 Community Patrol was outsourced after a competitive bid process. Securitas was selected as the provider.
2016 A revised Operating Plan was approved by the membership. A new subcommittee of the board was formed to focus on better communication with the membership. The Board Recap was introduced, to get information about Board actions to the membership more quickly. A new Construction Planning methodology was adopted to ensure more accurate cost estimates for projects. Financing of major projects, (those costing more than $200K) was revamped. A comprehensive program to renovate the Golf Course, Fitness Center, Club House, Southside Pool, Roadside Improvements along main thoroughfares, and add a Southside Walking trail was proposed to the Members. These plans (referred to as the “Major Projects”) were overwhelmingly approved by 80 percent of the membership.
2017 We embarked on the “Major Projects.” This extensive makeover
2020 The year began with plans for everything to return to normal, following all the disruption caused by years of construction. However, that was not the case with COVID-19 taking its toll on Keowee Key. Tragically, several members lost their lives due to the pandemic. All the amenities were closed while plans were made to cope with new constraints.
Keowee Key HISTORIC TIMELINE completed within the member approved budget. Communication about the status of the projects from planning to completion was extensively documented through video, and weekly updates to the membership. A study of the FRC campus was completed, with plans made to add 4 more pickleball courts. Additional studies were initiated to increase the size of the Club Parking lot, renovate Chestnut Point by adding Shuffleboard Courts, and Bocce Ball Courts. These were approved by the membership, with work planned to begin in 2020.
112 ‹ KEOWEE KEY required completely closing the Golf Course, FRC, and much of the Club.
2021 COVID-19 continued to have a serious impact on our community. However, strategies in 2020 helped mitigate its impact. A Medical Advisory Panel comprised of medical professionals who lived in Keowee Key provided invaluable advice. All the projects initiated in 2020 were completed, within budget. With vaccines being available, life began to return to normal later in the year.
2019 The Club reopened in late July, and the Golf Course followed in mid-September. All the projects were
Fortunately, some of the amenities –notably golf, were able to reopen with accommodations – such as single rider carts. Take-out service from the Bistro and Club was initiated. The long-term impact of the pandemic on Keowee Key was mitigated by programs like the Paycheck Protection Program of the Federal Government which enabled us to retain staff and avoid major financial impact on our bottom line. Despite the pandemic, work was initiated on the Northside Trail, Pickleball Courts and renovation of Chestnut Point.
2018 The Southside Walking Trail and Southside Pool renovation, FRC renovation and Bistro were completed, on schedule and on budget. The Golf Course, however, was delayed due to unusually heavy rains, postponing the reopening into 2019. New software and a new website were also instituted.
2022 Keowee Key marks its 50th anniversary. Despite the pandemic, real estate sales of existing homes as well as lots is exceptionally strong. New members joining our community have helped to reinvigorate Keowee Key, as we look forward to the next 50 years.
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114 ‹ KEOWEE KEY
North Marina Moon Rise 50TH ANNIVERSARY › 115
Looking for that perfect lifestyle community for retirement or second home? Keowee Key has more of what you love...Golf, boating, tennis, pickleball, country club and fitness center are just a few of the amenities this active, gated lakeside community offers. Register for our Discovery Package and start exploring more of what you love, today. 864-944-2312 | keoweekeySC.com Premier Lake Living in Salem, South Carolina
