Invitation-only golf club under development on 290 acres near Simpsonville

Listen to this article

The Greenville area’s first new private golf club in 30 years is being developed near Simpsonville.

An experienced team with more than a century of combined success crafting and marketing exceptional golf courses is creating an invitation-only private golf club near Simpsonville, according to a news release.

Located on 290 acres featuring meadows, lakes and hardwoods bordered by the Reedy River, Sout Carolina 418 and Fork Shoals Road, Kawonu Golf Club pays homage to its historical roots as a hunting preserve with a name derived from the Cherokee word for duck, the release stated.

The financial investment in the project was not disclosed.

Led by Scott Ferrell, whose background includes managing all aspects of the global golf course design business at the Gary Player Group, the enclave is set to attract golfers of all skill levels with its championship 18-hole course, clubhouse, top-tier practice facilities and four-bedroom cabins, the release stated.

Renowned golf course architect Andrew Green is shaping Kawonu’s course, the release stated.

“I have spent time on this beautiful site and have no doubt that we can not only create a fantastic golf course, but also an exclusive club experience. My intent is to design 18 holes of golf that no one has ever played,” said Green, who has worked on renovations of Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio; Indian Creek Country Club in Miami; Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York; and Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, among others. Notably, he is charged with completely renovating Atlanta’s prestigious East Lake Golf Club in preparation for the 2024 TOUR Championship.

Devoid of residential developments or extraneous amenities like pools, tennis courts or fitness facilities, Kawonu Golf Club focuses solely on delivering an unparalleled golf experience, the release stated.

“We’re creating an enclave that will add a unique concept to the golf landscape of the Upstate,” Ferrell said. “Local members will not have to travel to “get away,” and national members will not only enjoy the relaxed club environment but take in the wonderful town of Greenville.”

Anticipated to start construction later this year or early next year, with an expected opening in spring 2027 if not sooner, Kawonu stands as Greenville’s first private club debut in over three decades, the release stated.

The curated group of local and national members will be capped to keep down the number of rounds of golf played to preserve the course’s condition, the release stated..

“Our members are going to be golf people who love the game and enjoy the camaraderie that it brings,” Ferrell said in the release. “We have the pieces in place to make Kawonu one of the great clubs of America.”