Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Wiebe.
Legendary professional golfer Gary Player chose the 1999 Masters Champions Dinner as his setting to recruit two other greats – Jack Nicklaus and the late Arnold Palmer – to share in his dream of a 27-hole, private golf club located just outside of Augusta, Georgia. Nestled along the Savannah River, the three nine-hole courses inhabit a former untouched timber plot and are built around an Island, a Bluff and a Creek.
The legends designed nine signature holes of championship golf together, sculpting from the foundation of more than 365 acres of skyward Georgia pines, long-standing hardwood and wetlands. Opening its doors in 2005, Champions Retreat is the realization of their collective vision.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with most Georgia courses, we experience natural ebbs and flows of the golf season – busiest during the shoulder seasons and slower during the summer and winter months.
However, we use those lighter traffic periods to our advantage. For example, over the past year, we’ve renovated 18 of our 27 holes, the slower periods, closing nine at a time to ensure our members and guests are able to play a complete, 18-hole round of golf during enhancements. We were also able to give attention to our luxury cottages, upgrading their amenities.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Champions Retreat Golf Club story. Tell us more about the business.
Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player are three of the most iconic figures to ever play the game. Between them, 13 green jackets, 34 Major victories and 159 tournament wins. Never before have these three collaborated on a course, making Champions Retreat a singularly unique experience in the world of golf.
Aside from offering a truly unprecedented golf experience, Champions Retreat also understands the importance of relationships. That is the reason so much onus is put on providing the atmosphere to create them. Whether it’s a tournament, tasting, cocktail hour or barbecue, all of our events are created around the concepts of community and camaraderie.
We have 16 luxury cottages with large floor plans dotting the property, individually accommodating four to eight couples, each comfortable and charming in their own way.
The hospitable atmosphere carries over to on-property dining, where we take culinary traditions and push them to new and unexpected places. Dining experiences are available at The Grille House and our on-property bar and grill, Bluff Overlook, as well as The Barn – a 10,000 square-foot space ideal for hosting corporate events, luxurious weddings or just a good ol’ fashioned party.
Champions Retreat is a private facility, but there is one exception. Each year, we open our gates to public to celebrate one of the most cherished and prestigious weeks in golf – Masters Week. It’s the only place in the world where you can stay minutes from the tournament, play golf on three courses designed by past Masters champions and enjoy an entire week of exciting entertainment options all in one setting. From night-lit putting and driving ranges with cabanas and bottle service, to Oyster Roasts and “Tour of the South” Culinary Experience, Champions Retreat is the place to be that week.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We are managed by Heritage Golf Group, which is an innovative, industry leading hospitality company and owner/operator of premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties spanning Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Texas.
Pricing:
- During Masters Week, foursomes start at $2,500 and include forecaddies, unlimited F&B and a $50 merchandise credit.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ChampionsRetreat.net
- Phone: (706) 854-6960
Image Credit:
Champions Retreat Golf Club
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