Golf
Gary Player
Mountain Park
Recognized around the world as the Black Knight, Gary Player has won 165 tournaments during a five-decade career. Gary Player Design has created more than 400 courses across five continents, eco-centric and playable by all. He aims for excellence equally in course design, with a passion for fitness and perfection. Mountain Park, the most walkable of The Cliffs courses, is a place where members have embraced Gary’s fitness mantra.
Jack Nicklaus
Keowee Falls & Walnut Cove
The Nicklaus name has long been associated with greatness on the golf course. Nicklaus is considered by many to be the greatest professional golfer, having won 18 major championships in his 25-year career. Nicklaus is also an accomplished course designer and has been honored with every significant award that recognizes excellence in course design and development.
Tom Fazio
Keowee Vineyards & Keowee Springs
No living golf course designer has more credits on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses than Tom Fazio. Many in the industry consider him to be the greatest living golf architect. Fazio specializes in golf courses that reflect the natural beauty of their environments, and he had few more beautiful pieces of land to work with than at The Cliffs.
Ben Wright
Valley
An Emmy- and Peabody-award winning golf and sports announcer for 23 years, Ben Wright is a widely respected broadcaster, writer and golf course designer. Wright’s signature design at The Cliffs Valley reflects his intimate knowledge of the world’s best courses and matches the unique beauty that surrounds the community.
Tom Jackson
Glassy
A 2007 inductee into the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame, Tom Jackson received his training from two of the country’s leading golf course architects: Robert Trent Jones and George Cobb. Since then, he has helped build more than 124 courses across the nation. Jackson observes, “The course atop Glassy Mountain is surly my best. The way it folds into the contours of the land… something very special happened there.”
Sometimes members arrive saying, “But I don’t like golf.” Let’s just say that just a few minutes out with our golf ambassadors and fellow members and they’re in the golf shop buying an outfit or new clubs.
Kid-friendly courses, camps and special events give the whole family the gift of golf. Each summer, kids and teens gather for exhilarating instruction, entertainment and more at golf camps throughout our communities, and Junior Club Championships give young golfers the chance to earn bragging rights throughout the year.
Director of Golf Instruction - PGA
Sean Kennedy began his golf career in 1993 and has been a PGA Class A Golf Professional since 1997. A passionate teacher and innovator, Sean has developed a proprietary skill-based golf learning process exclusive for members of The Cliffs, which has been hailed by Golf Channel’s Cameron McCormick as “ahead of the curve.” He is certified in FlightScope, The Golfing Machine and Gray Institute Biomechanics and was nominated for PGA Carolinas Teacher of the Year 2015-2017.
Head Golf Professional, Glassy - PGA
Head Golf Professional at The Cliffs at Glassy, Kris Kleinsasser has been a PGA Class A member since 2012 and a PGA Certified Professional in Golf Operations since 2015. He is currently working toward his PGA Certification in Teach & Coaching. Prior to joining The Cliffs, Kris served on the Kentucky PGA Board of Directors. He is also a Mitch Golf Institute Master Club Performance & Fitting Specialist.
Director of Golf, Mountain Park - PGA
Matt was dedicated to growing golf at The Cliffs Valley since 2013, and in late 2021 has shifted to Mountain Park to continue to grow these excellent programs. His previous experience includes three years as Head Golf Professional at Jacksonville Country Club, where he executed an extensive member tournament schedule and owned and managed his own golf shop. Matt also previously served as 1st Assistant Professional at Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, NC where he spent five years managing and executing quality tournaments at the historic 1910 Donald Ross design course.
Head Golf Professional, Mountain Park - PGA
Jeff Headman has been a part of The Cliffs since 2017. Starting out as the 1st Assistant Golf Professional at Keowee Vineyards then moving to Mountain Park as the Head Golf Professional in 2019. As part of his role, he enjoys his time working with members on perfecting their golf game. Before arriving at The Cliffs, Jeff worked as an Assistant Golf Professional at Charlotte Country Club in North Carolina and FarmLinks Golf Club in Alabama. Jeff earned his PGA Class A membership in 2012 while attending Methodist University.
Head Golf Professional, Keowee Falls - PGA
A member of The Cliffs team since 2007, Julian Bland serves as Head Golf Professional at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls. While a student at nearby Clemson University, Julian worked with The Cliffs as a Professional Golf Management (PGM) intern. Upon graduating, he joined the Lake Keowee region team as an Assistant Professional and most recently has been responsible for the daily operations at Keowee Springs.
Director of Golf, Keowee Vineyards - PGA
As Head Golf Professional at Keowee Vineyards since August 2006, Brad Fowler’s responsibilities are wide ranging, but his main passion lies in driver and putting fitting. Brad came to The Cliffs from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida where he was Head Golf Professional at Marsh Landing Country Club for 9 years, during which the golf shop was recognized three times by Golf Digest as one of America’s Top 100 golf shops. Brad became a Class A Golf Professional in 1997.
Head Golf Professional
Keowee Vineyards - PGA
Australia native, Tom Prowse, has been an PGA professional since 2008. He’s been a member of The Cliffs since May, 2016 where he spent five years as the 1st Assistant at Glassy. He is currently the Head Golf Professional responsible for daily operations at Keowee Vineyards.
Director of Golf, Walnut Cove - PGA
Mike has been involved with golf for his entire career and most recently worked at Champion Hills Club in Hendersonville where he served as an assistant golf pro for five years and head golf pro for eight years. He has also worked at premier clubs across the country including the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio – a host course of the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He is a certified PGA Class A Professional and is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute.
Golf Professional, Keowee Springs - PGA
Scott was named Head Golf Professional at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in August 2019 after serving as the Lead Assistant for two years. His journey with The Cliffs began at Keowee Vineyards in 2013 where he served as First Assistant for three years. Originally from Columbia, SC, Scott graduated from Methodist College and started his career at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando. Other stops in his career include The Walker Course at Clemson University and The Stonewall Resort in West Virginia.
Head Golf Professional, Walnut Cove - PGA
Dan joined The Cliffs from Bears Paw Country Club in Naples, FL where he served as first assistant golf professional for the club’s Jack Nicklaus-designed championship course, which has played host to numerous U.S. Open qualifiers. He holds several industry qualifications including his Swing Catalyst Level 1 and Callaway master fitting certifications. Dan received his training from Bill Harmon Golf School and the Professional Golf Management Program.
Head Golf Professional, The Cliffs Valley - PGA
Prior to being named Head Professional in November 2021, Camden served as 1st Assistant at The Cliffs Valley for over three years, during which time he became a Class A PGA Member. Camden’s professional golf career began during his college days at Bob Jones University when, while completing a Sports Management degree and playing collegiate basketball, he worked in Golf Operations at Mountain Park for two years.
Even serious golfers want to have some fun as they improve their skills. Enter The Cliffs golf ambassadors who have a knack for making the game approachable for every level of player. In addition to our renowned professional staff, visiting luminaries often drop by for special demonstrations, including LPGA legend Nancy Lopez.