Jeff Warne has no problem with private clubs. He grew up in AugustaGa., in the shadow of the game’s most famously exclusive grounds, and he now serves as director of golf at The Bridge, one of Long Island’s most gilded enclaves.
Warne walks comfortably in high circles.
But talk golf with him, and another side emerges. On his travels, Warne often retreats to off-piste courses in the UK and Irishand, where member obligations are modest and access to the group sheet is democratic. He adores those places as much as he appreciates the completely private kind.
These two sides of Warne’s golf life have taken shape on a stretch of sandy, pine-studded land in Aiken, SC, where he is developing New Holland Golf Club, a project that GOLF toured earlier this year as part of a broader look at one of the nation’s hottest golf destinations.
Aiken has had more than a moment. Anchored by historic clubs like the Palmetto and Aiken Golf Clubthe area has attracted increased attention with major arrivals such as the Tree Farm, Old Barnwell and Club 21, all within the orbit of Augusta National, which is located about 30 minutes south.
New Holland, located on rolling land opposite Tree Farmaims to fill that constellation: a members’ club built on the British model, with a compelling course that welcomes outdoor play. Although an opening date has not yet been announced, the course has been laid out, play corridors and green spaces have been created and work continues to move forward. Warne has engaged Brian Schieder for the design, which sits gracefully on the ground. New Holland will have a minimalist layout that will be accompanied by amenities to match: the infrastructure is meant to be modest – with a clubhouse, a dressing room and a hot dog stand on the corner – stripped of the extravagant extras that adorn so many American private clubs.
Warne and his team want golf to be the focus, and the club itself to be a lure for wider exploration of the area.
“For me, Aiken is the destination,” says Warne. “We’re just going to tap into all the great golf around it. You can have a great meal in Aiken. There’s a great bar scene. We also want to have a culture where you can play Tree Farm in the morning and come here in the afternoon and pay a day fee.”
You can learn more about Warne and his hopes for New Holland — and Aiken’s growing place on the golf map — by watching the video below.
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