Off the Deck
Golf is so much more than the scorecard and those birdies that are rarely made. It's about the people you meet along the way. From lifelong bonds to unexpected fast friends, Off the Deck highlights the lives and stories built through the game of golf.
Off the Deck
Above the Clouds at McLemore with Matt Bateman
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In this episode, Matt Bateman shares the fascinating history, development, and lifestyle offerings of McLemore, a premier mountain community and golf destination on Lookout Mountain. Discover the unique amenities, real estate opportunities, and the future plans that make McLemore a compelling place to visit or call home.
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Driver off the deck for Corey Conner. Here's driver off the deck. They're hopling. The driver off the deck. I knew you would try this, right? Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00You have to put your foot on the gas. You pull out the driver off the deck and you put it on the drain all the way up the hill.
unknownDon't stop, don't stop.
SPEAKER_02Welcome back to another episode of Off the Deck. I'm your host, Josh Decker. We have Mr. Matt Bateman joining us today. But before we dive in, need to thank our sponsors, Ideca Golf. Uh, I'm wearing the Capri Polo today. Love everything that Steve Peering and his team are doing over at Ideca. Check them out. It's ideca.gov, is their website. It's Id A K A.gov. And make sure you use promo code OTD25 for 25% off your order. Mr. Bateman, welcome to Off the Deck. How are you?
SPEAKER_01Hey, I'm great, Josh. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for taking time to come on. Uh, we've been trying to get this scheduled for a while now, and I'm glad it finally came to fruition to make it happen. Um, you had you do a wonderful job with your social media um and highlighting everything that is happening at Macklemore. Um, would love to know your background. How did you, like we were talking about kind of in the pre-call, I don't think you drive past Macklemore and see a sign that's like help wanted. We need somebody to come to sell property for us. How did you end up uh up on top of Lookout Mountain?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, thanks again for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity to to continue spreading the gospel of uh of Macklemore here. But uh, you're right, you know, it doesn't, it's not a not a place where you're just gonna drive by and pop in and say hi and see what's happening. Although it is intriguing from the road, I will add. Um yeah, my family, I'm originally from Western North Carolina, um so southwestern North Carolina. Um, so my family was uh was looking to relocate. Chattanooga's just next door in in Tennessee, and we we were exploring um other avenues. I was I was a pivot in my career um considering hopping into a new industry, and it just never happened in Chattanooga. Um we ended up moving to Indianapolis of all places for a director of of of membership position at a country club up there. We went for it, and of course, you know, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to make things happen and shift. So uh we were only there for four months and and then we we got a call from McLamore. I kind of skipped over the part where I'd reached out and kind of tapped on a few shoulders via LinkedIn and just kind of poking around when we were looking at Chattanooga. Um Macklemore kind of popped into my peripheral and the place is so darn intriguing um online for sure because you see the the imagery and and the cliff edge hole on the Highland course and the accolades that that kind of followed with with that. But um, so I jumped in. I've got a I've got a background in PGA, um, kind of previous life kind of thing. So I love golf. I've been playing for 33 years, um, been in and out of the industry. Um kind of was intrigued when I saw Macklemore about, well, maybe I can maybe I can get in, not in the PGA side of things. Listen, I respect the you know what out of those guys who who do the PGA route and the club professional director of golf. I've been in those shoes, just wasn't for me. Um had to get out because I was like finding myself going, I don't really love golf anymore. So, you know, that was a problem uh in my world. So um, anyways, long story long here. Um Macklemore reached back out uh midway through my in, well not midway, four months into my Indianapolis role, and I saw a ton of opportunity. The the opportunity they extended was was a membership director role for the club here, um, with with tons more being added, right? That was in that was in 21. So golly, time flies. But um, but yeah, uh it ended up working out and moved again. If you've moved, you you know the the lift that moving is. I think it's one of the top top three most stressful things you can do. Uh but uh but yeah, we we we landed here. My first day was a groundbreaking ceremony for Cloudland, uh the resort hotel. So I got to see that project come to life in the keep.
SPEAKER_02Um got to saw it, see it all come to fruition, which is so and I was I was diving into the history of Macklemore, which I know I'm not gonna do it justice, but it was originally Canyon Ridge Resort. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and so there was, I guess, an 18 hole up there before the Highlands course was completely redone by Bill Bergen. Um, and there was some who was there was another architect involved. Yeah, and so I'd had no idea that it all existed, or at least a golf course existed up there before they came in, and I think there were some ownership changes and whatnot. But the place has quite a bit of a history to it, just in terms of it getting to where it is now, if that's fair to say.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, like a lot of of developments similar to ours, whether they're golf or offer other amenities as a focal point of the community, you know, they change hands. Um, and and our current developer, you know, they they've taken this place light years beyond kind of where they found it. But yeah, Canyon Ridge, it was originally called Takeda Falls, was the the very first um funny story. One of the uh former residents here had a with was an original resident, and they had a really cool poster that said Takeda Falls. I had this kind of caricature kind of layout um of what was coming. I I thought that was just a super cool piece of the history of the place, but Tequita Falls turned into Canyon Ridge, and then Canyon Ridge turned into Macklemore. Um and really the brand Macklemore wasn't launched until 2019. Um acquired the property. This this developer acquired in 2017, partnered with Reese Jones and Bill Bergen for the Reno on what was really good bones. Um beautiful property. People still speak highly of Canyon Ridge days, um, some of the local folks in and around. Um, really fun golf course, and then you know, they did a great reno, um new grasses on the green, several bunker shifts, um, bunkering, and then the brand new 18th hole. Um, and then they added the short course after that. But yeah, um quite the history here. I can go on for a while about that, but uh and I share that with with folks in my role now. You know, I'm I'm membership, but my focal point really is real estate. So um I tell the story all the time.
SPEAKER_02Well, and and so I would like to hear just that story. Uh if I if I'm some that's a prospect and I'm thinking about either purchasing a home up there or joining, what what what is your your elevator speech uh on someone who's interested?
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, I try to paint the picture of listen, I'm an open book, right? When I'm sharing, I'm a buyer's agent, so I'm advocating for anyone who's interested in buying, right? I'm not the developer, um, I'm not the resort. Um, that is my focus. I know I do, you know, I'm a I'm a membership advisor too. So um, but kind of I know the whole story, so I share it. I go, look, look at where it was, and not to beat anyone up is this things happen. I mean, 2008 happened somewhere along in the middle of this, too, between the developers changing hands, and I tell that story of man, the place was originally thought might be fully private, and it could be a whole different offering. Um and then, you know, it's it it it just progressed over the years and um well I lost my train of thought there, but um um it shows what can be done development-wise in a short window of time, too, because when I bring them up to that 2019 launch date, um I was the team was pointing at rendering, so here's what's to come. You know, we've got this beautiful resort. That's a tough sell.
SPEAKER_02That's a really tough sell.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, uh yeah, very, it's not easy. Well, people, it's funny the place is real quick tit quick tangent. Um, the place is so beautiful. Some people get here and they're meeting with me and goes, man, this really place just kind of sells itself. And I'm like, well, it sure is pretty, but there's a few more details that uh that have to transpire. But um, but yeah, uh, I tell that story and and I share whether it's a a rendering of the keep. And when we were going through that whole process, I was on that project going through the old Jeep trails on the property before it was logged. That's cool. So I share, hey, listen, I was pointing at a rendering for this. Now you can go experience it, touch it, feel it. Um, we're expanding on the west side of the mountain now. Um, we just opened up um a soft opening in our our mu amenities over there. That's the tip of the iceberg on that 500 acres that sit over there. Um, so I say, listen, I was pointing at a rendering here too, and now you can go get in the pool. You can go take play tennis or pickleball. And then it's the next scale out phase beyond that. And that's what I think it's a lot of our buyers excited about this, is it's we're not done. So um that's that's the story I tell of here's where we've been, here's where we're at now, and then the next life cycle is coming online right now, and and there's a lot more to come.
SPEAKER_02What percentage of your buyers are are residing there full-time versus it being a vacation home?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so and this is an evolving, moving piece too, and we'll continue to as we bring in these bring on these new lifestyle amenities. But right now, there's about 130 doors here today. Um, and now about 30% of those are our primary residents. Um, it gets a little chilly on the mountain in January, February, so a lot of those folks have a condo at the beach or somewhere a little bit warmer to escape to. But but again, that that's shifting as we we bring in these lifestyle amenities that appeal to a non-golfing um couple, or or if half the home doesn't play golf, uh, we become more of a fit for a retirement community. And we'll we'll continue to kind of be more appealing to that um that buyer right now. It's secondary home market mainly.
SPEAKER_02Okay. And the lifestyle amenities you mentioned pickleball, the swimming pool. For someone who has never been, I I went, I guess it's been gosh, four years ago now that uh I went with some guys. We left, um, we were down in the Sequatchie Valley, we played everyone's favorite little nine-holer, and then shot up the mountain um to play Macklemore. And which is it's an easy drive if you're leaving Sweetens to try and to get to Macklemore. But talk to people about what all is up there. What are they going to experience when they show up at Macklemore?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um you roll in off of a very narrow Georgia Mountain highway. Yeah, it's part of the experience I tell folks. Um there's a there's a ton of different ways to get here, though, which is really not what I'm used to being from western North Carolina. The way the crow flies, yeah, it's a short distance, but it's like, you know, hold on tight, white knuckles, right? Getting here. But here, these mountains are more like plateaus, so it's an easy up from I-59 coming up from Birmingham or up from Atlanta to hop off of I-75. Um, but when you get here, you know, you roll into the gate. We're a gated community. Um, you get greeted there, and then it's the you roll in our main thoroughfare, come down Canyon Ridge Road. There's homes that you drive through that are tucked away in the forest, beautiful setting. You start to see some of the golf course come in. You cover, you go over a couple of bridges with right now with all the rain we've having, rushing creeks going under those, and then you kind of crest the hill and then start making your way down to the clubhouse, and then that's when the view kind of hits you, and then you like, you know, you see that I call it a 60-mile view. Maybe that's that's over uh indulging a little bit, maybe it's 57 mile view when you look all the way across the north part of Georgia and see the the bigger Blue Ridge, Georgia LJ, higher elevation in the distance. But it's almost the settings like big sky-like, but you're in the southeast and it's just so wide and vast. It kind of just catches you, you know, kind of takes your breath away. It sounds a little cheesy, but it still does me on on mornings where I roll in early and the there's an inversion in the clouds, and there's a blanket of of fog or cloud in the valley, and you're up above it. That's above the clouds, right? That's the the one of the branded coin terms we like to use, but it's true. It's you're you're literally above the clouds a lot. Um, and then yeah, you're you're driving down to the backdrop, you unload, you know, you go park. Um, depending upon if you're going to the keep that day or not, you've got a shuttle ride to the keep, which is an experience too. And it's just a unique setting. And I I love to see part of part of the my role that I love the best is to see someone here here for the first time and just rolling on property. People let their hair down a little bit too far sometimes. They like to have a little bit of fun, but uh that that doesn't happen a ton, but uh they just kind of relax. And I think the psychology of it I've determined um is there's something about being on top of a perch, uh, whether it be on a mountain or up high in a tower, and you go out to the edge, and you just it's it's freeing. So um that's my best uh illustration, my paintbrush, but it's a it's a feeling. And it sounds cheesy, sounds a little selsy, but it's the darn truth. Um, and it doesn't get old, you know. I'm five years in now, and it it's it's awesome setting.
SPEAKER_02So do you do you live on on top of the mountain or do you have to drive up and down every day?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I live uh Rock City, you know, see Rock City. I mean, I think everybody knows at least seen a barn painted at some point or two, if they've been there or not. They're like Rock City, what does that ring a bell? Um that's the little community I live in. Uh it's spelled Fairyland, but we call it Fairland. Um like I live on Robin Hood Trail, and there's Red Riding Hood uh lane, there's Cinderella, and there's it's kind of whimsical, but but um but very cool. It's a 20-minute commute, you know. I'm spoiled from that standpoint.
SPEAKER_02So I I can I can totally understand what you're talking about about just like uh feeling a uh sense of calmness, but one of the things I experienced when I went years back, it was in August, and the temperature change was significant. I mean, we went from 85 humid to up above the clouds and it being like 72 and delightful. Like, and I don't I did not know that that little of an elevation change would impact weather that much. Yeah, but it's it it's a big, it's a big change.
SPEAKER_01Now it's not gonna be, you know, Highlands, North Carolina, because that's you know above 4,000 feet. They got 77 degree average in July. Beautiful. But we're just different here um in a great way. And when it's 95 in Chattanooga, you know, it's it's 85 with a breeze here, and it's great. You know, the breeze is here year-round. Um, I I still do it to myself. I live 20 minutes north. We're at about 1900 feet of elevation. Here at the club, we're at 2300. Just in that, that's four degrees right there. And I and I underdress, I still to this day, like early spring, I'll be like, eh, it's gonna be warm today. And it's like, um, yeah, so to your point, it's it's a beautiful break from the heat and humidity, and to be still very much the belt buckle of the South. Um, it's quite an X factor. That's how I present it to the potential buyers, is like, listen, you know, you're gonna get a break here from the weather, especially coming up from Florida. It's gonna feel wonderful.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So in terms of the people that are purchasing you, you said 30% are um full-time residents. So 70% then are not. Are they primarily coming from Florida or are they Atlanta, Birmingham?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're great, great question. Um, little bit of everywhere and more and more, it's just getting broader. Um, but you know, the that's two-hour radius of Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville. I mean, Huntsville's growing like crazy. Um Nashville, Knoxville, that two-hour radius is strong. But Chicago, uh Dallas, Texas, Houston, Texas, 30A area, Florida, um, Naples, Tampa area, that's kind of our our market that's evolving. You know, there's just a mass exodus. There's a big churn happening all over the states, and for whatever reason. Um we'll we'll we can digress if we dive into the political world. But um people are churning and looking for uh looking to down to downgrade a little bit, simplify their lives, go from six, seven thousand square feet down to three thousand, um, kind of condense things and be in in a safe location that's peaceful out of the rat race.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, so there's two eighteens, and then the is it the cairn? How do you pronounce it? Yeah, that's right. The cairn. Um in terms of number of rounds and difficulty to get a tea time, I've been uh I don't know if it still exists, is the Friends of Macklemore program still a thing? Still around. Okay. So that's how I got our group on. I was a friend of Macklemore, and so there was that window in which I could get a tea time. And so I think I had uh two groups. We actually teed off uh of number one on the Highlands course when the Cloudland Hotel was um, I think like the interior steel had been constructed. Sounds like so no walls, I mean nothing that was really materially looking like a hotel, but you could tell it was gonna be something, and we knew what it was just because of being there and and being aware of the surroundings. Um how much play are on these courses? Is it difficult to get on? Are they available? Like if I wanted to go play the keep tomorrow, is that gonna happen or no? Could.
SPEAKER_01Um, it just it just depends, right? I mean, it's day-to-day. Now it's you know, it's it's more popular than it was last year. And and 25 was more popular than 24. Yeah, it's you know, the accolades, whether you believe in golf digest ratings or golf week, I mean, we just got some new stuff coming out for the keep golf week and for both courses, which are awesome. Uh, I love it, right? Again, I think some people are a little bit skeptical of of ratings and and and rankings, but it moves the needle. Um, it really shines a light on on the product we have here, but um sounding like a politician on how to answer this question, but you know, if you're a if you're a resident here, there's member tea times every day of the year that are blocked. Um the resort team cannot sell those to a guest. Um so there's protection there for residents. Um, and we carve out that member experience through your traditional um golf events like member guest, and we keep adding to that too. It's a very robust private member-only golf event schedule. Um and then there's opportunities for guests who are staying on property or added event to have a cool tournament of their own, too. So it coexists from that standpoint. But year over year growth, you know, uh the tea sheets are are are are getting a little bit busier, but any given week you can you can snag a tea time. It's just timing. Friends of Macklemore, you know, I'm certainly not the resort, and I and I can't answer fully on that, but that window's tightening um as we expand and become more popular, you know, it's gonna be more exclusive. Uh it's just the way things go, whether you agree with that or not. Um, you know, um it's still very much an opportunity for a for a non-member or investor to come here though and enjoy it.
SPEAKER_02And is is uh ownership of property required to be a member? Or can could I could I join?
SPEAKER_01Yes. The way it is today, the way the the covenants conditions and restrictions for the community are you come and you buy a piece of property, you're required to be a a full golf resident member of the Highland Course.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um doesn't come with both clubs. Uh you can still be an equity founding member and can and be members of both clubs. That window is closing as well, but there's still that opportunity. Um I tell folks, you know, that's a unique fit to want to be in on both clubs, but um our resident members have access to go play the keep um at a nice rate. They're just gonna have a greens fee, and they don't have to be a hotel guest off. Obviously, or an equity founding member. So there's some advantages there. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I need to get up there and see the keep because I've heard nothing but green too.
SPEAKER_01A lot's changed in the short amount of time it's been since you've been here last.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, and I remember when I first played the Highlands course, uh, I don't know if there was a green renovation, but you guys had just added the AU championship Bermuda Greens. Bangs. Okay. Yep. And they were unbelievable. I mean, some of the best screens I've ever put it on. So I have very, very fond memories of my lap around Highland Scores. I was actually playing some pretty good golf until I doubled 18, but that's uh a story for another day. That sounds familiar. Yeah. Um, so so what is a a day in your life as someone who is representing the buyer, but is working up top? Um, what does that look like for you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we've got a beautiful. I'm sitting in our new model home. It's a partnership with Garden and Gun magazine. I don't know if you've got to Oh, nice. Yeah. Very funny. Probably are uh a man of your affluent stature and taste. Um, but yeah, that's where I'm sitting right now. I just wrapped my day a minute ago, so I thought I'd just hang out for a little bit and have a conversation with you. But um yeah, I roll on the property. I'm I'm pretty flexible. Uh I like to stay active. I love to golf, of course. I'm not we're not talking about that now, but it it's built into kind of a strength of mine to be able to bounce off of guests while they're here. I'll pop in, have lunch at the bar and chit-chat. I just like to figure out where people are from and and welcome them to the property. I'm I like to think of myself as an ambassador, an unofficial ambassador for the place. So um I'll do a little bit of that. Uh I'll be in the model home welcoming guests in here. It's more and more popular, especially with cloud lit and rocking and rolling, and as busy as it is, people looking for things to do on property, want to come see a beautiful home. I'll tour this. You know, I've got a call block throughout the day to do calls with inquiries coming in. Um, it's really a cool role. Um, it it's I I really enjoy it, and I'm a people person. I I'm a relationship guy, so I'm just looking to meet people, see where they're from. Hey, you know, this is could be an opportunity for you to retire at someday or have a secondary home. Here's how it works. No big deal if it's not a fit, you know. And um that's a lot of my day. I don't know if I answered your question or not.
SPEAKER_02No, you you did. I'm I'm curious how many people don't know about McLamore. I guess are you doing a lot of outbound calls or no?
SPEAKER_01Man, I thank God I've done them in the past. I don't there's no cold calling for me. Um we do an excellent job internally. You know, it's a major lift to to lead generate, no matter what you're doing, especially if you're trying to do it independently in real estate. Um but yeah our nets are casting even further now with the Hilton brand behind Cloudland, and it's really helping us saturate markets. So, you know, a ton of interest just because the way, you know, not to sell ourselves short, but just the way it renders online, and then people get here, and they just they want more information because it's it does that to you. Um so yeah, man, it's it's warm to hot calls and communication for me. And my biggest challenge is because of the location on top of the mountain, it's pretty rural, is just getting people here. Everybody's so busy with kids or or running a business or or whatever it might be. Um, just getting people here. That's my limbo, is is to stay on it, um, continue to nurture those conversations because people that I've connected with three plus years ago are still want to try to get here, um, but they just haven't yet. Uh so it's quite a long journey, can be.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and the hotel opening, I'm sure, changed your landscape dramatically. Um you kind of hit on that already because even when I went there and played it, we drove up from Sweeton's, played, and then drove back to Birmingham, finished our trip. Um, and I've talked to my wife numerous times about us trying to go up and spend some time at McLamore just to get away. And now that the hotel's open, that we kind of have that opportunity. And I've been trying to get her to to schedule like a meeting for her company there. Like, do you do your strategic planning up at Macklemore? So I can go stay at the Cloudland and go play the Keep and Highlands course. Has that uh has that that has helped, I would imagine, of just more eyeballs and people coming there not knowing that the properties exist that you can purchase, but they see this incredible Hilton hotel with all these amenities and want to go stay there and oh, by the way, here's here's these these properties you can purchase.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, completely. It's night and day going back pre Cloudland and thinking of the club then, you know, beautiful clubhouse, awesome setting, big beautiful view, the Craig restaurant, bar, um bar and restaurant. It was just a little bit sleepy, you know, which and and that's a good thing too. But but with Cloudland, you know, I just how I describe it's just a major uptick in lifestyle because now, yes, guests are staying on property a little bit more, um, and they're here to enjoy the property. But but I really encourage folks looking at buying here, going, hey, look at that big, beautiful amenity down there. It's got great spaces in it. You guys definitely have to come. Um and you know, it's a beautiful library, there's a spa, there's four restaurants with multiple bars, beautiful cliff edge pool, you know, I could go on, but um, it's just a complete change in lifestyle. Um, you know, the west side of the mountain we're still building out over there amenities. Part of those plans is a freestanding brick and mortar fitness and wellness facility. But in the interim, you know, our residents can go down and use Cloudland's Fitness Center, which is a brand new fitness center with a Peloton room. It's great space. So yeah, just a major uptick in lifestyle. Going from one restaurant and bar to, you know, five now total alone is is a massive deal.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I I don't know how uh this is it has to be a challenge for you guys of managing the amenities and staffing them for uh owners who are there full-time, the 30%, the owners that come in, I guess with some level of seasonality. Yeah. Like do y'all uh are there calls in advance of knowing when uh owners are showing up? Um because if y'all got slammed all of a sudden, let's say it's spring break week, you might see a massive influx of residents coming to their homes. Is is there some mechanism for you guys to spin up additional staff, or is it is it always staffed to support the current, I guess, uh homeowner capacity? I I f I think I I think that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it does. It's you know, I guess first off, you know, staffing is just a a challenge for any organization. Now you set that aside and you go, okay, now let's place your organization on top of a mountain in rural northwest Georgia. Right. That's that's challenge number two. Um, and then what do we do when everybody shows up at the same time? Um great question. And yeah, uh basically, I guess in a nutshell, not my place to have really answer that spot on officially, but yeah, what I can see is that we're always just prepared for no matter what. Um, and you know, the seasonality of we do have a distinct shoulder season. I call it that's a kind of a tourism term, but you know, the slower months of the year um we can adjust. But we have a pretty good barometer from a from a standpoint of folks coming in to utilize their property. Most of those secondary, I don't know if I should say most, a good amount of those secondary homeowners are have their property in our rental program that we manage internally here. So we've got a finger on the barometer of, you know, if they're rented, we certainly need to be staffed and and or they're booked. Um, we need to be ready for them. So it just kind of it kind of comes out the wash. We're just preparing.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you might have just answered a question that I also had uh and I wasn't even aware of that. Is there is a rental program? So if I wanted to grab my wife and come up for a weekend, there are homes available that we can rent.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah. Oh yeah, there's I think there's 33 homes now in the program. So that's an alternative to Cloudland. Right. We obviously have 245 rooms available down there, but we also have a growing club-managed rental program. We call it a stay and play program. A lot of um properties in this genre have something like this where there's little cottages or villages that you can come stay on property in. But you can come stay in a home like the one I'm in, you know, a multi-million dollar home with a with your family and just have a different experience. You know, now you're you're stocking the fridge, you're grilling out on the beautiful patio in the privacy of your own home. Um, with what I see, I deal with a lot of different folks, buyers coming in here, and and it's attractive for a certain buyer coming in and going, well, I can have a good amount of personal use. I'm two hours away, I'm in Birmingham, I can buzz up when I want, and I when I'm not there, I can run revenue through it. You know, that's very attractive as an as an option here. So um, where was I going with that, Josh? Um, it's it's it's viable. And what I see happening is people come, they've found the place. We've saw it on Instagram, or they're a Hilton Honors member, and they've been pinging there, and they're like, where is that place at? Let's go stay at this beautiful resort. And they get here and they're like, Oh, there's a model home. Well, let's go see that. And then it's like, what? I can bring my family or my group of executives in and stay very comfortably, all with their own en suite in their own bathroom, and it's like very comfortable and it's private. So yeah, I mean, that is a and a great option. People come, stay at Cloudland, and they're like, Well, I'm coming back. Next time I'm coming back, we're gonna rent a home. Yeah. So it's I speak with those buyers looking at it from a short-term rental standpoint, and I'm and some of the questions are like, won't that cannibalize the other? And my hunch from the get-go, and at risk of sounding boastful, is like, I feel like, you know, to make a I'm a baseball fan, so to make a baseball analogy is like, this is our farm system. Cloudland's getting people in and exposing them, and they're gonna push people into your home later on. And that's what's happening.
SPEAKER_02And if I rent one of those homes, do I still have access to everything down at Cloudland?
SPEAKER_01So you have access to, yeah, go patron, you know, go dine, obviously, go do all the things. And now that we're we have new tennis, pickleball, swimming pool, stay and play guests have their own set of amenities now too. Whereas, you know, you're staying in Cloudland, you've got a beautiful pool, whirlpool yourself. Um makes a lot of sense for you to utilize those amenities, but staying in a home, now you have your own pool and tennis and pickleball and more amenities coming online.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's amazing. So I didn't realize that was available. I thought you were limited to Cloudland and that was kind of it. Um if you're actually gonna stay on property. And that's a that's a game changer. I mean, I'd totally like uh I've got a group of guys, we love going on golf trips, and I'd love to make another trip up there at some point. Or, like I was mentioning, me and my wife, um, and it sounds like the size of the homes and the quality of the homes are conducive to like a couple's trip. Um, and there's something for everyone to do just two hours from Birmingham, which is pretty fantastic.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And and again, the life cycle we're in, it's changing, and and you'll have more amenities next year than you had today, which is exciting too.
SPEAKER_02So, how many home sites do you currently have that are available?
SPEAKER_01There's around 60 available home sites. Um this current developer owns a good share of those and are available through that, through, through that seller, and then there's some resale opportunities as well. But a good variety, good variety.
SPEAKER_02And is that in terms of if you sell someone a home site, um are are they getting plans to choose from to keep some level of conformity with on on top of the mountain? Oh, yeah. And then they can customize from there.
SPEAKER_01Yep. You hit the nail on the head, it's a pretty easy process. There's a preferred builder here inside the gates that the resort loves using, and that's who's doing the lion's share of the building today. But man, you have upwards of 50-60 home plans to even to get the ball rolling. Yeah, it's too many, but um I certainly don't go here, here's 50 home plans. It's it's it's it's peeling back some onion layers and and really getting to to kind of narrow it in. What home site do you like? What home plans out of these five we know that these five will fit based on what you've given me square footage, bedrooms, configuration. Um, and then I start. That's where, you know, kind of leaning on me as the resource inside the gates really is again, I'm sorry to sound boastful, but there's this a lot of value there, and it helps save a lot of time and headache um moving into the process. A lot of people kind of kind of are sensitive to building another home. A lot of the folks that I I meet with have already built, you know, three to ten homes, and then they're they don't really want to, they're like, I don't want to know if I want to go through that process, but it is simple. I mean, you can go, I want that plan, and we know it fits on that home site, press go, and we can build a home as as quick as nine months, you know, easily done remotely. Uh I'm here as an advocate for my buyers, so I'm here every week. I'll do update videos and pictures and be a conduit between the builder and and my buyer. Um, so yeah, we we take the folks through either there's kind of three options. You can say, hey, I know this plan fits, let's build that, no changes. Hurry up, you know. Uh, or there's a personalized floor plan process we can take you through where you take a home plan and we adjust square footage here and there to your liking, or there's a fully custom route that you can take and we can start with white sheet and go from there. That's cool.
SPEAKER_02That's that's really cool. Um what are are there any big plans for Macklemore down the road? Uh is there gonna be more golf or are we done at 36 volt?
SPEAKER_01Oh no, yeah, that's uh you're asking a lot. And I'm they'd shoot me um if I overpromise. But you know, yeah, there's you just we're just not done yet. There could be more golf. Um how many of ac how many acres of land are up there? Yeah, right now there's around 1,500. That's between smokes. Okay. Between the highland property is what I call it. What's the residential community that's here today? It's about 450 acres, 500 acres across the street where the new amenities are going, and that looks off the west side of the mountain, by the way, towards you guys. Uh and then the keeps, it's I mean, roughly 600 acres. So, you know, that's that's all in, and and there's there's other opportunities too that that could come to light in in the in the coming years. But I just share with folks, I I'm a big expectations guy. I I I hate being set up Set them low.
SPEAKER_02Set them really low.
SPEAKER_01Um I mean, yeah, let's just let's pleasantly surprise. Um right. Uh, but yeah, I think folks will continue to be surprised with what they see out of McLamore.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Well, I really appreciate you kind of highlighting everything about the place. It's always fascinated me, especially as much time as I spend going up 59 um and and hanging out in the Sequatchie Valley. I always look over and like, oh, yep, there's the it's either the rising fawn exit or the twent Trenton exit. I don't remember which one it is. You can go either which direction you're coming from. Um, but I'll give you a uh just a couple of quick hitter golf questions, uh, and then we'll get you out of here. Um, other than the Highlands and the Keep, what is your favorite golf course you've played in the last 12 months?
SPEAKER_01Oh, wow, that's the the farm is really good. Uh right there. Is he talking about the tree farm? No, I know there's there's a lot of crossover there. The farm, it's outside of Dalton, Georgia. It's it's got it's got honors course vibes. Um it's just an awesome property. Um that one that one stuck out to me. Of course, the honors club's great, but um yeah, that's that's kind of the highlight recently.
SPEAKER_02Okay. What's your favorite club in the bag right now?
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's always driver.
SPEAKER_02Always always driver.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's always driver. I know that's saying a lot, but uh hey, I wish I could have that relationship with my driver.
SPEAKER_02I'm I'm I'm envious.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's uh I got a couple different speeds with it, so a couple different gears. I almost rather hit it than a three-wood sometimes, but that's I'm a we I'm weird like that.
SPEAKER_02Uh what is your favorite spot on the property at Macklemore? And what time of day do you want to be there? Oh, that's a tough one too. But um, yeah, eight. Could you put some incredible stuff on your social? Like where some of the spots that you visit and highlight on your Instagram are incredible.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's tough, man, because there's a lot of different spots, and I try to take my folks by as many of them as I can if it makes sense to. But I I think that's tough to beat. You're out. I'm an evening golf guy. I I just don't like to, you know, kick the dew around in the mornings, not for me. There's a glare that happens, not the geeky. I'm the same way, but I hate it.
SPEAKER_02I hate my shoes are wet, everything's wet.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. So late evening on the 18 T box on the Highland course, you've got, you know, it's looking east, so you've got the sun setting over the ridgeline over the clubhouse, and it's sunlight smacking Pigeon Mountain over there, and the clouds are beautiful. And it's just that's that's the spot. And it's there's no one, there's no one pushing you from behind. You can just stand there and kind of take it in.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I love that. Well, Matt, thank you for taking time to come on the show. Love hearing everything about what's going on at MacLamore. I need to get back up there soon. Um be my guest.
SPEAKER_01You're my VIP. You just come on. I will take you up on that. That gets rid of all the excuses.
SPEAKER_02Okay, perfect. Perfect. Uh well, for Matt Bateman, I am Josh Decker, and this has been another episode of Off the Deck.
