HORSESHOE BEND HISTORY AND CULTURE

A Storied History

Horseshoe Bend Country Club is nestled in a magnificent rolling green horseshoe formed by the beautiful Chattahoochee River as it sweeps across the northside of Atlanta on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. These fields and hills were once the original setting of the Atlanta Steeplechase - an annual springtime tradition. This beautiful site has been molded into a premier golf and recreation club set in an incomparable community. At the center of it all, perched on a hillside, is our newly renovated clubhouse offering unique and delicious dining options, business meeting and banquet facilities, as well as a hub for fun and relaxation. The year-long calendar of social events is sure to engage you, your associates, and the entire family.

Prestigious From the Beginning

Let’s take a look back. Mention Horseshoe Bend Country Club to any long-time Atlanta native and chances are he’ll claim to remember when Holcomb Bridge was a dirt road. Clubhouse architects Chapman, Coyle, and Chapman told stories of having to purchase 4-wheel drive vehicles to access the job site. Times have certainly changed, and Horseshoe Bend Country Club, as well as with the neighborhood surrounding it, have thrived, carving out its own identity and charm amidst the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

Horseshoe Bend Country Club gets its name from its location in a bend of the Chattahoochee River, where pioneers once farmed. Owned by John Wayt, Sr. in the 1960s, the land was described as “good for cotton and good for racing.” It was here that the first Atlanta Hunt Meeting and Steeplechase was run in March 1966. About 9,000 spectators came to watch the steeplechasers vie for time and leap over brush hurdles for the benefit of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. For five years, picnickers and tailgaters enjoyed the springtime ritual of enjoying the warmer weather, gourmet food, and eclectic dress traditions of the Atlanta Steeplechase. In 1971, the Atlanta Steeplechase moved forty miles north to another property owned by John Wayt, Seven Branches Farm.

During the 1960s, developer Lowell Womack began to develop neighborhoods in Dunwoody, and he soon expanded his development efforts across the Chattahoochee River to the Horseshoe Bend Community. Womack Properties was responsible for developing the original clubhouse and golf course, designed by John Lee, at Horseshoe Bend Country Club, which opened in 1974 featuring four holes along the historic Chattahoochee River.

In 1978, Womack Properties sold its interests in Horseshoe Bend to Mobil Development Company. Mobil developed the master plan for the community and its roads. In 1983, Tattersall Development Company assumed responsibility for the club and the ongoing development of the neighborhood. That same year, the American Junior Golf Association’s built its first permanent headquarters at Horseshoe Bend Country Club.

The Club quickly gained recognition for its first class facilities, premier playing conditions, and welcoming hospitality. The Club was named the site of The Pepsi Senior Challenge, a Champions Tour event, from 1986 to 1988. The tournament offered a purse totaling $300,000; with $45,000 going to the winners:
1986: Bruce Crampton
1987: Larry Mowry
1988: Bob Charles

In the early 1990s, Horseshoe Bend Country Club hosted several major golf and tennis championships, including the AT&T Challenge, Senior PGA Championship, and the American Junior Golf Association Tournament of Champions. These events brought professionals including Andre Agassi, Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and many other well-known athletes to our Club.

As the Atlanta suburbs began to develop, the Club flourished, quickly becoming known in the area for its lively and active membership. From 1999 to 2004 the course was redesigned by golf course architect William Boswell. After the renovation, the 18th hole at the time, which is currently the 9th hole, was listed as one of Georgia's Best 18 Holes by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Following the 2008 recession, which hit many industries hard including the private club industry, Horseshoe Bend Country Club, like so many other clubs, fell on hard times. By 2010, the Club was owned by a financial institution with its future unknown.

Horseshoe Bend CC Reimagined for You and the Future.

Entrepreneur and visionary Ben Kenny purchased the Club on March 24, 2011 and began an ambitious project to restore Horseshoe Bend Country Club to its prestigious reputation and prepare the Club for the future.

From 2011 to 2015, a comprehensive $35+ million revitalization project including the golf course, practice facility, clubhouse, parking lot and entrance, and Athletic Center, has elevated the member, guest, and staff experience to an even higher level of overall experience.

Hall of Fame Golf Course Architect Bob Cupp was engaged to redesign the golf course and restore the natural beauty. The first change was to reverse the “nine’s” so hole #10 became hole #1 and so forth. Throughout the project about 100,000 square foot of bunkers were eliminated to make the course more playable and 1,000 overgrown trees were removed to allow for sunlight and airflow but to also allow for the beautiful vista off the back of the clubhouse. The redesign also features Champion bermudagrass greens, TifGrand approaches, new cart paths and a state-of-the-art irrigation system. The addition of a fifth set of zoysia tees now has the course playing at 7,100 yards. The practice facilities feature two putting greens, a three-tier driving range, and an engaging short game practice area.

With the help of the original architectural team, Chapman, Coyle, and Chapman, and award-winning interior designer Traci Rhodes, we were able to transform our 37,000-square foot Clubhouse into the perfect retreat for single professionals, accomplished retired folks, and busy families. The Clubhouse features new and enhanced architecture and warm, welcoming décor paying homage to our equestrian roots.

The Horseshoe Bend CC tennis complex, winner of the 2015 United States Tennis Association Outstanding Private Facilities Award, features 13 full-sized courts - six Har-Tru clay courts, seven DecoTurf hard courts (same surface as the US Open), and three 7 DecoTurf pickleball courts. Our commitment to families and youth is reflected in our 4 USTA 10 and under courts.

The Swim facilities feature three resort style-pools: a water playground for the 8 and under children, a junior Olympic pool with 5 swim lanes and a diving well, and an adult-only pool that serves as a quiet retreat for those 18 and over and looking to relax. In addition to being the family favorite hangout, the junior Olympic pool serves as home to our award-winning swim team, the Mustangs! We have about 120 children swim in the ASA Summer Swim League from mid-May through June. The poolside Mustang Grill is open throughout pool season for salad, sandwiches, grilled food, beverages, and of course ice cream!

Following the magnificent revitalization project, Horseshoe Bend Country Club has found its sweet spot as the premier, family-oriented, private country club in North Atlanta. With numerous dining options and an engaging club event calendar, there is something for everyone! There is certainly no other club in the area that has made such a concerted commitment to their valued members and families, future members, and invited guests to provide the utmost in quality facilities, service, and community.

For more information on membership at Horseshoe Bend Country Club, please contact us at (770) 992-2310 ext. 100, or CLICK HERE to complete an online request for membership information at Horseshoe Bend Country Club.