Lake Toxaway Hotel, and the lake that bears its name in North Carolina was considered a luxurious place more than a century ago. It is located just south of Blue Ridge Parkway, not far from Georgia and North/South Carolina borders. The five-star hotel was opened in 1895.

The hotel was frequented by many celebrities of the turn of the century, including Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and the Vanderbilts. Thomas Edison and the iconic singer/actress Lillian Russell were also regulars. This exclusive retreat was short-lived after the original dam of the lake burst flooding the area in 1916 and forcing the closure of the hotel.
Reg Heinitsh Sr. and a group investors bought the 9,300-acre tract surrounding the lake in 1960 and set out on a mission to revive the magic of the once-great mountain resort. Lake Toxaway Country Club owners are adding a new chapter to the rich and long history of Lake Toxaway.
Indeed, 10 years after Donald Ross restoration-specialist Kris Spence topped off a $9 million project to completely redesign the course, Lake Toxaway is in the midst of putting another $10 million into more club enhancement projects and new amenities. If everything goes as planned, the latest capital improvements will transform the gated mountain community into a more vibrant multi-generational destination that is sustainable for many decades.
It’s a constant evolution that many private clubs, especially the well-capitalized ones, are going through from coast to coast.
In Lake Toxaway, the newly renovated $7.1-million clubhouse is a great example of how leisure time lifestyles have changed dramatically. Private clubs used to be the domain of golfers and card players. But today, they are a mix of trendy restaurants, cool nightclubs, and family-friendly Four Diamond Resorts.
This is not your grandfather’s or father’s country club. Kuo Diedrich Chi, a team of contemporary Atlanta architects, envisions changing the look and feel for many 21st century private clubs. Today’s private clubs must be places that all family members can enjoy, over and over again.
Firestone Bar & Grille, Lake Toxaway’s newly-imagined Firestone Bar & Grille, is symbolic for Lake Toxaway’s general manager John Schoenbeck of the new-age KDC leisurely space. The dining venue features an indoor and outdoor bar area, a casual grille and a covered dining porch that offers scenic views of the golf course and lake.
Schoenbeck opened the clubhouse’s newly renovated area in late 2018. We still receive a few requests for tables in the old dining room. It’s not older because it has been totally renovated. They may just want some quiet time.
“But everyone else wants to join the party at the other place. We have more than doubled the outdoor seating. It is so beautiful there that everyone just wants to stare at the mountains. Craft beers, cool specials and TVs in bars create a fun atmosphere. Golf is still a very important sport and clubs need to hold onto their traditions. You have to be an evolving place that people will want to come to and enjoy themselves.
According to Lake Toxaway Company President/Chairman Reg Heinitsh Jr., who said that the average age of Lake Toxaway’s members is 60, the new clubhouse represents the first phase of a strategy to attract younger families and members.
The classic club has completed phase two of its strategic capital improvement plan, highlighted by the construction of a resort-style swimming pool complex that costs millions of dollars next to North Carolina’s biggest man-made water body. Heinitsh, Jr., who unveiled the new amenity Labor Day Weekend, expects that the club and residential development will be even younger in the future.
“What we are doing is making our club members and property owners think that I don’t have to leave Lake Toxaway for anything,” Heinitsh says. His son Reg Heinitsh III is also a member of the Lake Toxaway Company, as a broker/vice president. “(The Firestone Bar & Grille and newly enhanced clubhouse) is the center of their social culture. They are wearing out.
“With our modern, upscale clubhouse and a variety of dining options, we are preparing for the next generation. We need to target people aged 45-50. Our older members are extremely happy with it. We’re attracting new people to take their place as we progress. … “The multi-generational swimming pool complex is another important step.”
Heinitsh is clearly excited about sharing this experience with his grandchildren.
Heinitsh says that “a lot of people are on the lake.” You can now take the floatboat to the park and club. Walk about 75 steps, and you will find several pizza ovens as well as a new bar-grill by the water. Kids have their own room for entertainment. With (this new complex), you’ll be able to host many parties on Lake Toxaway using the float boats.
“We will end up with a good balance (of amenities). A country club today has to be both.