Two years after a devastating fire obliterated the clubhouse at Tanasi Golf Course in Tellico Village, a ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday marked the commencement of construction on its replacement. The original clubhouse, which fell victim to a kitchen fire in August 2022, served as a communal nexus for the senior living community, whose golf operations have been experiencing unprecedented activity.

The new clubhouse, coming with an $11.5 million price tag, is not merely a revival of the old but a stride into modernity with expanded amenities, which include a sizable restaurant, private dining, a state-of-the-art golf flex space, and a pro shop, each designed to enhance the experience of the community's residents. "It's been a long process, but I think the process has delivered an end result that we're hoping meets everybody's needs," John Orr, a Tellico Village Property Owners Association board member, said in a statement obtained by WBIR.

The significance of the clubhouse stretches beyond the bounds of Tellico Village. Loudon County Mayor Rollen "Buddy" Bradshaw underscored its value to the local economy. Noting its function as a tourist draw, he expressed enthusiasm for the new facility's potential impact, "Loudon County depends on a lot of its tourism. Part of our tourism, part of our draw, was having folks out here on the water and it was an easy stop-in to get a burger with fries, or a sandwich, or a salad," Bradshaw said during an interview given to WBIR.

Thanks to the efforts in navigating through this complex rebuilding process, Tellico Village is looking forward to the clubhouse's much-awaited return. "This has been a two-year process for me that I've been very excited about because I had the unfortunate experience to have it happen just as I came on board, and then to have the ability to work through the process and then get it started and up and running and hopefully rebuild as quickly as possible," stated Chet Pillsbury, CEO of the Tellico Village Property Owners Association in a WVLT interview. Construction is set to wrap up within 12 to 14 months, with an opening slated for early 2026.

Casey Flenniken, the Director of Golf Operations at Tanasi Golf Course, also communicated the excitement and optimism surrounding the new clubhouse's construction. "It’s incredibly, great opportunity for us to capitalize on some of our weaknesses in the old building, but also get some state of the art opportunities within the new clubhouse," Flenniken relayed in an interview with WATE. With the project finally underway, Tellico Village is poised to reclaim and surpass its former glory as a key community and recreation hub.