LOUDON, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tanasi Golf Club opened Monday morning after a clubhouse fire at the facility Saturday evening. Officials have not determined a cause for the fire, but said it started in the kitchen area.
The golf course was not a place Bob Herrick expected to be Monday afternoon after the clubhouse went up in flames just two days ago.
“Thought it might be closed for a little bit,” Herrick said.
The clubhouse was determined to be a total loss, and officials said it could take 18 to 24 months to fully rebuild it.
“I think they did a tremendous job of getting it up and running again,” Herrick said.
The 26-year-old building was iconic for several people who visited. Alex Hartford said he was just at an event with his family there last Monday.
“It’s a bummer. I mean, everybody is talking about it here in the village. It’s just one of the places where we’ve come to see music and bring family and guests,” Hartford said.
The facility was able to open so quickly because all the golf carts, parked under the clubhouse, survived the fire.
“We started going through them yesterday to identify if they had any issues and they all, knock on wood, are operating perfectly,” Director of Golf at Tellico Village Chris Sykes said.
While the course itself didn’t sustain any damage, some golfers said they didn’t want to go out.
“Our normal group is not as complete today. Some of them have gone off site because they were concerned about the course,” Herrick said.
The plan is to move future events that would be hosted at Tanasi to the yacht club in Tellico Village. The yacht club is usually open five days a week but will likely move to 7 days a week and serve lunch and dinner.
An arson expert will go to the site to investigate. No foul play is expected, but it is something the state does to double-check.
Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved.
.