Find Your People, Find Your Passion at The Landings
Its golf department boasts a Korn Ferry Tour event, and the racquets team hosts The Savannah Challenger—the longest continuous professional sporting event in Savannah.
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA: The Landings Golf & Athletic Club amenities are impressive, with five campuses, 11 restaurants, two full-service marinas, 30 miles of trails, 150+ stocked lagoons, 11 pickleball courts, 31 tennis courts, 8 bocce courts, 35+ youth camps, five pools, a two-acre community farm, and six golf courses (all designated as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries). Its 500-strong amateur women’s golf organization is the largest in the nation for a private club.
“As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Lynn Kahla-Ryan has a unique insight into our country. Her father retired as a two-star general in the Air Force. “As an Army brat, I moved 12 times,” recalled Lynn. “As a youngster, the most important question I had for my parents was ‘Will I meet new friends?’ When my husband, Jay, and I decided to move to The Landings, I had the same burning question. This was the first move I had input on. Although both of us are avid golfers, it’s harder to meet new friends in our 50s. While The Landings has a ‘New Neighbors Association’ to introduce you to the membership, it’s not the same as an organic introduction.
“In the first couple of weeks after we moved to The Landings, the two of us went for dinner at Arnie’s Steakhouse [one of 11 dining venues at The Landings]. While we waited for our table, we struck up a conversation with another couple who ended up having so much in common with us. That conversation spiderwebbed into more relationships with fellow members. It’s still somewhat surreal that we are here. I feel like we are living at an all-inclusive resort and that I am an actor in The Truman Show!”
East Versus West
“Lynn is a West Coaster, and I’m an East Coaster,” relayed Jay Ryan. “But both of us agree Florida isn’t for us. Disney World is great to visit, but the crowds and traffic are hard to manage. I always wanted to live in a golf community, but I had to choose between a happy wife and a golf club. The Landings was a perfect fit for both of us.
“We started our research on the web, and I was blown away [Lynn was as well] by what The Landings had to offer. So, we decided to take the club up on their offer of a discounted Discovery Visit. We both felt it was important to visit multiple times to see if it was the ‘fit’ for us.
“What I learned is that fellow residents speak freely about the club. With six courses in pristine shape, I wanted to know more about the community’s financials. Almost by accident, I met an attorney living at The Landings who specialized in homeowner association litigation. He extolled the benefits of living at The Landings, saying all communities should use the same documents that we signed. In my mind, it was an incredible validation that we made the right decision. I like to say my happiness is up 100 percent while our cost-of-living expenses are down 35 percent. Where else than The Landings could provide that mindset?”
Neighborhood Block Party
Julie and Charlie Kernan are also new residents at The Landings. “I’ve made more new connections in the past 18 months than in the last 20 years combined,” said Julie Kernan. “If you can’t connect with others here, it’s on you! We recently held a block party to meet all our neighbors. The potluck was a huge success.
“The Landings has so many moving parts. It’s big enough to branch out and experience new things. We were drawn to the influx of new families to the community. I just met a mother and her son, who were wearing cowboy hats and had completed a line-dancing class at the club. Where else but The Landings offers such an opportunity? Another big benefit of living here is the proximity of Savannah, its colleges, culture, and urban environment. While we may be retired, the social aspects keep us engaged and feeling young.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how important access to six golf courses was in our decision to move here,” recalled Julie. “I have met women whom I would probably never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise, on the course. The golf staff does a great job of fostering new friendships.”
“I couldn’t agree more with Julie,” concluded Charlie. “We have belonged to other clubs over the years that had one golf course. When the course closed for routine maintenance, it was disruptive. Here, one course can be closed for overseeding, one can be closed for a member tournament, and I would still have access to four others!”
For more information on The Landings Golf & Athletic Club, please visit LandingsClub.com.