A lake getaway — not far from home

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Pat and Brian Taylor swapped their lot in Reynolds Plantation for a new townhome after they decided they didn’t want to wait any longer to enjoy the Lake Oconee getaway. The couple, in their 50s, chatted about their vacation home.

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Christopher Oquendo/AJC Special Brian and Pat Taylor's home at Reynolds Plantation. Reynolds Plantation is a development in Greensboro, GA.

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Brian and Pat Taylor love their vacation home at Reynolds Plantation. They visit multiple times per month and love playing on the beautiful golf courses.

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Why Lake Oconee: “A fraternity brother of mine had retired there. He called and we got together,” Brian Taylor said. “We said, ‘Boy, this is a great place.’ We got introduced to a Realtor there who was his Realtor, who has actually become a friend of ours.”

They bought a lot three years ago “to get into the real estate game, so to speak,” he said. They didn’t have intentions of building on it soon, but he enjoyed visiting the area for golf and other activities.

“The more we went there, we liked everything about it,” Brian said. When their Realtor told them about a year ago about the possibility of swapping their lot for the townhome in the National Village II section on the community’s Creek Club course, the couple was intrigued. “We wanted something that we would lock and leave, not a lot of maintenance,” he said. “The townhouse we looked at was just perfect for that. We’re absolutely thrilled that we did it.”

Their place: A new three-bedroom, 3½-bath townhome on the fourth tee of the Creek Club course and near the community’s Lake Club. Two bedrooms are downstairs and one bedroom is upstairs, providing a sense of privacy for guests. The couple carried over the style of their primary residence by using a similar color scheme, but the architecture is different, with a cottage-style look that Pat Taylor says adds to the cozy feeling. “I would love to hang a sign when I walk in that says, ‘Keep it simple,’” she said. “That’s the point of that place.”

To make it possible for them to take trips at the last minute to the lake, she decided to duplicate her makeup, their toiletries and other items they otherwise would have to pack. “You just walk in, and you’re there in your home,” Pat Taylor said.

How far from home: About an hour and 20 minutes from their home in Duluth.

How often they’re there: Sometimes two to three times a month. “It’s close enough that you don’t have to prepare ... as opposed to a Hilton Head or a Destin or some of the other beach locations, you really have to plan to go,” said Brian, who publishes health care magazines. “We could go on a Saturday, come back on a Sunday, and not have to worry about it.”

What they do when they’re there: The amenities and community activities such as Friday night happy hour in the clubhouses. Brian said he enjoys not having to play the same one course because of the multiple courses in the community.

“Depending on what you’re feeling like, you can play a different one every day of the week,” he said. “They’re all championship courses. The teaching facility is one of the best in the nation.”

What they love about it: “I love the diversity of people,” he said. “It’s not just a Georgian retreat. There’s people from all over the world actually.”

Although the residents include celebrities, Brian Taylor said it doesn’t have a pretentious feel. “It’s kind of fun because it’s like once you drive through the gates, you drop your identity,” he said.

At a glance

Brian and Pat Taylor’s townhome has three bedrooms, 3½ baths and about 1,564 square feet of livable space, according to county tax records. They purchased it in July 2008.

Community overview

Reynolds Plantation, about 90 minutes from Atlanta, is a community on the 19,000-acre Lake Oconee, which boasts 374 miles of shoreline. Community amenities include five golf courses, with a sixth course by Pete Dye in development. Other golf features include its Golf Academy, led by Golf Magazine Top 100 instructor Charlie King, and TaylorMade Performance Lab. The property has three full-service marinas, five restaurants, three tennis facilities totaling 14 courts, five pools at its Lake Club, more than 14 miles of walking trails (a conservationist also is on staff) and a wellness center.

Information

Reynolds Plantation

www.reynoldsplantation.com

Georgia’s Lake Country

www.oconee.org

Greene County Tourism

www.visitlakeoconee.com

Georgia Power-Lake Oconee

www.georgiapower.com/lakes/Oconee.asp

Getting there

Take I-20 east to Augusta. Take Exit 130 to Greensboro/Eatonton and turn right on Lake Oconee Parkway. Travel 7 miles and turn left onto Linger Longer Road. Travel 2.5 miles and turn right onto Jackson House Lane into Reynolds Plantation.

Recent sale

$595,000: 1041 Dyal’s View, Greensboro 30642. A three-bedroom, 3½-bath Craftsman-style townhome with a golf- course view.

For sale

$695,000: 1221 Regency Drive, Greensboro 30642. A three-bedroom, 3½-bath Craftsman-style townhome with a pond and fountain view.