Highlands Falls is lucky to have Fred in charge of our golf course and so much more. In the words of one member, “he can be anything.” That is because Fred is always striving to not only learn the best practices for maintenance and construction but ensuring that the education is put to use around every turn at the Club. Fred learned at the ripe young age of 15 that he would pursue a career in golf after his interest was piqued during a summer job at a country club in Ohio. He came to Highlands Falls in 1999 after earning a degree in Agronomy from Ohio State and positions at Cherokee Town & Country Club as well as Newnan Country Club. Since arriving, Fred has not only employed best practices to keep our golf course in tournament condition, but also managed the construction of our fitness facility, our croquet facility and our most recent golf course renovations.

A Southerner born and bred, Judy uses her expertise to ensure the finances are in order at HFCC. She learned her trade at NC State University, graduating with a degree in Accounting. Never one to stop learning, Judy decided, after 30 years of experience as a controller at private clubs, to mix it up a bit so she pursued a degree in philosophy which she earned from Western Carolina University. Now she not only makes the numbers work, she does it while understanding the reason and logic of human existence. Judy was born in Mobile, Alabama, so you can rest assured she is a big fan of the Crimson Tide. Her favorite saying – Roll Tide!

Josh has been with HFCC for the past 14 years as the Assistant Golf Course Superintendent. He has helped guide us through many transitions and projects including the creation of the croquet complex and the most recent golf course renovation. He has been instrumental in overseeing the technology and metrics transformation of the department to improve efficiency and decision making. Josh has a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy with a specialization in Turfgrass Management from Auburn University and has attended continuing education throughout his career at HFCC. Josh is an accomplished agronomist who is unique in that he has experience managing both warm and cool season turf varieties. His career has included stops at Wildcat Cliffs CC, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Assistant Superintendent at Wade Hampton Golf Club and Highlands Falls. Josh is married and has three children and resides in Franklin.

To say George has a wealth of experience in the private club industry is an understatement. In addition to holding several management positions and working as a consultant assisting over 75 private clubs, George also found the time to publish The Complete Membership Director, an industry training manual that has experienced worldwide sales. George hails from Spring Valley, Illinois where he met his wife Joanie during their freshman year at Hall High School. After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his 40+ year career across the U.S., George found his home here at Highlands Falls in 2018 where he has been helping members and prospective members every day. When off the clock, which isn’t often, George plays tennis, hikes, boats and likes to watch his alma mater’s football and basketball games as well as his favorite professional team - the St. Louis Cardinals.

One of our longest tenured employees, Onifer has been our Fitness Director since 2005 and has loved every minute of it. He is quite serious about his passion for helping others stay healthy and put in the time to ensure he had the knowledge and education to do so. Onifer earned a BS in Sports Management with a focus on Exercise Science. Then, to take his education to a higher level, he earned an MBA as well. When he is not helping members in the Fitness Center, he’s helping our members arrange their Croquet lessons and play. And on top of that, he is also organizing our ever-popular Junior Camps. His energy fits his role at HFCC and we are lucky to have him as a dedicated member of our team. And if that isn’t enough, after work he’s watching or attending sporting events, having movie night or traveling with his wife and two daughters.

Chef Shawn is new to Highlands Falls and has exciting plans to take our cuisine to a higher elevation! Shawn brings a wealth of experience in fine dining, from wine dinners, chef’s tables, cooking classes and other creative concepts, while also having spent much time focusing on the a la carte operations in his clubs. Prior to that he was Executive Chef for the Green Bay Country Club and The Town Club in Wisconsin. During Shawn’s early years of his culinary career, he was fortunate to work at Royal Poinciana Club, a Platinum Club of America, The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Naples, FL., Bald Peak Colony Club and The Club Pelican Bay. Along the way he was mentored by some outstanding Chefs, including Manfred Brauer, Joseph Gross and Derin Moore C.M.C. Shawn is also the current Vice President of the Sarasota Bay ACF Chapter in Sarasota, FL. Like a true culinary artist, he plans to create a fresh, unique and memorable dining experience at our Club.

Allen is passionate about his chosen path as a PGA professional. Like so many others who love the game, Allen was introduced to golf at an early age by his father and he knew he had found his calling. He chose to become a PGA Professional, earning his status in 1990. Since that time, he has focused on sharing his passion by helping others learn how to play and improve their games. As dedicated as he is to golf, he is even more dedicated to Bonnie, his wife of 35 years and his three beautiful and in his words, well-rounded, children. Allen is grateful for many things in his life, but at the top of the list are his parents, his fellow PGA mentors, his fellow team members and the members Highlands Falls for the opportunities they provide every day for him to grow and prosper.

When it comes to tennis and pickleball, there are few who have the knowledge and experience of Dave Sherwood. He has been a certified tennis professional for more than 30 years and a certified pickleball expert for the past 5 years. He has trained and coached several national and sectional ranked adult USTA teams and both designed and implemented several Junior Tennis academies. While that is impressive, what is more impressive is the advice and instruction he provides members at HFCC to elevate their games and enjoyment of the sport. When the season ends, Dave heads down to Longboat Key and Venice, Florida, where he has taught tennis for more than 20 years. He so enjoys tennis that he even graduated from Welch’s Har-Tru court maintenance school after which he designed and built his own red clay tennis courts. Now that’s what we call passion.

Jessica is a NC native originally from Winston-Salem. After graduating from Western Carolina in 2007 she remained in the area and began her club management career in F & B at Mountaintop Lake & Golf Club. After years travelling and working for Discovery Land Company at private clubs in California, Montana, Mexico, and the Bahamas in various departments and positions she decided to settle permanently in the Highlands/Cashiers area. In 2017, she earned her Court of Master Sommelier’s Level 1 designation while managing the wine program at the Chattooga Club in Cashiers. She then shifted her career in 2019 and became a NC real estate broker. She and her husband have two young daughters, and she enjoys being a busy mom and spending time outdoors with her family. She is excited to bring her skills to HFCC and looks forward to getting to know all the members and their families.

When it comes to managing a facility as large as Highlands Falls, you need a person with many technical skills. We found that skilled person in Tim Griffith. His talents lie in his ability to blend engineering skills with aesthetics which took him on a coast-to-coast path in his career. A few of his many accomplishment include the development of a $50 million campus in Arkansas, managing facilities for the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Atlanta History Center, and creating incredible lighting displays for holiday and art exhibitions as well as high profile installations for clients that include Coca-Cola, Suntrust Battery Park and the Callanwolde Fine Art Center. Tim is an avid car buff and auto racing fan. When he’s not taking care of our Club, the spot you’ll probably find him is wherever he can watch F1, Indy Car and NASCAR.

Mark Todd, our assistant golf professional, experienced two defining moments that set his path for a career in golf. At age 23, he read Golf in the Kingdom by Michael Murphey and shortly thereafter had a conversation about living life to its fullest with a dying friend. While playing junior college golf, he quickly became more interested in teaching rather than playing. That revelation led to his apprenticeship in Visalia, California under the tutelage of PGA Professional Ralph Lomeli who was also PGA Tour player Jerry Heard’s teacher. Four years later he became a certified club fitter for Slazenger, a company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina and it was there he fell in love with the South. He became a PGA Professional in 1996 and spent the next 14 years working at several different golf clubs. In 2010, he arrived at Highlands Falls to work at what he refers to as his “dream job”.