The Finest Private Coastal Sporting Club in the Nation

Platinum Clubs of America Submission 2025-26

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The Ford Field & River Club is honored to once again be considered for the prestigious Platinum Clubs of America Award. A sanctuary of authentic Lowcountry living with the history of this storied land dating back over a century, our private, member-owned sporting community pairs charming traditions of Southern hospitality with modern amenities and year-round outdoor pursuits.

Universal Recognition

  • Awarded Platinum Club 5 Star status 3 consecutive election cycles, 2019-2020, 2021-2022, 2023-2024
  • Awarded Distinguished Clubs ELITE status for providing the highest standards of top-tier service, facilities, and amenities
  • The Ford’s Pete Dye-designed Golf Course recognized in Golfweek’s Best 2024: Top 200 Residential Golf Courses in the U.S. for six consecutive years
  • The Ford’s Golf Course also named in Golfweek’s 2024 Best In State ranking
  • Retained prestigious status as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary golf course for four years
  • The Ford has partnered with the Georgia PGA to host the Georgia Open six times
  • Executive Chef Luis Young is a two-time James Beard nominee and recognized in the esteemed Club + Resort Chef’s 40 Under 40 List for 2024
  • Named Top Second-Home Destination for Families by Luxury Magazine
  • The Main House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Excellence in Amenities and Facilities

The Ford’s world-class amenities and sporting facilities are designed to inspire and delight members while deepening their connection to each other and the uncommon coastal setting.

The Main House

The centerpiece of The Ford community is The Main House, once Henry and Clara Ford’s winter estate, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Completed in 1938, the 7,000-square-foot Greek Revival estate, now fully membership-owned, recently underwent a meticulous transformation designed to enhance its historical charm and modern features. The Main House now boasts five upper-level luxury guest suites, a wood-paneled library, a breakfast room, and formal living and dining rooms.

Outside, find multiple gardens, including a rose garden once tended to by Clara Ford, century-old oaks, an expansive lawn, a riverfront pool and deck, and an ornate central fountain.

  • Pete Dye Championship Golf Course

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    An award-winning 250-acre Pete Dye-designed golf course shaped by freshwater lakes, lush meadows, and scenic coastline with no tee time required.

  • Deepwater Marina

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    Cast the morning away along the 36-slip marina, which accommodates yachts up to 65 feet and sits on the Ogeechee River, just 20 nautical miles from the Atlantic and Intracoastal Waterway. Ogeechee Outfitters, which overlooks the marina, maintains three boats for captained trips and can serve as guides on special fishing or wildlife-viewing adventures.

  • Equestrian Center

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    Members can enjoy horseback riding along 10 miles of bridle trails on our 1,800-acre property. Our state-of-the-art, seven-acre equestrian center features a 22-stall barn, two air-conditioned tack rooms, a members’ lounge, 22 acres of paddocks, riding arenas, a turf jump field, and full veterinary services.

  • The Sports Barn & Lake Dye Pool

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    A 7,000-square-foot fitness center offers a squash court, yoga, spin classes, and personal training, plus three Har-Tru tennis courts, pickleball and basketball courts located nearby. Overlooking Lake Dye, heated and cooled swimming pools are the center of daily life from spring to fall, featuring a kids’ pool, lap lane, and hot tub.

  • Guided Fishing Excursions

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    The community’s waterways offer some of the finest fishing in the Southeast. Expert-led excursions explore our freshwater lakes, Ogeechee River frontage, Ossabaw Sound, Intracoastal Waterway, and the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Naturalist Center

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    Set within the Oyster House, the Naturalist Center is home base for The Ford’s on-site staff naturalist, who regularly hosts a range of educational activities for members of all ages, from bird counts to gator-tagging, kayaking tours, beach excursions, shelling trips, and more.

  • Sporting Clays and Shooting Club

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    Members have privileged access to the nearby 5,000-acre Dorchester Shooting Preserve, which offers sporting clays and upland wing shooting.

  • Culinary Experiences

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    Chef-inspired meals and an on-site marketplace draw upon fresh ingredients from land and sea, many grown onsite at the Edsel Community Farm. Members can bib up for community Oyster Roasts, savor refined fare at the Clubhouse, or enjoy a diverse menu poolside.

  • The Spa

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    The Spa offers seven treatment rooms and personalized massages, body treatments, hydrotherapy, and customized facials, plus manicures, pedicures, and a full-service hair salon.

Caliber of Staff and Professional Service Levels

Welcoming traditions of Southern hospitality are embraced by members and staff alike at The Ford Field & River Club, where everyone is treated with the kindness of family. The dedicated staff curates a wealth of programs and events to enrich the lives of members and their families, and every member and employee is inspired to be a passionate steward and student of the land, fields, and river.

  • Jeff DeKruif

    CCM, CHAE, PGA Associate

    General Manager/COO

    With over 20 years of experience in club leadership and financial management, Jeff DeKruif has a proven track record of improving financial and operational efficiency and developing a high-performance Club culture, Board governance, and long-term capital planning. A nationally recognized expert and speaker on private club finance, Jeff is slated for the 2024-2025 HFTP Global Board of Directors, one of 22 CFOs in the country who is also a Certified Club Manager (CCM) and one of two CFOs who is both a CCM and a member of the PGA of America. Jeff also serves on the national strategic advisory council for Club Benchmarking and routinely partners with the executive team on strategic initiatives.

  • Ted Coleman

    Director of F&B/Club Operations

    Ted Coleman brings over two decades of club experience to The Ford, most recently serving as Club Manager at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of South Carolina and has been an emerging leader in the industry ever since. Ted, a Certified Sommelier (Level 2), will be a Certified Club Manager (CCM) by the fall of 2024. A high-energy leader, Ted fosters a culture of education and development, building world-class food and beverage teams who are passionate about their craft.

  • Marianne Schofield

    CMP

    Director of Membership Development

    A member of The Ford leadership team for over 12 years, Marianne Schofield served as National President of the Professional Club Membership & Marketing Association (2019-2020). She leverages her vast experience as a dynamic membership and marketing executive to develop and implement programs, projects, and activities that increase and retain membership in the private club industry, while enhancing the member experience at The Ford.

  • Luis Young

    CEC

    Executive Chef

    At the helm of The Ford’s rich, nature-inspired culinary program, Luis Young is a two-time James Beard Award semi-finalist and is recognized in the esteemed Club + Resort Chef’s 40 Under 40 List for 2024. He holds extensive experience in top hotels and private clubs around the world and has worked in top kitchens, such as Michelin-starred Alinea, The French Laundry, and El Celler de Can Roca. His dedication to delivering exceptional, personalized culinary experiences to The Ford’s members has made a lasting impact on the community.

Engagement and Commitment of Membership

The Ford is entirely owned and governed by the community’s members, who continue to preserve and honor its rich history while creating extraordinary opportunities for members and their families to gather and connect.

The membership made a powerful statement of unity, commitment, and stewardship, voting with 90% approval to fund a $22.5 million amenity upgrade initiative set to break ground in September 2024. The initiative is the most significant amenity transformation undertaken by any private community in the region.

In a show of commitment to The Ford’s dedicated staff, members founded The Ford Field & River Club Scholarship Fund in 2018 to benefit employees and their families. The fund has awarded scholarships to 100% of applicants who exhibit exceptional academic performance, high moral character, and an inspirational commitment to their work.

  • $22.5M

    Amenity Upgrade Initiative Breaking Ground September 2024

  • 90%

    Member Approval Secured to Fund the Amenity Upgrade Initiative

  • +7.20%

    Annual “Net Worth” Growth Rate, Outperforming Best-In-Class Clubs

  • 100%

    A Fully Funded Capital Reserve Covers 100% of The Ford’s Asset Base

Governance and Prudent Fiscal Management

Committed to rigorous adherence to following industry-best governance and financial management practices, all Board and Committee members are required to participate in mandatory, comprehensive orientations, which include a thorough understanding of the fact-based, private club business model. The Club embraces a philosophy of strategic stewardship, including maintaining an effective strategic plan and comprehensive long-range capital asset plan.

  • The Club maintains a fully funded capital reserve fund that covers 100% of the community’s asset base and ensures adequate funding is available for all future asset replacement expenditures.
  • The ultimate barometer of financial success is the Club’s balance sheet equity valuation, or “net worth,” which is growing over time at an average compounded annual growth rate of +7.20%.
  • Club Benchmarking data shows that “best in class” clubs are growing at +5.50%, meaning The Ford’s financial performance is outperforming the best in class.

Adapting to Changing Times

The Ford continually adapts and evolves based on the needs of its members and their families.

  • The transformative $22.5M amenity upgrade initiative will enhance the already exceptional lifestyle offerings, expanding key amenities such as the Lake Dye Grill, Sports Barn, Clubhouse, and Golf Practice Facility.
  • To re-envision the world-class amenities and facilities, The Ford partners with Love Golf Design and Kuo Diedrich Chi Architects (KDC), a full-service architectural firm that specializes in master planning and design for Platinum Clubs worldwide.
  • The latest upgrades come on the heels of the recent restoration and enhancement of The Main House.
  • The Ford proudly partners with esteemed builders HMAF LLC. and Axon Homes, leveraging their expertise to design and build homes that capture a one-of-a-kind expression of Southern style while catering to the needs of today’s homeowners at The Ford.

Overall Experience

For over a century, families have sought a retreat along Georgia’s storied coast, with The Ford Field & River Club becoming the destination of choice for those seeking recreation, relaxation, and a deeper connection with nature. Members enjoy a refreshing way of life, steeped in the beauty of the land and the history of its location.

Days are spent setting out from the Deepwater Marina to fish, teeing off on the golf course, saddling up at the Equestrian Center, taking in the beauty of the Lowcountry from the Naturalist Center, and gathering at sunset for a seasonal oyster roast. The Ford membership remains true to its original mission to positively impact the lives of all who call the community home now and for generations to come, as the finest coastal sporting club in the nation.

Thank You

We are grateful for your consideration and the opportunity to share what makes The Ford the finest coastal sporting club community in the nation. Please contact us with any further questions.

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