This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Harbor Club Transforms Vintage Marina on Lake Oconee

Harbor Club on Lake Oconee continues to enhance its amenity offerings in 2014 with the grand opening of The Boathouse at Harbor Club, a comprehensive renovation of the vintage old Granite Shoals Marina, according to the community’s general manager, Brandon Matney.

 

The Boathouse at Harbor Club is open to the public and features a general store and a full-service restaurant called Smoke on the Water, specializing in Bar-B-Q that is smoked on the premises, plus other homestyle southern fare. The general store is fully stocked with items such as soft drinks, beer and wine, ice, sandwiches, milk, eggs, snacks, sunscreen and more.

Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

The Boathouse is located just outside the community’s back gate on Walkers Church Road, a mile south of the Richland Connector. It is situated on the Richland Creek side of Lake Oconee, known for the clearest waters on the lake. By boat it is just over two miles north of the Ritz-Carton Lodge.

Find out what's happening in Oconeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

For boating and water sports enthusiasts, The Boathouse features a boat ramp, community dock, marine fuel pumps, pontoon boat, jet ski and kayak rentals, plus tackle and nautical supplies available in the general store. An outdoor deck near the dock is the perfect spot to grab lunch before getting back on the lake. And later this summer The Boathouse will open 48 covered, dry storage spaces for the boats of Harbor Club property owners and surrounding residents. More storage can be modularly added as demand warrants.

 

Says Matney, “With the opening of The Boathouse every residence or home site in Harbor Club instantly becomes lake access. Additionally, our residents and our neighbors on the east side of the lake now have a place for them to easily pick up necessities for their families or dine out without having to drive 20 minutes.”

 

The Granite Shoals Marina was one of the very first structures built on Lake Oconee, opened the same year the lake was created in 1979. The marina went through several owners over 35 years and ultimately fell into disrepair. Harbor Club purchased the marina site in 2011 and began plans to breathe new life into the facility.

 

The community first removed a dilapidated boat storage building on the property. Then the old marina building was largely gutted except for a large, walk-in cooler.  Sagging dry wall was replaced by rustic barn siding, and new wood floors were laid throughout. The building exterior has been completely repainted and the surrounds landscaped. Harbor Club also added the outdoor dining deck, and lastly The Boathouse was topped with a shiny, new tin roof.

 

The Boathouse is the latest expression of forward-thinking at Harbor Club over the last year. Other initiatives have included the release of the community’s new Pine Lake model home, a broad-reaching re-branding program of Harbor Club that includes a new logo and website (www.harborclub.com), a release of new homesites in April that generated 63 sales over a single weekend and a comprehensive enhancement of the community’s club and golf amenities.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Oconee