The Cliffs’ Jim Anthony sticks with Tiger Woods

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Good story here from the Charlotte Observer:

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. In the corporate offices of The Cliffs Communities, the walls are filled with images of the good life. There are photographs of rich, green golf courses, sun-kissed lakes and designer mountain homes with never-leave-the-porch views.

This is what helped convince Tiger Woods to build his first golf course in the United States on a spectacular piece of ridge-top property nearly 4,000 feet above sea level and 10 miles east of Asheville.

However, between the economic downturn since the Cliffs at High Carolina was announced in August 2007 and the scandalous issues in Woods’ personal life, the project has taken a hit.

High Carolina is continuing, developer Jim Anthony says, despite at least one published report that it had stalled. And, after careful consideration of Woods’ damaged image, Anthony decided to stick with Woods and his design team working on the overall design of the mountaintop community as well as the course.

“We’ve tried to strike the balance between supporting Tiger and also making smart decisions,” Anthony said.

“We’ve got a business to run,” he said. “We believe creating loyalty with Tiger will pay dividends.”

High Carolina is intended to be the crown jewel in the Cliffs’ eight high-end communities strung along the western edge of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Though sales of High Carolina’s 1,000 to 1,200 home sites are far below expectation – $34.7 million in closed home site sales thus far with an additional $7.6 million in sales awaiting closing – construction on the course continues.