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set foot on the property. It’s one-ofone, and it will remain so simply
because of the site. You’re not going to be able to replicate what you
find there anywhere else.”
“While I feel like I’m a part of
this journey, there is no way one
person could take credit for what
we have now,” Horton said. “I
believe God is sovereign over all
things, and he’s absolutely proven
it at McLemore. You can’t look at
what’s happened here and believe
anything different.”
Embracing the Vision
Seeing what has unfolded at
McLemore has given Bergin immense respect for Horton’s leadership in the transformation.
“It is much harder to take a project that’s been bankrupt and to get
it over the hump than starting from
scratch,” Bergin said. “But Duane
earned the trust of the people with
his vision. McLemore grabs you
emotionally, and it makes you want
to be there. Again, it goes back to
the culture they have created there,
and Duane is at the heart of that.”
Having designed golf courses around the globe, Jones has
worked with a broad array of
course owners and developers. But
he has enjoyed a special relationship with Horton since their earliest days at McLemore.
“If it wasn’t for his vision, I don’t
believe McLemore would even be
there today. Plus, he’s a good leader
who has surrounded himself with
extraordinarily competent and
committed people,” Jones said.
Charlie Rymer, who once competed on the PGA Tour and was a
former host on Golf Channel, now
serves as Executive Vice President
of Golf at the resort. Having competed against and interviewed some
of the greats of the game, he sees
some of those same traits in Horton.
“I’ve worked in some different fields,
and the two smartest people in
terms of their processor speed that
I’ve ever been around in my life are
Duane Horton and Mike Tirico,” Rymer said. “Mike Tirico is an incredible broadcaster that can flawlessly
go from the Kentucky Derby to NBA
basketball to a Thursday night college football game to calling a major
championship in golf.
“As a developer, Duane must be
good at multiple disciplines as well.
He’s had to turn himself into an expert in golf and be able to get up in
front of groups of people for them
to understand he knows the game.
When you work for him, you see
the intellect, you see the expertise,
you see the time that he puts in. He
inspires others to give their best.”
Bergin recalls when he and
Horton “used to drive out there
to that spot which is now located
behind the 18th green at The Keep.
There was a little clearing there
with fescue on it, and you could go
out to the edge of the rock and just
stand there to take in that incredible view. We visited there often
before we ever had a project. We’d
go there and just talk. To see where
we are now is just phenomenal.”
Family and Healing
Golf has always been a cathartic outlet for Horton, something
he enjoyed regularly with his late
father despite some difficult years
in their relationship early in life.
“My parents divorced when I
was very young, and my dad was
more like a favorite uncle during
those early years,” Horton said. “But
he’s the one that introduced me to
golf, and I never played much without him. Even today, I rarely play
a round of golf that I don’t think
about him. It was something that
brought me back together with him
and reunited him with our family.”
Other people intervened in
Horton’s life during those formative
years— his stepfather, his ROTC
sergeant, his college cheerleading
coach and even his high school
science teacher. He has also been
inspired by early role models in
construction, business partners
and board members at McLemore.
They each made an impact in the
leader he has become today.
But no one has stood by his
side with greater devotion than
his wife, Mindy. The couple will
celebrate their 25th anniversary
later this year and have raised ten
children— five boys and five girls—
ranging from ages 20 to eight.
“There’s no way I could be here
without what she sacrificed, the
love and care that she has given
me and the entire family,” Horton
said. “She’s had the harder job, but
the more rewarding one, too. To
know the impact she’s making on
the next generation through her influence on our children, I could not
be prouder of our kids and grateful
for what she’s done.”
Paul Payne is a Chattanooga financial advisor
who in his spare time enjoys telling stories about
regional and national golf.
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