Couple living in gated TPC Southwind community wanted a larger home on the golf course.

Christopher and Emily Wiltse were living in the Southwind area, but wanted to find a larger home located on the golf course. They were especially taken with a home known as “The Island House.”

“We admired The Island House while golfing and riding in a golf cart on the course,” recalled Emily. “It is located near the 11th green between the ponds on The Island with a beautiful view. When the house was listed in 2023, we made an offer immediately. However, our offer was declined, and someone else’s offer accepted with a contract. We were so disappointed. However, one of our friends said, ‘I still think it will work out, you were meant to live in that home.’

With that disappointment we decided to start updating our home in Southwind on Wind Shadow Cove. We had already added a new roof, HVAC, driveway and porch. It was a model home when the subdivision was first built. It had beautiful moldings, archways and columns, but needed a new kitchen and laundry. We completed that update around September 2023.”

The pull to live on the Southwind golf course was a strong one for the Wiltses. “Chris is a founding member of the TPC golf club and has been a member for over 30 years,” explained Emily. “He also served as chairman of the locker room committee for more than 30 years during the Fed Ex St. Jude Championship.”

Emily continued, “While we were on vacation in October 2023, our realtor, Mindy Okeon Wagerman, called us with an update. She informed us that the previous contract had failed on The Island House and asked if we wanted to make another offer. We made an offer, and it was accepted. We closed on November 15, the anniversary of our first date.”

Located inside the TPC Southwind golf community, the Wiltses’ new home, c.1995, had approximately 7,000 square feet of living space. They paid $1.025 million for the home which included five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half-bath.

Touted as a “true classic located on one of the most coveted drives in the private Southwind neighborhood” this stunning home was described as “move-in ready.”

Stepping inside from the two-story, columned portico led to a soaring two-story entry. A marble floor in the entry complemented the classic, curving staircase. Each room was generously sized. There was a “tournament room” upstairs with a second kitchen, a fireplace and a balcony which took full advantage of golf course views. The backyard was designed with a terraced patio with separate areas for cooking/grilling, dining and entertaining. The primary bedroom, one of two bedrooms on the home’s first floor, was outfitted with its own sitting area. And the chef’s kitchen came with Viking and Sub-Zero brand appliances.

“Although the home was in great shape, we still wanted to add our own touches,” said Christopher. “Since we had just finished updating our kitchen in our previous home, we just modified and copied those plans. We removed the old intercom speakers and volume controls. Most of the interior walls, ceilings and trim were re-painted. New lock sets and door hardware were installed. New Wolf appliances, sinks and quartz countertops were installed in the kitchen. Hardwood floors were added downstairs. All of the bathrooms were updated with new sinks, hardware and quartz and marble countertops. The old landscaping was removed, along with two large trees, and the yard was freshly landscaped. Also, we installed new gutters, sealed the attic and added new fascia.”

“We have several favorite features in our new house,” said Emily. “The kitchen has three European wine coolers added by the previous owners. The wine coolers can hold approximately 300 bottles of wine. Although it’s doubtful we will ever have them full of wine, we also store water and soda there. The sunroom is wrapped with windows that face the golf course. Every room on the backside of the house has a different view of the course. The two-tiered patio with an old vintage fountain is also a favorite feature of the house. And, there is a unique mural painting on the second-floor balcony wall depicting the 12th hole at the Augusta, Georgia golf course.”

Indeed, the spirit of the golfing life is alive and well at the Wiltse home. Christopher had lived inside Southwind for 23 years at the couple’s former home. Emily moved to Southwind after the couple married in 2012. Both Christopher and Emily are active in their chosen community. He currently is on the Southwind Homeowners Board of Directors and she is a member of the Southwind Garden Club.

“We moved into our new home in February 2024, thanks to our efficient contractor Doyle Ricks,” said Emily. “The TPC golf course at Southwind is a wonderful and safe place to live. It’s guarded and gated 24/7, which makes us feel very secure. The golf course is among the most coveted in the nation and is home to the Fed Ex St. Jude Championship. We have been so fortunate to have awesome neighbors in both parts of Southwind where we have lived. We can’t imagine having our home anyplace else.”

Emily Adams Keplinger is a freelance reporter who produced this feature for the Advertising Department.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Couple living in gated TPC Southwind community wanted a larger home on the golf course.