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The 50 Best Golf Communities in Americaby Joe Passov - Copied from Golf Magazine Spring 2006 There are more than 3,600 residential golf communities in the United States, and almost as many considerations in choosing one as your home. We weighed numerous factors - property values, quality of golf, proximity to metro areas, health care and transportation - to find the 50 best places to live. We also revealed the top picks in six important categories. From Established favorites to chic newcomes, these communities are where you'll find your dream life. Best in the USDesert Mountain, Scottsdale, ArizonaWhen uber-developer Lyle Anderson announced plans in 1985 to transform a cactus-choked property outside Phoenix into a luxury residential community, he was greeted with dismissive laughter. Today, Desert Mountain is the gold standard against which all golf-course communities are measured.
But the key stat at Desert Mountain is not the number of golf courses. The average asking price of a lot here in 1987 was $47,500. Today the few remaining parcels start at $282,000 and rise to as high as almost $4 million. That's growth any homeowner can appreciate. Lots: $282,000 - $3.75 million Best Large CommunityKiawah Island, South Carolina It's ironic that one of golf's most heated skirmishes - the infamous "War by the Shore" at the 1991 Ryder Cup - took place at its most sedate enclave. Kiawah Island, 21 miles south of Charleston is home to more than 4,000 residents, a number that scarcely seems possible given the tranquil ambiance of the place.
Two other noteworthy amenities contribute to the good-life feed on the guard-gate protected island:a new luxury oceanfront hotel, the Sanctuary, which opened in 2004, and the residents-only Beach Club, which sits on the opposite end of the island from the golf courses. Lots: $299,000- $9.5 million Best Intimate CommunitySanta Lucia Preserve, Carmel, California Intimate isn't the first word that leaps to mind when considering a 20,000 - acre residential development. However, if you accept the textbook definition of intimate - "informal warmth or privacy...fostering a friendly atmosphere" - then you won't find a better example than Santa Lucia Preserve. This exclusive development occupies pristine mountain terrain three mils east of Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula. Only 300 home sites, at a minimum of five acres apiece, were made available. The rest of the land, comprising more than 18,000 acres, was permantely set aside to prevent further development, leaving a habitat for the wild board, mule deer and bobcats that have roamed here since it was a Spanish ranchero more than 200 years ago.
Lots: $900,000-$2.9 million Best GolfReynolds Plantation, Greensboro, GA. Halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, this 10,000-acre property includes 400 miles of shore-line on Lake Oconee, 80 miles of which are devoted soley to residential use. Other perks include two full-service marinas, a pair of swimming pools, a fitness center, walking and biking trails, and an on-property Ritz-Carlton Lodge. But all of these bells and whistles pale next to the variety of golf at Reynolds Plantation.
Lots: $59,000-$2.75 million Best New Community (East)Palmetoo Bluff, Bluffton, S.C. Palmetto Bluff is proof that big packages can hold small wonders. This 2-year-old development occupies a massive 21,000-acre tract near Hilton Heal Island, but while 35,000 people call the resort island home year-round. Palmetto Bluff is drawing the line at 2,917 units. That ensures residents of this Colonial-era plantation and lumber farm are guaranteed thousands of acres of untouched Lowcountry scenery. Residential options include Headwaters, ten enourmous family compounds, each with river and freshwater lake access, and May River Forest, which offers half-acre to eight-acre home sites. The hub is the waterfront Village, with its post office, bookstore, backery and dock. Jack Niclaus' May River Golf Club, a beautiful track that zigzags through river estuaries and over wildlife-filled marshes, was named one of Golf Magazine's Top 10 New Courses in 2005.
Lots: $250,000-4.75 million Best in the EastBay Harbor, Bay Harbor, Mich. This lakeside residential and resort community sits atop the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. Golf: Arthur Hills designed three nine-hole loops, the Links, Quarry and Preserve nines. The LInks and Quarry combination is No. 27 on Golf Magazine's Top 100 you can play. Amentities: Bay Harbor Resort hotel, marina and yacht club, fitness center, equestrian center, shopping. Lots: $99,000-$2.9 million Belfair, Bluffton, S.C. This community is on the banks of the Colleton River, just seven miles from Hilton Head. The property dates to 1811. Golf: Two Tom Fazio-designed courses; a 30-acre Him Ferree Learning Center. Amenities: Tennis, croquet, fishing, health-care providers. Lots: $88,900-$799,000 Black Diamond Ranch, Lecanto, Fla. An hour west or Orlando and 15 minutes east of the Gulf of Mexico, this rural community opened in 1987. There are 795 properties here, with 190 still for sale. Golf: Tom Fazio's Quarry Course here is one of the best residential courses in the country. The property also offers another 27 holes and a four-hole Scottish-style track. Amenities: Fitness center, tennis, swimming pool. Lots: $140,000+ Bonita Bay, Bonita Springs, Fla. This 20-year-old community north of Naples gets better with age. When build-out is reached in four years there will be 3,300 properties. Golf: Five residents' courses: three by Arthur Hills and two by Tom Fazio. Amenities: Marina, fitness center, tennis, private beach, butterfly garden. Colleton River Plantation, Bluffton, S.C. This spectacular, low-key Lowcountry gem is located on 800 acres just off the Hilton Head Island. Golf: Two courses by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, both of which were ranked on Golf Magazine's Top 100 Courses in the U.S. Amenities: Tennis, boating docks, walking and hiking trails. Lots: $325,000-$1 million + Daniel Island, Charleston, S.C. Golf communities don't come much closer to downtown than this 5-year-old, six-neighborhood development known as Charleston's island town. Golf: Courses by Tom Fazio and Rees Jones enjoy sweeping marsh vistas. Amenities: Tennis, swimming pool, fitness center, 23 miles of shoreline. Lots: $429,000-$920,000 Ford's Colony, Williamsburg, VA There are two huge selling points to this community: Virginia has the seventh-lowest taxes in the coutnry and the clubhouse dining room is ranked as one of the finest private-club dining experiences anywhere. Golf: Dan Maples designed 54 hotels here. There's also a fine golf academy. Amenities: Wildlife preserve, tennis, pool, more than 40 organized activities. Lots: $175,000-$1.5 million Grande Dunes, Mrytle Beach, S.C. The Premier community on the Grand Strand offers six neighborhoods and some of the best dining in the South at the Ocean Club. Golf: The Resort course is a Roger Rulewich design. Craig Schreiner and Nick Price teamed up on the new Members layout. Amenities: Hibiscus Spa, tennis and fitness center, Ocean Club dining Lots: $300,000 and up Greenbrier Sporting Club, White Sulphur Springs, W.V. This Allegheny Mountains retreat lacks the history of its 220-year-old sibling resort, but residents can access its amenities. Golf: The selling point is the Snead course, designed by Tom Fazio. Amenities: Horseback riding, sporting clays, fly-fishing, spa, hunting. Lots: $400,000 - $2.2 million Haig Point, Daufuski Island, S.C. If solitude is your thing, you won't do any better than Haig Point, which is reached by ferry or water taxi across Calibogue Sound from Hilton Head Island. Golf: Rees Jones designed a 29-hole course here. Amenities: Haig Point Lighthouse, a bed-and-breakfast exclusively for residents and their guests, tennis, equestrian, fitness center, dolphin watching. Lots: $20,000 - $2.25 million Isleworth, Windermere, Fla. Florida's premier golf community doesn't have much land left, but if you do squeeze in you can take your autograph book to the homeowners association meeting - residents include Tiger Woods, Mark O' Meara and Ken Griffy Jr. Golf: The Arnold Palmer - designed Isleworth Country Club. Amenities: Community concierge program, children's playground. Homes: $1million - 15 million Lake Nona, Orlando, Fla. Four neighborhoods built around a 600-acre lake just 10 minutes from Orlando International Airport, Lake Nona is home to Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia. Golf: A terrific test of gold designed by Tom Fazio Amenities: Spa, boating, fitness center, tennis. Lots: $495,000-$2 million+ Landfall, Wilmington, N.C. This 20-year-old jewel of the Cape Fear region in North Carolina sports two clubhouses and a top-notch tennis and recreation complex, all on a prime location along the Intracoastal Waterway. Golf: Twenty-seven holes by Jack Nicklaus; 18 by Pete Dye. Amenities: Sports center, dining, inter-faith church. Lots: $209,000 - $2.25 million Mediterra, Naples, Fla, There are fewer than 950 residences at this 1,600-acre community, which offers access to the nearby beach. Golf: Two Tom Fazio tracks earned Auduboon International's Silver Signature Sanctuary recognition. Amenities: Parks, walking trails, tennis and fitness center, gardens. Lots: $275,000 and up Mountain Air, Burnsville, N.C. Residents with their own planes can cruise in over the Blue Ridge Mountains and land at the community's airstrip, the highest private paved runway east of the Mississippi. Golf: The Scott Pool - designed course atop Slickrock Mountain in western North Carolina is one of the wildest roller coaster rides anywhere. Amenities: Airstrip, movie theater, Lots: $250,000-$1 million + PGA Villiage, Port St. Lucie, Fla. Port St. Lucie is ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Golf: Four public-access courses (including designs by Tom Fazio and Pete Dye), the private Legacy layout and a PGA Learning Center. Lots: $60,000 - $200,000+ Quechee Lakes, Quechee, Vt. If you prefer your charm Yankee rather than Southern, this 33-year-old, 5,200-acre community is just down Route 4 from Woodstock and offers easy access to leaf-peeping. Golf: Two pictuersque Geoffrey Cornish courses. Amenities: Private ski mountain, hiking, kayaking. Lots: $80,000-$510,000 Spring Island, Spring Island, S.C. Opened in 1991, the Hunt Club at this relaxed Southern retreat lests residents mount a steed and pursue quail the old fashioned way. Golf: Spring Island's Old Tabby Links is by Arnold Palmer. Amenities: Fishing, tennis, hunt club, boating Lots:$235,000-$1.65 million The Cliffs at Keowee, Sunset, S.C. This lakeside community in the semi-mountainous northwestern corner of South Carolina is divided into three communities: The Vineyards, theFalls, and the Springs. Golf: There's already a Tom Fazio course, with two more tracks on the way by Fazio and Jack Nickalus. Amenities: Full service marina, wellness center, equestrian center, dining Lots: $200,000 - $2 million + The Pinehills, Plymouth, Mass. This new development is less than an hour from Boston on the way to Cape Cod and includes a Pinehurst-style village green, where residents can enjoy amenities more in keeping with a small town than a golf community. Golf: There are two superior public-access layouts, one from Rees Jones and another designed by Jack Nicklaus. Amenities: Swimming, tennis, seven miles of trails, educational seminars, full-service post office, dentist, florist, banking. The Virginia, Bristol, VA. Located in the rolling foothils of the Appalachian Mountains 95 miles north of Asheville, N.C., and just a 30-minute drive from Tri-City Regional Airport. Golf: The golf is a woodsy, old school walk in the park from Tom Fazio. Amenities: Swim and racquet club with a Junior Olympic pool. Lots: $75,000-$225,000 Tiburon, Naples, Fla. The longtime home of Greg Norman's annual "silly Season" event, the Franklin Templeton Shootout, Tiburon offers property owners access to the on-site Ritz-Carlton hotel. Golf: Residents have two highly regarded courses designed by Norman, the Black and the Gold tracks. Amenities: Health club, fine dining, resident concierge services, free beach transportation. Lots:$870,000-$1.2 million Best in the WestBest New CommunityPronghorn Club, Bend, Ore. In his Hall of Fame career, quaterback Joe Montana was applauded as much for his savvy plays as for his golden arm. No surprise then that Montana chose Pronghorn as his family's retreat. Since its 2003 debut, Pronghorn has attracted residents with active lifestyles to a solid menu of four-season fun, from skiing at nearby Mt. Bachelor to golf at its Jack Nicklaus course and a brand-new Tom Fazio layout. Pronghorn's 640 acres are surrounded by 20,000 acres of protected federal land, which afford world-class hiking, biking, fly-fishing and whitewater rafting. But this community is as much about the setting as the amenities. Ancient lava rock ridges and panoramic views of the nine snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range spice the scenery. And unlike the state's rainy west coast, central Oregon is high desert, with low-humidity summers and mild winters. A 55,000-square-foot clubhouse is new for 2006, with a 10,000-square-foot spa and wellness center on the way for 2007. Currently, spa treatments are offered at the Trailhead, Pronghorn's family activity center. Unique to Pronghorn is its Connoisseur's Club, where experts on wine, scotch, cheese and chocolate preside at group tastings. The real estate sampling include 289 half-acre to one-acre home sites, 16 villas and the fractional ownership Residence Club. Lots: $450,000-$2 million+ Big Horn, Palm Desert, Calif. Talk about reaching for the sky: Bighorn offers a private jet service so residents can get to and from this palatial community in the Santa Rosa Mountains. "I've never been to a nicer place anywhere in the world," says Champions Tour star and Bighorn resident Jim Colbert. Golf: It's original Arthur Hills-designed course hosted four Skins Gamers and the new Tom Fazio layout is home to the LPGA Tour. Amenities: Private jet service, private doctor, spa, tennis. Lots:$1.9 million - $5 million Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas Several PGA Tour stars their homes at this 27,000-acre development near Houston. No community in Texas has sold more new homes since 1990. Golf: The Club at Carlton Woods has a 5-year-old Jack Nicklaus design and a new Tom Fazio layout. Amenities: Spa, tennis, pool, dining. Lots:$100,000-$2 million+ Forest Highlands, Flagstaff, Ariz. A golf membership comes with every property purchase at this community 7,000 feet high in a corner of Arizon known for towering ponderosa pines. Golf: Tom Weiskipf teamed with Jay Morrish on the Canyon Course, which hosts the U.S. Mid-Amateur this summer, and pulled solo duty on the Meadows course. Amenities: Tennis, basketball, kids center, skating rink, swimming. Lots:$240,000-$975,000 Hualalai, Kailua Kona, Hawaii The Big Island's Four Seasons Resort at Hualalai ranks as one of the nation's best hotels. Those who live at the residential development enjoy the same level of first-class service. Golf: Residents have a private Tom Weiskopf course and access to the Jack Nicklaus resort course that hosts the Champions Tour's season opener. Amenities: Spa, sports club, canoe club, housekeeping and maintenance services. Lots: $1.8 million - $3.3 million Iron Horse, Whitefish, Mont. This 5 year-old community overlooking Whitefish Lake in the Flathead Valley has just 316 member home sites. It's where the developer, Discovery Land Company, debuted its one-call-does-it-all Outdoor Pursuits personal concierge program. Golf: The course here was designed by Tom Fazio. Amenities: Spa, pool, tennis, fly-fishing, acitives concierge. Lots:$200,000-$3.8 million Kukio, Kailua Kona, Hawaii Disocery Land Company's first Hawaiian venture is the only totally private beach and golf club available on the Big Island. Golf: Tom Fazio designed the two options here: a regulation course and a 10-hole short course. Amenities: Activies concierge, spa, fitness center, sport fishing, hiking, horseback riding, surfing. Lots: $2 million - @20million Lahontan, Truckee, Calif. North Lake Tahoe's only private community, this environmentally sensitive retreat (don't even think about building a McMansion) offers winter skiing at nearby Squaw Valley. Golf: Course architect Tom Weiskopf said this is the best site in America he ever had to work with. He also added a nine-hole par-3 layout. Amenities: Spa, tennis, volleyball, boating, and round-the-clock security checks. Lots: $325,000-$1.395 million Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, Nev. This desert oasis opened 11 years ago on a 320-acre lake 14 miles from the Strip and in its 19 neighborhoods you'll find everything from condos to luxury custom homes. Celine Dion is among the residents. Golf: Residents enjoy the private Jack Nicklaus-designed South Shore course and access to the two resort layouts, Nicklaus' Reflection Bay and Tom Weiskopf's the Falls. Amenities: Casino, dining, shopping, spa, boating. Lots:$500,000-$15 million Las Campanas, Santa Fe, N.M. Courses at this 4,700-acre compound don't end with the golf: Las Campanas has an on-site "university" where residents can master art history or a foreign language. Golf: Two courses by Jack Nicklaous, Sunrise and Sunset. Amenities: University, indoor and outdoor pools, spa, equestrian center. Lots: $250,000-$ 1 million Powder Horn, Sherdian, Wyo. Every property at this community offers views of either the Big Horn Mountains or LIttle Goose Valley. Wyoming has long been known as America's most tax-friendly state. Golf: Three nine-hole tracks, one of which includes a replica of the Swilcan Bridge. Amenities: Fishing in Little Goose Lake, walking trails. Lots: $65,000 - $182,900 Promontory - The Ranch Club, Park City, Utah You'll find flexible architectural guidelines at this sprawling ranch community in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains, not far from the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Golf: Courtesty of Pete Dye; A Jack Nicklaus design is coming. Amenities: Skiing, ice skating, fishing, spa. Lots: $200,000 and up Red Sky Ranch, Wolcott, Colo. PGA tour commision Tim Finchem has a home at this 4-year-old development 25 minutes west of Vail. A home gets you a membership at the Bachelor Gulch ski club. Golf: Both of Red Sky's courses - by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman - made Golf Magazine's annual list of the Top 10 New Courses in the country. Amenities: Skiing, shopping, dining, access to the Ritz-Carlton hotel services Lots: $795,000- $1.19 million Superstition Mountain, Superstition Mountain, Ariz. A jewel of the Southwest 45 minutes east of Phoenix, home options range from a Tuscan village to lakefront casitas. Golf: Two Jack Nicklaus courses have hosted the Champions and LPGA Tours. Amenities: Spa, pool, tennis. Lots: $577,500 - $1.5 million The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. This chic development is home to Phil Mickelson and had the higest per capital income in the U.S. in the 2000 census. Golf: The Robert Tret Jones Jr. course hosted the "Battle of the Bridges." Amenities: Health club, spa, tennis and basketball in the sports club. Lots: $1 million - $2 million + The Gallery at Dove Mountain, Marana, Ariz. This eight-year-old development overlooking Tucson is all about low density: one-third of the property is dedicated to open space. Golf: John Fought created both courses, though Tom Lehman gets a co-design credit on the North. Amenities: Olympic-sized pool, tennis, personal trainers, spa services. Lots: $450,000 - $950,000 The Hideaway, La Quinta, Calif. The most successful opening in the Palm Springs area in the past five years. Membership will be limited to 290 players per course. Golf: Pete Dye and Clive Clark claim credit for the two tracks. Amenities: Fitness center, spa. Lots: $400,000-$2.4 million The Vintage Club, Indian Wells, Calif. Residents have included Bill Gates and Lee Iacocca. Golf: 36 holes by Tom Fazio Amenities: Medical alert staff, tennis, swimming, kids park. Lots $3million - $5.95 million Vaquero, Westlake, Texas PGA Tour pros, sports heroes and actors call Vaquero home. Limited to 385 members. Golf: A Tom Fazio course and an extensive practice facility. Amenities: Swimming, fishing, tennis, extensive security. Lots: $290,000 - $1.5 million Whisper Rock Scottsdale, Ariz. Building a home won't get you an automatic invite to join the adjacent Golf Club. But having only about 200 homes in the 800-acre development compensates for that. Golf: The Lower Course was designed by Phil Mickelson; the new Upper Course is by Tom Fazio. Both are members here. Amenities: Concierge service, private park, fitness center. lOTS: $700,000 - $1.5 million
Winchester, Meadow Vista, Calif. There are just 409 home sites here, ranging from an acre to six acres. The eye-catching 35,000-square-foot clubhouse resembles a European hunting lodge. Golf: The golf course here was one of the Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s final projects. Amenities: Equestrian facilities, swimming, hiking, tennis. Lots: $315,000 - $2.5 million Yellowstone Club, Big Sky, Mont. Yellowstone is a Rocky Mountain summer haven, but when it's time to trade sticks for skis, residents can enjoy a private 2,200-acre ski area with II lifts. Slopes guru Warren Miller is the director of skiing. Golf: A Tom Weiskopf course. Amenities: Fishing, equestrian club, hiking, biking, skiing. Lots: $2.5 million - $8 milion Ten To WatchThese 10 rising stars didn't make the list of the Top 50 residential communities only because most of them are so new that the paint has barely dried. From barrier islands in the Southest to the deserts of the Southwest, these are the places your friends will be moving next. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Asheville, N.C. Seven Canyons, Sedona, Ariz, Sea Island Properties, Sea Island, GA The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Sunset, S.C. Tesoro, Port St. Luci, Fla. Somerby, Byron, Minn, Madison Club, La Quinta, Calif, Bella Collina, Orlando, Fla. Oldfiled, Okatie, S.C., Hammock Dunes, Palm Coast, Fla |
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Perched high above the Valley of the Sun in northeset Scottsdale, Desert Mountain has 33 neighborhoods and 1,515 homes - a runaway success by any yardstick - the golf has kept pace. Ingeniously marketed as the longtime home of the Tradition, a Champions Tour major, Desert Mountain as six courses, all designed by Jack Nicklaus. The most recent layout, Outlaw, was unveiled in 2004. Other choice amentiies include grass tennis courts, a fitness center with personal trainers, wine-tasting events and nature hikes.
Most propty owners were drawn by the 10 miles of beach, 10,000 acres of maritime forest, and 30 miles of tidal marsh0tinged biking and hiking paths. The golf isn't bad either. In addition to Pete Dye's celebrated Ocean Course (ranked No. 33 on the GOLF MAGAZINE's Top 100 courses in the U.S.) there are six other tracks. Two are for the use of residents only. Tom Fazio's River course and Cassique, crafted by Tom Watson.
Most homes nestle unobstrusively amid mountain meados, 1000-year-old redwoods, ponds, streams and wetlands. The only outward signs of development are the 20,000 - square foot-hacienda -style clubhouse that dates to 1924, an equestrian center, tennis and croquet courts, and a fitness center. There's also a Tom Fazio- designed course that melts flawlessly into a landscape peppered by creeks and live oaks.
Bob Cupp's superb Plantation course (designed with an assist from Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller) is a gentle, pine-lined layout. The Jack Nicklaus-authored Great Waters course opened in 1992 and put Reynolds on the map, in no small measure because of a stunning lakeside back nine. Tom Fazio crafted the 27-hole National Course, while 2000 opening in the Rees Jones designed Oconee Course confimed Reynolds' status as a golf gold mine. And things are getting even better. Acclaimed architect Jim Engh is currently adding a new private club for residents and the community recently purchased the nearby Port Armor Club (also designed by Cupp), which has since been renamed Reynolds Landing. If your game needs polishing before you tackle these six tracks, there's also a Dave Pelz Scoring Game School and a sparkling new swing analysis lab from Tayler Made.
The Inn at Palmetto Bluff has 50 guest cottages on-site. The River House at the Inn features fine seafood and a 4,000-bottle wine cellar.nagelrealestate@gmail.com Cell: (408) 472-2506
Campbell, CA