Travel & Leisure Golf

SOUTHERN GOLF COURSE REAL ESTATE

SOUTHERN STYLE ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST--KIAWAH ISLAND

If you love golf, South Carolina’s Kiawah Island just may be the perfect place to visit or live. This is a southern links lifestyle at its best.

Kiawah Island is a 10,000-acre residential resort community that is a barrier island southwest of Charleston. Development began on Kiawah in the early-1970s, when a planning team was assembled that determined one principal goal for development--protecting the island’s spectacular natural beauty. The team drafted a master plan based upon a 16-month, $1.3 million environmental assessment of the island. For more than 25 years, this plan has served as a blueprint for development, preserving the environmental integrity of the island.

Kiawah’s enduring natural beauty sets the stage for sensational golf and the community is home to six courses that easily fit this description: Cougar Point, designed by Gary Player; Turtle Point, built by Jack Nicklaus; Osprey Point and The River Course, both designed by Tom Fazio; Oak Point, built by Clyde Johnston; and The Ocean Course, designed by Pete Dye. Tom Watson’s Cassique will open in April at the Kiawah Island Club, with the new clubhouse following by the end of the year.

Owned and managed by KRA, the Island’s developer, the private Kiawah Island Club offers an unparalleled opportunity for enhancing life on this sea island. From Fazio’s River Course and stunning shingle-style clubhouse to the upcoming Watson design, Cassique, as well as the Robert A.M. Stern-designed beach facility, the Club’s many amenities leave nothing to be desired for social or recreational enjoyment.

Though nature and golf are central to Kiawah, this sea island offers a full spectrum of recreational opportunities. There are ten miles of beach to enjoy and 30 miles of paved biking and hiking paths to explore. In addition, there’s a 120-acre park that includes a children’s playground and a pool complex, as well as basketball and volleyball courts. The Island also boasts two famed tennis complexes.

The preservation of wildlife habitat has also been a central tenet in the Island’s development. Consequently, Kiawah abounds with wildlife. It’s not uncommon to see whitetail deer or raccoons around more than 45 miles of marsh edge. Among the more than 140 species of birds that make there home on the Island, white egrets, osprey, pelicans, and Great Blue Herons abound.

Among the many distinctions that have honored the Island throughout its development is the 1996 Award of Excellence bestowed by the Urban Land Institute of Washington, D.C. The ULI’s judges chose Kiawah Island as the winner in it’s Large-Scale Recreational category, stating, “In executing a plan that protects the site’s spectacular natural environment, the developer of Kiawah Island has achieved a stunning--and extremely profitable--project.”

Kiawah Island accommodates an average of more than 400,000 visitors annually. Roughly 3,500 villas, cottages, and single-family homes have been built since development began on the island. Along with a 150-room inn on the oceanfront, the Island is also home to two conference centers.

Only 21 miles to the northeast is the quintessentially southern city of Charleston, where numerous options for dining, shopping, and a broad mix of entertainment are readily available. This picturesque and historic setting is second to none.

For further information, visit their website at www.kiawahisland.com or call (800) 277-7008.

LIVE LIKE FAZIO--NORTH CAROLINA’S CHAMPION HILLS

Many factors make Champion Hills in Hendersonville, North Carolina a perfect place to live year-round or part-time.

First and possibly foremost, there’s the quality of the Champion Hills golf course. While many other mountain communities can accurately claim to have an excellent Toma Fazio golf course, only Champion Hills was designed by the world’s master architect as his home course. Fazio lives in Hendersonville and is a Champion Hills member. The course was designed as his personal showcase--where he would play with family, friends, and clients for many years to come.

The Champion Hills course is Fazio at his best--a great golf course marked by beautiful scenery and ultimate playability, achieved through five sets of tees and 14 holes that play flat or downhill. The course is complemented by an outstanding short-game practice facility (also a Fazio design), a mountain-lodge style clubhouse, and fine tennis, fitness, and swimming facilities. Together, these amenities comprise the private member-owned Champion Hills Club.

In addition to the outstanding Fazio golf, Champion Hills offers a beautiful environment in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community has been meticulously master-planned to maximize mountain and golf views, as well as privacy for every homesite. With only 475 properties, Champion Hills has a true feeling of community.

A fantastic location is another Champion Hills factor. Hendersonville, with a population of 9,600, is delightfully rich in small-town charm, easily accessible by air and interstate, and features all the practical conveniences and cultural opportunities to which residents of larger metropolitan areas are accustomed. Further afield, the area, with Asheville, Greenville, and national forests nearby, is a storehouse of activities like hiking, rafting, fishing, craft fairs, antique shops, concerts, theater events, festivals, and more. It’s little wonder that the region has long been a traditonal summer retreat for families and a top-ranked destination for retirees.

Champion Hills also offers a great mix of real estate. Spacious wooded golf and mountain view homesites, priced from $80,000 to $250,000, provide perfect settings for custom homes reflecting individual expression. Of particular interest to second home buyers are beautifully designed cottages and villages, priced from $280,000 to $425,000. Single-family homes range from $450,000 to $825,000.

For the second home buyer who desires customization and individual expression without the many challenged involved in building a home, Champion Hills offers the Carolina Collection of floorplans and the new Carolina Hillside Design Center. The Collection, Design Center, and Design Coordinator on staff make homebuilding virtually carefree. These homes are priced from $250,000 to $260,000 and the homesites in this program are priced from $60,000 to $80,000.

Finally, Champion Hills is a development of The Branigar Organization, Inc., a company of International Paper. Branigar has more than 75 years of experience in real estate development, with more than 80 communities to its credit, including The Landings on Skidaway Island in Savannah, a winner of the Urban Land Institute’s prestigious Award for Excellence. For the Champion Hills buyer, Branigar’s reputation and commitment to environmental sensitivity and uncompromising quality provide an unmatched measure of confidence in the community.

For further information, visit their website at www.championhills.com or call (800) 633-5122.

A BLOOMING PLACE TO PLAY--THE SUNSHINE STATE’S ORCHID ISLAND GOLF & BEACH CLUB

Located just north of Vero Beach, Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club encompasses the seaside town of Orchid, which is one of Florida’s smallest municipalities. It is bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the west by the scenic Indian River and Intracoastal Waterway, making it one of the last major parcels of developable ocean-to-river property on Florida’s tropical coast. The property was purchased in 1994 by a company controlled by W. Galen Weston. Galen and his wife, Hilary, are also the founders of the internationally acclaimed development of Windsor, just to the north.

This low-density community includes elegant golf course, river, and oceanfront homesites, with gracious homes and estates tucked away on cul-de-sacs and winding streets, while maintaining open views of the golf course, sparkling lakes, and preservation areas. The heart of the community is the country club, which includes an 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed course, a tennis center, and the Beach Clubhouse.

Orchid Island has been creatively planned to provide each homesite with exceptional privacy and unique vistas of the ocean, lakes, river, or golf course. The homes feature classic lines, fine detailing, and graceful finishing touches, reminiscent of charming residences in the West Indies and Bermuda. Along with Ocean Club condominiums, The Ocean Residences rise along a wide stretch of unspoiled beach (there are only 36 exquisite condominium homes in this gated and hidden enclave).. In addition, the unique Golf Cottages of Orchid Island, named for the likes of Palmer, Nicklaus, Jones, and Hogan, make for a distinctive choice for passionate golfers. Only eight of these cottages will run along the first fairway and glassy lake.

For further information, visit their website at www.orchidislandproperties.com or call (800) 910-3888.

CELEBRATE THE GAME OF GOLF--CELEBRATION, FLORIDA

If you’d like to celebrate the game of golf, the perfect base just may be Celebration. Celebration is an innovative, real town that successfully combines architecture, education, health, and technology in ways that promote a strong sense of community.

It is being developed near Orlando and Walt Disney World in northwest Osceola County. When complete, it will have several thousand residences (there are already more than 2,500 happy residents), in addition to education, health, commercial, retail, and recreational facilities.

A broad mix of residential offerings are for sale and lease, including apartments, townhouses, and garden, cottage, village, and estate homes. The architecture blends traditional southeastern exteriors with floor plans and interiors that reflect today’s lifestyles.

Celebration’s most recent product, The Bungalow, began sales last September and, within the first day, potential homebuyers reserved 37 out of 47 available sites. “The overwhelming success of the new Bungalow Home is a tremendous endorsement of the continued popularity of the Celebration community,” says Eric Emerson, Manager, Residential Development & Operators. “As South Village, Celebration’s newest neighborhood, continues to expand, additional new residential offerings will soon be available.” The first phase of The Bungalows consists of 77 sites in South Village, with prices starting in the mid-$100s. They are available in three different architectural styles, including French, Mediterranean, and Classical, with five different floor plans.

Celebration Golf Club is a public course that is designed to have the feel of a city park. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Trent Jones Jr., this open space is used as a buffer for the town. By using different tees, it is designed to accommodate golfers of all skill levels (par three lengths are available on each hole). A three-hole junior course is located near the 18-hole course. Of course, all of the golf offerings at Walt Disney World and other nearby courses also make Celebration a great golf base.

In addition, Celebration featured another landmark event for Grand Theme Hotels late last year, with the grand opening of Celebration Hotel. The 115-room boutique hotel borders the lake in the downtown area and delivers a guest experience featuring a discreet sense of southern hospitality, style, service, and privacy from the moment guests arrive and throughout their stay. It might be the perfect base for exploring a Celebration lifestyle.

For further information, visit their website at www.celebrationfl.com or call (407) 566-home.

PLAY (AND LIVE) LIKE A PRO--PORT ST. LUCIE’S PGA VILLAGE

If you’re looking to play and live like a pro, PGA Village is the perfect place. Located in Port St. Lucie, Florida, PGA Village offers golf lovers an unprecedented golfing experience, a luxury gated environment, and the opportunity to enjoy it all on a non-equity basis. That means that PGA Village residents don’t have the equity dues or assessments associated with almost all other comparable private country club communities (a typical 25% savings over a comparable equity country club).

PGA Village is the only community in the world with four championship courses owned and operated by the PGA of America--two of which were designed by Tom Fazio and the third built by Pete Dye and opened late last year. Along with the popular non-equity option for these three courses, private non-equity membership at PGA Country Club and private equity membership at The Legacy Club are also available.

PGA Village residents who participate in the “PGA Experience” programs offered by the PGA Golf Club enjoy a variety of privileges and amenities. These include: preferred tee times; indoor and al fresco dining; a golf shop; and a full-service staff, including PGA Professionals who maintain handicaps and oversee the intra-community league’s full schedule of tournaments. PGA Village is also the site of the PGA Learning Center, owned and operated by PGA of America. Also opened late last year, this 30-acre facility features indoor/outdoor practice facilities and state-of-the-art evaluation techniques.

Kolter Property Company has 20 new furnished models, representing $500 million in inventory offered in their eight new residential enclaves. This is the largest single collection of models on the Treasure Coast. Kolter is planning a 23-acre retail center, as well as further residential and commercial development on adjacent land. A MainStay suite hotel and a Vistana Vacation Resort are also under construction.

Buyers can choose from a wide variety of golf villas, townhomes, and single-family residences, with starting prices between the $120s and $500s. Additionally, there are homesites throughout the community earmarked for custom estate residences from the $600s to more than $1 million.

Of course, the vast majority of homesites and homes enjoy expansive golf, lake, and/or wooded views, with several homesites bordering double-wide fairways. For owners who are not year-round residents, there are complete on-site rental and management services.

Located about 39 miles north of Palm Beach, the sales pavilion and furnished models are open daily from 9am to 5:30pm. For further information, visit their website at www.pgavillage.com or call (800) 682-5551.

A PERFECT PLACE TO LAND--SOUTH FLORIDA’S JONATHAN’S LANDING

Not far from Palm Beach, where the Intracoastal Waterway winds its way through a handful of islands called Jonathan’s Landing, there’s a perfect haven for those who love both golf and the water. Quite simply, Jonathan’s Landing provides golfers with a perfect place to land for a life on the links (and the water).

Two decades and thriving, Jonathan’s Landing offers 27 distinctive neighborhoods, with an imaginative blend of townhomes, villas, condominiums, and single-family homes, including three islands where you can build your own custom dream home. For those who value the tranquillity and serenity of golf and waterfront living, Jonathan’s Landing offers maintenance-free lifestyles priced from $150,000 to more than $2 million--located along stunning fairways or deep water, with ocean access.

With more than 600 acres of island property, Jonathan’s Landing is blessed with more than ten miles of water frontage. Almost 200 acres are dedicated to parks, recreational facilities, and marinas, while 120 acres are made up of lakes, waterways, and lagoons.

For the serious golfer, the privileges of golf equity in a member-owned club include three distinct and uncrowded championship golf experiences. A George/Tom Fazio layout winds along the Intracoastal Waterway. Equally impressive and unique courses by both Tom Fazio and Arthur Hills meander through heavily wooded pine hammocks. Few golf clubs in North America offer such and interesting variety of golf.

The Club at Jonathan’s Landing stands at the water’s edge in the tradewinds that caress the Intracoastal, while the Marina at Jonathan’s Landing is a resident’s gateway to the best of Gulf Stream yachting and game fishing under the tropical sun. Tennis aficionados will find and active tennis program, with all ten Har-Tru courts lit for night play.

For further information, visit their website at www.jonathanslanding.com or call (800) 310-1248.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AT ITS BEST--WATERMARK COMMUNITIES

Any short summary of Naples golf course living has to start with Watermark Communities Inc. Founded more than 50 years ago and headquartered in Bonita Springs, CEO Alfred Hoffman, Jr. has led the way in Naples (and Florida) golf course real estate. More than 150,000 residents now live in WCI homes. It all started in Naples with the sprawling Pelican Bay development, encompassing more than 2,100 acres and featuring villas, garden apartments, tower residences, and grand estate homes. Along with resales, two elegant new towers, The Marbella and The Montenero, are seeing serious interest. It doesn't hurt to offer 27 holes of Arthur Hills golf, the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, the Waterside Shops, and secluded Gulf beaches.

Heading north, Bay Colony features more WCI possibilities, with oversized homesites, custom estate homes along the beach, Mediterranean-style villas and condominiums overlooking lakes and wetlands, and towers overlooking the Gulf and Naples Bay. Along with great golf across the street at Bay Colony Golf Club, sporting amenities in this community include a European-styled Beach and Tennis Club and and membership opportunities at the Pelican Isle Yacht Club.

The Estates at Bay Colony Golf Club provide another WCI luxury choice. Just 80 homesites will be located on 280 acres of tranquil lakes and waterways, wooded nature preserve, and gently rolling Carolina-style fairways designed by Robert von Hagge. On adjacent land, Pelican Marsh is a 2,075-acre planned WCI community, with another 18 holes by Robert von Hagge, other country club amenities, and a wide range of single-family and multi-family luxury residences. More than 25 unique models await visitors.

WCI's Pelican Landing is another Naples area planned coastal community, with 2,400 acres of golf, watersports, beachfront, luxury estate homes, single-family homes, coach homes, villas, and garden condominiums. Along with 27 holes of Tom Fazio-designed golf, Pelican Landing also boasts one of southwest Florida's most comprehensive model home centers.

The Colony Golf & Bay Club is a premier 688-acre neighborhood with estate homes and villas overlooking the fairways. The first luxury tower, Sorrento, with its golf, bay, and Gulf views, has also generated plenty of interest. The Colony’s 18-hole course, designed by U.S. Open winner Jerry Pate, makes its debut this December. It will also offer a country club witha spa and tennis facilities, with private waterfront dining.

In addition, WCI has many other options in Florida. The company has a total of 24 communities spread throughout southern Florida. Besides the Naples area, WCI has a wide array of possibilities in: Estero; Ft. Myers; Punta Gorda; Sarasota; Bradenton; Sun City Center (between Tampa and Sarasota); and Plant City. Over on the southeast coastline, WCI features options in: Miami; Coral Springs; Coral Gables; North Palm Beach; Palm Beach Gardens; Jupiter; and Jensen Beach.

For further information, call (800) WCI-2290.

THE WOODS ARE GOOD--SOUTH CAROLINA’S WOODSIDE PLANTATION

Once a secluded hunting retreat for past generations, Woodside Plantation thrives today as a premier private residential golf community. Within it guarded entrance gates, Woodside Plantation captures the very best of Aiken, South Carolina.

The 2,300-acre Woodside Plantation is set in a beautiful area of native pine- and dogwood-covered hills. Two championship golf courses and more than 60 acres of well-stocked lakes are overlooked from hillsides graced with stately private homes.

The jewels around which Woodside Plantation is situated are the two golf courses, which were designed by Rees Jones and Robert ‘Bob’ Cupp. The courses are known throughout the region for their beauty and the challenges provided to golfers of all skill levels.

Another focal point of the community is the Woodside Plantation Club. Boasting a reputation as one of the finest dining and entertaining establishments in the Aiken/Augusta area, this private club features dining rooms, card rooms, the golf pro shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and many other amenities associated with an upscale country club.

The lakes offer anglers many hours of fishing enjoyment, while miles of trails make it easy to stay in shape by walking or jogging in a safe and secure environment. The natural beauty of the surrounding hills add to the enjoyment of an active lifestyle in the great outdoors on or off the links. There are also six lighted tennis courts

Residential homes are located in a variety of neighborhoods throughout Woodside, with homesites available on or off of the golf courses. A Woodside home is an investment, with community covenants and architectural guidelines to preserve the value of homes.

Award-winning architects have crated a lovely and unique community that emphasizes the natural beauty of Woodside. Homes ranging from cottages to estates have been designed for maximum space and minimum maintenance, allowing buyers a variety of choices.

Woodside Plantation is within the city limits of Aiken on the south side. Aiken is home to many cultural events, festivals, and sporting events each year. In addition, Woodside’s proximity to Augusta, Georgia (home of The Masters), and Thurmond Lake adds to the cultural and sporting richness of the area).

For further information, visit their website at www.woodsideplantation.com or call (800) 648-3052.