Travel & Leisure Golf

GOLF IN THE SOUTHEAST:

FAIRWAY LIVING AT ITS FINEST

When it comes to great fairways and fairways living, it’s easy to see why the Southeast is such a popular choice with golfers. With more golf courses and golf-oriented real estate development than any other region in the U.S., the Southeast shines when it comes to living the links life.

If you’re looking for something unique and convenient on the fairway living front, The Owners Club (800/789-0932; www.theownersclub.com) delivers a hole in one to golfers and other owners. The Owners Club by ClubCorp provides all of the amenities of premier resorts, all of the pleasures of private clubs, and all of the enjoyment of an ultimate vacation home without the hassles.

Founded in 1957, Dallas-based ClubCorp has almost 250,000 private club members and is a worldwide leader in delivering exceptional golf, club, and resort experiences. The Owners Club combines these features into one membership, featuring 27 days or more each year in a vacation home, membership privileges at the resort where The Owners Club is located, reciprocal exchange privileges at Owners Clubs throughout the expanding Owners Club universe, participation in the Associate Gold Club Program (which boasts more than 230 additional clubs, resorts, and affiliates worldwide), and so much more.

With all of the services and amenities of a fine luxury hotel, the typical Owners Club comprises 30-40 private club residences located adjacent to partner resorts, giving members easy access to resort amenities and services (including great golf). Every home in The Owners Club includes up to 2,800 square feet of luxury living space, custom-made furnishings, a gas fireplace, full entertainment system, fully-equipped kitchens, private baths for each bedroom, and more. The master bedroom features a king-sized bed and a bathroom with a jetted tub. Most Owners Club residences have three bedrooms, with two master suites, though some homes have one, two, or four bedrooms.

Owners Club golfers couldn’t have it better, with Southeast U.S. options currently including The Homestead, Hilton Head Island, and Barton Creek. A bit further afield, other Owners Club possibilities include Telluride and Puerta Vallarta, where more great golf (and so much more) awaits. New home designs at all three Southeast locations have made Owners Club memberships more popular than ever. “Instead of spending time maintaining a second home, we can spend our time leisurely, with friends and family,” say Lois and Roger Linn, members of The Owners Club at Barton Creek. That succinctly explains one of the many reasons Owners Club membership has golfers feeling like they’ve just made a hole in one.

The Cape Fear Coast continues to lead the region in great golf course community development, with St. James Plantation and Porter’s Neck Plantation providing perfect example of all this North Carolina coastal area can offer its residents on and off the links. From the charm of Wilmington to the quiet beaches and so much more, there’s nothing to fear when it comes to buying a great home in the Cape Fear Coast.

Located just 30 miles south of Wilmington and only four miles from the charming town of Southport, St. James Plantation (800/245-3871; www.st.jamesplantation.com) along the Intracoastal Waterway and salt marshes features Cape Fear Coast living at its best. With a wide range of real estate options and amenities, St. James Plantation has quickly become one of the area’s top residential choices for golfers and non-golfers alike.

The golf is a huge draw, with three top courses totaling 63 holes. Three-time U.S. Open winner Hale Irwin designed The Members Club, with 27 holes. Renowned P.B. Dye was the architect for The Gauntlet Club. The Players Club is the result of North Carolina-based designer Tim Cate. The distinct signature layouts are complemented by clubhouses featuring pro shops, a fitness center, pools, tennis, fine dining, meeting areas, and more. Golf at St. James Plantation is also enhanced by the popular Jimmy Ballard Golf Academy, a program developed by the tutor of more than 300 touring pros and countless amateurs (the three-day course is a top choice).

Off the links, other amenities include: St. James by the Sea, a private beach club; Marina Village, a collection of shops, walkways, private boat slips at the full-service marina, and homes on the Intracoastal Waterway; Waterway Park, with fishing and crabbing off the gazebo, birdwatching by the wetlands, a fitness trail with exercise stations, a children’s playground area, and cookout areas; and so much more.

Real estate at St. James Plantation is all about choices and living beyond four walls. Homes are built to be an extension of residents’ interests, ranging from cozy cluster homes along the Intracoastal to large single-family homes overlooking fairways. Those looking for comfort and convenience can opt for a townhome, condominium, or patio home. For those searching for spaciousness and privacy, single-family neighborhoods on a golf course, tidal creek, or heavily wooded interior setting await.

It’s easy to explore the St. James Plantation lifestyle with a three-day ‘Plantation Preview’ that includes accommodations for two, a guided tour, one round of golf at The Members Club, access to all amenities enjoyed by residents, and more. It just might be a preview of a Cape Fear Coast life on the links,

Porter’s Neck Plantation (800/423-5695; www.porters-neck.com) is definitely the Wilmington area’s address for gracious living. Located adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway and just minutes from historic downtown Wilmington, Porter’s Neck Plantation is placed in the perfect location, including nearby shopping, dining, entertainment, Wrightsville Beach, the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington International Airport, and I-40.

Porter’s Neck Plantation also happens to be the location of an incredible Tom Fazio championship layout, which is consistently rated one of the top courses in the state. North Carolina resident Fazio really placed his signature on this coastal course, which features many Fazio touches and provides an ideal backdrop for varied fairway living. After a round, residents can enjoy the 18th century Federal Style clubhouse, with fine dining, members lounge, banquet facilities, and a full-service pro shop. Other amenities of the private equity country club include a fully-equipped Sports Center, a heated 25 meter lap pool, a junior Olympic-size reflection pool, an enclosed children’s pool, and five hydro-clay surface tennis courts.

On the real estate front, the private community offers gated entrances, quiet lamp-lit streets, community access to the Intracoastal Waterway, nationally acclaimed architects and land planners, an award-winning on-site building company, carefully planned covenants and architectural review that protect property values, and great neighborhood diversity, including custom home designs, club homes, and townhomes. The options include: Eagles Ridge and Edgewood (‘European-eclectic’ single-family homes, with Eagles Ridge homesites on a high ridge along the 16th and 17th fairways and the Edgewood options offering golf and lake views on the 12th through 15th fairways); Belfair and Masters Ridge (traditional Colonial-style homes along the 3rd, 4th, and 16th fairways); Hunters Green and Emerald Dunes (neo-traditional houses along the 7th fairway); Village on Five (Colonial-style homes fronted by live oaks on the 5th fairway); and, finally, Fairway Commons (offering Tudor-style carefree townhomes along the 1st and 8th fairways).

Thus, it’s easy to see why the Southeast is such a popular spot for living on the links. With these real estate options and such great golf, fairway living with a southern accent is certainly in style.