The GolfCourseHome Life

Kingston on Lake Oconee Holds Open House, Landings Hosts Golf Tournament

Bald Head Island, NC is in a private, island location.

Bald Head Island, NC has busy weekend of Independence Day festivities underway, with more to come. Kicking it off is the island’s traditional—and highly whimsical—Golf Cart Parade. The July Fourth celebration features numerous other events, including Family Olympics, picnics, cookouts, live entertainment, camps for children, delicious dining events and even a ferry fireworks cruise. Click here for more information about Bald Head Island!

Kingston on Lake Oconee, GA is celebrating the completion of the first phase of its elaborate entrance with an Open House over the Fourth of July weekend. The impressive stone entrance walls are just the first phase for the complex, which will include a welcoming gatehouse, additional plantings, signage and lighting. Natural materials have been used to create a lake lodge and shingle-style architectural theme. Click here for more information about Kingston on Lake Oconee!

The Landings on Skidaway Island, GA will hold one of its most highly attended golf tournaments of the year, the Husband & Wife Championship, on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. The tournament includes flight prizes and the traditional Reconciliation Dinner Dance featuring The Great Pretenders. Click here for more information about The Landings!

Carolina Country Club, SC extends congratulations to two of its golf members, Lucas Glover and Matt Bettencourt, on their showing in 2009 United States Open at Bethpage State Park. Lucas Glover won the championship, his first major, while Matt Battencourt tied for 10th. At present, six PGA and Nationwide touring pros are members of The Carolina Country Club, whose Tom Jackson-designed course co-hosts the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament. Click here for more information about the Carolina Country Club!

Dataw Island, SC Offers Energy Star Home, Golf Membership at Hot Summer Price

Dataw Island, SC is perfect for watersports and golf.

Dataw Island, SC has announced a Summer Sizzler deal on the purchase of custom-built 2,000-square foot homes with three bedrooms and two baths located on selected golf course lots and priced at $399,000. The price includes a Dataw Island Golf Club Equity Membership with the first year’s dues waived. This home will be an Energy Star Home—meeting guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that create a home at least 15 percent more energy-efficient. Inquire for details. Click here for more information about Dataw Island!

Cumming Cove's New Mountain Top Neighborhood Offers 50-Mile Views & Value

The story of our western North Carolina mountain community travels continues  with our visit to Cummings Cove, Hendersonville. A gated 650-acre private golf community in a protected microclimate within the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cummings Cove offers a championship golf course by architect Bob Cupp which won "Best Renovation of the Year” award for 2006. 

We were met by Lorraine Nash, the community's hard-working, multi-tasking marketing director and Roger Hill, one-time developer at Cummings Cove and now one of its top salespeople.

Mountain views and a mountain course.

Real estate is very affordable here, especially since lots had just been reduced 10% on May 1 to reflect the current economy. Lots now go from $127,200 to $240,000. Lots in the new Mountain Top neighborhood range from $200,000 to $225,000.

We visited the newest and highest neighborhood,  Mountain Top which offers homeowners 50 mile views of valleys and mountain along with a view of Mt. Mitchell, which at 6,800 feet is the highest peak east of South Dakota.

Newly completed spec home at Mountain Top.

Lorraine gave us the cook's tour of a newly completed spec house in the Mountain Top neighborhood by Mike Mathews (see above photo). The home featured multiple levels, two-car garage, top-grade appliances and conveniences including high-speed internet, and, of course, the 50-mile views. Cost: $1.2 million.

Fifty-mile view from the back deck of the $1.2M spec home.

At Mountain Top neighorhood, lot and view are available.

Next stop was the stone and timber clubhouse where we had an enjoyable lunch. Set on a high knoll overlooking the course, lakes and mountains, the clubhouse offers dining, lounge and golf shop.

Lunch was served in the clubhouse's Golfhouse Grill & Lounge.

Lorraine spent some time talking enthusiastically about the town of Hendersonville, an active cultural haven of just 15,000 residents which supports an 80-piece symphony orchestra. Nearby is Brevard and the Brevard Music Center, a summer institute and festival which serves 400 students, 75 guest artists and faculty members. The center puts on more than 80 public concerts each year, presenting major orchestral, chamber, and operatic programs.

Overall, we felt Cummings Cove offered excellent value for your money and that its future was personified by its Mountain Top neighborhood where the views and the homes will be spectacular. Eventually the neighborhood will have its own road so that you won't have to drive through the community to get to your home--a fast track that will add even more privacy to your perch.

For more information, call 1-800-958-2905, or request more information here.

What We Are Learning about Applying Twitter to Business: A Case Study

How to Mix Social Media & Business - A Case Study

We are learning how to use Twitter for our business and are beginning to see how integrating Twitter and other social media--blogs (golf and waterview), Facebook, Linked-In and our websites (golf and waterview) can generate additional traffic and leads for our client communities.

Recently, for example, we launched Bald Head Island on WaterViewHome.net and in the four succeeding days generated a nice batch of leads, plus click-thrus to Bald Head Island's own website.

> Create a Twitter Program for the Media
Following Bald Head Island on Twitter has helped us identify added PR opportunities which we have either re-tweeted or posted in our New Communities Newsletter, on our blogs or all of the above. I urge you to initiate a Twitter program for helping media stay on top of your offerings and activities.

> Automatic Posting
An easy one-step feature on our blog (Typepad) enables us to automatically export new blog entries to Facebook, GCH Twitter and Linked-In, resulting in more exposure, more blog views and ultimately, more visits to client Featured Community pages.

> Boost Your Search Engine Ranking
A hidden benefit with all your social media locations is that you are constantly creating new links back to your own website and blog which generate more 'popularity' and helps boost your organic ranking on Google.

We are firm believers in creating as many media streams as possible with the overarching goal of driving more traffic to our client Featured Community pages and generating more leads. Last week's results show Bald Head Island has enjoyed added benefits from the exposure. The results also show how Twitter can assist in building business.

Watch for more media streams to be added to the GolfCourseHome® Network in the near future. If you would like your master-planned golf or waterview community featured on the GolfCourseHome® Network or WaterViewHome Network, please contact me.

Special Events in the Carolinas Include Fireworks, Charity Tournaments, and More

Balsam Mountain Preserve, NC is a low-density community.

Balsam Mountain Preserve, NC will host its first annual Charity Golf Tournament on Tuesday, August 18th. Proceeds will benefit worthy area charities such as The Community Table of Jackson County, Save The Warmth /Jackson Neighbors in Need, and the construction fund for the new Jackson County Library. The tournament is open to all golfers, men and women, with a limited field of 22 four-person teams. The format will be Captain's choice and the entry fee per player will be $175. Click here for more information about Balsam Mountain Preserve!

The Cliffs at Glassy, SC invites families and friends to its Independence Day Celebration taking place on Saturday, July 4. It’s an evening of food, fun and fireworks; children’s games, face-painting, entertainment, and more. The All-American dinner buffet is 7 to 9 p.m. and fireworks begins at 9 p.m. The cost is $36.95 for adults, $14.95 per child 5-11, free for children under five. Reservations
are required and there is a 48-hour cancellation policy. Click here for more information about The Cliffs at Glassy!

Dataw Island Club, SC announced that the Club had approved major renovations to both the Cotton Dike and Morgan River courses. The club’s Cotton Dike course will close in March 2010 for the renovation project, with a planned reopening in October 2010. The Morgan River course will close in March 2011, with a targeted reopening of October 2011. The renovation project will be handled by renowned designer and former Augusta National superintendent Billy Fuller. Click here for more information about Dataw Island!

Harbor Hills Lots From $35,000, Running Y Package Includes Spa Treatments, More

Woodside Plantation,  SC is a private, gated community.

Woodside Plantation, Aiken, SC, announces a Special Guest Packages that includes a complementary round of golf for two on its award-winning Nicklaus Design course, complementary dinner for two including a bottle of wine, $50 Pro Shop Certificate and a private, guided tour of Woodside Plantation and the popular and growing city of Aiken. Contact the community for special pricing at local inns and hotels at 1-800-648-3052. Click here for more information about Woodside Plantation!

Harbor Hills, FL is now offering, for a limited time, golf course lots in its new Bella Vista Section for just $35,000, a dramatic reduction from price points of $100,000 or more that were in effect two years ago. A gated, country club community set among rolling hills overlooking Lake Griffin, one of Florida’s largest lakes, the club offers championship golf, a stately clubhouse, fitness, swimming, tennis, marina and much more. Click here for more information about Harbor Hills!

SummerGlen, FL has special offers on complete, or nearly completed homes, with savings of up to $64,784.  Outstanding values are available on a variety of floorplans, including three- and four-bedroom configurations. Many homes have golf course views, and all of the homes are outfitted with the community’s most popular upgrades and options. Inventory is limited. Click here for more information about SummerGlen!

Running Y Ranch, OR had its Three Day Weekend Package chosen as one of America’s top travel values by The Today Show on NBC. America’s top-rated morning news show put its spotlight on the community, which was offering two nights in a standard room in the Running Y Lodge, plus a third night at no added charge. Activities for guests included golf, spa treatments, horseback riding, miles of walking and biking trails, town center with shops and more. Click here for more information about Running Y Ranch!

Champion Hills & Its Tom Fazio Course Is Next Stop on Our North Carolina Mtn. Trip

The next stop on our recent western North Carolina mountain trip was Champion Hills in Hendersonville.

A home hidden in the trees on the edge of the course.

A well-established, proven, private equity community with all its infrastructure in place--clubhouse, tennis, pool, fitness center & more--the club was turned over to members in 2000 and as proudly confirmed by General Manager Saeed Assadzandi, the club has no debt, a real plus in today's economy and a solid confidence builder for incoming members.

Publisher David Lott w/ General Mgr. Saeed Assadzandi (left).

Covering 727 acres, we were told that of the 477 lots available for building, about 130-150 remain. In many cases, buyers have purchased more than one lot to create buffer zones. One well-known member of the club is local resident Tom Fazio, the course designer who also calls Champions Hills his home course. 

We were enthusiastically introduced to the club's magnificent Fazio layout (rated No. 5 in NC by Golf Digest) by Don, the starter on the course for the past 15 years.

Don gives his starting tips exhibiting his usual enthusiasm.

Tools for ensuring golfers get going on time.

The green on the Par-4 12th hole. Note the stone bridge.

Homes and homesites at Champion Hills are tucked along the hillsides, overlook forests, fairways or mountain ridges. Landscaping is picture perfect.  Existing homes include cottages, villas and single-family residences. Wooded homesites offer a mountain setting with native mountain laurel, rhododendron and dogwoods and range in size from a half-acre to more than two acres with golf course or mountain views.

A stunning new home overlooks the 13th fairway, $1.2 million.

We stopped for a moment to look at a newly completed home that a foursome passing by declared as one of the nicest at the community. Offered at $1.2 million, its new owners will have an enchanting bird's eye view of the 13th fairway from most of the rooms in the house.

This is the view the home looks out on.

Couldn't resist a shot of ourselves, the 13th in the background.

Landscaping and planting were perfect everywhere.

We concluded that Champion Hills is an ideal community for the buyer who wants no surprises in terms of club amenities and direction--all are well established--and is comforted by the fact that the bulk of the building is done. Champion Hills is ready for you right now and is certainly a must-see for the avid golfer. For more information, call 1-800-633-5122 or 1-828-693-0072, to order a free, full-color brochure, or to set up a visit.

Dozens of Golf and Waterfront Communities Join GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome

Pauma Valley Country Club has lush valley views.

2009 First-Half New Community Summary

Here is a summary of all communities added to GolfCourseHome (6 states, 14 communities) and WaterViewHome (9 states and 15 communities) in the first six months of this year.

NEW ON GOLFCOURSEHOME.NET

CALIFORNIA

=> Pauma Valley Country Club
Lush valley views, challenging golf, private air strip, homes from $245,000

FLORIDA

=> Olde Cypress Country Club, Naples
Golf by P.B. Dye, attached villas from the mid-$400,000s, homes from the $600,000s

=> SummerGlen, Ocala
Championship golf, SummerGlen Grand Hall, Residents Club, homes from $150,000

=> Frenchman’s Creek, Palm Beach Gardens
Two championship golf courses, deepwater marina, 17 Har-Tru tennis courts, wellness center, homes from $750,000

GEORGIA

=> Kingston on Lake Oconee, Buckhead
Gary Player golf, private marina, $70,000 savings w/ First Families, Lake Club, historic region, homesites from $80,000

NORTH CAROLINA

=> Bald Head Island, Bald Head Island
Ten-acre marina, golf and oceanfront clubhouses, kids camp, homes from the $400,000s

=> Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva - near Asheville
Arnold Palmer golf, equestrian center, tennis, pool, homesteads from $350,000

=> Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh
Arnold Palmer golf, 40,000-square-foot clubhouse, Executive Cottages from the $200,000s

=> Cummings Cove, Hendersonville  
Gated 650-acre mountain community, Bob Cupp golf, stone/timber clubhouse, lots from the $70,000s

SOUTH CAROLINA

=> The Owners Club at Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head lifestyle, fractional real estate, priced from low-$40,000s to high-$80,000s

=> Spring Island, Spring Island
New sports center this year, equestrian facilities, Arnold Palmer-designed golf, homes from the $600,000s

=> Wachesaw Plantation Club, Murrells Inlet
Tom Fazio golf, Intracoastal Waterway, sports complex, Resale homes from $350,000

=> Wyboo Plantation, Manning 
Lake Marion views and boating access, 36 holes of golf, patio homes from $200,000

VIRGINIA

=> Regency at Valley, Haymarket
Arnold Palmer Signature golf, grand clubhouse, Sports Pavilion, homes from the $300,000s

NEW ON WATERVIEWHOME.NET

ALABAMA

=> Colony at the Grand, Fairhope
Two Robert Trent Jones golf courses, hotel spa, yacht basin, luxury condominiums from the $700,000s

FLORIDA

=> The Champions’ Club, Trinity
Overlooks Fox Hollow Golf Club, tennis pavilion, fitness center, pool, clubhouse, homes from the mid-$700,000s to over $2 million

=> Isleworth, Windermere
Boat ramp to Butler Chain, private golf, 89,000-square-foot clubhouse, homes from $2 million

=> Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota
Parks, nature preserves, 160-acre lake, country club, 54 holes, athletic center, homes from the $200,000s to $1 million+

=> Piper’s Landing, Palm City
Championship golf, great fishing, protected yacht basin, homes from $250,000 to $2 million

GEORGIA

=> The Bluffs at Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill
Clubhouse, pool, tennis courts, 20 acres of lakes, one- to three-acre lots from $69,500

NEW YORK

=> The Lake at Sylvan Way, Grafton
118 acres, never before available, abuts lakefront preserve, entire parcel or lakefront & lakeview homesites,

NORTH CAROLINA

=> Bald Head Island, Bald Head Island  
Ten-acre marina, golf and oceanfront clubhouses, kids camp, real estate from $300,000s to $4 million

OKLAHOMA

=> The Preserve at Grand Lake, Grove
Newly constructed marina, buy-now/build-later, homesites with boat slips from $29,900

PENNSYLVANIA

=> Treasure Lake, DuBois
North of Pittsburgh, gated, 36 holes, lakefront, homesites from $29,000, golf homes from $150,000

SOUTH CAROLINA

=> The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, Sunset
Outdoor living on Lake Keowee shores, Tom Fazio golf, homesites from the $250,000s  

=> Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton
On the May River, Nicklaus golf, equestrian, resort village, homesites from the mid-$300,000s

=> Reverie on the Ashley, North Charleston
Private dock with boat slips, deepwater access, pool, units from the mid-$500,000s

=> Wachesaw Plantation, Murrell’s Inlet
Historic site on the Intracoastal, boat storage & marina, Fazio golf, tennis center, homes from $269,000 to $1 million+

VIRGINIA

=>The Riverfront, Suffolk
Riverfront Swim Club, 43-acre lake, golf by Tom Doak, custom homes from the $500,000s

Balsam Mountain Preserve the First Stop on Our Tour of Mountain Golf Communities

A wedding at the Duke Chapel in Durham, NC, last weekend gave Elise and me the perfect opportunity to visit some mountain golf communities in the Asheville area. Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva (just west of Asheville), Champion Hills, Hendersonville; Cummings Cove, Hendersonville; and Brights Creek, just east of Hendersonville in Mill Spring, made it on to our agenda.

Balsam Mountain, a Chaffin/Light community, was our first stop and we were treated royally by Marketing Director Bruce Fine. We stayed in the Larkspur cabin, one of 10 one-bedroom mountain camp homes that are available for vacations and for purchase as a fractional. At $250,000 for a share of 8 weeks, they make an ideal entry point into the community, and even better, wth fractional ownership comes club membership.

Larkspur cabin--simple in appearance, but very accommodating.

The cabin was cozy and an immediate relaxer. We ate at the Boarding House a short walk away which is serving as a clubhouse and gathering place. Dinner was served family style and delicious and the staff members couldn't have been nicer.

The next day Bruce gave us a complete tour of the community and its magnificent golf course. 

GolfCourseHome Publisher David Lott (right) with Balsam Mountain Marketing Director Bruce Fine.

What struck us most about Balsam Mountain was the you had to look hard to see the homes. It is the lowest density private club community in the mountains of Western North Carolina and only 354 homesites will be placed in this 4,400-acre private community, an average of one home for every 12 acres. Preservation is top of mind here.

Custom home under construction.

We were also impressed with the focus on the family with an active Nature Center, Activities Director and special activities and camps for kids. We met a warm and friendly family at the pool and snapped a picture of their three children just as they had come out of the pool (below).

Construction of the homes was impressive, especially the LEED compliant home below. Dry stacked stone was used everywhere--as supporting posts, in walls, foundations and in stairways.

LEED home nearing completion.

Custom home.

After a full day at Balsam Mountain, we headed east towards Asheville and Hendersonville and Champion Hills. More on that in the next installment.

Champion Hills Hosts Comedian Jeff Jena, Heritage Wake Forest Posts Record Sales

Champion Hills, NC will hold a comedy night this weekend.

Champion Hills, NC presents a special Comedy Night with Jeff Jena this Friday, June 26. Seating is limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be assigned seating unless you reserve a table of ten. Cost is $65 per person, and includes the comedy presentation, buffet dinner, tax and gratuity. Click here for more information about Champion Hills!

Amelia Island Plantation, FL was recently honored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection with its prestigious Palm Two certification. The community is one of just 26 properties in Florida to attain this status, which it earned via such measures as utilizing biodegradable plastic bottles in its various dining outlets, increasing bulk purchasing and closely monitoring water and energy savings in its resort laundry operations. Click here for more information about Amelia Island Plantation!

Mariner Sands, FL announced that homes available for sale in the community would be presented by Illustrated Properties Real Estate, Inc. Specializing in Palm Beach area real estate since 1936, Illustrated Properties is an Exclusive Affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates. Residences in Mariner Sands, which has two 18-hole championship golf courses, include single-family homes and charming cottages. Click here for more information about Mariner Sands!

Heritage Wake Forest, NC reported that June 7-13 was a record-breaking week in 2009 for property sales and for visitors to its newly renovated sales center. This activity and interest was sparked by the opening of "The Walk," an enclave of custom-built ranch homes within the planned neighborhood of Heritage. These homes are on wooded lots and adjacent to the community’s miles of walking trails. Click here for more information about Heritage Wake Forest!

SummerGlen, FL has once again been named one of 'America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities' by Where To Retire magazine in its July/August issue. You can see the full list of GolfCourseHome communities that were selected here. Or request more information about SummerGlen here.

NEWS SHORTS....

Kingsmill, VA just opened new community recreation centers at Mounts Bay and Southall. Facilities include a baby pool, lap pool and waterslides, for the exclusive use of Kingsmill residents.

The Cliffs Communities, SC won a national Well Workplace Award for its employee wellness program, scoring 177 out of a possible 180 points.

The Georgia Club, GA was informed by the Northeast Georgia Foodbank that its most recent tournament proceeds were used to purchase and provide more than 20,000 meals for needy recipients.

The Landings, GA invites devotees of fine grilled fare to its Down South Summer Saturday Grill Out all summer long.

DEALS SHORTS....

Cobble Creek, CO, announces its Spruce Point homesites now begin at just $63,000; homes start at just $265,000.

The Lake at Sylvan Way, Grafton, NY, located on a 170+ acre, Adirondack-quality lake is now subdividing its 118 acres and will mark the transition with a Grand Opening on Saturday, July 18....

Kingston on Lake Oconee, GA announces its First Families home purchase promotion, offering 10 years of no-fees golf plus $70,000 in savings.

Wachesaw Plantation Club, SC is offering a special Weekend Package exclusive to GolfCourseHome visitors. For details, click here.

Black Bull, MT, announces that its developer-built Club Homes, which are designed for turn-key convenience, has lowered its starting price more than 10 percent to $695,000.

Ocean Ridge Plantation, NC reports a price drop, luxury custom-homes, single-family homes now begin in the $300,000s to $1 million+, down from $400,000.

Sanctuary Cove, GA homesite special: 2.4-acre, gated deepwater lot on the Little Satilla River with dock, boathouse and boat lift: $517,283.

St. Andrews Park, FL has announces a $10,000 price drop on its popular Alexandra townhome model from $179,900 down to $169,900.

Brier Creek Country Club, NC is offering a Fly and Buy Program. Visit the community, buy a home and receive up to $2,000 in travel expenses at settlement ....

DISCOVERY TOURS - STAY 'n PLAY

Champion Hills, NC Stay & Play features community tour, clubhouse lunch, golf, and two nights at a charming bed and breakfast, community villa in historic Hendersonville or in a Champion Hills villa, all for only $325....

The Club at Olde Stone, KY is now offering “Stay & Play” golf packages that have a two-night minimum stay and include unlimited golf.

Amelia Island Plantation, FL is offering a Rise & Shine Golf Special of $135 per person/night in a Resort-view room (1/2 mile from the beach), plus breakfast daily , 18 holes of championship golf on one of 3 courses and more.

Balsam Mountain Preserve, NC's Discovery Visit, good 'til Sept. 4th, includes time to golf, hike, horseback ride, fish, Nature Center. Stay for two nights in a private residence club cabin for just $199 per night.

SummerGlen, FL is offering a 3 Day/2 Night Stay And Play package for just $129.95, that includes continental breakfast, lunch, community tour, personal golf cart and more.