The GolfCourseHome Life

Florida's River Hall & Frenchman's Reserve Open New Amenities & Homes

River Hall, FL: 18-hole Davis Love course & a short course.

River Hall, FL continues its highly anticipated rollout of club
golf amenities with the opening of a Davis Love III-designed,
three-hole Short Course. Even as River Hall members play
their first rounds at Love’s newly opened 18-hole
championship course, they now have the benefit of practice
holes that mirror the contours and challenges of the big
course. Click here to request more information.

Frenchmans Reserve, FL has announced that, due to the
popularity of its Heritage Collection, a new section for these
single-family luxury home designs has been opened. Known
as “Cote Azur.” It is the final section of homesites for the
community. Views from this collection of residences include
lakefront and fairways of the 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature
course. Click here to request more information!

Isleworth, Luxury Florida Golf Community, To Be Featured on GolfCourseHome

Oxford Realty presents homes for sale at Isleworth, FL

We are please to announce that Oxford Realty, Inc.,
an International Luxury & Estate Broker, is sponsoring
Isleworth, the luxury golf and lakeview community located
in Windermere, Florida (near Orlando), on GolfCourseHome.net.

Oxford Realty is a privately owned international brokerage
firm specializing exclusively in luxury and estate properties
in Central Florida. Listings offered by Oxford Realty include
luxury homes in Isleworth. Oxford Realty is not affiliated
with Isleworth Land Company or its affiliated companies or
subsidiaries.

Isleworth is a 6,000-acre, gated community located only 10
miles from downtown Orlando business district and less
than 15 minutes to Disney attractions and major shopping
malls.

The community is nestled on the shores of the famed
Butler Chain of Lakes, a series of lakes connected by
navigable canals. Residents have access to the lakes from
a private launch area within the community. A private,
gated community, Isleworth offers some of Orlando’s most
beautiful homes and estates with prices beginning at
$2 million.

Classic design framed by golf course on three sides: $4.9M.

Residents may apply to join the Isleworth Country Club,
an 89,000-square-foot facility which is privately owned
and offers non-equity membership. The club offers an
18-hole championship golf course designed by Arnold
Palmere/Ed Seay, tennis, boat launch, wellness center
and much more.

For more information about Isleworth, click here.

Golf Magazine's 2007 Top 100 Golf Courses You Can Play--And Live On

Paa-Ko Ridge, NM: No. 30 on the Top 100

Every two years Golf Magazine announces its selections
for the Top 100 Golf Courses You Can Play--and 2007 is
the latest year to be included. We take a close look at the
list because a number of these gems are associated with
a golf community. So you could not only have a golf course
in your backyard, it would also be among the best in the
country.

See below for the 10 award-winning courses featured on
GolfCourseHome.net that are also part of a master-planned
golf community. Golf Magazine's profile includes the prior
ranking, designer and greens fees.

Top 100 Courses You Can Play--and Live On

15. Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island, S.C.  2004 Rank: 19
Designer: Pete Dye  Greens fee: $135-270

18. The Homestead (Cascades)
Hot Springs, Va. 2004 Rank: 23
Designer: William Flynn   Greens fee: $210-261

19. Cuscowilla
Eatonton, Ga.     2004 Rank: 22
Designer: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw Greens fee: $89-$150

30. Paa-Ko Ridge
Sandia Park, N.M.   2004 Rank: 43
Designer: Ken Dye   Greens fee: $57-89

43. Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters)
Greensboro, Ga.   2004 Rank: 51
Designer: Jack Nicklaus   Greens fee: $125-195

53. May River Course at Palmetto Bluff
Bluffton, S.C.     2004 Rank: NEW
Designer: Jack Nicklaus   Greens fee: $240

60. Reynolds Plantation (Oconee)
Greensboro, Ga.    2004 Rank: 67
Designer: Rees Jones  Greens fee: $135-260

68. Barton Creek (Fazio Foothills)
Austin, Texas     2004 Rank: 62
Designer: Tom Fazio   Greens fee: $135-240

95. Barefoot Resort (Love)
North Myrtle Beach, S.C.     2004 Rank: NEW
Designer: Davis Love III      Greens fee: $75-155

96. St. Ives Resort (Tullymore) 
Stanwood, Mich.   2004 Rank: 86
Designer: Jim Engh   Greens fee: $82-95

Winding River Residents Help Santa Get Pool Table to Troops in Iraq

Winding River Plantation, NC: Different kind of pool.

The residents of Winding River Plantation recently
sponsored a “Support the Troops” program andraised
more than $2,000 dollars in order to purchase a pool
table for a medical unit in Iraq. 

A resident’s son, who has just returned home from active
duty, explained that after intense hours of tending soldiers
who are wounded or dying, a pool table would be a true
gift for the medical corps to relieve stress and anxiety.

The Winding River logo was put on the table and a well-
known manufacturer of pool tables shipped it overseas. 
Co-Chairperson, Pam Carmichael, says, ‘The social
committee oversees many of these charitable events
including the Angel Tree Program at Virginia Williamson
Elementary.’

Winding River adopted the school through the Brunswick
County Adopt-A-School Program to provide tutoring and
school materials plus Christmas gifts for those in need. 
Carmichael goes on to say that “not one soldier was left
unattended by the crowd when the Wounded Warriors
stopped at the entrance to Winding River last month.”

Winding River, a private, gated community minutes
from Southport, North Carolina, has been recognized as
one of the nation’s best places to retire by national
magazines. Amenities include a 27-hole course designed
by Fred Couples, tennis courts, swimming pool, Beach
club & pool on Holden Beach, and River House and marina
on the Lockwood Folly River.

Lockwood Folly's "Rally for a Cure" Fund Raiser Tops the Quarter-Million Mark

Lockwood Folly, NC: Idyllic river location and golf, too.

The annual Lockwood Folly fund-raising events,"Lockwood
Rally for a Cure" has again had a successful run this fall,
pushing the amount raised since 2002 for the Susan B.
Komen Foundation that benefits breast cancer research
to more than a quarter-million dollars. The "enthusiastic
support generated for these fall events and the "It Can
Be Done" attitude of tireless organizers living in
Lockwood Folly has made this all possible," says the
club.

Nestled near Holden Beach, midway between bustling Myrtle
Beach, SC, and historic Wilmington, NC, Lockwood Folly
encompasses 500 acres of massive live oaks, 200-year-old
pines and delicate dogwoods, and commands two miles
of frontage along the protected waters of the Lockwood
Folly River and the Intracoastal Waterway.

For those who love golf, water activities and boating,
Lockwood Folly is a perfect blend of all three and a
community worth investigating.

A shrimp boat passes by on the Lockwood Folly River.

Founders Club, FL, Announces New Residents & Members

Founders Club: New members are enjoying the new clubhouse.

This news item is the 101st posting on the GolfCourseHome
Blog since its launch on October 4. Since then we have had
more than 4,000 page views and much encouragement
from our clients and friends who report added traffic and
leads when their news is published. If you represent a
GolfCourseHome Network Featured Community, keep
sending in your news!

Ian Fetigan reports good activity at The Founders Club
in Sarasota, FL: "We are at our 55th resident. Twelve
new members have joined the club in November and we
are now up to 188 members. Club activities are growing
with events having twice the attendance over last year."

The Founders Golf Club is a new, traditional golf club
featuring a 7,094-yard, par-72, championship golf course
designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and a new 24,000
square-foot clubhouse called Golf Hall. The community
will consist of just 262 homes with homesites priced from
the $400,000s. To request immediate information about
The Founders Club, click here.

Champions' Club, FL, Party Planners Are Keeping Members Busy with Holiday Events

Champions' Club, FL: Getting ready for Santa & New Year's Eve.

These days, the busiest group of folks at The Champions'
Club in Trinity, FL, has been the Adult Activities Committee,
which has been keeping the club members happy and in their
best partying form. Themed events from South of the Border
and a Luau to a Trunk or Treat Halloween party have just
been a warm-up, though the huge New Year's Eve party which
is expected to draw more than 200 revelers.

Complete with catered yummies, tent and dance floor on
the back lawn, music and merriment of all kinds, it promises
to be a wonderful night. Heaters stand at the ready in case
it gets chilly out on the pool deck.

The developer also puts on a delightful Holiday Family
Gathering that is coming up this weekend. On the agenda is
a visit from, and story time with, Santa, a holiday musical
presentation from the Seven Springs Middle School choir, tree
decorating, a cookie exchange and light refreshments. It all
adds up to a fun and social time for both parents and children.

The Champions' Club is a gated, golf-course community
overlooking the 18-hole Championship course at Fox Hollow
Golf Club in the Tampa Bay area of central Florida. More
than half of its 368 homesites border the golf course. Other
lots overlook broad lakes or woodland conservation areas.

To request more information about life at The Champions'
Club and how you could live there, click here.

Willoughby Golf Club's Christmas Party Is One Children Will Remember

Willoughby, FL: Christmas tradition benefits children

One of the main functions of this blog is to help illustrate
what life is like at the golf and waterview communities we
feature on GolfCourseHome.net and WaterViewHome.net.
After all, it's not just about the look of the golf course or
the size of the clubhouse. It's about the life you will lead
in your new community....your friends, social activities,
and the new memories you will create for yourselves and
your family. Thus, events and parties such as the one
given last week for the the children of Hope Rural School
by Willoughby Golf Club are important indicators of not
only what your new life may be like, but also shows
what's important to the people you will be sharing a
community with.

Santa came early this year for Hope Rural School

Hope Rural School is a Church-supported elementary
school for the children of migrant farm workers from
Indiantown, Fl. The members at Willoughby have been
celebrating Christmas by gathering gifts for Hope's
children for the past 16 years.

At the event held just last Friday, the children honored
the residents and members with their angelic voices,
singing Christmas carols to show their appreciation for
the busload of presents provided by Willoughby Golf Club
members. Eyes grew large when they saw all the bicycles,
toys, and wrapped gifts the residents so generously gave.

After their performance they were off to their favorite part,
a room full of pizza and "build your own" Ice Cream Sundaes.
One member who attended the event said that "in this busy
time of hustle and bustle, it's nice to breathe in and
remember what the meaning of Christmas is: giving and
sharing."

The residents of Willoughby Golf Club certainly did that by
bringing many happy smiles to these children's faces.
If this is the kind of holiday activity that would inspire you
at Christmas, Willoughby  would be a good community to
investigate.

Ginn Reunion Resort Named “Golf Resort of the Year” by Golf Tour Operators

Ginn Reunion Resort: Golf Resort of the Year”

Ginn Reunion Resort has received the 2008 North
America 'Golf Resort of the Year' award from the
International Association of Golf Tour Operators
(IATGO).

Twenty of North America’s finest golf resorts were
nominated for the award, which was presented in a
ceremony recently at the Gran Melia Cancun Hotel
in Cancun, Mexico. Award criteria included: customer
satisfaction, quality of golf courses and accommodations,
value for money, professional conduct of suppliers,
support from the local tourism industry and accessibility
to tee times.

Seven Eagles Townhomes overlook the Watson course.

Votes for this award were cast by IAGTO’s 260 golf tour
operators from 40 countries around the globe. Each
operator was asked to nominate what they considered
to be the best performing golf destination of the year,
according to their travel clients. A winner was named
in five regional categories: North America; Latin
America and Caribbean; Europe; Africa and Gulf
States and Asia and Australasia.

Reunion features three signature golf courses and the
recently opened ANNIKA Academy. The ANNIKA Academy
is interesting in its own right. Under the supervision of
top LPGA touring pro Annika Sorenstam’s personal swing
coach, Henri Reis, and personal trainer, Kai Fusser,
Ginn Reunion Resort members and guests of all skill
levels have the opportunity to adopt the Swedish-born
golfer's holistic approach to golf, and take their game
to the next level.

Real estate at Reunion begins with homesites from the
$200,000s and condominiums and townhomes from the
$400,000s. Single-family and custom homes range up
from the $600,000s. To request immediate information
about Reunion, click here.

Let It Snow! Savannah's 79 Degress & the Golf Is Great

Reserve at Savannah Harbor: Coulda been here today.

While we in the Northeast were watching the continuing
snowfall today and reading forecasts of more snow this
weekend, our afternoon was punctuated by these
photos from The Reserve at Savannah Harbor.

"The temperature in Savannah is 79 degrees and
people are playing golf!" read the email. And then
we saw the photos--green grass and happy shots
of homes going up (see below).

Reason for excitement: Homes going up at The Reserve.


Lots are being sold and homes are going up.

If you're looking for a good excuse for escaping the
snow, you couldn't find a better one that you need to fly
down to Savannah to play golf and tour
The Reserve at Savannah Harbor.

To request immediate information about The Reserve,
click here.

Golf & Tennis Star Sea Pines Plantation Joins WaterViewHome.net

Sea Pines Plantation: Golf, beach, tennis and more

We are pleased to announce the addition of the legendary
Sea Pines Plantation, located on Hilton Head Island, SC, to
WaterViewHome.net. New England is supposed to get up to
to 10 inches of snow today, but if you were at Sea Pines,
you could be teeing it up on the golf course where today's
forecast is for partly sunny skies and temps of 76 degrees!

Sea Pines Plantation is a 5,200-acre, master-planned golf
and boating community in the Carolina Lowcountry, with
guarded entrances and full-time security. It is home to the
famed Harbour Town Golf Links and lighthouse and a model
for resort communities throughout the U.S.

Sea Pines offers four championship golf courses, including the
famed Harbour Town Golf Links (site of an annual PGA Tour
event), dozens of tennis courts, the deep-water Harbour Town
Yacht Basin, South Beach Marina, 14 miles of paved biking
and leisure trails and an equestrian center.

On the Beach: The Beach Club at Sea Pines is a summertime
favorite for residents and guests, while Tower Beach is
reserved for Sea Pines property owners only.

Real Estate

Sea Pines Villas

• 1 bedroom with wooded views from $300,000
• 3 and 4 bedrooms oceanfront from $2 million
• Click here for more information about Sea Pines Plantation!

Sea Pines Homes

• Patio homes and bungalows from $500,000
• Golf course, water, and marsh view homes from $800,000 to $2.5 million
• Click here for more information about Sea Pines Plantation!

Good Reads, Great Advice: Holiday Books for the Marketing Professional

Growing Your Business the right way.

"Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken was my constant
companion when I first started my company 12 years ago.
I underlined, starred and highlighted countless passages
and dog-eared the corners of numerous pages. The
underlying philosophies still guide me--be in it for the long
haul, create legendary service, you can never rush the
rules of the field, and focus, focus, focus. This is
especially true in light of the Internet where everything
happens at lightning speed. But business is still about
people and relationships. Nurture them. Whenever I
meet someone about to start a business, I send them
a copy of this book. It's the best advice I can give
them: read it.

It's Your Service.

Constant learning is one of the keys to success in today’s
business. Here’s one book we’ve found to be of invaluable
help called, "Selling the Invisible," by Harry Beckwith. This
field guide to modern marketing—called a classic by Harvey
Mackay of "Swimming with the Sharks" fame—tackles one
of the most difficult concepts to communicate—your services.
When you don’t have actual products to sell, it’s tough to
get prospects to visualize what you’re offering them.

And when your products have yet to be built, you must
rely on other elements to make the sale. As Beckwith
writes in the first chapter:

"In the popular view, ‘We need better marketing’
invariably means ‘We need to get our name out"— with
ads, publicity and maybe some direct mail. Unfortunately,
this focus on getting the word outside detracts companies
from the inside, and from the first rule of service
marketing: The core of service marketing is the service
itself."

Sections of the book include "Marketing is Not a Department,"
"Planning: The 18 Fallacies," "The More You Say, The Less
People Hear," "How to Save $500,000" and much more.
This wonderful book should go on your bookshelf next to
"Ogilvy on Advertising" and Reis and Trout’s book on
"Positioning." Let us know what you think of it, or tell us
if you have a book, Web site or other resource to recommend.

A classic:

Good advice: Own the word, own the business.

One of our most frequently re-read books. Especially good
is the caution about brand-extension--it's an attractive
trap that leads to no-good and brand erosion. Many may
argue about the various laws, but the fact that it is still
quoted and talked about 13 years after its first
appearance testifies to its intelligence and insight.

Golf Shopping? Oconee Course Golf Shop at Reynolds Plantation Is a Winner

Reynolds Plantation Oconee Golf Shop: Top 100.

If you're looking for a great place to shop for the golfer
in your life (or for yourself), try the award-winning Oconee
Course Golf Shop at Reynolds Plantation which was
was recently named one of the “100 Best Golf Shops
in America” for 2008 by GOLF WORLD magazine.

The fifth consecutive win for the shop, the award
recognizes excellence in golf retail merchandising.
Heading up the effort in 2007 were Director of Retail
Merchandise Jean Silbereisen and Head Golf Professional
Mike Davenport.

The award ranks shops in four categories: public, private,
resort and off-course. This year, The Oconee Course
Golf Shop earned its win in the resort category. Criteria
included merchandising strategy, visual presentation and
financial performance. The golf shop’s physical size and
rounds played are also included. To request more
information about Reynolds Plantation, click here.

The Oconee course is one of five golf courses at Reynolds
Plantation whose courses have been authored by many of
the top names in golf course design, including Bob Cupp,
Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Rees Jones and Jim Engh.

River Hall Davis Love-Designed Course Opens for Play

River Hall: Course opens, clubhouse to follow soon.

River Hall, Ft. Myers, FL, announced that its bundled 18-hole
golf course designed by Davis Love III is now open for play.
The course is the only one of its kind in the area, and
members have taken advantage of the 15-acre, full-grass
driving range and three-hole short course.

River Hall membership opportunities are available to
Hampton Lakes residents, and a full golf membership is
included for residents of the Country Club village.

The 8,000-square-foot golf clubhouse is set to open later
this month. Featuring a full-service golf shop, locker rooms,
casual dining at the Caloosa Grill and planned social activities,
the clubhouse will be the latest ingredient unveiled at this
Landmar club community.

In addition to an array of world-class amenities, a town center
is planned for River Hall, complete with a quaint village
square, a firehouse and a new elementary school. Shops and
services will follow as the community matures to provide the
essentials and conveniences residents desire along with
places to gather and work. To request immediate information
about River Hall, click here.

Harbour Ridge Waterfront Gets Plenty of Action This Month

Harbour Ridge Yacth & CC Marina: Scene of Docktails.

The waterfront will be the place to be this month at
Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club. First off, Marine
Max of Stuart, Florida, will host the Club’s December
“Docktails” by bringing 5 boats for display and inviting
all members of Harbour Ridge to board and inspect their
vessels while enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres. 

For small boat sailors, a new canoe and kayak docking
and launch area has been constructed off the Center Dock
allowing for easy waterway access. The St. Lucie Aquatic
Preserve, which borders two sides of Harbour Ridge,
provides an ideal environment for bird watching and
nature tours via canoe. 

Harbour Ridge is located on the wide St. Lucie River in
Stuart, Florida.  Stuart, which has long been recognized
as the Sailfish Capital of the world, has emerged as a
Mecca of yachting. Stuart is a boater's dream with a fresh
water river, brackish creeks, service orientated marinas
and wonderful fishing. With 3 marinas and 98 protected
boat slips, Harbour Ridge has direct access to the
Intracoastal Waterway, the Atlantic Ocean, 12 miles away,
and the locks leading to Lake Okeechobee and the west
coast of Florida. 

Other planned activities for the Harbour Ridge waterfront
include:  a variety of short luncheon cruises for all size
boats; longer destination cruises for seasoned sailors;
5 Ecological tours to local Rookeries; fishing and fly-
fishing contests for sailfish, snook, trout, redfish, and
tarpon; and a special land trip to the Mexican Yucatan
Peninsula.   

As members of the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs (FCYC),
all residents of Harbour Ridge may visit and dine at any
one of the 37 other FCYC clubs scattered throughout
Florida. To request immediate more information about
Harbour Ridge, click here.

Special Incentives & Savings at Grand Haven, FL, and Osprey Cove, GA

Grand Haven, FL: Save on developer's homesites.

Grand Haven, Palm Coast, FL, is offering "exceptional
savings on developer homesites." Purchase now and save
on special pricing or with a flexible financing package.
Buy a new developer homesite and qualify for a 10 percent
rebate, or enjoy no closing costs or loan payments for
12 months. To request immediate information about
Grand Haven, click here.

Grand Haven is an award-winning, gated, master-planned
community with more than 1,350 acres for homes and
amenities, and is adjacent to a 4,000-acre nature preserve.
Amenities include a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course,
boating on the Intracaostal Waterway, tennis, spa,
fitness center and more.

Osprey Cove, St. Marys, GA, named one of the “100 Best
Master-planned Communities in 2007” by Where to Retire
Magazine, has a limited selection of homesites starting at
$59,900. Purchase includes membership to the Mark
McCumber private golf course and access to a full
amenities package, including miles of walking trails,
tennis courts, junior Olympic pool and a River Club with
a boat launch leading to the Atlantic Ocean.

Located just north of Jacksonville, Osprey Cove offers
an award-winning golf course and a boater's haven in a
natural resource-rich area touted by publications as one
of America's "Best Places to Live." To request immediate
information about Osprey Cove, click here.

Tour Palmetto Bluffs' Holiday Coastal Cottage by Coastal Living & Cottage Living

Palmetto Bluff, SC: Stay at the cozy Inn while touring.

Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC, is offering tours of
its 2007 Holiday Coastal Cottage from now until Jan. 4,
2008. Spnsored by Coastal Living and Cottage Living
magazines, the tours are run Monday through Saturday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased for $10 per person, and proceeds
benefit The Bluffton Historical Preservation Society, which
strives to protect, preserve and promote the cultural
heritage and history of greater Bluffton from the 1700s
to the present.

The perfect place to stay while in Bluffton is The Inn at
Palmetto Bluff. Located in the center of the Village, the
Inn is operated by internationally renowned Auberge Resorts.
Responsible for such acclaimed properties as Calistoga
Ranch in Napa Valley, and Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico, Auberge is considered among the finest operators
of small hotels in the world. And while you're at Palmetto
Bluff, there, check out the award-winning Jack Nicklaus
Signature Golf Course, Spa and other delights. Real estate
begins in the mid-$300,000s. To request immediate
information about Palmetto Bluff, click here.

St. James Plantation, NC, Reports 2007 Sales of $46.7 MIllion

St. James Plantation, NC: 81 Holes of golf & healthy sales.

St. James Plantation, the coastal North Carolina’s golf and
waterview community, reports that it had real estate sales
of $46.7 million for 2007. The statement was issued by
Julie Frazier, vice president of marketing.

“Our sales continue strong,” Frazier said, “despite the
fact that the national market this year was soft and
uncertain.  We have found that our buyers remain
active and enthusiastic. They have indicated that we
have a special product they want.”

St. James Plantation, which borders the Intracoastal
Waterway, has welcomed over 4,000 families as property
owners and residents since its establishment in 1991. 
The number of owners represents residents, homesite
owners and second-home owners. 

Frazier said the St. James primary market continues to
be the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida, but
that the Midwestern states are well-represented also. 

St. James Plantation has grown steadily since it was
created 16 years ago along the North Carolina coast near
the quaint village of Southport. A gated, picturesque
5,000-acre tract, the popular community has 1,800 homes
and approximately 200 single-family homes are currently
under construction.

St. James offers four championship golf courses and its
newest course, the Reserve Club, which was created by
the Nicklaus Design, was named “Best New Course” in
North Carolina last year.  In addition to golf, there is tennis,
a marina, beach club, fitness centers, walking and biking
trails, and a variety of water sports, including swimming,
boating and fishing.

To request immediate information about St. James
Plantation, click here.

Golf Community Gala Holiday Events & Celebrations December 2007

Maggie Valley, NC: Plans for a 'Dazzling' New Year's Eve.

Tis the season to be jolly, and when you're spending
it at a gala event at your golf community, the
spirit shines a little brighter. Here is a line-up
of holiday events slated for this month that will
please grown-ups and the small fry alike.

DECEMBER 2007 CALENDAR OF HOLIDAY EVENTS
Running Y Ranch, OR is offering a Winter Nights Lodging
Special that is valid from Dec. 5 through December 31.
The special offer includes a one-night stay in a standard
double room, two tickets Running Y’s Winter Lights and
dinner for two at the Ranch House restaurant, for $169.
Click here for more information about Running Y Ranch!

Daniel Island, SC hosts a gala dinner-dance and auction
tonight for the benefit of its at its Gibbes Museum of Art
in the ballroom of the Daniel Island Club. The aviation-
themed event and auction includes trips, adventure
equipment, luggage and jewelry for the consummate
traveler. Dress is black tie. Click here to request more
information about Daniel Island!

World Golf Village, FL invites you to watch the exciting
Handa Cup championship the weekend of December 14-16.
The Handa Cup, created in 2006 for The Official Legends
Tour of the LPGA, will be played for the second straight
year on the Slammer & Squire golf course at World Golf
Village. It’s a team match-play competition featuring a
field of legendary U.S. golf professionals against a team
of top international professionals, both teams including
World Golf Hall of Fame members. Tickets are $10 per
day and are available to the public. Click here to request
more information about World Golf Village!

Lake Jovita, FL invites participants and their families
from the Dade City community to participate in the 5K
Reindeer Run on Saturday, December 15. The race begins
at 8 a.m. on a course that weaves through the hills of
Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club. Entry fee is $20 ($25
on the day of the race). Proceeds go to the East Pasco
Habitat for Humanity. Click here to request more
information about Lake Jovita!

Lake Blackshear Plantation, GA invites interested home-
buyers to the community throughout the month of December
to take advantage of its Special Year-End Savings Promotion.
Now through December 31, buyers can take advantage of up
to $22,000 savings on golf course lots. Click here to request
more information about Lake Blackshear Plantation!

PGA National, FL unveils a Holiday Special Offer at its
famed resort hotel and spa. Spend your holiday vacation at
the resort, and enjoy a complimentary night's stay on
Christmas or New Year's—or both. Make reservations for
5 nights or more at the standard room rate and PGA
National provides a night free of charge. Stay for 10 days
and receive a free room night on Christmas and New Years.
Click here to request more information about PGA National!

Maggie Valley Club, NC will hold a New Year’s Eve “Dazzling
Dinner and Dancing” event at the newly renovated Maggie
Velley Club. Dinner will be a six-course affair, with music by
Pam Howe and the Golden Quartet. Price is $99 per person,
plus tax, tip and bar charges. Reservations are required.
Click here for more information about the Maggie Valley Club!

Bayside, DE celebrated the annual Bayside Christmas Parade
on Friday with local marching bands, antique cars, beauty
queens and floats. Click here for more information about
Bayside!

 

Golf Community News Shorts...Santa at Heritage Bay, Plus The Landings & Osprey Cove

Heritage Bay Golf & CC: New Amenities Center.

Heritage Bay Golf & Country Club, FL announced that it
will be opening its eagerly awaited Amenity Center on or
about January 19. This new core amenity of the community
features a first-class fitness area, resort-style pool and
spa, chickee bar, card rooms and meeting rooms.
Interested home buyers can attend the grand opening
ceremony by making arrangements in advance.
Click here to request more information!

The Landings on Skidaway Island, GA held a holiday-
themed Breakfast at the Plantation this morning with
special guest Santa Claus. Santa's still hanging around
for more , though. There are three scheduled "Evenings
with Santa" at the Deer Creek Club that will certainly get
you in the holiday spirit. Click here for more information!

Osprey Cove, GA announced it is welcoming a new “green
builder.” Keystone Custom Builders has been named the
first green builder at Osprey Cove, joining five established
home construction companies on the approved list.
Keystone Custom Builders unveiled its first model home,
the energy-efficient Cedar Brook, during a recent Tour of
Homes. Click here to request more information!

Golfweek Releases Its 2007 Best Resort Courses List

Sea Pines Plantation, SC: Habour Town is No. 12

Golfweek Magazine has just announced its 2007
Best Resort Courses ranking list. Many of these these
resort gems have a golf community associated with it
and are featured on GolfCourseHome.net where you can
learn about the property's many amenities, real estate
and much more. In the listings below, the location is
noted, course architect and the year the course opened.

12 Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head, S.C., Pete Dye, 1970

13 The Homestead Resort (Cascades)
Hot Springs, Va., William S. Flynn, 1923

24 Barton Creek Golf Club (Fazio Canyons)
Austin, Texas, Tom Fazio, 2001

27 May River Course at Palmetto Bluff
Bluffton, S.C., Jack Nicklaus, 2004

34 Ocean Course at Ginn Hammock Beach
Palm Coast, Fla., Jack Nicklaus, 2000

50 Barton Creek Golf Club (Fazio Foothills)
Austin, Texas, Tom Fazio, 1995

57 Ginn Reunion Resort (The Independence)
Davenport, Fla., Tom Watson, 2003

58 Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters)
Greensboro, Ga., Jack Nicklaus, 1992

72 Reynolds Plantation (Oconee)
Oconee, Ga., Rees Jones, 2000

75 Kingsmill Golf Club (River)
Williamsburg, Va.,  Pete Dye, 1974

82 Ginn Reunion Resort (The Legacy)
Davenport, Fla., Arnold Palmer, 2003

91 Horseshoe Bay Country Club (Ram Rock)
Horseshoe Bay, Texas,  Robert Trent Jones Sr.
& Roger Rulewich, 1976

Reserve at Savannah Harbor, GA, Tops Off First Townhome

Reserve at Savannah Harbor: Townhomes ready in spring.

The Reserve at Savannah Harbor has celebrated a milestone
with the "topping off" of its first townhomes on
Hutchinson Island which overlooks the harbor and the
city of Savannah.

The three-level "Lincoln Townhomes" will be the first
residences completed on Hutchinson, home of The
Reserve at Savannah Harbor golf community and site of
additional resort and convention development.

The townhomes are architecturally designed to mirror
downtown Historic Savannah's centuries-old homes
and will offer residents views of River Street, the
Talmadge Bridge and the Back River, as well as the
golf fairways of The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf
Resort & Spa.

The Reserve is surrounded on 3 sides by golf course.

Cora Bett Thomas Realty and Reserve Realty are currently
accepting contracts on the townhomes, which developers
say will be ready for occupancy this spring.

The Savannah-style townhomes are 3,000 square feet,
including three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a two-
car garage plus golf cart storage area, elevator, 10-foot
ceilings, custom woodwork and cabinetry, granite
countertops and Wolf/Sub-Zero/Viking appliances.

Homeowners also will have their own swimming pool
and clubhouse/fitness facilities, tennis courts, parks
and squares, plus a proposed marina.

The Reserve at Savannah Harbor is adjacent to The
Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Greenbriar Spa,
which annually hosts the PGA's Legends Tour and houses
the only sister spa of the original Greenbrier Spa in
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Golf and spa memberships
are currently available through the resort.

To request immediate information about The Reserve at
Savannah Harbor, click here.

BallenIsles Country Club Votes to Implement Full Slate of Improvements

BallenIsles Country Club, FL:  New amenities get green light.

BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, reports
that its members have approved investing in club facilities
so that BallenIsles will remain "the premier country Club in
our area."

The Planning and Zoning Department of Palm Beach Gardens
has just approved the site plan for the club's new building.

The accepted proposals include:

1) Building a new Sports/Spa/Fitness/Dining Complex
for more casual dining, larger fitness center, larger pool
deck, and expanded spa services. 

2) Enlarging and re-configuring the 72,000 sq. ft. Main
Clubhouse to provide better member service, new dining
venue, more card room space, and improved flow. 

3) Re-designing and re-building the legendary East
Golf Course.

The Board of Directors and Facilities/Construction
Committees will now develop final plans, obtain permits,
and begin construction. 

Construction on the East Golf Course will begin in the
Spring of 2008 with completion before December. 
New construction on the Sports Center is planned to
begin in the Spring of 2008 with completion by the
following year. The remodeling and expansion of
the Main Clubhouse is scheduled for 2009. The Club
will continue to provide amenities and services to all
members during the renovation. To visit the
BallenIsles website, click here.

To request additional information about BallenIsles,
click here.

Golf Digest 2007 "Best Courses" That You Can Live On

Ginn Hammock Beach, FL: No. 3 Best New Public Course.

Golf Digest magazine has just released a number of
its best-of rankings lists, including its Best New Public
Courses (fee $75 & above) and Best New Private
Courses. We take notice when it's a course you can
live on and is part of a Featured Community on
GolfCourseHome. Thus, we have two world-class,
and now award-winning, golf communities, that we
want to alert you to:

The first is Ginn Hammock Beach, which was ranked
No. 3 in the BEST NEW PUBLIC: OVER $75 category.

3. GINN HAMMOCK BEACH (The Conservatory)
     Palm Coast, Fla. • Yards 7,776 • Par 72
     Fee: $175 • Tom Watson • 386-246-6710

Tucked between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach,
Hammock Beach is a 1,000-acre, beachfront retreat
featuring a spa, 2.4 miles of beachfront and access to
an oceanfront golf course.To request immediate
information about Hammock Beach, click here.

The other noted course is the Club at Olde Stone which
was ranked No. 8 on the BEST NEW PRIVATE Course list.

8. THE C. AT OLDE STONE • Alvaton, Ky. • Yards 7,372
    Par 72 • Arthur Hills and Drew Rogers • Fee: $60,000
    corporate; $25,000 individual

Tucked into the rolling hills of Kentucky, Olde Stone offers
a championship golf course designed by Arthur Hills--which
was recently selected as the course for the 2008 Jr. Ryder
Cup competition--resort-style swimming pool with a zero
entry feature for young kids and an adult Jacuzzi garden.

Townhouses at the Club at Olde Stone, KY.

To make the picture complete, add in six award-winning
Har-Tru tennis courts, a 3,000-square foot fitness center
with state-of-the-art equipment, three distinctive
neighborhoods and a wide variety of other recreational
activities: hiking, canoeing, fishing, or just stretching
out on an island meadow for a picnic and nap. And you
thought Kentucky was just for horses?

To request immediate information about Olde Stone,
click here.

Amelia Island Plantation, FL, Joins GolfCourseHome Today

Amelia Island Plantation: 3 miles of pristine beach.

Amelia Island Plantation, FL, known for its popular
Bausch & Lomb pro women's tennis tournament and 72
holes of championship golf, joins the GolfCourseHome
Network today.

Amelia Island Plantation covers 1,350 secluded acres between
the beaches of the Atlantic and the tidal marshes of the
Intracoastal Waterway. Only 29 miles from Jacksonville
International Airport, it was founded in 1971 on a proactive
environmentalist vision and still honors that commitment.

Seventy-two holes of golf in a protected environment.

The resort has been named a AAA Four Diamond Resort for
27 consecutive years and recognized as a “Silver Medal Golf
Resort” by Golf Magazine and its 3 championship courses
as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System by Audubon
International.

Its pristine environment also includes a community that
offers homes, homesites and villas directly fronting
marshland, ocean, fairways and maritime forests. The
Plantation’s three-plus miles of unspoiled beach and its
vast tracts of coastal marsh and woodland are prime assets.

The Active Life: Stay active at Racquet Park, with its
23 tennis courts, get fit at the fitness center, take laps
at 20 swimming pools, and relax at the full-service spa
& salon.

Real Estate

• Villas from $360,000
• Single-family homes in private settings from the
    high-$500,000s
• Homesites start at $199,000 in Brady Point Preserve,
    an Amelia Island Plantation Community overlooking
    the marsh and lakes off the Island
• Estate homes ranging to $6.3 million
• Long Point, a 300-acre neighborhood, overlooks
    Nassau Sound, Tom Fazio golf, marsh and creeks
• Heron Oaks, a garden home community, overlooks Red Maple Lake
• Select homes, some with private pools
• Purchase through Amelia Island Plantation Real
    Estate Sales and receive up to 20 percent off Club
    memberships
• Click here for more information about Amelia Island Plantation!

Wow, That Was Fast! Toll Bros. Quik Delivery Homes Sell Quikly

Frenchman's Reserve, FL: Quickly, quickly now!

Talk about a fast turn-around. We announced on Nov. 20
that Toll Brothers was offering Quick-Delivery Homes at
Frenchman’s Reserve. Well, they just sold two of them:
a Casa del Sol and a Mallorca from the Signature 
Collection. With more than 4,000 and 5,300 square feet
of air-conditioned living space respectively, the homes
were completed, available for immediate occupancy and
met the move-in needs of the buyers.

There is now just one left--a five-bedroom, five and
one-half bath Carrington with 4,500 square feet under air.
The Carrington is available for $1,277,186 and includes
a Full Equity membership to Frenchman’s Reserve and
its 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course

Toll Brothers notes that their new Quick-Delivery Homes
are ideal for buyers who cannot or do not want to wait
for the construction process from start to finish. Just in
time for the holidays, too.

To request immediate information about Frenchman's
Reserve, click here.

Golfweek Releases Its 2007 Top 100 Residential Golf Course List

Montreux, Reno, NV: A Top 100 Best Residential Course.

Golfweek magazine officially released its Top 100
"Best Residential Courses" list today, and golf course
communities featured on GolfCourseHome are very
prominent with four of the top 10 and more than 25
overall. The dream of any golfer is to live on a beautiful
golf course. To have it be ranked in among the best
is a further source of pride as well as an indication
that the layout will provide years of enjoyable
rounds and challenge.

According to the magazine, the ratings are derived
directly from the annual list of Golfweek's Best Courses,
published each March since 1997. Golfweek's Best Golf
Courses are ranked by 450 raters throughout the country,
who judge on the basis of 10 evaluation criteria. Rankings
are then calculated using a statistically rigorous process.

2007 Golfweek's Best Residential Courses

  3. The Golf Club at Cuscowilla, Eatonton, Ga.
    Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, 1998

  7. Long Cove, Hilton Head, S.C.
    Pete Dye, 1982 - Coming Soon!

  8.  Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club, Sandia Park, N.M.
      Ken Dye, 2003

13. The Powder Horn Golf Club, Sheridan, Wyo.
      Dick Bailey, 1997

25. Spring Island/Old Tabby Links, Okatie, S.C.
      Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay, 1994

31. Isleworth, Orlando, Fla. - Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay
     1986/Steve Smyers, 2005  

Olde Stone, KY: Everything Olde is new again.

33. Olde Stone, Bowling Green, Ky.
      Arthur Hills, 2006

41. May River Course at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.
      Jack Nicklaus, 2004

53. Colleton River Plantation (Nicklaus), Bluffton, S.C.
      Jack Nicklaus, 1992

54. Winchester Golf Club, Meadow Vista, Calif.
       Robert Trent Jones Sr. & Jr., 2000

57. Ocean Course at Ginn Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Fla.
      Jack Nicklaus, 2000

63. Montreux, Reno, Nev.
      Jack Nicklaus, 1997

64. Desert Mountain (Chiricahua), Scottsdale, Ariz.
      Jack Nicklaus, 1999

66 Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters), Greensboro, Ga.
     Jack Nicklaus, 1992

70. Desert Mountain (Outlaw), Scottsdale, Ariz.
      Jack Nicklaus, 2004

Belfair, SC: A winner both East and West.

73. Belfair (West), Bluffton, S.C.
      Tom Fazio, 1996

76. Twin Creeks Country Club, Cedar Park, Texas
       Lee Schmidt, Brian Curly & Fred Couples, 2003

84. Colleton River Plantation (Dye), Bluffton, S.C.
      Pete Dye, 1998

86. Belfair (East), Bluffton, S.C.
      Tom Fazio, 1999

90. Desert Mountain (Geronimo), Scottsdale, Ariz.
      Jack Nicklaus, 1989

93. Desert Mountain (Renegade), Scottsdale, Ariz.
      Jack Nicklaus, 1987

Old North State Club, NC: Award-winning views.

95. Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point, New London, N.C.
      Tom Fazio, 1992

96. Reunion (The Independence), Davenport, Fla.
      Tom Watson, 2003

99. Golf Club at Fiddler's Creek (Creek), Naples, Fla.
      Arthur Hills, 2002

100. Southern Hills Plantation Club, Brooksville, Fla.
        Pete Dye, 2006

Creek Club at Reynolds Plantation, GA, a Top 10 New Course: T&L Golf Magazine

Reynolds Plantation, GA: Yet another world-class golf course.

The Creek Club at Reynolds Plantation has been ranked
by Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine among the "Top 10
New Golf Courses in the World" for 2007.

In its November/December 2007 issue, T + L Golf Magazine
recognizes eight courses in the United States, one in
New Zealand and one in Canada to comprise its latest in
an annual series of newcomer awards, recognizing excellence
in golf course design world-wide. To request more
information about Reynolds Plantation, click here

To see the GolfCourseHome video on Reynolds
Plantation, click here.

Located on Lake Oconee at one of the world's renowned
golf resort communities, The Creek Club was listed No. 7
overall and is the only course selected from the Southeast.
Designed by Jim Engh, The Creek Club opened this summer
as the first member-only golf course at Reynolds Plantation.

One of Engh's first course designs east of the Mississippi
and the first in the southeast, The Creek Club at Reynolds
Plantation features include Engh's signature rolling bunkers,
Zoysia grass fairways and tributaries of Richland Creek,
whose waters come into play on 14 holes. A par 72, the
course plays to a maximum of 7,079 yards.

The Creek Club is the newest addition to Reynolds Plantation,
which offers a collection of world-class golf courses by
the top designers in  the business, including the Plantation
(designed by Bob Cupp), National (Tom Fazio), the Oconee
(Rees Jones) and Great Waters (Jack Nicklaus).

The T + L Golf Magazine list:
Top 10 New Golf Courses in the World:
1. Chambers Bay, Tacoma, Wash.
2. Golf Club At Ravenna, Littleton, Colo.
3. Stonebrae Country Club, Hayward, Calif.
4. The Home Course, DuPont, Wash.
5. Promontory (Painted Valley Course), Park City, Utah
6. The Golf Club of Cape Cod, Falmouth, Mass.
7. The Creek Club at Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, Ga.
8. Kinloch Club, Kinloch, New Zealand
9. Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
10. Cobble Beach Golf Links, Owen Sound, Canada