The GolfCourseHome Life

Many GolfCourseHome, WaterViewHome Communities Near Top 10 Places to Live

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, NC: In a top 10 place to live.

Relocate-America.com recently released its 2008 list of Best Places to Live, and the GolfCourseHome® Network is proud to feature communities in close proximity to several of these locations.

Greenville, SC is #4 on the list of Best Places to Live. Nearby GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome communities include:

Grand Harbor, Lake Greenwood...55 miles

The Cliffs at Lake Keowee, Sunset...30 miles

The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Pickens...20 miles
    See The Reserve at Lake Keowee on GolfCourseHome.
    See The Reserve at Lake Keowee on WaterViewHome.

---

Asheville, NC, comes in at #7 on the list. Nearby GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome communities include:

Bright’s Creek, Mill Spring...45 miles

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove...right in Asheville

Champion Hills, Hendersonville...26 miles

Uwharrie Point, New London...57 miles
    See Uwharrie Point on GolfCourseHome.
    See Uwharrie Point on WaterViewHome.  

---

Albuquerque, NM holds the #8 spot. Nearby GolfCourseHome communities include:

Paako Communities, Sandia Park...25 miles

Today's Top 10 Most-Visited Communities on GolfCourseHome & WaterViewHome

GolfCourseHome: Today's Top 10 Most-Visited Communities
 

Bay Creek, VA - New to the Top 10 on GolfCourseHome

1. Frisco Lakes, Frisco, Texas
2. Sun City Texas, Georgetown, Texas
3. The Cliffs at Lake Keowee, Sunset, South Carolina
4. Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina
5. St. James Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Florida
6. Bay Creek, Cape Charles, Virginia - New to the Top 10!
7. Heritage Wake Forest, Wake Forest, North Carolina - New to the Top 10!
8. Belmont Country Club, Virginia - New to the Top 10!
9. Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina
10.Reynolds Plantation,Greensboro, Georgia

---

WaterViewHome: Today's Top 10 Most-Visited Communities


Sea Pines Plantation, SC - New to the Top 10 on WaterViewHome

1. Goose Pond Island (GPI), Scottsboro, Alabama
2. Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Florida
3. Sunset Dunes, Prince Edward Island, CANADA
4. Cameron's Landing, Hopewell, Virginia
5. Lincoln Harbor, Lincoln, Alabama
6. Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - New to the Top 10!
7. The Settings of Lake Rhodhiss, Valdese, North Carolina
8. Lake James, Morganton, North Carolina
9. Prospect Bay, Grasonville, Maryland - New to the Top 10!
10. Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Today' Top 10 Most Visited Communities on GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome

GolfCourseHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited Communities


Suncadia, WA: New to the Top 10!
 
1.  Frisco Lakes, Frisco, Texas
2.  Sun City Texas, Georgetown, Texas
3.  El Dorado Ranch, San Felipe, Baja, Mexico 
4.  Stone Creek, Ocala, Florida
5.  Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina
6.  12 Oaks, Holly Springs, North Carolina
7.  Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina
8.  Reynolds Plantation,Greensboro, Georgia
9.  Bright’s Creek, Mill Spring, North Carolina
10. Suncadia, Roslyn, Washington - New to the Top 10!

---

WaterViewHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited Communities


Lake James, NC: New to the Top 10!

1.  Harbor Hills, Lady Lake, Florida
2.  Lockwood Folly Country Club & Waterfront Community, Holden Beach, North Carolina
3.  Hammock Beach, , Palm Coast, Florida
4.  Goose Pond Island (GPI), Scottsboro, Alabama
5.  The Settings of West Point Lake, LaGrange, Georgia
6.  Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida
7.  Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
8.  Beacon Point, Aurora, Colorado
9.  Cameron's Landing, Hopewell, Virginia
10. Lake James, Morganton, North Carolina - New to the Top 10!

Second 10 - Most Visited Communities on GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome

Suncadia, WA:  Holds the No. 1 spot on GolfCourseHome's Second 10
 
Since we feature over 200 communities, this week we thought we would feature the Most Visited Second 10 and give you a chance to view these popular communities from the state of Washington to Prince Edward Island, Canada.

GolfCourseHome: Second 10 - Most Visited Communities

1. Suncadia, Roslyn, Washington
2. Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida
3. Belmont Country Club, Ashburn, Virginia
4. St. James Plantation, Southport, North Carolina
5. Carolina Country Club, Spartanburg, South Carolina
6. Winchester Country Club, Meadow Vista, California
7. Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina
8. Wyboo Plantation, Manning, South Carolina
9. The Cliffs at Glassy, Greenville, South Carolina
10. Sea Trail, Sunset Beach, North Carolina


Lincoln Harbor, AL: Holds the No. 1 spot on WaterViewHome's Second 10

WaterViewHome: Second 10 - Most Visited Communities

1. Lincoln Harbor, Lincoln, Alabama
2. Sunset Dunes, Prince Edward Island, CANADA
3. Lake James, Morganton, North Carolina
4. Bay Creek Resort & Club, Cape Charles, Virginia
5. Governor's Land at Two Rivers, Williamsburg, Virginia
6. Hammock Dunes® Private Community, Palm Coast, Florida
7. Tapestry Park, Panama City Beach, Florida
8. Sea Trail, Sunset Beach, North Carolina
9. Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club, Vero Beach, Florida
10. River Landing, Wallace, North Carolina

Top 10 Most Visited Communities on GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome!

GolfCourseHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited Communities

Bright's Creek, North Carolina: New to the Top 10!

1. Frisco Lakes, Frisco, Texas
2. El Dorado Ranch, San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
3. Sun City Texas, Georgetown, Texas
4. 12 Oaks, Holly Springs, North Carolina
5. Stone Creek, Ocala, Florida
6. Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina
7. Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina
8. The Cliffs at Keowee, Sunset, South Carolina
9. Reynolds Plantation,Greensboro, Georgia
10. Bright’s Creek, Mill Spring, North Carolina - New to the Top 10!

WaterViewHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited Communities

Amelia Island Plantation, FL: New to the Top 10!

  1. Harbor Hills, Lady Lake, Florida
  2. Lockwood Folly Country Club & Waterfront Community, Holden Beach, North Carolina
  3. Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Florida
  4. Goose Pond Island (GPI), Scottsboro, Alabama
  5. The Settings of West Point Lake, LaGrange, Georgia
  6. Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
  7. Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida - New to the Top 10!
  8. Beacon Point, Aurora, Colorado
  9. The Settings of Lake Rhodhiss, Valdese, North Carolina
10. Cameron's Landing, Hopewell, Virginia

Today's Top 10 Most Visited Communities!

GolfCourseHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited

Sun City Texas, TX: The #3 Most Visited Community on GolfCourseHome

1. Frisco Lakes, Frisco, Texas
2. El Dorado Ranch, San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
3. Sun City Texas, Georgetown, Texas
4. 12 Oaks, Holly Springs, North Carolina
5. Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina
6. Stone Creek, Ocala, Florida
7. Rock Barn Golf & Spa, Conover, North Carolina
8. The Cliffs at Keowee, Sunset, South Carolina
9. Wyboo Plantation, Manning, South Carolina
10. Reynolds Plantation,Greensboro, Georgia

---

WaterViewHome: Today's Top 10 Most Visited

Harbor Hills, FL: The #1 Most Visited Community on WaterViewHome

1. Harbor Hills, Lady Lake, Florida
2. Lockwood Folly Country Club & Waterfront Community, Holden Beach, North Carolina
3. Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Florida
4. Goose Pond Island (GPI), Scottsboro, Alabama
5. Beacon Point, Aurora, Colorado
6. Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
7. The Settings of West Point Lake, LaGrange, Georgia
8. The Settings of Lake Rhodhiss, Valdese, North Carolina
9. Lincoln Harbor, Lincoln, Alabama
10. Cameron's Landing, Hopewell, Virginia

Top Ten Most Visited Communities on GolfCourseHome and WaterViewHome

GolfCourseHome Top 10 Most Visited

Copperhead Golf & Country Club, FL: The No. 10 most-visited community 

1. Frisco Lakes, Frisco, Texas
2. El Dorado Ranch, San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
3. Wyboo Plantation, Manning, South Carolina
4. Sun City Texas, Georgetown, Texas
5. The Cliffs at Keowee, Sunset, South Carolina
6. Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina
7. Suncadia, Roslyn, Washington
8. Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina
9. Stone Creek, Ocala, Florida
10. Copperhead Golf & Country Club, Lehigh Acres, Florida

---

WaterViewHome Top 10 Most Visited


Cameron's Landing, VA: The No. 7 most-visited community

1. Harbor Hills, Lady Lake, Florida
2. Hammock Beach, Palm Coast, Florida
3. Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
4. Beacon Point, Aurora, Colorado
5. The Settings of Lake Rhodhiss, Valdese, North Carolina
6. The Settings of West Point Lake, LaGrange, Georgia
7. Cameron's Landing, Hopewell, Virginia
8. Lincoln Harbor, Lincoln, Alabama
9. Lockwood Folly Country Club & Waterfront Community, Holden Beach, North Carolina
10. Tapestry Park, Panama City Beach, Florida

2nd Annual List of the Dream 18 Holes: The Front Nine is Divine

    
The Villages at Tullymore, MI: The #1 Dream Hole

The Dream 18
2nd Annual Dream 18
by Editors of GolfCourseHome

If you were to play 18 of the finest, most memorable golf holes to be found within any golf course community, which ones would they be? You’ll find the answers in this Second Annual Dream 18 listing, devined from among the 200-plus communities featured on GolfCourseHome.net. 

These havens of the country club lifestyle represent more than 5,000 golf holes, 300-plus championship courses and more than 75 different golf architects—a wealth to choose from. Many of the courses are highly ranked by the leading golf publications and have been crafted by the great names in golf course design. Best of all, you can live on them. 

If you'd like to add your own favorite golf hole to this list,  please email us and we’ll be glad to publish your selections  at a later date. This issue we present the Front Nine. See our next issue for the Back Nine.

The Front Nine

1. The Villages of Tullymore, (12th), Stanwood, MI
2. Kingsmill on the James (15th – Woods Course), Williamsburg, VA
3. Tennessee National, (12th), Loudon, TN
4. Blackstone, (8th) Peoria, AZ
5. Ross Bridge (13th), Hoover, AL
6. Montreux (17th) Reno, NV
7. The Club at Olde Stone (16th) Alvaton, KY
8. Sugarloaf Mountain (13th), Cleremont, FL
9. Heron Point by Pete Dye, Sea Pines (18th), Hilton Head, SC

Hole No. 1, The Villages of Tullymore, (12th), Stanwood, MI. The Tullymore golf course, designed by Jim Engh and ranked No. 14 on Golf Digest’s "100 Greatest Public Courses,” is a canopy of rolling woodland and waterway within the 800-acre Tullymore - St. Ives Resort complex. Lakes dot the landscape and Shinglebolt Creek winds through it. This year’s “dream 18” begins there with a classically quirky and British-style par-3 that many have likened to the famous “Dell” hole at Lahinch in the west of Ireland. The common feature between the two is a green mostly hidden behind a substantial dune. No. 12 at Tullymore, at 247 yards, certainly outsizes its Irish predecessor. Click here for information about The Villages at Tullymore!

Hole No. 2, Kingsmill on the James, (15th – Woods Course), Williamsburg, VA. This 2,900-acre resort community is growing in popularity among home buyers even as its amenity package continues to expand and improve. The new Woods Course, named by Golf Magazine a "Top Ten New Course You Can Play," was designed by Tom Clark in concert with U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange. The duo ornamented their 6,659-yard parkland-style design with a unique double green with a bunker in the center. The green is shared—St. Andrews style—by the par-3 12th hole and our featured par-4 15th. Though only 384 yards long, No. 15 ranks as the fourth-hardest hole on the course, due in large part to an imposing water hazard that fronts the green. Click here for more information about Kingsmill on the James!

Hole No. 3, Tennessee National, (12th), Loudon, TN. Rolling hills and over three miles of waterfront provide a  bucolic setting for Medallist Development’s bold and history-minded Tennessee National. Carving his way through foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Greg Norman laid out a richly varied golf course, using the shoreline of Watts Bar Lake as a hazard on several holes. One excellent example is Norman’s intimidating par-3 12th hole, guarded down the right side by the famous lake and swarming with bunkers—eight in total—up by the green. From the front tees it’s a sporty little hole, but way back at 209 yards it is a daunting proposition. Click here for more information about Tennessee National!

Hole No. 4, Blackstone, (8th) Peoria, AZ. Thrilling mountain views and black volcanic rock, indigenous to the area from which the community earned its name, make this community (within Vistancia) a jewel of the desert and make the Blackstone golf course, designed by Jim Engh, a visual delight. Engh’s gift for adapting classic hole designs of Great Britain and of America’s so-called Golden Age is on display in this “punchbowl” style par-4. The genius of the design is that the same raised mounds that partially hide the green serve to gather off-line shots and steer them toward the flag. Click here for more information about Blackstone!

Hole No. 5, Ross Bridge (13th), Hoover, AL Ross Bridge is a private community set within an exciting golf  resort and spa complex in a woodland setting near Birmingham. It combines small-town comforts with sweeping views of the surrounding foothills, plus a destination golf course that is part of the famed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The Ross Bridge course is big and brawny in the Jones tradition, sprawling over 330 acres and stretching almost 8,200 yards. The hole at Ross Bridge that truly tests a player’s fortitude is the 698-yard (no typo) par-5 13th, lined with hazards from tee to green. Click here for more information Ross Bridge!

Hole No. 6, Montreux (17th) Reno, NV Montrêux is a private, gated golf community bordering Toiyabe National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Lake Tahoe. It is home to the only Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in northern Nevada and the host site of  the PGA Tour’s Reno-Tahoe Open. Montrêux’s 18-hole Nicklaus Signature course winds over 7,552 yards. Also, the tee elevation above the fairway on the 17th hole is 138 feet, giving the drive a heroic “hang time” that leaves players sighing their approval. Click here for more information about Montreux!

Hole No. 7, The Club at Olde Stone (16th) Alvaton, KY. Tucked serenely into the rolling hills of Kentucky, Olde Stone offers all the amenities of your favorite club community. It starts with a championship golf course designed by Arthur Hills, a resort-style swimming pool with a zero entry feature and an adult Jacuzzi garden. The golf course was named a "Best New Private Course" for 2007 by Golf Digest, partly on the strength of its “Redan-style” par-3 16th, featuring the classic front-right bunker placement and a side-sloping green that allows shots to be played short and right of the putting surface, so that they kick toward the standard pin placement in the back left portion of the green. Click here for more information about The Club at Olde Stone!

Hole No. 8, Sugarloaf Mountain (13th), Cleremont, FL. This new, 1,400-acre private community occupies the  highest point in the Florida peninsula and is home to the Sunshine State’s only Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw golf course. One of its highlights is the 507-yard 13th, a par-4 of seemingly prodigious length. In fact, it's the longest par 4 in Florida, but the blind tee shot plays severely downhill, reminiscent of the 10th at Augusta National, so the hole plays quite a bit shorter than its stated yardage. If the drive comes “slingshotting” off the slope correctly, your second shot can be played with a short iron. Click here for more information about Sugarloaf Mountain!

Hole No. 9, Heron Point by Pete Dye, Sea Pines (18th), Hilton Head, SC. Probably the newest hole in this collection, the closing hole at Heron Point is knee-knocking par-4, especially for the hook-prone golfer staring at water all the way down the left side, and more water behind the green— which is fortified at the edges by Pete Dye’s trademark railroad ties. Graceful mounds and folds to the right of the green ensures a tricky stance and lie for the player who chickened out and faded or blocked the approach shot. Dye was hired to “tear down” the decades-old Sea Marsh course that helped establish Sea Pines as a Sunbelt resort-residential community for the affluent golfer. Click here for more information about Sea Pines Plantation!

You Can Live at These Golf Magazine 2008 “Best Golf Resorts”

Ginn Hammock Beach Resort, FL: Vacation and live here.

Golf Magazine made public today its 20th anniversary
“Best Resorts Awards,” which honors 75 superior
destinations in North America. Awards are given in three
categories, Platinum, Gold and Silver, plus a new
designation, Green, in which 10 resorts are recognized for
their environmental efforts.

Four of the Silver Award winners offer real estate
opportunities in addition to abundant vacation facilities and
you can read more about them by going to
GolfCourseHome.net or clicking on their direct links below.

In addition, three of the communities are members of
GreenGolfCommunities.net. See below for their status level.

SILVER Award Winner
Golf Resorts with Real Estate

Ginn Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast, FL
Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC
Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, VA
Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL

GREEN Award Winners
Golf Resorts with Real Estate
Featured on GreenGolfCommunities.net

Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL - Vanguard Level

Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, TX - Steward Level
Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, GA - Steward Level

'Best of the Best' Golf Course Rankings--Where Living & Golf Are No. 1

Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro GA: Most decorated.

The GolfCourseHome Rankings Compendium

Our modern culture is all about creating lists of who or what
is tops in its field. Golf courses and golf communities have
had various rankings systems for decades, as you know.
What’s hard to know is which communities and courses have
earned which honors—the "rankings season" extends from
October to February.

If you look at all the different kinds of ways to rate or rank
a golf course, you'll discover quite an array. From Best New
Course to Best Residential to Best Public to Best Private to
Best Classic to Best Modern from Top 100 to Top 50, there
are multiple ways to shine.

To all courses and communities, these annual and biennial
awards mean a great deal. There's great crowing when a top
ranking is achieved and much soul-searching when it’s lost.

GolfCourseHome does not send out field researchers and
raters in pursuit of its own, proprietary ranking system. But
we thought we could do the next best thing--look at all the
current rankings and identify all GolfCourseHome communities
that have received more than one or two accolades and
arrange them in a suitable 'Rankings Compendium.'

Topping our compilation is a fabulous Front Nine, with the
most dynamic of them all being Reynolds Plantation, which has
received honors of every sort for its many golf courses and for
the community in general.

The Front Nine  (or The Divine Nine)
1. Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro GA uses a rare and
impressive blend of quality and quantity to rise to the
pinnacle of the golf rankings, both for its courses and its
overall amenities. 

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, The Creek
  Club, by Jim Engh
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• No. 61 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Great Waters course)
• No. 95 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Oconee course)
• No. 38 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Great Waters course)
• No. 61 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Oconee course)
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (Great Waters and National courses)
• No. 43 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (GW)
• No. 60 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (Oconee)
• No. 97 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest
• No. 5 on the 50 Top Courses for Women by Golf for
  Women (Oconee)
• Top 100 Community by Where to Retire Magazine
• Click here for more information about Reynolds
  Plantation!

2. Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC, is perhaps the most highly
lauded new community in the U.S. Current awards for this
20,000-acre resort/residential Lowcountry property:

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, May River Golf
  Club, by Jack Nicklaus
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• A Golfweek Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• No. 31 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• No. 53 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine.
• Click here for more information about Palmetto Bluff!

3. Sea Pines, Hilton Head SC is a landmark community on a
huge waterfront site with a long list of great amenities but
one in particular that garners close attention from the raters—
Pete Dye’s Harbour Town Golf Links.

• No. 29 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Golf Courses
• No. 13 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
• No. 15 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest
• No. 93 on America’s 100 Greatest Courses by Golf
  Digest
• No. 40 on 100 Top Courses in the U.S. by GOLF
  Magazine
• No. 15 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• Click here for more information about Sea Pines!

4. Homestead Preserve, Warm Springs, VA benefits from the
combined glory of the lofty rankings and ratings garnered by
the famed Cascades Course and a sister course at the historic
Homestead resort property.

• No. 2 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Cascades)
• No. 12 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Cascades)
• No. 61 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Cascades)
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (Cascades and Old Course)
• No. 16 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest (Cascades)
• No. 97 on America’s 100 Greatest Courses by Golf
  Digest (Cascades)
• No. 61 on 100 Top Courses in the U.S. by GOLF
  Magazine (Cascades)
• No. 18 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (GW)
• Click here for more information about Homestead
  Preserve!

5. Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin, TX, did more than
other other area property to put Austin on the national golf
map. The residential component of Barton Creek is a golf-
and spa-lover’s way of enjoying this award-winning community
on a daily basis.

• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (Fazio Foothills and Fazio Canyons courses)
• No. 83 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest (Canyons)
• No. 68 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (Foothills)
• No. 69 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (Canyons)
• No. 40 on the 50 Top Courses for Women by Golf for
  Women (Foothills)
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• Click here for more information about Barton Creek
  Resort & Spa!

The Powder Horn, WY: New clubhouse & plenty of awards.

6. The Powder Horn, Sheridan, WY earns its list of honors
without benefit of being an easy visit for the traveling raters.
Of course, once a visitor does arrive at this grand Western
community, they are sure to agree it has earned its awards.

• No. 24 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• No. 68 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Golf Courses
• No. 21 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• Top 100 Community by Where to Retire Magazine
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about The Powder Horn!

7. Desert Mountain, Scottsdale AZ, is an upscale and highly
influential Arizona enclave that can provide six excellent
reasons (and courses) for visiting.

• No. 55 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Chiracuhua course)
• No. 75 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Renegade course)
• No. 76 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Geronimo course)
• No. 97 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Cochise course)
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Desert Mountain!

8. Barefoot Resort, No. Myrtle Beach, SC, is a community
that’s had to work to stand out from the crowd of excellent
Myrtle Beach venues. Here’s how Barefoot did it:

• No. 87 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Love course)
• No. 97 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (Fazio course)
• No. 53 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest (Love course)
• No. 92 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest (Fazio course)
• No. 95 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine (Love course)
• Click here for more information about Barefoot Resort!

9. Cuscowilla, Eatonton GA is a highly ranked community with
a distinctly down-home feel that visitors and residents alike
keep returning to—and golf that keeps earning kudos.

• No. 2 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• No. 33 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Golf Courses
• No. 21 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• No. 19 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine
• Click here for more information about Cuscowilla!

The Next Tier --

Colleton River Plantation, Bluffton, SC, is spread across a
romantic landscape of marsh and woodland—terrain that
inspired two great modern course designers to do some of
their finest work, as the rankings prove:

• No. 44 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Nicklaus course)
• No. 67 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (Dye course)
• No. 35 on America's 50 Greatest Golf Retreats by Golf
  Digest Index
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Colleton River
  Plantation!

Paa-Ko Communities, Sandia Park, NM, burst on the golf
scene in 2000 (it has recently added an excellent new nine
to complement its original 18) and set the stage for build-out
of attractive residential neighborhoods.

• No. 5 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• No. 40 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Golf Courses
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• No. 38 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest
• No. 30 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine
• Click here for more information about Paa-Ko Communities!

Suncadia, Roslyn, WA, represents a finely honed blend of
resort ambience with a distinctive private golf club secluded
within it. Its honors reflect that versatile profile.

• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (Prospector course)
• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Prospector
  Golf Course, by Arnold Palmer
• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Tumble Creek
  Golf Club, by Tom Doak
  
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Suncadia!

Best of the Rest

Belfair, Bluffton, SC, is a double-Fazio venue in the pristine
Lowcountry of South Carolina.

• No. 63 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (West)
• No. 72 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
  (East)
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Belfair!

Daniel Island, Charleston, SC, the winner of untold awards for
overall community plan and design, also does well in the golf-
rankings category.

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Ralston Creek
  Club, by Rees Jones
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Top 100 Community by Where to Retire Magazine
• Click here for more information about Daniel Island!

Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, TX, is a must-visit for any
aficionado of Robert Trent Jones, Sr., whose designs here
rank among his finest.

• No. 79 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (RamRock course)
• No. 99 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Golf Courses
  (AppleRock course)
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (RamRock course)
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
  (AppleRock course)
• Click here for more information about Horseshoe Bay!

Spring Island, Spring Island, SC, is one of the great
environmentally planned golf communities in the U.S., with
a standout golf course by Arnold Palmer.

• No. 27 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• No. 89 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Modern Golf Courses
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Spring Island!

Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, SC, is a 2,200-acres coastal
property that continues to build its reputation as a golf jewel
between the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway.

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Members
  Course Club, by Nick Price and Craig Schreiner
• No. 100 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• A Golfweek’s Best Course You Can Play in the U.S.
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Grande Dunes!

Oldfield, Okatie, SC, is an emerging jewel still adding to
its stock of awards.

• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Top 100 Community by Where to Retire Magazine
• Click here for more information about Oldfield!

Mirabel, Scottsdale, AZ, is perched above the distant city
lights of Scottsdale and admired as a top-echelon private
desert golf community.

• No. 91 on Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Golf Courses
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Mirabel!

The Cliffs Communities, Travelers Rest, SC, is a leading
innovator among Southeastern U.S. communities, as
evidenced by these honors.

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Walnut Cove
  Club, by Jack Nicklaus
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about The Cliffs!

The Villages at Tullymore, Stanwood, MI, is not yet as
famous as some of the Northern Michigan properties are, but
the rankers and raters know it well, as these fine
achievements show.

• No. 14 on America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses by
  Golf Digest
• No. 83 on America’s 100 Greatest Courses by Golf
  Digest
• No. 96 on 100 Top Courses You Can Play by GOLF
  Magazine
• Click here for more information about Tullymore!

Tesoro, Port St. Lucie, FL, is a Ginn Club community
offering two Signature golf courses designed by Arnold Palmer
and Tom Watson—and honored with:

• Golfweek Top 50 New Courses for 2006, Tesoro Club
  course by Arnold Palmer
• Top 100 Golf Community by Travel + Leisure Golf
• A Premier Property by LINKS Magazine
• Click here for more information about Tesoro!

These 13 Leaders in Green Golf Community Development Are in the VANGUARD

Suncadia, WA: Pristine and in the Vanguard.

The leading environmentally involved golf communities--
those who are not only pursuing green policies at their
development, but are also pioneering new ways to be
green--are designated at the Vanguard Level on
GreenGolfCommunities.net.

GreenGolfCommunities.net mission is to assist real estate
buyers in determining the level of activism a community is
following as well as provide insights into its future arc of
involvement.

The four designations used by GreenGolfCommunities.net—
Vanguard, Steward, Sustaining and Participant—represent
current levels of involvement and commitment.

VANGUARD

The top level is Vanguard. Vanguard Level properties are
driven to innovate and take the lead in environmental
activism. These early adapters pioneer green efforts and
aggressively seek out new ways to be environmentally
progressive. Vanguard communities embark on virtually all
of the basic and expected measures for a master-planned
golf course community, then push further to help define
new directions for their industry to follow.   

You'll note below that community green programs are
described as Significant Green Space, Nature Center,
Education & Research, Audubon Sanctuary and more. Go
to 18 Ways to Be Green for a complete explanation of all
18 categories cited.

VANGUARD Level

Bayside, Selbyville, Delaware

    * Significant Green Space
    * Nature Center
    * Conservation Trust
    * Funding of Environmental Initiatives
    * Research Partnership
    * Green Volunteerism
    * Additional Awards

The Cliffs at Glassy, Landrum, South Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Habitat Restoration
    * Green Construction
    * Conservation Trust
    * Funding of Environmental Initiatives
    * Research Partnership
    * Additional Awards

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, NC: Splendor in the mtns.

The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Asheville, North Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Green Construction
    * Conservation Trust
    * Funding of Environmental Initiatives
    * Research Partnership
    * Additional Awards

Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina 

    * Significant Green Space
    * Audubon Sanctuary
    * Additional Awards
    * Pedestrian Commerce Center

Ford’s Colony, Williamsburg, Virginia

    * Significant Green Space
    * Habitat Restoration
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Watershed Preservation
    * Additional Awards

Hasentree, Raleigh, North Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Green Construction
    * Watershed Preservation
    * Nature Center

Huntsman Springs, Driggs, Idaho

    * Significant Green Space
    * Conservation Trust
    * Nature Center
    * Dark Sky Initiative
    * Habitat Restoration
    * Staff Naturalist

Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, South Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Research Partnership
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Conservation Trust
    * Pedestrian Commerce Center
    * Additional Awards

Seabrook Island, Charleston, South Carolina

    * Nature Center
    * Green Volunteerism
    * Additional Awards
    * Significant Green Space
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Audubon Sanctuary
    * Habitat Restoration

Sea Pines Plantation, SC: Green for pros and residents.

Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head, South Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Nature Center
    * Audubon Sanctuary
    * Staff Naturalist
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Common Gardens

Spring Island, Beaufort, South Carolina

    * Conservation Trust
    * Audubon Sanctuary
    * Significant Green Space
    * Staff Naturalists
    * Nature Center
    * Additional Awards

St. James Plantation, Southport, North Carolina

    * Significant Green Space
    * Audubon Sanctuary
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Research Partnership
    * Green Volunteerism
    * Common Gardens

Suncadia, Roslyn, Washington

    * Significant Green Space
    * Conservation Trust
    * Habitat Preservation
    * Watershed Preservation
    * Green Construction
    * Pedestrian Commerce Center

Travel + Leisure Golf's 2008 Top 100 Golf Communities Just Released

Montreux, Reno, NV: One of America's Best

The January-February issue of Travel & Leisure Golf
is now on the newsstands and it features the magazine's
annual listing, "America's Top 100 Golf Communities."
We took a look at the listing and found that 19 of them are
featured on GolfCourseHome.net and are listed below.
You'll note that the publication ranks the first 25 and you'll
find those rankings indicated in parenthesis where applicable.
Ranking criteria is noted after the listings. Enjoy!

Arizona
Desert Mountain, Scottsdale
Mirabel, Scottsdale

Florida
Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island

Fiddler's Creek, Naples
The Founders Club, Sarasota

Isleworth, Windermere (#15)
Tesoro, Port St. Lucie

Georgia
The Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill
Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro (#19)

Nevada
Montreux, Reno

South Carolina
Belfair, Bluffton
The Cliffs Communities, Travelers Rest (#7)

Colleton River Plantation, Bluffton
Daniel Island Park, Charleston

Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC: No. 2 on Top 100

Oldfield, Okatie
Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton (#2)

The Reserve at Lake Keowee, Sunset
Seabrook Island, Seabrook Island

Texas
Barton Creek, Austin

According to the T+L Golf Editors, each property is
reviewed in the following six categories, in order of
importance: golf amenity; residential architecture and
style; location, including natural setting and proximity to
cultural activities; management, service and programming
options; non-golf amenities, such as a full-service spa,
equestrian center or marina; and environmental
stewardship.

Where To Retire Magazine's "100 Best Communities" Includes Top Golf Courses

Terra Vista of Citrus Hills, FL: A Top 100 Community.

Where to Retire magazine's 2007 annual listing of "America's
100 Best Master-Planned Communities" features a number
of communities with excellent golf courses. In fact, 22 of
these communities, representing 10 states, are featured
on GolfCourseHome. Please see the links below to learn
more about these fine properties.

"America's 100 Best Master-Planned Communities"
       As Selected by Where to Retire Magazine

ARKANSAS
Hot Springs Village, Hot Springs Village

FLORIDA

Terra Vista of Citrus Hills, Crystal River - Inverness

Mission Inn's Las Colinas, Howey-in-the-Hills

On Top of the World Communities, Ocala

GlenLakes, Weeki Wachee

GEORGIA

Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro

Osprey Cove, St. Marys

The Georgia Club, Statham

NORTH CAROLINA

Anderson Creek Club, Spring Lake

Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach

River Landing, Wallace

Penn National, Fayetteville: Pretty in Pennsylvania

PENNSYLVANIA   

Penn National, Fayetteville

SOUTH CAROLINA

Woodside Plantation, Aiken

Daniel Island, Charleston

Wyboo Plantation, Manning

Mount Vintage Plantation, N. Augusta

Oldfield, Okatie (near Beaufort)

TEXAS

Sun City Texas by Del Webb, Georgetown

VIRGINIA

Bay Creek Golf & Marina Resort, Cape Charles

Ford's Colony, Williamsburg

WYOMING

The Powder Horn, Sheridan

Year-End Awards Add Sparkle to The Club at Olde Stone

The Club at Olde Stone, KY: An award-winning year.

The year 2007 ended in a blaze of glory for The Club at
Olde Stone in Alvaton, Kentucky. Awards and recognition
from various sources confirmed its Arthur Hills golf course
one of the finest in the land.

Proof positive that Hills had worked his design magic once
again arrived when Golf Digest magazine cited the course
as the No. 8 'Best New Private Course' for 2007. Golfweek
added to the chorus by placing the course at No. 33 on its
annual "Top 100 Residential Golf Courses" list.

A further feather in its cap is that The Club at Olde Stone
will be hosting the Jr. Ryder Cup in September 2008, a
prestigious event that will bring some of the world's best
junior players to the club.

The Townhomes at Olde Stone start at $279,900

The club has a variety of real estate for sale so that you
can have a front-row seat to the great golf that will
be played on its fairways this year. To request immediate
information about The Club at Olde Stone, 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

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.

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

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.