The GolfCourseHome Life

Balsam Mountain Preserve, NC Kids' Summer Horse Camp

Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva NC will be offering Kids’ Summer Horse Camps this summer at the community Stables. It’s a great school-vacation program for boys and girls ages 5-13, running in four five-day units from June 10 through the end of July. The goal is to teach kids the responsibilities of caring for horses while incorporating a lot of fun and exercise.

Campers meet, greet and ride the horses while learning basic horse training, grooming, feeding, barn maintenance, trail riding and more. Cost is $100/child per camp. Send me more information about Balsam Mountain Preserve!

About Balsam Mountain Preserve

Balsam Mountain Preserve is a 4,400-acre private golf and equestrian community that offers a way of life that is authentic and family focused.

The lowest density, private club community in the mountains of Western North Carolina, only 400 homesites can be built here, giving residents the feeling of living inside a national forest.

Permanent Conservation

In fact, 3,400 acres of Balsam Mountain Preserve will be placed into a permanent conservation easement, protecting the land from development for future generations to enjoy.

Balsam Mountain Preserve, say community developers, is a “true legacy homeplace for discerning families seeking a departure from the typical master-planned club community.”

Arnold Palmer Golf Course

In addition to all the wonders of nature, club members enjoy a nationally acclaimed Arnold Palmer Signature golf course. This mountain layout is setting a new standard for mountain golf, and is consistently rated as one of the top courses in the state of North Carolina. In a few short years the course has garnered an impressive array of both local and national awards.

At elevations reaching 3,700 feet, the course rewards the senses with stunning scenery in seemingly every direction. The design and slope of the course allows players to see every shot and provides generous landing areas, making it a pleasure to play regardless of the golfer’s skill level.

The golf practice park sits alongside the Palmer course. This ultra-modern learning center features 30,000 sf of bentgrass teeing area spread over three levels of tees, plus a short game area and a large practice putting green.

Family Amenities

Additional amenities at Balsam Mountain Preserve include heated junior Olympic pool, soft surface tennis courts and fitness center. Fine dining is a popular aspect of living here and horseback riding is highlighted by more than 30 miles of private trails.

Other community attractions include 38 miles of streams (including a Class “A” North Carolina trout
stream for fishing), private family campground and a 24-hour-staffed gatehouse. Send me more information about Balsam Mountain Preserve!

Introducing Golden Ocala FL: Golf & Equestrian Facilities in the Horse Capital

Golden Ocala, FL offers golf, spa, equestrian club and more.

We are pleased to announce the addition of Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, FL to the GolfCourseHome Network.

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club is a 1,200-acre private community on rolling hills in Central Florida. A 77,000-square-foot clubhouse anchors the community, which is home to championship golf and tennis plus a spa, fitness center and an equestrian center.

The community’s Spa & Tennis Club is a 17,000 square-foot monument to well-being that opened in 2007. Members work out on the finest in Italian exercise equipment with Technogym, a revolutionary system backed by years of research and development. A myriad of Golden Ocala home styles complement the native surroundings and are crafted by prestigious builders. Designs range from low-care golf homes to custom estates.

Horse Centric: The Golden Ocala Equestrian Center offers a network of bridle trails, quality living quarters with 14' x 14' stalls; an on-site manager's office; two outdoor arenas; a riding field; and daily turnout into lush pastures with automatic watering.

Real Estate: Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, FL

    * Maintenance-free options
    * Variety of floor plans
    * Single-family estate homes
    * Some lots overlook golf and a 22-acre lake
    * Golf homes from the $600,000s
    * Custom homes from $1 million
    * Click here for more information about Golden Ocala!

WaterViewHome Welcomes Ranch Colony: Equestrian Paradise, Golf and Relaxation

Ranch Colony, FL joins WaterViewHome this week.

Located just north of the Palm Beach and Martin County line, Ranch Colony is an exclusive, approx. 2,000-acre, gated community, featuring five neighborhoods, each enclave exuding its own unique character and amenities.

Ranch Acres, for example, features homes and homesites amid the pastures and paddocks, stalls and arenas of an active horse ranch community. Generous property sizes, stocked lakes and natural preserves lend a relaxed, country atmosphere.

There are two golf neighborhoods, Old Trail and The Links with courses by Tom Fazio/Arthur Hills and Pete Dye; Tailwinds which features its own airstrip; Ranch Acres, with homesites ranging from five to 11 acres, and Ranch Estates, with estate-sized parcels 20 to 80 acres in size.

Small Town Allure: Jupiter is a quick 10-minute drive away and 15 minutes further puts you near deep-sea fishing and Worth Avenue and its shopping.

Real Estate: Ranch Colony, FL

• Old Trail - 74 approx. 3/4-acre homesites; prices range from $749,000 to $1.65 million
• The Links - 51 lots surrounding the Dye Preserve, from one to five acres, priced from $800,000 to $1.9 million
• Tailwinds - 51 homesites, 5 acres & up, priced from $1.9 million
• Ranch Acres - homesites from five to 12 acres, priced from $850,000 to $1.795 million
• Ranch Estates - homesites from 20 to 50 acres, priced from $1.695 million to $6.475 million
• Click here for more information about Ranch Colony!

5 Questions to Ask About Equestrian Facilities

The Preserve at Wolf Laurel, NC

The 5 Questions to Ask about Equestrian Facilities

If you’re interested in riding and horse-owning, a master-planned community’s equestrian facilities may be an ideal solution. It solves your desire to have your horse nearby while eliminating the challenge of purchasing a large parcel of land, building a barn and cutting your own riding trails. It also covers the responsibilities of who cares for your mount when you are away. 

As the number of equestrian-equipped golf communities increases, your choices for where to buy grows as well. Here are five questions to keep in mind as you compare the options available to you, prepared with the help of Jennifer Donovan, Principal at Equestrian Services, LLC, which specializes in equestrian management at master-planned communities. To see all the GolfCourseHome communities that feature equestrian facilities, click here.

1. What Is the Culture and Style of the Community? 
Some equestrian settings are more pastoral and casual, some are more competitive and intense, and some even include a working-ranch component. Does your own experience level somewhat match that of your neighbors? Is the facility kid-friendly enough for your children to feel welcome? Make sure that your personal attitudes and preferences toward the riding lifestyle fits with the community. 

2. What Planned Equestrian Elements are Built, Approved or Under Construction? 
The track record of the developer will help you gauge how solid the plans and the timetable are for building the trails, barns, paddocks, arenas and other components that make up the total amenity. If you are planning to buy a lot and build later, then a solid plan for construction and the developer track record will help you make a decision. 

3. What’s Beyond the Community’s Borders? 
Even if it has its own generous acreage for riding, the community will offer more long-term value to you if the developers have located it next to scenic public parklands or secured plenty of easements through privately owned tracts. Also, take a look to see what kind of “horse country” the surrounding region offers, including large equestrian events, meets, shows and competitions.  

4. What Are the Fees and What Is the Customer Service Philosophy? 
Unlike golf and tennis, equestrian facilities often involves the staff of the community becoming directly responsible for the equivalent of a family member—your horse. The animal’s health and safety must be a paramount concern to all employees and managers involved in the facility. Find out how committed the senior management team is to their equestrian component, including whether any top managers are riders themselves. 

5. Is Safety and Cleanliness a Top Priority? If Not, Is the Staff Accountable? 
Horses have a unique emotional pull for people and, the staff of your community’s equestrian amenity has to be part of that, themselves—and by sympathetic to your anxiety if conditions aren’t just right. That starts with hygiene and cleanliness in the barns and paddocks, with safe handling as an equal priority. Be sure to ask the tough questions about how complaints are handled, who reviews them and how the chain of command works. Also, be sure there are contingencies in place in the case of calamities such as fire, damaging storms or other harmful conditions.

GolfCourseHome features communities equipped with equestrian facilities in eight states. Click the link below to take you to each state's listing of communities offering equestrian facilities. 

California
North Carolina
Colorado
Pennsylvania
Florida 
South Carolina
Georgia
Virginia