• April 27, 2020

U.S. Golf Communities With the Best Amenities for Luxury Living—and Playing

U.S. Golf Communities With the Best Amenities for Luxury Living—and Playing

U.S. Golf Communities With the Best Amenities for Luxury Living—and Playing 1024 388 Madison Silvers

These properties cater to owners’ every need—and make you feel like you’re on an eternal vacation

For an avid golfer, living in a luxury course community can be akin to feeling like you’re on a year-round vacation. Aside from all-access to spectacular greens and daily play, these enclaves offer some serious amenities.

“What sets these high-end golf communities apart is the level of service and quality of goods,” said Mauricio Umansky, founder, and CEO, at The Agency, a global luxury real estate brokerage and lifestyle company based in Beverly Hills, California. “It’s definitely enticing to have world-class golfing, food, pros, and more within easy reach for those who live there.”

And they create a true sense of community among residents.

“For a start, they all share the same pastime, and there are great amenities to get to know your neighbors, including clubhouses, gyms with group fitness classes, mixers events, and more,” Mr. Umansky said.

There’s a draw of belonging to an exclusive club with a very exclusive and private clientele, said Zack Bates, CEO Private Club Marketing, a firm based in Newport Beach, California, that offers membership consulting, marketing, and communications for private clubs and luxury brands.

“People buy into these communities not only for the club and its amenities, but also for those associated with them; a club is only as good as its members,” Mr. Bates said.

While these communities offer the best in luxury living, “that doesn’t always mean white tablecloths and stiff jackets,” Mr. Bates said. “In these instances, it’s an authentic experience with impeccable attention to detail, a place where residents and club members can have a bit of an escape from their everyday lives.”

Below are four golf communities in the U.S. with some of the most impressive offerings.

Kūkiʻo Golf and Beach Club, Hawaii

aerial photo of the kuki'o beach and golf club - pristine turquoise waters back up to a volcanic island setting with rich greenery and that roofs

The scenery takes center stage at the Kūkiʻo Golf and Beach Club, a 1,100-acre oceanfront resort-like retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii, where beach and greens have equal appeal. The 28 holes of golf include an 18-hole regulation course and a 10-hole short course. Both can be played barefoot and afford never-ending ocean views and a constant supply of mai tais and margaritas from on-course comfort stations.

Thanks to the idyllic ocean-side locale, outdoor activities come second nature here.

“Kūkiʻo offers everything Hawaii you could think of—from water activities like snorkeling with sea turtles and paddle boarding with dolphins to playing tennis, golf, and enjoying the pool,” said Mr. Bates, of Private Club Marketing.

There are two clubhouses, an oceanfront dwelling with a dining pavilion and beach bar, and the Golf Clubhouse, which affords a dining room, outdoor bar, several pools, an open-air spa, and fitness center and Hawaiian fishponds.

What sets Kuki`o apart are bespoke luxuries such as an on-site farm that provides most of the produce the property’s restaurants use on a daily basis. Harvests occur just about every day to serve guests the freshest options available. And thanks to the community’s beehives, different varieties of honey are made seasonally.

Another major perk of membership is access to the Kona Shuttle, the community’s private Boeing 737-800 aircraft, solely for members, that operates twice a week out of Oakland, California.

Membership requires homeownership as well as an initial fee of $275,000, with annual dues of $57,000. There are three distinct neighborhoods with luxury homes, cottages, and custom lots that range from $1.25 million to more than $20 million.

The Bighorn Golf Club, Palm Desert, California

aerial photo of the big horn golf club. desert setting with a clubhouse and golf course nestled into the neutral colors of the desert's sand and landscape

Set against the jagged peaks of the Santa Rosa Mountains some 15 miles from Palm Springs, The Bighorn Golf Club is an elite desert oasis nestled in the hills above the Coachella Valley floor.

At its heart are two championship golf courses: The Mountains, a target course with elevation changes and desert terrain, and The Canyons with its expert bunkering and idyllic water features.

“The scenery is phenomenal, as there is terrain both up and down the hillsides and large water features,” said Sean Stanfield of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty. “The elevations and mountain backdrops of the course give it one of the most unique settings available in the desert,” he said.

The club has hosted numerous events including the LPGA World Championships from 2004-2007.

The newly opened 80,000-square-foot clubhouse set 1,000 feet above the valley floor is the centerpiece of the golf program. It houses multiple dining options such as the renowned Pour House, indoor and outdoor dining in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, as well as an events terrace with seating for 600. Members can have their own private wine storage lockers and cigar humidors. The pièce de résistance, however, are the four multi-level penthouses built above the club, ranging from 4,782 square feet to 6,709 square feet of luxury living.

Bighorn’s amenities are as big and impressive as its golf program. There’s a spa and wellness center with offerings from a salon and fitness center to a Pilates studio and electric cryotherapy chamber, as well as tennis and pickleball courts.

In a community as high end like this one, it’s almost expected members have access to private car service—and private jet service. Or, should you choose to drive yourself around, you can park your car at The Vault, a 24,000-square-foot facility that’s part garage, part car museum where owners can showcase their vintage and collectible rides. There’s a lounge to sit and admire the vehicles as well as a virtual race simulator where members can virtually race every brand of car on any track in the world. Car storage? Spots cost upward of $116,500 and there’s currently a waitlist.

Membership fees include a $250,000 initiation fee with $26,500 annual dues. Homes range from $2 million villas to custom homes in the $15 million to $20 million range.

Read the full article at Mansion Global.

Learn more about Hart Howerton here.

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