With a growing number of people settling into their communities where they can work remotely and spend more quality time with family, golf communities are providing a perfect solution for those seeking great golf, quality housing and family-friendly amenities. Here are five Golf Clubs around the United States in desirable areas, which have golf membership opportunities that have our attention…
Golf Membership at The Santa Lucia Preserve | Carmel, CA
The Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, California is a private community with 297 homesites situated within 20,000 acres of permanently and privately protected natural California wildlands. The community’s 18-hole Tom Fazio designed golf course, practice range, putting greens, and clubhouse facilities are part of a National Membership, available to those who do not own, rent, or lease property in the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, or Santa Clara.
The membership includes unlimited rounds of golf; full use of Golf Club amenities; select access to social events; select access to lodging and dining at The Ranch Club; and privileges apply to member, spouse or significant other, and children up to age 25.
Wandering through 365 acres of towering oaks and rolling savannahs, around wetlands and across seasonal streams, The Preserve Golf Club encounters a full spectrum of nature along with the challenges of a Tom Fazio designed golf course, framed by the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains.
Located a few miles inland from the Monterey Peninsula, The Preserve is dramatically different from its distinguished neighbors on the coastline – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Cypress Point Club and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The Preserve does not share any of the surrounding wilderness with any other golf course, competing for attention only with the mountain views, mammoth oaks, and resident wildlife. It has been said many times that playing golf on The Preserve is “like playing golf through a national park.”
An extraordinary experience by any measure, the golf course reflects many aspects of The Preserve’s beautiful natural landscape, breathtaking views, and conservation ethos. Fazio moved almost no earth and the routing almost hides the holes into the landscape. Golfers can rarely see the next hole, let alone other golfers, in a serene setting that resembles a secluded trail walk.
Renovated in 2016, The Preserve Golf Club features fairways of Santa Ana Hybrid Bermudagrass, a significant change from the original bent grass. The Bermudagrass creates a playing surface that is firmer and faster, adding a dynamic element to the playing experience and providing the player with a wide variety of shot selections. The National Golf Membership, capped at 40, allows limited access to the Ranch Club’s Hacienda for overnight accommodations and use of the Ranch Club’s recreational amenities when staying onsite as a house guest.
Golf Membership at Champion Hills | Hendersonville, NC
Champion Hills is responding to a seismic demographic shift in private club demand with its new “Equity 55,” a full golf membership designed for those age 55 and under. With Equity 55, the private $40,000 initiation fee is divided into four equal payments over four years, dues and replacement reserve fund contributions are reduced by 50% and the club’s $800 annual food and beverage minimum is prorated for new members.
Offering complete access to the club’s amenities and activities, Equity 55 members enjoy Champion Hills’ mountain-style Tom Fazio-designed golf course, clubhouse with pub and fine dining, wellness center, tennis and bocce courts, pool and hydro spa and more. Like the club’s social and full golf membership, Equity 55 members’ vertical family can also experience the club without being accompanied by a member and do not incur golf green fees when playing Fazio’s mountain masterpiece.
Member-owned, Champion Hills is managed by Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon. Through Troon Privé Privileges, members of Troon Privé-managed private clubs receive extraordinary golf and lifestyle benefits throughout the world. Qualified Champion Hills members enjoy access to 100+ Troon Privé golf courses; opportunities to experience more than 150 Troon Golf resort and daily fee locations at preferred rates; access to amenities at participating private clubs (fitness facilities, tennis, aquatics and dining); preferred benefits at participating Cliff Drysdale Tennis clubs and resorts; and much more.
“The Greenville, S.C. to Asheville, N.C. corridor is one of the fastest growing and most-desirable regions in the Southeastern U.S.,” says Champion Hills General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Dana Schultz. “People of all ages enjoy the safety, sanctuary, camaraderie and amenities that private clubs can offer. Equity 55 meets the upswell in demand by a younger demographic in search of both a club and community to call home.”
The club is the centerpiece of the Champion Hills community, which boasts a broad array of residential options – luxury homes, low maintenance cottages, lock-and-leave villas and a limited number of building lots – suiting a wide variety of buyers. Lots range from .5 up to 1.5 acres, with prices from $50,000 to $300,000. Move-in ready luxury residences range from $500,000 to $3 million featuring golf course, mountain and wooded views.
Golf Membership at The Golf Club at Lansdowne | Lansdowne, VA
The Golf Club at Lansdowne is part of the Lansdowne Resort, but it deserves our recognition as one of the most prestigious private clubs in the Mid-Atlantic region that provides members and guests with an ideal environment for golf and leisure. The Club offers 45 holes of world-class golf, a 43,000 square-foot clubhouse featuring Piedmont’s Table restaurant and Pub 46. Lansdowne Resort and Spa compliments with indoor and outdoor pools, complete health and fitness amenities and the award-winning Spa Minérale, which captures ingredients and remedies local to the area and inspired by Virginia’s Wine Country through vinotherapy treatments. Also part of the Troon Privé Privileges program, this provides a great opportunity for members to explore more Troon course experiences when traveling.
At The Golf Club at Lansdowne, world-renowned designers Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Greg Norman created three distinctly different courses for golfers of all playing abilities. The Jones Course delivers a memorable round with every outing, showcasing a master designer’s touch within the Virginia countryside. The Norman course tests even the best golfers along the scenic Potomac River. And the “Sharkbite”” short course provides fun and enjoyment for families and golfers of all levels.”
Robert Trent Jones Jr. Course: A classic experience awaits both the accomplished and novice golfer on this 7,063-yard, par-72 course. The key to success on this course is the ability to accurately judge the impact of elevation changes. For example, the par-3 13th hole features a 50-foot drop from tee to green, requiring a carry over a creek that runs across the front of the green, as well as a stone wall that dates back to the 1700s. This course provides mental challenges with risk-reward holes and a tee-to-green carry over water on the par-3 17th, as well as physical tests with a pair of classic, three-shot par-5s. While friendly, the strategic layout will test the skills of all playing levels, rewarding each with a memorable round.
Greg Norman Course: Designed by the legendary Greg Norman, aka the Great White Shark, the Norman Course incorporates the natural undulations of the Potomac River Valley as it meanders along the Potomac River. The rolling landscape of the 7,332-yard par-72 golf course winds through a mature hardwood forest and along rock outcroppings. Those natural elements combine with historic sites on the 3rd and 4th holes to form the course’s distinct character using Norman’s “Least Disturbance Approach” to design. It also includes a demanding four-hole stretch dubbed “the hardest mile in golf” by its creator.
Greg Norman’s Sharkbite Course: This nine-hole course designed by Greg Norman is long enough to present a challenge to experienced golfers looking for some quick play, yet designed to be fun for families and junior golfers as well. Located adjacent to the back nine of the 18-hole championship Norman Course, this course is perfect for golfers who like to walk as it includes four par-3s and five par-4s. The course offers five sets of tees, with a par of 32 and total yardage of just over 2,300 yards from the back tees. By moving up to the juniors-only tee box, the course becomes an enjoyable 870 yards in length.
Golf Membership at Cherokee Valley Course and Club | Travelers Rest, SC
Cherokee Valley Course and Club, Upstate South Carolina’s premier family club and mountain golf destination north of Greenville, has released its updated membership plans for 2021. Membership requires no initiation fee, food-and-beverage minimums or assessments, and monthly dues are well-below private club levels. Five value-packed membership plans are designed for today’s modern lifestyle, each requiring only a one-year agreement. Cherokee Valley’s popular Business Flex Plan has also been renewed, offering companies of various sizes a venue for bonding with clients and employees.
“To grow the game and retain golfers we have to mold memberships around the realities of today’s busy and unpredictable lifestyles,” says Cherokee Valley Owner Matt Jennings. “Families, singles and business owners all need and appreciate freedom, flexibility and value. Our membership plans are engineered to deliver these elements.”
The Platinum Membership continues to be one of the best values in the Upstate. At $210, monthly, for families and $173.25 for singles, it features full access to golf, the resort-style pool, golf training facility and spacious practice range. Use of neighboring North Greenville University’s (NGU co-op) fitness center and reduced rates for select sporting and special events are also included.
The Gold Membership ($183.75, $152.25) is perfect for golf purists, extending seven-day-a-week access to golf, while The Silver Membership ($131.25 / $105) includes unlimited golf on Saturdays and Sundays. Ideal for busy professionals 35 and under, the Young Professional Membership ($141.75) offers full weekday and weekend access.
The Sport Adventure Membership ($105, $91.35) grants unlimited use of the training facility (with fitness equipment), two rounds of golf monthly and NGU co-op and pool access. A popular and convenient addition to any membership, Cart Plans run $131.25 monthly for a family or $110.25 for a single, giving members unlimited use of Cherokee Valley’s fleet of golf carts.
Golf Membership at Seven Desert Mountain | Scottsdale, AZ
To the Boomer and Gen X’ers, “social” doesn’t mean keeping in touch through their computer or smartphone. More than Facebook, it’s about face-to-face meetings. Take the “insta” out of Instagram, and the 10 seconds of a TikTok video simply isn’t enough time. Because rather than just fingers and thumbs, Boomers want their entire selves getting together with others. So, it’s no wonder that Seven Desert Mountain—a community created for human interaction is the latest hot spot in the already red-hot real estate market that is Phoenix.
Built to enrich the minds and spirit of its owners, the latest—and last—gated enclave of new condominiums, villas, and custom homes within the luxurious Desert Mountain community in North Scottsdale, Seven Desert Mountain offers the highly sought-after combination of a vast menu of recreation and social pursuits coupled with open spaces and privacy. With increasing awareness that being around others is critical to our mental well-being, the amenity-rich lifestyle and offerings at Seven Desert Mountain are receiving plenty of action.
Seven Desert Mountain occupies just a fraction of the greater Desert Mountain community’s 8,000 explorable acres of high-desert glory showcased on miles of trails ideal for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. More than 20 miles of hiking trails are covered by the proprietary Interactive Trail Guide—a touchscreen monitor at the trailhead—that directs hikers and riders off the beaten track and along edges of the Continental Mountains, among the desert’s mysteries, and through a river basin bursting with color at nearly 4000 feet. Desert Mountain is unique for its six “other” golf courses, all designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. No less exciting are the many health and wellness options, from the Sonoran Spa to abundant fitness and heart-healthy programs.
And add one more advantage to living at Seven Desert Mountain: A Full Golf, Lifestyle or Seven Golf membership is reserved for each homebuyer, subject to Club approval but without a waitlist. The homes at Seven Desert Mountain range from 2,300- to 6,500-square-feet, with options including single-story and two-story floor plans, two to four bedrooms, and 2.5 to 4.5 baths. Base prices range from $1.4 to over $4 million.
The commitment to quality of life touches nearly every inch of living space in Seven Desert Mountain’s new single-family homes and condominiums. Kitchens are designed so food preparation becomes a joyful and relaxing ritual while promoting personalized nutrition. Bedrooms become sleep sanctuaries due to thoughtful arranging that reflects the importance of rest at night and waking ready to greet the new day. Even bathrooms have indoor-outdoor showers built with water- and energy-conservation fixtures.
Seven Golf Membership provides the ability to access all Desert Mountain amenities with the exception of the six existing golf courses even if escorted by a Golf Member, driving ranges and Jim Flick Golf Performance Center. Full access will be provided to the No. 7 at Desert Mountain golf course. This category of membership is only available for purchase by current Desert Mountain Members or Desert Mountain property owners.
