Medalist Village Combines an Exclusive Location With Friendly Neighbors
www.medalistvillage.com
Greg Norman always intended Medalist Village to be intimate, not expansive, a place to be close to both friends and nature.
“Medalist Village is somewhere I can enjoy spending time with my friends and family whether at the Aussie Pub, spa, or out on the par-three course,” he says. “It offers privacy, a haven for relaxation, and the members provide a sense of community not often found in other clubs.”
That’s why the 119-home community in Hobe Sound is surrounded by 870 acres of untouched coastal-Florida nature preserve. That’s also why the amenities like the rustic wood-beamed clubhouse are casual and social, with nary a jacket and tie in sight. It’s the center of the community and home to an authentic Aussie pub, the wellness spa, and a refreshingly down-to-earth veranda where you can sip a cocktail, watch your friends finish their rounds of golf and enjoy the warm coastal breezes.
Along with the clubhouse amenities, Medalist Village members also enjoy a unique 12-hole par-three golf course designed by Greg Norman, as well as a tennis and fitness center. Although separate, famed Medalist Golf Club adjoins the community.
Existing 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath homes begin in the million dollar range. Sites for custom homes by the area’s premier home builders are also available.
Amenities Never Quit at Boca West Country Club
www.bocawestcc.org
A new golf and activities center opening later this year headlines the $50 million renovation at Boca West Country Club, home to four 18-hole golf courses, 31 tennis courts, and 3,500 families who live in luxury in the 1,400-acre membership community midway between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. New restaurants, retail space, and a bar and grill will complement the new locker rooms and golf pro shop at the property, where 300,000 square feet of resort-style amenities include six restaurants, a fitness center, a sports aquatics complex, and a 38,000-square-foot spa.
Golf is the lifeblood of the Boca West community. Four courses—one each by Pete Dye and Jim Fazio and two by Arnold Palmer—surround the 54 residential villages. The first Palmer course opened in 1997 and is distinguished by water in play on 12 holes. Palmer came back in 1999 to build his second course, a shot-maker’s delight that makes you stop and think before you hit every shot. The Fazio course is highlighted by water, too, this time by waterfalls on four holes. Pete Dye’s unique styling is evident throughout the challenging course that bears his name. The third hole, for example, plays straight away, but a palm-tree-studded waste area stretches along the entire fairway from tee to green.
Home ownership choices include single family homes, townhomes, garden apartments, and even a nine-story building now under construction, the Akoya, which will feature thoughtfully designed two- and three-bedroom residences with valet service and 24-hour security. Homes in Boca West range in price from $200,000 to $5 million, not including a mandatory membership equity fee of $70,000. One recent listing for $2.2 million was a 5-bedroom, 7-bath home with media room, family room, elevator, and a balcony off the master suite that’s the perfect place to view the sunset.
Historic Golf Inspired The Concession Golf Club
www.theconcessionrealestate.com
One of golf’s most historic Ryder Cup moments inspired The Concession, home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course and the community that surrounds it. The moment came when Nicklaus conceded the final putt in the 1969 Ryder Cup to Tony Jacklin in a gesture of pure sportsmanship that resulted in the first tie in the event’s history.
Fast-forward to 2004, when the two competitors discovered a 1,200-acre site perfect for a golf course and residential community minutes from downtown Sarasota. The Nicklaus team designed a thought-provoking course that winds through wetlands, 150-foot pines, and 200-year-old oaks on 520 wildlife-filled acres with few homes in sight. Imaginative routing ensures each hole on the 7,474-yard course plays into a different wind with no parallel fairways. From the tips, The Concession earns the highest slope rating the USGA allows, 155. Four other sets of tees make the course a pleasurable experience for players of all levels.
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The Concession Residences is a luxury gated community with 236 large single family home sites in natural settings that provide expansive lake and protected wetland views. With almost half the home sites one acre or larger and generous setback requirements, you’ll never feel crowded by your neighbors. Home sites start at $229,000 and range up to $699,000, with minimum home size requirements of 2,800 to 3,800 square feet. Eight first-class builders have been pre-approved to build custom homes in the community.
Shopping and services can be found in nearby Lakewood Ranch, and Sarasota, just a few minutes away, boasts a vibrant arts and culture scene that includes a professional symphony orchestra, ballet, opera, theaters, museums and art galleries, not to mention the world-famous Ringling Circus Museum.
Try Second Home Living with a Rental at The Reunion
www.reunionresort.com
You don’t have to own a second home to get away from the winter nastiness in the Northeast. Rentals are a surprisingly good alternative and there are few places better to try out second home living than the Reunion in Orlando. It’s just minutes from the theme parks, offers unparalleled resort amenities and conveniences, and the golf is simply spectacular! Best of all, you can rent a single family 3-bedroom, 3-bath home with a private pool and golf course view for as little as $9,600 per month.
Vacation home rentals at Reunion include full and unlimited use of the resort’s five-acre water park and 10 swimming pools, plus preferred tee times on three excellent golf courses, an award-winning tennis center, and full-service spa (at an additional cost). Golf at Reunion is played on courses designed by the biggest names in the game. The Arnold Palmer course runs like a roller coaster over hilly terrain. The Tom Watson course—his first in Florida—demands a creative short game and thoughtful approach shots. The Jack Nicklaus course rounds out the trio with elevated tees and greens and plenty of risk-and-reward opportunities.
Be sure to save time during your stay for a visit to the ANNIKA Academy, the only one of its kind in the world. The academy offers numerous learning programs that combine golf skills instruction with nutritional consultation, fitness, club fitting using the Callaway CPAS System, and even opportunities to play golf with Annika herself.
