Darren Clarke on The Abaco Club at Winding Bay
By David Desmith One of golf’s most affable stars recharges his batteries at The Abaco Club in The Bahamas. By his recollection, the first few times Darren Clarke encountered sea breezes were when his family left their home in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, to go on holiday at the beaches of Donegal or Portrush. “We were […]
Southern Comfortable: The Virginian Golf Club
By James A. Frank At The Virginian, the atmosphere is relaxed, the surroundings are majestic, and the quality of life at its highest. You can tell a lot about a golf club from its driving range. Not just the obvious things like attention to detail, what the maintenance practices are, and if the players are […]
Blackstone at Vistancia, Arizona
Situated in the rolling foothills of the Northwest Valley near Phoenix, the private luxury golf course community of Blackstone at Vistancia offers a relaxed, family-friendly lifestyle surrounded by the special beauty of the Sonoran Desert—plus the convenience of the big city just a short drive away. Most of the 300 homes sit along the award-winning […]
Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club
When the recession hit a few years back, Superstition Mountain – located in the less populated, more open area east of Phoenix – opened its two dramatic Nicklaus-designed courses to outside play. With the economy improved, the club has returned to private status, and the future is looking bright. “There’s been a big jump in […]
Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, Montana
Tradition runs deep in the American West, where neighbor helps neighbor and the land is sacred. Those sentiments are at the heart of Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, the 5,700-acre golf and ski community in Big Sky country. “Everything we do is centered around the mountains, the outdoors, and Montana,” says Mark Thorne, CEO of […]
Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch: Authentically Western
For all its attractions, Phoenix is not the only Arizona. For those who crave a less urban, more authentically Western experience—horses, ranches, big land and big sky—there is Wickenburg, 75 minutes northwest of the big city. Built to respect the frontier atmosphere, the new Trilogy at Wickenburg Ranch will maintain the wide-open feel by spreading […]
Escondido Golf & Lake Club, Texas
Escondido may be Spanish for “hidden,” but that doesn’t explain how this 550-acre private community in the Texas Hill Country northwest of Austin has remained under the radar since opening 10 years ago. Escondido offers everything the well-crafted golf escape should. It sits on an inlet of Lake LBJ, where members enjoy freshwater fishing, boating, […]
Big and Bold at Boot Ranch in Texas Hill Country
By James A. Frank Deep in the heart of Texas is a community as big and bold as the state itself. After designing the course, Hal Sutton said, “You can learn everything you need to know about the game of golf at Boot Ranch.” You can learn how to build a great golf community, too. […]
A Bright Future for The Country Club at Mirasol
By James A. Frank Young and vibrant, this Palm Beach-area club is undergoing big changes to be ready for a bright future. Forget what you think you know about golf communities in Palm Beach: Upscale doesn’t have to mean old. “Families and young professionals have always been a big part of Mirasol,” says General Manager […]
Nature Takes Center Stage at Callawassie Island
Callawassie proves the old adage that good things come in small packages. The island measures only 880 acres, but there is much to see and do. And even though Savannah and Hilton Head are minutes away, residents rarely feel the need to cross the quarter-mile-long causeway. Nature takes center stage. The island is a Certified […]
