Southern California's No. 1 Golf Source
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 Whether you’ve got a pocketbook that’s deep enough to live large, or you’re holding a purse that forces a keeping-it-real lifestyle, chances are you’ll find an American beauty of a golf property that’s yours for the picking. Consider these bouquets: Vista del Verde The links: Black Gold Golf Club, the city of Yorba Linda’s first public, 18-hole, championship layout, is a diverse test of golf by Arthur Hills and the majestic centerpiece of an upscale community of attached, detached and estate homes set against the city’s northwestern hills and next to Chino Hills State Park. The homes: Some of the nation’s top builders, including Shea Homes, Pardee Homes and community co-developer Toll Brothers, are on top of their game here, with floor plans ranging from 2,898 to about 6,000 square feet. Toll’s estate-style homes are on lots averaging 15,000 square feet, and one of its plans offers up to six bedrooms and six-and-a-half baths. Home exteriors reflect Mediterranean, Manor, Mission and New England-style architecture. Prices range from the $600,000s to the $1 millions. The buzz: Picturesque views and preservation of 73 acres of sage shrub habitat will delight nature lovers, while the community’s 10 miles of walking and equestrian trails will thrill those non-golfer-types who like to refer to themselves as hikers and riders. The 411: (888) 600-TOLL or vistadelverde.com. Pointe Monarch The links: Robert Trent Jones Jr. went all Scottish links tradition in designing Monarch Links Golf Club, and golfers both thank and curse that he did, given the variety of ways you can play the course. Hold on to your kilt and don’t be surprised if you find yourself shooting a lower score on a rainy day. Aye, laddie, the par-70 layout is funny that way. The homes: Uber-luxury builder Capital Pacific Homes is constructing all 45 Mediterranean-style homes in this gated enclave boasting unobstructed, panoramic coastal views. Homes offer three to five bedrooms and are priced from the $2 millions to the low $3 millions. Luxury living means in-home central vacuum systems and a choice of Dècor, SubZero and Fisher & Paykel appliances. The buzz: Destination resort living in a destination resort location with priceless views of the Pacific, the golf course and the adjacent St. Regis Resort & Spa. The 411: www.pointemonarch.com. Vellano The links: Greg Norman’s first signature layout in the Greater L.A. area brings nature into play with stands of large oaks and forced carries over ravines as part of a 600-acre golf course community tucked next to Chino Hills State Wilderness Park. Some holes offer up to six tee placements, which should help with the forced carries and the elevation changes (up to 400 feet on the front nine, up to 200 feet on the back). The cheeky Aussie spiced up the natural grandeur of the 7,200-yard course even more with lakes and waterfalls. G’day, indeed! The homes: A trio of Southern California’s luxury-minded builders – Brookfield Homes, Barrett Homes, Shea Homes – do some of their best work with semi-custom homes ranging from about 4,100 to 5,500 square feet and priced from the $1 millions into the $2 millions. If you prefer a custom home, expect to spend upwards of $600,000 for an individual home lot. Just 205 homes are planned altogether. That’s a nice and cozy number for Chino Hills, a rustic bedroom community that’s convenient to the North OC and Riverside. The buzz: The private community reflects Tuscan-village ambience that’s oh so popular these days, and boasts a 34,000-square-foot clubhouse with a swim and athletic club, along with tennis facilities. Golf memberships will be capped at 400. The 411: www.experiencevellano.com or (888) 4-VELLANO. The Estates at Trump National Golf Club The links: The old Ocean Trails Golf Course is reinvented as a world-class golf destination and luxury residential community, thanks to real estate mogul and reality-TV star Donald Trump. He ponied up $55 million to stabilize the ground of the 2.5-mile-long, cliff-top course and bring back missing holes (the 18th famously slid into the sea back in 1999). The Donald recently boasted that his West Coast playground, slated to open fully in June, would “be better than Pebble Beach.” Ocean views from every hole put Trump National in the same league at least. And the really good news is that Trump was required to maintain the course’s public designation. Look for greens fees to start at about $195. The homes: Money no object? Then The Estates, planned with 36 multi-million-dollar, custom and semi-custom mansions (first-phase pricing runs from $6 million to $15 million), is for you. Better hurry. Two properties with Mediterranean-style homes have been claimed at starting prices ranging from $5.2 million to $8.9 million. Trump has scooped up another property for himself. If an estate is too large for your liking, try on for size one of the planned 200 luxury golf villas. The buzz: Homeowners won’t get special access to the course, but they can avail themselves of a personal concierge 24/7. The rest of us can call the 45,000-square-foot clubhouse home. The 411: (310) 265-5000 or www.oceantrails.com The Retreat in Corona The links: Opening this summer, the 6,855-yard layout by Nicklaus Design (Jack’s son-in-law Bill O’Leary has the honors) offers dramatic drops, elevation changes and forced carries over ravines and creeks. Golfers will find themselves in the thick of the forest and its native grasses on some holes. Oh, what fun it is to drive! The homes: KB Home, Lennar, Beazer, Diversified Pacific Development Company and Empire Communities take out their big sticks to unleash a diverse range of executive-style, traditional family and semi-custom homes for this private community featuring Old World architectural styling and lots of space. The homes (500 at buildout) will range from about 3,175 to 5,693 square feet and be priced roughly from the $600,000s into the $1 millions. The buzz: The 26,000-square-foot clubhouse slated to open this summer will offer swim and tennis facilities, but the better playground promises to be Cleveland National Forest and its hiking, camping, bird-watching and picnicking opportunities. The golf club membership cap is 450. The 411: www.theretreatcc.com. Escena Palm Springs The links: Nicklaus Design tweaks desert-style layout with 18-hole The Golf Club at Escena Palm Springs, the first public golf course in the city in 20 years. Opening this spring, the par-72 course harkens back to layouts of the 1930s through early ’60s that were designed to blend into the natural terrain. Escena’s waste bunkers, in fact, are said to match the color of the nearby Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. Yet, desert-parched tongues are wagging over the L word – lush, that is, as lakes and streams meander through half the holes of the 7,211-yard course. Greens fees will run about $100 to $150. The homes: National builder Lennar and regional real estate player Empire Companies paired up to develop a 355-acre enclave of up to 1,450 homes. Lennar will build, but also allow some other national builders to get a piece of the action. Expect a mix of classic Spanish design and mid-century modern architecture for what’s being billed as a cosmopolitan, eclectic, desert retreat. No early word on floor plans nor pricing, so keep checking the website. Homes debut this fall. The buzz: A clubhouse designed in the spirit of “The Jetsons?” Beam us up! And Escena is 10 minutes close to PS’s lively downtown. The 411: www.EscenaPalmSprings.com. Woods Valley Ranch The links: The new Woods Valley Golf Club, a new, par-72 public course set among mature oaks and sycamores in the rolling hills of inland North San Diego County, winds its way through a gated community of just 270 homes. The homes: If small-town living is your goal, run – don’t walk – to stake a claim at Woods Valley, as this bucolic enclave represents one of the rare opportunities to own an estate-style home on a fair-sized lot. Esteemed local builders Buie Communities, SeaCountry Homes, Trimark Pacific Homes and Woodside Homes offer three- to six-bedroom floor plans of 2,200 to 4,600 square feet on lots averaging a generous three-quarters of an acre. Prices range from the $500,000s to more than $800,000. Courtyard entries, game rooms, outdoor fireplaces and casitas are some of the stand-out special options. And you can sure stretch your legs on Woods Valley’s 100 acres of open space set aside for parks and trails. The buzz: Going to the country was never so appealing, especially when you can quickly get to North County-area attractions such as the Lawrence Welk Resort, several Indian casino resorts, local wineries, and for those who really like golf, about 36 golf courses. The 411: www.woodsvalley.net n |
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