Building Nevada - June 2002

Not Just Playing A Round

Nevada’s Golf Communities Offer Lifestyle

by Angela Suganuma

A growing number of people are getting into the swing by buying homes at golf communities. The National Golf Foundation reports that since 1986, the number of golfers in the United States has jumped 34 percent. During that time, the number of residential golf communities has also been on the rise. In fact, the foundation says about 45 percent of golf courses constructed today are affiliated with a residential community.

Golf communities are alluring to golfers and non-golfers alike because they offer a host of amenities, such as swimming pools, parks, tennis courts and biking trails. Some also feature a community recreation center, clubhouse and restaurant. Homes in these communities are available in a variety of styles and prices. You can find everything from townhomes to luxurious estate homes.

The fact is, golf course communities are multiplying in Nevada and the interest in these communities has never been greater. Following are three new golf communities scheduled to open and one golf course community that recently became private.

TUSCANY

Tuscany, scheduled to open at the end of the summer, will consist of over 1,900 homesites that overlook the Las Vegas Valley. It is situated within a 530-acre master-planned community located off I-215 and U.S. 95 at Lake Mead Drive. It has dramatic views and a trail system linking individual neighborhoods to proposed parks and recreational facilities. The entire project is designed around a Tuscany wine theme. With nearly 2,000 homes, six homebuilders and prices ranging from $200,000 to $500,000, Tuscany will offer a wide variety of opportunities to prospective homeowners.

The Tuscany Golf Course is a public course designed by Ted Robinson, one of the world’s most critically acclaimed golf course architects. Robinson is best known in Las Vegas for his design work on Canyon Gate Golf Course. Tuscany Golf Club’s centerpiece is a spacious 31,000-square-foot Old World Tuscan village that features a golf retail store, pub and fine dining restaurant, as well as banquet and meeting facilities. An expansive 4,000-square-foot patio offers views of the golf course, mountains and the Las Vegas Strip. Golfers can take advantage of outdoor dining, or just relax after an enjoyable round. OB Sports Golf Management, a premier operator and developer of golf courses on the West Coast, will manage Tuscany Golf Club.

Bob Unger, president of Tuscany Golf Club, said, "Tuscany Golf Club and the surrounding residential development will be a wonderful edition to Henderson’s continuing development and growth, offering residents and visitors the best possible golf and living experience."

BEAR’S BEST

Bear’s Best is right at home in a city famous for its great replications, from the Eiffel Tower to the New York City skyline. That’s because Bear’s Best Las Vegas features great replications too. Only in this case, the replications are from Jack Nicklaus signature courses throughout the world. ClubCorp of America and the Nicklaus Companies have joined to create a golf experience as unique and unprecedented as the Golden Bear himself. The Bear’s Best concept – 18 exact replicas of some of Jack Nicklaus’ most memorable holes, flowing seamlessly in one course layout – is the first of its kind.

Bear’s Best is a 20-minute drive from the airport and the Las Vegas Strip and is situated just east of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area along the westernmost rim of the Las Vegas Valley. The golf course is located within The Ridges, a luxury residential village in Summerlin. The Ridges will be home to several distinct custom enclaves, luxury and executive home neighborhoods behind 24-hour guarded gates. It will offer an assortment of custom and luxury home environments rooted in a sophisticated desert motif. The first custom neighborhood under development is Promontory, which features half to three-quarter-acre lots. Lots are priced from $330,000 to nearly $1 million.

While Bear’s Best Las Vegas is taking center stage as The Ridges’ premier amenity, the community will also be home to a private 8.3-acre park with its own barbecue area and pavilion.

SOMERSETT

Located in a 2,076-acre secluded valley in West Reno, Somersett is only five minutes from downtown. Approximately 2,500 residences, clustered in several small-scale villages, are planned. Somersett will feature unique neighborhoods from the region’s top builders as well as custom home opportunities. Silver Star Development and Ryder Homes are two confirmed builders for this master-planned community. Home prices will range from the low $200,000s to more than $1 million for a custom home. The community grand openings are scheduled for Fall 2002.

Silver Star Development has plans to build two new home communities in Somersett. The first will offer homes that range in size from 1,600 to 2,100 square feet with prices starting in the low $200,000s. The second community will offer homes ranging in size from 2,300 to 2,900 square feet starting in the high $200,000s.

The Golf Club at Somersett is scheduled to open spring 2004. It will feature a clubhouse and an 18-hole championship course designed by KBR, a collaboration between 1992 U.S. Open Champion Tom Kite and golf course architects Roy Bechtol and Randy Russell. The course will span the community, providing residents with open spaces and green grass views.

The gathering place for the community will be the Town Center, the centerpiece of which is The Club at Somersett – a resort-style social, fitness and swim center with pools, tennis courts, gathering places and the community information center. The Club at Somersett is scheduled to open in spring 2003 and will feature a children’s club, youth center and juice bar.

ARROWCREEK

The two 18-hole championship golf courses at ArrowCreek – The Legend designed by Arnold Palmer and The Challenge designed by Fuzzy Zoeller and John Harbottle – are now private courses. Both are open to ArrowCreek Country Club members only. The Challenge Golf Course is a blend of old-fashioned Scottish link style and the natural high desert. True pot bunkers and non-returning nines layout are just two of the features that make this a popular course.

Arnold Palmer’s The Legend is a traditional layout featuring mild undulations and extensive bunkering. It recently underwent a number of changes to make the course more user-friendly. Some holes were reworked to become more player-friendly and the pace of play and safety issues were addressed. Overall the course is now more enjoyable, yet still provides plenty of challenge for the accomplished player. The practice facilities include a full two-sided driving range, putting green, nine-hole putting course and a complete short game/chipping/bunker complex.

ArrowCreek is located in the foothills of southwest suburban Reno. It is a 3,200-acre master-planned residential community that includes almost 1,500 acres of pristine natural terrain, a swim and tennis center and miles of meandering trails. There’s also easy access to shopping, schools, Lake Tahoe and the airport. ArrowCreek offers many different living options and price ranges. Prices range from $175,000 to more than $850,000.

The social centerpiece of ArrowCreek Country Club is the 12,000-square-foot clubhouse, which will feature Redfield’s restaurant, a bar, lounge, golf shop, locker rooms and an outdoor patio area. The swim and tennis center has a heated pool and spa, patio, tot lot, volleyball court, basketball court, two tennis courts and lawn play areas. A major expansion planned for fall 2002 includes expanded aerobic and fitness facilities, family pools and barbecue areas.

Whether it’s the location, amenities or exclusivity, each of these communities has an appeal than far transcends golf.