The Latest in Luxury Resort & Real Estate News

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Ballyhack National Golf Destination Retreat Opens to Fanfare
 
(ROANOKE, VA) -- Ballyhack Golf Club, the country's latest private national golf club, opened June 26  with some local fanfare that featured Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer. Beamer, a partner and member in the golf-only project, was joined by fellow partner/Virginia amateur golf great Vinny Giles.

Other partners in attendance equally excited about their new private club were golf architect Lester George and Bill Kubly, chief executive officer of golf course builder Landscapes Unlimited.

"I feel that is going to be one of the more unique golf courses you'll see," Giles said. "It's got some phenomenal features -- very linksy and wild looking -- and one of the prettiest golf courses because of all the surrounds and backdrops. You're looking at links golf in the mountains and that's an unusual combination."
 
Kubly, whose company has built more than 800 golf courses around the world, called the course simply "stunning, bold golf." Two of Kubly's previous projects were Sutton Bay and Sand Hills, Golfweek's No. 1- and No. 13-ranked Modern Courses in America, and two facilities built much around the same concept as Ballyhack.

"(Ballyhack) is spectacular," says head golf professional Aaron Dooley. "I would say Ballyhack will be regarded high among the most special places on the East Coast."

Roanoke native Jonathan Ireland, who returned to his roots at Roanoke Country Club and is now director of golf operations at Ballyhack, believes an extraordinary golf course complemented by world-class service and five-star dining will set Ballyahck apart from others.
 
Ireland also invites would-be members to call the club and inquire about a tour of the course and property.
 
Ballyhack is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Roanoke, but is isolated on undeveloped farmland that is federally designated as "view-preserved," meaning no development will ever abut Ballyhack.
 
Laid over 190 acres, the golf course boasts 50- to 70-foot elevation changes over a Scottish highland-type design, with old-style, gouged-out bunkers, fairways as wide as 150 yards, and mammoth greens that average 8,000 square feet, allowing golfers to play a variety of different approach shots.
 
Five sets of tees give players the choice of playing the course at 7,250 yards, 4,900 yards or a variety in between.
 
Situated on 370 acres and boasting 50-mile views down the Blue Ridge Mountains in some places, Ballyhack will not be the typical private club, according to Kubly.
 
"The concept is probably the most unique thing about Ballyhack," said George, with whom Giles consulted at highly acclaimed Kinloch Golf Club outside Richmond, "It's a golf destination retreat -- a special low-key place for family, friends and clients for a special golfing and sporting experience where members aren't bothered by the normal activities of a country club and get high-end service, five-star dining and extraordinary golf.."
 
The first of 15 attractive, well-appointed four-bedroom, four-bath cottages -- with living rooms, wet bars and outdoor patios -- are under construction and will be made available to members.
 
"Ballyhack," George adds, "will be a place without tee-times or corporate outings that plug up the golf course, simply an experience like no other."
 
"People are tired of having to buy a residential lot at a remote destination, with a real estate-driven golf course," says Kubly. "But they do want to belong to a getaway club. The Ballyhack model will have only 60 local and 240 national members."
 
Ireland pointed out that as successful as Sand Hills and Sutton Bay have proven to be, Ballyhack has unique advantages.

"We have major markets: Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Richmond, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore all fall within a 250-mile radius," Ireland adds. "And we have an airport within 15 minutes with an FBO so flying privately or commercially is easy."
 
Though no real estate development is planned, Ballyhack has gained approval for a maximum of 89 home sites on the periphery and overlooking the golf course.

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Developer Financing Available at Kupuri Beach Community in Punta Mita
 
(PUNTA MITA, MEXICO) -- In a move to raise buyer interest, DINE, Mexico's premier real estate developer, is now offering highly attractive, below market financing rates at the exclusive Kupuri beachfront development in Punta Mita, a gated, 1,500-acre master-planned, second-home resort community.
 
Kupuri is situated on a secluded, self-contained white sand bay, part of Punta Mita's nine-and-a-half-mile beachfront, where DINE is offering lots ranging from ¾ acres to 1.5 acres, priced from $2.25 million for secluded hillside locations to $7.2 million for beachfront estate sites.

Each home developed will offer owners gated privacy, generous interior and exterior space, highly coveted Pacific Ocean vistas, and access to Kupuri Beach with private beach cabanas. 
 
To date, DINE has sold eight Kupuri lots, including a beachfront property to homebuyer and Mexico City-based architect Alejandro Quintanilla.  Quintanilla has designed a five-bedroom, contemporary style estate home with special guest quarters now under construction and slated for completion by fall of 2009. 
 
DINE's new financing program requires a 30 percent down payment due at closing with no mortgage payment due for three years at zero percent interest. A balloon 70 percent payment balance is due at the end of three years.

Additional terms and incentives, for a limited time, include a 15 percent discount off the list price, and a 10 percent discount as long as the home is built within the first three years. In addition, homeowner association fees, property taxes and golf membership dues are waived for three years.
 
 "DINE is offering developer financing at Kupuri - and in our other Punta Mita communities - as an added incentive for buyers who want to invest in this exclusive community but conserve cash in the short term," says Gary Pepin, Punta Mita Properties' vice president of sales. "We fully expect Punta Mita's prices to rebound quickly once the economy recovers, given flagship brands like St. Regis, Four Seasons and Jack Nicklaus that have invested here."
 
The word "Kupuri" originated from the Huichol Indians, who have inhabited Mexico's Sierra Madre Mountains for centuries and believe that nature and the inner spirit are forever intertwined as a life force known as Kupuri.  Future plans for Kupuri include a funicular to transport its residents and guests to a mountaintop sunset bar offering spectacular views.

DINE's financing program is also available for Punta Mita's Four Seasons Private Villas. It requires a 25 percent down payment and the 75 percent balance due after 36 months at five percent interest.  Punta Mita's El Encanto community is also offering developer financing on a select inventory of completed residences that require a 30 percent down payment with five percent interest for 36 months.

Ayia, a new community of 27 completed, two-bedroom condominiums with an array of amenities, offers zero percent non-qualifying developer financing for a 24-month term with a 30 percent down payment. 
 
A spear-shaped peninsula with nine and a half miles of Pacific Coast shoreline, Punta Mita is surrounded on three sides by white-sand beaches and dramatic coves.  DINE has invested over $150 million to date in the project's infrastructure. At full build-out,


Punta Mita will have a real estate value of approximately $2 billion. In November 2008, the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort and a second Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course opened at Punta Mita.

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Troon Golf to Manage New 18-hole Resort Course in Morocco

 

(BERKANE, MOROCCO) -- Troon Golf, the world's largest golf course management and development company, recently announced it has been selected to manage golf operations for Mediterannia Saidia, an emerging tourist destination located in northeast Morocco,

 

Built adjacent to four miles of stunning coastline in the province of Berkane and facing the shores of Almeria, Spain, Mediterannia Saidia features The Palmeral course, an 18-hole golf facility designed by Francisco Segales. The Palmeral course measures 6,800 yards and is the latest addition to the Moroccan golf portfolio. It has been subject to significant praise and is said to be one of the finest golf courses in the region.

 

"Morocco has set some impressive targets of becoming one of the world's top new golf destinations," stated Bruce Glasco, Troon Golf's managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "With plans for resorts such as Mediterannia Saidia and the vision of H.M. King Mohammed VI to wisely promote such a stunning region, we should see Morocco prosper as a highly desired golf destination. Troon Golf has worked closely with the development team, and we are committed to partnering with Mediterannia Saidia to create what will be one of the most striking pieces of land in Morocco and the rest of the world."

 

The Palmeral course offers a tranquil experience with a layout that meanders through a pristine natural environment with spectacular views of indigenous plant life and an impressive lake. With the latest state-of-the-art amenities, including a well-equipped practice facility, The Palmeral course will cater to the needs of any golfer.

 

 

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