The Latest in Luxury Resort & Real Estate News

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PGA of America Breaks Ground on First PGA Village Outside of United States

(CAT ISLAND, BAHAMAS) -- The PGA of America is taking its brand to the Bahamas. In its first real estate venture outside of the United States, the PGA of America and Cat Island Partners Ltd., recently broke ground on the first-ever PGA Village to be developed outside of the United States.

The official groundbreaking took place April 24 on Cat Island and was attended by a large delegation of government officials including Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, the Bahamas' Minister of Tourism and Aviation, and more than 400 local residents and supporters.

Prime Minister Ingraham called the $200 million resort-style development, "A new and never before experienced economic shot-in-the-arm," for one of the Bahamas most underdeveloped islands. 

Ingraham congratulated the Cat Island Partnership for keeping their commitment to the government and to the people of Cat Island during these economic challenging times.

The Prime Minister said he was not one that normally attends these types of ceremonies but has come to know the partners well and they are people who, "say what they mean and mean what they say," and is confident the project will be a great thing for Cat Islanders and the Bahamas. 

The PGA Village is expected to create over 200 construction jobs and more than 900 permanent positions within the project allowing many native Cat Islanders who have sought employment elsewhere to return to their native island. The flagship PGA Village, which opened in 1996, is located in Port St. Lucie, Fla., near the PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Situated on 2,400 acres, the residential golf course community features the private PGA Country Club that opened in 1987, two Tom Fazio-designed courses that opened in 1996, a Pete Dye layout that opened in 1999, and world-class PGA Learning Center. It is the only facility open to the public owned and operated by the PGA of America.

The Cat Island PGA Village project will feature a Rees Jones-designed championship golf course, PGA-branded Golf Cottages, a golf clubhouse, PGA Learning and Performance Center, PGA Historical Center and the first phase of the village. Construction is underway and expected to take 24-36 months.

The waterfront property sits on 1,906 acres of pristine Bahamian land and includes over two miles of beachfront. Located 325 miles southeast of Miami and 130 miles southeast of Nassau/Paradise Island, Cat Island is the sixth-largest island in The Bahamas and features the highest elevations in all of The Bahamas, resulting in unmatched views of the ocean and surrounding islands.

Additionally, the residential community will consist of low-density, single-family residential home sites averaging over an acre each and village town homes. Future amenities calls for a casino, tennis center,  full-service beach club with multiple oceanfront swimming pools, beach café and cabanas.

"We truly believe that in two to three years, as Phase I of this great project is completed, we will no longer be in a worldwide recession," said Cat Island partner David Southworth, President/Chief Executive Officer of Newton, Mass.-based Southworth Development. "We actually feel the timing of this development could not be better. 

We know that in this day and age, customers will not buy until developers have built the amenities and facilities. Because of this, the partnership is committed to the funding and completion of Phase I. Today is the first big step of many to come."

PGA of America President Jim Remy added: "The PGA of America is excited to be here in partnership with Southworth Development, as we create the first PGA Village outside the United States, and the first golf course ever on Cat Island. We believe that PGA Village The Bahamas will soon spur global awareness to the world-class golf opportunities in a nation that is already known for its world-class boating and beaches, as it will become a destination for people to come to play, stay, live and learn the wonderful sport of golf."

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Cliffs Communities Open Renowned International Institute of Golf Academy Facility

(SIX MILE, SC) -- Top PGA Tour golfers Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby and Mathew Goggin were three of the celebrities on tap April 25 to help celebrate the grand opening of the International Institute of Golf at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs.

The Institute, taught by well-known Australians Steve Bann and Dale Lynch, is just the latest upscale amenity to be offered at the Cliffs Communities' eight private master-planned golf course country club developments.

The International Institute and its staff used to be based in Melbourne, Australia, for the past 18 years, where they worked with Ogilvy and Appleby since they were junior players.

Now about 45 minutes west of Greenville, S.C., the Institute has a new 3,100-square foot state-of-the-art indoor training facility and an outdoor practice range designed by Fazio where students can practice shots from all types of lies.

"No doubt, it's one of the best practice facilities in the world," said Lynch. "It's almost a 'Field of Dreams' we've built here. It has everything we could want in a facility, and more."

"Selfishly, we now have a facility that's world class and it's close to the Tour," said Ogilvy, who gave a shotmaking demonstration to the estimated crowd of 450 private members and guests.

Fazio also designed a championship golf course at Keowee Springs, which opened in September 2008.

"It's a total practice and teaching facility," said Bann. "We can have golfers practice every shot that they will ever see on the course."

Inside is the latest computer, video and motion analysis technology, including a Nike Golf 360 Fitting Studio to ensure that professional and amateur clients alike find the right equipment for their games. The Institute will also be the first to offer the Swing Catalyst Studio.

After a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony and an instructional clinic, one lucky Cliffs' resident, Bruce Wellmon, won a week-long golf trip for two to Scotland that includes admission to the 2009 British Open.

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Bonita Bay Group Opens Private Golf Course Portfolio to Non-Resident Membership

(BONITA SPRINGS, FL) -- For the first time in the company's history, the Bonita Bay Group is offering non-resident golf memberships that provide access to all nine of its upscale private golf courses located here in Southwest Florida.

A limited number of non-resident memberships are available at Bonita Bay Club, Shadow Wood, Verandah and TwinEagles, including year-round, reciprocal golf and dining privileges at all four clubs.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for people who love golf," said Joey Garon, president of New Leaf Management, the amenity-management company of Bonita Bay Group. "In most cases, joining a club means playing the same courses over and over. Now a single membership includes privileges for 108 holes of golf and several dining venues."

Nonresident golf memberships are available beginning at $25,000.

Reciprocal play includes Bonita Bay Club East's two Tom Fazio courses, The Cypress and The Sabal, which provide a pure golf experience in Naples. Dining is offered at the Bonita Bay Club East clubhouse and Bonita Bay Marina's waterside eatery, Backwater Jacks.

Shadow Wood Country Club has three distinct courses. The North and South courses at Shadow Wood in Bonita Springs were designed by Bob Cupp. The Preserve, designed by Arthur Hills, is five miles north at Shadow Wood Preserve. Dining options include the Shadow Wood Country Club and Rosie Spoonbill's in The Brooks.

The Club at TwinEagles in Naples is the only private club in Florida with courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II (The Talon) and Gary Player (The Aerie). The 47,000-square-foot clubhouse offers casual and formal dining. TwinEagles is the winter home of the Suttie Golf Academy with renowned instructor Jim Suttie, Ph.D.

Verandah Club in Fort Myers has the Cupp-designed Old Orange and the Nicklaus and Nicklaus II-designed Whispering Oak courses. Food and beverage options include the Jesse Fish lounge, Alligator Pear restaurant and the open-air River Terrace.

Bonita Bay Group developed all nine courses to enhance the natural features of the land, and operates them using environmentally sensitive methods. Celebrating 25 years in Southwest Florida, Bonita Bay Group is a diversified company involved in the planning, development, sales and management of master-planned communities, free-standing recreational amenities and commercial facilities. The company is respected for its commitment to meticulous planning, environmental stewardship, integrity and attention to detail.

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