In the News

MEDALIST COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES & SPA STORY

Luxury Living

Medalist Country Club Estates and Spa offers a peaceful retreat amidst South Florida's natural wonders.

In a hammock of native Florida vegetation, natural treasures abound. Hundred-year-old pine and cypress trees create a leafy canopy to shade delicate man¬groves. Wetlands meander through the virgin landscape. Herons wander about the marshes, stopping occasionally to preen their silvery feathers in the sun.

This seems like a snapshot of the Florida of yore, but it is still found in the quaint seaside town of Hobe Sound. Once home to the Tekesta and Jove Indians, Hobe Sound has managed to retain its small-town flavor and preserve its natural surroundings despite development to its north and south.

In this quaint community where wildlife outnumbers humans (the population is just under 11,500), Medalist Country Club Estates and Spa will soon be built. Centered around golfer Greg Norman's internationally known Medalist Golf Club, Medalist Country Club Estates and Spa is an upcoming 50-acre community of 87 luxury homes surrounded by the tranquility that only 800 acres of nature and wildlife preserve can provide.

The Medalist Golf Club, designed by Norman and golf course architect Pete Dye, has gained the reputation of being among the best in America. Recognized by Golf Digest as one of the top 100 courses in the United States, Medalist offers 7,168 yards of fairways winding through a coastal dune landscape.

Surrounding the golf course is Medalist Village, a complex of world-class amenities. Among the village's features are a European-style spa offering unique Australian facials and body treatments; Har- Tru tennis courts; relaxing social and lounge areas; a 12-hole, par-3 golf course separate from the championship Medalist course; and the private Aussie Pub, which features "Down Under" fare and a convivial club atmosphere.

The Zuckerman Group recently purchased the village's remaining residential acres from Norman's development company to create the Medalist Country Club Estates and Spa. The homes, which are selling at pre-construction prices from the $700,000s to $1.5 million, will range in size from 3,000 to over 7,000 square feet and will be built on one-quarter- to one-half-acre lots with spectacular views.

"Lots face the nature preserve, a lake, the golf course or all of the above," says developer Andrew Zuckerman.

Medalist Country Club Estates residents, Zuckerman says, will have plenty of space and privacy, as homes will back into natural areas, not into other homes. The homes will be designed to take advantage of the natural surroundings with floor plans incorporating large windows to admit stunning views of the pristine landscape. Great rooms and outdoor spaces will facilitate entertaining. Elegant entrance galleries will give a sense of arrival.

The Medalist lifestyle, of course, will extend beyond the home. Residents will enjoy the amenities already in existence at the Medalist Village, including the spa, fitness facilities, tennis area, par-3 golf course and the Aussie Pub. Homeowners can apply for membership at the famed, member-owned Medalist Golf Club.

The golf is certainly world-class, but an equally important asset is the community's harmony with nature. "There are hundreds of acres of nature preserve that will never be built upon," says Zuckerman. "You can hear the birds, and the topography is incredible, as is the natural native foliage. It is really a special place."