By Scott Kauffman July 30, 2026 The demise of Saudi-backed professional golf circuit LIV Golf appears to be getting closer to reality after news circulated today the season-ending team championship will not be held. According to CNBC, the $40 million season-finale tournament scheduled for Aug. 27-30 at The Cardinal at Saint John’s in Plymouth, Michigan, has reportedly been canceled. However, no official announcement has come from LIV Golf. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which has financially supported the league since its inception in October 2021, said last April it would cut all funding by the end of the season. At that time, league CEO Scott O’Neil said they would finish the schedule while LIV Golf sought new investors for a business that still features a cadre of major golf champions/sports stars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon, Rahm and Cameron Smith. Now it appears the league won’t even make it to the scheduled tournament finish line. The Detroit News reported last week that no infrastructure had been built at The Cardinal, another ominous sign for LIV Michigan, which would become the second LIV tournament to be scrapped this year. The June 25-28 LIV New Orleans event was originally postponed in April, though it’s since become clear that a targeted fall rescheduling won’t happen either. A spokesperson for Louisiana Economic Development told Front Office Sports that the state is still waiting on LIV to refund the $1.2 million it paid as part of the $5 million hosting fee. Front Office Sports also reported that O’Neil and LIV are operating under a Sept. 1 deadline to secure funding for next year. Last week’s LIV U.K. tournament in Straffordshire, England, won by Lucas Herbert, marked the league’s first competitive action in 47 days. Of course, the latest LIV Golf bleak business news comes on the heels of another recent setback when the Asian Tour announced July 21 it was part of a new strategic alliance with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, effectively ending its allied relationship with LIV Golf. Meanwhile, one future LIV Golf tournament that is likely to go off without a hitch is next week’s event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, New York. Scheduled for Aug. 6-9, the $20-million tournament is being hosted for the third time by Pres. Donald Trump’s family-owned business empire. Just the other day The Trump Organization pushed out some marketing content highlighting Trump National Bedminster’s historic past, which used to be known as Lamington Farm, a 535-acre estate steeped in history long before the first hole was ever designed. According to the Trump Organization, a New York insurance executive purchased the property in 1917, and it was later sold in 1981 to former General Motors executive/famed automaker John DeLorean, whose iconic gull-winged car would go on to achieve big-screen immortality in Back to the Future. Of course, DeLorean’s dream car never became a mainstream hit and the DeLorean Motor Company eventually went out of business due to mounting financial debt and the 1982 arrest of its founder in an FBI drug sting. DeLorean was found not guilty on August 16, 1984, but by then car company had already collapsed into bankruptcy and DeLorean’s reputation as a businessman was irrevocably tarnished. Nevertheless, DeLorean’s private residence, a 1939 Georgian Revival masterwork, according to the Trump Organization, “still stands today, serving as the Trump National Bedminster’s stately clubhouse.” Ironically, next week’s LIV Golf tournament might be one of the last opportunities to enjoy the “DeLorean” of professional golf business.

By Scott Kauffman March 28, 2025 Changing geo-political conditions and talks of tariffs notwithstanding, golf course owners should gain continued strength in 2025. At least that’s what recently published reports from Leisure Investment Properties Group and the National Golf Foundation appear to be signaling. According to a dose of good-news data from real estate broker LIPG, 2025 is shaping up to be another ‘seller’s market’ for course owners after four strong years of pandemic-powered golf and private club participation, revenue gains and investor interest. In LIPG’s 2025 “Golf Investment Report” released Feb. 28, executive managing director Steven Ekovich reported: “We have not seen operations this good or average prides this high since 2006, the year before the great recession. Golf has gained back its lost territory taken by the wicked down-turn that lasted from 2007 through 2023, an unprecedented 18-year cycle.” Fueled by these economic headwinds, LIPG said the total number of course transactions recorded in 2024 with available sales data was 92, which was a 9.5 percent increase from the previous. Meanwhile, the average sale price and median sale price last year were $6,870,417 and $3,025,000, respectively, accounting for respective increases in both categories to 38% and 22.7%. The last time average prices were at these levels was 2007, and the real estate group went on to say “with continued optimism and momentum postcovid, both the average and median values have consistently trended upward (year over year) and are now more than double 2019.” The most obvious catalyst to the increase in values, according to LIPG, is “improved operational performance but another critical factor we’ve witnessed on the brokerage side of the business is the shift in investor sentiment.” “Golf has proved resilient in recent years and is now viewed through a much different lens than just a short time ago,” added LIPG associate advisor Kody Tibbetts, whose group sold or placed under contract more than $200 million in golf assets in 2024. “With popularity growing and attractive cap rates in comparison to core commercial assets, more capital is flowing into the golf airspace than we’ve seen since the “Tiger Boom” of the early-to-mid- 2000s.” On top of the optimistic LIPG report was the NGF’s annual “U.S. Golf Facility Supply Trend” study, stating, “Golf’s Course Correction is Over.” Indeed, for the first time since 2022, the industry actually had net gains in the number of new facilities (6) and courses (17) that opened in America. Meanwhile, the number of annual course closures decreased for the fifth consecutive year, according to the NGF, with the “number of shuttered courses dipping to its lowest levels since 2004,” when 63 U.S. courses went out of business. That same year, the industry welcomed 150.5 new courses boosting the country’s number of total facilities above 16,000 for the first time (16,057) in history. Two years later, the industry hit another milestone when the NGF reported 146 closings and 119.5 openings, the first time the industry experienced negative net growth in new courses since the late 1940s. Of course, the U.S. golf market had become oversaturated by the addition of more than 4,000 golf courses over a 20-year span from 1986 through 2005, fueled by a real estate development boom driven by developers/home builders and golf course home buyers.  When the U.S. housing bubble burst in the mid-to-late 2000s, the golf market followed suit – exacerbated by the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent Great Recession. That led to more than 2,000 courses being culled from the U.S. supply total during the nearly two-decades-long ‘course correction.’ According to the latest NGF report, the number of U.S. courses and facilities at year-end 2024 were 15,962 and 13,952, respectively. As the NGF described it, the “current momentum suggests the trend in supply stability has legs’ and this “balanced state is an indication the industry has matured beyond its boom-and-bust cycle into a more sustainable phase of measured growth.” What remains to be seen, however, is how the changing political winds and that dreaded ‘T’ word, tariffs, will affect what is poised to be another favorable year for course owners and operators.  (Editors Note: A version of this story was published by the National Golf Course Owners Association of America)   The Club at Bella Collina near Orlando remains one of the top-selling private golf club communities in America.

In my 30 years as a professional journalist, the majority of which was spent as a sport reporter, I've had the pleasure of meeting some of the most famous athletes and people. Every so often, people would ask me who were my favorite interviews? And Arnold Palmer was, and will always remain, at the top of my list. Why? Because his genuine nature and personable and gracious hospitality always made you feel good. And this was a legend or superstar giving you his time mind you. ​ I had the pleasure to first meet Mr. Palmer after becoming a sports reporter for the Orlando Sentinel and helping cover the PGA Tour's annual Bay Hill Classic (now called the Arnold Palmer Invitational), hosted by Palmer at his longtime winter home in Orlando. I later got to know Palmer's golf presence from a different perspective after moving over to Golfweek as a Business Writer. ​ It was during this time that I had the highlight of my journalism career, when I broke the worldwide story that the Japanese were selling fabled Pebble Beach for $820 million to a group led by Arnold Palmer, Clint Eastwood, Peter Ueberroth and Richard Ferris. The story, which was picked up by every news outlet around the globe, resulted in me being interviewed by CNN’s Lou Dobbs during his nightly Moneyline show. ​ And all of this happened because of Palmer's always welcoming disposition one evening in the locker room at Bay Hill. After weeks of in-depth reporting pointing to this Pebble Beach takeover, it was a brief encounter with Palmer that finally confirmed my big story. When asked if he was part of this group planning to buy Pebble Beach, all it took to confirm my reporting was a nod from Mr. Palmer and his trademark smile and twinkle in his eye. ​ In recent months, I was hoping to reconnect with the people's King about a new story I was developing but I recognized his health was failing so I decided to not bother the legend. Interestingly, the story - to be published in Rosen Reveal magazine later this year - was about a newly designed Arnold Palmer signature course for another Orlando icon, hotelier Harris Rosen's Shingle Creek Resort. ​ Of course, Palmer's design firm has created more than 250 courses around the world, but Shingle Creek is quite special in that it represents a number of unique connections to Palmer. For instance, Shingle Creek's longtime Director of Golf Dave Scott came from Bay Hill and Arnold Palmer Golf Academies co-founder Brad Brewer started his namesake golf academy at Shingle Creek. Not to mention Shingle Creek's original course was designed by the late Dave Harmon, who got his start building courses for Palmer, whose longtime Orlando home is just 15 minutes away at Bay Hill. So fittingly, Shingle Creek might represent the final course ever to be designed and built under the King's watch. For a man who has touched millions of lives, these are just two personal connections I have of Palmer and his Golf Kingdom. Two memories I will cherish forever.

By Scott Kauffman, Feb. 10, 2020 ​ GOBankingRates surveyed 61 out of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S. to find the best and worst cities to own investment property. And according to their analysis, Orlando ranked No. 1 as the top metro area in the U.S. to own investment property, with Tampa coming in second. ​ Overall, four Florida cities ranked in the top 15. Miami came in at No. 10 and Jacksonville at No. 13. ​ GOBankingRates offers a  map of the best and worst investment cities  on its website. ​ To create the rankings, the study analyzed the following factors: Employment growth: the percent change in the city's number of employed people year-over-year Population growth: the percent change in the city's population year-over-year Increase in home values: the percent change in the city's median home value year-over-year Years to pay off property: the number of years it would take for rental income to pay off the median home value 15 best cities to own investment property were: 1. Orlando 2. Tampa 3. Denver 4. Seattle 5. Austin, Texas 6. Reno, Nev. 7. Dallas 8. Portland, Ore. 9. Raleigh, N.C. 10. Miami 12. Nashville, Tenn 13. Jacksonville 14. Charlotte, N.C. 15. Richmond, Va. The 15 worst cities to own investment property were: 1. Anchorage, Alaska2. Pittsburgh3. Chicago4. Virginia Beach, Va.5. Cleveland, Ohio6. Honolulu7. Detroit8. Tulsa, Okla.9. Omaha, Neb.10. El Paso, Texas11. Wichita, Kansas12. Cincinnati, Ohio13. Memphis, Tenn.14. Baltimore, Md.15. Winston-Salem, N.C. "Growing populations in the top 10 cities on our list are fueling the need for more housing," says Cameron Huddleston, Life + Money columnist for GOBankingRates. "That's why these cities are such great places to own investment property now. On the other hand, the cities at the bottom of our list have seen little-to-no population growth, so the demand for housing isn't as high – which means real estate investors won't do as well there." Study insights Five out of the 10 best cities to own property are located in Florida and Texas. Population levels are declining in places like Anchorage and Cleveland, pushing them to the bottom of the list. When it comes to real estate investments, Midwest isn't best – none of the Midwest states made it into the top 15 of the best states to own investment property. Seattle, Austin and Reno rank among the top 10 places to own investment property. However, it takes 17 to 19 years to pay off median home values in these cities based on yearly rents.

By Scott Kauffman In 17 years of specializing in golf and resort-style real estate, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting many of the finest private clubs and resort communities in the world. From the exclusive Ke’olu Course at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Big Island of Hawaii to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach to Tavistock Group’s ultra-private Isleworth and Lake Nona golf and country clubs in Orlando, my global travels have given me unique insights and access to the best of master-planned golf and resort development. In some cases, even my family has been treated to the taste of the quintessential life. Case in point was a recent summer trip to Park City where I visited one of the world’s top family-friendly private club communities featured below: Promontory. Promontory, Park City, Utah As a host site for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City solidified its place as one of the world’s great winter playgrounds, a fact avid skiers had known for decades. Now, this fabulous leisure destination is getting a lot of attention for its private golf and country club living. The biggest statement, at least in sheer size, is being made at Promontory, a high-end private 6,500-acre recreational second-home community that features the only Pete Dye-designed course in Utah and a second Jack Nicklaus Signature Course called Painted Valley. Located minutes from the quaint town of Park City, Dye’s Canyon Course opened in 2002 and the Nicklaus course opened four years later. Sitting approximately 7,000 feet above sea level, the Canyon Course meanders through sagebrush hillsides and offers wonderful vistas of Park City and Deer Valley. Overall, the Promontory plan calls for more than 1,600 mostly second-home residences and more than 350 multi-million homes are already built. Besides championship golf, Promontory members have a plateful of amenities that rivals the finest anywhere, including one of the coolest clubhouses for kids and those who are still kids at heart, The Shed (see photo). The Shed Clubhouse and Café features delightful food and full bar, not to mention a bowling alley, basketball court and other gaming attractions. For the more refined setting, Promontory also features a world-class Ranch Clubhouse and Spa, the Dye Clubhouse, Outfitters Cabin and Equestrian Center. What’s also important to point out is Promontory couldn’t be stronger financially after emerging from bankruptcy court nearly six years ago under the same ownership of the original developer, Francis Najafi, chief executive of Phoenix-based Pivotal Group. Case in point are dozens of new homes and custom lots that have been sold in the past year and numerous new homes in construction throughout the double-gated community. Another sign of growth is the new clubhouse and fine restaurant under construction at the top-rated Painted Valley Nicklaus Course (see photo). Construction began last spring and Promontory anticipates a grand opening for the 2015 golf season. Designed by esteemed Swaback Partners of Scottsdale, Ariz., the clubhouse will combine luxurious golf and dining facilities with an unparalleled design experience and room for five courses, according to Rich Sonntag, managing director of the development. Sonntag, who had a hand in developing such signature golf communities as Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, likens the Park City phenomenon to Squaw Valley’s early years “(Squaw Valley) used to be this sleepy little mountain nobody could get to,” Sonntag says. “Then it opened up for the Olympics and the next 20 years it just took off. … The same thing is happening here thanks to a wonderful transportation system between Salt Lake City and Park City. “At Promontory, we like to think we have something for every member of your three-generation family here. And the serious golf guy considers this a serious golf course.” Sonntag is excited about the architecture of the newest 17,000-square-foot clubhouse. He said the building’s architects are proficient in incorporating the principles of organic architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin School of Architecture. “This clubhouse will complement the site because it doesn’t dominate the topography, it rises up out of it,” Sonntag said. “It will take advantage to the fullest extent of the vistas looking both south and west across the back nine of the Nicklaus course.” Architect John Sather, who did much of the original land planning for Promontory, said the goal was not to create something large, but rather a clubhouse of great quality and special design. The clubhouse incorporates glass, contemporary-cut stone and steel and is informed by the work of sculptor Alexander Calder. "As we've explored architecture at Promontory, we think it’s time to begin to weave in contemporary expressions of mountain architecture," Sather said. "Golf clubs are often noted as a big white house on the hill with bad food. We wanted to match the quality of the golf course with the architecture." #Promontory #Isleworth #LakeNona #Hualalai #KeoluCourse #privategolfclub #luxuryrealestate #golfcoursehomes

By Scott Kauffman (Part I of II in a VacationHomeMarket.com series about the changing trends in America's golf and private club home communities) ​ Catering to the various demands, attitudes and tastes of today’s golf course home buyers has become so much more complex. Indeed, the days of simply designing a first-class vacation or second-home community in a sunny locale like Florida or marvelous mountain resort town in the Rockies are long gone. ​ Basically, the traditional singular-focused golf course community of old or lakefront development with a series of cottages and comfortable clubhouse amenity have evolved into a much broader “lifestyle community” that reflects the wants and desires of today’s families. To be sure, the fundamentals that drive vacation home buyers towards many purchases, year-round sunshine, majestic mountains and sparkling lake or oceanfront vistas, are as strong as ever. ​ There’s just a richer or more experiential element expected these days at most second-home or master-planned resort-style communities. What follows is the first part of a 2-part series that takes a nationwide look some of the ongoing trends within this changing marketplace. Selling the ‘Lifestyle’ ​ For decades, real estate developers described places like Reynolds Plantation as golf course communities. This traditional tagline couldn’t be further from the truth at Reynolds. ​ These days, Reynolds Plantation is as much about the “other things” in life – if not more – rather than just golf homes and multiple clubhouses. Indeed, when it comes to life at Reynolds Plantation there’s a plethora of activities and amenities that stretch far beyond the development’s spectacular six-pack of premium golf courses – featuring everything from fishing, boating, biking, hiking, shooting, dining, exercising, learning and more.  Basically, this growing community of some 3,300 property owners has virtually any activity that ends with “i-n-g” – other than golfing. In essence, Reynolds Plantation has evolved from the traditional singular-focused golf course community of old into a much broader “lifestyle community” that reflects the wants and desires of today’s families. And more and more master-planned developments throughout America are adopting the same strategy. ​ To be sure, one of Reynolds Plantation’s more popular pursuits is enjoying glorious Lake Oconee, a 19,000-acre oasis known for yielding an estimated 443 pounds of fish per acre – twice what is typically found in the region – and 374 miles of breathtaking shoreline. Perhaps the epicenter of where Reynolds Plantation life connects at its fullest is the Lake Club Wellness Center.  Situated along a stunning northeastern peninsula just minutes by boat from the community’s Ritz-Carlton Lodge, the Lake Club is anchored by the community’s spectacular 38,000-square-foot clubhouse. Inside this world-class facility, members can exercise in a newly expanded fitness center, swim indoors at a junior Olympic-sized pool, enjoy massages and aerobics classes in multiple rooms or having a healthy bite to eat at the club’s cafe. Outside, members can choose to stay active at the award-winning Lake Club Tennis Center run by Peter Burwash International or families can simply relax in the resort-style pool complex that features an adult-only Infinity Pool and tiki bar overlooking lovely Lake Oconee. We Are Family The days of dedicating real estate enclaves to merely mom and dad are over. Today’s generation of vacation home buyers are all about family as much as anything. And, in many cases, it’s across multiple generations at that. ​ Pronghorn Resort in Bend, Ore., a private resort-style development with two golf courses designed by Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus and a host of other world-class amenities, is one place focused on family. ​ “Buyers will purchase a home that caters to every family member and as such, Pronghorn is targeting the younger generations with fun programming and amenities on property,” said Pronghorn spokesperson Sara Swiger. ​ One thing Pronghorn did was introduce foot golf this summer, a new twist on the game of golf where players kick a soccer ball into an oversized cup in as few shots as possible. Also, as an alternative to golf carts, Pronghorn now offers golf bikes to get around the golf course. Another popular Pronghorn family pursuit is The Trailhead, Pronghorn’s recreational headquarters that houses Pronghorn Adventures, an activity concierge center that allows families and members to enjoy the best Oregon has to offer year-round from hardcore adventures to easy-going wildlife explorations. ​ Activities include programs like “Raft and Draft,” where members will enjoy a rafting trip followed by a barbeque with beer from the best local breweries (for the adults to enjoy), overnight trips to Crater Lake and midnight canoe picnics, as well as fly‐fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, wine tasting tours, wildflower hikes and more. All Pronghorn Adventures include five-‐star service and amenities such as professional guides, a personal chef and luxury comforts. This family-oriented marketing approach appears to be helping as Pronghorn continues to notch annual gains in homesite sales for the vacation home buyer. Additionally, Pronghorn reports the average price-per-acre has climbed to $465,000 per acre this year from $142,465 in 2014 and $51,758 in 2013. Jim Matoska of Red Earth Corporation, a sales and marketing company specializing in golf community and planned-community sales, marketing and management, sees the same family mindset at his many community clients include from Schaffer's Mill Golf and Lake Club in Lake Tahoe and Bear Lake Reserve in the Cashiers region of North Carolina. “It used to be all about the golf and amenities and whoever could build the biggest clubhouse,” Matoska says. “That’s sort of taken a backset with a focus on family-friendly amenities or programming things for every family member to do and enjoy.” High-End Design for the Masses ​ When Martin Horner of Chicago-based Soucie Horner, Ltd. Architectural Interiors Design got involved at Brunswick Forest in Wilmington, N.C., his brother, Dan Horner of Tribute Homes, wanted to bring high-end detailing to the mass audience. As brother Martin put it, design should no longer be reserved for the elite one-off client building the ultimate custom home. As it turns out, this aspiration for authenticity and innovative design and construction techniques is in high demand by the mass population. ​ “Every home can benefit from thoughtful architecture and design, regardless of its price point,” Martin Horner adds. “It doesn’t have to cost more money to ensure sight lines are pleasant, or that traffic patterns make intuitive sense, or that attention is paid to the details on side elevations, and not just the front. But it does require that architects and designers think about these sorts of things. That takes a lot of upfront planning, and a keen understanding of scale and proportion – which not everyone possesses. But a house that has been thoughtfully designed is going to feel as good as it looks, in ways you may not even really recognize. You’ll just know how comfortable you feel in it, and how it seems to work so well. That’s always important, whether you’re buying a luxury custom home or a mass-produced home.”

​ By Scott Kauffman, Jan. 1, 2018 ​ Golf icon Jack Nicklaus and leading global golf course designer is now in the Orlando vacation home business. The sport's all-time major champion confirmed Dec. 10 his family owns two luxury custom home sites at The Bear's Den Club being developed minutes from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. The newly announced private luxury vacation home development is part of Reunion Resort, which features three championship golf courses, including a Nicklaus Signature Design layout that opened in 2009. The new Bear's Den Club is a gated enclave of homes that founder Jim Bagley is platting around the newly redesigned 17th and 18th-holes of Nicklaus' Tradition Course. The new development, limited to just 52 three-story, 8- to 10-bedroom mansions, was officially unveiled at a private event hosted by Bagley's team at the Ritz-Carlton Resort, Grande Lakes in Orlando. ​ Nicklaus, who was at the Ritz-Carlton participating in the annual nationally televised PNC Father/Son Challenge with his son, Jack Nicklaus II, appeared with his wife, Barbara, and son, Jack, along with an estimated 50-70 other guests, investors and members of the press. ​ Nicklaus and his design company have been involved in 410 golf course design projects around the globe with Nicklaus doing approximately 300 Nicklaus Signature courses himself. The Bear's Den Club is the first of its kind for Nicklaus Companies, which is based in North Palm Beach, Fla. ​ "We've never done this before," Nicklaus said during the event. "A project for totally rental situations. I think it takes a pretty unique area to be able to do that. I've been trying to think of another area in the United States that probably could do this and I haven't found one yet. Your proximity to Disney; the year-round resort aspect of what it is. ... It's totally unique. You can have a lot of places that'll have six months but I think you have a 12-month situation (in Orlando). ​ "It's kind of interesting for us, too. Yes, Barbara and I will have a house, but our house is a rental house. Every very unit there is meant not to have permanent owners. It's meant to have rental owners. Obviously you can stay at your house if you want to but the rest of the time it's producing income and paying for what you got. I think that's really unique." Nicklaus and his wife are providing significant personal influence on the project's overall design and theme and it will be the first vacation rental home project in Florida "bearing" the personal touches of golf's famed Golden Bear. Another noted personal private club, of course, is Nicklaus' exclusive Bear's Club near his longtime personal residence in South Florida.  ​ For instance, the new community will allow owners and renters the opportunity to relax in a private clubhouse adorned with memorabilia that honor one of the game's all-time winningest players. Besides this club within a club, owners and renters also have acess to Reunion's other courses, restaurants, driving ranges, pools, waterparks and various biking and hiking trails.  ​ Homes are expected to be priced in the mid-to-high $700,000s for 3,500-square-foot homes with four bedrooms and 4-1/2 bathrooms to more than $1 million for the largest 4,945-square-foot homes with eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms and bonus room. ​ Among the builders will be Bagley's City Homes.

Mexico is seeing a boom in resort-style real estate development.

Another daily-fee golf course has closed for good. Seminole County commissioners outside Orlando, Fla., voted Oct. 25 to buy the shut down Rolling Hills Golf Club in Longwood and transform it into a park. County leaders agreed to spend $3.95 million on the roughly 100-acre property just a few miles from downtown Orlando north of the Altamonte Mall. Though sanctioned by commissioners, the sale contract is contingent on an independent appraisal and upport from state officials. Turning the property into a park would protect it from development, and the commission chambers were packed with residents hoping to preserve their precious green space corridors.According to an Orlando Sentinel report, a number of concernced citizens wore lime green T-shirts printed with the words "Rescue Rolling Hills:' If the sale closes, it will mark the third golf course acquisition by a Central Florida government in the past two years in a move to thwart future residential and commercial real estate development. In September, the city of Oviedo agreed to buy Twin Rivers Golf Course for $5 million and prior to that agreement, the city of Casselberry purchased historic Casselberry Golf Club for $2.2 million. After acquiring its namesake Casselberry golf course, city officials hired Orlando-based Integrity Golf Company to oversee the property. The Rolling Hills sale also hinges on whether the state Department of Environmental Protection will agree to lift development restrictions from the 46-acre Jetta Point Park property in Wmter Springs so the county can sell it.

By Scott Kauffman - President / Editor-in-Chief Aug. 8, 2024 - Volume 1, Issue 1   Welcome Home to the Inaugural Issue of Resort Living Inc..  After an award-winning full-time journalism career covering  sports, global golf course business and resort-style real estate for USA Today , the Orlando Sentinel , Golfweek Magazine and dozens of other luxury lifestyle golf and real estate publications, I'm excited to introduce  Resort Living Inc .,   and its companion website, ResortLivingMagazine.com ,  the most trusted source of news for master-planned golf, private club and active-adult/vacation home communities worldwide. ​ My passion for this resort lifestyle and real estate niche has given me the opportunity to experience many of the finest private clubs and residential resort communities ever created. Among the many memorable places I've visited:  ultra-exclusive Ke’olu Golf Club at  Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Discovery Land Company's Kukio on the Big Island of Hawaii; Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Ga.; Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.; Tavistock Group’s premier private club communities in Orlando, Isleworth and Lake Nona; and The Cliffs Communities in the Carolina Mountains. ​ Along the way, I've also been fortunate to have trusted access to the leading developers, sales and marketing executives and public relations directors driving these quintessential communities and clubs. ​ Now, in an exciting new chapter of my journalism career, I'm eager to share my years of knowledge, access and global insights with the debut of this flagship digital publication for Kauffman's Luxury Golf & Resort Living Inc. Network of affiliated websites. This biweekly business journal has one mission: Be the leading source of trusted market intelligence for golf, private club and resort-style real estate properties worldwide. At the very least, I look forward to keeping readers ahead of the real estate development curve and sharing inspiring stories of innovation, success and growth from the men and women that give meaning to Resort Living.   So  Welcome Home again as I continue my never-ending journalistic pursuit to discover the world’s best places to Live, Work and Play! ​ Idaho Club Revitalized Under New Ownership, Sales Team ​ The Idaho Club, one of the most picturesque semi-private golf and lakefront communities in America, is back in business after being recapitalized under new ownership. Situated in the small northwestern town of Sandpoint in the Idaho Panhandle, the Idaho Club reopened last May when the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course played host to a local prep invitational. ​ A week later, the development's new ownership, Valiant Idaho LLC, officially relaunched the community's real estate sales efforts. The club’s ownership recently introduced Jim Matoska and his Red Earth Corporation team as the Idaho Club’s newest sales and marketing partners. One of the main reasons Valiant Idaho LLC Principal William Haberman was drawn to the distressed asset several years ago is the community's "perfect trifecta" of outdoor amenities and natural beauty. ​ For instance, Haberman, an Orlando-based real estate developer and investor, says Idaho Club residents have the rare opportunity to play the state’s only Nicklaus-designed championship course, enjoy pristine Lake Pend Oreille, one of the deepest and longest lakes in America, and visit the nationally-acclaimed ski resort at Schweitzer Mountain all in one weekend. ​ In conjunction with the renewed property sales efforts, the Idaho Club also released architectural renderings of what will be the new “modern mountain” clubhouse and a future lake club.  The prior clubhouse was destroyed by a fire in 2008, and Valiant Idaho plans to rebuild in the same footprint and on the same foundation. ​ According to Haberman, Alex Murray of Idaho Pinnacle Properties remains the local broker of record and will work closely with Matoska, whose Red Earth team is known for marketing numerous master-planned resort-style communities nationwide.

By Scott Kauffman Coral Gables, Fla. - In a state flourishing with more than 1,000 golf facilities, Florida has no shortage of great places to play the game or buy a golf course home. For those seeking the private golf lifestyle, the Sunshine State certainly has a plethora of private clubs to pick from as the perfect place to live, work and play. To be sure, the majority of Florida’s 400-plus private club communities are clustered in affluent South Florida locations from Naples in the west to the Palm Beaches and Boca Raton along the Atlantic side. But none quite measure up to the rich history and pristine nature of Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club, according to the latest blog from vacationhomemarket.com .   And much of what makes Deering Bay so special is its unique setting in the southeast corner of historic Coral Gables. Indeed, less than 20 miles south from the madness of Miami, lies a pocket of unparalleled South Florida luxury and serenity. It’s a sanctuary from the big-city hustle and bustle of Miami’s Sound Machine, and a place that oozes Old Florida alongside the calming waters of Biscayne Bay. Of course, the heartbeat of this peaceful pocket of Florida paradise is the core of Coral Gables, one of the first planned communities in America made famous by developer George Merrick. Developed during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, this swanky enclave of Mediterranean Revival-style architecture is perhaps best known for being home to University of Miami and the Biltmore, a historic resort featuring a Donald Ross-designed golf course and a who’s who of regular guests from American and European royalty to Hollywood stars.   Just a few miles further south past the Village of Pinecrest - where old Florida Ranch homes and new multi-million-dollar estates line leafy Ludlam Road - is where one finds relatively lesser known Deering Bay. While it does not have the high-profile historical status of its Gables neighbors, Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club’s 220-acre oasis is equally as rich in history and beauty.   How else can one describe one of the prestigious Troon Prive communities, situated in the inconspicuous Cutler area of the coastline, contiguous to a large U.S. Department of Agriculture research station whose old Florida fauna remains as untouched and pristine as when William C. Cutler, M.D., discovered the area in the late 1800s? Or a place nestled along the scenic postcard perfect shores of Biscayne Bay, where World War I pilots, Joe DiMaggio, Arnold Palmer and Pres. George H.W. Bush intersected at one time or another.   In many respects this member-owned private club golf and country club community of just 250 condo and single-family homes is truly a world all to its own. Indeed, once you get past the guard-gated entrance, Deering Bay opens up to an utterly quiet and private enclave, a place where peacock crossing signs and towering Royal Palms greet guests and members as they meander along Deering Bay Drive to the 30,000-square-foot clubhouse.   Known for its high ground and ridgelines, hardwood hammock, lush vegetation and easy access to Biscayne Bay, the area remained hidden to most early visitors and is precisely the reason Dr. Cutler first settled on the property and later opened the Richmond Cottage in 1900. Cutler’s cottage catered to people attracted to his namesake area’s natural beauty and seclusion. One of the earliest fans and subsequent cottage property owner was Charles Deering, who, along with his famous half-brother James Deering, belonged to one of the nation’s wealthiest industrialists of the Gilded Age and made the surrounding area their private winter estates.   While Dr. Cutler and Deering might be responsible for discovering what is now Deering Bay, it wasn’t until World War I when the property took off - literally. At least that’s when the U.S. government assembled 850 acres of surrounding marshland, seashore, mangroves and forests and built the U.S. Army Signal Corp’s Aerial Gunnery Field as a training base for U.S. Army pilots headed for the War.   The historic air base opened in September 1918 after the Army dredged a portion of the bayside marsh to create an airfield, a lagoon for water landings and various channels to Biscayne Bay (on Nov. 15, 1918, the airfield was officially named Chapman Field in honor of Victor Emmanuel Chapman, the first U.S. flier to be killed in France during the war).   Though Deering Bay owes its discovery to Cutler and his well-placed Deering friends, the modern-day club actually dates back to 1956, when developer Ben Cooper leased some of the land and built Kings Bay Country Club as an amenity for a 150-unit housing development by the same name. After decades of different owners and eventually financial hardship, the club was acquired in 1990 by Deering Bay Associates, a partnership led by well-known local real estate developers Edward Easton, Armando Codina, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.   After completely redeveloping the property, the group unveiled the newly expanded private club-community a year later to much fanfare - featuring Joe DiMaggio as one of the residents and club ambassadors. In 1993, to celebrate the post-Hurricane Andrew revival, future Florida Gov. Bush and his late father, George, who passed away yesterday at his home in Houston, played in a foursome with Palmer and DiMaggio, who lived in one of the Deering Bay Yacht & County Club condo homes. Now that’s a foursome for the record books.   Now, the current Troon-managed membership at Deering Bay is poised to draft another memorable chapter in the long history of the property after approving a $6 million capital improvement plan in August 2018. The club's investment eventually grew to $7.1 million when the project officially broke ground on Oct. 14, 2020. The improvements centered around the club's 30,000 square-foot Mediterranean architecture-inspired clubhouse. Like so many other private clubs these days with maturing singular-focused membership bases, Deering Bay’s ambition was to re-imagine the club as a dynamic new family-friendly facility that will make it relevant for generations to come.   For John Gale, a South Florida native and Deering Bay's former director of marketing and membership from July 2017-Sept. 2020, it was a treat to share the reinvigorated club and future vision to prospective members and partners. The Miami Marlins and Miami Heat pro sports teams are just two of the latest creative partnerships Gale helped engineer during his Deering Bay days.   "What's really special about Deering Bay are the people," Gale said during an August trip to the club in 2019 while a handful of members enjoyed a midweek lunch served up by the cheerful director of food and beverage/club sommelier Max Miranda. "It's people like Max, who's going to know everything about your family, what you like and how you want to be treated.   "As (former) general manager Lee Andrea says, we are in the people pleasing business so you're going to get treated like a million dollars. Then, from a facility standpoint, we have the beautiful Mediterranean-style clubhouse and meticulously kept private Arnold Palmer Signature course that's right on the bay with a bit of the old Florida feel or tropical vibe."    It's certainly a special slice of South Florida's history and fauna. And a place that will never forget that unforgettable foursome of Joltin' Joe DiMaggio and our late beloved Pres. George H.W. Bush.