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Palmetto Bluff
Bluffton, S.C.
Lots: $250,000-$4.75 million
Homes: $965,000-$2.5 million
Contact: 866-316-5262, palmetto-bluff.com
Palmetto Bluff is proof that big packages can hold small wonders. This 2-year-old development occupies a massive 21,000-acre tract near Hilton Head Island, but while 35,000 people call that resort island home year-round, Palmetto Bluff is drawing the line at 2,917 units. That ensures residents of this Colonial-era plantation and lumber farm are guaranteed thousands of acres of untouched Lowcountry scenery.
Residential options include Headwaters, ten enormous family compounds, each with river and freshwater lake access, and May River Forest, which offers half-acre to eight-acre home sites. The hub is the waterfront Village, with its post office, bookstore, bakery and dock. Jack Nicklaus' May River Golf Club, a beautiful track that zigzags through river estuaries and over wildlife-filled marshes, was named one of GOLF MAGAZINE's Top 10 New Courses in 2005. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff has 50 guest cottages on-site. The River House at the Inn features fine seafood and a 4,000-bottle wine cellar.
Reunion Resort & Club
Reunion, Fla.
Lots: $350,000-$750,000
Homes: $585,000-$2.1 million
Contact: 877-REUNION, reunionresort.com
This Orlando-area community is evidence that Bobby Ginn is arguably the hottest developer in the Southeast today. Prices have skyrocketed since its debut in 2001, thanks in part to the legends behind the golf. Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer courses are open, as well as a Jack Nicklaus-designed track. Residents also enjoy the spa, fitness center, horseback riding, pool and numerous walking trails.
Pronghorn Club
Bend, Ore.
Lots: $450,000-$2 million+
Homes: $950,000-$2.5 million+
Contact: 800-541-9424, pronghornclub.com
In his Hall-of-Fame career, quarterback Joe Montana was applauded as much for his savvy plays as for his golden arm. No surprise then that Montana chose Pronghorn as his family's retreat. Since its 2003 debut, Pronghorn has attracted residents with active lifestyles to a solid menu of four-season fun, from skiing at nearby Mt. Bachelor to golf at its Jack Nicklaus course and a brand-new Tom Fazio layout.
Pronghorn's 640 acres are surrounded by 20,000 acres of protected federal land, which afford world-class hiking, biking, fly-fishing and whitewater rafting. But this community is as much about the setting as the amenities. Ancient lava rock ridges and panoramic views of the nine snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range spice the scenery. And unlike the state's rainy west coast, central Oregon is high desert, with low-humidity summers and mild winters.
A 55,000-square-foot clubhouse is new for 2006, with a 10,000-square-foot spa and wellness center on the way in 2007. Currently, spa treatments are offered at the Trailhead, Pronghorn's family activity center. Unique to Pronghorn is its Connoisseur's Club, where experts on wine, scotch, cheese and chocolate preside at group tastings. The real estate samplings include 289 half-acre to one-acre home sites, 16 villas and the fractional ownership Residence Club.
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