Along with offering a range of site plans, home designs and finishes, developers of new home communities are always looking for new ways to draw buyers in. For a large segment of area shoppers, that often means more than just having a house — it includes having a social and recreational life within reach of the front door.
Atlanta’s country club neighborhoods provide that appeal. By incorporating lavish amenities, they afford homebuyers the chance to experience a resort-like lifestyle without the hassle of having to drive a distance to find it. A major factor in these developments is frequently a golf course, often with a pro shop, practice green and a place to gather and dine with friends and neighbors. Communities built around meticulously manicured, rolling greens are a draw for buyers, particularly when they have the cachet of a top golfer connected to them.
That’s the case at Currahee Club near Toccoa, where the Jim Fazio-designed course was recently named one of four finalists for “Golf Club of the Year” by the National Golf Course Owners Association. The 7,513-yard course blends beautiful fairways, elevation changes up to 150 feet, lush greens and stunning views of Lake Hartwell and the surrounding mountains into a scenic backdrop for the community’s 788 planned homes. Many of those moving to the club are doing so for the golf and amenities it offers.
“Having the lake, the mountains, golf and the club in a gated community — that’s hard to find all in one place,” said Susan Verlander, Currahee’s director of sales. “It’s not only a destination as a second home, but also for people who want to live here now that their kids are gone, and they want homes to accommodate the family and grandkids when they come back.”
Those return visits can be backed with activities at the club’s swim and tennis complex or on the bocce, volleyball and basketball courts. “We added those facilities to give the non-golfers things to do,” said Verlander. “No matter what they prefer, most people here love getting outside into the mountain air.”
Home sites at Currahee range from a quarter-acre to just over 1 acre and are priced $79,000 to $425,000. Single-family homes in Craftsman and English cottage styles with 2,000 to 6,000 square feet start in the $390,000s and go beyond the $2 million mark.
Closer to town, buyers who want the perks of a country club while still being within commuting distance of the city will find more than a few options to consider. In south Hall County, the choice is Reunion Country Club that mixes the laid-back lifestyle along Lake Lanier with a championship golf course. Selecting a new home from the low $300,000s also brings access to the golf pro shop, practice facilities and clubhouse with full dining services. The community also boasts a water park, racquet facility, playgrounds and an on-site activities director who ensures residents stay as busy as they want to be.
The close-in East Cobb area is home to the Woodmont Golf and Country Club, built around Georgia’s only course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Along with the greens, residents will find a driving range, putting green and practice facilities around a 26,000-square-foot clubhouse with a dining room, pro shop, fitness center and recreation rooms. There are also two swimming pools, one with a waterslide; a racquet club with 10 clay and hard-surface courts, overseen by a tennis pro; and a playground and sports fields. The club’s social director manages a calendar of social events throughout the year. Along with single-family homes starting in the $300,000s, Woodmont features a gated active-adult community for those 55 and older with its own clubhouse, lap pool and walking trails.
The Brookstone Country Club in west Cobb offers another close-in metro option for those who want a club lifestyle. The community has been developed in three phases since the 1990s, and new homes are still being built from the $400,000s around a course created by PGA and Champions winner Larry Nelson. The club features tennis courts, swimming pools, a jogging track, soccer and baseball fields, a dining room and pro shop. One of the newest residential sections is Brookstone Manor, an active-adult community of ranch condominiums with low-maintenance, one-level designs. Priced from the $230,000s, the Manor homes provide owners with access to the golf course, pools, tennis facilities and clubhouse that have made Brookstone a destination for more than two decades.
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