Although mark twain famously opined, “golf is a good walk spoiled,” we
respectfully beg to differ. And whether you play on foot or navigate a speedy
cart toward victory, we think you will agree that it is the golf clubhouse that
provides many of the amenities essential to the golfing experience, facilitating
the rituals that properly bookend the sporting challenges. Preparing to face off
with friends on the fairway in a spalike locker room or, later in the day,
settling scores over a round of drinks in a hearth-lit lounge—there are a
multitude of reasons for becoming a member. The following pages take you on a
tour of four top private golf
clubhouses across the country. All are renowned
for their distinctive
architecture and top service amid spectacular natural
surroundings. And
if you are ever in Elmira, N.Y., be sure to spoil a nice walk
by
playing the Mark Twain Golf Course. We think the American bard would have
enjoyed the irony.
The Weiskopf course at the Bridges. Copyright Golf & Travel International. (Click image to enlarge.)
Silverleaf
Scottsdale, Arizona
Nestled amid the McDowell Mountains of
DC Ranch in Arizona, the sprawling Silverleaf clubhouse evokes the charm of a
hillside Mediterranean villa. Designed by Scottsdale’s Oz Architects, the
50,000-square-foot facility embraces a traditional, rural architectural style.
“The setting is similar to the mountains of southern Europe, so we worked with a
vernacular style that is primarily based on French Provençal, overlaid with
Spanish and Italian influences,” says principal architect Don Ziebell.
The Silverleaf
clubhouse, nestled in the McDowell Mountains. Copyright Golf & Travel International. (Click image to enlarge.)
DC Ranch is a nationally acclaimed private residential and golf community in
Scottsdale. Silverleaf, which is a separate, gated neighborhood within DC Ranch,
stands as a natural extension of the community, flowing through surrounding
canyons. The location at the base of the McDowell Mountains provides panoramic
views of Scottsdale and Phoenix below.
In keeping with the community’s villagelike feel, the clubhouse design
incorporates terraced floors, stucco facades and a varied architectural massing
that allows the building to follow the site’s undulating terrain. Low-sloping
shed roofs also follow the land and help to convey a residential ambience.
A palette of warm-toned, natural building materials is finished simply.
Antique building elements such as fountains, stone pavers and aged-wood doors
and beams reinforce the historic character of the building. According to
Ziebell, many of these centuries-old elements were acquired in the Mediterranean
region to lend an air of authenticity.
A stone-lined
hallway. Copyright Golf & Travel International. (Click image to enlarge.)
The Silverleaf clubhouse recently won a Gold Nugget architectural award from
the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in the category of Best
Public/Private
Recreational Facility. The mating of site and style
impressed the judges, who
commented, “This building stands out as a
stunning example of Tuscan hillside
architecture in a southwestern
setting. The design is especially sensitive to
the contours of the
surrounding land while also making a striking architectural
statement.”
The structure overlooks a magnificent 18-hole, par-72, 7,299-yard run
designed by Tom Weiskopf. The fairways and greens wind through the secluded
canyons and valleys wedged between the mountains, providing views of the
dramatic elevation changes and nearby cityscapes. Après golfing, guests frequent
the clubhouse’s private, full-service spa. Silverleaf membership is by
invitation and is tied to property ownership.
Silverleaf Club & Spa, 480.515.3200, www.dcranch.com;
Oz Architects,
480.443.4904, www.ozarchitects.com;
Vallone Design,
480.421.2799, www.vallonedesign.com
Cassique at Kiawah Island Club
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Named for
the Kiawah Indian chief who once hunted the local wilderness of the South
Carolina coastline, Cassique is the centerpiece of an adventurous golf course
that ranges over former agricultural fields, through maritime forests and along
marshes where the Kiawah River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Kiawah Island itself,
with 10 miles of beachfront, is one of the five coastal island communities that
spread out from historic Charleston. Few spots in North America present such an
idyllic marriage between high culture and easy living.
The stucco Cassique clubhouse utilizes reclaimed timbers. Photography by Steve Uzzell. (
Click image to enlarge.)
The Cassique clubhouse, which opened in 2001, offers commanding views of the
18-hole course designed by five-time British Open champion Tom Watson. The
6,960-yard, par-72 course was the golfer’s first solo design in North America.
Watson’s walkable design recalls the links-style courses of Scotland and
Ireland, where he dominated the game. Like those classic seaside settings,
Cassique offers little protection from ocean winds, so Watson fashioned holes
that could be played in various ways depending upon the conditions and the
creativity of the golfer. And while enjoying the game, players can drink in the
glorious vistas of the surrounding marshes of the Kiawah River.
The clubhouse recalls the Craftsman-style architecture of 19th-century
English country homes designed by British architect C.F.A. Voysey, according to
principal architect Bernard Wharton, a partner of Shope Reno Wharton Associates
in Greenwich, Conn. The building is clad in stucco and features handsome
stone-surround windows, copper guttering and a charcoal slate roof. Rich
reclaimed wood, restored antique doors and furnishings, and original art
decorate the interiors, which were orchestrated by Jackye Lanham and Norman
Askins of Atlanta.
The
Watson Room, a meeting space at Voysey’s restaurant and pub. Photography by Peter Vitale. (
Click image to enlarge.)
Voysey’s, a restaurant and pub in the clubhouse, features interiors designed
by architects Bentel & Bentel, who recently unveiled the Modern
restaurant
at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Consulting chef Tom
Colicchio of Manhattan’s
Gramercy Tavern and Craft (both also designed
by the Bentel brothers) created
the menu of high-end cuisine. The
clubhouse living room and pro shop are at
ground level, while a
separate wing contains a spacious lounge and locker rooms.
Future plans
call for an adjoining sports pavilion, which will feature a
family-friendly pool complex, four clay tennis courts, a squash court,
an
aerobics studio and a fitness center.
Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, 843.768.5752,
www.kiawahislandclub.com;
Shope
Reno Wharton Associates,
203.869.7250, www.shoperenowharton.com
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Fe, California
When the
creators of this engaging Southern California retreat first visited the site,
they were struck by its similarity to the spectacular landscapes of Northern
Tuscany. The developers envisioned an exclusive residential community and
private country club that would preserve—and perhaps even enhance—the natural
beauty of the place with rustic villalike architecture.
A view of the 1st and 18th holes of the golf course from the Bridges’ clubhouse. (
Click image to enlarge.)
The community of Rancho Santa Fe is proud of its rich heritage.
Originally an Indian rancheria, the land was granted to Juan Maria
Osuna, the
alcalde of San Diego, in 1840. Today, Rancho Santa Fe is one
of the most
sought-after places to live in Southern California.
According to census data
from 2000, the per capita income of the
community was ranked the highest in the
nation.
The Bridges comprises 540 acres of gently rolling hills, creeks and deep
canyons. Designed by the Robert Trent Jones II Group, the private
par-71 course
features five sets of tees, playing almost 7,000 yards
from the tips. Its
dramatic terrain, lakes, streams and mature
landscaping make it challenging and
visually captivating.
International television viewers were introduced to the Bridges course
while watching Tiger Woods and John Daly battle Phil Mickelson and
Retief Goosen
in a best ball team match. In 2003, 2004 and again this
year, the Bridges played
host to the Battle at the Bridges.
Inside the club’s striking men’s locker room. (Click image to enlarge.)
Whether
you play the Bridges course, work
out at its Sports Centre, or enjoy
its fine cuisine, the Bridges Club, designed
by Newport Beach, Calif.,
and Englewood, Colo., architects Marsh &
Associates, offers
amenities on a par with those of a luxury resort. The
architecture,
orchestrated by a team led by principal Michael Marsh, has the
feel of
a relocated Italian lodge. The scale of the buildings and interiors is
immense. Charming broad stone stairways, towering fireplaces and
paver-decked
terraces transport members to the pastoral
countryside.
In addition to taking on the challenge of the dramatic golf course,
Bridges members have unlimited access to a top-grade fitness facility
that
includes swimming, tennis and a luxurious day spa. Home ownership
within this
private, gate-guarded community is limited. However, there
is still a range of
real estate and club membership opportunities
available.
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, 858.756.8700,
www.thebridgesrsf.com;
Marsh & Associates, 949.717.3077,
www.mai-architects.comThe Vintage Club
Indian Wells, California
“Majestic and exclusive” is how the Vintage Club bills itself. Tucked into a
natural cove at the base of Eisenhower Mountain in Indian Wells, Calif. (15
miles southeast of Palm Springs), the Vintage Club community graces 712 acres.
The clubhouse at the Vintage Club. Photography by Jim Bartsch. (Click image to enlarge.)
Entering the unmarked gates of the Vintage Club, members pass entry
waterfalls garlanded with flowering bougainvillea. A drive lined with
date palms
gently curves to unveil views of contemporary California
architecture against
the mauve and lavender of the Santa Rosa
Mountains.
Members take pride in the 36 holes of world-class golf designed by Tom
Fazio. The courses—a mountain and a desert duo encompassing more than 400
acres—focus on the rugged beauty of the terrain while protecting the frail
environment of the desert. There are no tee times at the Vintage Club and no
unaccompanied golf play, signposts of exclusivity.
The casual Grille Room eatery. (Click image to enlarge.)
The developers contracted a team of outstanding designers and consultants
to create a timeless style of architecture for the community,
reflecting both
traditional and contemporary design. Five residence
models range from charming
cottages to spectacular custom estate homes.
Ownership of real estate within the
Vintage Club includes a financial
obligation on the part of the property owner
to two homeowner
associations.
Dramatic lakes and waterfalls surround the residents-only clubhouse,
originally designed in a contemporary style in 1981 by San Francisco architects
Fisher Friedman Associates. A roofline composed of tile-covered pyramidal forms
is edged by pergolas (in a postmodern style) to update the midcentury Modern
California homes that thrived here in the 1950s and ’60s. The off-white cladding
lets nature take center stage. Golfer Walter Hagen said of the lavishly planted
and manicured club grounds and courses, “You must always remember to stop along
the way and smell the flowers here.”
Although the club made its debut nearly
a quarter century ago sporting interiors with a Southwestern flair, interior
designer Warren Sheets has enlivened the club with traditional furnishings
inspired by the colors of the desert.
Mohair sofas and custom rugs in the reception area. (Click image to enlarge.)
Although guests arriving at the Modern
building might expect to find rooms filled with stark Miesian chaises and
chairs, club operators have found that overstuffed sofas and textured fabrics
best suit avid Indian Wells golfers seeking a residential ambience. Sheets
selected furnishings with warm wood tones, nubbly fabrics and unusual
accessories set off beautifully against the backdrop of contemporary
architecture.
The Vintage Club, 760.340.0500, www.vintageclubsales.com;
Fisher Friedman Associates, 510.420.1666, www.fisherfriedman.com;
Warren Sheets Design, 415.626.2320, www.warrensheetsdesign.com