House Proud

William Weathersby Jr.

11/01/2005

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.com
The 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