At just an hour and a half, without traffic, from Atlanta, the beleaguered Reynolds Plantation was a magnet for that city’s business and professional people and their families before bad fiscal management and the recession sent the community into bankruptcy proceedings.

        Now, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a builder of high rises in Atlanta may have the inside track to inherit Reynolds.  The newspaper’s online arm is reporting that Daniel Corporation, based in

Reynolds and The Cliffs may emerge from bankruptcy at about the same time. The battle will be joined for well-to-do Atlantans.

Birmingham, AL, is in the late stages of negotiating with the trustee for Reynolds to purchase the community’s six Reynolds Plantation golf courses, marinas and undeveloped land surrounding Lack Oconee.  No financial details have been reported, and the parties to the negotiations have not been reached for comment.  But this is the hint of good news for the 3,600 Reynolds owners who rejected an offer from the Reynolds family to purchase the amenities for a dramatically overpriced $45 million last year.

        Daniel Corp. is not unfamiliar with golf community development.  The firm owns and manages Greystone, a well-regarded 2,300-acre Birmingham community with George Cobb and Rees Jones 18-hole layouts.  Greystone features 3,000 home sites, not inconsequential in size as golf communities go, but way smaller than Reynolds, which already has 3,600 owners and hundreds of acres of property remaining to be developed.  Daniel Corp. also is a partner in the community that surrounds Birmingham’s Ross Bridge, one of the highest-profile clubs along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

        A quick scan of properties for sale at Reynolds shows resale homes as low as $299,000 and home sites as low as $40,000, considerably below even the quoted cost of a full membership in the six clubs last year.  With The Cliffs Communities emerging from bankruptcy as well in the coming months, it will be interesting to see how these two competitors fight for an admittedly narrower market of wealthy Atlantans who may not feel quite as wealthy as they did in 2005.  Look for more aggressive pricing on memberships, lower prices for undeveloped home sites and even re-plotting of some areas of both golf communities to permit more density and more affordable homes.  The days of high-five- and six-figure golf memberships are over.

        Although sales activity is picking up in many of the South’s most popular and high-quality golf communities, and prices are beginning to inch up across the region, plenty of bargains are still available.  Here are the lowest-priced golf homes for sale in the communities with properties listed at our companion web site, GolfHomesListed.com.  I invite you to browse the entire site for a comprehensive view of current golf community homes for sale.  In parentheses after the listing price, we include our estimate of the median price of homes in the community.  (Please note: If you are interested is additional details on any of our properties, we ask you for your name and email address, information we and the real estate agent with the listing will never share with anyone. If you have any questions about this, please contact me and I will be happy to explain.)  --  Larry Gavrich, Editor.

Georgia

The Landings at Skidaway Island (Savannah)…3 BR, 3.5 BA, 2,400 sq. ft. on .25 acre, with views of marsh, tidal creek and one of The Landings’ six golf courses….$479,000 (Median price for homes in The Landings around $700,000).

 

Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill…4 BR, 4 BA Cottage, 2,000 sq. ft., 1.26 acres, view of Pete Dye golf course…$750,000 ($1 million+)

North Carolina

Mountain Air, Burnsville, NC…2 BR, 2 BA Adirondack style, 1,223 sq. ft. with mountain views, open living, decks and carport…$299,000 ($750,000)

 

Ocean Ridge Plantation, Ocean Isle Beach…4 BR, 3 BA, 3,000+ sq. ft, all-brick and maintenance free and built to buyer’s specifications, .40 acre, golf course views….$400,000 to $500,000 ($500,000+)

 

Champion Hills, Hendersonville…2 BR, 2 BA Traditional, 1,780 sq. ft., golf course view, open floor plan, fireplace, vaulted ceilings, breakfast bar…$339,000 ($800,000)

 

Carolina Colours, New Bern…3 BR, 2.5 BA townhome, 1,767 sq. ft., brick with Hardi-plank siding…$208,000 ($325,000)

 

Brunswick Forest, Leland…3 BR, 2 BA all brick, 1,700 to 1800 sq. ft., on one floor with open floor plan, screened porch…$259,900 ($325,000)

 

Landfall, Wilmington…3 BR, 2 BA, 2,025 sq. ft. with view of one of 45 holes of Nicklaus and Dye golf….$409,000 ($750,000)

 

St. James Plantation, Southport…3 BR, 2 BA Low Country style, 2,000 sq. ft., .2 acre, view of Members Course “signature” hole and of pond…$315,000 ($550,000)

South Carolina

Belfair Plantation, Bluffton….4 BR, 4.5 BA, 3,474 sq. ft. on .53 acre wooded lot. Two Tom Fazio golf courses…$459,000 ($750,000)

 

Berkeley Hall Plantation, Bluffton…4 BR, 4 BA cottage, 3,188 sq. ft., .23 acre with view of one of two Tom Fazio golf courses…$379,000 ($750,000)

 

Colleton River Plantation, Bluffton…3 BR, 3 BA, 3,794 sq. ft. on .52 acre with golf course view…$395,000 ($800,000)

 

Oldfield Plantation, Okatie…3 BR, 2.5 BA, 2,243 sq. ft. on .14 acre with a lake view in golf and equestrian oriented community…$359,950 ($650,000)

 

Daniel Island, Charleston…2 BR, 2 BA townhome, 1,545 sq. ft. with pool and marsh views, short distance to town center…$329,900 ($750,000)

 

Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island...2 BR, 2 BA Golf villa, 1,025 sq. ft., screened porch, private master with bath, wet bar...$124,600 ($450,000)

 

Wachesaw Plantation, Murrells Inlet…2 BR, 2 BA Low Country cottage, 1,300 sq. ft., split bedroom plan, 2 screened porches, gas fireplace…$229,000 ($550,000)

Virginia

Old Trail Village, Crozet…4 BR, 3.5 BA townhome with 1,925 sq. ft. down and 475 up; 2-car garage, balcony…$250,800 ($400,000)

 

Wintergreen Resort, Nellyford…2 BR, 2 BA, one-level condo, 825 sq. ft. on 12th hole of Ellis Maples mountaintop Devil’s Knob course. Fireplace, new kitches, old furnished…$109,500

 

Dozens more golf homes for sale, including golf properties for sale, are listed at GolfHomesListed.com.