The old line that things that don’t kill you make you stronger applies to golf communities, as well as to individuals.  Case in point:  The golf community of Glenmore, just outside Charlottesville, VA, which not only contended with a housing recession, but also with a major embezzlement by the president of its club.  After a revisit to the 10-year old community a few weeks ago, it appears to me that Glenmore has come through the controversy with flags flying.

        I had the opportunity to renew my acquaintance with Glenmore Country Club courtesy of Tom Pace,

Some homes at Glenmore include exterior maintenance, a plus for those allergic to the smell of cut grass (except, of course, on a golf course).

a real estate broker on-site at the Keswick, VA, golf community.  Glenmore’s club members, a mix of retirees, working couples and young families, are strongly invested in the life of the club and community, according to Pace, himself a resident of the community and member of the club.  After the nearly three quarters of a million dollar embezzlement by a member of Glenmore’s founding family (he married into the family), it did not take long for a resident of Glenmore and his wife to step in and purchase the club, with the rousing support of its members.  You can read our original coverage of the story by clicking here ("Pall in the Family").

        Little seems to have changed since my first visit four years ago, except the superfluous hulking green scoreboard behind the 18th green has been taken down (thankfully, in my opinion, as it blocked part of the view of the majestic brick clubhouse).  The unfussy, rolling John LaFoy designed golf course, whose few blind shots and undulating greens demand a slight bit of local knowledge, was in fine shape, most of the well landscaped homes set a fair distance from the fairways and greens.  Out of bounds stakes are there to keep only the most wayward shots from being played from backyards.  The practice facility at Glenmore is one of the most expansive in the area, with a dedicated area for the club’s junior golf program.  I’ve included a few photos below to give you a taste of Glenmore’s charms.

GlenmoreClubhousefrom18thfairway

Addition by subtraction:  Gone is the hulking green scoreboard that once got in the way of views of the clubhouse beyond Glenmore's 18th green.

 

        Glenmore is well situated to the east of Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, and an hour from the airport in Richmond.  On the Saturday morning we played the golf course, my son and I and Tom Pace and his daughter, who plays for her local high school golf team, had the course to ourselves, which seemed strange until Tom explained that most members had begun their tailgating ritual at the university before that day’s home football game.  A number of UVA faculty members live inside the boundaries of the gated Glenmore.

        Glenmore offers an interesting blend of single-family houses, with prices that begin in the mid $400s and extend to $1.3 million.  One section of cottage-style homes includes exterior maintenance for those who, like me, are allergic to cut grass (except, of course, on golf courses).  A three-bedroom, three-bath cottage home is currently listed for $465,000.  Home sites run from the low $200s to $599,000 for a one-acre elevated lot with a combo view of the golf course, lake and the Blue Ridge Mountains a few miles beyond.

        The Glenmore golf course is open year round.  If you would like to arrange a visit, or simply request more information, contact me and I will be happy to put you in touch with Tom Pace.

Glenmorebehindabovegreen

Glenmoreapproachspectaclebunkers

Glenmorepar3towardclubhouse

Glenmore Country Club's golf course features large, undulating greens, lots of ups and downs, and homes set well beyond and above the layout's generous fairways.

     The community with the unique name Carolina Colours, just outside New Bern, NC, has announced the opening of a new neighborhood, Waterleaf, which comprises 13 home sites on 25-acre Carolina Lake.  Lot sizes run slightly under 2/3 of an acre, and full home and lot packages are priced beginning at $298,400.

        Carolina Colours, which I visited last spring, has been developed under the watchful eye of industry veteran Ken Kirkman.  Kirkman is a man of patience, and during our tour of the golf community, he gave me the impression that he is not overreacting to current real estate market conditions by cutting either corners or prices, although pricing in the community is quite realistic.  He knows that the 300-year old New Bern is an up and coming retirement area, and that the only real local competition for his golf community is Taberna, whose decade-old homes are smaller and more closely sited to each other than those at the more expansive Carolina Colours.

        Colours recently opened its 18-hole golf course, which was designed by Bill Love.  I intend to give the course a go on my way to or from the Myrtle Beach area in November.  In the meantime, if you would like current golf homes for sale in Carolina Colours, check out GolfHomesListed.com.

CarolinaColoursbunkersfromteebox

This was the scene in June on the Bill Love designed Carolina Colours golf course.  But grass grows quickly in warm climates, and the golf community was able to open all 18 holes for play just a few weeks ago.  For now, the course is open to the public.