Love makes a comeback...and other news

    The Barefoot Resort has announced that its Davis Love III golf course will reopen on June 1 after 70 homes in the community were destroyed by fire in late April.  Although most of the course escaped with only minor problems, the wooden bridges that carried golfers over streams and ponds were destroyed.  Although the Pete Dye and Greg Norman courses at Barefoot suffered no ill effects and remained open after the disaster, the Tom Fazio layout experienced some of the same issues as the Love course.  No re-open date has been announced for the Fazio as the summer slow season in Myrtle Beach approaches.  Barefoot may just take its time with that.
    For those who might face cataract surgery in the future, I can testify that the procedure is relatively simple and painless.  I had the lens on my left eye removed yesterday and replaced with a graduated lens designed to provide excellent vision at close and long distance ranges.  Paired with the new contact lens in my right eye, I may be able to throw away the glasses I've worn for more than 35 years (except, perhaps, for reading).  The only pain I encountered during the procedure was a little pinch when they put the IV needle in the top of my hand for the anesthesia to knock me out for one minute -- I didn't even realize I was out -- to numb my eye.  My eye was open for the surgical procedure, but I felt nothing and was fascinated by the triangular and rectangular shapes floating against a white background, somewhat psychedelic.  I half expected to hear "White Rabbit" piped into the sound system.  My only discomfort now is a slight sensation that there is something in my eye, but no worse than you feel on a high-pollen day.  The doc says it may take both eyes some weeks before they learn to work together, but I can't believe how well I am seeing without glasses just four hours after he took the patch off.  And the colors are especially vibrant.  I feel as if I am watching the world in HD.  I can't wait to play golf next week.
    I am happy to announce that the premiere issue of Home On The Course will be available within a week.  This first issue, which will be delivered by email to anyone who has registered here at Golf Community Reviews, will include a recap of my recent visit to the outstanding golf communities in the Low Country of South Carolina and a couple of tips on how to avoid the "traps" when searching for a golf community home.  You can sign up to receive the newsletter by registering here (click on the "Register" button at the top of the home page).  In the next few days, we will also display a button on the site that you can click to sign up to receive the newsletter.  I am looking forward to publishing Home On The Course at least every month, probably on a bi-weekly basis.  There is plenty to write about in the world of golf communities and golf courses.

    Brunswick Forest, a three-year old, 4,500-acre development in North Carolina, has a couple of things going for it that many communities of recent vintage do not.  First, they have a developer with the kind of deep pockets and track record that inspires confidence in would-be purchasers.  Lord Baltimore Capital Corporation is a $2 billion private investment firm whose roots go back to the

founders of the American Oil Company (Amoco).  The firm's holdings include commercial and residential properties in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Alabama, Tennessee and Southern California.  Second, Brunswick Forest is just a short drive from Wilmington, one of the most underrated cities in the south, with a wide range of cultural activities, a downtown waterfront, a vibrant university, a full range of retail stores, and reasonably priced real estate.  
    At Brunswick Forest, whose Tim Cate designed golf course should be ready for play this fall, homes begin in the $200s.  The developers have anticipated the needs of the eventual 10,000 families that will populate Brunswick Forest and have signed up for their "town center" such tenants as a regional medical center, BB&T Bank, Hampton Inns, CVS and Lowes Foods.  The town center is located at the Highway 17 entrance to the community. 

    If you want to check out Brunswick Forest for yourself, the community is offering a low-priced "coastal discovery tour" for just $99 that includes two nights in a luxury Wilmington hotel, access to the community's new fitness and wellness center (tennis, indoor and outdoor pools, cardiovascular equipment), a poolside lunch, trolley tour through Wilmington, and a dining certificate for a waterfront café in historic downtown. (I have had some good meals in Wilmington.)  If you are interested, contact me and I will help you arrange your visit.