![\"Cliffs_at_Mountain_Park\"](\"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/golfcoursebusiness\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2009\/10\/Cliffs_at_Mountain_Park.jpg\")
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Travelers Rest, S.C. — For decades, developers have used Gary Player-designed golf courses as integral elements in a variety of residential developments, golf resorts and other high-end master-planned communities. Now, after designing more than 250 courses around the globe, the man billed as the \u201cWorld\u2019s Most Traveled Athlete\u201d finds himself in unchartered territory: real estate development.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And the Hall of Fame golfer couldn\u2019t have picked a better place to start his newfound real estate interests than The Cliffs Communities. A little more than a year after the Gary Player Group announced it was partnering with The Cliffs at Mountain Park here in the Western Carolinas, it\u2019s evident there\u2019s tremendous momentum behind Player\u2019s recent move into the real estate arena.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For example, this July, the Cliffs and Gary Player Group broke ground on the future Black Knight North American headquarters at The Village at Mountain Park, a European-inspired village that also will feature a bakery and sidewalk cafes, an outdoor outfitters shop, doctor\u2019s office and more \u2013 all within the picturesque setting of a 13-acre lake overlooking the soon-to-be constructed Gary Player Signature golf course.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Meanwhile, just a few minutes away several dozen homes are already in the process of being built at Mountain Park, including several inside the inaugural Gary Player Estates section, a 300-acre gated enclave of approximately 100 Gary Player-inspired custom homes. Overall, Mountain Park calls for only 1,500 homes within the 5,000-acre property, including up to 1,000 acres of preserved parkland and open space connected by a managed trail system, as well as botanical gardens created by Clemson University, a 10-acre organic farm and a Gary Player Golf Performance Center.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The fact so many homes are under construction in a development still in its infancy says a lot about the pent up demand for this unique green-friendly property, which represents the seventh and newest private master-planned golf community in the Cliffs portfolio.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWith a lot of developers you don\u2019t have the confidence to build until the infrastructure and amenities are completed,\u201d says Scott Beville, president of sales and marketing for the Cliffs Communities. \u201cWith our 16-year track record, though, we already have 25-30 homes started.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, two of the signature homes inside the Gary Player Estates will be those of Gary Player and his son, Marc Player, chief executive officer of the Gary Player Group. Naturally, Gary Player has one of the best lots in the mountainside enclave, a homesite that features fantastic views of the seventh fairway that double-doglegs along the Saluda River (14 of the 18 holes actually feature the river).<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At the recent groundbreaking event in July, a passionate Gary Player could already visualize how his typical morning at his namesake real estate project would unfold. First, while his wife, Vivienne, cooks breakfast, Player said he\u2019ll run down the stone path from his Gary Player Estates home onto the apron of the seventh fairway, chipping and putting balls and greeting golfers. Then, after Vivienne calls him for breakfast, the fitness nut will run back up and enjoy a healthy meal with his wife of 50 years.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a very, very beautiful place,\u201d says Player, referring to his new home and company headquarters located on the southernmost edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Greenville, S.C., and Asheville, N.C. \u201cVery few places in the United States can compare to this as far as overall beauty throughout the year. To have our offices here, close to Atlanta for people that are flying internationally, to visit us in our offices or our homes, or to see our golf courses that we\u2019ve designed personally, I think the overall situation couldn\u2019t be better for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly how former Cliffs chief operating officer Ken Costanzo feels. As the president of the new Gary Player Real Estate division, Costanzo couldn\u2019t pick a better first project in the States (Gary Player Real Estate has already started another project in British Columbia, Canada, called Wildstone).<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Cliffs is a great first development,\u201d says Costanzo, who joined the Gary Player Group in March 2006. \u201cWhat you benefit with the Cliffs is not only their history, but they are wonderful marketers. (Cliffs founder) Mr. Anthony is not afraid to put dollars into marketing.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cA lot of developers look at the cost of doing a development from the infrastructure to the hospitality to all these things that have to be done and then they kind of leave marketing to the end. But because there\u2019s so many projects out there, in order to get your name out you really have to be willing to spend money in marketing and Jim Anthony doesn\u2019t lose sight of that. So the Cliffs put a lot of money in marketing and even with a lot of clutter out there they get their name on the front burner. That can only help us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Conversely, the Gary Player name and real estate association can only help the Cliffs further distinguish itself one of the leading private club communities in America. Case in point was the phase one release of Mountain Park real estate in October 2006. In that successful initial launch, the Cliffs sold all 125 homesites that were released for $62 million, an average price of $496,000 for 1-to-5 \u00bd acre homesites (lot prices ranged from $300,000 to $1.8 million).<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 According to Beville, the Cliffs will likely release another 100 lots in late September, including approximately 20-25 of the first homesites in the Gary Player Estates.\u00a0 Pricing is expected to range from the mid-$300s to $2.5 million for similar-sized homesites.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Beville says the limited release of lots in the Gary Player Estates will be around Gary and Marc Player\u2019s homes. Beville anticipates a similar success in the phase two wave of sales.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not surprisingly, golf\u2019s \u201cGlobal Ambassador,\u201d is generating \u201ca lot of overseas excitement,\u201d according to Beville.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And to be clear, Costanzo points out, Gary Player Estates is by no means just some kind of marketing or licensing arrangement.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEverything we do, and what makes us unique from the other golfers that are getting into real estate, is no one has the opportunity to create their own individual branded architecture,\u201d Costanzo recently said from his downtown office in Greenville. \u201cGary has that because of his roots in South Africa. The others can get into real estate and use their name to extend their brand, but Gary actually has something that provides a point of differentiation.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe have South African architects that we have working with us and what I\u2019ll do is bring them in when we\u2019re at a point where we\u2019re finalizing the architecture. So whether it\u2019s a project we\u2019re doing in Arizona, Canada, Panama, or wherever, there\u2019s a certain time when we will get our architects involved in the project so we make sure the development is differentiated with our brand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Basically, the objectives of Gary Player Real Estate are twofold: create distinctive interior and exterior designs that fit with the local setting and style of the community, and \u00a0ensure its Gary Player-branded architecture always captures a South African flair that makes each neighborhood representative of Gary Player\u2019s image and lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So what does that mean at Mountain Park, where Gary Player Estates feature some of the largest and highest-elevated lots in the community, affording remarkable views of the valley floor and Saluda River that snakes through the property.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIn reality the marketplace will begin to see the differentiation of Gary Player Real Estate once these homes are built and the gated community inside the gated community takes shape,\u201d Costanzo says. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just building a home and putting a South African boma in the backyard. As soon as you enter the gates, you will see from the flowers to the trees to the way the streets are cut to the way the lighting is to the way the architecture is, that this is different.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThis is unique. This is Gary Player. That\u2019s when our real estate program will really become very vivid to the marketplace and provide differentiation. It\u2019s what we really bring to the table that no one else can bring.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Another differentiating element being developed at the Gary Player Estates enclave is the Player House, a separate amenity that is more or less a little gathering place for the residents of the estates section.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to live in Gary Player Estates to go there and it\u2019s probably the best place to read a book on South Carolina for example,\u201d Costanzo says. \u201cIt\u2019ll be that kind of setting. You know you\u2019ll have a Gary Player library. You\u2019ll have an honor bar. You can go in there and have a granola in the morning and something healthy that typically gary would have.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cMaybe you\u2019ll want to watch Gary Player videos in the library. But it\u2019s just going to be kind of a natural setting that is a unique to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In terms of pricing and size of the nearby homes, Costanzo said preliminary discussions show minimum-sized 4,000-square-foot Gary Player Estate homes probably starting at $3 million, and going up to as much as $8 million or $10 million for homes in excess of 10,000 square feet.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Gary Player Cottages, which will be the only other branded Gary Player Real Estate at Mountain Park, will be less than 3,000 square feet and most likely located down the mountain toward the Village at Mountain Park. According to Costanzo, the cottages will likely be initially priced at below $1 million.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd they\u2019ll be very attractive,\u201d Costanzo adds. \u201cWe\u2019re not sacrificing quality. Everything in Gary Player Estates will be of the highest quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Beville is looking forward to the Gary Player Cottages because they plan on incorporating some interesting new architectural and design elements, namely the use of more glass.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe cottages are exciting because the window package becomes a premium,\u201d Beville adds. \u201cWe\u2019ll also have a lot of overhanging roofs where you bring the outdoors in. Some homes may have great views of the river, and some might have two miles of mountain views.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEverything\u2019s going to blend in with the natural environment, but the lines will be a little different. \u2026 It\u2019ll just be a little more contemporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Beville expects the first Gary Player Cottages to be available for sale sometime in late spring or early summer 2008.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d like to have some models up before we start selling those,\u201d Beville added.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Regardless of what goes up for sale in the Gary Player Estates section, Costanzo is extremely optimistic about the outcome.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019ll be oversold from day one,\u201d Costanzo says in a matter-of-fact tone. \u201cMy point of comparison is two fold. One is from my history with the Cliffs. I know the excitement that\u2019s going to be around this product from (Cliffs) prospects and the enthusiasm that the current owners have shown and enthusiasm from the last group (in October \u201906).<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe first release at Mountain Park did not include Gary Player product but we had Gary there and people were lined up telling Mr. Player their excitement in the community and buying into the community because of his involvement. So I know we\u2019ve got a lot of interest here. That\u2019s clearly why I expect an oversold situation from the moment we release.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Costanzo\u2019s second point of comparison comes from Gary Player Real Estate\u2019s first overall development\u00a0 and the first-ever release of real estate this June at Wildstone.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe had our first sales release, on Fathers Day in British Columbia, Western Canada, and we sold 75 homesites in one weekend,\u201d Costanzo points out. \u201cIn western Canada – all 75 we released there we sold. So if we can do it in Western Canada, I know we can do it at the Cliffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Especially when the legendary golfer himself is so passionate about the place.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like Switzerland,\u201d Player says. \u201cYou get a big shock when you go up there. Particularly this time of the year with all the leaves going golden. These high mountains and these beautiful lakes. \u2026 It\u2019s like being in Switzerland.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Actually, inside the Gary Player Estates, you might even feel like you\u2019re in South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –30–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"