In the Newest Crop of Golf Communities, Wellness and a Beautiful Setting Are Top Priorities

Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs both overlook the Atlantic Ocean on Cape Breton in Nova Scotia with more than a mile of ocean frontage. The former was designed by Canadian golf course architect Rod Whitman and opened in 2011. The latter was added in 2015, with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw handling the design. 

“The focus of our brand is quality, and they represent that in every way,” Mr. Cowan-Dewar noted. “More than the name, they are known for great courses.”

The Cabot Cliffs course was ranked 11 on Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in the world, with Cabot Links on the list at 35. Great golf is what brings people to the resort, which is about a two-hour flight from New York. The Port Hawkesbury Airport, about an hour away, can accommodate most private flights. 

An expansion project is also underway, which will include a new clubhouse, a putting green with full bar service and a third course, which is set to open this summer with 10 holes.

The Residences at Cabot Cliffs are part of the project, a collection of eight cottages ranging from 2,790 square feet to 3,315 square feet. The furnished homes boast views of the ocean and the 11th fairway of the famed Cabot Cliffs course. Homes start at just over $2 million. Sales launched this fall. 

Mr. Coore and Mr. Crenshaw are also part of Cabot’s next project: Cabot Point at Cabot Saint Lucia. The new resort, with golf set to open in December 2021, is their first foray in the Caribbean. 

Cabot Saint Lucia will feature townhomes and single-family homes with ocean views and direct access to the resort amenities and golf course. Pre-sales began last summer, and sales are set to officially launch later this year. Prices range from $760,000 to $10 million.

Another well-designed course is Bluejack National near Houston. It is designed by champion golfer Tiger Woods, who launched his firm, TGR Designs, in 2006.

Bluejack is Woods’  first design in the U.S., opened in 2016. Golf Digest named it the best new private course for that year. In addition to the course, there is an extensive practice center and the Playgrounds, a shorter, unstructured course that’s lit at night. 

Bluejack will have 495 residences, with sales ongoing since 2015. Options include suites, cottages and homes in the 755-acre community. A homesite located on the 14th green is currently listed for $590,000, while a custom home starts at around $1.5 million.

_{Photo: Cabot Cape Breton / Jacob Sjoman}

Fun and Fitness

Although Mr. Woods’s name attracts the golf set, Bluejack has a host of other amenities. The resort also offers fishing, nature trails, a tennis center and comfort stations around the resort with fruit, drinks and other treats. 

Many of the resort’s amenities are located at the Fort, where there are several pools, a 150-foot water slide, a water park and splash pad, a wiffleball park modeled after Fenway Park in Boston, pickleball, a canoeing lake, bowling, and a diner-style restaurant, plus fire pits and lounge areas. 

The Place is the center of fitness at Bluejack. It features golf-specific fitness, lessons and fittings, a state-of-the-art fitness room and the latest golfing technology, including virtual swing tracking and imaging. There’s also a lounge with a bar and grill.

Many high-end golf communities have invested in technology to better train players, according to Mr. Coffey, who is a golfer himself. 

“That’s the way we take lessons now,” he explained. “They can point out flaws in your swing live, with data.”

And like most resorts, golf courses have increased their focus on fitness and wellness, Mr. Coffey noted. 

Of course, that means professional gyms with separate spaces for yoga or spinning. Communities often offer classes for residents and guests, and some are even set up to host physical therapy.

Other treatment rooms, for massages and other services are also a must. 

The Turnberry Ocean Club in Sunny Isles, Florida, is planning a luxe spa component with hydrotherapy spas, a relaxation lounge, private spa areas with steam showers and saunas. There’s also a hair and nail salon.

The 54-floor tower has three- to six-bedroom residences with water views, floor-to-ceiling windows, tall ceilings, terraces and outdoor kitchens, imported cabinetry and countertops, and Gaggenau appliances. Residences range from the upper $3 millions to $35 million.

The club, set to open later this year, also includes one-year social membership to the elite Turnberry Isle Country Club nearby. Members have access to unlimited summer play at the club’s two championship golf courses, recently redesigned by retired golfer Raymond Floyd. 

Another unique feature is the marina, which can accommodate vessels up to 180 feet, and VIP services at Fontainebleau Aviation located in the Opa-Locka Executive Airport. 

_{Photo: Cabot Saint Lucia}