This is a community of single-family estate homes and every homesite offers a magnificent view, be it nature, water or golf course. For those familiar with Amelia Island, the architecture is immediately recognizable; each home looks as graceful as its setting. For all its privilege and luxury, prices here start about $250,000. And the builders are among the very best: ICI Homes, David Weekley Homes, Taylor Morrison and American Homebuilders.

For golfers, Amelia National offers nothing less than a Tom Fazio Championship Course (opened in 2006) with dramatic bunkering, rolling fairways, and a spectacular layout that winds through a beautiful wetland habitat. Like every other aspect of the community, the course is immaculately maintained and graced with plentiful trees ranging from magnolias to pines to dogwoods. 

The 17,000-square-foot clubhouse with a French provincial feel, appears sized perfectly for its setting. Surrounded by lush gardens and a pool complex, its relaxed atmosphere is fitting for both fine and casual dining.

You can get a taste of it all with Amelia National’s Stay and Play package that offers three days and two nights at a five-star resort for $399, which includes golf for two on the Fazio Championship Course.  

Plantation Bay Golf and Country Club, Ormond Beach
About 1.5 hours south of Amelia National, between Jacksonville and Orlando, the prestigious private community of Plantation Bay Golf and Country Club has three private courses for members to play. There are 45 holes in all, including the recently renovated Club de Bonmont, Westlake (nine holes with the second nine in the planning stages) andPrestwick.

This Ormond Beach community prides itself on an abundant lifestyle. Just minutes from the Atlantic, Plantation Bay has a rich menu of activities in addition to golf. Ten tennis courts, two clubhouses, a 7,000-square-foot Spa and Fitness Center (new last year), bocce and a variety of clubs combine to form a very active social life for members.

Depending on your lifestyle, you can choose from luxury homes, patio homes and townhomes starting in the $300s. If, like us, you are energy-minded, Woodbridge Estates inside the community offers EFACTOR HOMES. These energy efficient, healthier living houses feature ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances, air conditioned attics, Low-E windows and doors, among other energy saving features. The Emerald EFACTOR 2008 Showcase home here has won numerous Aurora Awards and had over 5,000 visitors come to tour it.

Though Plantation Bay is close to all the attractions of Orlando and is easily accessed from major airports and I-95, it feels far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The community is surrounded by beautiful nature areas, and Ormond Beach is a charming seaside town with one of the world’s only drive-on beaches.                       

You are invited to come experience the active life at Plantation Bay firsthand during the prime season and enjoy unlimited golf and tennis. Their current three-day, two-night Stay and Play package also includes two meals each and accommodations in an on-site condominium for $399 per couple.

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, with 1,200 rolling acres and a full complement of amenities, fits nicely into this tranquil environment with its moderate winter climate. The private community seems to have something for everyone. There’s a championship golf course that includes eight well executed tribute holes, tennis, a spa and fitness center, a very active social calendar, and of course, horses. Golden Ocala has an established Equestrian Center that features a 20-stall barn, covered arena, miles of bridle trails and a well-trained full time staff. On the drawing board is an expanded facility to include additional barns, jumping ring, climate-controlled tack room and an Equestrian Clubhouse.

Last year, Golden Ocala opened a full service, resort-style 17,000-square-foot spa and fitness center that includes tennis courts, a sprawling zero entry pool with an extensive sun deck and a café serving up fresh, healthy fare. The pride of the community, though, is its two-story 77,000-square-foot clubhouse.  Both formal and casual dining are offered inside, while the expansive veranda serves as the perfect spot to take in the dramatic views of the gardens, lake and golf course.

A wide range of home styles, from attached villas to large estate homes, is available in several distinct neighborhoods with prices starting in the $600s. A maximum of 565 homes are planned inside the gates.

Golden Ocala offers a Discovery Stay Package that lets you come spend a few days and live like a member. You’ll stay in a beautifully appointed two-bedroom villa on the golf course, enjoy spa treatments, golf, and dinner. 

Grey Oaks Country Club, Naples
Naples. The very name conjures up tradition, luxury and culture. Its shops and restaurants are as renowned as its spectacular white sand beaches. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Naples, the private community of Grey Oaks Country Club enjoys the enviable position of having three golf courses in the heart of this premier destination city—an advantage that cannot be duplicated.

When you drive through the gates of Grey Oaks, one of the first things you will notice is its beautiful landscape. Owner Judy Sproul’s passion for landscaping in a native palette has ensured the community an enduring elegance for both the residential areas and the golf courses.

And if you are taken in by Naple’s enticing charms, as most are, Grey Oaks still has some homesites available in its Estuary at Grey Oaks neighborhood. The estate homesites in this private enclave are within the city limits of Naples and start in the $900s. But take note, this is the final phase of estate homesites in Grey Oaks.

If seasonal living is what you are looking for, you might also take a look at the gated community’s newest neighborhood, Traditions, The Golf Residences of Grey Oak. This neighborhood of maintenance-free, turn-key coach homes came to market this year with prices starting at $895,000 including a full golf equity membership.

Grey Oaks members have three courses to play that offer three distinctly different experiences. The Bob Cupp-designed Estuary course features five par-5s and five par-3s for the ultimate in risk/reward golf, while the Pine brings to mind the terrain of North Carolina. Over on the Palm, you will find a vintage Florida layout.

Two clubhouses with full-service pro shops and two fitness centers serve the three courses. Members can take full advantage of Grey Oaks’ leading role in integrating fitness with golf. By benchmarking golfers’ flexibility, strength and range of motion, they are able to tailor individual fitness programs to help you play longer, better and with more enjoyment. To further help improve your game, there are 11 PGA professionals on staff.

Treviso Bay, Naples
Halfway between historic downtown Naples and Marco Island, Treviso Bay stakes claim to being the only new, large planned lifestyle community coming out of the ground in Naples and southwest Florida’s only PGA Tour TPC Golf Course. Set to open in December 2008, the course was designed by Arthur Hills with Hal Sutton serving as player consultant.

If you like private, exclusive golf and the perk of having access to the entire collection of  elite TPC courses around the country, you are going to love Treviso Bay. The golf club is on a separate piece of property inside the gates, is very walkable, and has no homes lining the course. Coming in the fall of 2010 is a 58,000-square-foot TPC Clubhouse that is now under construction. The Clubhouse will feature a special Champions Room for PGA Tour players in addition to well-appointed amenities for members.

Though just 10 minutes from Naples’ downtown where every street leads to the beach, the community is contiguous to the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Reserve’s 110,000 acres of coastal lands and waters visually define Treviso Bay and bring it a quiet serenity.  

Because you must be a resident to be a member of the TPC Golf Course, you will want to know there is a nice mixture of residences in a variety of neighborhoods here. Prices range from attached villas and coach homes starting in the $700s to custom estate homes on half-acre lots plus homesites from $4.5 million and up. Seventeen models are now open for viewing.

Separate from the clubhouse, Treviso Bay is trying to raise the bar in southwest Florida with the 35,000-square-foot European-style Buona Vita Club & Spa set to open in 2010. This facility will offer a total fitness and spa experience that will include everything from a tai chi lawn to kid-friendly amenities.

To top it all off, a Marina Club five minutes from Treviso Bay is already operational. When renovated, it will provide residents with dry dock storage and offer concierge launch service, as well as boat rentals. 

Along with a learning center and practice facilities, you’ll find two exceptional, impeccably conditioned courses here: ?>?>?>?>Arthur Hills’ Sunset and Tom Fazio’s Sunrise. Mirasol has hosted the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic four times.

The upscale family residences in this 2,300-acre private, gated community are as impressive as the setting. Ranging from the $600s to over $3 million, both ready-to-move-in and new construction homes are available in Mirasol’s 25 villages.

The High Rises at Bonita Bay, Bonita Springs
There is no secret to the success being enjoyed by The High Rises at Bonita Bay. A stunning location overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and a wide array of luxurious amenities that have already been delivered have added up to busy sales.

Located right on the coast between Naples and Fort Myers, Bonita Bay offers residents an impressive package of completed amenities in a beautiful natural environment. Already residents are enjoying a full-scale marina, five golf courses, two clubhouses, a private beach club on the Gulf  of Mexico, tennis and swim center, and fitness center.

The residences here are a wonder to behold as they rise high above the landscape and tower over the Gulf waters to the west and Bonita Bay to the east. Because most of the luxury condominiums have both east and west views, you can enjoy sunsets and sunrises from your home.

When finished, there will be a total of eight high-rises at Bonita Bay. The first four of these have already sold out. The fifth building to be completed is Esperia South, sitting right on the Bay. Only 23 of its 119 condominiums remain for sale. 27 floors high, this building is its own “resort-within-a-resort” with a health club, billiard room, clubroom, 11-seat mini-theater, lagoon-style pool, and outdoor bar. Numerous model residences are available to view in Esperia South, with prices starting at $800,000. Be sure to ask about developer incentives and membership offerings.

The community’s sixth high-rise, Tavira, is now under construction and is already about 50 percent sold out. Tavira promises to showcase the ultimate in luxurious coastal living with residences starting at $1.6 million. Like Esperia South, it will have its own set of amenities including a health club, heated pool with lap lanes and steam and massage rooms. One of its defining features will be a rooftop sunset terrace with views of Estero Bay, Bonita Beach and the Gulf of Mexico.

Not to be overlooked is Bonita Bay’s golf. It’s as sensational as the views, with three Arthur Hills courses inside the gates and two Tom Fazio courses close by. Golfers also enjoy three full practice facilities and two clubhouses.

Terra Vista at Citrus Hills, Hernando
North of Tampa and 10 minutes from the Gulf, the private golf community of Terra Vista at Citrus Hills takes advantage of a rarity in Florida: lush, rolling hills. The hilly terrain gives Terra Vista’s three golf courses more of a Carolinian than Floridian feel. Step up to a tee on their signature Skyview course and you will find yourself 250 feet above sea level.

Both easy-maintenance villas and single-family homes are available in the country club community’s manicured neighborhoods. Prices run from the $300s to the $800s for home/homesite packages. A new collection of furnished home models with 1,500- to 4,000-plus-square-foot living areas was recently introduced. Last fall, Terra Vista opened its second clubhouse, the luxurious, 45,000-square-foot BellaVita Spa & Fitness Center. Very popular with members, it offers a complete menu of spa services, along with racquetball courts, steam rooms and a large indoor pool and spa. 

If you buy now at Terra Vista, you can enjoy free golf through 2015 on The Meadows, the community’s original course. The free golf for property owners is available with the purchase of a social membership at $995 per year, per household.