MOVERS & SHAKEUPS

Lennar’s latest idea will feature putting links

‘Seven’ makes its debut at Desert Mountain GC

What could be the future of active adult golf communities — a putting course rather than a country club — is getting ready to make its debut later this month in Surprise. No surprise, really, considering the number of rounds played on golf courses throughout the U.S. has been down in 14 of the last 15 years.

At least that was part of the logic when Lennar Homes, the nation’s largest homebuilder, decided to feature an upscale nine-hole putting course instead of a traditional 18-hole country club as its chief amenity at its new Heritage at Asante community. Lennar’s latest edition, which also will offer an option to purchase a private membership at nearby Briarwood Country Club, will have its grand opening on Feb. 22.

Mike Dowell, a senior vice president

of sales and marketing for Lennar, is the man in charge of what could be a game changer for future communities that offer golf. Dowell, who grew up in the golf business in Wisconsin and Georgia, calls the putting course “an interesting solve” to some of the challenges that face today’s homebuilders.

“First of all, the land consumption is only one acre for the putting course versus 90 to 100 acres for an 18-hole championship course,” Dowell pointed out. “Second, it will probably take less than an hour to play versus four-plus hours for a normal round of golf.

“But most of all, it’s going to be special, with all the bells and whistles. We see it as championship putting course that people can enjoy with their children and grandchildren, as well as having lots of fun with friends.”

With a price tag of $300,000, this isn’t your father’s putt-putt course. Remember those popular putting layouts made of green indoor carpeting and cement, and found in bowling alleys? Asante’s putting course, which is played on a tight artificial grass surface, has replica holes of some of the nation’s most well-known links. Or as Dowell noted, new homeowners will “almost feel the sea air” at the replicas of Pebble Beach’s seventh and 18th holes. They’ll also “feel the excitement” of holes 16, 17 and 18 at TPC Scottsdale. Other holes you might recognize include Augusta National’s testy 12th hole, and the iconic

38 | AZ GOLF Insider | PREVIEW 2020 Heritage at Asante COURTESY LENNAR

island green at TPC Sawgrass’ 17th.

“It’s going to be awesome, with real water, trees and vegetation flowing throughout,” Dowell said. “We’ve also got some beautiful bridges like the ones that go over Rae’s Creek (at the Masters).” Membership fees for the yet-to-benamed putting course are included in the homeowner’s HOA fee ($180 a month), which also includes a recreation/ fitness center, resort swimming pool/ Jacuzzi, pickle ball/bocce courts, dog park and trailheads surrounding a 50-acre park. For those who want to belong to Briarwood Country Club, a 10-minute commute away, Lennar is offering a 60-day unlimited membership, with fees ranging from $450 to $850 for those who ultimately join the club.

Since 1954, Lennar has built literally thousands of communities. But this is the first-ever golf community anchored by a putting course with an option to belong to a course outside of the community. Part of the reason Lennar took this strategy, Dowell added, was because at Lennar’s Verrado community that also is located in the West Valley and includes two championship courses, less than 10 percent of the active adult homebuyers actually joined the golf club. “I think it’s going to be the right decision, because even without a golf course, we’ve had over 1,000 people join our waiting list (to purchase homes in February),” he said. “We are certainly excited by the interest.”

Naturally, not everyone would agree with such a concept. Just down the road in Surprise, Toll Brothers opened a new community in January called Sterling Grove, with a Nicklaus-designed golf course as its centerpiece. Sterling Grove, the course, is scheduled to open in January 2021. Coincidentally, it will be the first golf course to open in Arizona since Lennar opened Victory at Verrado in 2016. “We wish (Toll Brothers) all the success because, ultimately, it helps all of us in that specific market,” Dowell said of Sterling Grove. “But at this time, and with golf being kind of flat and people having such great demands on their time these days, we feel like this amazing putting course along with the option at Briarwood Country Club will be a very good fit for the new community.” Homes at Asante, located at 163rd Avenue and Grand, just north of Sun City Grand, are priced from the low $200,000s to the mid-$300,000s, and it will be one of the only golf communities in the country to offer next-gen homes for both first-time, regular and 55-plus active adult buyers. More information on Asante’s plans for the future can be found at lennar.com.

MOVERS It’s not as if Desert Mountain needed more enticements for its residents and members. This north Scottsdale private community is home to six Jack Nicklausdesigned championship courses, awardwinning clubhouses, miles of hiking trails and seemingly every other facet of a life

Andrew McLaren well-lived. And then along comes a course that seems to change everything — Seven. The centerpiece of Seven Desert Mountain, a new upscale residential development, the 18-hole, par-54 layout bears the design imprint of Bill Brownlee and Wendell Picket. You might remember those names as the architects of Wickenburg Ranch’s par-3 funfest known as Li’l Wick. Ranging from 1,672 from the front tees to 3,114 yards from the tips, Seven fits perfectly into the Desert Mountain family. It’s plenty challenging, perfectly conditioned in bentgrass and strong on aesthetics with rockand cactus-studded native areas, graceful mounding and water features, plus stellar mountain views.

Still, it’s the post-round action that might be the most amusing. Seven’s sleek, modern gastropub clubhouse, with its collapsible glass walls, wows with its seamless indoor/outdoor setup. Similar to Li’l Wick, it offers the ideal opportunity to mix golf, food and drink — take a break, then do some more. Comfy sofas, firepits and bocce courts enhance the camaraderie, all coordinated by personable Passion Graham, who was recently recognized by the Club Managers Association of America as one of the nation’s top young managers. The good vibes are off the charts. For the fortunate members of Desert Mountain, the golf and other recreational options seem limitless. And for many these days, however, No. 7 is No. 1. SHAKEUPS Scottsdale’s Andrew McLaren made a guest visit to the Silverleaf Club a memorable one. Playing in the club’s annual Thanksgivingrelated event called the Turkey Shoot, McLaren recorded a hole in one — on the par-4 ninth hole.

Playing in the unique format where one player in the foursome is the “Turkey” and the other three play a best ball, McLaren pulled his driver and spanked it 285 yards into the center of the cup. Actually, McLaren had a more detailed report.

“I knew immediately after contact that I had hit a pure shot,” explained McLaren, a financial consultant who recently founded a new company called St. Andrews Golf Solutions, which works with golf courses by evaluating data to boost revenues.

“The ball headed straight for the flagstick, landed just on the fringe, and rolled towards the hole. We could see the flagstick pretty clearly on the slightly downhill hole, and it seemed that the ball had disappeared. Our group had a forecaddie, and we could hear him shouting up by the green. It was pretty clear that I had just made a hole in one on a par 4.”

Actually, most golfers who reference an ace on a par 4 usually refer to it as a “double eagle” or “albatross.” But who can blame McLaren?

“I was in shock. It was pretty crazy, with us on the tee and the forecaddie yelling from the green,” the 33-yearold said of his second ace, the first coming on a par-3 at Papago.

“I was the Turkey on that hole, but we didn’t come close to winning the tournament,” he said with a laugh. “And because I made my hole in one on a par 4, and not a par 3 — where all the prizes were — I didn’t win anything.”

But it was a great day. He got to meet Tony Finau, who congratulated him with an “awesome.” And Jon Rahm played in the Turkey Shoot. The PGA Tour superstars are members at Silverleaf. “And I had the pride of making an ace,” McLaren added regarding his visit of a lifetime to one of Arizona’s most elite clubs. n