The WPJ

St. Joe Company Involved in One of Country's Largest Mixed-Use Developments.

» Featured Columnists | By Scott Kauffman | May 29, 2009 8:00 AM ET



St. Joe Company Involved in One of Country's Largest Mixed-Use Developments

(WEST BAY, FL) - The St. Joe Company, Northwest Florida's largest landowner and one of the state's leading developers of resort-style communities, is embarking on one of the largest mixed-use master-planned communities in the U.S., here in the Florida Panhandle. One of the highlights of the 75,000-acre West Bay project is the nation's first new international commercial-service airport built this century.

West Bay is strategically positioned to provide convenient access to the Southeast and Central U.S. markets, as well as Latin America and the rest of the world through excellent port, rail and highway connections.  Of course, the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport, scheduled to open next May, has the panhandle buzzing because it now opens up the popular stretch of resort destinations to an entirely different market.

Of course, the most compelling access point to West Bay and the surrounding market is America's "greenest" and newest airport. 

The airport is being built in the West Bay Sector on a 4,000-acre parcel and the Airport Authority has committed that the new airport terminal will be certified "green" under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council.

It also has the potential to become one of the world's first carbon neutral airports.  An Audubon Nature Center will serve as a portal to the West Bay Preservation Area, which will ultimately protect 44 miles of undeveloped shoreline and an additional 33 miles of creeks and tributaries.   

The adjacent land owned by St. Joe in West Bay can accommodate 4.4 million square feet of industrial, commercial and retail space, more than 6,300 residential and resort units and 900 marina slips. This represents the biggest single investment opportunity in Florida for many years.  The West Bay Sector Plan contemplates some 27,000 residential units and 37 million square feet (3.4 million square meters) of commercial/industrial space in the future.





Troon Golf Picked to Manage Newly Renovated Indian Wells Golf Resort

(INDIAN WELLS, CA) -- Troon Golf, the world's largest operator of golf course facilities, was recently selected to take over management of the widely acclaimed Indian Wells Golf Resort here in the Palm Springs area.

The Indian Wells Golf Resort has been a popular golf travel destination for nearly 20 years, offering the original East and West Golf Courses and four hotel/resorts.  Not willing to rest on past success, the City of Indian Wells, owner of the golf resort, reinvested in the golf experience at the resort by embarking on an ambitious facility-wide project ultimately yielding two new golf courses, the IW Club, nine-hole putting course, sprawling practice facility and a host of other amenities.

The Clive-Clark designed Celebrity Course opened November 1, 2006, and the John Fought-designed Players Course opened in November of 2007.  Since then both golf courses at Indian Wells Golf Resort have attracted the attention of the golf world.

In fact, the Celebrity and Players Courses made Golfweek magazine's list of California's top 20 public-access golf courses - the only 36-hole facility to have both golf courses on the list.  
 
The Indian Wells Golf Resort is also home to competitive golf at the highest level.  The LG SKINS GAME was held at Indian Wells Golf Resort from 2007 through 2009, with PGA Tour stars Fred Couples, Stephen Ames, Brett Wetterich and Zach Johnson playing in the event. Ames took top honors in 2007 earning $650,000 in "skins."  The participants for the 2008 LG SKINS GAME were Ames, Phil Mickelson,  Rocco Mediate and K.J. Choi.
 
"Indian Wells Golf Resort has established itself as one of Southern California's premier golf destinations," said Troon Golf president/COO Hud Hinton. "We couldn't be more pleased to have been selected by the Indian Wells City Council for this important assignment and are confident our management practices will contribute to an even greater level of success for this world-class facility."
 
The Clark-designed Celebrity Course measures just over 7,000 yards and is known for its "playability, diversity, and challenge," according to Troon.  The Fought-designed Players Course, is 7,300 yards long and features contrasting undulating topography that delivers its own unique challenging experience.

Besides the golf, perhaps the signature amenity at the newly renovated resort is the architecturally stunning 53,000-square-foot clubhouse called the IW Club.   The completion of this multi-purpose facility marks the end of an ambitious development project that now boasts a complete package of world-class golf and desert lifestyle offerings. Clubhouse amenities include a golf shop with a variety of retail offerings, the Callaway Performance Center that is one of just nine in the country, as well as fine and casual dining venues that offer unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains.

"We are confident that Troon Golf will help take Indian Wells Golf Resort to the next level by establishing new standards of excellence on both golf courses and in food & beverage," Indian Wells Mayer Larry Spicer said.
 
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon Golf is the world's largest golf management company, overseeing operations at properties located in 31 states and 26 countries
 

 
 
Dubai World Championship Lands Rolex as Global Partner

(DUBAI, U.A.E.) -- Despite the global recession that has even made its impact on this once high-flying region of wealth and influence, one of Dubai's leading real estate developers secured a major golf sponsor for the upcoming Dubai World Championship.

With 175 days to go until the Dubai World Championship, Leisurecorp, a division of Nakheel Leisure,  announced May 27 a global partnership with Rolex, naming the world's leading watch company as the "Official Timekeeper of The European Tour" and the first official sponsor of the season-ending event of the inaugural "Race to Dubai."

The partnership also includes the significant sponsorship of this week's European Open and the 2009 South African Open, which will take place at Pearl Valley Golf Estates, a Leisurecorp-owned golf resort.

The agreement is part of a long-term strategic partnership across Leisurecorp's trilogy of tournaments and extends throughout its global portfolio of golf assets which includes Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, Pearl Valley Golf Estates in South Africa, and Turnberry in Scotland - host venue for The Open Championship in 2009.

A key sponsor of the four main bodies governing golf worldwide, Rolex adds three more tournaments to its prestigious calendar of golf events through its partnership with Leisurecorp, thus reinforcing its enduring commitment to and support for world golf.

"As one of the Tour's longest standing sponsors and sponsor to more than 20 tournaments in The Race to Dubai, the decision to back such an exciting group of tournaments was a natural progression for our long-term support of golf and one that we are very excited about, " said Jean-Noël Bioul, co-director of sponsoring at Rolex. " The advent of The Race to Dubai and the drama that surrounds it has made this European Tour season arguably one of the most important in its long and distinguished history. Due to the quality of the competitors and the prize fund on offer, the grand finale in Dubai will be one of the most important sporting events to ever be hosted in the region and we are extremely pleased to be a part of it."

The Race to Dubai season-long competition includes 49 golf tournaments at 26 destinations around the world. The contest will climax in November, when the top 60 players qualify for the Dubai World Championship, thereby ensuring that only the world's best players will have the chance to compete for what has become golf's ultimate prize.

Hamza Mustafa, Managing Director of Nakheel Leisure, was "delighted to announce Rolex" as a global partner to their international golf program and as the very first official sponsor of the Dubai World Championship.

"To have the support and backing of such a respected and world-class brand provides a strong foundation for success, as we progress towards delivering the most anticipated and exciting tournament in world golf," Mustafa added. "The Dubai World Championship will provide a thrilling crescendo to The Race to Dubai and in challenging economic times it just goes to show that the most desirable sponsorship properties will continue to attract considerable interest from the corporate community.  This is the first of several major partnerships to be announced in the coming months."

The Dubai World Championship will be held on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai November 19-22.




Real Estate Listings Showcase

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Read More