Monday, October 13, 2008

 

Mexico Real Estate

 

Tiger Woods Golf Course to be Built in Baja California

 

By Brian Flock

 

·   Woods’ Punta Brava course poised for private golf and ocean club community

 

On October 7, 2008 at the Bel-Air Hotel in Beverly Hills, Tiger Woods announced his third golf course design project worldwide, and his first ocean front course ever – "Punta Brava," in Baja California, Mexico.

 

According to the announcement, Punta Brava is uniquely positioned in the region to bring together “a powerful combination of land, sea and sky with a leading team of designers, businessmen and athletes to create a private golf and ocean club community that rivals any in the world.”

 

Not far south of Ensenada and set on a secluded peninsula stretching seven miles into the Pacific Ocean, Punta Brava is surrounded on three sides by rugged coastline and on the fourth by a 1,200-foot mountain peak, creating a virtual island experience that has been millions of years in the making. As announced, Punta Brava is expected to make an important imprint on the face of Baja California for generations to come.

           

A visit to the nearly 350-acre site in July 2006 was all it took to convince The Flagship Group’s co-founder Brian Tucker that it was the right place for Punta Brava before approaching Tiger with the concept. The project’s current land holdings include four miles of coastline; designs for 17 holes with tees or greens on the oceanfront; ocean views from every single tee, green and fairway; and eight shots over water, something unseen elsewhere in the world. Tiger Woods has placed the final three holes along the ocean, creating a dramatic finish to the course.

 

The location’s prime real estate has been reserved for the golf course; no houses are located between the course and the ocean.  Low-density housing further ensures preservation of the unique ecology and topography, and offers exclusivity for the residents. Natural features of the location include dozens of coves, arch rock formations, islands, and over 1,200 linear feet of sea caves extending several miles underground.

 

Tiger Woods’ oversight of Punta Brava will be broken down into three phases, lasting until after the completion of course: 1) concept development and planning; 2) concept refinement and construction design; and 3) design oversight during construction. In contrast to more simple branding models, this requires Tiger Woods to maintain a constant connection with the project.

 

Details such as fairway shaping, green contours and bunker detailing are managed, and follow-up inspections ensure the quality of the course maturation. (Tiger is so hands-on with his projects that he spent the entire day onsite with an injured knee, in June, a week after winning the 2008 US Open in a tie-breaker round.)

 

Punta Brava will offer a range of exclusive ownership opportunities, including:

 

·   40 estate sites ranging in size from .75 acres to 3 acres, priced between $3 million and $12 million;

·   30 individual-own villa residences (4,500 to 7,000 square feet), priced from $3.5 to $6.5 million;

·   60 partnership villas (4,500 to 6,500 square feet), with prices starting at $1.7 million;

·   A private hotel with 20 villas, each with its own pool, available only to members and their guests;

·   A clubhouse, an ocean club, a wellness spa, and multiple dining venues.

 

This offering is much differentiated from the standard Baja California real estate fare targeted towards Middle America, and it is indicative of the very exclusive and private nature of the development.

 

Residential and commercial services are already addressed in The Flagship Group’s development plan. An operational desalinization plant has been constructed, with others to be built on existing well sites. Telecommunications systems will be managed onsite, including satellite feeds. The project will also have sustainable sources of power.

 

Capital for the project is provided by The Flagship Group cofounder Red McCombs, who is currently listed in the Forbes 400 of wealthiest Americans. About 200 local jobs will be created during construction, and another 150 will be employed by Punta Brava in the long term.

           

Members and guests will utilize the project’s McDonnell Douglas MD-900 twin-engine helicopter for shuttling residents from San Diego or the Ensenada military airport, making road transportation largely inconsequential to the project. (Blogs by local Baja California residents have noted sightings of this mysterious, black airship over the skies for the past several months.)

 

Additionally, the project will offer short-term anchoring in Todos Santos Bay for yachts and high-speed tenders in an onsite marina. These tenders will shuttle residents to and from their yachts or the Ensenada harbors eight miles across Todos Santos Bay. Although Punta Brava is accessible by air, land, and sea, most members are expected to arrive in private jets, helicopters or yachts.

 

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Brian Flock is a degreed and certified real estate broker in Baja California, Mexico, and he was the land acquisition agent to the Punta Brava development.  He may be contacted at Baja Ocean Realty or (619) 793-5224.