Living a Green Life
by Chris Becicka
If conserving gas and energy in order to
play where you live makes you an environmentalist,there’s a lifestyle readymade for you. It’s an existence Cedar Creek Realty president Ken Rothburg describes as a “resort lifestyle.”
It’s a style of living that has found enthusiastic supporters on both sides of the state line. It involves beautiful homes in a variety of living arrangements and values—and always a golf course. In fact, just about the only common denominator in this resort lifestyle is the golf course. But the courses—their geography, memberships and homes associations—vary widely. And they are more numerous than you might think.
There are a dozen or so nearby private courses in Kansas: Brookridge, Hallbrook, Indian Hills, Lake Quivira, Leawood South, Meadowbrook, Metcalf Ridge, Milburn, Mission Hills, Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions- Gate, Shadow Glen Golf Club at Cedar Creek, and Wolf Creek. These courses, the newer ones in particular, may also have homes “attached,” many arranged in clusters of similar value.
In Missouri, you can enjoy the lifestyle at Blue Springs,
Hillcrest, Lakewood Oaks, Loch Lloyd, The National
Golf Club, The Club at Stone Canyon in Independence
(opening this spring), and Staley Farms Golf Club. There
are more, of course, including Tiffany Greens Golf Club,
a semi-private club in Missouri, and two semi-private
clubs in Kansas: Deer Creek and Dub’s Dread.
There are also public golf courses with private homes such as the Shoal Creek Valley Golf Course, designed by Steve Wolfard and featuring what golf manager Ted Osmundson describes as “breathtaking elevation changes.” Golfers might recognize some of the scenery in the Midwest PGA Championship. Not just one but a list of builders has been approved to broaden your choices.
At Shadow Glen Golf Course at Cedar Creek, club membership stands at 300, with roughly 200 members living in Cedar Creek. Always aware of environmental concerns, the club maintains a 25-foot nature preserve between the golf course and the backyards of home owners. The club prides itself on being small enough that members don’t need to reserve a tee time.
Amenities at these communities can include everything from a lake, clubhouse, indoor gym, swimming pool, tennis courts, volley ball courts, nature trails—you name it. In fact, there are many options at all price levels, with the lowest beginning around $250,000 for the home to the multiple millions of dollars. Yes, a lot of green.
The National Golf Course of Kansas City in Parkville is Tom Watson’s first signature golf club. In additional to the usual amenities, The National also offers corporate retreats, golf getaways and lodges sleeping up to eight, all available through member referral. New here are townhouses and two gated communities. The club was recently named to Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Places to Live and Live Well for the third straight year.
Further east is the private Staley Farms Golf Club off Highway 152 and North Oak in Kansas City. Designed by Eric Iverson, the course is “challenging” with all bent grass greens designed to complement the wide fairways, according to developer Marty Ostronic. Pinnacle and Reece and Nichols market the homes of this community. About 750 families will eventually be playing volleyball, basketball, tennis, and golf, among other amenities.
Contrary to Kermit’s plaintive song, it’s not all
that hard being green, provided you have enough green.
That is, if we’re talking about living on the greens. 