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Ontario's exotic Cobble Beach golf resort community is dramatically changing the Grey Bruce landscape
August 16, 2011…Toronto - Cobble Beach golf resort community - an untapped waterfront oasis just a 2.5 hour drive from Toronto - is encouraging vacationers to bypass the typical, saturated Ontario regions. Offering windswept coastal vistas of Georgian Bay and an 18-hole links-style golf course, it evokes the feeling of being on the Scottish seaside. Dubbed as ‘the gateway to the sound’ everything at Cobble Beach is inspired by the water’s edge. The Nantucket-style clubhouse and boutique Inn, by architect Richard Wengle was designed without a defined front or back for optimal views, and features windows and rooflines that are intended to draw the eye to the water. With its casual sophistication, the building incorporates natural, local materials and a soft colour palette of earth, water, and sky. Inside, the five-star spa, indoor fitness facility, and fine dining amenities that overlook 1.6 km of glistening Georgian Bay shoreline are dramatically changing the perception of Owen Sound from quaint to a luxury destination. Get outside The multi-award winning, Doug Carrick designed golf course reveals stunning views of Georgian Bay from each of its’ 18 holes. Golfers will delight in the fresh challenge of this links-style course; the likes of which are rare this side of the Atlantic. Even non-golfers can enjoy resort-style amenities that include a swimming pool and U.S. Open style tennis courts as well as year-round recreation on Cobble’s over 10 KM of hiking/biking/snowshoeing/cross-country skiing trails. Extend the weekend and live there year round… Attracting local and international interest, purchasers at Cobble Beach will have the benefit of building their dream home, townhome, luxury estate, or villa amid the 574-acres of coastal landscape. Careful planning ensures that most homes at Cobble Beach will have a dramatic view. Reid’s Heritage Homes are Energy Star certified and finely appointed with grand fronts, large great rooms, open concept kitchens, and stone fireplaces with mantels. Detached bungalows and bungalofts starting at 1210 sq ft are priced from $386,600, while townhomes start at 1672 sq ft and are priced from $339,900. Grove townhomes start at $369,200 and feature a walkout basement with deck and view of the water as well as a beautiful large upper deck off the living room. Other features include second floor loft spaces and standard luxury finishes such as granite in the kitchen and master en-suite. With the Reid’s Heritage Homes Dream book, purchasers of detached homes are not limited to one static design. They can leap into multiple options by changing any aspect of their selected model. A great loft space or the addition of a breakfast nook is just one quick change away. The Dream book uses plan overlays to help purchasers envision their home, their way. Homeowners are encouraged to think about how they live, and edit each plan to optimize their space. Northridge Homes works directly with purchasers to create a custom dream home of any style or size with lots starting at $149,900. Those interested also have the option to bring in an outside builder to develop their selected lot. This summer only, purchasers at Cobble Beach will receive a family membership to the golf course, worth over $40,000. Vision behind the project is as dramatic as the landscape Cobble Beach is the heart of the McLeese family, whose three generations have discovered, designed, and now developed the property. The passion and family dedication can be felt in every aspect of the resort community from the LEED-certified model home, to the naming of the streets, clubhouse, and rooms at the boutique inn, which all have significance to the family. “Cobble Beach is a McLeese legacy. The whole family is involved; no one is left out,” explains owner Rob McLeese. Unlike developments of this kind, which typically install the amenities last, McLeese prioritized the shoreline, golf course, and clubhouse before turning his mind to the creation of a community of private residences. The charming waterfront clubhouse is heated geothermally, in keeping with the family’s dedication to sustainable practices. Similarly, no expense was spared to ensure the long term sustainability of the golf course. Rob McLeese’s mandate was to do it once, and do it right. “It was my father’s vision to develop a brand new Greenfield community from scratch,” Rob explains, “one that is compatible with environmental and McLeese principles.” Just a few of the measures taken include; drought-tolerant turf, which requires less water and pesticides; additional irrigation, conserving water with better control; and environmental buffer zones which capture run-off, preventing it from affecting the bay. What more could one ask for? “Other than the amazing views and amenities, the best feature at Cobble Beach would have to be the friendliness of the people; the community and the staff,” says resident Susan Richardson.The Cobble Beach Experience Centre is open 7days/week from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is located at Lot 14, 126 Cobble Beach Drive, Kemble ON N0H 1S0 T.226.664.0064. For more information call 1.877.781.0149, email sales@cobblebeach.com, or visit www.cobblebeach.com.
Where we play
GOLFWORLD.COM, April 4, 2011
I PROBABLY NEVER would have heard of Cobble Beach GL,on the shores of Georgian Bay some three hours northwest of Toronto, had it not been for my (sainted) mother-in-law, who lives no more than a five-minute drive from the course. She and her neighbors still draw their household water from the bay, so naturally there was some initial concern about the new course's environmental implications. During the 2006 construction, I paid a visit to the site and met the architect, Doug Carrick. One of Canada's top designers, Carrick quickly assured me a series of containment ponds would collect any runoff and circulate water around the property.
I came away from that early tour intrigued by the natural beauty of the place-some holes run either down toward or right along the high bayside bluffs, while others track through pleasant upland meadows. Subsequent visits to play the finished course have never disappointed. Carrick's style here is middle-of-the-road modern, which I don't mean as a slight. It's just that the course is neither an exercise in ground-hugging "minimalism" nor one of muscle-flexing 'dozer work and eye-candy shaping.
The course is not without flaws-the aforementioned ponds conspire with narrow fairways to push a couple of the par 5s a bit too far into penal territory, especially since this is one of the windiest parts of Ontario. But overall, Carrick has a knack for creating memorable, enjoyable holes. Cobble Beach's best feature is its excellent variety of par 4s: from the long and strong third to the gulch-crossing 13th to the drivable (for some-not this guy) 15th, with its undulating green attractively sited just beyond a rocky stream.
The Grey-Bruce peninsula around Cobble Beach isn't Toronto's big-money vacationland. But it's a nice family destination with lots to do in the summer (as freshwater sand beaches go, Lake Huron is pretty hard to beat). I'll be sticking with the home cooking, but Cobble Beach's 10-bedroom inn, set within the Nantucket-style clubhouse, would make a good base for exploring the area. - Thomas Dunne
NOW DO YOU KNOW
Consistent winds and shallow depths make the waters around the Grey-Bruce peninsula one of the world's top kite-surfing destinations. A number of local outfitters can help get you set up.
Cobble Beach GL
Cobble Beach Drive
Township of Georgian Bluffs
Kemble, Ontario N0H 1S0
888-278-8112
www.cobblebeach.com
Green fees: $85-$140
Cool Entertainment
What do singer Carol Welsman, a Beatles tribute band and the chef at the Cobble Beach Inn have in common? They’ve all shared their skills at Georgian Bay’s Golf Resort Community this summer!
I am heading over to Cobble Beach in September, and cannot wait! It sounds pretty awesome.
Cobble Beach offers custom estate homes, single-family homes and villas situated around an 18-hole Doug Carrick-designed course. To celebrate the resort-style living residents enjoy, a series of free weekend events is being held at the Cobble Beach Club House, and Experience Centre - and the celebrations will continue through the fall. I wonder what will be happening the weekend I am there!
In July, a concert featuring Canadian singer Carol Welsman proved a huge hit. A nominee for International Female Vocalist at the AMERICAN Smooth Jazz Awards to be presented in Los Angeles this October, Ms. Welsman impressed everyone with her expressive vocal styling. In August, the Club House was rocking with the sound of John, Paul, Ringo and George as Canada’s top Beatles tribute band, The Caverners, performed to screaming fans.
Among the musicians offering weekend performances are Michael Nyman, Marty Oakes and Bill Candy. Artistic happenings range from a Tom Thomson seminar to displays by artists and photographers such as Peter John Reid, Carol Ann Barrett, Noel Martin, Carol Ann Norris, Heather Hughes, James Culligan, Eleanor Pauling, Sue Allison, Elaine Davison and Judy Gray. In September, watch for a Bird Tour with Peter Middleton, apple farm tastings and more wine tastings and chef samplings.
Cobble Beach’s Nantucket-style Club House and 10-room boutique-style Inn feature the Sweetwater Grill for five-star dining. Community amenities include full meeting facilities, US Open-style tennis courts, a plunge swimming pool, decadent Spa, over 5,000 feet of Georgian Bay shoreline, a sand beach and 8 kilometres of trails.
The Residences of Cobble Beach is a collection of ENERGY STAR®-certified bungalofts and single detached homes by Reid’s Heritage Homes, priced from the mid- $300,000s. Building lots are also available for those who wish to custom design and build a home with Northridge Homes.
The Cobble Beach Experience Centre is located at 126 Cobble Beach Drive in the Township of Georgian Bluffs, 10 km north of Owen Sound, just off Grey Road 1. Call 226-664-0064; toll free 1-877-781-0149; or visit www.cobblebeach.com.
Golf course community has a big water view
About 10 kilometres north of Owen Sound on the south shores of Georgian Bay, Cobble Beach Golf Links is a popular destination that was recently named one of Canada’s top 20 golf resorts by an American publication, LINKS Magazine.
read more But golfers were not the only ones flocking there this summer.
A series of events – including a concert by a Beatles tribute band, wine tastings and a Tom Thomson seminar – drew crowds to the golf resort community, which is being redeveloped to include 950 custom estates, single-family homes and villas.
“People are starting to recognize that it does have some pretty special things,” says Rob McLeese, who is the president of the development company, Georgian Villas.
For instance, in addition to the Doug Carrick-designed golf course anchoring the 574-acre site, there is a Nantucket-style clubhouse and inn, more than 5,000 feet of shoreline, eight kilometres of trails and a rare sandy beach.
“I can’t think of any other resorts or communities that are like this that have the big water views, that have access to the water and have all the amenities so close by,” says Mr. McLeese.
Without leaving the community, residents can enjoy a fireside lounge, restaurant, spa, pool, U.S. Open-style tennis courts and meeting facilities.
The new Village Centre will offer a café, skating rink and an aquatics centre with an indoor pool, deck and gym. More groomed trails and docking facilities are also planned.
Heading off site, it is only minutes to the Bruce Trail and a 400-slip marina, and an hour to Blue Mountain’s ski hills.
“We have seven waterfalls within half an hour of Cobble Beach and 12 lighthouses within an hour,” adds Mr. McLeese. “The area’s got all kinds of neat things.”
In town, there are schools, a hospital and popular eateries, such as Norma Jean’s Restaurant, Rocky Raccoon Café and Chaise Lounge.
“People don’t realize how developed Owen Sound is,” Mr. McLeese states. “You’ve got all these big box stores for shopping and the downtown is still quite quaint.”
Interested buyers can purchase a lot in the first phase from $149,900, and custom design a home with Northridge Homes.
For buyers who prefer to select from floor plans, Reid’s Heritage Homes offers attached and detached bungalows with optional lofts.
“Our lots are big by city standards,” says Mr. McLeese. “Our smallest lot right now is 55 by 150 [feet], usually backing onto a ravine or golf course.”
Each home with have low rooflines and strategically-placed windows to maximize sightlines of the greens and open waters.
The Elderslie is a popular detached bungalow plan with a loft, a main floor master suite, a den, a two-storey great room and an eat-in kitchen, as well as mudroom/laundry room with access to a double garage.
Homes will take more than five months to build; however, there are model homes and villas available for immediate occupancy.
To minimize residents’ environmental impact, Reid’s will build homes to meet Energy Star standards; the clubhouse is heated and cooled with geothermal energy; grounds are landscaped with native plants; and outdoor lighting follows dark sky guidelines.
Lot and home prices include an initiation fee for membership to Cobble Beach Golf Links. Additional monthly fees will apply for social and golf memberships, grounds keeping and maintenance of common areas and amenities
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