The pines, the doglegs, the swirling fairways all hint at a design conscious of the charms of Augusta National, just 20 minutes away from Aiken and Mount Vintage Plantation.
After the Masters ends on Sunday, the sports pundits will spend a lot of ink and airtime telling us all why Trevor Immelman was able to hang on to his lead going into Saturday, or how Retief Goosen re-discovered his putting stroke to master Augusta's greens, or (yet, once again) how Tiger was able to make his move on Saturday and vault the field. (Note: I'm picking Stephen Ames to win, for whatever that is worth.)
But I'd like to read some commentary about where the winners of the Masters have stayed during the event. I have a feeling it wasn't at a Holiday Inn Express. This could be useful in future office pools or my annual competition with friends and son (I rarely win, so I am looking for any little advantage).
I'm thinking about this especially this weekend because a few years ago, when I visited Mount
If I were competing in the Masters - dream on -- Mount Vintage would be a great choice to relax and practice away from the glare of cameras and hangers on. The community is probably familiar to many of you from its ads in golf magazines. The photograph they use looks, at first glance, as if it is of Augusta National. Front and center is a dead ringer for the famed Hogan Bridge that leads players over Rae's Creek to the 12th green. Mount Vintage's bridge is paved with green carpeting as well. The community, in Aiken, SC, features 27 holes of golf with more planned. Its doglegs and swirling fairways are not a bad place to prep for the Masters, although no substitute for the real thing. A few faithful readers of this site have purchased property at Mount Vintage and are quite happy with their decision. One is planning to build what could be the first "green" home in the community.
Other communities in the Aiken area also attract players from the Masters during the week. Nearby Woodside Plantation features three golf courses and price points in the mid-six figures and higher, a little bit lower than Mount Vintage's prices. Cedar Creek features a course by one of my favorite designers, Arthur Hills, and homes that begin around $300,000 and don't push much past $500,000 (the course is open to the public, unlike the others mentioned). A number of communities have sprouted up in recent years even closer to Augusta, but I have not visited them yet.
Aiken is a charming southern town, about an hour from the mountains and five times as far from the ocean. It is less than a half hour from Augusta. Let me know if you would like an introduction to a qualified real estate agent in the Aiken area. There is no cost or obligation to you whatsoever. Also, I dedicated one of my first newsletter articles to Aiken's communities. Let me know if you would like a copy and I will email it to you (PDF file). Just hit the "Contact Us" button at the top of the page.
