Bonita Bay Group announces that a golf learning center and a short-game practice area are under construction at The Club at Mediterra, the 1,697-acre master-planned community in North Naples.
The 1,800-square-foot golf learning center will be located at the south end of The Club's double-sided driving range. The center's design reflects the Mediterranean character of Mediterra and complements the clubhouse architecture. The facility will include an enclosed hitting station and a room reserved for video equipment and a launch monitor. Members will also have two open hitting stations adjacent to the structure to practice long shots, and the stations will be used for private instruction, according to Bob Byrnes, director of golf.
"The enclosed station will be reserved for private instruction and offer video taping with analysis from two angles," Byrnes says. "We will also have video capability at the open stations, which will be covered and partitioned for privacy."
The short-game practice area features three greens on approximately 2.5 acres.
"The practice area has been designed as a natural extension of the golf courses and allows members to replicate the short-game shots found on the North Course and the South Course," Byrnes says.
"One green is designed for pitch and high-loft shots from up to 50 years away, the second is designed for chip shots from various lies, as well as 'bump and run' shots, and the third is specifically for putting," Byrnes says. A large bunker will protect the front of the pitching green and allow members to work on sand shots and lob shots over the bunker onto the green.
"Mediterra residents have a tremendous affinity for golf, with more than half holding golf memberships," said Byrnes. He explained that the national conversion of residents purchasing golf memberships is less than 35 percent. "The new amenities will allow us to significantly enhance our golf instructional program for members and complete the overall golf experience." An opening is planned for the first quarter of 2007.
Bonita Bay Group is developing Mediterra with the same commitment to meticulous planning, environmental stewardship, integrity and attention to detail that is evident at its flagship community, Bonita Bay. Bonita Bay received the development industry's highest international honor when it was named the Outstanding Large-Scale Community of the Year by the Urban Land Institute.
The community is being created with the intimacy, charm and classical style of the Mediterranean region of Europe. The overall master plan for the 1,697-acre community may include up to 950 residences and more than 1,000 acres of open space. Residents are eligible for membership in The Club at Mediterra, which offers two Tom Fazio-designed championship golf courses, a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse, named best clubhouse in 2004 by the CBIA, and a tennis, swim and fitness center.
The private Mediterra Beach Club on the Gulf of Mexico features an elevated swimming pool, expansive sundeck, and indoor and al fresco dining overlooking 200 feet of shoreline. All residents enjoy miles of bicycle paths and nature trails leading to a series of themed neighborhood parks. Parque Celestial, featuring an array of astrological references, was awarded the American Society of Landscape Architects' Florida Chapter Award of Excellence. The community's second park, Calusa Play Park, offers children and adults an opportunity to learn more about the Calusa Indians, the earliest inhabitants of Southwest Florida.
Mediterra was named Community of the Year by the Collier Building Industry Association for four consecutive years, received the Award of Excellence for Open Spaces from the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and was recently listed by Golf Magazine Living as one of The 50 Best Golf Communities in America. The Club at Mediterra has been honored with the 2002 Environmental Leaders in Golf Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and Golf Digest magazine in the private course category, and it is the first-ever 36-hole course to earn Audubon International's Silver Signature Sanctuary status.
For more information, call 800-775-3560, or visit the Web site at www.mediterranaples.com.