How do you build a luxury 27-hole golf course community in the Kennesaw area of Cobb County, where land is no longer cheap or plentiful?
Well, it helps if you have a head start --- say 18 holes in one of the city's oldest golf clubs.
Overlook at Marietta Country Club is a joint venture between Marietta Country Club and developers Province-Grace. "We had been looking at the Murray property for years," said David Swales, a partner of Province-Grace. "You couldn't ask for prettier undeveloped land or a more convenient location. There's a view of Kennesaw Mountain and a 28-acre spring-fed lake, and the tract is right across the street from the Marietta Country Club."
So instead of starting from scratch, Province-Grace built an additional Robert Cupp-designed nine holes for the golf club. They also put in a golf cart tunnel that goes under Stilesboro Road to connect the two courses.
Surrounding the greens and the lake will be 399 upscale and custom homes with additional recreational amenities. "By next summer, we'll have well over 100 families living here," Swales said. Since opening in December, the community has sold more than 80 homes to families, empty-nesters, golf members and possible future members.
"We are thrilled to have this high-quality neighbor. The developers had real vision, and they haven't cut any corners in what they are doing," said Thomas Kellerhoff, general manager of the country club.
Bill and Gail Kelly were the first homeowners to move in last April. As members of the golf club, they had seen Overlook developing and decided to make a move up to a stone and cedar-shake house on the lake. "This area has a lot of good things going for it," said Bill Kelly. Residents like the shopping and restaurants on Barrett Parkway and at Town Center mall.
The schools are good and nearby, including Kennesaw Mountain High, a magnet for math and science, Kennesaw State University and the new campus of Mount Paran Christian School. The community also is close to I-75 and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
"We feel like the developers and builders are doing a nice job. They're saving trees and even putting in new ones. It was a good choice for us, and we're glad to be here," Kelly said.
An English-cottage custom home and a more convenient lifestyle lured Margaret and Jack Adam to Overlook. "I'm originally from Scotland, but we've lived within the city limits of Marietta since 1967." Now their kids are grown, and they would "rather socialize than take care of the pool," said Margaret Adam. "This is a big change for us, but we think it's going to be a fabulous neighborhood."
The couple chose a lot on the lake in the Links at Falkirk and a home with a master bedroom on the main level, a bigger kitchen and a large sunroom. "We were already club members, so now it's easier to play golf or go to yoga class," Adam said. She's excited about having a new nine holes to try out, and with three small grandchildren, the couple plans to be walking down to the neighborhood tot lot and pool next summer.
Overlook has four neighborhoods under construction, with homes and townhouses ranging from the $300,000s to $1 million. The amenities are already complete. You'll find a two-story clubhouse, playground, pool with a tower slide, toddler pool with a mushroom and five lighted tennis courts.
"That tower slide is the new Big Chicken around here," said on-site broker Sarah Jefferson. "The kids take one look at that and want to move in."
The pool and tennis courts were a deciding factor for Beth and Rick Gray and their two sons. "We weren't planning to move. In fact, we'd just remodeled our house, but this location was so close to the boys' school and our church," said Beth Gray. The new campus of Mount Paran Christian School on Stanley Road opened last year.
Seeing the lake, pool, water slide and tennis courts tipped the scale. The family bought a stone and cedar-shake cottage-style home and two kayaks. "The boys have aleady caught a few fish --- not as large as they would like, of course. They think this is a great place to have friends over, and we've cut way down on the time we spend in the car," she said.
Instead of spending 40 minutes to an hour getting to Mount Paran each morning, Mike and Susan Hostetler are sleeping in this fall. Now that they live just across the street from the school, he can drop his son off on the way to work.
Growing up in the area, Mike Hostetler remembered sneaking onto the old Murray property to fish as a teenager.
"I get a call about 2 every afternoon now," he said. "It's my 5-year-old son saying, 'Daddy, when are you coming home? I want to go out on the boat,' " he said. "We have a little johnboat, and the kids love it," said Susan Hostetler. "Our neighbors bought two ducks for the lake, and the kids named them Donald and Daisy. They follow us in the boat because we feed them about three times a day."
The couple built with Traton Homes in Murray's Loch. "They really customized the house to fit your needs and personality," she said. "We'd have an idea and the builder would tell us how he could do it.
"We have a vaulted family room, and the whole back of the house is windows with views of the lake and the golf course," said Susan Hostetler.
For Dave and Margie Hutchinson, Overlook was the answer to a two-year search for a luxury townhouse. "We wanted to simplify out lifestyle but still have all the comforts of a home," said Dave Hutchinson. "We looked at so many townhouses. This community had everything we wanted."
Their three-level brick townhouse in Winterfield Court has a view of Kennesaw Mountain, spacious rooms, 10-foot ceilings and a garage large enough for two cars, a golf cart and storage.
"The blend of block stone, brick and copper on the outside gives them a different look, and the interior finishes are tremendous. The cabinetry is imported from Italy," said Hutchinson. "It took us one day to decide this was absolutely where we wanted to be."
The Hutchinsons were sold by the quality of the townhouses and felt that the custom homes, the golf course and the neighborhood clubhouse and recreational amenities increased their home's value.
"Now instead of cutting grass or putting out pine straw on the weekends, we're asking ourselves, 'Are we going to go away or play golf?' Those are the big decisions."
History
Founded in 1915, Marietta Country Club moved from Powder Springs Road in Marietta to Stilesboro Road near Kennesaw in 1989. The club was landlocked and needed room to expand.
About two years ago, the country club partnered with developers Province-Grace (David Swales, Hank Rowland and Melba Blackwood) to buy the 300-acre Murray property across the street.
With plans to expand the club and build an upscale residential community, the joint venture created Overlook at Marietta Country Club. Connected by a golf cart tunnel under Stilesboro Road, the community adds nine Robert Cupp-designed golf holes to the club, making it the only 27-hole golf course in Cobb County.
It also will build 399 single-family homes and townhouses priced from about the $300,000s to $1 million. Builders in Overlook include John Willis Homes, Haymore Contractors, Monte Hewett Homes, Province Properties, Ray Vick Homes, Traton Homes and Vision Built Homes.
Residents may seek membership at the private Marietta Country Club, which in January starts a $10 million renovation.
Source: Atlanta-Journal Constitution