This commitment led LINKS Magazine to select Seven Falls as one of the first sites of a LINKS Green House. Seven Falls is taking the opportunity to push the ecological envelope with a LEED-certified dream golf home. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the U.S. Green Building Council’s national benchmark for designing and constructing high-performance buildings.

LEED uses an independent third-party rating system to certify homes. Eight performance categories are rated and a home must achieve a minimal score of 45 points to qualify. The process is rigorous, even more so for houses reaching toward elite Platinum certification. But the rewards are great. According to the Green Building Council, “A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants.” And not insignificantly, a LEED-certified home dramatically decreases energy bills and increases resale values.

“This community is committed to the highest level of excellence in everything we do. That’s reflected in our choice to become a Palmer Premier club,” says the developer, Keith Vinson.

In fact, Seven Falls will be home to the first Arnold Palmer Premier championship golf club, a new golf and luxury lifestyle experience from the Arnold Palmer Design Company. Palmer Premier goes beyond the golf course deep into a community’s lifestyle, amenities and service, all of which must adhere to five-star standards. At the heart of Palmer Premier’s mission is their “sustainable yet beautiful” philosophy of creating pure golf experiences with core golf courses that are in harmony with the environment. 
 
The LINKS Green House at Seven Falls will be inspired by those standards.

The property for the Seven Falls green home has already been selected and the development team is actively reviewing eco-savvy architects to design their LINKS Green House. In the meantime, Seven Falls is busy practicing what they preach.

“Our first priority was to restore the land to its original grandeur,” says McIntosh. “We’re cleaning up the streams and the French Broad River, along with untangling the overgrowth that was threatening to choke dozens of waterfalls on our property.”

And even before a single resident has moved in, Seven Falls is planning an aggressive recycling program. They are also ready to provide complete resources for property owners so that they, too, can opt to build green.

“We’re excited about the LINKS Green House project,” says Vinson. “As a developer, it is our responsibility to lead by example.”