“Although there are many other developments in western North Carolina,”Draper continues, “Queens Gap has an extremely financially stable developer; they offered significant buying opportunities at this early stage of development; and the fact that Jack Nicklaus is creating the golf course is a huge benefit.”

Given free reign to cherry pick his routing path through the community’s spectacular mountainous terrain, Nicklaus has said, “Before we ever put pencil to paper or shovel to dirt, we knew the canvas exists for something truly special at Queens Gap.” Under construction now and slated to open in 2010, the Nicklaus Signature Course will weave its way along mountain streams, through forests and past scenic rock outcrops with long mountain views.

The private golf course community will feature 1,500 residences, mostly single-family homes, with every amenity you can think of for a life well-lived out of doors: Anglers and water sports enthusiasts will love the Outfitters Lodge and other resort-style water features; tennis fans will volley on courts made of DecoTurf, the same surface used on the courts of the U.S. Open; and Horse lovers will have a beautiful equestrian center and riding ring to compliment the miles of bridle trails throughout the property.

Above it all will rise the 10,000-square-foot Wellness Pavilion, a luxurious spa perched on a ridge with 60-mile views of the mountains.. 

Red Ledges, is a private golf and four-season recreational community in the making near Heber City, Utah, a small, friendly town situated in a farming valley between the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges. Less than an hour’s drive southeast of Salt Lake City, Red Ledges will encompass approximately 1,200 homes across nearly 2,000 acres, and boast an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, a Nicklaus Design nine-hole short course and a Jim McLean Practice and Instructional Facility as well as a premier spa and fitness facility. Troon Golf will manage the golf operations; the world’s largest golf-management company, with 38 facilities in a Top 100 ranking by national or international publications.

Tennis, anyone? Red Ledges will be the site of the first Cliff Drysdale Tennis Academy in the western U.S. and the first in a high-altitude location. In the coming years, The Red Ledges community will also feature private ski-in/ski-out club at nearby Deer Valley Resort, an equestrian center with indoor and outdoor facilities, private club boats at Jordanelle Reservoir and an extensive network of hiking, biking and riding trails for four-season activities.

The award-winning Zmistowski Design Group will be responsible for setting the architectural tone for the entire community and is designing the golf clubhouse, the Village Center, and amenity buildings. The firm also developed the architectural design guidelines for owners when designing and building their custom homes.

Find out more about Red Ledges by visiting the community’s “discovery centers” in Park City or at 2 Main St. in Heber City, as well as at the on-site center that opened earlier this year.