Overseas - July, 2007

Amanda Shiel looks at some stunning developments that not only boast tranquil surroundings but offer some top notch golfing facilities too

Pezula Resort, South Africa

Located on the eastern head of Knysna on South Africa's famous Garden Route, Pezula is surrounded by rugged cliffs, ancient forests and sheltered beaches, with sweeping views of the Indian Ocean, the Knysna Lagoon and the 18-hole Pezula Championship Golf Course.
The golf course is set against the gentle background of the Outeniqua Mountains and encompasses a protected nature reserve and forest. Ronald Fream and David Dale of GolfPlan USA designed the course in a combination of the Scottish links style and the parkland style.
Plots still available at the resort; residents can choose their own architect and contractor but must submit plans to the Pezula Group for approval prior to any work being undertaken. This is to ensure that buildings maintain the high design standards of the resort and uphold the regard given to the environment.
Prices range from ZAR 1,300,000 to ZAR 4,300,000 (approx £91,950 to £304,150). The cost of homes built on these plots is then dependent upon the type and size of structure the owner wishes to build and will vary accordingly.

For more information contact the Pezula Group on +27 44 302 5332 or visit pezula.com

Parque da Floresta, Western Algarve, Portugal

Parque da Floresta, on the borders of the Costa Vicentina Nature Reserve, has its own golf academy, spa and full range of sporting facilities. This includes the two latest phases that make up Quinta da Encosta Velha and overlook the front nine holes of the golf course. 
The golf course was designed by distinguished Spanish architect Pepe Gonzalez and opened in 1987 and features a demanding layout. With no two holes the same, the 9th hole (525m par 5) is the course’s most challenging with the approach shot to the pin being over a creek to a highly- elevated green.
Two-, three- and four-bedroom golf village houses are available with access to five communal swimming pools, each with a private garden, starting from €397,500 (approx. £261,000). Three-, four- and five-bedroom villas each with a private pool and garden start from €650,000 (approx. £450,000).

Contact Vigia Property Sales UK on 01223 316820 or visit parquedafloresta.com.

Royal Oaks Estates & Golf Club, New Brunswick, Canada

The first exclusive residential golf community in New Brunswick, Royal Oaks Estates & Golf Club is an award-winning golf development situated just outside Moncton which combines all the attributes of luxurious living with the beautiful surroundings of a championship golf course.
Designed by renowned golf course architect, Rees Jones, Royal Oaks Golf Club is an 18-hole par 72, links-style layout championship golf course measuring 7,103 yards in length. The course features tees and greens, strategic bunkering, demanding approaches and has an award- winning practice and teaching facility – all complemented by turf conditions which rival the best in the world. 

Plots start from £25,000 and an apart-hotel unit is available from CAD$214,200 (approx £94,260).
For more information on Royal Oaks Estates & Golf Club, contact Chesterton International on 0207 201 2078 and visit chesterton.co.uk.

Three Sisters Mountain Village, Alberta, Canada

Three Sisters Mountain Village is a four-season alpine resort community covering approximately 2,000 acres of land within the town of Canmore. It is located in the Bow River Valley at the foot of the Canadian Rockies, five minutes east of Banff National Park and an hour’s drive west of Calgary.
The developers creating this community are offering a wide range of properties, including detached family homes, townhouses, apartments and mountain chalets.
The Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club, designed by Gary Browning, features an 18-hole course that plays to a par-72 and provides mountain views every step of the way. Measuring some 7,195 yards from the back tees, the course provides vistas of the Rocky Mountains and offers 18 expertly-designed holes that wind through some of the world’s most spectacular terrain, creating a unique golfing experience. Featuring exposed bedrock formations, rock outcrops, rolling creeks, towering firs and lakes, it provides an engrossing round for every level of golfer.

Prices start at CAD $580,000 (approx £253,126).
Contact Newfound Property International on +44 (0) 20 8605 or see newfoundproperty.com.

Monte Mayor Golf and Country Club, Costa del Sol, Spain

The 900-acre La Heredia de Monte Mayor, Monte Mayor Golf & Country Club development is spread over two valleys in the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja on the cosmopolitan Costa del Sol. La Heredia will comprise of 135 two-, three- and four-bedroom luxury townhouses, each of which will have a unique design. Property features will include fireplaces, double-glazing, underfloor heating with climate control, garage space and storage space.
Created in 1989 by Jose Gancedo, the course is maintained in immaculate condition and is quite unlike any other course anywhere in the country. Monte Mayor’s tricky layout over mountainous terrain rewards the bold and the accurate. The course runs through a mountain valley, with ravines and gullies, winding streams, raised tees and fairways set on a broad plateau all part of the course.
Among the tests at Monte Mayor is the 385 yard, par-4 seventh.

Prices at Monte Mayor start at €695,000 (approx. £472,223).
Call La Perla International Living on 00 31 20 589 40 70 or visit laperlainternationalliving.com.

San Donato, Abruzzo, Italy

San Donato is located 850 metres above sea level and is surrounded by a residential village just 10 minutes from the historic city of l’Aquilay. Positioned in a valley in the Italian Apennine Mountains with a backdrop of trees and mountains, the location of San Donato golf course is certainly striking. The rolling terrain, tight tricky greens, as well as placed hazards and trees, mean that the course is challenging to the experienced golfer and playable to the novice.
Residences at San Donato comprise 100 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Facilities include a swimming pool, fitness centre, restaurants, bars, a golf pro-shop and clubhouse. Owners are offered a discounted fee for golf course membership and green fees. Owners also have access to all on-site facilities. Prices at San Donato Golf start at £76,000 going up to £239,900. Completion is expected in March 2009.

For more information contact Overseas Homesearch on +44 (0) 800 652 0769 or visit             
overseashomesearch.co.uk.

Royal Mougins, France

This two double bedroom fully furnished villa on the Royal Mougins golf course includes a couple’s membership to the exclusive course.
Established in 1993, the privately owned club boasts a par 71 championship course over 6556 yards and is consistently ranked amoungst the world's best courses. The course and its facilities are located in the Medieval village of Mougins, just 10 minutes from Cannes and 20 from Nice's airport. The Provencal landscape is dominated by olive trees on ancient stone wall terraces and as such creates a playing field of spectacular natural beauty.

Besides the golf, members will benefit from the additional club facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, fine dining restaurants and the soon to be completed spa.
Priced at €651,000. Contact 01959 561737 or visit TotallyRiviera.com.

 

Turkey is both an important seat of history and a thriving, modern country, the gateway to the East as well as laid-back Mediterranean playground.
Turkey means so many things, including one of the world’s great tourist destination. And now, UK property buyers are seeing that Turkish property is a winning proposition. In Bodrum, in particular, buyers are coming to holiday and returning to buy.

The beautiful Mediterranean coastline is a favourite with everyone from family holidayers to the upper echelons of the jet set. Bodrum, with its azure waters and plentiful sunshine, is world renowned for its sailing, and a glance at the elegance of the yachts and gulet boats tied up at the Bodrum marina will tell you that this is an A-list locale.

For history, Bodrum Castle is a breathtaking journey through thousands of years of turbulence, culture, ancient treasures and stately beauty. The charming old town is a relaxed, charming place – and a great place to shop. High-quality gold is a particular specialty of this part of Turkey, while other jewellery along with fabrics are high on the shopping list of the traveller to Turkey.
The welcome is warm, the people laid-back and friendly – which goes a long way towards helping visitors relax. Property buyers, too, will be reassured by the straightforward, good-natured way business is conducted here.

First, and very importantly for an overseas property, it is easy to get to from the UK. As I travelled there just before high season, my journey involved changing planes in Istanbul. Besides being tantalisingly close to one of the world’s great cities without being able to experience it, this gave me the chance to see the journey at its most difficult. In actual fact, it wasn’t difficult at all – and the fact that direct flights go to and from Bodrum during the high summer simplifies the process of owning property, as well as finding rental business for that property.

Artev Homes currently offers three sites in the area surrounding Bodrum. And with each of these, the developer’s very low-cost optional rental service makes investing easy. Not only will Artev use its best efforts to see that your property is rented, but it will also act as a full-service maintenance provider: maid service and inventory checks between guests, key handover and 24-hour reception facilities are part of the Artev Homes rentals plan – all for a £200 annual registration fee.
Guests at Hillside will experience what Nihat Uğur, rental supervisor for Artev Homes, calls ‘a hotel system. We are the only ones in Turkey who do this.’
Although there is no guaranteed rental income, Artev calculates that buyers will see an annual return of five per cent of their purchase price at its Hillside Garden development. This scheme is a collection of 144 apartments and 40 villas near Yalikavak, about 19km from Bodrum and about 45 minutes from Bodrum airport. These properties are extremely family-friendly, with a wide range of activities for both children and grown-ups. There are ten communal pools, as well as tennis courts and a life-size chess set. The site also boasts a restaurant and gym.

The development offers beautiful views across the bay towards Karlak – and there are both sandy and pebble beaches nearby. Golf courses are also plentiful nearby. This is a wonderful environment in which to forget work stress and unwind with your family or friends.
Hillside Garden is well over 80 per cent sold, a testament to the impressive investment package these properties represent.

Near Didim, just a shuttle boat from popular Bozric, Artev Homes offers Apollonia, which will be a perfect idyll for those who want a quiet holiday. Off-plan sales are brisk, and this development, according to Uğur, ‘appeals to both investors and those who plan to settle’.
Apollonia will have apartments, link-attached homes and town houses. ‘Seventy per cent of people who buy here are investors,’ he says. ‘The other 30 per cent buy here to live here, maybe six months here and six months in the UK.’
This part of the coast enjoys particularly pleasant weather; its low humidity means those who suffer from asthma and other breathing difficulties are particularly keen on the area. The shallow sandy beach is also a calm, friendly bathing place, and Artev is extending the existing beach inland to create an approximately 400m x 30m area of white sand between the sea and the properties. The beach will be private to the development.

Every apartment has a sea view of some kind – a truly excellent draw for holidaymakers and investors alike. Completion is due in May 2009 and already over half are sold. Three-bedroom villas with two-and-a-half baths are priced from around £100,000. The properties are being marketed in The Netherlands, Russia and Scandinavia as well as the UK.
Those who want the chance to invest in a very tourist-friendly area should act quickly by calling +90 252 374 54 44 or visiting artevhomes.com.