Four communities with Nicklaus Design layouts named Best Master-Planned Communities by Where to Retire magazine

Profiled and listed in alphabetical order by state, four communities with Nicklaus Design golf courses were included in the July/August issue of the “50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the U.S.” by Where to Retire magazine.
CantaMia at Estrella in Goodyear, Arizona, was named to the list. The Golf Club of Estrella, designed by Nicklaus Design President Jack Nicklaus II, opened for play in 1999 as the centerpiece amenity to the 55-and-up community. In addition to the daily-fee championship golf course, residents can enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness center, lakeside lounging areas, pickleball, dog parks, and the peaceful desert.
St. James Plantation in Southport, North Carolina, was also named a top-50 Best Master-Planned Community in the U.S. The community features four golf courses, including The Reserve Club at St. James Plantation, a Nicklaus Design layout that opened for play in 2006. The Reserve Club has been designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The community includes fitness centers, tennis courts, a marina, a beach club, and social clubs.
Woodside Plantation in Aiken, South Carolina, features The Reserve Course by Nicklaus Design. The community features walking trails, tennis, parks and green space, social clubs, volunteer opportunities, and more. The course features the same rolling terrain, southern pine-lined fairways and ideal climate made famous by nearby Augusta National.
Award-winning Cordillera Ranch in Boerne, Texas, was also named to the Best Master-Planned Communities list. Cordillera Ranch offers a unique park and trail system in the middle of Texas Hill Country. Parks include fire pits, sports fields, and covered pavilions, and trails are good for walking, biking or horseback riding. The property’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course is the centerpiece of the community and was named the 2014 Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Cordillera Ranch also features a sporting clays course, an equestrian center, and full fitness and spa facilities.
Selection criteria for the Best Master-Planned Communities list included lifestyle offerings, housing options, price points and architectural styles. Candidates needed a minimum of 400 homes at build-out and at least a one-year supply of new homes or lots. In addition, communities must have homes already constructed and lived in, with “phase one facilities,” such as clubhouses, recreational facilities or a golf course, in place.
Where to Retire is distributed to 200,000 readers nationally.