The Elegant Augusta Real Estate Blog

Lydia Taylor September 28th, 2007

North Augusta is not very well known for it’s golf communities. In fact, I think it’s more known for it’s quiet, slower pace, with open fields and valleys and good fishing holes. But in fact there are a number of excellent courses in the area, and I’d like to point out that we have some excellent golfing communities that are very affordable.

The River Golf Club

Are you interested in living along the scenic Savannah River? How about having a short commute to either North Augusta or Augusta? How about some fantastic golf? Well if your answer is yes, the River Club may be for you!

The River Club is semi-private. The public green fees include cart fees as only members can walk the course. The fee schedule itself varies but they do offer discounts for seniors and twilight play. They also offer package deals for groups and events.

Members of the club get priority tee times, unlimited greens fees, and are allowed to walk during play. There are individual and family memberships available.

The course itself has amazing views of the Savannah River, and is a full-fledged 18-hole Jim Fazio design. They offer Black, Blue, White, and Gold tee placements, which vary the yardage from the black tees at 6847 yards to 5647 yards for the gold tees.

There are two ways to get a home in River Club, either by purchasing a River Club home along the Savannah River, or by buying a property in the adjacent Hammond’s Ferry.

Be careful about contacting Hammond’s Ferry independently… They use their own real estate agents and just by contacting them you will be locked in to using their agent. This will leave you without any representation on your behalf. Make sure you already have a signed client agreement with your own Realtor if you wish to inquire there.

Additional Information:
River Club Website
Hammond’s Ferry

Elegant Augusta GA Real Estate Resources:
Homes for Sale in the River Club
A more detailed profile of the River Club

Midland Valley Golf Club

Midland Valley is a public course located right off of #1 Highway between North Augusta and Aiken. The course itself is an Ellis Maples design that was built back in 1963. The age of the course has worked to it’s benefit. Like a fine wine, the surroundings have only gotten better with age. The hardwoods and pines lining the fairways are old-growth, giving you an impression of solidity. The course seems to remind you that it has been here for a while and aims to stay.

There are a good amount of water hazards on the course and plenty of elevation changes, making it a challenge for the casual duffer. It’s not unusual to play through ducks and geese that bed down on some of the ponds, and every few years there is a gator sighting.

The course itself has 3 tee placements, varying the playable yardage from a high of 6900 yards to 5500 yards. It is the site of US Senior Amateur play and of US Open qualifying rounds. The par 71 course has Bermuda grass greens.

Midland Valley homes have lots of square footage and even larger lots. Typically the homes are around 3000 to 3500 square feet, and most of the lots are an acre or more. The bulk of the neighborhood dates from the late 60’s and 70’s, though construction has continued into recent years.

Elegant Augusta GA Real Estate Resources:
Homes for Sale in Midland Valley Country Club

North Augusta Golf and Country Club

The North Augusta Golf and Country Club is situated right off of Gregory Lake Road, just to the North of North Augusta proper. Another long-established club, it dates from 1962.

The Club as of this writing is going through a rebuilding era due to tragically losing their clubhouse by fire in the spring. They are building a bigger and better clubhouse that should be complete in early 2008. The new clubhouse will have banquet rooms, day care, a spa & fitness facility, and 6 court tennis area.

They also offer a really nice swimming pool in addition to the 18-hole golf course that features Bermuda greens. Memberships are very affordable, with monthly fees usually under $200/month, but count on an initiation fee as well.

You can’t buy homes ‘in the North Augusta Country Club’, but you can certainly buy homes nearby. The club itself is beginning work on a development called the Pinery, but ground has not broken at present. The newest development in the area is probably Bergen Place. If you want to find homes for sale near North Augusta Country Club, I’ll be happy to look for you, or you can try my Google Map Home Search.

The North Augusta Golf Club has been on a drive to increase their membership, and management is leading them to new and better things. With the new clubhouse in the pipe-line, the future looks very bright for North Augusta Country Club.

Additional Information:
North Augusta Golf and Country Club Website

Elegant Augusta GA Real Estate Resources:
Homes for Sale in Bergen Place

Other Golf Communities in the Area

There are 3 other South Carolina golf communities within easy driving distance of North Augusta: Mt. Vintage (an equestrian club located in Edgefield, SC), Pine Ridge (situated between Edgefield and Johnson), and Sage Valley (in Vaucluse, right off of Bettis Academy Road.)

There are 5 more golf clubs around Aiken, SC: Palmetto Golf Club, Aiken Golf Club, Woodside Plantation, Houndslake, and Cedar Creek.

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Lydia Taylor May 30th, 2007

This week I decided to write about one of my favorite neighborhoods in North Augusta- Palmetto Place!Geographically, Palmetto Place rests in the ‘Vee’ created by Ascauga and Sudlow Lake Roads. This area is out of the city limits of North Augusta; and even though it is in Aiken County, it is on the extreme north-western edge. Edgefield County is only 5 minutes away.

That brings us to a unique advantage of this community. Situated barely a half mile from Ascauga Lake Road, 2 miles to Highway 25 and Interstate 20, 3 miles from Highway 1, and soon to be less than 2 miles from Bobby Jones, this neighborhood offers ideal access to all points of the CSRA in moments. As such, residents of Palmetto Place work in many varied places: the hospitals of Augusta, the shops of Aiken, the rural areas of Edgefield, and the factories of South Augusta.

A bird’s eye view of Palmetto Place showing it’s proximity to Ascauga and Sudlow Lake Roads.

There are only two roads in this small neighborhood: Maplewood Drive which circles around on itself, and Red Maple Court, which ends in a small cul-de-sac. There are approximately 85 houses in Palmetto Place.

Palmetto Place is located just north of the Horse Creek Valley area, which is characterized by spring-fed ponds. In the immediate vicinity of the neighborhood are no fewer than six ponds. The community itself is closed in by ponds on 3 sides - so it’s not going to get much bigger than it is now! A few houses at the back of the neighborhood have backyard access to the largest pond. There is also a community pool which is maintained by homeowners dues of $200 per year.

The neighborhood was built in multiple phases, a majority, from 15 to 10 years ago. As such, many homeowners have added features to their homes such as larger garages or workshops and privacy fences. The homes vary in price and size from around $160K to $350K; and 2000 to 3000 square feet. The lots themselves don’t get very large - usually less than an acre. Typically the interiors feature tray ceilings, garden tubs, his and her vanities, and other upscale amenities. All the homes have two car garages and in-ground sprinkler systems. The neighborhood is characterized by low turnover - only a few homes have been sold in the last year. Most have sold very quickly, except for a couple that were unfortunately priced above market.

The neighborhood is zoned for Belvedere Elementary and North Augusta Middle and High Schools.

Local attractions are many: lots of public golf courses in the area, Green Jackets baseball, North Augusta and Midland Valley High School sports, Clarks Hill Lake, shopping and dining in Augusta, equestrian activities in Aiken- you name it. It is my belief that this area will only continue to grow. One thing is for sure- you will enjoy living in this quiet and mature neighborhood.

If you wish to see all the properties available in this neighborhood, please click the link below. It is continually updated with the latest real estate available in the neighborhood: Homes for Sale in Palmetto Place.

This is one of a continuing series of profiles I am creating for popular neighborhoods. If you wish to see a profile of your neighborhood, or one you are interested in, please leave a comment and I’ll work on it!

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Lydia Taylor May 4th, 2007

West Lake Country Club is the oldest and most prominent golf community in Evans Georgia. West Lake has a front entrance on Stevens Creek Road, and a back entrance on Fury’s Ferry Road. (Google Map). A gated community, West Lake has over 1000 homes that have been built there since the first home broke ground back in 1969.

The golf course came first- West Lake has a 6,876 yard 18-hole private golf course designed by Ellis Maples in 1967. The course was completed and opened for play in 1969. Back in those early days, access to the clubhouse was by dirt road. The course has come a long way since then and is now perennially voted #1 for Best Private Golf Course by Augusta Magazine.

The clubhouse is now undergoing a major renovation that should be complete by fall of 2007. Members of the club also enjoy access to the 12 tennis courts, an Olympic size swimming pool, fitness center, and fine dining.

West Lake has grown large enough now that there are several areas to the neighborhood. Sections include the West Lake Town Houses, which are patio-style 2 and 3 bedroom homes ranging from the $100s to $200s; the Cottages at West Lake, offering homes from the $300s through the high $600s; and West Lake proper, offering homes from the middle $150s to over $1.5 million (the average is about $450,000).

West Lake neighborhood is very popular during the Master’s Golf Tournament in April. The course is open for the week to public play, and many of the houses are rented for visitors to the tournament. Residents of West Lake find that it is not unusual to find a PGA pro spending the week next door while in town for the tournament! Corporate renters are especially common in the neighborhood and parties galore go on for a week every spring.

Located in the center of booming Columbia County, West Lake forms the heart of a sophisticated, upscale, and metropolitan crowd. If you enjoy living life with a dash of Old South, theres no better place to do it than West Lake in Augusta Georgia - Home of the Masters.

If you wish to see all the properties available in this neighborhood, please click the link below. It is continually updated with the latest real estate available in the neighborhood: Homes for Sale in West Lake Country Club.

This is one of a continuing series of profiles I will be doing over the next few weeks for popular neighborhoods. If you wish to see a profile of your neighborhood, or one you are interested in, please leave a comment and I’ll work on it!

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Lydia Taylor April 28th, 2007

Jones Creek subdivision is set around a beautiful golf course in Evans, GA not more than fifteen minutes from downtown Augusta, GA.

Jones Creek is located in the corner created by the intersection of Evans to Lock Road and Fury’s Ferry. On the other corner is the edge of Westlake Country Club. Only 6 miles away is the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club. It can certainly be said that this portion of Evans contains the most desirable homes in the area!

To enter into Jones Creek using the front entrance, approach from the direction of the Riverwatch Parkway. Once on Fury’s Ferry Road you would take a left onto Evans to Locks Road. Only a few hundred yards down you will find Jones Creek on your right.

There is a back entrance farther down Fury’s Ferry Road on your left. This entrance is Hammond’s Ferry Road.

Google Map to the clubhouse.

Jones Creek Golf Club has an 18-hole, 6900-yard semi-private course. It was designed and built in 1985 by Rees Jones and Tom Fazio. The designers incorporated the existing natural setting of trees and streams to create a unique golf experience. In 2004 it was mentioned in Golf Digest magazine as a premiere public course. This club is rather unique in that you can request tee-times online. Don’t forget your member number!

The International Golf Academy is also located right down from the clubhouse and hosts a fitting site for TaylorMade clubs.

Jones Creek is merely a few miles from shopping, dining, and entertainment, and is a prime location for Master’s Renters due to its location and neighborhood amenities.

The neighborhood is zoned for Blue Ridge Elementary, Lakeside Junior High, and Lakeside High School. There are a number of private schools nearby.

Jones Creek homes feature rich interior finishes, mixing of classic and contemporary exteriors, and all of the amenities that a homeowner looking to live on the golf course could want. The homes fit a variety of price ranges from the upper 200’s to over 2 million. The homes range in size from 2,300 to 9,000 square feet, with at least 3 or more bedrooms, and of course beautiful views of the golfing fairways.

If you wish to see all the properties available in this neighborhood, please click the link below. It is continually updated with the latest real estate available in the neighborhood: Homes for Sale in Jones Creek.

If you wish to see a profile of your neighborhood, or one you are interested in, please leave a comment and I’ll work on it.

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Lydia Taylor April 13th, 2007

The River Club

The River Club subdivision is unlike any neighborhood in North Augusta. It is situated along the banks of the beautiful Savannah River, and boasts a golf course designed by internationally acclaimed golf course architect Jim Fazio.

River Club is located just off of East Buena Vista Avenue in North Augusta- and offers immediate access to the Augusta Georgia city center via the 13th Street Bridge. This neighborhood offers two downtowns for the price of one!

This makes it an ideal location for access to Augusta’s MCG, University, and VA hospitals.

The main roads in The River Club are East Shoreline Drive, River Club Lane, and the entrance formed by Riverside Boulevard.

All homes on East Shoreline Drive offer views of the River, and those on the west side of the street have direct dock access to the Savannah River. From many of these riverfront homes, the Augusta River walk and Amphitheater is within view. You can enjoy evening concerts on the river year ‘round from your back porch!

The River Club also offers The River Golf Club, an entrance into The Greeneway and numerous downtown restaurants, bars and shopping. As mentioned earlier, River Club is also very close to Augusta’s very beautiful River Walk and Amphitheater that provides entertainment through out the year. Augusta’s downtown also offers ‘First Friday’, a monthly entertainment and shopping experience. The Augusta GreenJackets minor league baseball stadium is also just across the river.

The River Club is zoned for North Augusta Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools. There are a number of private schools nearby, the closest being Our Lady of Peace school. Contact information for these schools and others can be found on my North Augusta information page.

The River Club homes are very upscale. Expect feature rich interior finishes, classic and modern exteriors, and all of the amenities that a discerning buyer is looking for in the $500,000 + price range. The homes offer on average at least 3000 square feet, 4 or more bedrooms, beautiful views, and much more.

If you wish to see all the properties available in this neighborhood, please click the link below. It is continually updated with the latest real estate available in the neighborhood: Homes for Sale in River Club.

If you wish to see a profile of your neighborhood, or one you are interested in, please leave a comment and I’ll work on it.

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Lydia Taylor April 11th, 2007

Savannah Barony

An upscale neighborhood in Aiken County, Savannah Barony is located in a scenic area near the Savannah River. This community was designed by Mr. Robert Marvin, a world renowned landscape architect, to help preserve the unique beauty of this spot next to the Savannah River. House values typically range in the 300’s-500’s. These homes have 3 to 4 bedrooms or more, 2500+ square feet of living space, and rich interior finishing. At Savannah Barony each home is architecturally reviewed to ensure the tasteful blending of the homes with the natural setting. In preserving the natural terrain, Savannah Barony provides picturesque common areas with walking trails and access to the river. If you are looking for an address to impress the neighbors, this is it!

Savannah Barony is located along the riverfront on the North Augusta SC side of the Savannah River. The entrance is to your left immediately before reaching Interstate 20 when traveling North on Martintown Road. This makes the community ideally placed for commutes into Augusta GA, North Augusta SC, and Edgefield SC. The main streets in the neighborhood are Savannah Barony Drive and Old Plantation Road, with 3 small courts off the main roads.

A small number of lots offer river views. The neighborhood is adjacent to the rapids, so boat access is limited. The neighborhood is only a few miles away from a number of boat landings, Riverview Park, the North Augusta Country Club, and the North Augusta Greeneway.

As mentioned earlier, the neighborhood is ideally placed for short commutes to almost anywhere in the metro Augusta / North Augusta area, so dining out, etc. is very easy. Also, Clarks Hill Lake is barely 15 miles away as the crow flies, so fun weekends are just a short distance away.

The area is zoned for Hammond Hill Elementary, Paul Knox middle, and North Augusta High School. There are a number of private schools nearby, the closest being Our Lady of Peace school. Contact information for these schools and others can be found on my North Augusta information page.

Savannah Barony is a small neighborhood so homes are not often on the market. As of this post there are 5 homes for sale ranging in list price from $325,000 to $625,000. The homes are upscale, typically consisting of at least 4 bedrooms and ranging from 3000 to 5000 square feet.

Visit this link if you would like to see Homes for Sale in Savannah Barony.

This is the first of several profiles I will be doing over the next few weeks for popular neighborhoods. If you wish to see a profile of your neighborhood, or one you are interested in, please leave a comment and I’ll work on it.

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