Getting Home

Warm Wishes

Brag all you want about Colorado’s 300-some days of sunshine. Even on the clearest of winter days, 30 degrees is just too darn cold for golf. But as any good snowbird knows, there are plenty of balmy places to tee it up, and—as these three emerging communities promise—to do much, much more.

Verrado (Buckeye, Ariz.)
verrado.com; 623-215-6000
The charming desert community of Verrado offers a small-town feel, a lush golf course framed by the stark White Tank Mountains and weather warm enough to lure you outside in January. Twenty-six miles west of Phoenix, Verrado is an easy and inexpensive getaway from Denver. Verrado combines modern convenience with the charm of a small community. Stucco exteriors and tile roofs dominate the neighborhood, but even those with more traditional taste can find something that satisfies. Pricing is inclusive as well. Three-bedroom homes with porches and two-car garages start in the low-$200s; custom homes with mountain and course views go for as much as $2.9 million. Verrado’s Raven Golf Club makes every player feel like a member, with a daily fee that includes unlimited golf and use of the practice facility, two meals at the Verrado Grille and on-course snacks.

Montesoro (Borrego Springs, Calif.)
montesoro.com; 866-503-7418
Less than two hours east of San Diego, Montesoro borders the rugged unspoiled beauty of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Vallecitos community comprises Spanish-style haciendas that line a Tom Fazio designed course. Three home styles, each with an interior courtyard, are available to build on two-acre lots, which start in the mid-$200s. A wellness community, Montesoro takes an active role in helping residents lead healthy lifestyles. The Ranch, a spa and fitness center, includes a residential spa, fitness experts to help residents create sport-specific training routines, an on-site naturalist to help plan camping adventures in the surrounding desert, and wellness counselors who use Western and Eastern medical treatments to improve health. There will even be an artists’ studio. It’s all just part of the community’s active approach to creating a retreat for residents. “You come to Borrego and there’s 85-year-olds running three to five miles a day,”  principal owner Gregory Perlman says. “We are trying to really take healthy living to another level.”

El Dorado Golf and Beach Club (Los Cabos, Mexico)
eldoradogolfandbeachclub.com; 011-52-624-144-5464
Sand, surf and a luxurious private golf club await homeowners at the El Dorado Golf and Beach Club in Los Cabos, less than 20 minutes from the SJD Los Cabos International Airport. With more than one mile of private beachfront and a Jack Nicklaus designed course that winds through the striking desert and coastal landscape, the gated El Dorado community offers an exclusive second-home opportunity for just more than 200 homeowners. Some custom home lots overlooking the Sea of Cortez will fetch as much as $20 million, but those seeking opulence and ease can purchase a 3,000-square-foot casita starting at about $1.8 million. These each have at least two bedrooms and include a private balcony, open-air walkway and custom details with Spanish architecture appropriate to the Baja California area.

Amy Freeland is a contributing editor.