Discoveries

Get Around by Golf Cart at a New Georgia Development

By Maureen L. King

At Houston Springs, an active-adult resort community in Perry, GA, the best way to get around is by golf cart. The 494-acre Woodland Property Partners development is designed to encompass 11 small neighborhoods, which overlook the golf course and are connected by an extensive network of golf cart paths and pedestrian trails.

"The whole community is designed around the use of a golf cart," says Jeff Moredock, the managing director of Houston Springs. "Golf carts are very social vehicles. People have a lot of fun driving them. They are safer and save money, too."

The golf carts will also provide easy access to the community's amenities, including a 21-acre town square scheduled for completion around 2008. The shopping center will feature a grocery store, movie theater, bowling alley, quaint boutiques and waterfront restaurants along Lake O'Brien, where residents can enjoy fishing and canoeing.

Houston Springs will also offer several amenity areas with walking trails, bocce ball courts and pavilions as well as a clubhouse, which is planned for completion in late summer. The clubhouse will have a fitness center, swimming pool for water aerobics, tennis courts, a playground for visiting grandchildren, and a picnic area.

Of course golf carts wouldn't be complete without a golf course. The 6500-yard, par-72, 18-hole course will take advantage of the natural landscape and forested wetlands to provide an ideal setting for golfers. The first nine holes of the course are currently being played, and the entire course is scheduled to be finished around 2007.

At its completion in 2012, Houston Springs will have a total of 1,500 homes. Sales began more than a year ago, and 78 homes have been sold to date. Six basic floor plans, ranging in size from 1,230 to 1,720 square feet, are priced from $125,900 to $204,900 for homes on the golf course. The single-family, one-story residences come with the unique feature of golf cart bays in the garage. Construction is set to begin in 2007 on 240 proposed condos.

Houston Springs is an age-restricted, gated community perfect for retirees looking to escape fast-paced, urban living. Located in central Georgia, Perry boasts a small-town atmosphere and four-season climate, as well as a close proximity to Macon, GA, and downtown Atlanta. The nearby Warner Robins Air Force Base also appeals to military retirees. Area attractions include the Georgia National Fairgrounds, Ocmulgee National Monument and Stone Mountain.

For more information, call (877) 988-8850 or visit www.houstonsprings.com.

Maureen L. King