The Founders Club would like to welcome Chris Adams as the New Head Golf Professional at the member-owned Founders Golf and Social Club, which offers 18 holes of championship golf by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and features the area’s only traditional caddie program.

Chris graduated from the University of Maine at Farming with a Bachelor of Science in community health education and also completed three PGA of America professional golf management program levels.  He has over 14 years’ experience in his field and was most recently the head golf professional at the Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Fla.  Chris is married to Bethanie and has three boys to keep him busy off the golf course.

At The Founders Golf and Social Club, golfers are allowed to walk the course with the company of a caddie, and membership is limited to just 275 to ensure members enjoy year-round golf with no tee time required.  Training fcilities include two putting greens, a short game area, and state-of-the-art TrackMan radar technology which is offered through the Florida Golf Performance Center.

The 24,000-square-foot Golf Hall, overlooking an oak hammock and the 18th hole, offers a main dining room, bar and grille, outdoor verandah, and private dining room for casual and fine dining. The facility also has a professionally staffed and fully stocked golf pro shop, state-of-the-art fitness center, and men’s and women’s locker rooms and lounges.

For more information on The Founders Club’s Golf and Social Club, please visit http://thefoundersclub.com/community-amenities.php.

We boast a lot about all of the events and activities that regularly take place at The Founders Golf and Social Club (rightfully so, our schedule is always full!), and we pride ourselves on the camaraderie that our members share being a part of our incredible Club. Weekly men’s and women’s organized golf games, themed events, a packed tennis schedule, holiday celebrations, trivia nights, dinners and happy hour’s, fitness classes including yoga, Pilates, and aerobics,  monthly mixers, we could go on and on.

One of the many aspects we are even more proud of is the activities that we offer for our younger members. We provide a variety of events that are kid-friendly, and even offer events exclusively for our youngest members.

Some of the fun events that take place for The Founders Club’s youngest members include:

• Monthly Family BBQs with all sorts of Kids Activities
• Summer Golf Kids Camps in June and July – Our Pros set up a FUN week long Kids Golf Camp in June and July that not only helps their golf games but also entertains as well. It is a great way for our Founders Families to meet!
• Junior Golf Clinic – a complimentary clinic for the younger Founders Club members offered every Saturday at 10:30
• Fitness and Fun Friday – every Friday from 3:30 – 5:00 PM at the Recreation Center, our Founders Club members ages 4 and up can enjoy a variety of fitness activities in the form of fun, from tennis, lawn games, and basketball
• Kids Klub – the last Saturday of every month from 11:30 – 2:30 PM

In fact, you can take a peek at one of our most recent Kid Kamp events in a photo gallery here. We love our members, both young and young at heart!  To learn more about the amenities available at The Founders Club, click here.

Mounting interest in The Founders Club’s exquisite luxury homes, exceptional community amenities and features, and superior Clubhouse activities is undeniable. With a 94% increase in visitor traffic at The Founders Club Sales Center from April 2012 to April 2013, the community interest directly correlates with not only the record-setting number of new memberships at The Founders Golf and Social Hall over the last year (which we blogged about here), but also the escalating activity in the local real estate market.

We recently wrote an update on the Sarasota Real Estate Market discussing the strong activity and historical numbers throughout the area. Since then, more recent numbers have been released and they even further support a strengthening market. The Sarasota Association of Realtors reported March 2013 experienced the highest number of sales since August 2005. Over the last couple of years our area has witnessed a trend in homebuyers lingering after “season,” and this year is proving to be no different. This can be seen in the number of pending sales (which often indicates future closed sales): the number of pending sales is at the highest level in the last seven years. So we should continue to see positive activity even if “season” has already come and gone.

We encourage you to contact us to visit The Founders Club, and see what the excitement is all about. We look forward to showing you around because we know that you will find the community as welcoming and memorable as we do. There truly is no other way to fully comprehend the beauty and lifestyle comes with living at The Founders Club than visiting first hand.

Featured as one of the opening night dinners for the 2013 Florida Wine and Balloon Festival, London Bay Homes and The Founders Club welcomed guests to sit back, relax, and indulge in some of life’s little luxuries.

The Founders Club offered the perfect intimate setting as the one of the exclusive Winemaker Dinner locations, with its alluring Golf Hall ambiance and breathtaking backdrop of the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course. Guests had the chance to sips luscious wines courtesy of Merryvale, a family-owned Napa Valley Vineyard, while relishing in a delectable gourmet dining experience. A wine-and-dine aficionado’s dream! The evening also showcased fashion and jewelry from Saks Fifth Avenue and Porsche automobiles presented by Suncoast Motorsports, with live music and giveaways.

The Founders Club’s Executive Chef Marco Marini prepared a 5-course gourmet dinner, each course perfectly complemented by select Merryvale wine pairings.  From Olive Oil Poached Organic Salmon paired with Merryvale Chardonnay to Braised Veal Cheek paired with Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon, the menu offered an impeccable balance to assure each guest’s palette was satisfied.

With all profits of the evening benefiting charities helping children in need, this luxurious evening was made possible by London Bay Homes and The Founders Club, together with Saks Fifth Avenue and Suncoast Motorsports of Sarasota.

Take a peek at some of the guests of the evening:

Dubbed the “America’s friendliest Winefest,” the 2013 Florida Wine and Balloon Festival took place April 4-6, with proceeds from the events to benefit children’s programs throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Since its inaugural year in 1991, The Sarasota Winefest & Auction has raised over $7.7 million for local children’s charities.

While The Founders Club offers a variety of events, activities, and amenities for all members to enjoy, the championship Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course and accompanying golf activities are at the heart of The Founders Club community. After all, the game of golf is where we got our name (you can read its origin in one of our previous blogs here).

Offering Sarasota’s only traditional caddie program, the traditional Scottish Links course seamlessly conforms to the gently rolling lush terrain. Each hole is sculpted in harmony with the natural beauty of the landscape to elevate the challenge and exhilaration of play.

In fact, ABC-7’s WWSB My Sun Coast recently came out to The Founders Club to take on Hole #17 for their weekly Dream 18.

Hole #17’s short par-3 threads the needle between a stand of large oaks, but don’t let the 140 yards of length fool you into thinking this hole won’t challenge you. The small green guarded in front by an expansive bunker will be intricately contoured. The player with a deft touch and precise shot-making will enjoy success.

You can check out their experience on Hole 17 here:

The “core” design of the course lets you truly lose yourself in the game and your surroundings, with homes set back away from the course and no need to cross roadways. The Founders Club golf course offers a challenging yet enjoyable experience you’ll be sure to consider one of your favorite golfing experiences in Sarasota. Click here to view images of Sarasota’s finest golf experience in the private gated community of The Founders Club.

There is only positive news to report on the local real estate market from the Sarasota Association of Realtors (SAR). With 2012 already in the books as the fourth highest sales year in Sarasota’s history, 2013 numbers for January and February of this year are even more promising than last. In fact, January experienced a 22% increase in the number of sales from January of 2012, while February experienced an increase of 24% in total number of sales from February of 2012.

The median sale price in addition to the number of pending sales in February were also up from January, indicating we may witness a continual upward trend in sales as those pending homes close in the coming months.

National figures support SAR’s statistics, though on a subtler level, as reported by the National Association of Realtors in their February report.  NAR reports that existing home sales and median home prices have increased year-over-year for 20 consecutive months and 12 consecutive months respectively.

An interesting discrepancy between national and local statistic appears in our inventory levels.  NAR reports an increase in the nation’s total housing inventory from January to February while local inventory continued to decline near decade-low levels.  As a new home community, these tightening inventory levels are notable statistics, with a 17.4% decrease in the number of homes for sale from February of 2012 to 2013.

Tightening inventory is causing many buyers to opt to build new homes versus buy existing homes.  After all, with a limited number of choices (fewer homes to choose from), wouldn’t you prefer to build a home that can be tailor-suited to your every want and need? There could be no better solution than to select the features and amenities that fit your lifestyle as opposed to choosing from a shrinking number of options. And that is precisely what London Bay Homes offers at The Founders Club – ensuring every new home built is as unique as each of our residents.  You can select from one of the new move-in ready homes, or build your own home.

To learn more about the series of new homes available at The Founders Club, download our brochure here.

London Bay Homes at The Founders Club recently participated in the 2013 Parade of Homes by the Home Builders Association Manatee-Sarasota Counties, which showcased new home communities and more than 65 fully furnished model homes throughout the area.  We’re excited to share London Bay Homes’ Laurel Cottage model took home all five “best of” awards, in addition to the best overall award, in its category.

The Laurel won the following awards in the Single Family Category in its price range:

• Best Curb Appeal
• Best Kitchen
• Best Master Suite
• Best Floor Plan
• Best Architectural Detail

Upon winning these individual awards, the Parade of Homes judges selected The Laurel with the Best Overall Award in its category.

We want to wish the London Bay Homes team a sincere “Congratulations” on all of their hard work, and an incredible addition to The Founders Club community.  To say we’re delighted to have such a jewel right here behind The Founders Club gates is an understatement. In fact, London Bay is also in the process of building another Golf Cottage, The Belita, which you can view here.

The Laurel, one of London Bay Homes’ Golf Cottages, offers maintenance-free living at The Founders Club in Sarasota Florida. It features 2,505 square feet of under air living space, 3 bedrooms + den, 3 bathrooms, expansive outdoor living area, and several additional features on an open floor plan.  The Laurel is offered fully furnished at $995,000.

Take a tour now:

You may also tour The Laurel Cottage in person by visiting our Sales Gallery just outside the front gate of The Founders Club community. To schedule an appointment for a Private Tour, click here.

For a limited time, The Founders Club is offering a special rate for summer membership at The Founders Golf and Social Club in Sarasota, Florida.   For $1000, you can enjoy membership at The Golf and Social Club from May 1 through October 31, 2013. This rare opportunity includes:

• unlimited use of our Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course (with no tee times, ever)
• Sarasota’s only traditional, professional Caddie Program
• access to our state-of-the-art practice facilities with Trackman® Technology
• amenities at our Golf Hall & Club House
• locker and Golf bag storage

This is the ideal opportunity to experience all of the wonderful amenities offered at The Founders Club and test drive our traditional Scottish Links golf course.

And the best part? When the summer has come to an “end” on October 31, you may use the $1,000 summer membership initiation to upgrade to a more permanent membership!  This offer is limited to the first 60 applicants (new members only) and expected to sell out quickly, so we highly encourage you joining us at The Founders Golf and Social Club.

To learn more about this exceptional opportunity, contact The Founders Golf and Social Club General Manager Hugh O’Donnell.  If you want to get an idea where you’ll be spending your summer days, view more images of our stunning Golf Course here.

What You Need to Know About

The Founders Club

Mark Wilson, President & CEO of London Bay Homes

During a recent conversation with a group of Sarasota-area Realtors, I was asked to share an update on all the great news at The Founders Club. I’d like to take this opportunity to provide the same information to all area Realtors.

Q: What is the activity level at The Founders Club?

A: There is a good deal of sales and construction activity at The Founders Club. We just passed the halfway point in the community. More than 50 percent of the 262 home sites now have completed homes. And, in addition to the completed homes, there are 10 new homes in the permitting process or already under construction. Our customer traffic in the sales center for 2013 has doubled compared to last year. We are pleased with the growing momentum.

Q: What is the financial status of the club and the community association?

A:  Both the club and the community association are stable and financially solid. They are professionally managed and governed by member and homeowner boards. Association and club staff deliver an outstanding experience while running efficient, customer-oriented operations.  Last year, the club added 70 new members.

I would add that London Bay is quite solid, also. We are a privately owned company in business for more than 25 years, and we have no debt on our Founders Club land holdings. So we have the luxury to be patient operators focusing on building exceptional homes and completing this fine community.

Q: What is London Bay’s role in the community?

A:  We own about one-third of the homesites in the community. We produce the community marketing and public relations programs, and we manage the on-site sales effort at The Founders Club Sales Gallery. Our professional team is on site every day. And London Bay officers serve on the boards of both the club and the community association. We are fully committed.

Q: What is most special about The Founders Club?

A:  Our amazing views are quite unique. There are no back-to-back homes, and every homesite has amazing golf, lake or preserve views that your customers will love. In many cases, the views are double or triple fairways. They are simply incomparable.

Q: What is most surprising about The Founders Club?

A: Two things: The first is social and the second is financial.

At the social level, our owners and members enjoy a great level of friendliness and connectivity.  It’s an open, active and friendly group! I think it relates to the intimacy of the community. With only 262 planned homes, it’s easy to feel connected to your neighbors.

At the financial level, many customers are surprised to learn that there is no Community Development District (CDD) at The Founders Club. This means there is no additional layer of CDD debt service or operating assessment on the real estate tax bill.

Q: Why should I bring my clients to The Founders Club?

A:  Our sales staff is very knowledgeable and will take exceptional care of both you and your clients. We can help with our maintenance-free Cottage Homes in the high $600s all the way up to custom Estate Homes for more than $3 million.

Plus – in addition to customary commission – we are currently offering a $10,000 Realtor bonus for qualified sales.

We are less than three miles east of I-75, so we’re close to all that Sarasota has to offer, with a Sarasota address. There are only 262 homesites and more than 700 acres in our community – so it’s intimate, with plenty of room to enjoy an active Florida lifestyle. Our furnished models are open daily.

I invite you to visit The Founders Club again, or for the first time, and see why we felt so strongly about this community three years ago, when we bought it.

Visit us at FoundersLuxury.com or call 941.378.0900.

For more information about London Bay Homes and our award-winning history of creating homes in Southwest Florida, visit LondonBay.com or call 866.920.1754.

The Founders Club in Sarasota FL is hosting an exclusive luxury event for this year’s Florida Wine and Balloon Festival on April 4, 2013.

This Winemakers Dinner is an opening night event to kick off the Festival, inviting guests to taste culinary creations and sip fine wines while taking in the remarking view of The Founders Club sprawling golf course and magnificent oaks from the Clubhouse verandah.  Our very own Executive Chef Marco Marini will be preparing a decadent multi-course dining experience impeccably complemented with the luscious wines of Merryvale.

At $150 per person, this limited seating event sponsored by Porsche and Saks 5th Avenue will be held the first night of the Festival, April 4^th to kick off what is to be a successful and eventful fundraising weekend.

Dubbed the “America’s friendliest Winefest,” the 2013 Florida Wine and Balloon Festival will take place April 4-6, with proceeds from the scheduled events to benefit children’s programs throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Since its inaugural year in 1991, The Sarasota Winefest & Auction has raised over $7.5 million for local children’s charities.

If you are interested in attending, we invite you to join us as we host this exclusive Winemakers Dinner of the 2013 Florida Wine and Balloon Fest at The Founders Club.  Seating is limited, so reserve your seats today. Request more information by emailing us at info@thefoundersclub.com.