Looking back at 25 years of Heritage Pointe

"Lots of people thought we were crazy to build way out here in the boonies," said Carolina Oxtoby about her company's decision to develop a golf-course community on farmland south of Calgary.

It was 27 years ago when the land on Dunbow Road was purchased, and only two years later, the Heritage Pointe Golf Club was born, with big plans in the works for an upscale, country-residential community to complement it.

Golf course communities offer homeowners space, privacy and a slice of the action

David Roberts and his wife moved to the northwest community of Valley Ridge in search of open spaces. "We liked the idea of backing on to green space, one way or another," he said.

Valley Ridge, which borders the western edge of Calgary, is one of many communities in the city that features a golf course within its boundaries. That course now provides the green space Roberts and his family were seeking – they live behind the course's first green.

Golf-course homeowners have several tools at their disposal to protect their property from errant golf balls

For people living along golf courses, glass damage from errant golf balls is no laughing matter. While the problem isn't large in terms of total homes affected, it's a big deal for the few that do live in the line of fire.

"Only a small percentage of courses have homes bordering them," said Slade King, COO of Play Golf Calgary, which runs five courses in and around the city.

"Within all of the Calgary courses, only a few holes have issues, so out of 30,000 golfers who play that course in a year, you may have 10 incidents of golf-ball damage to houses."

Open to the public this weekend

The folks behind the Harmony development in Springbank lifted the veil Thursday to its new 3,700-square-foot Discovery Centre, providing new details on the much-anticipated lake community just west of Calgary, including a first look at the Phil-Mickelson designed 18-hole golf course.

The centre is intended to introduce curious homebuyers and Springbank neighbours with new details of Harmony, which will eventually be home to approximately 10,000 people. Included are interactive exhibits that provide visitors with a massive projection model of the community, detailed displays and videos on the community vision and a tribe to the Copithorne family, which originally ranched the area.

"Given current market conditions, buyers are more cautious about making a purchasing decision and want to be more informed," says Maribeth Janikowski, communications manager for Qualico Communities, with is developing the community with Bordeaux Developments.

Local golf courses facing common plight

Two proposed residential redevelopment projects on Calgary golf courses are at the tipping point of an economic sustainability challenge hitting the golf industry throughout North America.

A proposal for new homes in two pocket areas at the Hamptons Golf Club — to support a substantial overhaul of the golf course itself — and the proposed closure of the nine-hole Harvest Hills Golf Course for the construction of single and multi-family homes, are working their way through community consultation and city application processes.

Hamptons Golf Course Ltd. has released preliminary concepts for northwest Calgary club's redevelopment, which would see a reconfiguration of the existing 18-hole course that would facilitate the construction of 35 to 65 new homes.

This year marked the 16th annual CREB® Charitable Foundation Building Hope golf tournament, which had a record-breaking year raising more than $50,000.

Funds raised will go towards local organizations such as Inn From the Cold, Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids and the PREP Program, dedicated to the inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome in home, school and community life.

Spectacular summer, PGA event, cast spotlight on Calgary's golf communities

After last summer brought with it plenty of heartbreak and hardship, it goes without saying Calgarians have earned the enduring warmth seen this  season. And what better way to celebrate the soaring temperatures than by sending a ball soaring down the fairway?

Boasting a bevy of neighbourhoods designed around the benefits of living along the links, golf communities in and around the city cater to duffers and non-duffers alike by offering a beautiful backdrop for both recreation and relaxation.