LOOK TO LAKE WABAMUN FOR A NEW GOLFING RESORT EXPERIENCE
Twelve holes of golf can be the answer when nine is not enough and 18 is too much.
Jeff Richardson, president of Pineridge Golf and RV Resort, said the resort’s 12-hole golf course is the first of its kind in Alberta. When Richardson and his wife, Nicole, bought the property in the spring of 2006, the course had nine holes, but they have since expanded it to 12.
The 12-hole course offers the advantage of a lower membership fee as well as the opportunity to play the course more often.
Richardson said some owners at the resort can play three rounds a day. About 50 per cent of owners have their own golf cart.
In addition to adding holes to the course, the Richardsons have also bought more land for the resort, expanding it to 153 acres, and built three phases of RV sites. Only a few sites remain unsold in the first two phases and sales have begun on the third phase.
Pineridge is located on the west end of Lake Wabamun at the summer village of Seba Beach, just south of Highway 16, about 45 minutes west of Edmonton. Families, couples, retirees and snowbirds make up the bulk of the resort’s clientele.
“Almost always, the attraction is the Seba Beach/Lake Wabaman area,” Richardson said. “People love our mature golf course as well, and when they do come and see our clubhouse with great food and staff, they stay.”
Richardson said lots in the resort sell for $100,000 to $120,000 which is “affordable compared to the cost of a cottage on the lake.”
That’s also $25,000 to $100,000 less than the price at other Alberta RV resorts.
“We can offer these prices because we are already a viable, existing business,” Richardson said.
Since buyers tend to be at or nearing retirement age, they’re more established and less affected by the current difficult economy, he said. So, the economy has not had a large impact on sales.
Buyers include snowbirds who spend summers at the resort and winters in the southern United States, as well as retirees who own an apartment-style condominium in Edmonton. For the condo owners, the resort becomes the backyard they don’t have.
The third phase at Pineridge is called the Ridge and offers a combination of large trees — up to 100 years old — as well as deep services that resist freezing and make yearround use possible.
Richardson said buyers can chose between views of Lake Wabamun or views of the golf course.
The earlier phases, called The Summit and The Meadow, offer a choice between rustic, treed lots or wide-open lots that give the buyer a blank canvas.
Pineridge includes the 9 Iron Grille restaurant and a clubhouse that plays host to weddings, Sunday brunches and family Christmas celebrations. The restaurant has two large outdoor patios and a fireside lounge.
The resort builds a sense of community through a variety of events during the year such as golf tournaments, patio parties, Canada Day fireworks and New Year bonfires.
In addition to Pineridge, the Richardsons also operate Sunset Shores RV Resort, a few kilometres north at Lake Isle. Sunset Shores also has three phases with prices ranging from $80,000 to $120,000.
Like Pineridge, Sunset Shores is a year-round, gated resort with facilities that include a communal dock, fitness centre, tennis court, ATV area, cross-country skiing and a connection to the snowmobile trail system. The first phase which includes lakeside lots, is selling now.
For more information on the resorts, visit www.pineridgegolfresort.com or www.sunsetshoresrvresort.com. Jeff at 780-886-0648 is the contact for Pineridge, while Stella at 780-818-8441 handles inquiries about Sunset Shores.