AHCLivinB408
1^st Draft
BMc 4-28-08

LIVING IN BARBADOS

Apes Hill Club, an upscale golf and residential community in St. James, Barbados, is setting a new standard of excellence in the Caribbean based on its prime location and splendid amenities.

Set on a historic plantation atop the island's crest at nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, Apes Hill, a richly diverse landscape of rolling meadows, thick forest and coral stone quarries, creates a dramatic backdrop for the community's homes and villas. The 470-acre parcel has been divided into eight distinctive neighborhoods, with each neighborhood named after a 17^th-century plantation field name.

Two of the neighborhoods-Garden Wall and the newly unveiled Holders Meadow-bear special mention.

The villas of Garden Wall, flanked on either side by three holes on the club's championship-caliber 18-hole golf course, represent the essence of a stylish Barbadian home. Designed with luxury living in mind, the three different villa options at Garden Wall feature large bedrooms, fully-equipped kitchens, spacious living and dining areas, and bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and walk-in closets. Each villa also has a private infinity-edge pool, car garage and golf cart port. Nestled into native foliage, the 62 semi-detached villas at Garden Wall offer views of rolling, verdant fairways as well as panoramic vistas of the Caribbean Sea.

Specifically, the three-story Treehouse Villas at Garden Wall, each measuring 3,500 square feet, feature views of the sea and the 17^th fairway. The split-level Fairway Villas, 3,300 square feet in size, showcase views of the sea as well as the 10^th and 18^th fairways.

The mostly highly prized units at Garden Wall are the 3,900-square-foot, four-bedroom villas Hilltop Villas. These premier residences boast fabulous views of both the Caribbean Sea and the golf course. Prices for the villas of Garden Wall start at US$1,975,000 million.

Holders Meadow, a new neighborhorhood unveiled in early 2008, is situated in the center of Apes Hill Club on one of the highest points on the island. All 36 lots within this exclusive locale have exalted golf, sea or park views. Several of the lots look west to the Caribbean Sea or east to the Atlantic Ocean. Members access the site via a gentle country estate road that cuts through a dramatic, centuries-old coral stone gulley and leads into a tropical park in the middle of Holders Meadow.

Flanked on all sides by five holes on the golf course, the setting for Holders Meadow is exceptionally attractive. In addition to vista portals to both coastlines, nearly every lot is bordered by a fairway. Lots at Holders Meadow average ½ acre. Prices start at US$750,000.

Due to the exceptional natural beauty of the former plantation, two-thirds of the club's acreage will remain as open space. In addition, Apes Hill has been carefully master-planned so that each resident may take maximum advantage of the view, the nature and the space. At completion, the low-density community will comprise a Bajan-themed collection of single-family homes and cluster units.

The centerpiece of the Caribbean's most eagerly anticipated lifestyle community is the golf course at Apes Hill Club, a multi-themed layout carved into one of the most compelling sites in the West Indies.

Designed to harmonize with the environment, the course takes full advantage of a diverse site that transitions from verdant pastureland and dense jungle to a coral rock quarry and wooded ravines frequented by the native green monkeys. Elevated tees offer magnificent two-way views of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

The par-72 layout's multiple sets of tees, ranging from 7,049 yards for low handicappers and professionals to 5,131 yards for women, seniors, juniors and beginners, are intended to present an enjoyable test to players at all ability levels.

Among the feature holes on this well-balanced spread is the fifth, a spectacular par three encased in the jungle and backdropped by an old kiln. The par-five sixth, at 601 yards the longest hole on the course, tumbles downhill and features sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea.

The back nine at Apes Hill bring players to the high point of the course, with dramatic ocean and sea views available at several holes. The burly par-three 12^th heads directly east to distant breaking waves in the Atlantic, the hole corridor framed on both sides by thick jungle. The 14^th hole, a gorgeous par four relocated from the original plan to preserve dozens of mature royal palms, swings around a specimen mahogany tree that was transplanted and preserved during course construction.

According to the design team at Landmark Land Company, the project's co-developer, user-friendly member's tees were carefully placed to allow shorter carries or alternate routes over or around the hazards. The course offers wide, forgiving fairways, though cleverly positioned bunkers place a premium on accuracy and course management.

The course has been surfaced from tee to green in paspalum, a salt-tolerant grass that requires less than half the amount of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizer used by normal grasses. Those accustomed to the dull or 'washed out' look of bermudagrass will be delighted by the vibrant, emerald green color of paspalum. And because paspalum thrives at shorter mowing heights, a conscious effort has been made to create a golf course where the majority of the playing areas are close-cropped to fairway height.

According to Landmark's most recent construction update, the back nine-holes 10 through 18-will be fully grassed by July 15, making the entire back nine loop playable in the fall. All 18 holes are expected to be grassed by February, 2009.

As mowing patterns become established, visitors will notice the fine detail work on the subtly undulating greens and the steep-walled bunkers. With its stirring views of both coastlines, the club's golf course always had an admirable 'exterior.' The addition of brilliant green turfgrass has enabled the quality of the layout's 'interior' to shine.

In addition to a spacious practice facility, a tasteful 24,000-square-foot clubhouse inspired by traditional West Indies architecture will feature coral stone walls, a cedar shake roof and louvered windows to facilitate natural ventilation. Set high on a hill, the clubhouse, currently under construction, overlooks the golf course and the Caribbean Sea. The clubhouse interior, accented by dark woods, will offer formal and informal dining, a lounge and bar, and a full-service golf shop. Generous-sized locker rooms for men and women will provide the comfort and amenities for members and their guests to relax before or after the round. The Apes Hill clubhouse, like the golf course, is slated to open in 2009.

For more information, please visit www.apeshillclub.com

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