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When golf course architect Damian Pascuzzo took his first look at a stretch of dramatic semi-dunesland near the Central California town of Nipomo, the traditionalist in him must have leapt for joy, while the mad scientist in him — the guy looking to turn the whole, overworked “links” idea on its head and push it into fascinating new territory — simply couldn’t be contained. He had sand to work with, and trees, and big, swooping, fescue-covered hills. He had it all.

When Monarch Dunes debuted in early 2006, it was clear that Pascuzzo’s cagey, curvaceous lass worked amazingly well within the developer’s modern housing project mold. He kept homesites well away from or above playing areas, and even today, homes never impinge on the course’s ability to rouse sharp emotions with every teebox or greenside view. Still, Monarch Dunes’ soul is rooted in the links and heathland courses of Scotland and Ireland. “The site itself really dictated that it had to be links style,” says Pascuzzo, a California native and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo graduate who works out of El Dorado Hills, near Sacramento, where he was the longtime design partner of the late Robert Muir Graves. “The soil is pure sand. If you look across Highway 1, you see all the dunes, then the ocean. We had to do that style of golf course; it would be a shame to do anything else.”

Pascuzzo and his design consultant, PGA Tour player and Central Coast native Steve Pate, excelled at nailing Alister MacKenzie’s No. 1 criterion for great golf design: Variety. When standing on the No. 1, tee you think it’s going to be all water and modern-feeling, but by No. 5 — a little “postage stamp” par 3 surrounded by fescue-bearded dunes that creates visions of No. 12 at Royal Liverpool — you know this ain’t no basic residential track.

Holes 6 through 8 are the finest three-hole stretch on the Central Coast. On No. 6 the drive must clear tufts of devil’s grass, then a big ridge that bisects several holes, then barrel to the bottom of a hill, just short of a lake, if there’s any chance of getting back up to the severely elevated, mega-deep, double-tiered green in two. It’s not just a good hole, it’s a great one; draped in tall eucalyptus with comely curves, it harkens to Bandon Trails and elicits a giddy feeling when you first see it.

No. 10 is another hole that, once Pascuzzo and Pate started digging, veered them off the blueprint.

“The original concept was a more traditional dogleg-left with bunkers down the left side. Then we realized this was our one opportunity to create a split fairway. We dropped the tee box five or six feet. You’ve got to hit a pretty good tee shot to knock it up there on the left, but you’re two clubs shorter than from the right. And the bunkering was just artistry in the field.”

From there Monarch Dunes keeps the spirit engaged through hill and dale, over frog-haired bunkers and across velvet bentgrass greens. “There’s a little bit of mystery in Monarch Dunes,” Pascuzzo says. “On No. 18, you know you hit it straight ahead, but what happens after that? That’s all intentional. No. 12 is the same way — you have to drive it up the fairway before you see the rest of the hole. It’s like the older courses in the Bay Area. You play it a second time and you’ll be a lot more comfortable; a third time, you’ll feel like you’ve known it a long time.”

Good as the Old Course is, Pascuzzo didn’t stop there. Next door is the fascinating Challenge Course, perhaps the best, and toughest, par-3 course in California — a dozen pure links holes with greens draped between heaving hills of sand and grass. A morning round on the big course, a great sandwich or salad in the clubhouse and an afternoon stroll through the Challenge? We can’t think of a better, or more fun, way to carve out 30 holes of fascinating coastal golf. FG

www.monarchdunes.com | 805.343.9459
Rates (Old) $47-$78 (Challenge) $19-$21 for 12 holes
Yardage (Old) 4,702-6,810 (Challenge) 1,377-1,858
Resort tee rating 68.5/128

Watch a video sneak peak of the home here.

To learn more about how you could win this 2,321 sq ft home for only $100, go here.

But that’s not the entire picture of what’s attracting age-qualified homebuyers to The Vineyards, nestled near Mt. Diablo and 3,500 acres of preserved open space.  Homeowners appreciate the relaxed wine country lifestyle they’ve found and are now enjoying at The Vineyards, where nearly forty acres of vineyards and olive groves surround the community, giving new meaning to a “peaceful, easy feeling.”

 For TR and Barbie Koncher, it was literally love at first sight. Almost three years ago, Barbie, a Defense Department retiree, local artist and a Brentwood Arts Commissioner, was setting up for an art show at The Vineyards.  Her booth happened to be just outside The Vineyards’ Maxime model home.  She ventured in and in her words was “blown away with the beautiful design, the soaring ceilings and the superior quality of the home. Plus, we gaze out at gorgeous vineyards and olive groves.”

Later that same afternoon, TR and Barbie, who were residing in Discovery Bay at the time, visited the community’s sales office and signed a contract.  “We just couldn’t wait to buy! The sales staff at The Vineyards was very helpful, even though they were so surprised that we’d already made up our minds about which home we wanted.”

Upon moving in to their new home the Konchers got right to work in converting a portion of the Maxime’s three car garage into a design center and craft room for Barbie’s jewelry and glass art endeavors.  The Maxime floor plan features several outdoor alcoves, patios and a courtyard, which Barbie says is a “…particularly lovely spot to sit and read in the evening, its always cool and private.”

Gerhard and Lynn Schmid had looked at several active adult communities in the Sacramento area and Silicon Valley.  Then living at San Jose’s Silver Creek Valley Country Club, they’d seen a newspaper advertisement about Trilogy at The Vineyards and decided a visit was in order.

“We liked the array of floor plans and options that were available here,” said Gerhard Schmid, a just-retired Hewlett Packard executive. “We appreciated the smaller floor plans that actually made very effective use of available space. Brentwood’s location would provide us easy access to destinations we enjoy, such as San Francisco and Lake Tahoe.”

“After our first visit, we received a hand-written note from a salesperson– that was very impressive and thoughtful – how often does that happen?” said Lynn Schmid, a retired educator at San Jose City College. “Over the next 18 months we visited The Vineyards four times. On each visit we noted how professional the sales staff was, how well they knew the products. The Vineyards’ Helen Akkawi clearly recognized what we were looking for in a lifestyle at this stage of our lives, which was very helpful as we made our decision to move here.”

The Schmids selected the Tropez floor plan and moved to The Vineyards in the fall of 2008. “ We loved the high ceilings in our new home that created an additional sense of space and we appreciated the flexibility of having a home office and bonus room.  The upgrade package was also exceptional and the quality of materials was outstanding.”

“With the variety of floor plans that are available here at The Vineyards, including the debut of our John Marsh Heritage Designs, these will attract homebuyers who want more opportunities to put their own sense of style and personality into their homes,” said Dan O’Brien, a Member living in Trilogy in the Vineyards and area president for Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities. “Trilogy at The Vineyards’ stylish design accents and efficient use of space all reflect Shea’s enduring pledge to architectural distinction.”

To say that the Konchers are enjoying the newly-opened resort-style Club Los Meganos may be a bit of an understatement, “We love, love Club Los Meganos – it’s spectacular!” said Barbie.  “At the grand opening, we danced the Samba into the night and celebrated with many of our friends.  We’re looking forward to all the many events that the Club will present throughout the year.” Visit www.ClubLosMeganos.com.

The Schmids were similarly impressed.  “It’s simply jaw-dropping when you walk through the Club’s grand entry and look out to see a cascading waterway that culminates in an infinity pool,” said Gerhard. “And its’ all framed against a stunning backdrop of beautiful hills and open space. The mature landscaping and variety of plants and flowers just enhances the overall experience.”

“The most memorable part of living here at The Vineyards are the people,” says TR Koncher, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.” They are simply the best – we’re continually amazed at the quality of folks who are our neighbors and now, our friends. We’ve got a great group of neighbors on our cul-de-sac where we enjoy a monthly dinner gathering.”

The Konchers and Schmids are both involved in a variety of clubs and activities that residents of The Vineyards enjoy.  Gerhard plays golf and works out regularly and belongs to a men’s walking club. Barbie belongs to WOW (Women of Wisdom) which she says is a fun and informative way to meet new neighbors.  She also participates in “Yogalates” and Stretch classes and is looking forward to Water Aerobics very soon, upon the opening of the indoor jr. Olympic swimming pool, coupled with the stunning outdoor pool, featuring cabanas and barbecue areas.

Both TR and Gerhard are enthusiastic members of The Vineyards’ Home Winemaking Club, which had its first crush last fall.  Five different varietals are growing in the community’s vineyards.  The group expects to have its first-ever bottling in September 2010.

The Konchers host friends from Discovery Bay and the surrounding area.  “We show them the fabulous lifestyle they can have here,” says Barbie. “TR and I would recommend living at The Vineyards to anyone.”

The Schmids are in complete agreement.

For complete ticket information visit TicketForce here.

•Two Full Days and three nights of Fine Wine, Art, Food & Music

•VIP Tickets include private wine tasting venues both on the lawn and in the facility. Bottle of Wine with two etched glasses and all day food.

•Featuring Music by Smooth Jazz, Saxophonists Euge Groove and Eric Darius, Guitarist Marc Antoine, Blues Singer, Johnny Rawls, Musician/Composer Scott Cussu, Jazz Band Sans Moi, Electric Harpist, VeeRonna and her band Dulce Vas

•Wine Tasting of over 100 wines by 12 Non-Distributed Boutique Sonoma Wineries includes an etched event glass and lanyard for convenient carrying while tasting.

•Celebrity Chef presentations and cooking demonstrations.

•100 Vendors from Sonoma County and the Valley featuring, Restaurants, Food purveyors, Fine art exhibits, and much, much more.

Event Schedule:

Saturday, November 20th

Marc Antoine 11:30 AM
Eric Darius 2:00 PM
Scott Cussu 4:00 PM

Dulce Vas all day in the VIP lounge
Sans Moi all day at the Cigar B Que at Trilogy

Sunday, November 21st

Johnny Rawls 11:30 AM
Euge Groove 2:00 PM
Scott Cussu 4:00 PM

Dulce Vas all day in the VIP lounge
Sans Moi all day at the Cigar B Que at Trilogy

Cigar B Que

Cigar B Que is on the Trilogy property adjacent to Vistancia and has cigar manufacturers from all over the world rolling, sampling and selling cigars as well as music from Sans Moi, and their own wine tasting venue with barbeque.

Cigar B Que tickets also serve as GA Plus Wine tickets for the Sonoma Showcase (general admission access plus wine tasting). Shuttles will be running all day from both events.

2-Day VIP tickets are available for the Cigar B Que that include VIP Sonoma Showcase tickets, as well as a VIP Dinner on Friday night (the 19th) and a round of golf Saturday or Sunday at Trilogy.

For complete ticket information visit TicketForce here.

View a photo gallery of these beautiful new models here.

Starting from the mid-$100s and built to Shea Green Certified™ standards, these homes include numerous energy saving features that will save you money! Give us a call at 702-224-8200 today to set up a personal tour to preview these new models today!

Find floor plans and more community information here.

On Friday night, June 25th, we are excited to be hosting the first Gourmet Night of Encanterra’s Summer to Savor. The prix fixe menu is set up for couples, but we can easily accommodate larger groups of friends. Here’s what our exceptional culinary team is going to create:

Appetizer (Select One)

Peruvian Summer Ceviche
Scallops & South American Whitefish nestled in yuzu and lime with avocado and tomato pearls, fresh mango, and cilantro.

Local Peach & Arugula Salad
Fresh peaches and arugula is dressed with brown butter vinaigrette and Laura Chanel goat cheese.

Entree (Select One)

Madagascar Peppered Tenderloin of Beef
A delicious beef tenderloin with essence of summer corn, infused Yukon potatoes with grain mustard sauce, and baby carrots.

Seared Golden Fresh Alaskan Halibut
Light yet flavorful Alaskan Halibut with chanterolle mushroom, Yukon potatoes, baby carrots and English peas in an heirloom tomato nage.

Dessert

Limoncello Panna Cotta
A decadent citrus panna cotta with whipped vanilla mascarpone cheese and fresh raspberries.

Enjoy all of these amazing delicacies – all complemented by affordably priced wines – for only $35 per person. Reservations are available from 5-8:00PM, and may be made by calling 480-677-8000.

If you want to take advantage of some of the lowest interest rates in history, get discounts of up to $80,000 and start living the private resort lifestyle today, then now is the time to buy at Encanterra.

Featuring numerous hand-selected designer options like granite counters, stainless appliances and industry leading, energy-efficient Shea Green Certified™ construction, this limited number of move-in ready homes represents some of the best values in the community.

Once these select homes are sold out, our inventory will be depleted and no homes will be ready for move-in until the November time frame. With home construction activity picking up in Arizona and prices on an upwards move, savings and interest rates like these won’t last long.

Call 800-685-6494 today to set up a personal tour of these homes while they’re still available.

Home site 91 – Napoli
2,281 sq. ft.
Original: $422,628
Sale: $342,007
Savings: $80,621
Floor plan >

Home site 76 – Marbella
2,726 sq. ft.
Original: $505,510
Sale: $422,224
Savings: $83,286
Floor plan >

Priced to sell with up to $40,000 in incentives, right now we have a limited selection of 10 move-in ready homes. These select homes found here range from 1,700 – 2,400 sq. ft. and include many of our best green features and designer options. Ready to close within four weeks, savvy home buyers like you can take advantage of some of the lowest interest rates in history. At our current sales pace, these desirable homes shouldn’t last more than two weeks. Call us at 800-685-6494 today for a personal showing of your favorite move-in ready home!

New Floor Plans Now Available for Sale

Ranging from 1,400 – 2,500 sq. ft., the new floor plans at Trilogy have added exciting active living options and a great new look to the community. Priced from $195,900, these new plans feature energy-efficient Shea Green Certified™ construction and your choice of Italian, Spanish or Andalusian exterior elevations. View them below.

St.Tropez
From $195,900
Floor plan >

Monaco
From $201,990
Floor plan >

Nice
From $227,990
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Genova
From $262,990
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St.Tropez
From $195,900
Floor plan >

Cadiz
From $279,990
Floor plan >

Tarragona
From $293,990
Floor plan >

Cartagena
From $304,990
Floor plan >