By Fred Altvater
This winter while traveling in Florida we had the opportunity to visit two wonderful private golf communities. If you are thinking about country club living in Southeastern Florida, Gleneagles Country Club, in Delray Beach and Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club, in Stuart, both offer an upscale residential experience with outstanding golf courses, as well as other amenities.
Gleneagles Country Club
Gleneagles in Delray Beach, Florida opened in 1984 and was designed to offer residents an exclusive resort experience, but with a “hometown feel.” They succeeded.
Legends of golf, Gay Brewer, Billy Casper, Doug Ford, Bob Goalby, Doug Sanders and Sam Snead all called Gleneagles home.
Gleneagles boasts two 18-hole championship courses, The Legends and The Victory. 
The Legends Course opened for play in 2011 and this par 72 can be stretched to 7,047 yards. Choosing the correct tee is recommended, the course is joy for high-handicappers, but will also provide a stiff challenge for single digit players from the back tees.
The Victory Course was originally designed by Karl Litten in 1985 and renovated by Jeff Myers in 2007. It is a par 71 measuring 6,006 yards from the tips. With 47 bunkers and narrow doglegs the Victory Course places a premium on accuracy over distance.
The Victory Course is a perfect compliment to the Legends Course and completes the golf lifestyle at Gleneagles.
Outdoor lovers will appreciate the abundance of wildlife, over 50 varieties of trees are scattered around the property and the rich landscaping adds to the enjoyment of a day on the golf course.
We found both courses to be perfectly manicured and the beautiful flower arrangements around the courses made it aesthetically pleasing. In fact, the grounds, buildings and massive Gleneagles clubhouse were all top shelf. As expected, the staff was very helpful and attentive to every need.
Gleneagles also boasts an active tennis center with 20 Har-Tru courts, including a stadium court for tournament action. Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf lived and trained here in preparation for the grueling professional tennis circuit. Of course, the popular Pickleball and other social activities are available to residents.
Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club
Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club sits approximately ninety minutes north of Miami. It is far enough south to offer warm breezes and sunny skies, when it is cold in Michigan and Ohio.
The gated community features two distinctive 18-hole championship courses, the River Ridge and Golden Marsh, for members and their guests.
The River Ridge Course was designed by the father/son team of Pete and P.B. Dye and has hosted numerous qualifiers for USGA championships. 
From the back tees River Ridge boasts a 138 slope and 72.4 rating. It offers a true test for even the best players. Five sets of tees can accommodate all handicap levels. Our advice is to forego your ego and move up a tee. With several carries over marshes and water, it will make your round much more enjoyable.
The Golden Marsh Course, originally designed by Joe Lee, was redesigned by Florida’s master golf designer, Bobby Weed in 2018. Swaying palms, and sweeping vistas add to the course’s natural beauty. It offers a slightly more subtle challenge than the River Ridge course, but still manages to provide a true test for golfers at all handicap levels. The natural lakes and marshes that surround so many of the holes on this course add to the overall enjoyment of your round.
Man does not live by golf alone and as their name implies, boating, fishing and water sports are a major activity at Harbour Ridge. The community is situated on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River and includes two miles of pristine riverfront with easy access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Harbour Ridge features 98 various sizes of slips in its three private marinas. The estuary shoreline is also a haven for anglers, as the river is teeming with redfish, snook, tarpon and trout. Of course, deep sea sportsmen cherish the open ocean and the waters off Stuart are revered as the “Sailfish Capital of the World.”
Nearby Stuart and Port St. Lucie both offer entertainment, dining and a variety of sport activities. The New York Mets make Port St. Lucie their winter home and downtown Stuart provides a variety of quaint shopping and dining opportunities.
Thinking of Moving to Florida?
Every year thousands of northerners make the trek south to find warm weather and great golf. If you are thinking about a second home, or relocating to Florida, either of these two fine residential and golf communities would make the perfect place to call home.
