Bonita Bay named top golf community

Golf Connoisseur has named Bonita Bay as one of the top 40 golf communities in America, on its inaugural list of the best places to live and play in the U.S. Bonita Bay was selected for its variety of residential options, 1,400 acres of parks, lakes, preserves and open spaces, marina with access to the Gulf of Mexico, and five golf courses, designed by Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio.

COURTESY PHOTO A view of Bonita Bay near the 11th green of The Marsh, one of the three on-site golf courses within Bonita Bay. Beyond the five Bonita Bay high-rises in the background are Estero Bay, Bonita Beach and the Gulf of Mexico. Golf Connoisseur magazine named Bonita Bay as one of the top 40 golf communities in America. The magazine assembled an expert panel, which included real-estate journalists and insiders from the real estate and golf management industries, to evaluate the quality and variety of golf, homes, amenities and locations of 200 community candidates, as well as their golf clubs' commitment to member service.

"There are hundreds of golf/realestate communities in the United States, offering every manner of amenity, activity, vicinity, proximity, habitability, and exclusivity, to say nothing of the 18th tee," wrote Editor-in-Chief James A. Frank. "We wanted to give credit where it is due and begin what will be a regular hunt for the best places to enjoy living the golf lifestyle."

Bonita Bay is one of only three Florida communities to be included, with The Bear's Club in Jupiter and Amelia Island Plantation, north of Jacksonville. The course designers most represented on the top 40 list included Tom Fazio, tied for first place with Jack Nicklaus with 22 courses, and Arthur Hills in sixth place with four. Fazio designed Bonita Bay Club East's two courses, which offer a pure golf experience with no residential development, and Hills designed the three courses within the 2,400-acre Bonita Bay community.

Golf Connoisseur has an audited circulation of 200,000 and is dedicated to exploring the best of life both on and off the course. The magazine covers luxury travel; great golf courses and clubs; food and wine; high-tech and electronics; automobiles; fashion; business and politics; and entertainment; as well as golf courses, equipment and accessories. To learn more, visit www.golfconnoisseur. com.

Bonita Bay, an Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence recipient, is the flagship community of Bonita Bay Group. Residents enjoy 12 miles of biking and walking paths, three waterfront recreational areas within the community and a private beach park on the Gulf of Mexico. They are eligible for membership in Bonita Bay Club, which has two clubhouses, an 18-court tennis and swim center, a new fitness center and 90 holes of championship golf. Residents also are eligible for membership in The Marina Club, which offers a full-service marina with storage for 420 boats, waterfront dining and social, educational and travel activities.

Bonita Bay is included among Golf Magazine Living's 50 Best Golf Communities, Travel + Leisure Golf's top 100 golf communities in America, and LINKS Magazine's 2006-07 list of America's 100 Premier Properties. ¦