Birdies by the Bay:
The Peninsula Makes Grand Entrance

Alan B. Nichols

Jack Nicklaus and Larry Goldstein were surveying the magnificent property on Indian River Bay in 2002, when Jack asked the developer, “So, how long have you been playing golf?” “I don’t play golf,” Goldstein replied. “You don’t!?” Nicklaus said incredulously. “You’ve developed two golf courses and you don’t play?” “I’ve always wanted to learn, but never got around to it,” explained the hyperactive businessman,.
Two weeks later, Goldstein received a set of Nicklaus golf clubs and a matching leather bag, and today, 4 years later, Goldstein, when not midwifing The Peninsula on Indian River Bay, the stunning new private golf club and resort community near Rehobeth Beach, Del., plays golf with a passion equal to his zest for building first class developments.
Goldstein and his partners Steve and Art Sandler of Virginia Beach, Va., commissioned Nicklaus to design The Peninsula course, giving the Golden Bear first priority on the land and wide hole corridors on a piece of property that Nicklaus raved about when he first saw it. Featuring seven holes that stretch along the bay’s shoreline and four exceptionally challenging and scenic finishing holes, the course is the centerpiece of The Peninsula, the first private, gated golf club and resort community in southern Delaware. The course opened to members in April 2006 and the Golden Bear hosted the Grand Opening on June 29, 2006 with an exhibition attended by members, prospective buyers, and the media.
The Peninsula is located on 775 acres of largely open land bounded on three sides by water. Wetlands and natural and created ponds and lakes dapple the property that features woodland areas, particularly along Lingo Creek, the bay’s estuary on the north side, and at the southern flank.
“Before we began planning,” Goldstein explained, “We spent a lot of time visiting golf and resort communities in Georgia and the Carolinas. We knew we had to have golf and we debated about the other amenities. We’ve included other amenities because of our appeal to homeowners who intend to make this their getaway second home.”
“A lot of the course is on the perimeter of the property, affording beautiful views for the homes,” Goldstein said, adding that during planning, “Much attention was paid to environmental concerns. We were doing a high-end project so we knew we wanted Nicklaus. A majority of our buyers are second and third homeowners who were looking for a resort lifestyle. We are not looking for golf members so much as for families who are looking for lifestyle. There is nothing else like us in the area and we are within a 4 hour commute from many population centers on the East Coast.
The Peninsula’s extensive amenities begin at the Lakeside Village with a golf shop, Terrace Grille, gourmet market, an eight-court Tennis Center with stadium seating, a state of the art Athletic Club, a fresh water Wave Lagoon and Sandy Beach, indoor and outdoor pools, and an adult pool with spa.
Groundbreaking for the golf clubhouse is scheduled for 2007t with a scheduled opening of spring 2008. When completed, The Peninsula will have 1404 housing units including townhouses, condominiums, single-family detached villas, custom homes and custom homesites. Those purchasing homesites may choose from our five custom builders to construct your custom home.
The Peninsula also has over 20 custom home plans to choose from or you may design your own home. The Peninsula consists of nine neighborhoods with each neighborhood having it’s own architectural style. Each neighborhood encompass one of three architectural styles: low-country, shingle and beach style. The home prices range from $400,000 to $1M+.
There are three categories of club membership: A social membership offers complete access to resort amenities with the exception of golf and tennis. A sports member enjoys free access to all facilities and pays a greens fee with 6-day advance tee times. Golf members enjoy access to all resort facilities and will have a 30-day advance tee time privileges and access to some 40 other courses managed by Troon Golf. Golf Membership is $60,000 with a maximum of 250 members. Each individual membership is a family membership which includes full privileges for spouses and children under 23 living at home, attending school or serving in the military. Sport membership: $30,000 plus greens fees of $50 weekdays and $75 on weekends.
The Peninsula is being developed by the development team of Odyssey Development, headquartered in McLean, Virginia and L.M. Sandler & Sons, headquartered in Virginia Beach. Beacon Hill, a luxury equestrian and golf community located in the Washington, DC, area, is one of their recent collaborations.
For home sales and general information visit our website at www.peninsuladelaware.com or contact us at 866-PENDELA.