Druids Glen Golf Resort in Co Wicklow is the latest country club to offer luxury homes for sale. This weekend, the club is to take bookings for two-bedroom apartments costing from £430,000 to £480,000 and also for large detached homes priced at £1,275,000.
There will be 18 apartments in this phase, although 14 of them have been pre-booked by club members who were given first option, while two of the 10 houses have been sold to members.
The strong take up by members was no surprise to the Druids Glen owners, who first planned to build the homes several years ago but were frustrated by planning problems. Members who booked apartments were given discounts of £30,000, while those buying houses got price reductions of £100,000.
Jill O'Neill of agent Ross McParland expects early sales of the remaining four apartments and eight houses on the edge of one of the country's most spectacular golf courses.
Located 20 miles from Dublin city, it is likely that those buying the detached houses will use them as their principal homes (the first two buyers are to sell their existing homes in Dublin when they move to Druids Glen). Most of those who have booked apartments plan to use them initially as weekend homes with the option of moving there full time once they retire.
When the house-building programme was first devised by chief executive Hugo Flinn and project director Joe O'Driscoll, they expected sales would be mainly to the corporate sector. The economic boom of the past few years has changed all that: the 16 sales so far have been to private investors and owner-occupiers.
The new houses and apartments will be located on an elevated 18-acre site wedged between the existing course and a second 18-hole course, to be developed next year. The site will also accommodate a five-star hotel, due to open in 2002. Although no formal contract has been entered into, it is understood Marriott International, the worldwide hotel operator, is the front-runner to operate the 150-bedroom hotel.
The 18 apartments will be located in three three-storey buildings, all with terraces or balconies. The last four units range in size from 1,075 to 1,125 sq ft and are priced from £430,000 to £480,000. The two bedrooms have en suite bathrooms and the accommodation also includes a livingroom, kitchen and diningroom. Development work on the apartments is due to start next February.
The eight remaining two-storey detached homes are priced at £1,275,000. The showhouse, designed by Martin Henihan of Henry J Lyons & Partners, has an overall floor area of 3,675 sq ft. Owners can opt for a number of different layouts ranging from four to six bedrooms. The showhouse configuration gives over most of the ground floor for entertaining on a fairly lavish scale with three elegant reception rooms.
Each of the rooms has huge windows looking down on one of the most picturesque parts of the golf course. The livingroom is particularly well proportioned, with an entire wall of windows focused on the golf course. The diningroom also has superb views. The third reception room will probably be used as a family room. The kitchen, at the front, is another highlight with cherrywood wall and floor units and integrated Neff electrical appliances. Upstairs, all four bedrooms are equally impressive and all are en suite.
