Links magazine has included Fiddler’s Creek in its America’s Premier Properties Listing for a second, consecutive year.

According to Links magazine, upscale golf communities have done better than expected in today’s slowing real estate market. One reason given is that upscale golf communities not only provide a physical home and surroundings, they also spoil their residents with amenities that can’t be quantified.

As Links describes, great clubs provide a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere in which members can enjoy their golfing lifestyle with family and friends. Whether dining, playing tennis or a round of golf, clubs are the centerpiece for members to gather and socialize. This aspect of the community is a strong draw for many residents whose lifestyles are centered around the clubhouse.

Fiddler’s Creek is one of just 16 communities voted “Best for Club Life” in this year’s listing. The communities in this category have shown to give residents the best foundation to come together and enjoy the company and camaraderie of their fellow members.

Travel & Leisure Golf magazine has included Fiddler’s Creek in their annual listing of America’s Top 100 Golf Communities for a second, consecutive year.

The January/February 2009 issue of Travel & Leisure Golf showcases the listing highlighting communities boasting superb golf, luxury residences, extraordinary locations and a myriad of lifestyle options.

According to Travel & Leisure Golf magazine, eligible communities for Top 100 consideration must be able to offer property owners an opportunity for membership in an affiliated private golf club. Each community is reviewed by the following six criteria, in order of importance: golf amenity; residential architecture and style; location, including natural setting and proximity to cultural activities; management, service and programming options; non-golf amenities, such as a full service spa, equestrian center or marina; and environmental stewardship. For the 2009 listing, a concern for residential asset value, implicit in the previous years’ rankings, is of heightened value in the editors’ deliberations.

Construction on The Tarpon Club’s Dry Boat Storage Facility has been completed. The new facility, located on Isles of Capri, is designed to accommodate up to 150 boats, the largest being 35 feet in length. A key element in the design is flexibility since the racks holding the boats can be adjusted to meet market demand. There is also space to store an additional 30 boats or so outside the building bringing the total capacity to approximately 180. The dry storage building has approximately 25,000 total square feet.

Dry storage units are available for lease to the public. For more information, please call (239) 393-1449.

Additional planned facilities and services to be offered at The Tarpon Club Marina include a full-service marina with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, wet slips, a casual and fine dining restaurant providing panoramic views of Johnson Bay and a ship’s store. All wet slips within the Tarpon Club Marina will be available for rental to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chef Emmanuel Boscherel, Pastry Chef for Sale e Pepe Fine Italian Cuisine, has placed first for the second consecutive year in the Sugar & Chocolate Centerpiece Competition. This competition is part the larger American Culinary Federation Challenge Expo held annually in Orlando each September.

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) Challenge Expo is one of the largest culinary competitions in the country. Each year, for the past 15 years, the ACF has hosted chefs and cooks from all around the world who come to Orlando to participate.

Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico on Marco Island, Sale e Pepe is located at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort, a AAA Four-Diamond and Preferred Hotel property. Under the direction of native Italian Executive Chef Alberto Varetto, Sale e Pepe presents authentic Italian cuisine in surroundings of aged stone, marble floors and hand-painted frescoes.

Experience both Chef Varetto and Chef Boscherel’s expertise monthly at The Tarpon Club’s popular Taste of Tarpon events where their creativity is showcased within an entertaining and instructional format.

In an effort to leave a more positive environmental footprint, The Club & Spa will be joining others across Florida and the Nation to reduce its impact on the Earth. By adapting to the Florida Green Lodging Program guidelines, The Club & Spa will strive to implement and manage energy efficiency, water conservation, clean air practices and waste material reduction, all beneficial objectives for conserving and protecting our natural environment.

Established in 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Green Lodging Program is unique in that it supports an all-inclusive list of environmental initiatives that are specific to the Florida environment. Once initiatives are in place at a facility, an on-site visit by a trained Program assessor is scheduled to obtain an official “green” designation.

In addition to obtaining green certification, The Club & Spa also hopes to expand its initiatives beyond the environs of the Club facility itself, to the homeowners of Fiddler’s Creek for use in their own residences. “Green Tips” will be provided to the Membership on a regular basis, helping to spread the “green” philosophy.

Be sure to check back with us for certification updates.