Harmony Golf Preserve |
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The idea of a community built on a foundation of environmental stewardship might have been ahead of its time, but is catching on quickly.
The town of Harmony is set among 11,000 acres of meadows, southern pines, wetlands and lakes that, even when fully developed, will remain 70% protected open space. Within this community is Johnny Miller¹s only Signature design in Central Florida, the Harmony Golf Preserve, rated 4-1/2 Stars from Golf Digest¹s Places-to-Play. The former U.S. Open Champion calls his masterpiece at Harmony an ³outstanding example of my great desire to make even more significant contributions to golf with a legacy of championship golf courses throughout the world.² Make no mistake, Harmony is a community with a great golf course, but it is not just a golf course community. But with the unmistakably professional touch of the renowned Troon Golf Management team, Miller¹s design fits harmoniously within the community¹s natural theme. The course takes up 280 acres, more than double the space of most courses, allowing for generous buffers between the holes, and a quiet that¹s only broken by the calls of a whooping crane, or the cheers of the visiting birdie-maker! There are also no homes on the golf course, though some residences have views across the quiet neighborhood streets to the front nine. The combination of Miller¹s ³open² design with many exposed greens and extensive mounding of the fairways and the capricious breezes make every hole a different test depending on the day. From the enormous 7,428-yard tips, through blue tees that measure nearly 7,000 yards to very playable white and gold tees at 6,400 and 6,000-yards with slopes in the mid 120¹s, and forward tees measuring just over 5,400 yards, there¹s a set-up to accommodate everyone¹s level of experience, with all the challenge and beauty you¹d ever want.
For many, the most interesting holes at the Harmony Golf Preserve
might be the shortest. The par-4 second is only 349 yards from the
white tees, but it¹s about 215 to carry the water and bunkers at the
turn of this dogleg right to an open, but shallow landing area. On the
back nine, the shortest At the end of your round, a trip to the Harmony Town Tavern or Greenside¹s Restaurant is a must-play. Located within the spacious 18,000 square-foot compound and meeting area, the tavern has a delightfully casual atmosphere including HD sports all around and darts, and Greenside¹s Restaurant has something extra that displays Harmony¹s pet-friendly theme, an outside dining area where pets are welcome. A full catering operation professionally services and entertains golf outing groups, meetings, weddings and banquets for up to 225 indoors, plus additional capacity on a bricked veranda. While a trip to Harmony is a great getaway, it¹s the lifestyle at Harmony that brings people back forever. A guided, informative tour is available at the Sales & Information Gallery at Harmony. Named by Golfweek as one of its ³Residential Courses of Distinction², a mix of young families, working couples (many with home offices) and retirees live in the Energy Star homes and townhouses that range in price from the mid-$100¹s to $1.8-million and are as diverse in design as their price ranges. Most are reminiscent of the hometowns we all grew up in, or imagine we did, with porches out front, wildlife everywhere, access to two lakes totaling nearly 900-acres with community-owned boats you can take out for a short cruise, fully-equipped playgrounds, an interactive water play area, miles of hiking and biking trails through the Preserve, and maybe the social center of the community-- dog parks where folks congregate to commune with their pets, and each other. Kids at Harmony can walk to school, literally. A new K-8 building under construction is an example of how the community¹s expertise in energy planning has been shared with the school district to make it ³dark sky² compatible. Another of the eco-friendly features of Harmony is its emphasis on being able to see the stars at night, there¹s even a Dark Sky Festival in April to celebrate the stars, with interactive exhibits and entertainment. A Flag Day Festival in June has also become a Harmony tradition with events geared to honoring the flag and those who¹ve sacrificed so much to preserve it. At the philosophical and spiritual heart of Harmony is the Harmony Institute, which develops programs to innovate new ways for human beings to enjoy peaceful, healthy, coexisting relationships with animals and the environment. Recently, one of the nation¹s largest children¹s health systems announced a cooperative study with the Institute on the impact of therapeutic gardens and animals on children¹s health, wellness and the overall healing process. The bringing together of a natural lifestyle for families of all ages and sizes; an exquisite Johnny Miller-designed golf course managed by Troon Golf, the award-winning group that operates over 190 courses in 32 countries worldwide; and you. Call it a Harmonic convergence if you will. Or you can just call it Harmony. For golf information, visit www.harmonygolfpreserve.com or call (407) 891-8525. For information on the Town of Harmony, visit www.harmonyfl.com or call (407) 891-8358. |
That sound you can hear coming from the pristine natural environment just off US 192 between Lake Nona and Melbourne on the Atlantic Coast is not just a single tone. The dictionary might describe it as a ³simultaneous combination of sounds that¹s pleasing to the senses,² coming from a community where everyone sees the psychological, emotional and health benefits of living in balance with pets, wildlife and the ecology of the area. The Lentz family agreed with that definition, and a mother who shared the name ³Harmony², and a lifestyle was born in 2003.
