RISteam*Hot Springs Village – By the Numbers*
_By Danny and Alice Scott_
Hot Springs Village is the largest gated community in North America. 45 minutes from the Little Rock airport, in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, there is no shortage of water nor amenities, all very affordable in a Golf Heaven. The stats are impressive.
*By the numbers:*
26,000 Acres of woods and developments.
11 Recreational lakes.
2 Full-service marinas, 3 Boat ramps and 2 Beaches.
7 18-hole public courses.
1 27-hole golf complex.
1 Prestigious, award-winning private golf club, Diamante.
274,000 Rounds of golf per year.
9 Restaurants.
16,000 Full time residents from all 50 states and abroad.
1,000 kids attending the three best schools in Arkansas.
200+ Social and service clubs for every hobby or game lover.
13 Court tennis facility, including clay courts.
14 Pickleball courts.
30+ Miles of hiking/biking trails.
Dog Park.
RV Park.
Large Fitness Center.
Indoor and Outdoor pools.
Archery Range.
Community Center.
8 Fire departments with certified and paid firemen.
<$130/sq.ft. Average housing cost.
$920 Property taxes for a $200k home value.
$1,610 Property taxes for a $350k house.
$0 State taxation for military, railroad pensions, social security, and inheritance.
$25 for tickets to major knock off bands in the Woodlands Theater.
*Golf* on eight public courses is played year-round, though there might be a dusting of snow in the winter with average high temps in the 50s. Every clubhouse merchandises a unique grouping of attire and accessories, and each course has a separate restaurant and bar for convenience. Course closures for any necessary maintenance such as green punching are alternated so that golf tee times are always available. “The Natural State” terrain and superior conditioning excels on all courses. Red buds are a fuchsia pink among the hardwoods trying to leaf out in the spring with violets and mayflowers blooming along the creeks.
_DeSoto Golf Club_ was the first Village course to open in 1972 with Lee Trevino presiding. Spanish names are used throughout the Village because Fernando de Soto supposedly trekked through the area.
_Isabella Golf Club_ opened in 2000 to the acclaim of number one course in Arkansas by Golf Digest and the Arkansas Business Journal through 2006 and continues to receive high rankings. Ault, Clark & Associates designed the 27-hole complex with rotations on the three distinct Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria nines. It is designated as part of the Arkansas Golf Trail.
_Granada Golf Club_ is considered the premier course, designed in ’04. Panoramic view are enticing upon arrival and throughout.
_Cortez Golf Club_ is known for its wildlife with occasional bear sightings. Deer and possums are more prevalent as well as occasional slithering snakes, said to fear humans. Numerous ponds are habitat for happy turtles, fishermen and wayward shots. When approaching number 8, Kevin Sexton, Director of Business Development advised “This is a scenic hole.” Which ones were not? For sure, the short par 3 crossing a huge lake with the surrounding woods and previous fairway is a stunning vista and unsettling challenge.
_Ponce de Leon Golf Club_ was originally opened by John Daly. _Balboa Golf Club, Coronado Golf Club_, and _Magellan Golf Club_ complete the public courses to be played on our mulligan visit.
_Diamante Country Club_ is the private course in a gated community within the largest gated community. That’s double security!
Hot Springs Village began in the ‘70s with ever continuing plots and plans. According to Kevin Sexton, there is so much opportunity with the vast land that “it will never be built out.”
*Outside the Village*
Just a few miles to the town and National Park of Hot Springs, natural thermal waters have drawn visitors for over a century. People flocked to Bath House Row to “take the waters,” and the Row is still a draw with many bath spas including The Arlington Hotel. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum is a comprehensive display of original bath works.
The Buckstaff is the oldest continually running bathhouse. An elevator assistant cranks you up to the second floor to a private dressing room. Strip and drape in a toga sheet, then journey through a spring water ritual of bathing, hot towel wrap, shower, massage, and a steam box where you wonder, did Mae West sit here? It is as rejuvenating as any world-class resort spa.
Boutique shops and restaurants line the street where residents bring their water jugs to the circular spring faucets. The taste is pure and absent of any sulfur tinge.
The Gangster Museum delivers an entertaining history with artifacts showcasing the New York connection of Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and others who chose Hot Springs as an early base of operations, for their gangster paradise. A few doors down, the oldest continuing bar from 1905 features a bench with Al Capone for photo ops. No password is required for a hidden wall today at the Ohio Club. Belly up to the mirrored and hand carved old oak bar and have a Mae West, Al Capone, or any libation your heart desires. Upstairs serves as an intimate music venue seven nights a week.
1905 also marked the first race at Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, now one of the premier thoroughbred tracks in America. This is where American Pharaoh won the Rebel Stakes and Derby to launch his Triple Crown win in 2015. With $100 million in renovations, you can bet on having fun, wager on the ponies or canter through the expansive casino and dine at The Bugler, an exquisite culinary experience. (Order the Seabass.)
*Hot Springs Village Discovery Package*
3-Day stays start at $299 and include:
On-Site Lodging (At Los Lagos, take a serene stroll on the lake trail, a soak in the hot tub or a dip in the pool.)
Meal for two
Community tour including Lookout Point for a surreal view of the Village landscape.
Fitness Center access
Golf
Book this getaway or more days and you may discover your new home at
