It’s no secret the last six years have not been particularly kind to Arizona’s golf industry. Residential real estate struggles coupled with a sluggish economy overall have made life for even the state’s most-vaunted private clubs challenging.

Yet, despite the turmoil, a relative newcomer off the beaten path has quietly staked its claim as one of, if not the most successful private club over the past decade. This club is Encanterra Country Club located in the San Tan Valley. In just six short years, Encanterra has added 600-plus members, including 275 golf members, and has collected a trophy case of honors that would make any club in the state envious.

Developed by Shea Homes, Encanterra Country Club opened in this formerly obscure part of the East Valley in 2008, near the height of the economic recession. Undaunted by the news of the day, the club pressed forward with an ambitious plan to create an exceptional, world-class private club experience at a fraction of the cost of the established premier clubs elsewhere in the Valley.

“Coming to market during such a difficult time, we knew we had to out-perform everyone in terms of quality and value. And, that was not going to be easy. The bar was set pretty high by those who came before us,” said Levi Shill, General Manager of Encanterra for Shea Homes. “We put together a great team, and they gave us an outstanding plan. Fortunately Shea Homes had the horsepower to see it through from vision to reality in terms of the infrastructure and expectations.

“Today, however, it is really the club’s membership that makes all the difference. We’ve got a tremendous community of people here who are energetic, open and like to have a good time. With this type of atmosphere, it’s easy for new members to feel at home. And, that…as much as anything else…has spurred our growth.”

The first element of this plan to come online was Encanterra’s award-winning Tom Lehman-designed golf course. Knowing the quality of the golf course would be paramount to Encanterra’s early success, Shea Homes opted for a core-golf land plan that kept development to the periphery of the golf course and ensured members of enjoying a truly classic design. Lehman was then set free to use his imagination to create diverse risk-reward and shot-making challenges within this generous canvas. As a result, the golf course was named among the ‘Best New Private Courses’ in the nation by GOLF Magazine, Golfweek, and LINKS Magazine.

Additionally, Encanterra was selected to host many of the state’s most prestigious golf events, including the local qualifying round for the 2014 US Open Championship.

Hard on the heels of the golf course opening, Encanterra immediately began development of its spectacular 60,000-square-foot club house, named La Casa. La Casa delivers on Shea’s signature Trilogy lifestyle with a healthy dose of Old-World style and charm. The clubhouse was thoughtfully crafted by famed Valley designer, Bing Hu to make wise use of the space in terms of use and flow as well as opportunities for spectacular indoor-outdoor living and the long-range views of the neighboring mountains and Valley skyline.

The result is an immensely functional “village” that moves easily from indoor to outdoor and from function to function. Accented by native stone and timber as well as beautiful tile and detail work, La Casa serves as an extension of the members’ own homes and affords them access to a host of cutting-edge amenities such as the world-class Alvea Spa; a state-of-the-art athletic club, including a women-only workout center; a fully-equipped sports shop; tournament-quality tennis facilities; contemporary indoor and outdoor swimming pools; a full-service concierge and lifestyle team; a professional business center; private lounges and a wide variety of dining options ranging from an inviting coffee shop and well-stocked wine bar to casual club fare and elegant restaurant dining.

Offering all of this at a price well below others in the market, has propelled Encanterra to the forefront among Valley private clubs. 

Recently, Encanterra made a clean sweep in the golf categories of Arizona Foothill’s annual “Best of Our Valley” rankings.  The private club earned top honors in the Best Community/Development, Best Clubhouse, Best Golf Community, Best Private Golf Club, and Best Golf Pro Shop categories.

In addition to these honors, Encanterra Country Club is the reigning No. 1 private club ($25,000 and Under) in the state according to Avid Golfer Arizona and the No. 3 private club in Arizona by Arizona Business Magazine.

Encanterra Country Club is a private, gated community developed by Shea Homes. It features single-family homes from just over 1,200 to nearly 4,000 square feet, and within the project there are both all ages and age-qualified areas. To learn more about the spectacular Encanterra lifestyle and available residential options, please visit www.encanterra.com or call 800.685.6494.