Pine Creek Sporting Club Part of Massive WSJ Article

Pine Creek Sporting Club was the centerpiece of a large feature story in the 9/13/13 Wall Street Journal about how once struggling, golf and ski clubs are re-branding themselves as kid-friendly camps for the whole family. The story reads, "today's master-planned resorts are being reimagined as fancy family camps, a trend that's helping revive a number of struggling high-end second-home communities. Developers say they're aiming to please everyone from toddlers to great-grandparents by merging luxurious trappings with amenities like bowling alleys, soda shops and video arcades. It's all designed to woo wealthy buyers on the hunt for a perfect family vacation."The excerpt on Pine Creek Sporting Club reads:"Pine Creek Sporting Club, a private resort community in Okeechobee, Fla., was originally conceived around 2006 as a traditional hunting club with 23 ranch properties of 40 acres each and amenities including a clubhouse, dog kennels and shooting facilities. But by the time developers broke ground in late 2007, in the midst of the economic downturn, they decided to re-brand the property as a 2,400-acre family-centric resort with both ranch properties and smaller cabins, with hunting as just one of many activities available. Today, the club has a swimming pool and spa, a fitness center and a 600-foot-long zip line that runs across a small lake. There are overnight camping trips and, soon, an Outdoor Pursuits center for kids. A clubhouse wall is lined with photos of member families, and a library is being converted into a game room with coolers that will stock soft drinks and juice boxes. John Reynolds, director of sales and marketing, says about 40% of members are hunters. The other 60% are attracted to the outdoorsy, family-friendly activities. Smaller cabins start at $700,000 and larger ranches, each with 40 acres, range from $2 million to $5 million. The $22,500 annual dues cover most of the amenities and activities, including overnight camping trips for kids (spa treatments, some overnight trips and restaurant meals are additional).Earlier this year, Karin Taylor, a full-time mom from Palm Beach, Fla., bought a 5,600-square-foot home on 40 acres at Pine Creek with her husband, who runs an industrial buying group. "We really see this as where our kids will have a lot of family memories," says Ms. Taylor, who has five children ranging in age from 3 to 10. "We really weren't interested in being part of a place that didn't welcome the kids." On a recent afternoon, the kids got a hunting-dog demonstration and played in a playground area near a large tree house. Ms. Taylor says they spent about $2 million on their ranch."