March 18th, 2010 | Events
The Turks & Caicos Sporting Club at Ambergris Cay was featured in local newspaper, The Turks & Caicos Free Press March 11th issue.
Click here to read the full article: “Ambergris Cay – Sporting Club switching gears to emphasize value over splendor”.
March 18th, 2010 | Favorite Things About The Cay
Ambergris Cay has one of the healthiest fish habitats in the Caribbean – if it lives down here, you will likely see it in these reefs. I am not a fish expert but fishing guides Tucker Brubaker and Todd Platt have been educating me a little on the local fauna. I might have some of this wrong but as far as I can tell I saw porgies, pinfish, jacks, parrotfish, grouper, hinds, hamlets, damselfish, snappers, grunts and triggerfish … the list goes on. As far as colors, all were represented. This entire moving fauna was set against an electric backdrop of such a wide variety of corals, and other stationary aquatic animals, that I cannot begin to identify species, but I am sure I saw brain coral in a lot of different colors shapes and sizes, as well as star coral and finger coral in abundance. And of course lots of sea fans in many different shapes and sizes as well as exotic and colorful algae. I am already stretching my knowledge way beyond credibility, so I am going to stop here, but let’s just say there is a lot of neat stuff down there and it’s all breathtaking.
Some of the more interesting and rare fish like to hide in the little caves around and under the coral. A useful snorkel technique that helps you get a closer look, is to hold your breath and dive deep. This takes a little practice, you have to equalize your mask and ears as you go down, and there is always the “holding the breath” issue – I have never been good at this. But the rewards are huge. Sure some of the species will take off when they see you getting close, but surprising, some will let you get right along side them while they nibble away at the coral. When you surface, just remember to blow the water out of your snorkel or you are in for a lung full of seawater.
As engrossed as I was in the tremendous view down below, I made sure I pulled my head out of the water every once and a while to see what was going on above the surface. The last thing I wanted to do is drift too far down the beach. It’s a long beach, but eventually the soft welcome mat of fine white sand turns into rugged rock. They call it the “Iron Coast” and let’s just say I didn’t want to try to climb out down there.
The great thing about Ambergris is it often feels like you have the island all to yourself. Last time I was on the Cay, I visited Columbus Beach numerous times and never had to share it with anyone. It’s not only a private island, but it often feels like your very own private island.
-Eric Vohr
March 18th, 2010 | Favorite Things About The Cay
Snorkeling is one of Ambergris Cay’s true easy pleasures. The equipment’s readily available and there’s limited or no training necessary.
The only thing you need is clear water and relatively calm seas. It also helps to have plenty of sunshine, the more light you have, the more you can see and the brighter the colors. Sunshine is easy on Ambergris — it’s what they have most of the time. If you happen to catch one of those moments when it’s cloudy or raining, usually you only have to wait a half hour and the sun will come out again.
The human footprint is so small around the Cay; most of the coral reefs are pristine and plentiful, as are the flora and fauna that thrive on them. On my first day on the island, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the winds were calm and the water clear – it was a perfect day for fins and mask. It had been a while since I was here last, so as a warm up, I hit the lagoon in front of the Environmental Learning Center. There’s not much in the way of coral reefs out there, but it’s a very relaxing place to practice and get comfortable. It’s also a fantastic place to bring kids if they have never tried snorkeling. The water is calm and protected, and although it is not as exciting as the reefs, there are plenty of things to see.
Once I got comfortable with the gear, I took my fins and snorkel over to Columbus Beach — one of the best places on the island to snorkel. There’s a long sandy beach, which makes exiting and entering the water easy. More importantly, there’s an extensive coral reef that runs the whole length of the beach. What I like to do, and did yesterday morning, is let the current carry me down through the coral from one end of the beach to the other. If done right, you can view the colorful moving panorama with hardly a flap of the fin, kind of like watching an I-Max movie, minus the popcorn.
-Eric Vohr
March 16th, 2010 | Development, Featured, Real Estate
The Sporting Club announces a new marketing campaign based on new adaptive, flexible and affordable house designs by architects Will Meyer and Rory Stevens.
Saturday, February 20 marks a return of the Sporting Club marketing to the pages of the Wall Street Journal with a half page ad insertion promoting the innovative new house designs for certain lots in Salt Rakers, Le Grand, Columbus Beach and Calico Jack neighborhoods.
“I’ve referred to these new designs as Affordable Housing for the Affluent because they make so much sense in these economic times” said Peter Pollak. This humorous tagline is simply meant to draw attention to the incredible value represented by these designs in the current economy. “These designs are quick to build and very flexible. They really make sense for today.”
Based on the feedback we’ve received over the last year from property owners, we approached two highly regarded architects about developing several new cottage designs for use on Ambergris Cay. These designs represent an extraordinary value for current property owners.
One Design has more traditional character to it while the other two will have a more blended, contemporary feel. All are being further developed so as to be available in 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options.
We anticipate that these new designs will be available for a limited time only.
March 15th, 2010 | Favorite Things About The Cay
The Ambergris Cay experience started when Julien picked me up at the Conch Shack to take me to the airport. He already had my luggage and was on time. This is important because no matter where I am or what I am doing, when I have a plane to catch there is an opportunity for stress. Although honestly, in this case, it really didn’t matter if Julien was on time or not, the shuttle was not going to leave without me. It was my shuttle.
When I got to the airport I asked Paul, the pilot, if I could ride next to him. I’m taking flying lessons back home and wanted to learn about the Britten-Norman Islander they use for this trip. Paul was happy to share the cockpit with me and explained the aircraft and the flight in detail as we flew the easy 30-minute passage to the Cay. When we made our final approach, Paul gave us a bird’s eye view tour of the island. We flew over Lightbourne Point on the northern tip, ran along the Eastern side over the deep blue waters of Columbus Beach and then circled Whale Watchers on the Southern Tip where Caribbean Humpbacks are a common site. As we came up along Bonny Cove and the Environmental Learning Center at Salt Rakers Cove, I saw my favorite sight on the island — the 5,700-foot, state-of-the-art landing strip — literally the best private airport in the Caribbean.
Paul set us down smoothly and comfortably, and the experience began. Our bags were whisked off to our lodging and General Manager Andy Stubbs handed me a rum punch and welcomed me the island.
It was the end of a long journey, and the beginning of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. From here on in, I knew it would just get better.
-Eric Vohr
March 15th, 2010 | Favorite Things About The Cay
I spent my first night in Turks and Caicos in Providenciales (Provo). The last time I visited, I went straight to Ambergris Cay — an amazing experience, given the contrast between my home in Baltimore, Md. (just think of the HBO series “The Wire”), and the Turks and Caicos Sporting Club (a place for which there is no comparison). This time however, I wanted an opportunity to experience the main island — a vacation mecca that has recently swelled with tourists (they recently filmed an episode of ‘Real Housewives of Orange County” at The Conch Shack, a popular watering hole in Provo).
Julien, from the Turks and Caicos Sporting Club, was waiting for me when I cleared customs, and took me directly to my hotel, The Royal West Indies on Grace Bay. There is nothing more reassuring than wading through a sea of eager taxi drivers and seeing someone with a Turks and Caicos Sporting Club sign in their hand, someone who knows you, who is there for you, someone you can trust. As soon as I stepped into Julien’s car, I was on vacation. And when I checked into my room, changed into my shorts and stepped out onto Grace Bay, I could feel the weight of the world slipping off my shoulders, I was happy and relaxed.
I’ve never been on Grace Bay before and I had no idea where to go – I was in search of a cold beer. I had two choices, turn right on the beach or turn left on the beach. (I wish my choices were as simple back home.) Realizing it didn’t matter, I turned right and started walking. Before long I spotted a cluster of buildings that housed a bar, a small restaurant called Flamingos Cafe, and a couple of novelty shops. There was a local family eating lunch and dancing salsa — it looked like a good spot. I grabbed a beer (Presidente) at the bar, walked over to the railing and looked out over the water. I wasn’t standing there five minutes before two Canadian contractors, Frank and Sebastian, asked me to join them. I always judge a place by how friendly the locals are; so far this place was getting high scores. We talked about the Olympic wins in hockey and curling, and life in Provo. I travel a lot alone and it is always nice when you find good people to talk to.
There were another group of guys around the corner from us obscured by post holding up the roof. As I walked to the bar to get a second beer, I glanced over and recognized Todd and Tucker, two of the best fishing guides on Ambergris Cay. What are the odds? I’ve been in the Turks for about a half hour, randomly walked up to one of a large number of possible bars in the area, and run into people I know. First of all I don’t know very many people here and secondly these guys live on the Cay, not in Provo. It was clearly a good sign.
They were just as surprised to see me. After swapping stories, drinking too many beers (if there is such a number when you are on Grace Bay) and getting advised on some good nightspots, we said our goodbyes. We knew that in a couple of days we’d be angling for bonefish and groupers together on the Cay. They recommended Danny Buoys, it was a favorite with the locals that attracted a good deal of tourists; it sounded like the perfect mix for me. It was Karaoke night and Todd and Tucker guaranteed it would be interesting. I am not going to get into all the details of the 6- hours of fun I had at Danny Buoys, just suffice it to say that people are very friendly in Provo. I entered the bar feeling like a foreigner and left feeling like a local. Not only that but I was invited by some new friends to visit the Casa Blanca casino where I won $150 bucks. Not a bad way to end the night. My success was not due to my skills as a card player, but because I had the good sense to leave before I lost it all back.
If there was a perfect first night in the Turks, this was it. The next morning I walked on the beach, swung by the Conch Shack for lunch (the fritters and the rum punch are a must-do) and made it to the airport by 1 p.m. for my flight to the Cay. If I had never experienced Ambergris Cay before, I probably would have wanted to stay in Provo. But once you have experienced the Cay you are spoiled. It’s like having Grace Bay and the entire island experience all to yourself. It’s like being on a private island; wait, it is a private island – exactly.
-Eric Vohr
March 4th, 2010 | Nature, Outdoor Pursuits
Member Jan Forszpaniak had the hardest time taking photos of himself with this wiggling bonefish. However, that was the least of Jan’s worries. The 11 pounds, 1 ounce bonefish ate size 2 deepwater shrimp pattern in about 4 feet of water close to Tarpon Point on the north western side of the island. The fish took approximately 200 yards of backing on the first run and put up quite a fight but proved to be no match for Jan!
March 4th, 2010 | Events
This past month, Capt. Ronald and I got the opportunity to take the Ambercat to Provo to pick up a prospect, Mr. Allan Eva. Mr. Eva was super stoked and I could see why. It is not every day that we get a prospect that wants to see the water first hand by making the Journey from Provo to Ambergris Cay on boat instead of traveling by plane. We met Mr. Eva at the Shipyard and Marina in Provo. I knew Mr. Eva was a serious guy, he wanted to see what the run from Provo to Ambergris Cay was like so he could bring his Yellowfin Open Fisherman down to test the waters himself. With a beautiful day ahead and calm waters, we began our journey to Ambergris Cay and enjoyed good conversation along the way.
After about an hour and a half smooth boat ride, we reached Ambergris Cay. Mr. Eva then enjoyed a delicious lunch before I ran him around in our Maverick skiff. We went around Ambergris Cay and then took a trip over to Little Ambergris Cay. The water blew his mind and almost everywhere we toured, his 40 ft boat would be able to go.
What a wonderful trip with Mr. Eva.
Capt. Tucker Brubaker
February 24th, 2010 | Events
New Club Manager, Andy Stubbs’s Promotion was featured in a number of local publications. The Turks & Caicos Weekly News (February 6-12, 2010, Volume 24, No.5), The Turks & Caicos Free Press (February 4th Issue) and WIV Channel 4 News on February, 5th at 7pm.
The Turks & Caicos Weekly News:
Climbing up the ranks at Ambergris
The Turks & Caicos Free Press:
February 19th, 2010 | Development, News, Press, Real Estate
Steve Schram, DPS Sporting Club Development Managing Partner, was interviewed yesterday on FOX Business by Anchor Liz Claman*. Fox Business had contacted Steve after getting a tip that we were about to announce an incredible new oceanfront house product on Ambergris Cay. You can watch the video interview by clicking here.
Here are the highlights:
• New Oceanfront Homes on Ambergris Cay for $1.4 – $1.9 million including lot and home construction. Other oceanfront lots from $650,000
• Optional 70% LTV financing can be available from Royal Bank of Canada, Turks & Caicos (subject to RBC restrictions and requirements)
• 1st quarter year to date sales at Ambergris are already in excess of $10 million
We hope that we’ve ignited your interest and curiosity. As such we have made a limited number of non-member, sponsored visits available this winter. We encourage you to contact us immediately. We are excited about the new designs and firmly believe they will be extremely popular.
And remember it’s 75 degrees on Ambergris today. See you soon.
Contemporary Home Design by Meyer Davis Studio, Inc
Simon Wood and Associates two bedroom traditional home design
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