The Rocks Club Property Visit

By: Destination Club News
Date: March 30, 2010

Situated on 22 acres of stunning views of the Sonoran Desert, The Rocks Club in Scottsdale has become a destination club Mecca over the past six years. "We launched in early 2003 and have grown in tandem with Exclusive Resorts," says Bridget Berry, The Rocks' Operations Manager. Totaling 40 luxury residences, each named after one of the world's best golfers, roughly 75% belong to destination clubs. Exclusive Resorts counts 23 residences and Ultimate Escapes, the Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, and The Markers Club all have one property in the private, gated community.

"We work with Escape Planners at Ultimate Escapes and Member Service Managers at Exclusive Resorts and the other titles that each club uses for their travel planners," Bridget continues. "The one thing that they all have in common is that each takes care of every detail of their members' trips to get them down to us."

"And once they get down here, we take care of the rest," follows Hugh Edgmon, the Vice President and General Manager. "Let's go for a ride."

Hugh, Bridget, and I get into one of the club's golf carts and begin a tour of the club's facilities. We casually stroll about the resort, Bridget identifying what properties are owned by the respective destination clubs before coming to a stop in front of Price #126, a home perched high off the road owned by Exclusive Resorts.

"Well I didn't know you were here yet," Hugh says to the man grilling on the porch from the front seat of the golf cart. The two exchange pleasantries like long-time friends and neighbors before we depart. "I'm going to have to have you over to my place sometime soon," Hugh quips as we drive off deeper into the community. "That was Trevor Hoffman," Hugh whispers to me, Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader. Several former and current players have visited The Rocks over the years, including a number of Hall of Famers.

We eventually make our way to Unit #103, named after former PGA Player of the Year Corey Pavin. Located just steps from the gated entrance of the community, Pavin #103 was part of the original development of The Rocks Club. Light entering from the large glass doors leading to the porch already brighten the home as we make our way inside. Meticulously decorated to incorporate a desert flair with modern amenities, each of the 40 residences within The Rocks Club includes a stone from the desert into its design.

The entrance leads directly into a spacious living room and kitchen, complete with Sub-Zero® refrigerator and Wolfe® oven. We make our way out onto the porch, offering unobstructed views of the stunning Arizona terrain with not a single house, person, or piece of construction in site. "Out of the 40 properties here, how great is this view?" I ask. "As beautiful as this is, some believe the views to be even more spectacular as we move higher up the property," Hugh quickly replies.

As we tour the bedrooms, Bridget tells us more about how Exclusive Resorts has listened to members over the years, changing their property configuration to better cater to the golf foursomes that make up a strong portion of their travelers. Not surprisingly, with excellent weather for golfers and baseball spring training in full force, the other residences available to Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club, The Markers Club, Ultimate Escapes, and Exclusive Resorts members were all in use during our visit, and are expected to be occupied for much of the coming month. Despite the popularity of the destination, because of their scale, Exclusive Resorts still has six full Sunday-to-Sunday weeks available as well as additional weekend and mid-week travel opportunities available to members before the end of April.

Check back soon as we profile the service element of The Rocks Club. In the interim, if you are a destination club member who has traveled to The Rocks or a fractional owner in one of the club's residences, please feel free to contact us at contribute@destinationclubnews.com if you would like to discuss your experiences.