In the heart of Central Florida, is a country club community ranked by CNNMoney.com as number four in a list of the top 100 places to live in the country. It sits against the backdrop of a serene and unspoiled forest. A landmark of that community is Alaqua - a place to live, relax and play in a way that redefines peaceful, luxurious living. And soon, there’ll be some exciting enhancements with new homesites and a world-class clubhouse, including new membership opportunities.

In May John Ritenour, owner of Alaqua Management, LLC and his business partner, Ed Postal will open the new Alaqua Country Club. But it won’t be a renovated version of the previous club. Instead, they’ve decided to completely raze the former 28,000-square-foot structure and open a newly constructed $3 million, 14,000 square-foot under roof luxury clubhouse overlooking the new 18th green.

“We’ve worked with Orlando-based Essian Construction, LLC to develop a clubhouse that will complement the architecture and design of the rest of the homes in Alaqua perfectly,” says Ritenour. “We wanted residents to really feel like this clubhouse was an extension of their homes.”

For Ritenour and Postal, Alaqua Country Club is about creating and extending community no matter where you are.

“This will provide a sense of space where you can be comfortable and enjoy spending time with people who share your passions,” says Postal. “But this place will also be about the highest level of luxury and service. The clubhouse will serve as not only a haven for you to relax after a round of golf; it will also serve as a social center resting on its world class golf course.”

Warmly regarded as a true golf legend and widely-respected as a golf course architect, Gary Player has put his personal stamp on the links of Alaqua. It’s not just the 55-foot-high tees that get your attention. He designed the course to be consistently enjoyable and quite fair for his level of play and for that of the 15-handicapper. Beauty, playability and variety of shotmaking were the objectives. According to the many pros who have tackled Alaqua and the members - this eighteen accomplishes them all.

Rest assured, John Ritenour has no intention of leaving the 14-acre site where the former clubhouse stood vacant. “Once the clubhouse is removed, we’ll be working with Essian Construction to develop Alaqua Reserve that will be featuring $1 million home sites,” says Ritenour. “This will provide a limited opportunity for people to own land in Alaqua that has never been offered to the public and never before developed for residential use.”

Coinciding with the opening of the new clubhouse and the development of Alaqua Reserve, Alaqua Country Club will be offering limited memberships for recreational and social use of the clubhouse and country club. Membership in Alaqua Country Club includes access to the fitness center, fine dining restaurant and banquet facilities, no need for tee times, free bag storage and shoe service, up to two free guests per month, discounted personal training, and an 80% equity position.

“It’s a chance for a limited number of people to have exclusive access to one of the areas truly unspoiled surroundings. An opportunity to own a home nestled in this kind of peaceful serenity and to become a member of a luxury country club at an unbelievable value doesn’t come around that often,” says Ritenour. “We’re really proud to be a part of all of this, and we know our members and guests will be too.”

Everyone who schedules a tour will receive one free round of golf for two people or a free golf lesson. To learn more about membership in Alaqua Country Club, visit www.alaquacountryclub.com.