A peek at Tiger Woods' Jupiter Island Home

Tiger Woods' new Jupiter Island, Florida, home comes replete with a golf practice facility in the backyard overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, an oxygen room and a series of pools, writes Bob Harig.

Having endured numerous personal and professional changes over the past 12 months, Tiger Woods is looking forward to another big one in the New Year.

His long anticipated move from his current home in the Orlando area to a Jupiter Island, Florida, mansion is likely to take place in the first quarter of this year.

"I can’t wait to get down there," Woods said at Sherwood Country Club, where he took the first-round lead at the Chevron World Challenge.

A bird’s eye view of Tiger Woods new Jupiter Island home and golf course.

In a brief interview with ESPN.com, Woods could not pinpoint an exact date, but after years of construction, it is finally within sight. "It depends on wiring, furniture, all that stuff," he said.

The sports star began building the opulent 10,000sq foot property on ultra-exclusive with his now ex-wife Elin Nordegren.

Woods’ new home stands on a 12-acre parcel located between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.

Woods initially bought the estate, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, in 2007 for Sh2.8 billion (US$35 million) then endured zoning and permitting issues as he had the structures on the property razed so he could erect a new home.

He has spent another Sh1.2 billion (US$15 million) developing the main home on the property, which has a large master suite with his-and-her bathrooms, and three additional bedroom suites.

Unique placement

Additions include a 6,400-square-foot gym with media room, as well as an elevator.

The placement of this particular Jupiter Island home is far back from the intracoastal.

Usually, homeowners here have their homes very close to the water, but it is believed that Tiger wanted his practice area close to the water, so he reversed the norm, creating another unique signature estate among the Jupiter Island homes.

As Woods referenced and as recent aerial photographs show, the property will have four practice greens with bunkers.

Woods’ property on the barrier island that gives the town its name also has a tennis court, a fitness room, an oxygen therapy room, a diving pool and lap pool.

It also has a pair of boat docks as well as a fire suppression system, for the 9,000-square-foot, two-storey home at the south end of the town.

The home’s basement also has a large wine cellar and possibly a games area, according to his architects’ plans as reported by the Herald Sun.

There are four other buildings on the site: a boathouse, golf training studio, a stand-alone garage and a guesthouse. When Woods purchased the property, the interior space was 9,729 square feet on 12 acres.

From a golf standpoint, the move will be significant.

Woods has lived in the gated Isleworth community outside of Orlando since turning pro in 1996. The highly regarded golf course, which is a short golf cart ride from Woods’ home, is consistently ranked the most difficult in Florida by the Florida State Golf Association, with a slope rating of 142.

He has often remarked that it has been an ideal place to prepare for major championships.

Rediscovering

Going forward, Woods will have some decisions to make about where to play and practice on Jupiter Island.

"The problem is, I don’t have a place to play yet," he said.

"I have to figure that out. I’ve got a nice practice facility in the backyard [at his new home]. As far as playing holes ... I don’t have any holes to play. That’s kind of an up-in-the-air deal. I’m trying to figure that out now. There are so many good places down there."

Woods does have several options, including The Medalist Club (designed by Greg Norman), The Bear’s Club (a facility built by Jack Nicklaus) and the McArthur Golf Club in nearby Hobe Sound (where Nick Price has an interest).

Perhaps he will join more than one, although Woods admitted leaving Isleworth would be bittersweet.

"I’m going to miss the members," he said. "There are a number of great guys there. A lot of the kids I’ve grown up with, helped teach, played golf with over the years — I’m going to miss those guys, being able to get a game with them in the afternoon or go lift in the gym. There are some really good kids there. Really going to miss those guys."

Wealthiest zip codes

He also won’t be as close to his instructor, Sean Foley, who is based in Orlando.

"It’s, like, three minutes to Isleworth," said Foley, who also noted he will still be just two hours and 10 minutes away once Woods moves. "It’s not like going to an airport and getting on a plane. It’s not a big deal."

"I’ll just have to organise things a little more," Woods said. "That’s all that is. I’ve done that [with previous instructors]. Hank [Haney] was in Dallas. Butch [Harmon] was in Vegas, and Houston before that. So it’ll work."

Jupiter Island town in Martin County has one of the country’s wealthiest zip codes, with homes selling from Sh119.2 million to Sh5.2 billion ($1.49 million to $65 million). "There is one short sale on there, on the north end of the island, for $1.5 million," says Lichtenstein, an agent for Illustrated Properties and Christie’s Great Estates.

"No one wants it. All the big estates are on the south end."

The town has a permanent population of 584 and a seasonal population of about 1,775. It consists of approximately 1,643 acres of land bound on the east by nine miles of oceanfront and on the west by the Intracoastal Waterway.

"The high-end properties and the limited supply of properties on the water have been less affected by the housing downturn, primarily because most of the homeowners don’t have mortgages and have tremendous staying power," says Lichtenstein.

"That is not to say that the values haven’t declined; they have. But it is not as evident as other areas throughout southern Florida, such as Port St. Lucie, the Miami Condos and developments whose timing coincided with the market meltdown."

He will also not be far from his children, Samantha and Charlie. Although they are in Orlando now with Woods’ ex-wife, Elin Nordegren told People magazine in August that she plans to move to the Jupiter area.

- Adopted from ESPN.com