Getaway destination: Private clubs

Lori Capullo | 1/12/2012

Pine Creek Sporting Club
Okeechobee County

Stephen E. Myers co-founded U.S. Cable in 1975 and as chief executive built it into one of the largest privately owned cable operators in the U.S. He started the Pine Creek Sporting Club, a 2,500-acre hunting plantation 80 miles northwest of Palm Beach because he loves to hunt. Using $30 million of his own money for land and improvements, Myers set the community amid native pines, old oaks, cypress stands and broom grass.

"It's fun to have close friends and like-minded people to enjoy the beauty of the land and share in the camaraderie of owning a ranch," Myers says.

» Pony up: 40-acre parcels run from $800,000 to $1.2 million, and ranch homes cost up to $3 million, while cabins go for $600,000 to $800,000. Owners pay another $20,000 in annual dues to access the lodge and for hunting and other amenities.

» On the hunt: Myers devotes 1,100 acres for quail and dove hunting; members can also pursue turkey, boar and white-tailed deer. To help them along the way, the club employs three full-time hunting guides as well as a dog handler who is in charge of a mix of 40 Labrador retrievers and English pointers.

» Amenities: Members have use of Pine Creek's Bell 407 helicopter. There's also a 7,000-sq.-ft. lodge with a dining room, bar and library.

Tags: Dining & Travel