Getaway destination: Private clubs

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.

Ocean Reef Club
Key Largo

The Ocean Reef Club has a 175-slip marina, 54 holes of golf, numerous restaurants and lounges and many clubs. Its membership ranges from Baby Boomers to families that have been members for generations.

» Members: Approximately 4,000

» The price of membership: From $11,500 for social members to $215,009 for equity owners. Monthly dues are about $275.

Weinstein

» How to get in: Referrals from current members. "We also host events where non-members are invited," such as the club's annual Vintage Weekend held in December and its Summer Camp program for kids and families, says Richard Weinstein, president of sales and marketing.

» Notable amenities: The club has its own public safety facility, with ambulances, firefighting equipment, EMTs, law enforcement personnel and a full-time staff of physicians, Weinstein says.

» New: A culinary series featuring private dinners and cooking demonstrations by acclaimed chefs. Weinstein also says the club will be introducing a wellness program this year.

» History: Morris Baker, a successful entrepreneur from Minneapolis, developed the club in the mid-1940s as a fishing camp he could enjoy with his close friends and family.

Ocean Reef has a community center with a library and theater, nine restaurants, homes and an array of shopping options.