Summerlin residents go outdoors for summer

Trails, parks, ball fields, tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools. Sounds like a wish list for all the places that make summer fun, and Summerlin, the largest master-planned community in Las Vegas, has no shortage of any of these venues and amenities.

At the top of the popularity list is Summerlin's 150-mile, award-winning trail system. But it's not awards that residents care about; it's the wide, 5- to 8-foot paths that accommodate bikes, strollers and even dogs.

"On any given day, you'll see hundreds of Summerlin residents of all ages on the trails, walking, running or cycling," said Kevin Orrock, executive vice president of master-planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin.

"It's clearly Summerlin's most popular outdoor recreational amenity that encourages a healthy outdoor lifestyle and links neighborhoods to schools and shopping centers."

Summerlin's 150-plus parks are equally popular with outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. The community's parks have dozens of playgrounds, 16 tennis courts, 15 baseball/softball/t-ball fields, 11 basketball courts, six soccer fields, three sand volleyball courts, seasonal swimming pools, interactive water features and a full-size football field.

All athletic courts and fields are maintained by The Summerlin Council, the nonprofit arm of the Summerlin Community Association that acts similar to a municipal parks and recreation department.

The Summerlin Council also programs the community's major parks, which serve as home fields to several of the valley's athletic leagues.

Nine golf courses are in Summerlin, including the state's only two Tournament Players Club courses.

TPC Summerlin is the home course for the annual Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, attracting several of the world's most acclaimed golfers to the community.

"The list of Summerlin golf course designers reads like a who's who list," Orrock said. "Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Weed, Arnold Palmer, Schmidt-Curly - it doesn't get any better than that. We're very proud of our golf courses and appreciate the beauty and recreational offerings they bring to Summerlin."

Summerlin's trails, parks and golf courses are throughout the community to allow residents the opportunity to enjoy these amenities in their own neighborhoods.

"Summerlin is a big community with a small-town feel," Orrock said. "The community's abundant open space and recreational amenities provide a wide range of activities for residents to enjoy in addition to serving as social meeting places for residents. The trails, parks and golf courses form the backbone of Summerlin's hallmark social and recreational lifestyle."

Summerlin began to take shape in 1990. Regional and national studies have ranked it in the country's top 10 best-selling master-planned communities for nearly two decades.

Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with about 7,500 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth within the master plan. The community is home to nearly 100,000 residents.

Amenities include more than 150 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 miles of the Summerlin Trail System, 26 public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, nine golf courses, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and more than three dozen actively selling floor plans.

Homes are available in a variety of styles - from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts - priced from the mid-$100,000s to more than $1 million. Custom homesites in The Ridges are priced from the high $200,000s. Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $800s.

For more information about Summerlin, visit www.summerlin.com or www.facebook.com/summerlinlv.