The classic suburban home at 121 Clarkson Lane in John’s Island Club would blend in perfectly in an upscale commuter town in Connecticut or New Jersey, the kind of well-crafted retreat a Manhattan stockbroker returns to via train at the end of a long day on Wall Street.
At the same time, it fits flawlessly in its subtropical barrier island surroundings.
With a formal brick-paved front courtyard, tall, mullioned windows and a handsome hip roof, the 3-bedroom, 4.5-bath, 4,150-square foot home picks up the Georgian theme that predominates in John’s Island while also evoking a leisurely northeastern ambiance that John Cheever would recognize.
Listed for $1,850,000 by John’s Island Real Estate broker Bob Gibb, the house sits on a .4-acre lot in an enviable location, just a stone’s throw from the golf clubhouse and all the amenities within and around it.
The 19th Hole is a popular spot with a patio for drinks after the game while fine dining is offered at the club’s European-influenced Oak Room with an old-world setting and jackets required.
Executive Chef John Farnsworth oversees menus and food preparation, “turning out unrivaled fresh seasonal dishes. A recipient of Food & Wine magazine’s ‘Best New Chef’s in America’ award, his inventive menus are appealing to all. Daily specials incorporate the very finest in locally grown ingredients and the freshest catches of the day,” according to the club website.
There is a putting green, practice range, top-notch pro shop and luxurious men’s and women’s locker rooms.
Also at the clubhouse are the community’s fitness center and gym, staffed by professional trainers and including massage and Pilates rooms and other specialized facilities.
John’s Island features two 18-hole courses within the community – the North Course and the South Course – as well as a Tom Fazio-designed West Course on the mainland.
121 Clarkson overlooks the South Course, making it an ideal home for someone who loves the game.
“Reflecting many of the traditional features found on British and Scottish courses, the South Course is the ultimate shotmaker’s course, requiring accurate tee shots and approaches to well-bunkered greens. Nearly every hole on the back nine features water hazards, putting a premium on driving.”
The water hazards also provide lovely lake views for the Clarkson Lane home.
Set back from the lane on landscaped ground that include a butterfly garden, the house was built by Parent Construction in a traditional H pattern, with the foyer, front hall and oversize living room as the crosspiece between two long rectangular wings.
A brick path leads from the motor court to a formal front courtyard with brick paving and potted plants.
Entering through the front door, a visitor steps into the spacious foyer. The 30-foot by 18-foot formal living room is straight ahead through a wide archway. It features a deeply-coffered cove ceiling and a back wall made entirely of glass in the form of three oversize sliding doors. The glass lets in the view of free-form pool and golf course beyond.
Part of the patio is covered for hot weather and the rest is open to the Florida sky, making it perfect for sunbathing during the day or evening drinks. The patio is screened from neighboring homes by mature oak trees that part in the back to reveal fairways and lakes.
Going left from the foyer takes a visitor down a wide hallway to the powder room and a transverse hallway. The master bedroom is to the right in the transverse hallway, located in the back of the house with a sliding door leading out onto the pool patio. The master bath has an attractive double vanity and white ceramic tile floor trimmed with gray mosaic tiles.
The front part of the left, or south, wing is occupied by a 14-foot by 15-foot en suite guest or child’s room with views of the front yard, the courtyard and the side yard, allowing light to enter from three directions.
“This is a very bright, sunny house,” says John’s Island Real Estate agent Kristen Yoshitani. “Most rooms have multiple exposures to let in lots of natural light.”
The opposite wing of the H-shaped house, to the right from the foyer and living room, contains the family room, kitchen and utility room and another en-suite guest or child’s room.
The family room is in the back, across the covered terrace from the master bedroom. It has a wet bar and sliding doors that lead out onto the pool patio. It has a second large glass slider that opens onto a side terrace ideal for a quiet breakfast or relaxed reading.
The family room and kitchen share a Mexican tile floor and are open to each other so the cook is not cut off from the rest of the family while preparing meals.
“It has a modern, open floor plan that people are looking for,” says Yoshitani.
The well-equipped kitchen has marble countertops and loads of cupboard and drawer space.
The front of the right, or north, wing is occupied by the third en suite bedroom, which has its own private entry hall.
Beyond the north wing is an addition built in the 1980s with a laundry room, a hallway that serves as a mudroom and connects to the two-car garage and a very handsome den with a full bath that could be used as a fourth bedroom.
The den has wooden wainscoting, a coffered ceiling and a large bay window in back with golf course views. All the windows in the bright room, including the bay, have white plantation shutters that go well with the custom white wooden built-ins that line one wall.
Besides being close the golf club house, 121 Clarkson Lane is a short walk from the tennis center with 10 Har-Tru courts and right across A1A from the Beach Club, a 50,500-square-foot recreational oasis with a huge pool, indoor and outdoor dining venues, event rooms, a library and billiard room, beach food and drink service, and wide range of youth and adult activities – all less than a quarter of a mile from the gracious home on Clarkson Lane.