News Release Detail | Corporate - The Cliffs Communities

The Cliffs and the Gary Player Group break ground on the Black Knight North American Headquarters

Located at The Cliffs at Mountian Park

Travelers Rest, SC (July 24, 2007) – Recently, senior executives of The Cliffs Communities and the Gary Player Group celebrated the first of many milestones of the partnership they announced last April by turning the first earth on the construction of the new Black Knight North American headquarters at The Village within The Cliffs at Mountain Park –a 5,000-acre private residential community located on the southernmost edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the heart of the quality-of-life corridor known as the Carolina Preserve.

Rendering by Freeman & Major Architects

The Black Knight North American Headquarters
at The Cliffs at Mountain Park

“Watching the progress of the development at The Cliffs at Mountain Park is a real thrill for me, as it encompasses so much more than your typical golf course community,” stated Gary Player. “I couldn’t be more proud to have our headquarters as the centerpiece of the Village Center, and I look forward to waking up in my nearby home surrounded by such beauty – that speaks for itself!”

“It’s a very, very beautiful place,” Player continued. “Very few places in the United States can compare to this as far as overall beauty throughout the year. To have our offices here, close to Atlanta for people that are flying internationally, to visit us in our offices or our homes, or to see our golf course that we’ve designed personally, I think the overall situation couldn’t be better for us.”

"We are looking forward to being able to bring our clients from around the world to visit us at Mountain Park and really showcase what we do,” said Marc Player, Chief Executive Officer of the Gary Player Group. “We will play golf on a course we have designed; work out at the Player Wellness Center; present our products and services at our new offices and introduce them to our real estate activities in the Gary Player Estates... one-stop shopping all within walking distance."

Jim Anthony, Founder and President of The Cliffs Communities, added, "We’re excited to be breaking ground on the Black Knight North American headquarters here at The Cliffs at Mountain Park. From the outset, Gary’s been inspired by The Cliffs’ community spirit---especially its emphasis on health and well-being. His own personal commitment to a lifestyle of wellness is the key that led him to decide to establish not only his business headquarters but also his own family’s home here at The Cliffs. It’s really great to have him on board with us."

A Modern Hub with Old World Charm

Designed by Freeman and Major Architects and built by Trehel Corporation –both of Greenville, South Carolina– The Black Knight North American headquarters will span 12,000 square feet across two stories in the heart of The Village at Mountain Park – what is planned to be a vibrant community gathering place made up of sidewalk cafes, an outdoor outfitters shop, other high-

Jim Anthony and Gary Player on site at the
official Groundbreaking Ceremony
end retail, and innovative live/work spaces. The facility, to be completed by the Summer of 2008, will feature Old World village design components, with exteriors of stucco and stone, concrete barrel tile roof, and stained concrete floors. This new home for the divisions of the Gary Player Group will be The Village’s landmark building with a 40-foot tower designed to take in spectacular views of the Gary Player Signature golf course and panoramic Blue Ridge Mountains, and will be complemented with exterior trellises and gardens alongside a 13-acre pond.

Inside Gary Player’s new corporate headquarters, state-of-the-art technologies will be woven throughout a contemporary, open office plan complete with display walls and a “bull pen” creative development area. A grand staircase with grace the foyer. A trophy room will display all of Gary Player’s historical career documents and trophies from a lifetime of achievement on and off the golf course.

“We at Freeman & Major are very honored to be a part of The Cliffs Mountain Park development,” says Allen Freeman, Senior Partner. “To design the North American Headquarters facility for Gary Player is certainly one of the most exciting projects we have done. The vision of Jim Anthony and of Gary Player is thrilling to interpret…. The Old World Village concept with its walking trails, plentiful outdoor spaces, and lush mountain vistas will make Mountain Park iconic among the Player properties and will be recognized globally for its unique design, materials, and spectacular views. It certainly keeps within The Cliffs’ philosophy of maintaining the integrity of the land and promoting environmentally-friendly design.”

“It is a wonderful and significant opportunity to help create Gary Player Group’s North American Headquarters. This is a perfect example of the talent that exists in the Greenville area to collaborate with a local developer and golf icon to create a project with such worldwide significance,” says Neal Workman, Chairman of Trehel Corporation. “We at Trehel are absolutely delighted to be part of this important project and believe that the combination and unique use of stucco, stone and concrete will make this a worldwide showcase for Gary Player.”

Living, Working, and Playing at The Cliffs at Mountain Park

The Cliffs at Mountain Park is the seventh in a collection of The Cliffs’ private residential communities and will feature a suite of standard-setting amenities that include a Gary Player Signature golf course, Gary Player Golf Performance Center, retail and commercial Village, botanical gardens created in partnership with Clemson University, and a planned 1,000 acres of preserved green spaces and parks with a network of interconnecting super trails perfect for walking, hiking, or biking. Located within 20 minutes of downtown Greenville, South Carolina, and within 45 minutes of Asheville, North Carolina, The Cliffs at Mountain Park is convenient to commercial and cultural centers while offering a dramatic and vibrant mountain-living experience.

Gary Player went on to describe his feelings of what it will be like to live, work, and play in The Village at Mountain Park: “To have this feeling, this ambiance of a European Village right here in Greenville at Mountain Park is a very special thing. It has such an ambiance when you go into a place, say in France or Italy or anywhere in Europe, and get that cup of coffee at the baker next door, see friends from The Village or wherever they’re living in this complex, as they’re coming down and doing their shopping; it’s like your own little place. You know everybody and it’s very intimate.”

Owners and Members at The Cliffs at Mountain Park enjoy immediate access and privileges to more than $150 million in completed amenities across The Cliffs’ seven communities – a club membership Resort Living magazine calls “one of the most comprehensive and impressive in the world.”

About The Cliffs Communities

Founded in 1991 by Jim Anthony, The Cliffs Communities is devoted to the sensible development of luxury residential communities and other properties, within the United States and around the world, in accordance with a philosophy of protecting the integrity of pristine environments while offering its residents and members the very best lifestyle. The Cliffs' domestic properties include seven premier, private master-planned residential communities located in the heart of the Carolina Preserve between Asheville, NC, and Greenville, SC, collectively bordered by over a million acres of national forests and state parks in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Ranked among America’s Top 10 Private Golf Communities by Travel + Leisure Golf for the second consecutive year, The Cliffs membership includes owners from 46 of the 50 states and over 10 countries worldwide, each of whom have immediate access to a suite of over $150 million in completed amenities, including five championship golf courses (soon to be seven), world-class wellness complexes run by health and fitness experts, and privileged access to The Cliffs’ international properties in coastal and inland British Columbia; Patagonia, Chile; and the Abaco Islands, Bahamas. The Cliffs is also introducing America's First, Luxury Family Retreat, Keowee Springs Lodge and Spa.

The Cliffs offers homesites from $300,000 to over $3,000,000 and custom homes from $600,000 to over $6,000,000. To discover panoramic living at The Cliffs, call (877) 254-3371 or visit www.cliffscommunities.com.

About The Gary Player Group

Black Knight International, the global holding company for all divisions of the Gary Player Group, maintains a strong presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Gary Player’s penchant for wearing black attire on the golf course, coupled with his competitive style of play and courteous demeanor, earned him the name, “The Black Knight.” The recognizable Black Knight logo identifies all the companies of the Gary Player Group, including the Gary Player®, Player® and Black Knight® brands.

The Gary Player Group provides a range of services and products that reflect a superior quality and commitment to excellence. The various companies under the group umbrella include Gary Player Design, which has more than 250 championship courses worldwide to its credit; Gary Player Enterprises, whose focuses include luxury goods & apparel, event management, Player Wellness facilities, and promoting Mr. Player as an ambassador for global companies seeking to enhance customer relationships; Player Real Estate which is committed to designing custom homes within residential experiences associated with Gary Player-designed golf courses; the Gary Player Academies offering exceptional golf instruction through the World of Golf performance centers; and The Player Foundation, which executes global charitable efforts in support of underprivileged children’s education. www.garyplayer.com.

About Trehel Corporation

Trehel Corporation, a Design/Build and Planning firm with offices in Greenville and Clemson, SC, is a leader in Design/Build construction throughout SC, NC and GA. They provide Design/Build and Planning services to commercial, institutional, educational, corporate, medical, multi-family and ecumenical clients.

About Freeman & Major Architects

Headquartered in Greenville, SC, Freeman & Major Architects is a 65-year old architectural firm which provides design services for corporate, institutional, residential, multi-family, educational and religious clients.