If you’re a golfer, making a decision about purchasing resort real estate can have just as much to do with who designed the course on site as it does with the Viking appliances in the kitchen, or how many fixtures there are in that marble bathroom countertop. It turns out that golfers and luxury-seeking travelers are far from mutually exclusive sets, and developments are teaming up with big-name course designers left and right in an effort to strike while the five iron is hot. Here’s a look at some of golf’s most recognized innovators and what they’re bringing to the golfer’s true home away from home, the greens, in the near future.

Greg Norman: Cornerstone, Colorado

Also known as The Shark, Norman spent 30 years as a number one pro, playing on some of the greatest courses in the world. His latest creation, at Cornerstone, is part of a luxury second home community located near Telluride. Cornerstone is a place to build—owners are offered lots with views of the San Juan Mountains or the Uncompahgre Valley. The smallest lots, from a quarter to one acre in size, start at $300,000. Estate Homesteads start at $500,000, with lots ranging in size from about three to 20 acres. The largest land options are ranch homesteads which sprawl up to 130 acres and start at $725,000. A few four-bedroom cabins are available, for those who would rather have pre-built luxury than design their own home, and these start at $2.6 million. In addition to Norman’s new course, the list of amenities includes stables and boarding facilities for horses, numerous shops and dining options and the requisite spa and fitness center.

Jack Nicklaus: Conando de Alhama-Murcia, Spain

Nicklaus—who won 20 major championships over the course of his career—designs courses with his son and son-in-law, and the family business is booming, with over 100 courses currently in development. Most recently, he’s set his sights on Condado de Alhama in Murcia, Spain, where he’ll design not one, but three courses. They will all be integrated into what amounts to its own small city: five resort properties, each with their own community congregation area clustered around a town center that serves all of the resorts. Villas start at $178,000 and extend up to $3 million. You’ll want for nothing—the property has 15 restaurants, and its own pubs and grocery stores. Rest assured, you’ll find a health food store on site, as well a veterinarian, a post office and an insurance broker. And just in case you want to stay indefinitely, there’s even a school for the kids.

Tom Fazio: Christophe Harbour, St. Kitts

Another of golf’s leading designers has elevated the expectations for courses—and the way the game is played—around the world. Tom Fazio is as well known as the players who love to win on his courses. He has designed over 120 courses, and his latest project, Christophe Harbour, is set to open in 2010. Located in St. Kitts, the course is expected to have 360-degree Atlantic and Caribbean views. The project is a partnership between Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Auberge Resorts. Residences will range from over-water suites to private villas with the services and amenities one would expect from two experienced luxury groups. There will be 20 residences, each 3,000 square feet, starting at $750,000. Residents will have access to fine dining, a spa, a fitness center and a large yacht marina.

Tiger Woods: The Cliffs, The Carolina Preserve

The eighth course at the Cliffs is Woods’ first course stateside (he is also working on one in Dubai). It’s scheduled to open in 2010 and will stand alongside courses designed by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Jackson. Members at the Cliffs have unlimited access to the courses as well as the marinas, clubhouses, wellness programs and restaurants. It seems that there is an abundance of every amenity at the Cliffs, which is actually a collection of eight planned communities straddling the border of North and South Carolina. Resorts are scattered along the the Blue Ridge Mountain corridor connecting Asheville, N.C. with Greenville, S.C., and offer home sites from $300,000 to over $3,000,000. Custom homes run from $700,000 to over $5,000,000.