Instead of plunking down several million dollars for a waterfront villa in Hawaii, for example, you can purchase nearly one month’s worth of use in an island vacation home for a fraction of the cost. As a Club member, you and your guests will appreciate the comforts of home while being treated to the legendary services and lavish amenities that Ritz-Carlton hotel guests enjoy.

Among the locations—and more on the way—are some delightful golf prop­erties. Now open, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa (Jupiter, Fla.) boasts an im­peccably manicured Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and Addison Mizner-inspired architecture. Available for occupancy in the next few years, ad­ditional locations will offer a variety of golf experiences. Five consecutive ocean­front holes will inspire players at The Ritz- Carlton Club, Kauai lagoons (Hawaii). Golfers will also be enchanted by The Ritz-Carlton Club, Kapalua Bay (Hawaii), located in the famed Kapalua Resort, which has set the standard of sophistication on Maui.

Each location serves up unique activities with a local flair, along with all the extravagances Ritz-Carlton fans have come to expect: rejuvenating spa services, palate-tantalizing cuisine, attentive staff and elegant decor. Floor plans range from one to four bedrooms, and all residences are well appointed with fully equipped kitchens, appliances and plush interiors. As an added benefit, members may explore other Ritz-Carlton Club residences through reciprocal-used privileges.

Fractional ownership with The Ritz-Carlton Club is changing the future of vacation-home ownership.

In Hot Springs,Va., The Homestead first welcomed guests in 1766. J.P. Morgan bought the place in 1888, adding the main building, the famed spa with its gorgeous indoor pool and a Donald Ross golf course, the first of three 18-hole layouts. New owner KSL Resorts has updated the bathrooms in all 486 rooms, put in a new driving range at The Cascades Course and restored  the Old Course bunkers to Ross’ original 1913 design. Darling, you look marvelous.

The tournament will be contested on Waikoloa’s legendary Kings’ Course, a collaboration of Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf, which contains design elements reminiscent of a Scottish links course while simultaneously offering amazing views of Big Island volcanoes, wildflowers and towering palm trees. Golfers always enjoy the Scottish-style double green shared by the third and sixth holes. On the free day, competitors can also tee it up on the sister Beach Course, which hugs the water and was literally carved from the lava flow along the picturesque Wailulua Bay. Its signature is the par-5 12th, bordering the ocean from tee to green. Perhaps the biggest challenge is not being distracted by the frolicking humpback whales.

As diverse as its courses are the Waikoloa lodging options—which include the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and the Hilton Waikoloa Village, as well as no less than a half dozen luxurious condominium properties—all with wonderful views and comfortable furnishings. More than a few golfers have paid a first-time visit, fell in love with every aspect of this gorgeous 1,350-acre master-planned residential resort community and ended up buying a vacation home before they left.