At Baywood Greens, championship golf, award-winning landscaping, premium homes and resort-style amenities come together to create a community where the fairways and gardens set the tone for living the good life
Written by Kristen Hampshire
Photography by Pamela Aquilani and Baywood Greens
Baywood Greens has mastered the art of bringing everything together in Coastal Delaware. A championship golf course. Resort-style amenities. Award-winning gardens. Destination dining. Premium homes. On-site real estate office. Marinas, beaches and coastal attractions just minutes away.
Across 750 acres, these elements combine to create a lifestyle that has become a benchmark for amenity-rich living on the Eastern Shore.
Residents can spend the morning on the golf course known as the “Augusta of the North,” meet friends for lunch at the clubhouse, attend a wine dinner in the evening and return home to neighborhoods framed by one of the region’s most ambitious horticultural programs.
The result is a community where recreation, hospitality and homeownership are seamlessly connected—and where much of what residents enjoy is right outside the front door.
Living In Color
While Baywood Greens is widely recognized for its golf course, the landscape often makes a vibrant first impression.
Flowering cherry trees give way to crabapple trees, and crape myrtles brighten summer streets. Hanging baskets spill over bridges. Tropical plants frame gathering spaces, and seasonal displays transform throughout the year.
Joya Parsons, director of horticulture, oversees approximately 35 acres of landscape beds spread throughout the 750-acre property.
“When Baywood was first built, Mr. Tunnell really wanted to put an emphasis on color in the landscape,” Joya says of Robert W. Tunnell Sr., who founded Tunnell Companies in 1962 and established a development philosophy that ultimately led to the Pot-Nets communities and Baywood Greens.
His vision informs everything from year-round color to golf course moments and the luxury experiences within reach to visitors and residents.
“The idea is that there is always a space in Baywood that is either blooming or has really nice fall color every week of the year from late February through November,” Joya explains, quickly adding that this feature extends to the entire property. You won’t turn a corner without landing on a visual display worthy of a selfie.
To accomplish this goal, a carefully orchestrated sequence of flowering trees, shrubs, bulbs, annuals and perennials is designed to keep the community colorful throughout most of the year.
The displays aren’t limited to neighborhood entrances. Flowering bridges span water features on the golf course. The clubhouse gardens evolve with the seasons. Wedding spaces showcase tropical displays, annual flowers and native plantings.
“It’s a very unique landscape,” Joya says. “There’s really nothing else like it in Sussex County.”
For Joya, the work is equal parts art and science. And today, Baywood is also placing greater emphasis on native species, incorporating plants that support pollinators and contribute to the health of the local ecosystem.
“The most rewarding part is having an idea for a display, then being able to follow it all the way through to fruition,” she says. “It’s very satisfying when I can look at a display in July or August and see how those earlier ideas have blossomed in the landscape.”
The Augusta of the North
The gardens provide the backdrop, but golf remains a defining part of the Baywood experience.
Anthony Hollerback, PGA, who is the director of golf for Baywood Greens, has watched the property evolve over the past 26 years.
“What makes us unique are our two very different nines,” Anthony says.
The Woodside nine holes wind through mature forests and flowering plantings, while the Waterside nine holes introduce golfers to ponds, bridges and water features on nearly every hole.
Among the most recognizable holes is No. 14, featuring Baywood’s signature island fairway. “It’s a tough little drive,” Anthony says. “You have to be accurate with your tee shot.”
Nearby, the risk-reward 16th hole challenges players to balance strategy and aggression. “Every hole has its own identity,” he says. “Players always have something to talk about back at the clubhouse.”
The course’s reputation has earned it a nickname familiar throughout the region: the Augusta of the North.
Anthony notes that another distinguishing characteristic of the course is its accessibility. Residents can take advantage of the course, driving range, lessons, clinics and professional club-fitting services without leaving the community. From home, many simply hop in a golf car and head to the first tee.
“We’re a public facility that gives you the private golf course experience,” he says.
Everything at Home
As Baywood Greens has evolved, so have opportunities for homeownership. New phases are introducing a build-on-your-own-lot model that allows buyers to work with a select group of preferred builders to create custom and semi-custom homes.
According to Eric Caracappa, director of sales for Baywood Greens, the model offers homeowners the opportunity to personalize their living spaces while enjoying the amenities and scenery that define the community.
Preferred builders including Ashburn Homes, Treasure Homes and Coastal Builders offer a range of home styles, floor plans and customization options. Baywood Greens will also offer designs from Insight Homes later this year.
Outdoor living spaces remain among the most requested features. “We’re seeing people wanting big open living areas, screened porches, balconies and outdoor spaces,” says Coastal Builders’ Richard Doyle.
Todd Williams of Treasure Homes says many homeowners are looking to maximize their views. “They want the outside to be part of their interior, especially when they have golf course views,” he says.
Large windows, covered porches and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces connect each home to the Baywood Greens vibe.
Residents also enjoy access to community amenities including a pool, tennis courts, community center, marinas and private beaches along the inland bays. Nearby shopping, restaurants and Delaware’s coastal attractions are only minutes away.
“The amenities are first class,” says Jordan Ashburn, owner of Ashburn Homes, a second-generation family business. “The streetscapes are fantastic; there’s access to the marinas. It’s a whole lifestyle.”
“It’s an ideal destination. You’re in a community that is close to all of the area attractions and the water, yet you can also get away while you’re at Baywood Greens.”
The Place To Be
At the heart of Baywood Greens sits the clubhouse, a destination that further reinforces the community’s resort-style atmosphere. With Highwater Management steering the dining and event program, the site serves as a gathering place for residents and visitors.
From casual lunches and dinners to wine events, weddings and seasonal celebrations, the clubhouse creates opportunities for neighbors and guests to connect. The venue hosts dozens of weddings annually, with ceremony gardens and landscaped grounds providing a memorable backdrop.
For residents, the clubhouse adds another layer of convenience and community.
A round of golf can turn into lunch with friends. An evening dinner can become a neighborhood gathering. Special events and seasonal programming provide reasons to return throughout the year. Together, the golf course, gardens, homes and clubhouse create a lifestyle that feels both elevated and approachable.
Every season brings a new display of color. Every phase introduces new opportunities for homeowners. And across the board, every day offers another way to enjoy the amenities that have made Baywood Greens one of the Eastern Shore’s most distinctive communities—a place where resort-style living is easy.
Anthony Hollerback says, “It’s an ideal destination. You’re in a community that is close to all of the area attractions and the water, yet you can also get away while you’re at Baywood Greens.”
Visit them at baywoodgreens.com.
