Lake Geneva certainly has a preponderance of clubs. The Harvard Club. The Loch Vista Club. The Congress Club. Country Club Estates. The 700 Club. We love our clubs up here, and thankfully, outside of the Big Foot Country Club and Lake Geneva Country Club, just about anyone can gain access to these other clubs, so long as you’re willing to ante up and buy yourself a vacation home in one. While many clubs exist, there is only one true Lake Geneva Club. Positioned on the south shore of Geneva Lake, a couple miles east of Fontana but not quite as far as the South Shore Club. The Lake Geneva Yacht Club is just a couple hundred yards to the west. See what I mean about all these clubs?
The Lake Geneva Club is positioned adjacent to the Chicago Club and Oak Shores, but is most closely identified in terms of market positioning as being similar to other nearby one lane associations Shore Haven and Camp Sybil, or Sybil Lane if you prefer. These three associations are classic associations consisting of little more than a single, narrow road running north from South Lakeshore Drive that culminates at a small lakefront park. Classically defined, or at least so dubbed by me, these are the truest of the one-laners on the entire lake. Shore Haven has the largest lakefront of the three, but the Lake Geneva Club is by far the most iconic of these three associations. The stone boathouse is magnificent, and the lakefront park system, while limited, is bucolic to the thirteenth degree. The street is level with only a slight elevation change, and a minimal number of steps at the waterfront. When I talk about sauntering down to the water, this is an association that was built to not only encourage sauntering, but it practically mandates it.
The Lake Geneva Club is an old association, but as old associations go, it’s a relative youngster. If Glenwood Springs and the Congress Club are the old men of the lake, then the 1930’s era Lake Geneva Club is just barely reaching middle age. The original cottage designs were limited, and owners had the choice of three or four home styles that were offered by the developer. If you drive down the lane today, you’ll see many different mutations of those original styles, but two of the original designs are quite visible even now. The two story design was my favorite- a bit of a hybrid bungalow with a second floor rising out of the center ridge. They are the truest form of cottages in existence, and thankfully, several of these original models remain.
There are plenty of newer homes too. Some were new in the 50’s, others in the 60’s, and at least three others are new as of the past four years. A cottage that I had a storied and decidedly unprofitable past with either just sold or is about to sell, and that home will be town down and replaced with yet another new design. Gentrification has come to the Lake Geneva Club, and to be honest, I find myself apoplectic as a result. Even so, new construction is necessary and inevitable, as buyers demand more luxurious accommodations and seek more square footage than the original designs could afford.
Property values in the Lake Geneva Club skyrocketed about four years ago, thanks, at least in part, to yours truly. I listed and sold a classic, yet unrefined cottage that is located just one home off the water. The cottage was nearly original, and had a terrific lake view, along with proximity that was nearly impossible to replicate. I sold that cottage in 2006 for $790k, and immediately changed the price structure for the association. Buyers, I apologize. In the years following that sale, a couple other properties have hit the market, hoping to cash in on the newly established valuations. Those attempts have largely fizzled, as the proximity to the water drove that sale, and homes that are even six or seven homes off the lake- while still close- are not able to touch that sort of price range.
In the current market, I’d expect many off water homes in the club to sell between $450k and $600k, with the new construction valued differently, and the select remaining two story cottages in original, unmolested condition selling for considerably more. Note the way I described the cottages as if they are any other sort of antique, or classic car. We all know that 1960 Corvette’s are worth loads of money, but a model with matching serial numbers and original paint will sell for a premium. The same is true with these classic cottages of the Lake Geneva Club, as I am unaware of any other homes that exist in the entire area that are of the same design as the few remaining two story cottages in this association. These two story designs could fetch prices in the $800k to $900k range, and should one become available, I might just pass out from the excitement.
The Lake Geneva Club has been enduring a long battle with the township and the state regarding the boat slip arrangement at their waterfront. The Lake Geneva Club, in addition to the classic stone boathouse, has a beautiful pier. There are roughly 30 homes in the club, and were always just a few slips short of having enough mooring spaces for everyone. While a select handful of homes had transferable boatslips, the vast majority did not. Several years ago the DNR granted the club a pier permit that would allow a modification of the pier to allow each home to have a fully transferable boatslip. Without getting into confidential details, a lawsuit from a neighboring association stymied their process for about a year, and most recently another suit came from a governing body regarding the permit. The issue is still in the courts, but it looks like the Lake Geneva Club will have a resolution to the issue in the near future. My bet is that the club will be able to keep their modified piers, and that all owners will ultimately have transferable boatslips with their properties. That’s my personal, unsubstantiated opinion, but again, I’m just a kid with pointy hair and a lap top.
As of today, there is one home available in the Lake Geneva Club. It’s priced in the $700k’s, and while it’s not an original style cottage, it is in move in condition. For anyone seeking a classic cottage setting along the shores of Geneva Lake, the Lake Geneva Club is a terrific option. The narrow lane makes non-resident traffic obsolete, and kids routinely walk up and down the lane, or hitch a ride down to the water on a golf cart (private roads = golf carts allowed). The association has a tennis court as well as the terrific lakefront boathouse and pier, and it is a mere 5 minute drive to Fontana restaurants. All in all, the club is one of my favorites on the lake, and a summer spent here would more than likely be the best summer of your life. If this sounds like fun to you too, email me and I’ll do my best to dig up an off market opportunity for you here, or would gladly show you the existing property as well.
Dear David Curry,
My great grandfather & mother used to live in a year-round home in Robinson Hillside neighborhood of Linn twsp, near Bobby’s. I tried to find this home which was flanked by 5 old pine trees (from early 1900’s) and only a couple blocks walk from the Lake Shore. It also was close by a golf course, says my mom, which appears to have been built over (?). In about 2012, my mom & uncle visited this home which at that time appeared abandoned and in declining shape, sporting several electric meters, as if it had been used for multiple appartments. Are you familiar with this property? Have an address or a street/crossing possibility? Was it razed & built over…or does it still exist? It had white wooden clapboard construction with a large wooden porch and decent back yard…and I visited it a few times in my early youth.
Thank you for your nice comment. Unfortunately, the property doesn’t ring a bell. There are several homes in that neighborhood that would roughly match your description. The nearby golf course would be the Lake Geneva Country Club, which still exists to this day.
We used to have a summer home in LG Club. Would love to rent a cottage for most any time period, including a month, in summer of 2024. Just 2 seniors and our small dog.
Anything or suggestions please?
Hi Tim,
The rental market is pretty tight up here, but it should be better for summer of 2024. I would recommend searching the typical sites (airbnb, vrbo, etc) and you should be able to find something you like. Best of luck! David