Pine Creek Sporting Club was the centerpiece of a large feature story in the 9/13/13 Wall Street Journal about how once struggling, golf and ski clubs are re-branding themselves as kid-friendly camps for the whole family. The story reads, “today’s master-planned resorts are being reimagined as fancy family camps, a trend that’s helping revive a number of struggling high-end second-home communities. Developers say they’re aiming to please everyone from toddlers to great-grandparents by merging luxurious trappings with amenities like bowling alleys, soda shops and video arcades. It’s all designed to woo wealthy buyers on the hunt for a perfect family vacation.”

The excerpt on Pine Creek Sporting Club reads:

“Pine Creek Sporting Club, a private resort community in Okeechobee, Fla., was originally conceived around 2006 as a traditional hunting club with 23 ranch properties of 40 acres each and amenities including a clubhouse, dog kennels and shooting facilities. But by the time developers broke ground in late 2007, in the midst of the economic downturn, they decided to re-brand the property as a 2,400-acre family-centric resort with both ranch properties and smaller cabins, with hunting as just one of many activities available.

Today, the club has a swimming pool and spa, a fitness center and a 600-foot-long zip line that runs across a small lake. There are overnight camping trips and, soon, an Outdoor Pursuits center for kids. A clubhouse wall is lined with photos of member families, and a library is being converted into a game room with coolers that will stock soft drinks and juice boxes. John Reynolds, director of sales and marketing, says about 40% of members are hunters. The other 60% are attracted to the outdoorsy, family-friendly activities. Smaller cabins start at $700,000 and larger ranches, each with 40 acres, range from $2 million to $5 million. The $22,500 annual dues cover most of the amenities and activities, including overnight camping trips for kids (spa treatments, some overnight trips and restaurant meals are additional).

Earlier this year, Karin Taylor, a full-time mom from Palm Beach, Fla., bought a 5,600-square-foot home on 40 acres at Pine Creek with her husband, who runs an industrial buying group. “We really see this as where our kids will have a lot of family memories,” says Ms. Taylor, who has five children ranging in age from 3 to 10. “We really weren’t interested in being part of a place that didn’t welcome the kids.” On a recent afternoon, the kids got a hunting-dog demonstration and played in a playground area near a large tree house. Ms. Taylor says they spent about $2 million on their ranch.”