Country Club Estates: San Ramon’s brief brush with opulence

Country Club Estates model homes

February 1965 — San Ramon gets fancy

Volk-McLain didn’t just build homes—they staged a moment. And in 1965, their final act in San Ramon was a showstopper: Country Club Estates, a luxury subdivision tucked inside the San Ramon Country Club. These weren’t starter homes. These were golf-course-facing, architect-designed, casually extravagant statements of status—and they knew it.

From a February 1965 Oakland Tribune—to kick things off, someone produced an obscenely large gold key, the kind you’d expect to open a bank vault or a Bond villain’s wine cellar.

A new definition of "big"

In 1965, the average home in America was a modest 1,415 square feet and cost about $16,250. Country Club Estates blew right past that. These homes averaged 2,281 square feet and came with a price tag pushing $46,000. The word "luxury" got tossed around a lot in the '60s—but here, it actually applied.

You won’t find many ads for Country Club Estates, because they didn’t need them. The homes sold themselves. Real estate writers showed up with notepads in hand. The same kind of coverage Blackhawk would earn two decades later? This did it first.

The model court: Firecrest Lane

If you were house hunting in early ’65, you might’ve wandered through the model homes on Firecrest Lane—four along the curve, with a fifth tucked just around the corner on Winged Foot Place. Neoclassical Revival was the architectural flavor of the day, and designer Dave Johnson, AIA, made sure it was served with a side of grandeur.

Map of Country Club Estates model homes
Location of Country Club Estates with model homes on Firecrest Lane.

Pricing history
1965: $27,295 - $46,000

1. The Plan 1 - 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2,482 sq. ft. A full-on Neoclassical fantasy—columns, symmetry, presence. This was the “take my coat and mix me a Manhattan” of floor plans.

The original Plan 1 model today.

2. The Plan 2 - 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2,118 sq. ft. Lush, roomy, and efficient—because luxury doesn’t always need to show off.

The original Plan 2 model today, with original olive tree. 

From a 1965 Oakland Tribune ad—we came to look at the homes, but the mature olive trees they installed stole the show.

3. The Monticello Colonial - 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2,292 sq. ft. A personal favorite of Henry J. Cupples, longtime Volk-McLain sales director. After selling hundreds of homes in San Ramon, this was the one he chose to live in. Fitting. It’s basically a suburban castle with patriotic undertones.

Country Club Estates Monticello Colonial model
The original Monticello Colonial model today.

4. The Riviera - 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2,400 sq. ft. Venetian flair meets California sunshine. Only one was ever built, making it the unicorn of Firecrest Lane. Elegant and symmetrical with a dash of drama.

Country Club Estates Riviera model
The original Riviera model today.

From a 1965 Contra Costa Times ad—to appreciate its splendor back in the day, you had to see this garage door.

5. The Plan 5 - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,729 sq. ft. The smallest of the bunch, but still far from modest.

The original Plan 5 model today (expanded).

A curtain call

By mid-1965, Volk-McLain—after five long years of building San Ramon from scratch—was ready to exit the stage. After just ten homes in Country Club Estates, they sold the rest of the lots to Alpha Homes, who rebranded the remaining development as Fairway Park.

And just like that, the original builders of San Ramon bowed out. Their final project wasn’t the biggest, but it may have been the boldest.

Related post: Volk-McLain's San Ramon Village

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

San Ramon Village: Volk-McLain's grand blueprint that gave us two cities

Image
Before there were bustling freeways, shopping centers, or city limits, there were just fields—miles of open ranchland and quiet orchards stretching across the San Ramon Valley. Up until 1960, the areas we now call Dublin and San Ramon were rural and unincorporated, dotted with cattle, orchards, and little else. That all changed when a pair of Los Angeles developers—Kenneth Q. Volk and Robert B. McLain—arrived with bold blueprints and an even bolder vision: to transform this pastoral valley into a $300 million master-planned community called San Ramon Village. From ranches to a model city The name “San Ramon Village” wasn’t chosen at random—it honored the area’s deep roots, particularly Rancho San Ramon, a 20,000-acre Mexican land grant awarded to José María Amador in 1834. Over time, Amador sold pieces of his land, including large portions to Leo Norris and James Witt Dougherty. These sprawling ranches, along with adjoining land from Rancho Santa Rita, formed the patchwork that woul...
Read more

Kitchens in the round, style all around: Sunset’s Quietwood series (1971—1973)

Image
On November 21, 1971, Sunset Homes unveiled a new vision for suburban living with the debut of the Quietwood series—a refreshingly modern lineup of homes designed for mid-level buyers with an eye for comfort, efficiency, and flair. Launched in Livermore’s Three Fountains neighborhood, Quietwood marked a vibrant next step following Sunset’s entry-level Ripplebrook and high-end Wildwood series. A neighborhood that gave you space to breathe Set against a backdrop of minimum 10,000 sq. ft. lots, the Three Fountains neighborhood offered something more than just another subdivision—it was a place where families could stretch out, settle in, and stay awhile. The model complex a 722 Alden Lane opened to wide-eyed buyers who found four homes decked out in bold finishes and colorful details—each a reflection of Sunset’s evolving design sensibility. Buyers could also build a Quietwood home in Whispering Pines or Sunset East , making the series a flexible and popular option across several d...
Read more

Silvergate: how Tom Gentry gave Dublin a name

Image
Tucked among the oak-studded hills of Dublin, California, the quiet streets of Silvergate might seem like just another 1960s neighborhood—but this was no ordinary subdivision. This is where Dublin truly got its name. From an August 1964 Oakland Tribune ad —the sun had never been so excited to see the name "Dublin" used in print. Early history: before Dublin had a name The story begins long before tract homes and cul-de-sacs. In 1834, José María Amador received a vast Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramón . For decades, this expanse of open hills and grassland stretched across what would eventually become parts of two counties—Contra Costa and Alameda. After California gained statehood, Contra Costa County was formed and originally included the territory of today’s Alameda County. In 1852, Leo Norris bought 10,000 acres of Rancho San Ramón from Amador. Just one year later, Alameda County was carved out, and the new county line sliced right through Amador’s rancho. Th...
Read more