Championship living

Prospective buyers of the 11,400-square-foot estate located at 4790 Rancho Del Mar Trail are invited to enjoy “championship living” in a home that listing materials report has been described by a seasoned travel writer as “truly a multi-starred resort.”

The property, tucked between Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego’s northern city limits, is “sited on a spectacular ridge overlooking Fairbanks Ranch Country Club” and the San Dieguto River Valley and provides “an elegant solution for those who enjoy entertaining formally or at a more casual pace — or both.”

Guests arrive at the estate, which “exudes sunny warmth via its Old World stone facades and tiered tile rooflines,” via a “captivating stone circular driveway, which surrounds a tranquil fountain” and leads to a six-car garage along the side of the main residence.

Interior features include a wine room, “handsome two tiered wood gentlemen’s library with sitting room above,” a sound-proofed private theater with seating for eight, two-room gym with “nearly six figures” worth of professional exercise equipment, and a billiard room with tin and copper ceilings in addition to its own bath. A central atrium is surrounded by second-floor balconies, with a great room encompassing the kitchen, dining, and family areas below. Each of the home’s five bedrooms is equipped with private living areas, in addition to en suite bathrooms.

Construction elements include “handsome walnut floors,” multiple fireplaces, exposed beam ceilings, wood-inlaid arches, a home automation system with digital lighting and shade controls, and exterior “Old World stone facades and tiered red tile roof lines.”

The home is being offered fully furnished with pieces selected by noted Rancho Santa Fe interior designer Maria Barry of Le Dimora, whose “magnificent furnishings harmonize with in-place stone work, alder wood cabinetry throughout and black walnut coffered ceilings, trims and paneling.”

Outside, a covered barbecue and patio area offers outdoor dining surrounded by “just right” mature landscaping and views from the Del Mar racetrack to the hills of Rancho Santa Fe. In addition to the lagoon-style pool and spa, the backyard boasts its own single 63-yard par-three hole of golf, plus a large sand trap and putting green.

Public records show the current owner of the Rancho Del Mar estate as James W. Clarke, though the property is not listed as a personal residence. The listed mailing address in Irvine is shared by Clarke Directory Publications, a producer and distributor of yellow pages–style phone directories.

The property was built in 2006, and last sold as new construction for $8.8 million in late 2007. It was listed for sale for the first time in mid-November with an asking price of $10 million, which remains unchanged to date.