The dream house that legendary professional golfer Payne Stewart designed just before his death has a new owner.
The 11,079-square-foot home on Chestnut Ridge Drive in Windermere’s Isleworth community just sold for $7.12 million, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.
Stewart’s wife, Tracey, completed the house in 2002 and raised the couple’s two children there and lived a private life.
“[Payne Stewart] never even got the chance to live in it since it was completed after his passing, and this is the first time it was ever for sale,” said Ron Ziolkowski with Re/Max Prime Properties, who represented the buyers. Monica Lochmandy with Isleworth Realty represented the Stewart family trust.
Stewart and five others died on Oct. 25, 1999, when the chartered jet they were on lost cabin pressure, incapacitating everyone on board. About four hours after it took off from Orlando on its way to Dallas, it crashed in a South Dakota field.
Stewart was the winner of 11 PGA tour events including three majors, the last being just a few months before he died. On the final hole at the 1999 U.S. Open, he sank a dramatic 15-foot putt for a one-stroke victory.
On the course, he was known almost as much for his creative and colorful clothing as he was for his golf skills.
Tracey Stewart told Golf Digest she and Payne had just finished plans for the house on the day the plane crashed. She made a few changes but moved her family in the next year.
The interior is not nearly as colorful as the knickers, high socks, and driving hat Payne Stewart usually wore, but it is stylish with lots of wood and quality craftsmanship.
According to public records, the buyers are Jessica and Kurt O’Brien, who are moving from a house on the Butler Chain of Lakes to this one because it better fits their needs. Kurt O’Brien was the CEO of Simply Self Storage, which was acquired last December by Blackstone REIT for $1.2 billion.
The four-bedroom, five-bathroom home sits on more than two acres on Lake Bessie and has a dock.
The home has many features, including a gift wrapping room and an office with a formal reception area and conference room overlooking the lake.
“The house has a massive garage underground and a movie theater. The rooms are oversized and everything is top of the line,” Ziolkowski explained, adding his clients will put their personality and personal touches into it. “They’ll make it even better.”
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