“This is a golfer’s dream,” Terry Gooding says of the home in Rancho Del Reyo Estates that he and his wife, Barbara, recently remodeled to resemble a Tuscan-style hilltop villa.  “I can say without exaggeration that this piece of property is unique in San Diego County. It has a 270-degree view. You see three golf courses, so it’s a golfer’s dream.”

Situated on 2.8 acres, this elegant estate home on Lady’s Secret Drive overlooks Del Mar Country Club, Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, Morgan Club Resort, and the Pacific Ocean. The 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home also sports a guesthouse, seven-car garage, tennis courts, resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen and fireplace, plus Italianate landscaping and gardens.

“Lady’s Secret Drive is an incredibly beautiful street. This property was developed by Gene Klein, former Chargers owner,” says Terry Holladay, an agent with Willis Allen Real Estate now offering this unique hilltop home for a breezy $13.7 million. “Lady’s Secret was his horse that won the Derby.” 

Dale Duncan built the home 14 years ago as a Mediterranean-style residence. But when the Goodings offered their Del Rayo estate for sale, several prospective buyers indicated that they wanted a different architectural style, but also didn’t want the hassle of remodeling.   

“They all said they loved the lot, they loved the house, but they wanted Tuscan,” Barbara recalls. “We decided if that’s what everybody wanted, we’d better be prepared to provide it for them.” 

So the Goodings teamed up with architect John Jensen and Greg Agee at Agee Construction (both in Solana Beach) to transform their residence into a dramatic Tuscan-themed villa.

Asked if such a monumental remodel is becoming more common in today’s high-end home market, Holladay replies, “It’s unusual, but this parcel called for it. There is no property like this in all of San Diego County.”

Pass through an entry gate up a long, circular driveway flanked by pillars to access Old World-style wood and glass doors that herald entry into the home, which is being offered fully furnished complete with a grand piano in the foyer. Step inside and savor spectacular views through a soaring wall of windows in the living room, where a French marble fireplace is one of the few original elements retained.

The living room overlooks the backyard, where Mission Pools converted a geometric, Spanish-style pool into a dramatic vanishing-edge pool complete with boulders, bridge, and swim-through waterfall. The waterscape also includes adult and children’s spas.   

The property steps down a hillside, where a meandering path leads past rose gardens, hedges, and Italian statuary through herb gardens redolent with the sweet scent of lavender, past a 1,500-square-foot guesthouse to orchards and a tennis court below.

Inside the main house, a pass-through butler’s pantry leads from the dining room into an entirely new, spacious kitchen featuring a “new Old World” look complete with alder wood cabinetry, travertine floors, a white travertine splash laid in a brick pattern, and adjacent breakfast nook with sunny bay windows.

A 15-foot-high, rough-hewn stone fireplace of creamy rumble rock adds warmth to a family/great room crowned by a 22-foot coffered ceiling. Plush sofas with luxurious pillows and a leather-tufted ottoman provide comfortable seating. New lift-and-slide doors disappear into walls, creating an indoor-outdoor room that connects to a patio deck with outdoor kitchen, step-down circular seating area, and outdoor fireplace.

“We took the bar out because people are not wanting bars anymore, and we added a wine room,” says Terry Gooding. Forged iron grapevines adorn an arched door leading into a wine room lined with stone and ceilings, and storage for 400 to 500 bottles. “It’s almost like you’re in a cave,” observes Tasha Holladay, co-agent for the home along with her mother, Terry Holladay.

Expanding a former home office created room for a full home theater complete with tiered seating, upholstered walls, and the rich scent of leather. 

“In today’s world, people like to have a nice large office/library combination,” says Terry Gooding, a retired corporate executive. Coffered ceilings, wood-paneled walls, and a French marble fireplace provide a warm ambience in the home’s spacious super-sized office/library. Glass doors afford unobstructed views of a stone veranda and the Pacific Ocean beyond.  

A gold-brushed, antiqued wood bed frame with studded crocodilian leather and sumptuous linens in gold, bronze, and chocolate hues sets a rich tone in the master suite, where chocolate velvet chairs provide a cozy seating area to savor views of sunsets and balloons through French doors leading to the veranda.

Golden-hued marble adds a touch of opulence to a step-up spa tub with garden views in the master bath, which also features his-and-her vanities, a walk-in shower, and a large walk-in closet.

Honed marble stairs lead down to a lower level with additional bedrooms and a gym complete with a mirrored wall, workout equipment, steam shower, and sauna.

“It is a wonderful party home now,” says Terry Gooding, adding that grandchildren love swimming under the bridge and waterfall — as well as collecting stray golf balls. “We have a full west view, so you can see all the sunsets and all of the balloons.”

The remodeling project, which took nearly a year, has generated new interest among buyers, Tasha confirms. Gazing out across panoramic views of Italian gardens, golf courses, and the sea beyond, she muses, “It’s your own private world up here.” (www.5959ladyssecret.com)   MIRIAM RAFTERY