What I’ve Learned about Golf Communities…and the People Who Move There

Thanks for the article Larry. As a big golfer I have always been interested in living on a community with a course. My father lived at 7 Lakes in FT. Myers and loved its executive course and many other amenities. It was particularly good when he got into his 70s and 80s and regular courses were too hard for him. When he first retired there he would often go and play regular courses outside. I am wondering if you see people who pick communities with difficult courses when they are in late 50s early 60s who later regret it as they age? What would you say about that.

Good question. Many of them regret it even sooner because they expect to continuously improve their handicaps the more they play, and that doesn’t generally happen on tough layouts (and after challenging careers, do we really want tough challenges in retirement?) In the 1990s and into the early 2000s — call it “The Tiger Era — many developers thought they needed a “trophy” course to attract property sales, and that meant a true championship course (although every golf community labels its course “championship” but the only championship they hold is the club championship). Those courses were too tough for the average golfer, especially aging ones who couldn’t drive the ball 250 yards. Moving up a tee box or two and playing a shorter course wasn’t the answer in many places because the traps, literally and figuratively, were designed into the green complexes. I have seen a softening of the layouts at new golf community courses over the last 15 years as developers realized they needed to commission layouts more friendly to the recreational golfer. Two of note (of many I could cite) are Carolina Colours in New Bern, NC ( a Bill Love design) and Compass Pointe (Rick Robbins), 15 minutes outside Wilmington, NC. When you play those courses you can imagine the developers giving the golf course architect Goldilocks instructions to “make it not too easy, not too hard...and fun to play.”

Good Day. My Wife played Competitive Golf & My Centreman/Best Friend was a Golf Pro & they 1st got me into Golf. Am still playing & am not Shy about about playing the Forward Tees. In fact; enjoy playing Combos. Like playing with "The Young Guns" as their $$ is the same color as mine. & I do really enjoy taking it & sometimes paying out. It gives the Moths some Fresh Air!
Having said above know Executive Courses are Fun to Play, take less time & do make your "Wheels Turn". So pleased to read they are becoming in vogue!!
Also, know playing them gets me out with my Buds & sure beats shoveling Snow!!

Thank you for the article. I don't play golf and probably never will, but article is still interesting. And this is something I never would have thought of: The one who doesn’t play golf, or is less serious about it, gets to choose the location. Intelligent reasoning.

Billy, better late than never to get into golf. You are deriving the best bits out of the game — fun, exercise, camaraderie and the occasional small, but satisfying, winnings. Judy, I have arbitrated a few quandaries between spouses over where to live, and the approach you referenced seems to work. Buying a home anywhere is a big investment, and you don’t want to make it unless both are fully supportive of the choice of location. This is why I am insistent that location be the first decision in the search process. If one wants coast and the other mountains, they are doomed to a long and fruitless search.

Though we are not totally retired yet, we are non-golfers who have looked at everything from golf to manufactured home communities. We did purchase in a golf community (Colonial Heritage). Though now it is our “get-away” place and we don’t live there permanently yet, we just love it! The virus has kept us from enjoying everything they have to offer, but “this too shall pass”. We love the people, the cleanliness, it’s other amenities we will be able to use when things settle down and the beauty! The security also is welcome. Not just anyone can wander through and I’ve never seen so many happy, smiling and waving neighbors as we drive in and out. Yes, many of our neighbors are golfers and that was their reason for buying there, there are also many of us non-golfers. We are extremely happy. I do agree with the magazines saying some communities are “Top 50” and they are hyping the places that advertise in their publications. Colonial Heritage is never/seldom mentioned in ads, but wow, they are thriving! New building still going on, and for sale homes don’t sit on the market long. I’m pretty certain this course will remain open for a long time after having a look at the next year’s proposed budget. Things are looking real nice! I love Williamsburg!

I live in a master-planned community with a beautiful golf course, and I am a golf member.

Also consider - is the course open to the public as well? Some courses are private; others are not. May or may not be important to you when making a decision about where to retire and considering a golf community.

However, as noted by Larry, whether you play golf or not, the beauty of the course is something to enjoy.

Enjoyed the post!

Jan Cullinane, author, The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement (AARP/Wiley)

Dave, I visited Colonial Heritage 13 years ago and was impressed with the community. I played the golf course, which was designed by one of my favorites, Arthur Hills. I found it one of the most challenging courses in the South, which was a head-scratcher since the community is 55+. I was 60 at the time and carrying a 10 handicap and I found it tough. I assume they have softened it over time, but there were so many forced carries, it must still be a challenge. In any case, you have found a place for your Glorious Back Nine, and that is great. Congrats...Jan, terrific to hear from you. You may not recall, but we met at one of those Live South trade shows many years ago. I learned a lot from your presentation that day and from your first book, which is on my bookshelf. I am currently working with a single lady to find a golf home and will recommend your latest book to her. (If your golf community is single-friendly, I would love to recommend it to my client. You can contact me through my website, GolfCommuityReviews.com) By the way, I cover in my book all the different types of club memberships available in golf communities. It is one of the more confusing choices a couple (or single) will make in their choice of a golf community. Cheers

Larry, maybe the challenging course is the reason my 70 year old neighbors all look and act like they’re only 35? Healthiest bunch of older adults I’ve ever seen! If they aren’t on the course, they’re doing something else physical. Hmmm, maybe I should take up golf again...

Dave, maybe you should. It seems as if you accomplished what Ponce de Leon could not: You have found the Fountain of Youth.

Larry, and Colonial Heritage is it’s name! LOL! Give me some new wrists and I’ll be on the course tomorrow!

NEVER AGAIN! Living in a golf community often means the course is right in your backyard! Sounds like paradise! WRONG! 7AM shouting ! Multiple broken glass doors! The Cursing!
I will avoid living in a golf course forever! When I want to play it’s always nearby! Don’t get beguiled by the idea of golf course living until you get to experience the noise, early morning yelling, broken windows from wild shots!

Ron, the course is only in your backyard if you purchase a home beside the course. Your windows will be broken only if your home is positioned at mid-fairway or to the side of a green. (We own a vacation condo beside a tee box, and the earliest any group arrives there is around 8:30 a.m., and the only noise I hear is the thwack of club head on golf ball.) With all that shouting and cursing at 7 a.m., I think it would be a public service if you let us know where this community is so that no one ever makes the mistakes you made.

I'm neither for or against golf communities and while Ron has legitimate concerns, Larry is right. We rented a wonderful house for a month (June) at a course in Arizona -- right on the course at the 9th fairway. Beautiful landscaping and views. The owner was not a golfer, but had a 5 gallon bucket of errant golf balls in the garage -- no need to buy balls. The fairway side windows (including sliding glass doors) were fitted with special screens to ward off balls. Though the course saw heavy use while we were there and we were outside much of the time, we saw and heard only occasional players -- enjoyed several pleasant conversations.

RichPB, thanks for that. Those precautions you mentioned are customary for many golf homes with the views of the course. For golfers, there can also be a side benefit, based on the course layout. In my case, with a condo beside the 15th tee box, I could go out and play the 15th, 16th, 13th (par 3) and 14th and return home at the 15th. It was a great way to spend a late afternoon, or early evening (often with my children) after the last "fee paying" golfers had come through. (I was a member and did not feel guilty about "sneaking" on.) I own a lot beside the 16th fairway, and whenever I visit it, I note a few golf balls lying under the brush. If I do build a home there, I will certainly consider special screens for the windows in the danger zone. The view -- down the fairway and out to the marsh -- is worth the effort.