The lure of golf and golfing communities. Statistically, my round of 51 is just a matter of time. It's my potential (if not my destiny).

 

by Toby Tobin

 

        Golf is a game of perpetually unrealized potential. It has been said the game was invented by a sadist to be enjoyed by masochists. As a golfer, how many times have you heard, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while." or "It only takes one good shot to bring a golfer back for another round." The concepts behind these two thoughts explain golf's addictive quality.

        I was once a single-digit handicap golfer. My most recent home venue was the Jack Nicklaus signature course at Grand Haven in Palm Coast, FL. During a period spanning ten years, I managed to birdie each of the 18 holes at least once. And I managed to eagle three, including a hole-in-one.

        So I KNOW that I have the potential of shooting a 51 on the par 72 Nicklaus course. And any time I walk to the tee on a par three, I KNOW I'm capable of a hole-in-one. I've already done it, although not on the same day or even in the same year, by combining my best score on each hole. Statistically, my round of 51 is just a matter of time. It's my potential (if not my destiny). Just like the theory that an infinite number of monkeys given an infinite number of typewriters will eventually reproduce the world's greatest books.

        I remember thinking, after I finished each round back then, of the few bad shots I'd hit that day. Older now and playing less, I get to recall a few bad shots after nearly every hole. The birdies are now few. It's hard to remember my last eagle.

        How close did I ever get to my potential round of 21 under par at Grand Haven? I had a handful of 74s; two over par. Even on my best days, I could not get within 23 shots of my potential.

        Seriously, no matter what your level of play, some shots are either great or pretty good compared to your average. As I plan each shot, whether it's from the center of the fairway, on the green, from a bunker or buried in the woods, I can remember at least once in the past when I hit that identical shot with spectacular results. It's a golfer's weakness to not only remember those shots but also to expect the same results again, not just some time in the future, but RIGHT NOW; on THIS shot.

        Statistically, I have the same odds of hitting my worst shot as I do of hitting my best. The other 99.999% of the time, I'll be somewhere in between. The fact that I couldn't replicate that magnificent shot this time is frustrating because I know I can do it. But knowing that I can is what brings me back again and again, perpetually frustrated and forever a golfer.

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        Donald "Toby" Tobin blogs about real estate from his home in Palm Coast, FL.  Toby's web site is GoToby.com.

        Spring is a notoriously good time to list a home for sale. Temperatures are warming, the crocuses are starting to push up through the damp ground, and folks who might buy your house are thinking ahead to September, the best time for their kids to enter a new school. According to the real estate web site Trulia.com, though, some markets are going to be hotter than others next month.

        The web site’s analysts looked at sales patterns state by state since 2007 and determined the best times of the year to their homes for sale. They came up with a number of states where March could go out like a lion if you list and price your home right. By April, you could be looking for your dream house on a golf course in the South, flush with more than enough cash for the transaction and on your way to a more active but less expensive lifestyle.

The cost of living in Leland, NC, home to Brunswick Forest and its fine Cape Fear National Golf Club, is as much as 50% lower than in some northern cities.

 

        Along the eastern seaboard, more buyers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Georgia will be looking for homes in March than in any other month of the year, according to Trulia. In the upper Midwest, the same will be true for homes in Michigan and Ohio. And in New England, Trulia indicates just one state, Massachusetts, will be hotter in terms of sales in March than its neighbors.

        More buyers looking for homes in March could push up the price for your home, especially if local inventories are thin. Some markets are reporting bidding wars, a relic of the early 2000s, and sale prices higher than the list prices. But buyer demand is not the only good reason for couples considering a move to warmer climates to consider listing

their primary homes in the coming weeks. Prices for golf community homes in prime southern U.S. locations are rising too, some at rates faster than those up north. The reason is that many of our neighbors are beginning to make the move South, pushing up demand down there. They are finding, also, that not only is comparable real estate cheaper in the South, at least for now, but overall cost of living is less -– sometimes a lot less (see below).

        To demonstrate potential buying power for those considering a move north to south, we compared recent selling prices of homes in some of the states Trulia says will be hot commodities in March with the current prices for comparably sized homes in popular golf communities in the southeast. (Where we could find recent sale prices, we used those; otherwise, we used listing prices.) To further illuminate the financial aspects of a move from north to south, we added a figure for the change in cost of living. (Cost-of-living data from BestPlaces.net)

        If you would like us to work up the numbers for your dream move to a golf community, just fill out our Customer Questionnaire or contact us directly.  We will respond promptly and will always keep your personal information strictly confidential.

 

From Massachusetts to near Wilmington, NC…

Sold:     41 Oakhurst Cir, Needham, MA

             3 BR/2.5 BA, 1,946 sq. ft.

             Price: $700,000/ $360 per sq. ft.

Recent Sale: Brunswick Forest, Leland, NC

             3 BR/3 BA, 2,000 sq. ft.

             $329,500/$165 per sq. ft.

COL change: 51% decrease

 

From Ohio to the coast of North Carolina…

Sold:     9963 Morris Drive, Dublin,OH

             4 BR/3 BA, 2,451 sq. ft.

             Price: $560,000/$228 per sq. ft.

For Sale: Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach, NC

             3 BR/3 BA, 2,300 sq. ft.

             $387,500/$168 per sq. ft.

COL change: 8% decrease

 

From Michigan to the mountains of North Carolina…

Sold:     3875 Lakeland Lane, Bloomfield Hills, MI

             3 BR/3.5 BA, 3,000 sq. ft.

             $850,000/$283 per sq. ft.

For Sale: Champion Hills, Hendersonville, NC

             4 BR/3.5 BA, 3,275 sq. ft.

             $695,000/$212 per sq. ft.

COL change: 38% decrease

 

From Mclean, VA to near Savannah, GA…

Sold:     819 Ridge Drive, Mclean, VA

             4 BR/2.5 BA, 3,056 sq. ft.

             $903,530/$296 per sq. ft.

Recent Sale: The Landings, Savannah, GA

             3 BR/2.5 BA, 3,166 sq. ft.

             $353,000/$112 per sq. ft.

COL change: 30% decrease

 

        We list a selection of current golf homes for sale in these and other golf communities at our companion web site, GolfHomesListed.  Check it out by clicking here.