The traditionally and wonderfully groomed private Athens Golf Club is a few miles from the University of Georgia and offers an alternative to planned community development courses.
People choose their places to live based on many factors, among them social considerations. I have met scores of retired folks, and those planning to retire, who have chosen their new and future communities because friends were already living there. People want to live amidst people like them, whether in a 55+ community where they want to be kid free most of the year, or in a college town where they believe they will have plenty of opportunities to work on their intellect, as well as their golf swings, by attending adult ed courses with like-minded souls.
I suppose there are a few among us who find great sport in debate and argument and may, consciously, look for a combative atmosphere. But the vast majority of us choose to live cheek by jowl with neighbors whose core beliefs are like our own. For those who factor such a calculation into their equations, I thought it would be interesting to look at yesterday's voting patterns in counties where some of the best communities are located. I'll start today with college towns and follow in the coming days with other southern counties and communities.
Joe the Professor goes for Obama, with some exceptions
For many baby boomers and others, the idea of living in a golf community near a large college campus is a stimulating notion. Not surprisingly, college towns in the south went blue, but what was surprising was the substantial size of the margins in all but a few cases. In Albemarle County in Virginia, for example, where Charlottesville and the University of Virginia is located, 59% of students, university professors, and their neighbors went for Obama. The area's golf communities include the expensive but well-organized Keswick, the reasonable and communal Old Trail (town center concept and publicly accessible golf course), and the mid-range Glenmore, which has an attractive Scottish feel to its community, as well as its golf course. If you opt for a private club unaffiliated with a community, you won't do better than the historic Farmington Golf Club, where a remnant of Thomas Jefferson's architecture is still used as one of the clubhouse's entrances.
In Orange County, North Carolina, home of the main campus of the state's university in Chapel Hill, voters went for Obama with a whopping 72%; a few miles away in Duke University's Durham County, an even bigger 76% of voters gave the President-elect the nod. (As of this writing, the entire state of North Carolina is too
close to call, only 12,000 votes separating the two candidates, with Obama leading). The high-end golf community in Chapel Hill is Governor's Club, with 27 challenging holes by Jack Nicklaus. Other excellent courses include The Preserve at Jordan Lake (Davis Love III) and Chapel Ridge (Fred Couples). The private three-year old Old Chatham Club has received rave reviews among the state's golf raters and could work well for those who may choose not to live in an amenity-laden community. For those who opt to pay for golf as they go, the Duke and UNC school courses are publicly accessible and terrific layouts.
In South Carolina, where McCain won the state with 54% of the vote, Columbia County, home to the state university, gave the nod to Obama 64% to 35%. Cobblestone, a Ginn community, took over and improved the University of South Carolina golf course. But tread carefully because the Ginn organization is in default of a major loan and is in organizational turmoil. Of course, that means reduced prices, but also increased risk. In Knoxville, TN, home of the University of Tennessee, voters went stronger for McCain than voters statewide, 61% and 57% respectively. I liked the semi-private Landmark Golf Club in the community of Avalon and the striking Tennessee National (Greg Norman layout). Fox Den Golf Club hosts an annual Nationwide Tour event and would be an outstanding private club choice; it is not in a developed community, but the surrounding neighborhood offers some excellent house bargains.
In Clarke County, GA, and the town of Athens, where I played the historic and beautifully conditioned Athens Golf Club, Obama earned 65% of the vote. In Austin, TX, 64% of the voters went for the Democrat, swimming strongly against the statewide tide. In the Austin area, I loved the University of Texas Golf Club in the expansive Steiner Ranch community, but there are many other excellent choices within a few miles.
Tomorrow: McCain mostly coasts along eastern seaboard.
Davis Love III's design at the Preserve at Lake Jordan, near Chapel Hill, is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the toughest layouts in a golf rich area.