The high and low of golf community "discovery" tours

For lovers of the marsh and designer golf, a few days spent at Dataw Island could convince you to stay longer...like forever.   Photo courtesy of Dataw Island Club

 

    There was a time not too long ago when some people actually bought golf community properties sight unseen (site unseen, actually).  You could do that when price appreciation everywhere was a straight line up.  But in the current environment, no one (I hope) will be that foolish, and golf communities know it.
    Most marketing in golf communities is geared toward one thing -- getting the potential customer onto the property.  Once there, the success rate of turning a prospect into an owner is pretty high.  Some developers have told me their conversion rate is as high as 20%, but even at the more customary 5% to 10% rate, the effort to get people to look at what you have to offer and play your golf course is worth the time and discounted stays.
    Nothing is more effective than the ubiquitous "discovery tour," which

virtually every golf community offers.  In exchange for a comparably low overnight rate for accommodations, and access to the golf course and other amenities, a potential buyer has to sign up for a tour of the property, with a stop to look at empty lots or homes that fit their criteria.  These tours typically don't extend beyond two hours, a small price to pay for a discounted stay and golf.  You are under no obligation to buy, of course, but  if you are serious, or at least give off that vibe, count on being treated like visiting royalty by sales people desperate to rack up a sale in this environment.
     Today, I received two invitations to discovery tours -- I'm on everyone's list -- that run the gamut from the short, sweet and downright cheap to the languid, luxurious and comparatively pricey (but less than you would pay for a similar vacation at a high-end resort).
    At one end is Brunswick Plantation, just north of the Myrtle Beach area in Calabash, NC.  Brunswick is running a "Getaway Special" for just $10 per night, the lowest rate I have seen anywhere.  For an Alexander Hamilton per night, you can stay in a one-bedroom condo on the 1,750-acre gated property for up to four days, and take advantage of the walking trails, seven pools and other amenities.  The publicly accessible 27 holes of golf -- by Clyde Johnston and Willard Byrd -- are available at just $40.50 per round, cart included.  About a third of the community is built out, but there are plenty of lots remaining (developer lots and re-sales).  Lots at Brunswick Plantation begin below $50,000 and top out around $325,000.  Condominiums begin in the low $100s, with single-family homes starting around $200,000 and reaching the $600s.
    Dataw Island is one of Travel & Leisure magazine's Top 100 golf communities.  At $345, its "Experience Dataw" package seems priced to keep away all but serious prospects.  But for three days and two nights in one of Dataw's water view Bluff Villa town homes, you won't do better at any top golf resort, and you will be treated like a member.  Included in the package is a round of golf per couple at one of the community's two stellar private courses by my two favorite designers, Arthur Hills and Tom Fazio, and the run of the property; you can even dine in the clubhouse if you like.  Membership Director Silvia Lalinde also told me the club will be flexible about granting a second round if one half of the couple does not play golf.  
     The 870-acre Dataw is about 75% built out, but some developer and re-sale lots are available.  Prices start below $100,000 for lots and around $300,000 for homes, but some seven-figure properties are not unusual, especially out on the beautiful marsh.  Dataw's location, in the heart of the Low Country, will make a two-hour guided tour of the property seem like no burden at all.