Rumors of golf’s demise, yet once again, have been greatly exaggerated. How else to explain that today’s Wall Street Journal’s “Mansion” section devotes the better part of a half-dozen pages to what it calls “The Golf Homes Issue.” The WSJ features mostly “golf homes” outside the U.S. –- the Caribbean and Spain –- and priced beginning above $2 million. Helpfully, for those of us with an urge to splurge and assets to match, the Journal lists three homes for sale “near golf courses” priced from, gulp!, $13.7 million to $27.3 million; the middle one, located in Arizona, is priced at $24.5 million. But for those of more modest means but an urge to play golf in a community near the beach, we are happy to suggest perfectly wonderful golf communities with homes priced well under $1 million.
Below are a few. Note that the name of each community in the heading links with our Golf Homes for Sale section. From there you can connect to full listings of current homes for sale in each community. (For more information on Amelia Island, please contact us.)
Longboat Key, Sarasota, FL
Okay, technically on the Gulf of Mexico, not the ocean, but that gulf extends eventually into the wide-open Atlantic. You can spend as much as $8 million for a lushly appointed home at Longboat directly on the Gulf, but for the rest of us, homes start in the $300s for two-bedroom units, some with water views (lagoons, mostly, but the Gulf is within walking distance). Golf is water-infused, meaning lakes and the ever-present Gulf, and with 45 holes, sharing the courses with resort guests is no problem for Longboat Key members. One current listing: A three-bedroom, 2½ bath single-family home on the Harbourside golf course is listed for $369,000. For an introduction to our golf and real estate expert in the area, Dennis Boyle, please contact us.
Audubon clubhouse and croquet lawn in Naples, FL
Audubon Country Club, Naples, FL
Just three miles from Barefoot Beach and the wide-open Gulf of Mexico, Audubon will appeal to sun worshippers who enjoy taking in the rays on both golf course and beach. We love the oh-so-Floridian gleaming pink and white clubhouse that looks out on the sleek Joe Lee designed golf course. Add tennis, fitness, an impeccable croquet lawn and a debt free club, and you have all the ingredients of carefree living. Although current homes for sale top out at $2.5 million, one current home in a maintenance-free neighborhood of Audubon is listed under $500,000. Jeff Feldman is our expert in Naples, and we would be pleased to put you in touch. Contact us.
Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, FL
Golf and beach are in perfect harmony on Amelia Island, and there is plenty of both. The four courses include one by Pete Dye, one a combination of the efforts of Dye and Bobby Weed and another the only nominally private club of the group, Longpoint, a terrific Tom Fazio design. All the courses are buffeted by sea breezes that can reach gale proportions and make the rather languid layouts feel as if they are on Scotland’s Firth of Forth. The beach is a lucky 13 miles long and because Amelia, which is only a half hour from Jacksonville, was developed essentially as a playground for resort guests, virtually every amenity known to man is available to those who choose to live on the island. You will find homes across the entire range of styles and prices, with one two bedroom, two-bath end-unit condo on the Oak Marsh golf course currently listed at $269,000. For many years, Lou Simmons, our agent on Amelia Island, has been helping customers find the right home at the resort, and she would be happy to assist you. Contact us for an introduction.
The private beach at DeBordieu Colony in Georgetown, SC.
DeBordieu Colony, Georgetown, SC
We know of no community that better combines golf and beach than the gated DeBordieu, known to its own residents and the local citizenry as “Debby Doo” (Yankee pronunciation) or “Debba Doo” (Southern pronunciation). Although all beaches in the state are public, those few behind the gates of an ocean community are, for all intents and purposes, private (unless you want to take the time and make the effort to boat in from elsewhere). The Pete Dye golf course is one of the best on the 90-mile stretch through Myrtle Beach known as the Grand Strand, but don’t think for a second that DeBordieu is anywhere near the neon lights and boardwalk hustles of that resort city. It is a good 40 minutes away, and close enough to Charleston -– about an hour -– to make a habit of visits to that historic city and Southern foodie capital. DeBordieu, comprised almost exclusively of single-family homes, is the most upscale community immediately south of the Myrtle area. The lowest priced home currently for sale in DeBordieu is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath beauty with a deeded dock on the DeBordieu Creek and easy access to the community’s two-mile long beach. It is listed at $485,000. Troi Kaz knows everything there is to know about DeBordieu and will be pleased to answer any questions. Contact us.
The par 3 7th at Wachesaw Plantation is among the best one-shooters on the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach.
Wachesaw Plantation, Murrells Inlet, SC
Real estate values in this friendly, highly livable golf community with a classic Tom Fazio private course at its core have always been lower than other comparable local golf communities, including some without gates or private clubs. A decision 30 years ago by Wachesaw’s original developer to put out the unwelcome sign for local realtors retarded the community’s growth for years. But savvy golf interested buyers know a bargain when they see one, and Wachesaw’s three bedroom, two bath cottage-style homes especially meet the definition of good buy. We note that three of them are currently listed below $300K; but there are many other options nestled in amongst dramatic, sprawling live oaks. When Wachesaw residents crave a sandy adventure, Huntington Beach State Park, the site for many local weddings because of the Atalaya Mansion that overlooks the beach, is just five minutes from the community. So is the town’s famed Restaurant Row, with more than a dozen seafood restaurants overlooking the inlet. Local Realtors Bill and Kathy Curtis live in Wachesaw and can answer any questions about the community. Contact us for an introduction.
St. James Plantation, Southport, NC
Big, sprawling and with 81 holes of golf and every other conceivable amenity a retired couple might want, the only possible reason to venture away from St. James is to stroll amidst the shops and restaurants of the charming seaport of Southport, just 10 minutes away and a ferry ride from there to Bald Head Island; or to spend a day at the community’s private beach club on Oak Island. Size matters in golf communities, and St. James’ size means the widest possible range of real estate options, including two bedroom, two bath condos from a mere $130,000 to villa townhouses from around $230,000 to single-family homes that start at $240,000. The golf courses bear the names of architects like Nicklaus Design, Hale Irwin and Tim Cate, a local designer who has received rave reviews for his links-like style. Jerry Biffle is our go-to guy at St. James. Let us know and we can make an introduction for you.
Landfall, Wilmington, NC
The Wilmington area has a few choice golf communities, and none are better situated or laid out than Landfall, which sports 45 holes of golf –- 18 by Pete Dye and 27 by Jack Nicklaus, who trained initially as a golf architect in Mr. Dye’s shop. Some of the Nicklaus holes are difficult and, when the wind blows in off the ocean, real hair pullers; but both golf courses are always in peak condition. Beach-going residents can arrive at Wrightsville Beach within a mere 10 minutes from the back gate of the community, and the exciting town of Wilmington is an equal distance in the other direction. Landfall’s location is a big plus, but that doesn’t mean real estate prices are out of sight. Homes are priced from $365,000 into the millions. Landfall Realty can help you get started with your search; we’d be pleased to put you in touch with them.
Water is the dominant element on the Jack Nicklaus design for Peninsula Club
Peninsula Golf & Country Club, Millsboro, DE
Delaware isn’t exactly top of mind for those contemplating a golf community home, but it should be. Given Delaware’s size, you are really never too far from the coast wherever you are. The Peninsula Club is almost on the coast, the Rehoboth Bay separating it from the beach, which is in full, if distant, view from many of the holes on the sporty Jack Nicklaus layout. The community got off to something of a rocky start financially, but it seems to have regained its footing nicely in recent years. One sign is that prices have firmed up in recent years, although condos start at only $190,000 and you can still buy a single-family home for under $400,000. One other reason to consider Delaware, especially if you like to buy things: The state assesses no sales tax. Kathy Sperl-Bell covers Peninsula and the area’s other fine golf communities, and we would be pleased to send you her contact information.