thumb IMG 0462
    September 2015

Most popular communities
at Golf Community Reviews

The following are the most popular communities ranked by how many times readers to our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, have accessed the real estate listings for each.  Please note:  Although we began posting links to our real estate partners’ listings in April, some of the following communities were posted up to two months later and may be slightly more popular than their rankings suggest. You can access listings for 65 communities across the Southeast in the Golf Homes for Sale section of our web site.

 1.  Greenville Country Club, Greenville, SC

 2.  Pebble Creek, Greenville, SC

 3.  Champion Hills, Hendersonville, NC

 4.  Cliffs Communities, upstate SC*

 5.  Daniel Island, SC

 6.  Mountain Air, Burnsville, NC

 7.  Thornblade Club, Greer, SC

 8.  Savannah Lakes Village, McCormick, SC

 9.  Green Valley, Greenville, SC

10.  The Landings, Savannah, GA
Wintergreen Resort, Nellyford, VA

12.  Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island, SC

13.  St. James Plantation, Southport, NC

14.  Prince Creek, Murrells Inlet, SC

15.  Haig Point, Daufuskie Island, SC

16.  Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, GA

17.  River Club, Litchfield Beach, SC

18.  Governors Club, Chapel Hill, NC

19.  Seabrook Island, SC

20.  Currahee Club, Toccoa, GA

21.  Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill, GA
Keowee Key, Seneca, SC

23.  Landfall, Wilmington, NC
Cobblestone Park, Blythewood, SC
Palm-Aire, Sarasota, FL

26.  Belfair, Bluffton, SC
Berkeley Hall, Bluffton, SC
Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, FL
Stoney Point, Greenwood, SC

30.  Bayside Resort, Selbyville, DE

31.  Grand Harbor, Ninety-Six, SC
Rehoboth Beach & Yacht Club, Rehoboth, DE

33.  River Strand at Heritage Harbour, Bradenton, FL

34.  Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Asheville, NC
Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, FL

36.  Viniterra, New Kent, VA

37.  Beech Mountain, Beech Mountain, NC

38.  Colleton River, Bluffton, SC
Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach, NC
Wildewood, Columbia, SC
Oldfield, Okatie, SC

 

*  includes Cliffs Valley, Cliffs at Glassy and Cliffs Mountain Park

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

thumb greenvilleGreenville Country Club
thumb pebble creekPebble Creek 
thumb champion hillsChampion Hills

Greenville, SC, top of mind for our audience;
two communities stand out

Sniffing for bargains, and finding them
in the Carolinas and Georgia

Since April, we have been offering those who visit our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, connections to select real estate brokers working in some of the most popular and best golf community areas in the Southeast. In that time, we have put a counter on the number of times readers of our blog site click through to the listings of properties in the 65 top golf communities we feature.

To date, there have been 3,000 visits to our Realtors’ listings, or an average of about 46 for each of the 65 communities. But there is nothing average about the results. By a considerable margin, two golf communities in Greenville, SC –- Greenville Country Club and Pebble Creek –- have garnered the most attention from our audience, with 97 and 96 click-throughs, respectively, to the real estate professional we work with in the area, Wanda Reed. The other golf communities in the Greenville area -- Thornblade (61), Green Valley (59) and the Cliffs Communities of Glassy, Mountain Park and Valley combined (69) -– all beat the average.

Greenville most popular by wide measure

We have long been fans of Greenville for its strong economic foundation, ever since BMW decided to locate its North American headquarters and manufacturing in nearby Spartanburg, attracting other new businesses to the area to supply the factory with components and to provide the thousands of additional employees with services. We also admire the thriving arts and culture scene in Greenville, as well as a group of excellent restaurants. All this provides the city with a sophisticated air that not even the ever-popular Asheville, NC, just an hour away, matches. (We expect some pushback on that from Asheville fans.)

We are not surprised at the popularity of Greenville Country Club, which represents one of the best bargains in private golf club membership in the South. Greenville comprises two golf clubs separated by about three miles and both inside the city limits. The Riverside course is surrounded by an old neighborhood of mostly modest homes and was revised a few years ago by Brian Silva, a devotee of early 20th Century golf architects. Those who have played Riverside since the redesign, including yours truly, see a lot of classic touches in the layout, and some of the cognoscenti have whispered the name of the revered Seth Raynor when describing Riverside. But the most oohs and ahhs locally are reserved for the Robert Trent Jones masterpiece at Greenville Country Club’s Chanticleer course, which runs through an upscale city neighborhood and may be the best course in South Carolina not on or near an ocean. (The SC Golf Panel, of which your editor is a member, ranked Chanticleer #4 in the state in its last comprehensive ranking in 2014, just behind, respectively, the Ocean Course at Kiawah, May River in Bluffton and Sage Valley in Graniteville.) For around $20,000 in initiation fees and dues that are not outrageous, Greenville Country Club delivers a duo of golf courses second to few.

Two golf courses, no initiation fee

Pebble Creek also features two golf courses, one private and one public, designed by the respected Tom Jackson, who lives in the adjacent neighborhood. Both clubs are available under the umbrella of one free initiation fee and annual dues that are a comparable bargain. Prices of the surrounding homes mirror the bargain nature of the golf membership, with the sweet spot in the high $200s to the mid $300s. For those who enjoy the company of others on the golf course, the “Golden Boys” men’s group is well established and easy to join.

In addition to Pebble Creek, our readers have radar for other great buys in golf community real estate and clubs. For example, Savannah Lakes Village (63 click-throughs), the sprawling golf community with two fine courses beside Lake Thurmond in South Carolina, features homes that begin around $200,000 and a golf membership that is included with the $100 amenity fee the homeowner’s association charges. Dues are modest as well, and if you are seeking an environment far from noise, air pollution and traffic, Savannah Lakes is worth a serious look.

Bargain golf, bargain homes in Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach, SC, area would seem to have an unfair marketing advantage over other geographies given that the Grand Strand has been a magnet for vacationing golfers since the 1960s. Today the area boasts more than 100 layouts within a 90-mile stretch, and Pawleys Plantation (55 clicks) and Prince Creek (53) are among the most popular, given their south-of-Myrtle Beach location (less traffic, more than a dozen excellent golf courses in the area, fine restaurants and five supermarkets within 4.5 miles). Pawleys Plantation sports a popular Jack Nicklaus layout that explodes onto the marsh on the back nine (the marsh separates the community from the island and ocean; ocean breezes typically affect shots on the incoming nine). Prince Creek provides bargain homes –- many of them new or of recent vintage –- next door to the respected TPC Myrtle Beach course, designed by Tom Fazio. You have to work hard to find a home in Prince Creek priced above $350,000, and yet the community is within five minutes or so of the beach.

Popularity spans mountains and coast

The other communities we list and that surpass average interest among our readers include Champion Hills, which features a Tom Fazio layout that funnels its way through the mountains near Hendersonville, NC; Daniel Island, a planned community with 36 holes of Rees Jones and Fazio golf separated from the rest of the world, but a mere 20 minutes from Charleston, the favorite southern city of most who visit it; Haig Point on Daufuskie Island, SC, reached only by a ferry that is expensive to maintain but worth it if you want peace and quiet and a terrific 29-hole Rees Jones layout that compares favorably with the more famous Harbour Town links across the Calibogue Sound (the two extra holes can add or reduce the challenge, depending on how the greens superintendent is feeling on any given day); Mountain Air in Burnsville, NC, a half-hour north of Asheville, whose top-of-the-mountain golf course is unique in that it is bisected by a working airstrip (and the views from the course are about the best in the east); Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, GA, making a giant comeback after white knight Met Life swooped in to purchase and manage its six golf courses and multiple lush amenities; and St. James Plantation, big enough to have its own zip code near Southport, SC, and offering plenty to keep its residents on site, including golf on four courses and a beach club just a few minutes out the back gate.

Of course, the search for a golf home that suits your own personal criteria should not be guided by what communities attract others. We have visited virtually all the golf communities we list and can vouch for their quality and maintenance standards. If you have questions about any of them, please contact us and we will get back to you right away with the lowdown.


Larry Gavrich
Founder & Editor
Home On The Course, LLC

 

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    September 2015

Most popular communities
at Golf Community Reviews

The following are the most popular communities ranked by how many times readers to our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, have accessed the real estate listings for each.  Please note:  Although we began posting links to our real estate partners’ listings in April, some of the following communities were posted up to two months later and may be slightly more popular than their rankings suggest. You can access listings for 65 communities across the Southeast in the Golf Homes for Sale section of our web site.

 1.  Greenville Country Club, Greenville, SC

 2.  Pebble Creek, Greenville, SC

 3.  Champion Hills, Hendersonville, NC

 4.  Cliffs Communities, upstate SC*

 5.  Daniel Island, SC

 6.  Mountain Air, Burnsville, NC

 7.  Thornblade Club, Greer, SC

 8.  Savannah Lakes Village, McCormick, SC

 9.  Green Valley, Greenville, SC

10.  The Landings, Savannah, GA
Wintergreen Resort, Nellyford, VA

12.  Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island, SC

13.  St. James Plantation, Southport, NC

14.  Prince Creek, Murrells Inlet, SC

15.  Haig Point, Daufuskie Island, SC

16.  Reynolds Plantation, Greensboro, GA

17.  River Club, Litchfield Beach, SC

18.  Governors Club, Chapel Hill, NC

19.  Seabrook Island, SC

20.  Currahee Club, Toccoa, GA

21.  Ford Plantation, Richmond Hill, GA
Keowee Key, Seneca, SC

23.  Landfall, Wilmington, NC
Cobblestone Park, Blythewood, SC
Palm-Aire, Sarasota, FL

26.  Belfair, Bluffton, SC
Berkeley Hall, Bluffton, SC
Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, FL
Stoney Point, Greenwood, SC

30.  Bayside Resort, Selbyville, DE

31.  Grand Harbor, Ninety-Six, SC
Rehoboth Beach & Yacht Club, Rehoboth, DE

33.  River Strand at Heritage Harbour, Bradenton, FL

34.  Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Asheville, NC
Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, FL

36.  Viniterra, New Kent, VA

37.  Beech Mountain, Beech Mountain, NC

38.  Colleton River, Bluffton, SC
Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach, NC
Wildewood, Columbia, SC
Oldfield, Okatie, SC

 

*  includes Cliffs Valley, Cliffs at Glassy and Cliffs Mountain Park

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

thumb greenvilleGreenville Country Club
thumb pebble creekPebble Creek 
thumb champion hillsChampion Hills

Greenville, SC, top of mind for our audience;
two communities stand out

Sniffing for bargains, and finding them
in the Carolinas and Georgia

Since April, we have been offering those who visit our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, connections to select real estate brokers working in some of the most popular and best golf community areas in the Southeast. In that time, we have put a counter on the number of times readers of our blog site click through to the listings of properties in the 65 top golf communities we feature.

To date, there have been 3,000 visits to our Realtors’ listings, or an average of about 46 for each of the 65 communities. But there is nothing average about the results. By a considerable margin, two golf communities in Greenville, SC –- Greenville Country Club and Pebble Creek –- have garnered the most attention from our audience, with 97 and 96 click-throughs, respectively, to the real estate professional we work with in the area, Wanda Reed. The other golf communities in the Greenville area -- Thornblade (61), Green Valley (59) and the Cliffs Communities of Glassy, Mountain Park and Valley combined (69) -– all beat the average.

Greenville most popular by wide measure

We have long been fans of Greenville for its strong economic foundation, ever since BMW decided to locate its North American headquarters and manufacturing in nearby Spartanburg, attracting other new businesses to the area to supply the factory with components and to provide the thousands of additional employees with services. We also admire the thriving arts and culture scene in Greenville, as well as a group of excellent restaurants. All this provides the city with a sophisticated air that not even the ever-popular Asheville, NC, just an hour away, matches. (We expect some pushback on that from Asheville fans.)

We are not surprised at the popularity of Greenville Country Club, which represents one of the best bargains in private golf club membership in the South. Greenville comprises two golf clubs separated by about three miles and both inside the city limits. The Riverside course is surrounded by an old neighborhood of mostly modest homes and was revised a few years ago by Brian Silva, a devotee of early 20th Century golf architects. Those who have played Riverside since the redesign, including yours truly, see a lot of classic touches in the layout, and some of the cognoscenti have whispered the name of the revered Seth Raynor when describing Riverside. But the most oohs and ahhs locally are reserved for the Robert Trent Jones masterpiece at Greenville Country Club’s Chanticleer course, which runs through an upscale city neighborhood and may be the best course in South Carolina not on or near an ocean. (The SC Golf Panel, of which your editor is a member, ranked Chanticleer #4 in the state in its last comprehensive ranking in 2014, just behind, respectively, the Ocean Course at Kiawah, May River in Bluffton and Sage Valley in Graniteville.) For around $20,000 in initiation fees and dues that are not outrageous, Greenville Country Club delivers a duo of golf courses second to few.

Two golf courses, no initiation fee

Pebble Creek also features two golf courses, one private and one public, designed by the respected Tom Jackson, who lives in the adjacent neighborhood. Both clubs are available under the umbrella of one free initiation fee and annual dues that are a comparable bargain. Prices of the surrounding homes mirror the bargain nature of the golf membership, with the sweet spot in the high $200s to the mid $300s. For those who enjoy the company of others on the golf course, the “Golden Boys” men’s group is well established and easy to join.

In addition to Pebble Creek, our readers have radar for other great buys in golf community real estate and clubs. For example, Savannah Lakes Village (63 click-throughs), the sprawling golf community with two fine courses beside Lake Thurmond in South Carolina, features homes that begin around $200,000 and a golf membership that is included with the $100 amenity fee the homeowner’s association charges. Dues are modest as well, and if you are seeking an environment far from noise, air pollution and traffic, Savannah Lakes is worth a serious look.

Bargain golf, bargain homes in Myrtle Beach

The Myrtle Beach, SC, area would seem to have an unfair marketing advantage over other geographies given that the Grand Strand has been a magnet for vacationing golfers since the 1960s. Today the area boasts more than 100 layouts within a 90-mile stretch, and Pawleys Plantation (55 clicks) and Prince Creek (53) are among the most popular, given their south-of-Myrtle Beach location (less traffic, more than a dozen excellent golf courses in the area, fine restaurants and five supermarkets within 4.5 miles). Pawleys Plantation sports a popular Jack Nicklaus layout that explodes onto the marsh on the back nine (the marsh separates the community from the island and ocean; ocean breezes typically affect shots on the incoming nine). Prince Creek provides bargain homes –- many of them new or of recent vintage –- next door to the respected TPC Myrtle Beach course, designed by Tom Fazio. You have to work hard to find a home in Prince Creek priced above $350,000, and yet the community is within five minutes or so of the beach.

Popularity spans mountains and coast

The other communities we list and that surpass average interest among our readers include Champion Hills, which features a Tom Fazio layout that funnels its way through the mountains near Hendersonville, NC; Daniel Island, a planned community with 36 holes of Rees Jones and Fazio golf separated from the rest of the world, but a mere 20 minutes from Charleston, the favorite southern city of most who visit it; Haig Point on Daufuskie Island, SC, reached only by a ferry that is expensive to maintain but worth it if you want peace and quiet and a terrific 29-hole Rees Jones layout that compares favorably with the more famous Harbour Town links across the Calibogue Sound (the two extra holes can add or reduce the challenge, depending on how the greens superintendent is feeling on any given day); Mountain Air in Burnsville, NC, a half-hour north of Asheville, whose top-of-the-mountain golf course is unique in that it is bisected by a working airstrip (and the views from the course are about the best in the east); Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, GA, making a giant comeback after white knight Met Life swooped in to purchase and manage its six golf courses and multiple lush amenities; and St. James Plantation, big enough to have its own zip code near Southport, SC, and offering plenty to keep its residents on site, including golf on four courses and a beach club just a few minutes out the back gate.

Of course, the search for a golf home that suits your own personal criteria should not be guided by what communities attract others. We have visited virtually all the golf communities we list and can vouch for their quality and maintenance standards. If you have questions about any of them, please contact us and we will get back to you right away with the lowdown.


Larry Gavrich
Founder & Editor
Home On The Course, LLC

 

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    August 2015

Join Us for a Fall Discovery Weekend
at Carolina Colours, New Bern, NC
October 29 to November 1, 2015

Announcing a Home On The Course & CarolinaLiving.com Discovery Weekend at the Carolina Colours community in coastal New Bern, NC, October 29 to November 1. The first 12 couples to sign up for this exclusive weekend and remit payment of just $350 (per couple) will enjoy the following:

  • Waterfront hotel for three nights
  • Boat cruise on the Neuse River
  • Golf on Friday & Saturday
  • Non-golfer activities include tour of Tryon Palace, the New Bern history museum, local arts & culture sites
  • Friday evening cocktail hour & buffet dinner with Carolina Colours residents
  • Special Southern-cook-created lunch on Saturday
  • Tour of Carolina Colours with a resident expert
  • Opportunity to look through specific properties and homes currently for sale; information about building processes and prices from site contractors.
  • Panel discussion: "How to Search for a Golf Community Home"*

* Panel includes: Ken Kirkman, Carolina Colours General Manager and veteran golf community developer (Landfall, Bald Head Island); Pat Mason, Co-Founder, Center for Carolina Living; and Larry Gavrich, Founder/Editor, Home On The Course.

Come discover New Bern and Carolina Colours, and have fun while you’re at it. For more information and to reserve your spot for this exclusive opportunity, contact Larry Gavrich, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Top sign up, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

Live like a golf community resident
for three days and just $350

I know. It is hard to think past the end of the summer when it comes to planning a vacation. But if you are curious about what life might be like in a golf community, please think ahead a few months to October 29 through November 1. Join me, Carolina Living publisher Pat Mason and longtime golf community developer Ken Kirkman at Carolina Colours in New Bern, NC, for a weekend of golf, good food, camaraderie and loads of information about golf community living

Carolina Colours is one of the friendliest golf communities I have visited; I know that because I enjoyed dinner there with dozens of its residents, asked some pointed questions, and came away impressed with their enthusiasm for their community and the larger metro New Bern area. As part of our fall discovery weekend, we have arranged a dinner with residents, as well as two rounds of golf, three nights lodging on the waterfront in New Bern, a boat ride and a panel discussion about “How to Search for a Golf Community.” Cost for all this and more is just $350 per couple.

Carolina Colours will appeal especially to those who are looking for a friendly community with a full range of amenities in a growing and historically significant town that is an easy day’s ride from most northern metro areas. The Bill Love designed course is walkable and enjoyable, and New Bern, just five minutes away, can boast of a cool waterfront, a selection of fine restaurants and bragging rights as the birthplace of Pepsi Cola (and the first capital of the state of North Carolina).

Please join us beginning October 29 for this exciting and illuminating weekend. If you have any questions, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you would like to sign up for this special weekend, please contact Suzanne Vincent at Carolina Colours, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Space is limited.

I look forward to seeing you on Halloween weekend. No costumes necessary.


Larry Gavrich
Founder & Editor
Home On The Course, LLC

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Your Subscription:

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© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    August 2015

Join Us for a Fall Discovery Weekend
at Carolina Colours, New Bern, NC
October 29 to November 1, 2015

Announcing a Home On The Course & CarolinaLiving.com Discovery Weekend at the Carolina Colours community in coastal New Bern, NC, October 29 to November 1. The first 12 couples to sign up for this exclusive weekend and remit payment of just $350 (per couple) will enjoy the following:

  • Waterfront hotel for three nights
  • Boat cruise on the Neuse River
  • Golf on Friday & Saturday
  • Non-golfer activities include tour of Tryon Palace, the New Bern history museum, local arts & culture sites
  • Friday evening cocktail hour & buffet dinner with Carolina Colours residents
  • Special Southern-cook-created lunch on Saturday
  • Tour of Carolina Colours with a resident expert
  • Opportunity to look through specific properties and homes currently for sale; information about building processes and prices from site contractors.
  • Panel discussion: "How to Search for a Golf Community Home"*

* Panel includes: Ken Kirkman, Carolina Colours General Manager and veteran golf community developer (Landfall, Bald Head Island); Pat Mason, Co-Founder, Center for Carolina Living; and Larry Gavrich, Founder/Editor, Home On The Course.

Come discover New Bern and Carolina Colours, and have fun while you’re at it. For more information and to reserve your spot for this exclusive opportunity, contact Larry Gavrich, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Top sign up, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

Live like a golf community resident
for three days and just $350

I know. It is hard to think past the end of the summer when it comes to planning a vacation. But if you are curious about what life might be like in a golf community, please think ahead a few months to October 29 through November 1. Join me, Carolina Living publisher Pat Mason and longtime golf community developer Ken Kirkman at Carolina Colours in New Bern, NC, for a weekend of golf, good food, camaraderie and loads of information about golf community living

Carolina Colours is one of the friendliest golf communities I have visited; I know that because I enjoyed dinner there with dozens of its residents, asked some pointed questions, and came away impressed with their enthusiasm for their community and the larger metro New Bern area. As part of our fall discovery weekend, we have arranged a dinner with residents, as well as two rounds of golf, three nights lodging on the waterfront in New Bern, a boat ride and a panel discussion about “How to Search for a Golf Community.” Cost for all this and more is just $350 per couple.

Carolina Colours will appeal especially to those who are looking for a friendly community with a full range of amenities in a growing and historically significant town that is an easy day’s ride from most northern metro areas. The Bill Love designed course is walkable and enjoyable, and New Bern, just five minutes away, can boast of a cool waterfront, a selection of fine restaurants and bragging rights as the birthplace of Pepsi Cola (and the first capital of the state of North Carolina).

Please join us beginning October 29 for this exciting and illuminating weekend. If you have any questions, send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you would like to sign up for this special weekend, please contact Suzanne Vincent at Carolina Colours, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Space is limited.

I look forward to seeing you on Halloween weekend. No costumes necessary.


Larry Gavrich
Founder & Editor
Home On The Course, LLC

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Your Subscription:

{tag:unsubscribe}

{tag:subscriptions}

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    July/August 2015

Join Us for a Fall Discovery Weekend
at Carolina Colours, New Bern, NC
October 29 to November 1, 2015

For the time being, this is an exclusive offer to subscribers of Home On The Course. We intend to post this offer at GolfCommunityReviews.com and CarolinaLiving.com within the next 10 days if space remains

What if you could spend a weekend touring one of the Carolinas' most successful and smartly designed golf communities... play golf on an impeccably conditioned, fun layout... get answers to all your questions about searching for a golf community...enjoy a cocktail hour and then dinner with a group of residents you would be gratified to call your neighbors...and do all that at the discounted price of $350 for three days and two nights of fun, insights and a thorough understanding of what makes New Bern and Carolina Colours special? (Oh, did we forget to mention a boat ride as well?)

Announcing a Home On The Course & CarolinaLiving.com Discovery Weeked at the Carolina Colours community in coastal New Bern, NC, October 29 to November 1. The first 12 couples to sign up for this exclusive weekend and remit payment will enjoy the following:

  • Waterfront hotel for two nights
  • Boat cruise on the Neuse River
  • Golf on Friday & Saturday
  • Non-golfer activities include tour of Tryon Palace, the New Bern history museum, local arts & culture sites)
  • Friday evening cocktail hour & buffet dinner with Carolina Colours residents
  • Special Southern-cook-created lunch on Saturday
  • Tour of Carolina Colours with a resident expert
  • A look at specific properties and homes currently for sale (optional); opportunity to learn building process and prices from site contractors.
  • Panel discussion: "How to Search for a Golf Community Home"*

* Panel includes: Ken Kirkman, Carolina Colours General Manager and veteran golf community developer (Landfall, Bald Head Island); Pat Mason, Co-Founder, Center for Carolina Living; and Larry Gavrich, Founder/Editor, Home On The Course.

Come discover New Bern and Carolina Colours, and have fun while you’re at it. For more information and to reserve your spot for this exclusive opportunity, contact Larry Gavrich, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

10 Reasons to Consider
Carolina Colours

  1. Proximities. Carolina Colours is less than 12 minutes to downtown New Bern with its shops, restaurants, museums and historical sites. For those looking for an ocean fix, the beaches at Emerald Isle are a mere 50 minutes away; and those who long for a little hustle and bustle of city life can be in Wilmington or Raleigh in about two hours. And best of all, friends and family from the Northeast and middle-Atlantic regions can be at Carolina Colours for a visit after a leisurely one-day drive.
  2. Food for thought. Many retirees give up proximity to necessity shopping in exchange for lower real estate prices. Yet they never quite get used to having the nearest supermarket located a half hour from their home. Southern grocery chain Harris Teeter recently announced that it will open a supermarket just outside the entrance to Carolina Colours, and other conveniences are following. From the farthest reaches of the community, the trip to the shopping center will take about three minutes.
  3. New Bern. North Carolina’s second oldest city is loaded with history but squarely looking ahead. Bracketed by the Trent and Neuse Rivers, it is a major coastal center of leisure sailing. Home to an array of restaurants from upscale farm-to-table to small mom and pop cafes, visitors to New Bern are envious of those who live there, and with good reason. The famed Tryon Palace is just icing on the cake. Interesting side note: Pepsi Cola was invented in a New Bern pharmacy.
  4. Katherine Simms. Katherine runs the snack bar at Carolina Colours, and according to golfers and residents alike, she transforms ordinary snacks into what could almost pass for gourmet meals. I can vouch for her hamburger, one of the best I’ve had on or off the golf course. Katherine also caters the community’s Friday night buffet dinners where upwards of 75 of Carolina Colours’ residents get together and eat as well as they will all week, for just a few dollars each.
  5. Ken Kirkman. Ken is an environmental lawyer by training but, in practice, he is an impresario of golf community development, having superintended much of the development at Landfall in Wilmington, NC, and Bald Head Island, just off the North Carolina coast, before turning his attention to Carolina Colours. He is the most visible resident of all, as he and his wife Kathy chose to walk the talk by living in the community.
  6. Overlook Holdings LLC. Savvy management and long-time experience merged when Ken Kirkman invited Preston Development to take Carolina Colours to the next level. Not only does Preston bring the resources that ensure the community will remain debt free, but their experience with 25 other successful communities combined with Ken’s on-site presence provide Carolina Colours with organization expertise unrivalled by most other golf communties.
  7. The Golf Course. You could say a whole lot of Love went into the design of the Carolina Colours golf course. Noted architect Bill Love, a former President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, thought long and hard about the types of golfers that would call the golf course theirs, and he fashioned a layout that is gentle to those who play the “gentlemen’s” and “ladies” tees but challenging to the low handicapper from the back tees. There is something for everyone among the pines and ponds of the Carolina Colours golf course.
  8. Bent grass greens. The greens at Carolina Colours deserve separate mention. If you play golf north of the Mason-Dixon line, chances are you putt on bent grass greens. If you haven’t putted on them, you don’t know what you are missing. But bent is notoriously tough to maintain during hot summers and, therefore, most southern golf courses use a form of Bermuda grass on their greens that are okay -- but they aren’t bent grass. Carolina Colours’ cool-headed superintendent has mastered the art of keeping his greens cool too.
  9. Real estate prices. Those who visit Carolina Colours for the first time and walk through a few of the developer homes, or the limited number of resale homes, are surprised at the prices --$200,000 and up for homes and $50,000 for lots. And homeowner and club fees are equally low.
  10. The Residents. Every golf community developer in America will tell you the people who chose their community are the friendliest anywhere. But until you actually meet them and ask them tough questions about life in the community, you won’t really know, will you? That is why when we host our Discovery Weekend at Carolina Colours in October (see above), it will include a Friday night dinner with residents. This will not be a staged event; residents of Carolina Colours get together every Friday night, and any couple considering a home in Carolina Colours should strive to visit at the beginning of any weekend and grab a chair in the clubhouse dining area.

 

A Special Offer for Home On The Course
Subscribers from Local Market Monitor

The specialized forecasts for housing in specific U.S. metor markets can be an invaluable resource to those of us preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home in the coming months and years. Ingo Winzer (see this month's main feature at right) is the principal of Local Market Monitor, which issues market reports that are an accurate, reliable source of home value and risk forecast data focused on specific housing markets. They help investors decide which market is the best investment opportunity, what is the overall risk of investing in a local market and how home values will change in the future. These Market Reports include a home price forecast, rent forecast, income-equivalent home value, local investment score and rating, local cap rates, and a written local market review.

Each report sells for $425, but Local Market Monitor has responded positively to my request for an extra incentive for Home On The Course readers. Between now and the end of August, LMM will provide a group of three reports for the price of one. The choice of the three markets is up to you. For example, if you are looking along the southeastern coast for a potential home, you might choose a bundle of reports that includes Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston; or, perhaps, Savannah, Charleston and Jacksonville, FL. If inland is where you might be headed, consider a package of Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Charlottesville. Or, perhaps, Greenville (SC), Asheville and Knoxville. If you are undecided where you might end up, mix and match between coast and inland. The choice is yours, and the cost is three for the price of one.

The future economic health of towns where you might choose to live could very well determine the value of your property five or ten years down the road. The $425 fee for an in-depth market analysis is a fraction of a percent of what you will pay for the cost of your next home and an investment worth considering.

To order your three reports or for more information, please contact Local Market Monitor Chief Operations Officer Carolyn Beggs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

Playing Through: Noted Economist Writes
Now’s A Good Time To Look For A Golf Home

by Ingo Winzer

The last 10 years were a terrible time for Americans who were thinking about retirement.

First, back before the 2008 recession hit, anyone planning to buy a retirement property faced skyrocketing prices and a gut-wrenching choice. If you didn't buy immediately, you might never be able to afford that nice place near the shore or in the mountains. On the other hand, forking over such fistfuls of money would make a big dent in your savings.

Then came the recession and a flurry of body blows. The value of your home -- your biggest financial asset -- began falling. If you tried to sell, you found there were no buyers. And to cap off the carnage, the government decided to help out the big banks by pushing interest rates -- and your investment income -- close to zero.

No wonder anyone over 50 is angry (me too). The home-price bubble, the recession and bailouts for borrowers at the expense of savers all followed from government actions to help someone besides us.

Out of the wilderness

debordieu colonyThe Myrtle Beach metro real estate market did not plummet as far as many others, and population growth in the area is well above the national average. DeBordIeu Colony in Georgetown, SC, is shown.

For years now, seniors could do little about this except sit home and sulk, or start ranting and join the Tea Party. But this wilderness period is over and finally the wheel of fortune has turned. Government hasn't become any smarter, but the famously invisible hand of the marketplace has come full circle to produce opportunities for buyers of retirement properties that didn't exist before.

Most importantly, it has ended the long slide in home prices. With some exceptions -- places where the local economy is still doing poorly -- the value of homes has gone up in the last couple of years.

As a bonus -- because vanished demand cut their prices so much -- retirement in many local markets is now a bargain. Where, and by how much, is what I'll discuss below.

Two additional points: Many seniors are able to take advantage of the current real estate opportunities because retirement portfolios have been repaired by shifting into better-yielding investments, riding the tails of a rising stock market. And the age demographics of the US population ensure that values in this sector of the housing market will rise faster than average home values for years to come.

Good math and an economic analysis

The underlying math is simple. Right now there are 33 million Americans aged 60 to 70 who are ready to retire in some way. Over the next decade, they will be followed by 44 million Americans who, today, are aged 50 to 60.

It's a simple question of supply and demand. Over the next decade, builders will not be able to put up retirement properties fast enough to satisfy the surge in demand; therefore, the value of a good retirement property bought in the next few years will go up and up.

Every property is unique, every golf and retirement community is different, and every investment in real estate has its own risks. You can always buy a turkey in a bull market. But you can reduce your risk if you buy in a local market that is more likely to attract other buyers in the future.

Two measures that gauge the attractiveness of local markets are population growth and job growth. A growing local economy is good for retirees. Sure, you can have a great retirement community in a place that isn't growing -- some people prefer that -- but most retirees want restaurants, shops and other services.

We'll look at local markets in several distinct retirement areas: the Florida Panhandle, the Florida Sunset Coast, the Florida East Coast, the Carolinas Coast, and Inland Carolinas.

Florida’s Panhandle

This area stretches from Gulf Shores in Alabama to around Mexico Beach, just east of Panama City, and is traditionally popular with retirees from the Midwest. Compared to other Florida areas, home prices here took much less of a hit after the recession; from peak to trough, prices fell between 30 and 40 percent. In the past year, prices rose in the single digits and we expect more of the same next year. Prices are still around 20 percent below where they should be; this is the bargain that's available right now.

The local economies are growing somewhat below average, but population growth in the last three years has been strong, especially in the Fort Walton Beach area. Home prices are around $240,000 in Fort Walton Beach, up 9 percent in the past year. Prices are lower towards Pensacola, $185,000, where the increase was 6 percent. The slowest local economy is Panama City, where prices were up just 3 percent.

Florida’s Sunset Coast

From Tampa at the northern end to Naples and Marco Island in the south, this stretch of Florida coast serves several retirement demographics. The further south you go, the more expensive homes get. The average price is $185,000 around Tampa Bay -- although closer to $140,000 near Lakeland – and $200,000 around Fort Myers, and $320,000 in Naples.

audubon country clubNaples, FL real estate prices are growing
at twice the national rate.
Audubon Country Club clubhouse shown.
    Prices in this swath of Florida suffered severely in the downturn; on average, homes lost 50 percent of their peak value, but prices have recently been on the upswing -- up 8 percent in Tampa, 11 percent in Fort Myers, and 20 percent in Naples in just the past year. These very sharp increases overstate the actual value increase of the average home; they mainly reflect appreciation of foreclosed properties that had heavily depressed values to begin with, but they make the point that values are going higher rather than lower. We forecast a moderate rate of price increases in coming years.

The local economic picture supports a moderate increase in demand in the near future. Job growth is just average in Tampa-St. Pete, Lakeland, and the Bradenton-Sarasota area, somewhat above average in Fort Myers and Naples. Tampa-St. Pete is the important market in this region, bigger than all the others put together. Population growth in Tampa over the last three years was close to the U.S. average, about 1 percent per year. This suggests a recovering market but by no means an overheated one. Fort Myers and Naples, on the other hand, have been growing at twice the national rate. Home prices in Tampa are pretty much where they should be, and you won't find many bargains.

Florida’s East Coast

From Daytona Beach to Miami Beach, and including Ocala inland, this area comprises the largest stretch of retirement communities in the U.S. As on the Sunset Coast, home prices are lower in the north, higher in the south, and with a detour halfway down at Palm Beach.

Ocala presents the most affordable homes in the region, at around $140,000. From Daytona Beach to Fort Pierce, prices are in the $160,000 to $180,000 range. And from West Palm Beach down to Miami, average prices are above $250,000.

Partly because of the easy accessibility from the Northeast, many retirement properties here start off as winter vacation homes or investment properties. The possibilities for investment speculation produced a boom in prices before the recession, and a huge bust afterwards, with a drop in prices from peak to trough of 50 percent and more. Worst hit were the smaller markets like Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach where speculative overbuilding was the strongest.

Home prices are now again on the rise, but -- as on the Sunset Coast -- recent large price increases are misleading because they mainly are from foreclosed properties. That said, the average price increase in the past year was 10 percent, a bit less in Ocala. We expect moderate price increases in these markets over the next three years.

Despite recent price increases, bargains remain from Daytona Beach down to Fort Pierce -- and especially in Ocala -- but there are very few in the more southern markets.

Population growth in most of these markets is slightly above the national average. Job growth is very close to the national average in all of these markets, although Vero Beach lags a bit. Overall, this represents steady growth that will produce steady home price increases rather than speculative investment returns.

Carolinas Coast

These communities run from Wilmington in North Carolina down to Brunswick in Georgia. With the exception of the cities -- Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah -- the lack of other economic opportunities along the coasts has allowed widespread development of vacation and retirement communities.

Average home prices range from $150,000 in Brunswick and Myrtle Beach to $270,000 in Hilton Head and Charleston. These communities were less affected by speculative investment than those in Florida; peak home value losses along the coast after the recession were around 25 percent. Price increases in the last year were around 4 percent -- a bit higher in Charleston, a bit lower in Hilton Head and flat in Brunswick.

There are still bargains to be had around Savannah and Wilmington. The weak prices in Brunswick suggest there are bargains to be found there too, but the slow population growth -- well below the national average -- means second and third looks are in order.

Job growth is close to the national average in these markets, but we don't have data for Brunswick or Hilton Head. With the exception of Brunswick, population growth is well above the national average, especially in Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach.

Inland Carolinas

These communities include Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville in North Carolina; Greenville in South Carolina; Charlottesville in Virginia; and Knoxville in Tennessee. Because they are part of larger urban areas, they present different attractions than the Florida markets. They generally are economically more stable and more oriented towards golf.

cliffs at mountain parkGolf communities like the Cliffs at Mountain Park (shown) depend on the economic health of nearby cities, like Greenville, SC, in this case

We can't separate the retirement communities from their urban areas when we measure home prices, jobs and population, but this isn't such a big problem because their popularity depends partly on the vibrancy of the surrounding economy. People like retiring here because the big cities are close by.

Average home prices are much the same in all these markets, close to $200,000, but higher in Charlottesville at $270,000. The peak-to-trough loss in home values after the recession was modest, from 10 to 15 percent. There are therefore fewer bargains to be found, with the best possibilities around Raleigh and Greenville. Home prices in all these markets were up around 5 percent in the past year. We expect 5 percent increases for the next few years.

The local economies have grown at remarkably similar rates in the past year, very close to the national average. The main way you can separate these markets is by their population growth. For Asheville and Greenville, that growth has been average; for Knoxville and Charlottesville, it has been below average; and for Raleigh and Charlotte, it has been about twice the national average.

Tale of two cities for fast growth

One of the fastest-growing markets in the country is Raleigh, NC. Its population in the last three years increased 6.9 percent (more than double the national average), and job growth in the last 12 months was 3.5 percent (compared to the 2.2 percent national average). Myrtle Beach is a much smaller market (and therefore more volatile), but the corresponding stats are 8.3 percent and 3.5 percent.

Where you retire depends on what you want -- mountains, rivers, lakes, the seashore. Many people want sun but some also want a change of seasons. Some people can afford more home than others. The good news, now and in the near future, is that the prices of retirement properties are again affordable, that they've stopped going down, and that they'll increase at a steady pace in most local markets throughout the next decade. Despite reports of sharply higher prices in Naples, for example, you don't have to rush out before it's too late. There's no particular hurry, take your time -- but now IS a great time to start looking.


Ingo Winzer
President
Local Market Monitor
Cary NC

 

Ingo Winzer is Founder and President of Local Market Monitor, and has analyzed real estate markets for more than 20 years. His views on real estate markets are often quoted in the national press and, in 2005, he warned that many housing markets were dangerously over-priced. Previously, Ingo was a founder and Executive Vice President of First Research, an industry research company that was acquired by Dun and Bradstreet in March 2007. He is a graduate of MIT and holds an MBA in Finance from Boston University. He resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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    July/August 2015

Join Us for a Fall Discovery Weekend
at Carolina Colours, New Bern, NC
October 29 to November 1, 2015

For the time being, this is an exclusive offer to subscribers of Home On The Course. We intend to post this offer at GolfCommunityReviews.com and CarolinaLiving.com within the next 10 days if space remains

What if you could spend a weekend touring one of the Carolinas' most successful and smartly designed golf communities... play golf on an impeccably conditioned, fun layout... get answers to all your questions about searching for a golf community...enjoy a cocktail hour and then dinner with a group of residents you would be gratified to call your neighbors...and do all that at the discounted price of $350 for three days and two nights of fun, insights and a thorough understanding of what makes New Bern and Carolina Colours special? (Oh, did we forget to mention a boat ride as well?)

Announcing a Home On The Course & CarolinaLiving.com Discovery Weeked at the Carolina Colours community in coastal New Bern, NC, October 29 to November 1. The first 12 couples to sign up for this exclusive weekend and remit payment will enjoy the following:

  • Waterfront hotel for two nights
  • Boat cruise on the Neuse River
  • Golf on Friday & Saturday
  • Non-golfer activities include tour of Tryon Palace, the New Bern history museum, local arts & culture sites)
  • Friday evening cocktail hour & buffet dinner with Carolina Colours residents
  • Special Southern-cook-created lunch on Saturday
  • Tour of Carolina Colours with a resident expert
  • A look at specific properties and homes currently for sale (optional); opportunity to learn building process and prices from site contractors.
  • Panel discussion: "How to Search for a Golf Community Home"*

* Panel includes: Ken Kirkman, Carolina Colours General Manager and veteran golf community developer (Landfall, Bald Head Island); Pat Mason, Co-Founder, Center for Carolina Living; and Larry Gavrich, Founder/Editor, Home On The Course.

Come discover New Bern and Carolina Colours, and have fun while you’re at it. For more information and to reserve your spot for this exclusive opportunity, contact Larry Gavrich, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

10 Reasons to Consider
Carolina Colours

  1. Proximities. Carolina Colours is less than 12 minutes to downtown New Bern with its shops, restaurants, museums and historical sites. For those looking for an ocean fix, the beaches at Emerald Isle are a mere 50 minutes away; and those who long for a little hustle and bustle of city life can be in Wilmington or Raleigh in about two hours. And best of all, friends and family from the Northeast and middle-Atlantic regions can be at Carolina Colours for a visit after a leisurely one-day drive.
  2. Food for thought. Many retirees give up proximity to necessity shopping in exchange for lower real estate prices. Yet they never quite get used to having the nearest supermarket located a half hour from their home. Southern grocery chain Harris Teeter recently announced that it will open a supermarket just outside the entrance to Carolina Colours, and other conveniences are following. From the farthest reaches of the community, the trip to the shopping center will take about three minutes.
  3. New Bern. North Carolina’s second oldest city is loaded with history but squarely looking ahead. Bracketed by the Trent and Neuse Rivers, it is a major coastal center of leisure sailing. Home to an array of restaurants from upscale farm-to-table to small mom and pop cafes, visitors to New Bern are envious of those who live there, and with good reason. The famed Tryon Palace is just icing on the cake. Interesting side note: Pepsi Cola was invented in a New Bern pharmacy.
  4. Katherine Simms. Katherine runs the snack bar at Carolina Colours, and according to golfers and residents alike, she transforms ordinary snacks into what could almost pass for gourmet meals. I can vouch for her hamburger, one of the best I’ve had on or off the golf course. Katherine also caters the community’s Friday night buffet dinners where upwards of 75 of Carolina Colours’ residents get together and eat as well as they will all week, for just a few dollars each.
  5. Ken Kirkman. Ken is an environmental lawyer by training but, in practice, he is an impresario of golf community development, having superintended much of the development at Landfall in Wilmington, NC, and Bald Head Island, just off the North Carolina coast, before turning his attention to Carolina Colours. He is the most visible resident of all, as he and his wife Kathy chose to walk the talk by living in the community.
  6. Overlook Holdings LLC. Savvy management and long-time experience merged when Ken Kirkman invited Preston Development to take Carolina Colours to the next level. Not only does Preston bring the resources that ensure the community will remain debt free, but their experience with 25 other successful communities combined with Ken’s on-site presence provide Carolina Colours with organization expertise unrivalled by most other golf communties.
  7. The Golf Course. You could say a whole lot of Love went into the design of the Carolina Colours golf course. Noted architect Bill Love, a former President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, thought long and hard about the types of golfers that would call the golf course theirs, and he fashioned a layout that is gentle to those who play the “gentlemen’s” and “ladies” tees but challenging to the low handicapper from the back tees. There is something for everyone among the pines and ponds of the Carolina Colours golf course.
  8. Bent grass greens. The greens at Carolina Colours deserve separate mention. If you play golf north of the Mason-Dixon line, chances are you putt on bent grass greens. If you haven’t putted on them, you don’t know what you are missing. But bent is notoriously tough to maintain during hot summers and, therefore, most southern golf courses use a form of Bermuda grass on their greens that are okay -- but they aren’t bent grass. Carolina Colours’ cool-headed superintendent has mastered the art of keeping his greens cool too.
  9. Real estate prices. Those who visit Carolina Colours for the first time and walk through a few of the developer homes, or the limited number of resale homes, are surprised at the prices --$200,000 and up for homes and $50,000 for lots. And homeowner and club fees are equally low.
  10. The Residents. Every golf community developer in America will tell you the people who chose their community are the friendliest anywhere. But until you actually meet them and ask them tough questions about life in the community, you won’t really know, will you? That is why when we host our Discovery Weekend at Carolina Colours in October (see above), it will include a Friday night dinner with residents. This will not be a staged event; residents of Carolina Colours get together every Friday night, and any couple considering a home in Carolina Colours should strive to visit at the beginning of any weekend and grab a chair in the clubhouse dining area.

 

A Special Offer for Home On The Course
Subscribers from Local Market Monitor

The specialized forecasts for housing in specific U.S. metor markets can be an invaluable resource to those of us preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home in the coming months and years. Ingo Winzer (see this month's main feature at right) is the principal of Local Market Monitor, which issues market reports that are an accurate, reliable source of home value and risk forecast data focused on specific housing markets. They help investors decide which market is the best investment opportunity, what is the overall risk of investing in a local market and how home values will change in the future. These Market Reports include a home price forecast, rent forecast, income-equivalent home value, local investment score and rating, local cap rates, and a written local market review.

Each report sells for $425, but Local Market Monitor has responded positively to my request for an extra incentive for Home On The Course readers. Between now and the end of August, LMM will provide a group of three reports for the price of one. The choice of the three markets is up to you. For example, if you are looking along the southeastern coast for a potential home, you might choose a bundle of reports that includes Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston; or, perhaps, Savannah, Charleston and Jacksonville, FL. If inland is where you might be headed, consider a package of Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Charlottesville. Or, perhaps, Greenville (SC), Asheville and Knoxville. If you are undecided where you might end up, mix and match between coast and inland. The choice is yours, and the cost is three for the price of one.

The future economic health of towns where you might choose to live could very well determine the value of your property five or ten years down the road. The $425 fee for an in-depth market analysis is a fraction of a percent of what you will pay for the cost of your next home and an investment worth considering.

To order your three reports or for more information, please contact Local Market Monitor Chief Operations Officer Carolyn Beggs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

If you would like more information on any golf communities, please contact me.

Playing Through: Noted Economist Writes
Now’s A Good Time To Look For A Golf Home

by Ingo Winzer

The last 10 years were a terrible time for Americans who were thinking about retirement.

First, back before the 2008 recession hit, anyone planning to buy a retirement property faced skyrocketing prices and a gut-wrenching choice. If you didn't buy immediately, you might never be able to afford that nice place near the shore or in the mountains. On the other hand, forking over such fistfuls of money would make a big dent in your savings.

Then came the recession and a flurry of body blows. The value of your home -- your biggest financial asset -- began falling. If you tried to sell, you found there were no buyers. And to cap off the carnage, the government decided to help out the big banks by pushing interest rates -- and your investment income -- close to zero.

No wonder anyone over 50 is angry (me too). The home-price bubble, the recession and bailouts for borrowers at the expense of savers all followed from government actions to help someone besides us.

Out of the wilderness

debordieu colonyThe Myrtle Beach metro real estate market did not plummet as far as many others, and population growth in the area is well above the national average. DeBordIeu Colony in Georgetown, SC, is shown.

For years now, seniors could do little about this except sit home and sulk, or start ranting and join the Tea Party. But this wilderness period is over and finally the wheel of fortune has turned. Government hasn't become any smarter, but the famously invisible hand of the marketplace has come full circle to produce opportunities for buyers of retirement properties that didn't exist before.

Most importantly, it has ended the long slide in home prices. With some exceptions -- places where the local economy is still doing poorly -- the value of homes has gone up in the last couple of years.

As a bonus -- because vanished demand cut their prices so much -- retirement in many local markets is now a bargain. Where, and by how much, is what I'll discuss below.

Two additional points: Many seniors are able to take advantage of the current real estate opportunities because retirement portfolios have been repaired by shifting into better-yielding investments, riding the tails of a rising stock market. And the age demographics of the US population ensure that values in this sector of the housing market will rise faster than average home values for years to come.

Good math and an economic analysis

The underlying math is simple. Right now there are 33 million Americans aged 60 to 70 who are ready to retire in some way. Over the next decade, they will be followed by 44 million Americans who, today, are aged 50 to 60.

It's a simple question of supply and demand. Over the next decade, builders will not be able to put up retirement properties fast enough to satisfy the surge in demand; therefore, the value of a good retirement property bought in the next few years will go up and up.

Every property is unique, every golf and retirement community is different, and every investment in real estate has its own risks. You can always buy a turkey in a bull market. But you can reduce your risk if you buy in a local market that is more likely to attract other buyers in the future.

Two measures that gauge the attractiveness of local markets are population growth and job growth. A growing local economy is good for retirees. Sure, you can have a great retirement community in a place that isn't growing -- some people prefer that -- but most retirees want restaurants, shops and other services.

We'll look at local markets in several distinct retirement areas: the Florida Panhandle, the Florida Sunset Coast, the Florida East Coast, the Carolinas Coast, and Inland Carolinas.

Florida’s Panhandle

This area stretches from Gulf Shores in Alabama to around Mexico Beach, just east of Panama City, and is traditionally popular with retirees from the Midwest. Compared to other Florida areas, home prices here took much less of a hit after the recession; from peak to trough, prices fell between 30 and 40 percent. In the past year, prices rose in the single digits and we expect more of the same next year. Prices are still around 20 percent below where they should be; this is the bargain that's available right now.

The local economies are growing somewhat below average, but population growth in the last three years has been strong, especially in the Fort Walton Beach area. Home prices are around $240,000 in Fort Walton Beach, up 9 percent in the past year. Prices are lower towards Pensacola, $185,000, where the increase was 6 percent. The slowest local economy is Panama City, where prices were up just 3 percent.

Florida’s Sunset Coast

From Tampa at the northern end to Naples and Marco Island in the south, this stretch of Florida coast serves several retirement demographics. The further south you go, the more expensive homes get. The average price is $185,000 around Tampa Bay -- although closer to $140,000 near Lakeland – and $200,000 around Fort Myers, and $320,000 in Naples.

audubon country clubNaples, FL real estate prices are growing
at twice the national rate.
Audubon Country Club clubhouse shown.
    Prices in this swath of Florida suffered severely in the downturn; on average, homes lost 50 percent of their peak value, but prices have recently been on the upswing -- up 8 percent in Tampa, 11 percent in Fort Myers, and 20 percent in Naples in just the past year. These very sharp increases overstate the actual value increase of the average home; they mainly reflect appreciation of foreclosed properties that had heavily depressed values to begin with, but they make the point that values are going higher rather than lower. We forecast a moderate rate of price increases in coming years.

The local economic picture supports a moderate increase in demand in the near future. Job growth is just average in Tampa-St. Pete, Lakeland, and the Bradenton-Sarasota area, somewhat above average in Fort Myers and Naples. Tampa-St. Pete is the important market in this region, bigger than all the others put together. Population growth in Tampa over the last three years was close to the U.S. average, about 1 percent per year. This suggests a recovering market but by no means an overheated one. Fort Myers and Naples, on the other hand, have been growing at twice the national rate. Home prices in Tampa are pretty much where they should be, and you won't find many bargains.

Florida’s East Coast

From Daytona Beach to Miami Beach, and including Ocala inland, this area comprises the largest stretch of retirement communities in the U.S. As on the Sunset Coast, home prices are lower in the north, higher in the south, and with a detour halfway down at Palm Beach.

Ocala presents the most affordable homes in the region, at around $140,000. From Daytona Beach to Fort Pierce, prices are in the $160,000 to $180,000 range. And from West Palm Beach down to Miami, average prices are above $250,000.

Partly because of the easy accessibility from the Northeast, many retirement properties here start off as winter vacation homes or investment properties. The possibilities for investment speculation produced a boom in prices before the recession, and a huge bust afterwards, with a drop in prices from peak to trough of 50 percent and more. Worst hit were the smaller markets like Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach where speculative overbuilding was the strongest.

Home prices are now again on the rise, but -- as on the Sunset Coast -- recent large price increases are misleading because they mainly are from foreclosed properties. That said, the average price increase in the past year was 10 percent, a bit less in Ocala. We expect moderate price increases in these markets over the next three years.

Despite recent price increases, bargains remain from Daytona Beach down to Fort Pierce -- and especially in Ocala -- but there are very few in the more southern markets.

Population growth in most of these markets is slightly above the national average. Job growth is very close to the national average in all of these markets, although Vero Beach lags a bit. Overall, this represents steady growth that will produce steady home price increases rather than speculative investment returns.

Carolinas Coast

These communities run from Wilmington in North Carolina down to Brunswick in Georgia. With the exception of the cities -- Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah -- the lack of other economic opportunities along the coasts has allowed widespread development of vacation and retirement communities.

Average home prices range from $150,000 in Brunswick and Myrtle Beach to $270,000 in Hilton Head and Charleston. These communities were less affected by speculative investment than those in Florida; peak home value losses along the coast after the recession were around 25 percent. Price increases in the last year were around 4 percent -- a bit higher in Charleston, a bit lower in Hilton Head and flat in Brunswick.

There are still bargains to be had around Savannah and Wilmington. The weak prices in Brunswick suggest there are bargains to be found there too, but the slow population growth -- well below the national average -- means second and third looks are in order.

Job growth is close to the national average in these markets, but we don't have data for Brunswick or Hilton Head. With the exception of Brunswick, population growth is well above the national average, especially in Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach.

Inland Carolinas

These communities include Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville in North Carolina; Greenville in South Carolina; Charlottesville in Virginia; and Knoxville in Tennessee. Because they are part of larger urban areas, they present different attractions than the Florida markets. They generally are economically more stable and more oriented towards golf.

cliffs at mountain parkGolf communities like the Cliffs at Mountain Park (shown) depend on the economic health of nearby cities, like Greenville, SC, in this case

We can't separate the retirement communities from their urban areas when we measure home prices, jobs and population, but this isn't such a big problem because their popularity depends partly on the vibrancy of the surrounding economy. People like retiring here because the big cities are close by.

Average home prices are much the same in all these markets, close to $200,000, but higher in Charlottesville at $270,000. The peak-to-trough loss in home values after the recession was modest, from 10 to 15 percent. There are therefore fewer bargains to be found, with the best possibilities around Raleigh and Greenville. Home prices in all these markets were up around 5 percent in the past year. We expect 5 percent increases for the next few years.

The local economies have grown at remarkably similar rates in the past year, very close to the national average. The main way you can separate these markets is by their population growth. For Asheville and Greenville, that growth has been average; for Knoxville and Charlottesville, it has been below average; and for Raleigh and Charlotte, it has been about twice the national average.

Tale of two cities for fast growth

One of the fastest-growing markets in the country is Raleigh, NC. Its population in the last three years increased 6.9 percent (more than double the national average), and job growth in the last 12 months was 3.5 percent (compared to the 2.2 percent national average). Myrtle Beach is a much smaller market (and therefore more volatile), but the corresponding stats are 8.3 percent and 3.5 percent.

Where you retire depends on what you want -- mountains, rivers, lakes, the seashore. Many people want sun but some also want a change of seasons. Some people can afford more home than others. The good news, now and in the near future, is that the prices of retirement properties are again affordable, that they've stopped going down, and that they'll increase at a steady pace in most local markets throughout the next decade. Despite reports of sharply higher prices in Naples, for example, you don't have to rush out before it's too late. There's no particular hurry, take your time -- but now IS a great time to start looking.


Ingo Winzer
President
Local Market Monitor
Cary NC

 

Ingo Winzer is Founder and President of Local Market Monitor, and has analyzed real estate markets for more than 20 years. His views on real estate markets are often quoted in the national press and, in 2005, he warned that many housing markets were dangerously over-priced. Previously, Ingo was a founder and Executive Vice President of First Research, an industry research company that was acquired by Dun and Bradstreet in March 2007. He is a graduate of MIT and holds an MBA in Finance from Boston University. He resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

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    June 2015

Give Yourself a Raise
and Play Lots of Golf

The fastest and most painless way to put more money into your pocket is to move. There is always someplace cheaper to live than the place you are living in now. And if you are living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, chances are you will not only save lots of money by moving South, but the bonus in most places is that you can play golf virtually every month of the year. Try that in New England in January.

From time to time we like to remind ourselves, and our readers, that the costs of living can vary widely from one city to another. That is still the case when you compare many suburban areas of the North with popular, golf-oriented areas in the South. But because housing is generally the most significant component of the differences between expenses –- homes, property taxes and utilities are generally much cheaper in the South –- the cost of living differences are beginning to narrow as more people migrate south and demand for homes catches up with supply.

Here are some comparisons we have worked up to show that big savings are still available when one relocates from a high-cost area to a low-cost area. We have included recommendations of local golf communities we have visited. To create your own customized comparisons, go to BestPlaces.net and use their cost of living calculator.


Move from West Hartford, CT
to Columbia, SC
Save 26% annually
Consider Woodcreek Farms, Wildewood and Cobblestone Park golf communities


money


Move from Naperville, IL
to Wilmington, NC
Save 27% annually
Consider Landfall, Porters Neck, Brunswick Forest


food


Move from Bethpage, NY
to Hendersonville, NC
Save 37% annually
Consider Champion Hills, Kenmure


Move from Naples, FL
to Charlottesville, VA
Save 32% annually
Consider Glenmore, Keswick Hall, Wintergreen Resort


car2


Move from Fox Chapel, PA
to Savannah, GA
Save 54% annually
Consider The Landings, Savannah Quarters


house


Move from Morristown, NJ
to Sunset Beach, NC
Save 26% annually
Consider Ocean Ridge Plantation, River’s Edge


golfball


Move from Saratoga Springs, NY
to Greenville, SC
Save 26% annually
Consider Cliffs at Glassy, Cliffs Mountain Park, Cliffs Valley, Green Valley, Pebble Creek, Greenville Country Club


Move from Stamford, CT
to Aiken, SC
Save 50% annually
Consider Woodside Plantation, Cedar Creek


boat


Move from San Francisco
to Asheville, NC
Save 58% annually
Consider Mountain Air, Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Reems Creek


ticket


Move from Ann Arbor, MI
to New Bern, NC
Save 21% annually
Consider Carolina Colours


dress

 

If you would like more information on any of these golf communities, please contact me.

 

Move, Play Year-Round Golf,
and Save Tens of Thousands of Dollars

What if you could move to a better climate and earn tens of thousands of dollars for doing it? This is not some theoretical exercise or reverie. One couple from northern Vermont who relocated to Woodside Plantation in Aiken, SC, saved 28% on their total annual expenses. Another couple I assisted moved from Simsbury, CT, to The Landings outside Savannah, GA, and saved 25% annually. In the extreme case that a couple from, say, San Francisco was to choose to relocate to, say, the Fairfield Glade community on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, their annual savings could reach as much as 56%. Every couple’s spending levels and budgets are different, but assuming a current spend of $100,000 per year – how can you help but spend that in a high-cost metro like San Francisco? -- our Bay Area couple could go on a four-month round the world cruise with just their first-year savings.

Okay, okay, I know that the Cumberland Plateau is not exactly San Francisco, and that there is a price to be paid for the perquisites of urban living. But $56,000 a year buys a lot of hotel nights in San Francisco...or Paris, Buenos Aires, London or Barcelona. (For those who spend less than $100,000 annually, apply the cost of living percentages to whatever you spend.)

Carolina Invasion

These dramatic cost of living savings and milder climates are driving an unprecedented migration to the Carolinas. According to the annual United Van Lines audit on all the people they move, South Carolina and North Carolina ranked numbers two and three, respectively, in terms of net migration in 2014. (Oregon ranked first, for some reason.) Climate and cost of living, substantially because of lower taxes and home costs, are the main drivers of the moves south, and as northern states desperately – some would say “clumsily” – attempt to make up for declining populations and pension obligations to state workers with additional taxes, the exodus will only continue. In my adopted home state of Connecticut, for example, a recent survey indicated that almost half my fellow state residents would prefer to live elsewhere.

$3 Billion Second-Home Market

In a briefing recently for a group of Pawleys Island, SC, area real estate agents, Pat Mason, co-founder of the Center for Carolina Living Inc, shared some riveting data about growth in the two states that he has studied and promoted for three decades. Pat forecasts that, this year, 450,000 people will choose to relocate to the Carolinas to retire, start businesses or purchase second homes. The second home market alone generates $3 billion in annual sales in the two states. Those are impressive numbers but the most startling figure for me was that every year, the equivalent of one-quarter of the population of the U.S., or 81 million people, visit the Carolinas; not surprisingly, most are from the “frost belt” in the northeast and Midwest but plenty visit from Florida and California -- the former to experience milder summers and the latter to experience lower costs (and, lately perhaps, to see what lawns in drought-free states look like).

What Pat and other researchers refer to as the Carolinas “In-migration Industry” has real estate professionals throughout the two states working longer days showing prospective buyers around their local communities and taking calls from prospective sellers looking to cash in on the sudden uptick in the market. But despite the price rises that should have more people listing their homes, local Realtors are facing a problem they haven’t seen for a decade or more – lower inventories. That may seem like a nice problem to have, but the reality of more buyers than there are homes to sell is like advertising shirts at deep discounts at J.C. Penney and having only a few shirts on hand when the crowds arrive. The lack of inventory is having an effect on the sale of home sites, which are still in good supply, but the prices of lots are firming up as people who can’t find homes that suit them are deciding to build on the choicest sites available.

Condo Time…Finally

Those who fear prices will continue to rise but aren’t quite ready to make a full commitment to a home might consider the purchase of a lot or condo now. The rising tide should, in strong markets, raise prices of all types of properties. That seems the case with condos, for example, which have become hot properties in places like Pawleys Island, SC, where one real estate agent recently told me he cannot find short term (i.e. three to six-month) rentals for customers who are building a home or moving to the area to spend some time before committing to live there.

The relationship between supply and demand affects pricing across every real estate market and every category of property. Right now in many areas of the South, demand is high and supplies are becoming tight. You don’t need to be a Federal Reserve economist to figure out what that means for prices.

Callawassie joins roster of communities
with $1 lots for sale

Depending on your appetite for risk, now is either a great time or a horrible time to buy a property –- lot or home -– at Callawassie Island, the heavily live-oak-treed community located between Bluffton and Beaufort, SC, that sports 27 holes of Tom Fazio golf. The course underwent a $4 million renovation in 2008, just in time for the recession.

The Worst of Times

It is a horrible time to buy at Callawassie because residents of the previously well-regarded community are suing the club, and such actions are never good for image and, therefore, property values. The lawsuit arose when the club decreed that membership was now mandatory for all property owners in Callawassie. That meant, for example, that a person sitting on a piece of undeveloped land that they visited once every few years was now responsible for paying dues to a club they might not ever use. In initial court actions, the club has won but Callawassie’s recalcitrant owners are persisting.

According to the Island Packet newspaper, Lolita Trifiletti, a Charlotte, NC, resident who purchased a home site at Callawassie in 2005 in anticipation of her eventual retirement, had become used to paying $100 a month in dues for a club she hadn’t visited in seven years. Last year her dues reached over $600 per month under the new plan, and when she tried to resign, the club told her she needed to pay back dues of $38,000. She is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The Best of Times

On the other hand, it is a terrific time to buy at Callawassie because the effect of the lawsuit and associated bad publicity has driven down property prices below their inherent values, with lots selling as low as $1; we counted a dozen properties listed currently at less than $10,000. The least expensive home in the community is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, circa 1986, whose price tag of $140,000 works out to about $87 a square foot, a bargain by any measure, even if it may need a little cosmetic surgery. For many folks, that reasonable investment will leave a lot of room in the budget for mandatory club fees (golf dues are optional; see below).

The way Callawassie chose to force residents to become members may be unusual (some might say callous), but mandatory plans themselves are not. And they make sense, especially if golf’s popularity tends to erode and puts pressure on golf clubs’ financial viability. A case could be made that at a time when golf club membership rolls are under stress and fewer people appear to be willing to commit to any type of membership, forcing residents of surrounding properties to be members is an exercise in survival. No less than the upscale communities just down the road in Bluffton –- among them Belfair, Berkeley Hall and Colleton River -- employ mandatory membership programs. And although the vaunted Cliffs Communities in the Carolina Mountains do not strictly compel membership for residents, try selling a home there years from now that does not have membership attached to it. De facto, membership at The Cliffs is mandatory.

Their Pain, Your Gain

For those currently considering a golf community like Callawassie, we suggest that the pain of the current residents could be your gain. Initiation fees have dropped from $45,000 to $15,000; revised dues for basic membership are set at $685 a month, which includes access to the community’s docks, kayaking, fishing and crabbing; six Har-Tru tennis courts; a clubhouse with full-service dining, adults-only pool overlooking the marsh, pool-side snack bar, bocce, croquet courts and a horseshoe pit; access to the River Club, which overlooks the Colleton River; fully equipped fitness center; and other amenities you would expect in any well-appointed community. If you intend to use many or all of those amenities, $685 seems competitive with other communities.

For an extra $300 per month, you can play unlimited golf or opt to pay as you go instead for just $60 per round. You don’t have that kind of flexibility at the aforementioned Bluffton communities, where golf is part of the mandatory package and carrying costs reach beyond $15,000 annually.

Rumors of Golf’s Death Exaggerated

Whether to consider a community like Callawassie or not comes down to what one thinks of the future of golf. The short-term future –- we are talking a couple of decades -– is fine. The huge baby boomer cohort has years to play out, and there is enough interest in golf among members of that large group that, absent any severe hit to the general economy, property values in golf communities perceived as high value will grow in the coming decade. (We are seeing that throughout the southeast currently.) In the longer term, golf will have something between niche and mass appeal and, more important, human nature will prevail; folks who have made money during their working lives will look to reward themselves -– and, yes, validate their successes –- by buying into communities perceived to have the best amenities.

Golf’s luster will not fade for them.

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 
    June 2015

Give Yourself a Raise
and Play Lots of Golf

The fastest and most painless way to put more money into your pocket is to move. There is always someplace cheaper to live than the place you are living in now. And if you are living north of the Mason-Dixon Line, chances are you will not only save lots of money by moving South, but the bonus in most places is that you can play golf virtually every month of the year. Try that in New England in January.

From time to time we like to remind ourselves, and our readers, that the costs of living can vary widely from one city to another. That is still the case when you compare many suburban areas of the North with popular, golf-oriented areas in the South. But because housing is generally the most significant component of the differences between expenses –- homes, property taxes and utilities are generally much cheaper in the South –- the cost of living differences are beginning to narrow as more people migrate south and demand for homes catches up with supply.

Here are some comparisons we have worked up to show that big savings are still available when one relocates from a high-cost area to a low-cost area. We have included recommendations of local golf communities we have visited. To create your own customized comparisons, go to BestPlaces.net and use their cost of living calculator.


Move from West Hartford, CT
to Columbia, SC
Save 26% annually
Consider Woodcreek Farms, Wildewood and Cobblestone Park golf communities


money


Move from Naperville, IL
to Wilmington, NC
Save 27% annually
Consider Landfall, Porters Neck, Brunswick Forest


food


Move from Bethpage, NY
to Hendersonville, NC
Save 37% annually
Consider Champion Hills, Kenmure


Move from Naples, FL
to Charlottesville, VA
Save 32% annually
Consider Glenmore, Keswick Hall, Wintergreen Resort


car2


Move from Fox Chapel, PA
to Savannah, GA
Save 54% annually
Consider The Landings, Savannah Quarters


house


Move from Morristown, NJ
to Sunset Beach, NC
Save 26% annually
Consider Ocean Ridge Plantation, River’s Edge


golfball


Move from Saratoga Springs, NY
to Greenville, SC
Save 26% annually
Consider Cliffs at Glassy, Cliffs Mountain Park, Cliffs Valley, Green Valley, Pebble Creek, Greenville Country Club


Move from Stamford, CT
to Aiken, SC
Save 50% annually
Consider Woodside Plantation, Cedar Creek


boat


Move from San Francisco
to Asheville, NC
Save 58% annually
Consider Mountain Air, Cliffs at Walnut Cove, Reems Creek


ticket


Move from Ann Arbor, MI
to New Bern, NC
Save 21% annually
Consider Carolina Colours


dress

 

If you would like more information on any of these golf communities, please contact me.

 

Move, Play Year-Round Golf,
and Save Tens of Thousands of Dollars

What if you could move to a better climate and earn tens of thousands of dollars for doing it? This is not some theoretical exercise or reverie. One couple from northern Vermont who relocated to Woodside Plantation in Aiken, SC, saved 28% on their total annual expenses. Another couple I assisted moved from Simsbury, CT, to The Landings outside Savannah, GA, and saved 25% annually. In the extreme case that a couple from, say, San Francisco was to choose to relocate to, say, the Fairfield Glade community on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, their annual savings could reach as much as 56%. Every couple’s spending levels and budgets are different, but assuming a current spend of $100,000 per year – how can you help but spend that in a high-cost metro like San Francisco? -- our Bay Area couple could go on a four-month round the world cruise with just their first-year savings.

Okay, okay, I know that the Cumberland Plateau is not exactly San Francisco, and that there is a price to be paid for the perquisites of urban living. But $56,000 a year buys a lot of hotel nights in San Francisco...or Paris, Buenos Aires, London or Barcelona. (For those who spend less than $100,000 annually, apply the cost of living percentages to whatever you spend.)

Carolina Invasion

These dramatic cost of living savings and milder climates are driving an unprecedented migration to the Carolinas. According to the annual United Van Lines audit on all the people they move, South Carolina and North Carolina ranked numbers two and three, respectively, in terms of net migration in 2014. (Oregon ranked first, for some reason.) Climate and cost of living, substantially because of lower taxes and home costs, are the main drivers of the moves south, and as northern states desperately – some would say “clumsily” – attempt to make up for declining populations and pension obligations to state workers with additional taxes, the exodus will only continue. In my adopted home state of Connecticut, for example, a recent survey indicated that almost half my fellow state residents would prefer to live elsewhere.

$3 Billion Second-Home Market

In a briefing recently for a group of Pawleys Island, SC, area real estate agents, Pat Mason, co-founder of the Center for Carolina Living Inc, shared some riveting data about growth in the two states that he has studied and promoted for three decades. Pat forecasts that, this year, 450,000 people will choose to relocate to the Carolinas to retire, start businesses or purchase second homes. The second home market alone generates $3 billion in annual sales in the two states. Those are impressive numbers but the most startling figure for me was that every year, the equivalent of one-quarter of the population of the U.S., or 81 million people, visit the Carolinas; not surprisingly, most are from the “frost belt” in the northeast and Midwest but plenty visit from Florida and California -- the former to experience milder summers and the latter to experience lower costs (and, lately perhaps, to see what lawns in drought-free states look like).

What Pat and other researchers refer to as the Carolinas “In-migration Industry” has real estate professionals throughout the two states working longer days showing prospective buyers around their local communities and taking calls from prospective sellers looking to cash in on the sudden uptick in the market. But despite the price rises that should have more people listing their homes, local Realtors are facing a problem they haven’t seen for a decade or more – lower inventories. That may seem like a nice problem to have, but the reality of more buyers than there are homes to sell is like advertising shirts at deep discounts at J.C. Penney and having only a few shirts on hand when the crowds arrive. The lack of inventory is having an effect on the sale of home sites, which are still in good supply, but the prices of lots are firming up as people who can’t find homes that suit them are deciding to build on the choicest sites available.

Condo Time…Finally

Those who fear prices will continue to rise but aren’t quite ready to make a full commitment to a home might consider the purchase of a lot or condo now. The rising tide should, in strong markets, raise prices of all types of properties. That seems the case with condos, for example, which have become hot properties in places like Pawleys Island, SC, where one real estate agent recently told me he cannot find short term (i.e. three to six-month) rentals for customers who are building a home or moving to the area to spend some time before committing to live there.

The relationship between supply and demand affects pricing across every real estate market and every category of property. Right now in many areas of the South, demand is high and supplies are becoming tight. You don’t need to be a Federal Reserve economist to figure out what that means for prices.

Callawassie joins roster of communities
with $1 lots for sale

Depending on your appetite for risk, now is either a great time or a horrible time to buy a property –- lot or home -– at Callawassie Island, the heavily live-oak-treed community located between Bluffton and Beaufort, SC, that sports 27 holes of Tom Fazio golf. The course underwent a $4 million renovation in 2008, just in time for the recession.

The Worst of Times

It is a horrible time to buy at Callawassie because residents of the previously well-regarded community are suing the club, and such actions are never good for image and, therefore, property values. The lawsuit arose when the club decreed that membership was now mandatory for all property owners in Callawassie. That meant, for example, that a person sitting on a piece of undeveloped land that they visited once every few years was now responsible for paying dues to a club they might not ever use. In initial court actions, the club has won but Callawassie’s recalcitrant owners are persisting.

According to the Island Packet newspaper, Lolita Trifiletti, a Charlotte, NC, resident who purchased a home site at Callawassie in 2005 in anticipation of her eventual retirement, had become used to paying $100 a month in dues for a club she hadn’t visited in seven years. Last year her dues reached over $600 per month under the new plan, and when she tried to resign, the club told her she needed to pay back dues of $38,000. She is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The Best of Times

On the other hand, it is a terrific time to buy at Callawassie because the effect of the lawsuit and associated bad publicity has driven down property prices below their inherent values, with lots selling as low as $1; we counted a dozen properties listed currently at less than $10,000. The least expensive home in the community is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath townhouse, circa 1986, whose price tag of $140,000 works out to about $87 a square foot, a bargain by any measure, even if it may need a little cosmetic surgery. For many folks, that reasonable investment will leave a lot of room in the budget for mandatory club fees (golf dues are optional; see below).

The way Callawassie chose to force residents to become members may be unusual (some might say callous), but mandatory plans themselves are not. And they make sense, especially if golf’s popularity tends to erode and puts pressure on golf clubs’ financial viability. A case could be made that at a time when golf club membership rolls are under stress and fewer people appear to be willing to commit to any type of membership, forcing residents of surrounding properties to be members is an exercise in survival. No less than the upscale communities just down the road in Bluffton –- among them Belfair, Berkeley Hall and Colleton River -- employ mandatory membership programs. And although the vaunted Cliffs Communities in the Carolina Mountains do not strictly compel membership for residents, try selling a home there years from now that does not have membership attached to it. De facto, membership at The Cliffs is mandatory.

Their Pain, Your Gain

For those currently considering a golf community like Callawassie, we suggest that the pain of the current residents could be your gain. Initiation fees have dropped from $45,000 to $15,000; revised dues for basic membership are set at $685 a month, which includes access to the community’s docks, kayaking, fishing and crabbing; six Har-Tru tennis courts; a clubhouse with full-service dining, adults-only pool overlooking the marsh, pool-side snack bar, bocce, croquet courts and a horseshoe pit; access to the River Club, which overlooks the Colleton River; fully equipped fitness center; and other amenities you would expect in any well-appointed community. If you intend to use many or all of those amenities, $685 seems competitive with other communities.

For an extra $300 per month, you can play unlimited golf or opt to pay as you go instead for just $60 per round. You don’t have that kind of flexibility at the aforementioned Bluffton communities, where golf is part of the mandatory package and carrying costs reach beyond $15,000 annually.

Rumors of Golf’s Death Exaggerated

Whether to consider a community like Callawassie or not comes down to what one thinks of the future of golf. The short-term future –- we are talking a couple of decades -– is fine. The huge baby boomer cohort has years to play out, and there is enough interest in golf among members of that large group that, absent any severe hit to the general economy, property values in golf communities perceived as high value will grow in the coming decade. (We are seeing that throughout the southeast currently.) In the longer term, golf will have something between niche and mass appeal and, more important, human nature will prevail; folks who have made money during their working lives will look to reward themselves -– and, yes, validate their successes –- by buying into communities perceived to have the best amenities.

Golf’s luster will not fade for them.

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

-->
 
    May 2015

No mandatory fees here

A retired U.S. Army officer returning Stateside this summer asked for my help in finding him and his wife a golf community. He plays golf; she does not. Their requirements are straightforward: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, single-family home, price range up to $300,000 (actually $280,000), fitness center, pool, tennis and walking trails available, semi-private golf club membership with an initiation fee up to $25,000 if the community has multiple golf courses, much less if it has only one. He also strongly prefers a view of the golf course from his home. And because a military pension is not taxed at all in North Carolina and Florida, he has targeted those states.

I conducted a fairly exhaustive survey of semi-private golf community courses in North Carolina, knowing full well he would not have to pay $25,000 to join a semi-private club. (I'm deferring Florida research for now because they prefer four seasons to two.) For anyone contemplating a vacation or permanent home in a nice North Carolina golf community, these communities offer a nice selection of homes priced under $300,000 and golf memberships that are also reasonably priced -– in some cases, very reasonably priced. In fact, virtually all of these clubs are open to public play since that is, by definition, what a semi-private club does. (Membership fees noted where available.)

Semi-private NC Coastal Golf Clubs

Southport's St. James Plantation's four golf clubs are private but the $15,000 initiation fee, the priciest you will find in this column, is still a bargain for those who play a lot of golf (at least one current listing under $300,000 will include the membership in the sale).

Brunswick Forest in Leland, about 10 minutes from Wilmington, is one of the great golf community success stories of the last decade, having weathered the recession that began in 2008 better than most other golf communities east of the Mississippi. A major part of that story is Cape Fear National, the links like golf course that opened just before Wall Street tanked and didn't miss much of a beat, thanks to great reviews of the Tim Cate layout. Annual memberships are around $2,000 on a course you will want to play every day.

The 27 holes of Carolina National inside the community of Winding River (Bolivia) are the product of Fred Couples, and the layout is as languid as Freddie's golf swing. Golf fees are pretty easy to take as well, with an initiation fee of around $2,500 and dues less than $300 per month.

Semi-private NC Inland Golf Clubs

I have not played the Mill Creek Country Club course in Mebane, located halfway between Chapel Hill/Durham and Greensboro, but one of the owners has become something of a pen pal over the years. Membership initiation fees are just $1,495 whether you are an individual or couple, and dues are just $170 and $190 respectively. (Seniors get a $15 per month break off the individual rate.)

Skybrook Country Club in Huntersville, not far from Lake Norman and, therefore, within a short drive to Charlotte, did suffer during the recession, its owner, who tried to balance five different courses, losing them all. A bank took over Skybrook, which sports a fine John LaFoy layout, and was smart enough to hire Troon Golf to manage the club. Conditions are improving dramatically, and so too are the membership rolls thanks to a $150 per month plan that lets members play all the golf they want for $1 per hole. We're betting there are plenty of $18 Nassaus played on the weekends.

Although I haven't played Salem Glen Country Club in Clemmons, I like it for three reasons. First, it is the only Jack Nicklaus course in the area, and no golf centric area should be without one. Reasons two and three have to do with proximity...to the charming, college town of Winston-Salem (a few decent golfers named Palmer and Strange and others came out of Wake Forest) and to the two courses at nearby Tanglewood Park, one of which was the site of Lee Trevino's dramatic 1974 victory over Nicklaus in the PGA Championship. The 62-year old Sam Snead, who finished third, had a much better weekend than did the 61-year old Richard Nixon, who resigned the Presidency.

Golf at Connestee Falls in the artsy craftsy mountain town of Brevard can't be very much fun December through February but I enjoyed my round there some years ago (it was a balmy spring day, as I recall). The course is cut through the surrounding hills, with some dramatic doglegs that put a premium on shot shaping. There is no premium for membership, however, with annual dues of just $2,000 per couple.

If you would like more information on any of these golf communities, please contact me.

 

Are Mandatory Memberships
Good or Bad for Property Owners?

Most people I work with generally shy away from those communities that compel new property owners to sign up for a club membership from day one. Their concerns are that when they eventually try to sell that property, the universe of buyers may not be as fond of golf as they are today, just as, according to the media, they are not as fond of golf today as they were just a decade ago. Just this week one savvy customer who owns a lot in one of Hilton Head Island's top communities told me he was undecided about building there.

"I'm a little concerned with long-term value of golf course communities that require membership," he said.

Attachment anxiety of too many memberships

There are a variety of mandatory membership types, but pretty much all of them have had a rough decade. At Colleton River in Bluffton, which features 45 of the best golf holes inside the gates of any coastal community, the joining fees for the club and its Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye golf courses has always been relatively modest at around $20,000. But in order to keep the golf courses in pristine condition and the clubhouses at a standard its members expect, carrying costs in the community -– most of it club dues –- are nearly $20,000 per year, as they are at neighboring communities Belfair and Berkeley Hall. Consider, for a moment, we are back in 2006, with top golf community properties appreciating as much as 20% per year. A well-to-do businessman from, say, Atlanta, buys a home in Colleton River for $1 million and realizes he can finance it with the appreciation from a couple of lots elsewhere in the community. So he plunks down nearly $1 million for two lots overlooking the marsh; it doesn't matter that $40,000 a year in club dues and carrying costs are attached to those lots because the appreciation on them is running as much as $250,000 total per year.

Prices so low they are practically giving them away

And then Lehman Brothers collapses, the recession begins and discretionary spending on second homes dries up and, overnight almost, those lots are worth next to nothing -– but their owners still face a $40,000 a year obligation to pay club dues. What was a speculator to do? The answer, in many cases, was to virtually give away those lots. Colleton River is still working through its inventory of $1 re-sale home sites. (This week, I counted 13 of those $1 lots for sale among Colleton River and its high-end neighbors, Belfair and Berkeley Hall.) And these are mostly nice, buildable lots, some with views of water and golf course.

Mandatory memberships before 2008 came in different packages. The Cliffs Communities' vaunted full-golf membership program, which included access to the wellness center and all other amenities and was priced as high as $125,000 immediately before the recession, was technically "voluntary." But the membership was attached to the lot that Cliffs owners purchased; for example, if a couple purchased a lot and opted not to join the club, they could never join the club unless they purchased another developer lot and elected membership at the closing. When it came time to sell the home on that first lot without membership, they could only sell it to another couple not interested in ever becoming members. There was no customer flexibility in the program; by the time recession and lack of customers caused original developer Jim Anthony to consider modifications to his membership program, he was gone.

More flexibility in Cliffs memberships

Today's owners at The Cliffs have a much more rational approach to membership; you must sign up for some kind of membership when you buy a property or home at The Cliffs, but that membership can be either upgraded or downgraded over time, depending on circumstances. In other words, just because you can't play golf anymore doesn't mean you need to move to another place where you won't feel guilty about paying for something you don't use.

These horror stories of the past, and many others like them, generate considerable angst among those searching for their perfect golf community. But if you step back from the drama a bit, and consider mandatory memberships from the selfish point of view of the member, they make some sense. First is the issue of golf club maintenance. Outside the gates of private golf communities, many private clubs have deteriorated because of declining memberships during the recession. Without the "obligation" of membership, dues are the first things to be eliminated in a family's budget when the economy turns the wrong way. And unless a club has a policy to forgive an interruption of a few years membership, the price to return to the club after getting the family's finances in order could be a new initiation fee.

Mandatory memberships also inspire a greater sense of vested interest in the club, literally and figuratively. That may be a bit of a mixed blessing in that passions can run high over how the greens are (or aren't) cut, whether the director of golf is doing a good job, the quality of the food in the clubhouse, and all the other legendary reasons for involved members to go to battle with each other. But the alternative is likely to be apathy and membership flight during the trying times. For most who have invested years in the club, passion trumps apathy every time. And mandatory memberships tend to stabilize membership rolls.

Mandatory membership might increase real estate values

Mandatory membership can also have a salutary effect on real estate prices over time. In one private golf community on the Carolinas coast where club membership is totally optional, there is constant tension between club members and non-member residents. The issue is essentially over how much financial support the homeowner's association should grant to the club. The non-members, of course, believe the members should pay to play, and that the non-members should have no obligation to help the club financially. That, of course, seems reasonable; why should those who don't play golf subsidize those who do? The members counter that the golf club inside the gates is fundamental to the wellbeing of the community; they even commissioned a study some years ago to demonstrate that. The study compared real estate prices in their community to those in other golf communities in the area that enjoyed the support, if not the dues, of all members of the community. The results showed that homes in their own community were selling for $40 per square foot less than in communities where, members maintained, residents supported the golf club. (None of the comparison communities had mandatory memberships, however.) In short, a golf club perceived to enjoy full support of residents, even if not everyone is a member, can generate higher sales prices. With mandatory membership, there is no debate on that score.

In the end, all about the lifestyle

As a customer I helped find a home in the South Carolina Low Country pointed out to me recently, there is one other important consideration in whether to be intimidated or not by mandatory membership fees. My customer bought a lot and built a home in one of the high-end Bluffton, SC, communities a couple of years ago.

"Our decision to buy and build in a full equity club was not taken lightly," he told me. "We were willing to assume the potential risks of significant dues increases, assessments or a cutback in standards, but believed the common interest of the owners to maintain a top-quality private club at a reasonable dues level greatly exceeded the risk."

He went on to explain that because he was able to purchase a lot at about 1/10th its original price and build a home for a reasonable price per square foot, he further reduced the risk if he and his wife had to sell.

"Having a home attached to a full equity membership is not an investment," he added, "it's a lifestyle decision. In South Carolina, it's a pretty good deal; our club dues and taxes are about $20,000 per year.

"Try finding that in a mid-Atlantic or New England metro area!"

And now, a a few words about
non-equity memberships

If the "mandatory" style of golf club membership still seems a little daring to you, there is always the plain vanilla, standard issue non-equity membership that has served folks well since golf clubs became private domains in the early 20th Century. Indeed, the straight-up payment of an initiation fee, with no promise of any of it being returned at a later date, saved many people a considerable amount of money during the recession. (Equity memberships are always the most expensive because of the payback feature.) Members who signed up for equity memberships that promised a full or partial refund sometime after resignation from the club are still waiting for their money years and, in some cases, more than a decade later. Virtually all of the refunds were pegged to new members replacing those that left the club; in many cases up to four new members were required to join in order for the former member at the top of the waiting list to be repaid. Of course, in an era of declining memberships, best of luck to the most recent of those to resign. It is not surprising that the number of refund-based memberships is now down to a precious few.

The choice of membership does indeed come down to a choice of lifestyle. If, say, Colleton River or one of its mandatory-fee neighbors offers you everything you want in a community -- the golf is undeniably excellent -– and you can afford the tariff, go for it. But if a semi-private club is good enough (see sidebar) and you want the peace of mind of knowing that you can cancel your membership whenever you feel like it, with no explanations necessary to anyone, pay that initiation fee...and relax.

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 
    May 2015

No mandatory fees here

A retired U.S. Army officer returning Stateside this summer asked for my help in finding him and his wife a golf community. He plays golf; she does not. Their requirements are straightforward: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, single-family home, price range up to $300,000 (actually $280,000), fitness center, pool, tennis and walking trails available, semi-private golf club membership with an initiation fee up to $25,000 if the community has multiple golf courses, much less if it has only one. He also strongly prefers a view of the golf course from his home. And because a military pension is not taxed at all in North Carolina and Florida, he has targeted those states.

I conducted a fairly exhaustive survey of semi-private golf community courses in North Carolina, knowing full well he would not have to pay $25,000 to join a semi-private club. (I'm deferring Florida research for now because they prefer four seasons to two.) For anyone contemplating a vacation or permanent home in a nice North Carolina golf community, these communities offer a nice selection of homes priced under $300,000 and golf memberships that are also reasonably priced -– in some cases, very reasonably priced. In fact, virtually all of these clubs are open to public play since that is, by definition, what a semi-private club does. (Membership fees noted where available.)

Semi-private NC Coastal Golf Clubs

Southport's St. James Plantation's four golf clubs are private but the $15,000 initiation fee, the priciest you will find in this column, is still a bargain for those who play a lot of golf (at least one current listing under $300,000 will include the membership in the sale).

Brunswick Forest in Leland, about 10 minutes from Wilmington, is one of the great golf community success stories of the last decade, having weathered the recession that began in 2008 better than most other golf communities east of the Mississippi. A major part of that story is Cape Fear National, the links like golf course that opened just before Wall Street tanked and didn't miss much of a beat, thanks to great reviews of the Tim Cate layout. Annual memberships are around $2,000 on a course you will want to play every day.

The 27 holes of Carolina National inside the community of Winding River (Bolivia) are the product of Fred Couples, and the layout is as languid as Freddie's golf swing. Golf fees are pretty easy to take as well, with an initiation fee of around $2,500 and dues less than $300 per month.

Semi-private NC Inland Golf Clubs

I have not played the Mill Creek Country Club course in Mebane, located halfway between Chapel Hill/Durham and Greensboro, but one of the owners has become something of a pen pal over the years. Membership initiation fees are just $1,495 whether you are an individual or couple, and dues are just $170 and $190 respectively. (Seniors get a $15 per month break off the individual rate.)

Skybrook Country Club in Huntersville, not far from Lake Norman and, therefore, within a short drive to Charlotte, did suffer during the recession, its owner, who tried to balance five different courses, losing them all. A bank took over Skybrook, which sports a fine John LaFoy layout, and was smart enough to hire Troon Golf to manage the club. Conditions are improving dramatically, and so too are the membership rolls thanks to a $150 per month plan that lets members play all the golf they want for $1 per hole. We're betting there are plenty of $18 Nassaus played on the weekends.

Although I haven't played Salem Glen Country Club in Clemmons, I like it for three reasons. First, it is the only Jack Nicklaus course in the area, and no golf centric area should be without one. Reasons two and three have to do with proximity...to the charming, college town of Winston-Salem (a few decent golfers named Palmer and Strange and others came out of Wake Forest) and to the two courses at nearby Tanglewood Park, one of which was the site of Lee Trevino's dramatic 1974 victory over Nicklaus in the PGA Championship. The 62-year old Sam Snead, who finished third, had a much better weekend than did the 61-year old Richard Nixon, who resigned the Presidency.

Golf at Connestee Falls in the artsy craftsy mountain town of Brevard can't be very much fun December through February but I enjoyed my round there some years ago (it was a balmy spring day, as I recall). The course is cut through the surrounding hills, with some dramatic doglegs that put a premium on shot shaping. There is no premium for membership, however, with annual dues of just $2,000 per couple.

If you would like more information on any of these golf communities, please contact me.

 

Are Mandatory Memberships
Good or Bad for Property Owners?

Most people I work with generally shy away from those communities that compel new property owners to sign up for a club membership from day one. Their concerns are that when they eventually try to sell that property, the universe of buyers may not be as fond of golf as they are today, just as, according to the media, they are not as fond of golf today as they were just a decade ago. Just this week one savvy customer who owns a lot in one of Hilton Head Island's top communities told me he was undecided about building there.

"I'm a little concerned with long-term value of golf course communities that require membership," he said.

Attachment anxiety of too many memberships

There are a variety of mandatory membership types, but pretty much all of them have had a rough decade. At Colleton River in Bluffton, which features 45 of the best golf holes inside the gates of any coastal community, the joining fees for the club and its Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye golf courses has always been relatively modest at around $20,000. But in order to keep the golf courses in pristine condition and the clubhouses at a standard its members expect, carrying costs in the community -– most of it club dues –- are nearly $20,000 per year, as they are at neighboring communities Belfair and Berkeley Hall. Consider, for a moment, we are back in 2006, with top golf community properties appreciating as much as 20% per year. A well-to-do businessman from, say, Atlanta, buys a home in Colleton River for $1 million and realizes he can finance it with the appreciation from a couple of lots elsewhere in the community. So he plunks down nearly $1 million for two lots overlooking the marsh; it doesn't matter that $40,000 a year in club dues and carrying costs are attached to those lots because the appreciation on them is running as much as $250,000 total per year.

Prices so low they are practically giving them away

And then Lehman Brothers collapses, the recession begins and discretionary spending on second homes dries up and, overnight almost, those lots are worth next to nothing -– but their owners still face a $40,000 a year obligation to pay club dues. What was a speculator to do? The answer, in many cases, was to virtually give away those lots. Colleton River is still working through its inventory of $1 re-sale home sites. (This week, I counted 13 of those $1 lots for sale among Colleton River and its high-end neighbors, Belfair and Berkeley Hall.) And these are mostly nice, buildable lots, some with views of water and golf course.

Mandatory memberships before 2008 came in different packages. The Cliffs Communities' vaunted full-golf membership program, which included access to the wellness center and all other amenities and was priced as high as $125,000 immediately before the recession, was technically "voluntary." But the membership was attached to the lot that Cliffs owners purchased; for example, if a couple purchased a lot and opted not to join the club, they could never join the club unless they purchased another developer lot and elected membership at the closing. When it came time to sell the home on that first lot without membership, they could only sell it to another couple not interested in ever becoming members. There was no customer flexibility in the program; by the time recession and lack of customers caused original developer Jim Anthony to consider modifications to his membership program, he was gone.

More flexibility in Cliffs memberships

Today's owners at The Cliffs have a much more rational approach to membership; you must sign up for some kind of membership when you buy a property or home at The Cliffs, but that membership can be either upgraded or downgraded over time, depending on circumstances. In other words, just because you can't play golf anymore doesn't mean you need to move to another place where you won't feel guilty about paying for something you don't use.

These horror stories of the past, and many others like them, generate considerable angst among those searching for their perfect golf community. But if you step back from the drama a bit, and consider mandatory memberships from the selfish point of view of the member, they make some sense. First is the issue of golf club maintenance. Outside the gates of private golf communities, many private clubs have deteriorated because of declining memberships during the recession. Without the "obligation" of membership, dues are the first things to be eliminated in a family's budget when the economy turns the wrong way. And unless a club has a policy to forgive an interruption of a few years membership, the price to return to the club after getting the family's finances in order could be a new initiation fee.

Mandatory memberships also inspire a greater sense of vested interest in the club, literally and figuratively. That may be a bit of a mixed blessing in that passions can run high over how the greens are (or aren't) cut, whether the director of golf is doing a good job, the quality of the food in the clubhouse, and all the other legendary reasons for involved members to go to battle with each other. But the alternative is likely to be apathy and membership flight during the trying times. For most who have invested years in the club, passion trumps apathy every time. And mandatory memberships tend to stabilize membership rolls.

Mandatory membership might increase real estate values

Mandatory membership can also have a salutary effect on real estate prices over time. In one private golf community on the Carolinas coast where club membership is totally optional, there is constant tension between club members and non-member residents. The issue is essentially over how much financial support the homeowner's association should grant to the club. The non-members, of course, believe the members should pay to play, and that the non-members should have no obligation to help the club financially. That, of course, seems reasonable; why should those who don't play golf subsidize those who do? The members counter that the golf club inside the gates is fundamental to the wellbeing of the community; they even commissioned a study some years ago to demonstrate that. The study compared real estate prices in their community to those in other golf communities in the area that enjoyed the support, if not the dues, of all members of the community. The results showed that homes in their own community were selling for $40 per square foot less than in communities where, members maintained, residents supported the golf club. (None of the comparison communities had mandatory memberships, however.) In short, a golf club perceived to enjoy full support of residents, even if not everyone is a member, can generate higher sales prices. With mandatory membership, there is no debate on that score.

In the end, all about the lifestyle

As a customer I helped find a home in the South Carolina Low Country pointed out to me recently, there is one other important consideration in whether to be intimidated or not by mandatory membership fees. My customer bought a lot and built a home in one of the high-end Bluffton, SC, communities a couple of years ago.

"Our decision to buy and build in a full equity club was not taken lightly," he told me. "We were willing to assume the potential risks of significant dues increases, assessments or a cutback in standards, but believed the common interest of the owners to maintain a top-quality private club at a reasonable dues level greatly exceeded the risk."

He went on to explain that because he was able to purchase a lot at about 1/10th its original price and build a home for a reasonable price per square foot, he further reduced the risk if he and his wife had to sell.

"Having a home attached to a full equity membership is not an investment," he added, "it's a lifestyle decision. In South Carolina, it's a pretty good deal; our club dues and taxes are about $20,000 per year.

"Try finding that in a mid-Atlantic or New England metro area!"

And now, a a few words about
non-equity memberships

If the "mandatory" style of golf club membership still seems a little daring to you, there is always the plain vanilla, standard issue non-equity membership that has served folks well since golf clubs became private domains in the early 20th Century. Indeed, the straight-up payment of an initiation fee, with no promise of any of it being returned at a later date, saved many people a considerable amount of money during the recession. (Equity memberships are always the most expensive because of the payback feature.) Members who signed up for equity memberships that promised a full or partial refund sometime after resignation from the club are still waiting for their money years and, in some cases, more than a decade later. Virtually all of the refunds were pegged to new members replacing those that left the club; in many cases up to four new members were required to join in order for the former member at the top of the waiting list to be repaid. Of course, in an era of declining memberships, best of luck to the most recent of those to resign. It is not surprising that the number of refund-based memberships is now down to a precious few.

The choice of membership does indeed come down to a choice of lifestyle. If, say, Colleton River or one of its mandatory-fee neighbors offers you everything you want in a community -- the golf is undeniably excellent -– and you can afford the tariff, go for it. But if a semi-private club is good enough (see sidebar) and you want the peace of mind of knowing that you can cancel your membership whenever you feel like it, with no explanations necessary to anyone, pay that initiation fee...and relax.

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    April 2015

Climate Change: Two Homes
for Comfortable Golf
Year-round

The only way to play golf in the Southeast every month of the year in relative comfort is to own a home in Florida for the winter and in a more temperate area for the summer. The following are a few combinations of homes currently for sale and available through our network of professional real estate agents in Florida and other golf-community-rich areas of the region. We've searched for listings that, in combination, price out at less than $500,000 total. Please contact me if you would like further information on any of these or visit the new Golf Homes for Sale section of my blog site; or, for a free, no-obligation list of golf communities that match your requirements, fill out our Golf Home Questionnaire.

Venetian Golf & River Club
North Venice, FL

2 BR, 2 BA, 2 car garage, with lake view. Club membership included with common fees (golf membership separate and not required)...$199,900. North Venice is located between Sarasota and Ft. Myers.

Kenmure Country Club
Flat Rock, NC

3 BR, 2 BA one-level single-family home of almost 2,000 square feet with hardwood floors, fireplace, fresh paint inside. All appliances included. Kenmure is 10 minutes from Hendersonville and 35 minutes from Asheville. Flat Rock is home to a famous summer theater...$284,900


Palm-Aire Country Club
Sarasota, FL

2 BR, 2 BA first-floor condo, 1,100 square feet with golf course and lake views. Memberships available for 36 hole club and fitness center. Low HOA fees and just six miles to Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, shopping and restaurants...$125,000

Linville Falls Country Club
Marion, NC

3 BR, 3 BA, 3,550 square foot single-family with plenty of mountain views and next to the Lee Trevino designed golf course. Membership just $1,500 annually for couple, or pay as you go green fees. Large screened-in porch for the views...$359,000


Fiddlers Creek
Naples, FL

3 BR, 3 BA, 2,200 air-conditioned square feet brand new coach home. Garage, lanai and other space adds almost 900 more square feet. Award-winning community just 15 minutes from Marco Island and half hour to Mercato Shopping Center in Naples...$289,000

Rumbling Bald Resort
Lake Lure, NC

2 BR, 2 BA, 1,175 square foot end-unit condo with balcony overlooking pond. Access to resort's private beach, swimming pools, gym, spa, golf (two courses) and tennis. Currently generating rental income...$199,000

 

Some Like It Hot:
Handling the Elements of a Golf Home Search 

Most people who relocate from north to south cite climate as among their top two or three reasons for the move. During this last winter in New England, for example, I've heard over and over from neighbors and customers how fed up they are with snow and cold. But because they are fleeing bad weather, they are especially sensitive to the climate where they are headed. Most want "warm" winters and, yet, when pressed to define what they mean by "warm," they are literally all over the map.

Climate is one of the easiest to research topics fundamental to the choice of a golf community. I like the web site weatherbase.com for its month-by-month statistics, simply displayed, for thousands of cities and towns. In preparing for this article, I looked at a selection of Southeast cities both in the mountains and on the coast, with a few in between, to determine if there is a perfect climate east of the Mississippi where golf can be played year round in relative comfort, which is to say moderate temperatures and not too much precipitation. My conclusion is that if you must have that combination of atmospherics year-round, you may very well need to buy two homes.

No Goldilocks climate -- neither too hot nor too cold -- exists in the Southeast every month of the year. For example, who wouldn't want to live in the mountains surrounding Asheville, NC, during July when the average temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit and the average lows and highs are 64 and 84 degrees, respectively? Compare that with the July highs in Florida towns like Naples, Sarasota and Jacksonville, which average around 92 (yes, it's humid too). On the other hand, golf in the Asheville area is essentially unplayable in January, when temperatures average 37, with an average low of 27. Naples golf weather in January is perfect, at an average of 65 and an average low of 54.

Summer golf in most parts of Florida can be an exhausting experience, with heat and humidity making early morning play and the ingestion of plenty of liquids an absolute must. But oddly enough, average and high temperatures in Florida during July are only a degree or two higher than those in places like Charleston and Myrtle Beach, SC. And the average July high in Savannah is a degree higher than many Florida coastal towns. The bigger difference between Florida summers and Carolina summers can be measured in rainfall (and the consequent humidity); the Gulf coast city of Sarasota, for example, gets a whopping average of almost 10 inches of rain every July, more than twice as much as Greenville, SC, and about 60% more than Savannah. The extra few inches of rain over a 30-day period can certainly put a damper on golf plans...if the high temperatures and humidity don't.

Golf courses along the Carolinas and Georgia coasts remain open throughout the winter despite the colder temperatures. As I have evolved into my 60s, I have invoked a policy that keeps me off the golf course unless the temperature is at least 50 degrees. (And if it is raining, or clearly threatening, I will also wait to play another day.) I spent most of January and February at our condo in Pawleys Island, SC, and although I didn't keep a ledger, I would estimate that the weather was good enough to play about half to two-thirds of the days, albeit with a sweater or lined windbreaker on. That would also be true for Myrtle Beach and points south. Therefore, those looking for a year-round golf community where they can tee it up three or four times a week, and are willing to don a sweater or jacket, will be comfortable enough on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts. Those who want to play almost the year round in short pants and golf shirts, and are willing to suffer high humidity in summer, should look to Florida. And those looking for the ultimate in comfort every month of the year should count on a home in Florida for the winter and one in the mountains of the Carolinas or Georgia in summer, assuming they can afford it. We've included in the adjacent column a few "combinations" of homes in Florida and the mountains that could make sense.

Tax Day Reminder for Retirees

Texas, Florida and Tennessee are the only southern states that do not levy an income tax; yet only Florida among them shows up on a Kiplinger publication list of “Most Friendly Tax States” for retirees.  The most tax friendly states in the South for retirees include Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Delaware and the aforementioned Florida. (OK, we know Delaware is considered a northern state but we list properties for sale in its fine golf communities so we are stretching the geography a bit.)

In the Kiplinger article last September, Tom Wetzel, president of the Retirement Living Information Center, noted that "higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax."  The reverse is true as well; just because a state has an income tax does not mean its overall tax burden is higher than one without a state tax.  Kiplinger’s editors reinforce the point:  “Many of the…41 states (and the District of Columbia) that impose an income tax offer generous incentives for retirees.”

Georgia is an excellent example.  Social security is exempt from taxes in Georgia, and retirees over the age of 65 are exempt from income tax on the first $65,000.  The state’s retirees can also take advantage of a number of homestead exemptions.  Florida’s exemptions are similarly structured, although property taxes run a bit higher, offset somewhat by slightly more generous homestead exemptions.  One retiree told me recently she hates the traffic in Florida and always defers to the toll roads, “which are expensive,” she said.

Big spenders may want to seriously consider one of the golf communities in Delaware, where there is no state sales tax.  Income tax rates are considered modest, social security benefits are exempt for tax and those residents over the age of 60 can exclude investment and pension income up to $12,500.  Those 65 and older can qualify for a credit up to $500 from school property taxes.

 

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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    HOTC News Special

Listings of Properties for Sale
In These Fine Golf Communities

Delaware

Bayside Resort
Bear Trap Dunes
Heritage Shores
Kings Creek
The Peninsula
Rehoboth Beach Yacht & CC

Florida

   Naples

Audubon
Heritage Bay
Imperial Golf Estates
Mediterra
Olde Cypress
Vineyards

   Sarasota/Bradenton

Concession
Lakewood Ranch
Laurel Oak
Longboat Key
Palm-Aire
Prestancia
River Strand at Heritage Harbour

Georgia

   Savannah

Ford Plantation
The Landings

   Toccoa (north mountains)

Currahee Club

North Carolina

   Western Mountains (Asheville)

Champion Hills
Mountain Air

   Brunswick County

Ocean Ridge Plantation

   Chapel Hill

Governors Club

   New Bern

Carolina Colours

   Wilmington/Southport

Brunswick Forest
Landfall
St. James Plantation

South Carolina

   Bluffton/Okatie

Belfair
Berkeley Hall
Colleton River
Oldfield

   Charleston

Daniel Island

   Columbia

Cobblestone Park
Wildewood
Woodcreek Farms

    Greenville

The Cliffs (Glassy, Valley, Mountain Park)
Green Valley
Greenville Country Club
Pebble Creek
Thornblade

   Hilton Head/Daufuskie Island

Haig Point

   Lake Greenwood

Grand Harbor
Stoney Point

   Lake Keowee

Keowee Key

   Pawleys Island

Pawleys Plantation
Prince Creek
River Club
The Reserve at Litchfield
Wachesaw Plantation

Virginia

   Charlottesville

Glenmore
Wintergreen Resort

   Richmond/Williamsburg

Viniterra

Search for Golf Home Gets Easier, Better

Because you are a subscriber to Home On The Course, we are inviting you to be the first to try out our new golf listings site, Golf Homes for Sale, now posted at our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com. As of right now, those searching for a golf home will have easy access to the full listings of properties for sale in some of the finest golf communities in the Southeast. (See below on how to get the first look at Golf Homes for Sale.)

For more than two years, we have listed golf homes and home sites at our companion web site, GolfHomesListed.com. Thousands of people have visited the site to look at pictures and brief details about golf homes in both popular and barely known high-quality golf communities. But when we asked for a name and email address in order to show more details about a particular listing, we lost them.

 

No requirement of name or email address

With the launch of a new set of pages at Golf Community Reviews, we have removed the impediment of a sign-up. As of now, if you want to scan the complete group of listings in any of our three-dozen recommended golf communities, you can do so without any requirement of name and email address. All we ask in return for this free service is that, if you choose to work with any of our professional golf home specialists, you tell them we referred you. Our only compensation is via a referral fee if you decide to buy a property from one of these Realtors, and the only way we can collect is if you tell them we sent you. The referral fees help us maintain this site and to post helpful information for those interested in golf communities. We also intend to add more golf communities in the coming weeks.

 

Personalized assistance in search for a golf home

If you would like personalized assistance in your search for a golf home in the Southern U.S., I encourage you to fill out our free online Golf Home Questionnaire. It takes just a few minutes but will give us enough information to put together an initial list of recommendations of those golf communities that match your criteria. After that, we can refine the list together and, when you are ready, schedule visits. Most of the golf communities we work with offer specially priced “discovery” visits that treat you like a resident and club member for a few days. We can help you tailor those visits to fit your needs and schedule.  Click here for our Golf Home Questionnaire.

Thank you for your continuing interest and support of Home On The Course. If you have any suggestions for improving this site, please contact me, Larry Gavrich, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

To try out our new pages of golf home listings, please go to http://www.golfcommunityreviews.com/golf-homes-for-sale.html

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

   GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 
    HOTC News Special

Listings of Properties for Sale
In These Fine Golf Communities

Delaware

Bayside Resort
Bear Trap Dunes
Heritage Shores
Kings Creek
The Peninsula
Rehoboth Beach Yacht & CC

Florida

   Naples

Audubon
Heritage Bay
Imperial Golf Estates
Mediterra
Olde Cypress
Vineyards

   Sarasota/Bradenton

Concession
Lakewood Ranch
Laurel Oak
Longboat Key
Palm-Aire
Prestancia
River Strand at Heritage Harbour

Georgia

   Savannah

Ford Plantation
The Landings

   Toccoa (north mountains)

Currahee Club

North Carolina

   Western Mountains (Asheville)

Champion Hills
Mountain Air

   Brunswick County

Ocean Ridge Plantation

   Chapel Hill

Governors Club

   New Bern

Carolina Colours

   Wilmington/Southport

Brunswick Forest
Landfall
St. James Plantation

South Carolina

   Bluffton/Okatie

Belfair
Berkeley Hall
Colleton River
Oldfield

   Charleston

Daniel Island

   Columbia

Cobblestone Park
Wildewood
Woodcreek Farms

    Greenville

The Cliffs (Glassy, Valley, Mountain Park)
Green Valley
Greenville Country Club
Pebble Creek
Thornblade

   Hilton Head/Daufuskie Island

Haig Point

   Lake Greenwood

Grand Harbor
Stoney Point

   Lake Keowee

Keowee Key

   Pawleys Island

Pawleys Plantation
Prince Creek
River Club
The Reserve at Litchfield
Wachesaw Plantation

Virginia

   Charlottesville

Glenmore
Wintergreen Resort

   Richmond/Williamsburg

Viniterra

Search for Golf Home Gets Easier, Better

Because you are a subscriber to Home On The Course, we are inviting you to be the first to try out our new golf listings site, Golf Homes for Sale, now posted at our blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com. As of right now, those searching for a golf home will have easy access to the full listings of properties for sale in some of the finest golf communities in the Southeast. (See below on how to get the first look at Golf Homes for Sale.)

For more than two years, we have listed golf homes and home sites at our companion web site, GolfHomesListed.com. Thousands of people have visited the site to look at pictures and brief details about golf homes in both popular and barely known high-quality golf communities. But when we asked for a name and email address in order to show more details about a particular listing, we lost them.

 

No requirement of name or email address

With the launch of a new set of pages at Golf Community Reviews, we have removed the impediment of a sign-up. As of now, if you want to scan the complete group of listings in any of our three-dozen recommended golf communities, you can do so without any requirement of name and email address. All we ask in return for this free service is that, if you choose to work with any of our professional golf home specialists, you tell them we referred you. Our only compensation is via a referral fee if you decide to buy a property from one of these Realtors, and the only way we can collect is if you tell them we sent you. The referral fees help us maintain this site and to post helpful information for those interested in golf communities. We also intend to add more golf communities in the coming weeks.

 

Personalized assistance in search for a golf home

If you would like personalized assistance in your search for a golf home in the Southern U.S., I encourage you to fill out our free online Golf Home Questionnaire. It takes just a few minutes but will give us enough information to put together an initial list of recommendations of those golf communities that match your criteria. After that, we can refine the list together and, when you are ready, schedule visits. Most of the golf communities we work with offer specially priced “discovery” visits that treat you like a resident and club member for a few days. We can help you tailor those visits to fit your needs and schedule.  Click here for our Golf Home Questionnaire.

Thank you for your continuing interest and support of Home On The Course. If you have any suggestions for improving this site, please contact me, Larry Gavrich, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

To try out our new pages of golf home listings, please go to http://www.golfcommunityreviews.com/golf-homes-for-sale.html

 

   Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

   GolfCommunityReviews.com

   GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

-->
 
    March 2015

A Rant
in Defense of Golf

Judith She, the editor of Bowden's Market Barometer, is a fine industry publication chock full of information and observations about the golf industry, circulated a recent Washington Post article to a group of friends in golf-related businesses, including yours truly. The piece by Drew Harwell (click here to view) greatly exaggerated the imminent death of the game most of us love, and for all the typical reasons –- the sport is elite, it takes too long to play, it's too expensive, blah blah blah.

We've heard it all before. Although the golf industry does have its problems, most of them are a consequence of a lack of creativity. When times get tough, most golf directors and golf professionals rush to lower prices because, heck, that's easier than brainstorming. Just an hour before Judith sent me a copy of the article, one of my readers in Arizona wrote me about a conversation he had with a concerned pro who was smart enough to get people around a table and think about how to attract and retain customers. Two ideas he dediced to implement: Cart girls drive ice cold towels out to golfers in sweltering heat, totally complimentary; and the pro himself makes an appearance at the practice range before a foursome heads to the first tee to offer customized tips on how to play the course. I can't tell you how many pros I have met who spend all day in their offices, except for the trip to the snack bar or clubhouse dining room. (These are mostly public golf course professionals; most private club members wouldn't stand for such behavior.)

I also wonder why the nattering nabobs of golf's doom never compare golf with skiing. An estimated 20 million people made an appearance at a ski, snowboard or cross country venue last year. An estimated 24 million people played a round of golf. Skiing is more expensive than golf, is difficult to access because slopes are typically far from home, which means you have to pay for lodging, and you spend more "waiting" time prior to action than you do in golf.

And yet no one ever seems to write the end of days articles about skiing. Golf gets especially beat up because those who don't play the game perceive it as elitist when, in reality, more Joe Lunchbuckets play golf than do hedge fund managers. How often do we read articles about "elite" demographics of the skiing crowd?

We do have too many golf courses in the U.S. for the number of players, and that has been the case since before the recession of 2008 and before young people allegedly traded in their golf clubs for iPads. The explosive building of golf communities in the 1980s and 1990s contributed to the over-production of golf courses, but there is no reason to assume that the huge baby boomer cohort will turn away from golf as a retirement pastime. That group has another 20 years or so to play out. Overall, we do need to lose a few more golf courses the way J.C. Penney needed to lose a few stores, the way Kirstie Alley needed to lose a few pounds, and the way a forest occasionally needs to burn down -– all in order to promote health and stability.

The game of golf itself is in great shape. Call me a chicken but, given a choice, Pete Dye's fairway moguls seem a lot more appealing -– and safer –- than the snow covered ones.  

The Healthy Way to Choose
a Golf Community

by Mike Tower

The choice of a second home or permanent one in retirement is a daunting and complex decision. Location is a very personal choice, of course. I've learned the hard way, both as someone who has now gone through the process three times (I think the third time is the charm for my wife and me...at least I hope so) and from the many friends I have met along the way who have also gone through the community exploration process, that this is no game for amateurs to play alone.

Golf communities' interested parties -- its residents

I always prided myself on being a savvy consumer, and as a former successful executive, I was confident in my ability to make good decisions. However, I learned that it wasn't a question of making a good decision, but it was instead that I didn't know what I didn't know. I often didn't ask the right questions, and even when I did, I was mostly relying on answers from people who lived in the community we were investigating or from the community's real estate agents; both groups, of course, have a vested interest in selling homes in their community. Of course, caveat emptor applies to any situation in which one is a consumer, and we all know real estate agents have a monetary incentive to sell you a home. However, in most communities that attract retirees, the residents also have a personal financial interest in supporting home sales to assure their own homes are in high demand and values are being sustained or increased.


When we looked for our first golf community home, we didn't know there was anyone like your editor, Larry Gavrich, to counsel us on the search. We knew pretty much what was important to us. We wanted to live in a golf course community with a well-regarded course, but not on the course. We knew the price range and home size we needed. We also wanted to be reasonably close to shopping, restaurants, and air transportation. We even knew having reasonable access to healthcare was important.

Choices of communities blow hot and cold

The first community we moved to in Florida had much to offer, but we lived there year round and hadn't counted on the brutal heat and humidity during the summer months. After a few years, we chose to escape to a more moderate climate in the beautiful mountains of the Carolinas. I won't name the community because, although it is truly wonderful, it was not for us.
After we lived in that second community for a few years, we realized that, whereas we had a wonderful golf course, great neighbors and the necessary amenities were "reasonably" nearby, we didn't have enough restaurant choices. For example, we like to dine out often, and to maximize our enjoyment, we prefer a wide variety of food styles and chef-driven options. Frankly, after a couple of years, we had burned out on many of the local places and found ourselves having to drive an hour or so each way to a larger city to dine. It grew quite tiresome. To top it off, the winters, although relatively mild, reduced the number of golf days available...unless you didn't mind playing with multiple layers of clothing.

The heart drives the ultimate choice of where to live

However, the tipping point for us came when I asked our family physician what would happen if I ever had a heart attack. I knew from my career in healthcare-related fields that, for both men and women, the number one health risk as we age is heart disease. He thought about my question for a minute and then told me we lived quite far from the only hospital in the area with a cardio-vascular surgery department. This meant that none of the local hospitals could effectively treat a heart attack victim with either stents or surgical interventions. He also told me the protocol for the local EMT service was to transport a suspected heart attack victim first to the local hospital for evaluation, and then that hospital would send the patient on to the larger hospital if they deemed further treatment necessary. He said time is of the essence when someone has a heart attack or stroke. Usually, he said, it is referred to as the "magic hour" during which treatment has the best chances of success. As time passes, any delays result in much lower odds of success. I rephrased his words to me: "You're really saying the answer to what would happen to me because of where we live is that I might very well die." He said he was afraid the odds were higher because it would take an hour or more to get to the proper hospital if everything went perfectly.

Finding peace and happiness...and plenty of restaurants

Since that conversation, and because both my father and my only brother suffered heart attacks in their early 60s, we decided to relocate to Phoenix. The winter weather is as wonderful as advertised, we now have more restaurants than we can ever realistically try, an airport is within six miles of the Biltmore section where we bought a home, and we have over 200 golf courses to choose among. To answer our healthcare concerns, we have joined the Mayo Clinic's concierge primary care program. Their service has been absolutely as good as it gets, and we are only 15 minutes maximum from a variety of full-service hospitals in case either of us ever has a serious healthcare emergency. It was an expensive lesson, but for us we felt it was worth it. I only wish somebody would have talked to us about this aspect of where to buy and live when we were selecting our retirement location.

As a reader of his newsletter and blog site for the past few years, I wrote Larry an email suggesting he add an article about choosing a retirement home based on healthcare and other considerations. In short order, he asked me to write it and, therefore, here it is, for better or worse. If you are searching for a retirement community, I wish you only success in your search, and I hope you won't have to repeat the process three times like we did. I hope that chapter three in Phoenix will to be the final one in our own retirement community book. After 16 months here, we do not have a single regret. Even the summer heat, while also as hot as advertised, wasn't that bad. I played golf a few times when the temperature was above 110 and didn't break a sweat:-)

 

Mike Tower is a former pharmaceutical industry executive who, in his retirement, has written opinion pieces for newspapers in North Carolina and Arizona. He has been a valued contributor to this newsletter and my blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, since we became acquainted more than a half dozen years ago. Mike and Sandy, his wife of 52 years, live outside of Phoenix, AZ, where Mike is trying to whittle a few more strokes off his handicap. If you would like to contact him with any questions, Mike can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

GolfCommunityReviews.com

GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 
    March 2015

A Rant
in Defense of Golf

Judith She, the editor of Bowden's Market Barometer, is a fine industry publication chock full of information and observations about the golf industry, circulated a recent Washington Post article to a group of friends in golf-related businesses, including yours truly. The piece by Drew Harwell (click here to view) greatly exaggerated the imminent death of the game most of us love, and for all the typical reasons –- the sport is elite, it takes too long to play, it's too expensive, blah blah blah.

We've heard it all before. Although the golf industry does have its problems, most of them are a consequence of a lack of creativity. When times get tough, most golf directors and golf professionals rush to lower prices because, heck, that's easier than brainstorming. Just an hour before Judith sent me a copy of the article, one of my readers in Arizona wrote me about a conversation he had with a concerned pro who was smart enough to get people around a table and think about how to attract and retain customers. Two ideas he dediced to implement: Cart girls drive ice cold towels out to golfers in sweltering heat, totally complimentary; and the pro himself makes an appearance at the practice range before a foursome heads to the first tee to offer customized tips on how to play the course. I can't tell you how many pros I have met who spend all day in their offices, except for the trip to the snack bar or clubhouse dining room. (These are mostly public golf course professionals; most private club members wouldn't stand for such behavior.)

I also wonder why the nattering nabobs of golf's doom never compare golf with skiing. An estimated 20 million people made an appearance at a ski, snowboard or cross country venue last year. An estimated 24 million people played a round of golf. Skiing is more expensive than golf, is difficult to access because slopes are typically far from home, which means you have to pay for lodging, and you spend more "waiting" time prior to action than you do in golf.

And yet no one ever seems to write the end of days articles about skiing. Golf gets especially beat up because those who don't play the game perceive it as elitist when, in reality, more Joe Lunchbuckets play golf than do hedge fund managers. How often do we read articles about "elite" demographics of the skiing crowd?

We do have too many golf courses in the U.S. for the number of players, and that has been the case since before the recession of 2008 and before young people allegedly traded in their golf clubs for iPads. The explosive building of golf communities in the 1980s and 1990s contributed to the over-production of golf courses, but there is no reason to assume that the huge baby boomer cohort will turn away from golf as a retirement pastime. That group has another 20 years or so to play out. Overall, we do need to lose a few more golf courses the way J.C. Penney needed to lose a few stores, the way Kirstie Alley needed to lose a few pounds, and the way a forest occasionally needs to burn down -– all in order to promote health and stability.

The game of golf itself is in great shape. Call me a chicken but, given a choice, Pete Dye's fairway moguls seem a lot more appealing -– and safer –- than the snow covered ones.  

The Healthy Way to Choose
a Golf Community

by Mike Tower

The choice of a second home or permanent one in retirement is a daunting and complex decision. Location is a very personal choice, of course. I've learned the hard way, both as someone who has now gone through the process three times (I think the third time is the charm for my wife and me...at least I hope so) and from the many friends I have met along the way who have also gone through the community exploration process, that this is no game for amateurs to play alone.

Golf communities' interested parties -- its residents

I always prided myself on being a savvy consumer, and as a former successful executive, I was confident in my ability to make good decisions. However, I learned that it wasn't a question of making a good decision, but it was instead that I didn't know what I didn't know. I often didn't ask the right questions, and even when I did, I was mostly relying on answers from people who lived in the community we were investigating or from the community's real estate agents; both groups, of course, have a vested interest in selling homes in their community. Of course, caveat emptor applies to any situation in which one is a consumer, and we all know real estate agents have a monetary incentive to sell you a home. However, in most communities that attract retirees, the residents also have a personal financial interest in supporting home sales to assure their own homes are in high demand and values are being sustained or increased.


When we looked for our first golf community home, we didn't know there was anyone like your editor, Larry Gavrich, to counsel us on the search. We knew pretty much what was important to us. We wanted to live in a golf course community with a well-regarded course, but not on the course. We knew the price range and home size we needed. We also wanted to be reasonably close to shopping, restaurants, and air transportation. We even knew having reasonable access to healthcare was important.

Choices of communities blow hot and cold

The first community we moved to in Florida had much to offer, but we lived there year round and hadn't counted on the brutal heat and humidity during the summer months. After a few years, we chose to escape to a more moderate climate in the beautiful mountains of the Carolinas. I won't name the community because, although it is truly wonderful, it was not for us.
After we lived in that second community for a few years, we realized that, whereas we had a wonderful golf course, great neighbors and the necessary amenities were "reasonably" nearby, we didn't have enough restaurant choices. For example, we like to dine out often, and to maximize our enjoyment, we prefer a wide variety of food styles and chef-driven options. Frankly, after a couple of years, we had burned out on many of the local places and found ourselves having to drive an hour or so each way to a larger city to dine. It grew quite tiresome. To top it off, the winters, although relatively mild, reduced the number of golf days available...unless you didn't mind playing with multiple layers of clothing.

The heart drives the ultimate choice of where to live

However, the tipping point for us came when I asked our family physician what would happen if I ever had a heart attack. I knew from my career in healthcare-related fields that, for both men and women, the number one health risk as we age is heart disease. He thought about my question for a minute and then told me we lived quite far from the only hospital in the area with a cardio-vascular surgery department. This meant that none of the local hospitals could effectively treat a heart attack victim with either stents or surgical interventions. He also told me the protocol for the local EMT service was to transport a suspected heart attack victim first to the local hospital for evaluation, and then that hospital would send the patient on to the larger hospital if they deemed further treatment necessary. He said time is of the essence when someone has a heart attack or stroke. Usually, he said, it is referred to as the "magic hour" during which treatment has the best chances of success. As time passes, any delays result in much lower odds of success. I rephrased his words to me: "You're really saying the answer to what would happen to me because of where we live is that I might very well die." He said he was afraid the odds were higher because it would take an hour or more to get to the proper hospital if everything went perfectly.

Finding peace and happiness...and plenty of restaurants

Since that conversation, and because both my father and my only brother suffered heart attacks in their early 60s, we decided to relocate to Phoenix. The winter weather is as wonderful as advertised, we now have more restaurants than we can ever realistically try, an airport is within six miles of the Biltmore section where we bought a home, and we have over 200 golf courses to choose among. To answer our healthcare concerns, we have joined the Mayo Clinic's concierge primary care program. Their service has been absolutely as good as it gets, and we are only 15 minutes maximum from a variety of full-service hospitals in case either of us ever has a serious healthcare emergency. It was an expensive lesson, but for us we felt it was worth it. I only wish somebody would have talked to us about this aspect of where to buy and live when we were selecting our retirement location.

As a reader of his newsletter and blog site for the past few years, I wrote Larry an email suggesting he add an article about choosing a retirement home based on healthcare and other considerations. In short order, he asked me to write it and, therefore, here it is, for better or worse. If you are searching for a retirement community, I wish you only success in your search, and I hope you won't have to repeat the process three times like we did. I hope that chapter three in Phoenix will to be the final one in our own retirement community book. After 16 months here, we do not have a single regret. Even the summer heat, while also as hot as advertised, wasn't that bad. I played golf a few times when the temperature was above 110 and didn't break a sweat:-)

 

Mike Tower is a former pharmaceutical industry executive who, in his retirement, has written opinion pieces for newspapers in North Carolina and Arizona. He has been a valued contributor to this newsletter and my blog site, GolfCommunityReviews.com, since we became acquainted more than a half dozen years ago. Mike and Sandy, his wife of 52 years, live outside of Phoenix, AZ, where Mike is trying to whittle a few more strokes off his handicap. If you would like to contact him with any questions, Mike can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

GolfCommunityReviews.com

GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

-->
 
    February 2015

Golf for One,
Beach for the Other

For couples split between golf and beach activities, the following are a few suggestions that just might make for a happy life for all. Understand that beach is just a placeholder for many other requirements in a golf home search. Please contact me and I will be pleased to put together some recommendations that match up best with all your own criteria.

Landfall
Wilmington, NC

The golfer in the family will never tire of the 45 holes of golf, 27 by Jack Nicklaus and 18 by Pete Dye. The beach-loving spouse will love the nearby access to Wrightsville Beach, less than 10 minutes out the back gate of Landfall. And both will love a city that doesn't take itself too seriously, except for its excellent restaurants, major medical facilities and shopping. And for those looking to feed their minds, the large local branch of the University of North Carolina and its Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offer many courses in a range of disciplines to keep the minds of those over 50 as sharp as a college student's.

Grande Dunes
Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, which is much beloved by golfers and beach goers alike, won't appeal to those allergic to neon and honky tonk bars, but within the party-town atmosphere are oases of calm and taste. Grande Dunes, whose real estate was savaged by the recession, is strongly rebounding and offers the serious golfer two options –- a "resort" layout by Roger Rulewich that runs along the Inter-Coastal Waterway, and a private Members Club attributed in part to longtime PGA tour player Nick Price. For the non-golfer, the beach beckons, private for Grande Dunes residents and resort guests on one of the most expansive stretches of sand in the South. Shopping, including huge outlet malls, and most other services are within a few minutes.

Pawleys Plantation
Pawleys Island, SC

My wife Connie and I love the time we spend at Pawleys Plantation, where we have owned a condo for 15 years. I never tire of the golf course, and Connie and my daughter Jen, when she is with us, can easily access one of the nicest public beaches on the east coast after just a seven-minute ride. When I occasionally feel I need a break from the Jack Nicklaus, marsh-surrounded layout at Pawleys Plantation, plenty of other golf courses are nearby, including the heralded Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Plantation, both a mere five minutes away. Since food is a central part of our lives, Connie and I especially appreciate the wide range of good restaurants within minutes of the front gate of Pawleys Plantation and are agog at the fact that in March, with the opening of a new Publix supermarket a mile up the road, we now will have five major supermarkets within four miles of our condo.

Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach, FL

You may have to share some of the fairways at Amelia with traveling golfers, but the 54 holes of golf connected with the Resort there are varied and interesting. And if the interlopers become annoying, there is always the Tom Fazio designed Long Point course, which is almost private (a few resort guests are permitted to play). The non-golfer won't have to go far -– perhaps just a golf cart ride -– to get to Amelia's wide and clean beaches; and for lunch and other pleasant distractions, the charming town of Fernandina Beach is a short car drive away. The urban oriented can always get their fix in nearby Jacksonville which, after all, is big enough to host a National Football League team (although the city waits patiently for even an inkling of success in that regard).

Longboat Key
Sarasota, FL

On the opposite side of Florida from Amelia Island lies some of the keys to a happy beach experience, and one of them is Longboat Key, which offers 36 holes of golf along the Gulf and just enough of a mix between single-family homes and condos to put living there within the reach of most couples. (The Links of Longboat course features water on all 18 holes.) If you choose Longboat Key as your year-round home, you may be a little lonely in summer, as much of the community comprises "snowbirds" who flee the cold North in winter and then do an about face in summer. What you won't find on Longboat Key are billboards, neon signs or shopping malls, but Sarasota and Bradenton can provide plenty of those. The Ringling Museum in Sarasota may just be the most interesting home for the arts in the entire Sunshine State.

  

Close to Perfect: Some Golf Communities Hit Highest Notes, But None Are Perfectly Attuned

I suppose that if the word "husband" were easy to rhyme, there would be a feminine corollary to the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life." But for the purposes of our theme this month, let's hang on to what we've got and consider golf communities that have the most potential to make each spouse especially happy, whether both play golf or not. No single golf community is perfect, but some will provide plenty to do for both members of the family.

The golf communities with the most potential to satisfy both parties are those that are large in size and population, with more than one golf course; are close to cities of cultural significance (centers of higher education included); are located on or near a beach; and offer activities from Antiquing to Zoo visits. (Okay, the zoo visits are a stretch, but you try coming up with a hobby whose name begins with Z.) This makes it much easier for the golf playing spouse to go off for a 4 ½-hour round –- longer if drinks and lunch are involved -– without the guilt associated with leaving your mate behind with little to do. Golf is tough enough mentally without playing through a case of the nagging guilts.

In Golf Communities, Size Does Matter

In working toward finding the perfect golf community for spouses of somewhat divergent interests, size matters. The more residents of a community, the better the chances you will find others with common interests. (Note: For single people, the largest communities, naturally, tend to be the most single-friendly.) The more the merrier works with golf communities, and the best chances for making merry lives are in communities with a couple thousand residents or more.

The Landings at Skidaway Island in Georgia fits this definition, with 8,000 total residents spread across its 4,000 acres, most of them full-timers. The community's television station scrolls through the Landings clubs' meeting schedules, which includes groups geared to the states from which residents moved. (We understand there are quite a few rivalries during college football season.) Greensboro, GA's Reynolds Plantation spans more than 8,000 acres beside Lake Oconee, twice the size of The Landings, and offers more activities and social clubs than any couple could have time for, including college-style lectures on subjects as diverse as Medieval history and wine appreciation. Reynolds has 3,600 property owners, and 60% of the community's residents live there year-round. Daniel Island, a self-contained community surrounded by rivers and marsh near the coast of South Carolina, is home to more than 10,000 residents and operates on the "new urban" concept, with shopping and offices all within a walk or short drive of home. (Tom Fazio and Rees Jones golf courses are on the island as well.) On the Daniel Island events calendar for just one week in February are a class called "Walk With Me" (held every Monday), another for Total Body Fitness (twice per week), a lecture on the area's Pirate History, a monthly meeting of the fishing club, a course on Great Ideas of Western Civilization, an Indian Cooking class and "Pork & Pearls," a weekend pig and oyster roast.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of large golf communities –- we are mindful of Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton, FL, for example, and others -– but The Landings, Reynolds Plantation and Daniel Island are ones we know well and can recommend.

So Close (to a city) and Yet So Far (from the beach)

Golf communities within easy driving distance of a vibrant city also offer plenty to do for the non-golfing spouse, as well as the golfer who is interested in other activities, especially if that city includes a major university that draws entertainment, sponsors ongoing cultural exhibits, provides continuous learning opportunities to retired folks and features a major athletics program. Of the large communities mentioned above, only Reynolds Plantation is not close to a major city. Athens, home to the University of Georgia, is 50 minutes away and Atlanta 90 minutes. Both The Landings and Daniel Island are about 20 minutes from two of the most popular and interesting cities in the South, Savannah and Charleston, respectively. But the catch is that neither is very close to a beach, with The Landings a full 45 minutes from Tybee Island and Daniel Island about 20 minutes to Isle of Palms, if the traffic is moving.

In short, these are terrific communities offering a wide range of distractions for the golfer and non-golfer alike, but none of them are perfect. What is a couple to do if paradise is unreachable?

The Art of Compromise

The answer, of course, is obvious, as it often is, and the advice here is to draw up a list of the things that are most important to each of you -– assuming you are a couple -– and rank order them (two lists, not one, and don't peek before you compare). The golfer, of course, is certain to have "high-quality golf" on the top of his/her list, perhaps multiple golf courses, and in many cases, the other spouse may indeed have golf at the top as well. But man and/or woman cannot live by golf alone, and considerations below the #1 spot on each spouse's list could be just as important as #1 in terms of family harmony.

My wife Connie and I went through this exercise. She doesn't play golf and it was nowhere on her list of top five. It was, of course, at the top of my list, followed by 2) restaurants; 3) food shopping; 4) entertainment (movies, sports); and 5) culture and history. Connie's list included 1) access to good healthcare; 2) beach; 3) culture, especially local-history related; 4) close to good convenience shopping, especially food; and 5) near airports for family access.

We have owned a condo south of Myrtle Beach, in Pawleys Island, SC, for 15 years, and in most regards, it checks the boxes for us both. I get to play a wonderful, top-rated Jack Nicklaus course whose first tee is a two-minute walk from the condo, and Connie gets easy access –- just seven minutes over the marsh –- to one of the best beaches in the southern U.S. We will never complain about the food shopping -– our fifth supermarket within a few miles is about to open -– and we are both fascinated and captivated by local Low Country history and terrain. When we need an extra jolt of culture, we head for Brookgreen Gardens, just 10 minutes away, a spectacular revelation of flora, fauna and hundreds of sculptures spread along the marsh and Waccamaw River that was donated to the state by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, an industrialist and prominent early 20th Century sculptress, respectively. But, frankly, the area doesn't offer much more in the way of culture, with no museums within a half hour and Coastal Carolina University a full 45 minutes away. And even more important, health care ratings for the area's hospitals are only fair, although we have zero complaints about our visits to local emergency rooms and doctors' offices over the last 15 years.

Peeling the Onion to Find the Most Relevant Golf Community

We are pretty settled in Pawleys Island, but if we were starting from scratch to look for a golf community in the South with our two lists in hand, our target area would not likely be just south of Myrtle Beach. Golf is the easy part of the search, as there are dozens of outstanding golf courses inside the gates of golf communities along the coast. The focus for us would be on healthcare and beaches, the items on the top of Connie's list. For the best coastal cities for healthcare, I looked at two online sources, including a U.S. News and World Report magazine ranking of best hospitals in the Southeast. The only coastal hospitals on the two surveys are located in Charleston, SC –- Medical University of South Carolina and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.

That was easy. The only beaches in the Charleston area are on Isle of Palms, home of the Wild Dunes Resort and about a seven-minute ride from the growing town of Mt. Pleasant, just east of Charleston; and another resort area, the barrier islands of Kiawah and Seabrook, beside each other and about 40 minutes from the city. Much as we love Kiawah, where we vacationed annually with our pre-school kids 20 years ago, neither Connie nor I would want us to be 40 minutes from a hospital in case of a medical emergency; therefore, our search brings us to the Mt. Pleasant area where we would most likely look at the golf communities of Rivertowne and Snee Farm which, together, have the area's only combined golf membership; and Daniel Island, about eight minutes from Mt. Pleasant and offering the widest range of housing styles and prices (although prices there start around $400,000). I would have the golf and Connie the beach and the secure feeling that comes with top-rated hospitals nearby. Everyone would be happy.

*

In the left column of this newsletter, I offer a few ideas of golf communities that will suit a couple with one spouse whose #1 interest is in golf and the other whose chart topper is a nice beach nearby. There are many more items of interest to a couple searching for a golf community than simply a good beach nearby; where one spouse's must-haves intersect with the other's nice-to-haves, the potential for a happy retirement life is highest.

If you would like to share your own lists with me, I'd be pleased to conduct a search in your behalf for the perfect retirement golf communities. Please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via my cell phone at 860-205-0464.

Wired for Sound Safety Practices

I spent a wonderful day recently at the Dataw Island golf community south of Beaufort, SC, and played the club's Tom Fazio golf course with golf pro Dave Britton, general manager Ted Bartlett and resident John Schafer. I'll be writing about the golf, which includes a second course by Arthur Hills, and the community at some length at GolfCommunityReviews.com, but I did want to share a feature at Dataw that is unique in my experience. Alcoa, the corporation known for aluminum production, originally developed the property beginning in the mid 1980s in an attempt to enhance shareowner value. Alcoa, according to Ted Bartlett, required that every home built in Dataw include a direct electronic link to the community's guardhouse, which is manned round the clock every day of the year. Although there is no crime problem at all at the secluded and well guarded Dataw, there is always the chance, especially as people age, that accidents will happen, and the community "panic button" (my name for it) guarantees that help will be on the way quickly, especially since a Dataw security person is almost always patrolling the community's 870 acres in a vehicle. For those concerned about personal safety in their homes, we can't think of a better place than Dataw.

 

Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

GolfCommunityReviews.com

GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

 
    February 2015

Golf for One,
Beach for the Other

For couples split between golf and beach activities, the following are a few suggestions that just might make for a happy life for all. Understand that beach is just a placeholder for many other requirements in a golf home search. Please contact me and I will be pleased to put together some recommendations that match up best with all your own criteria.

Landfall
Wilmington, NC

The golfer in the family will never tire of the 45 holes of golf, 27 by Jack Nicklaus and 18 by Pete Dye. The beach-loving spouse will love the nearby access to Wrightsville Beach, less than 10 minutes out the back gate of Landfall. And both will love a city that doesn't take itself too seriously, except for its excellent restaurants, major medical facilities and shopping. And for those looking to feed their minds, the large local branch of the University of North Carolina and its Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offer many courses in a range of disciplines to keep the minds of those over 50 as sharp as a college student's.

Grande Dunes
Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, which is much beloved by golfers and beach goers alike, won't appeal to those allergic to neon and honky tonk bars, but within the party-town atmosphere are oases of calm and taste. Grande Dunes, whose real estate was savaged by the recession, is strongly rebounding and offers the serious golfer two options –- a "resort" layout by Roger Rulewich that runs along the Inter-Coastal Waterway, and a private Members Club attributed in part to longtime PGA tour player Nick Price. For the non-golfer, the beach beckons, private for Grande Dunes residents and resort guests on one of the most expansive stretches of sand in the South. Shopping, including huge outlet malls, and most other services are within a few minutes.

Pawleys Plantation
Pawleys Island, SC

My wife Connie and I love the time we spend at Pawleys Plantation, where we have owned a condo for 15 years. I never tire of the golf course, and Connie and my daughter Jen, when she is with us, can easily access one of the nicest public beaches on the east coast after just a seven-minute ride. When I occasionally feel I need a break from the Jack Nicklaus, marsh-surrounded layout at Pawleys Plantation, plenty of other golf courses are nearby, including the heralded Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Plantation, both a mere five minutes away. Since food is a central part of our lives, Connie and I especially appreciate the wide range of good restaurants within minutes of the front gate of Pawleys Plantation and are agog at the fact that in March, with the opening of a new Publix supermarket a mile up the road, we now will have five major supermarkets within four miles of our condo.

Amelia Island
Fernandina Beach, FL

You may have to share some of the fairways at Amelia with traveling golfers, but the 54 holes of golf connected with the Resort there are varied and interesting. And if the interlopers become annoying, there is always the Tom Fazio designed Long Point course, which is almost private (a few resort guests are permitted to play). The non-golfer won't have to go far -– perhaps just a golf cart ride -– to get to Amelia's wide and clean beaches; and for lunch and other pleasant distractions, the charming town of Fernandina Beach is a short car drive away. The urban oriented can always get their fix in nearby Jacksonville which, after all, is big enough to host a National Football League team (although the city waits patiently for even an inkling of success in that regard).

Longboat Key
Sarasota, FL

On the opposite side of Florida from Amelia Island lies some of the keys to a happy beach experience, and one of them is Longboat Key, which offers 36 holes of golf along the Gulf and just enough of a mix between single-family homes and condos to put living there within the reach of most couples. (The Links of Longboat course features water on all 18 holes.) If you choose Longboat Key as your year-round home, you may be a little lonely in summer, as much of the community comprises "snowbirds" who flee the cold North in winter and then do an about face in summer. What you won't find on Longboat Key are billboards, neon signs or shopping malls, but Sarasota and Bradenton can provide plenty of those. The Ringling Museum in Sarasota may just be the most interesting home for the arts in the entire Sunshine State.

  

Close to Perfect: Some Golf Communities Hit Highest Notes, But None Are Perfectly Attuned

I suppose that if the word "husband" were easy to rhyme, there would be a feminine corollary to the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life." But for the purposes of our theme this month, let's hang on to what we've got and consider golf communities that have the most potential to make each spouse especially happy, whether both play golf or not. No single golf community is perfect, but some will provide plenty to do for both members of the family.

The golf communities with the most potential to satisfy both parties are those that are large in size and population, with more than one golf course; are close to cities of cultural significance (centers of higher education included); are located on or near a beach; and offer activities from Antiquing to Zoo visits. (Okay, the zoo visits are a stretch, but you try coming up with a hobby whose name begins with Z.) This makes it much easier for the golf playing spouse to go off for a 4 ½-hour round –- longer if drinks and lunch are involved -– without the guilt associated with leaving your mate behind with little to do. Golf is tough enough mentally without playing through a case of the nagging guilts.

In Golf Communities, Size Does Matter

In working toward finding the perfect golf community for spouses of somewhat divergent interests, size matters. The more residents of a community, the better the chances you will find others with common interests. (Note: For single people, the largest communities, naturally, tend to be the most single-friendly.) The more the merrier works with golf communities, and the best chances for making merry lives are in communities with a couple thousand residents or more.

The Landings at Skidaway Island in Georgia fits this definition, with 8,000 total residents spread across its 4,000 acres, most of them full-timers. The community's television station scrolls through the Landings clubs' meeting schedules, which includes groups geared to the states from which residents moved. (We understand there are quite a few rivalries during college football season.) Greensboro, GA's Reynolds Plantation spans more than 8,000 acres beside Lake Oconee, twice the size of The Landings, and offers more activities and social clubs than any couple could have time for, including college-style lectures on subjects as diverse as Medieval history and wine appreciation. Reynolds has 3,600 property owners, and 60% of the community's residents live there year-round. Daniel Island, a self-contained community surrounded by rivers and marsh near the coast of South Carolina, is home to more than 10,000 residents and operates on the "new urban" concept, with shopping and offices all within a walk or short drive of home. (Tom Fazio and Rees Jones golf courses are on the island as well.) On the Daniel Island events calendar for just one week in February are a class called "Walk With Me" (held every Monday), another for Total Body Fitness (twice per week), a lecture on the area's Pirate History, a monthly meeting of the fishing club, a course on Great Ideas of Western Civilization, an Indian Cooking class and "Pork & Pearls," a weekend pig and oyster roast.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of large golf communities –- we are mindful of Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton, FL, for example, and others -– but The Landings, Reynolds Plantation and Daniel Island are ones we know well and can recommend.

So Close (to a city) and Yet So Far (from the beach)

Golf communities within easy driving distance of a vibrant city also offer plenty to do for the non-golfing spouse, as well as the golfer who is interested in other activities, especially if that city includes a major university that draws entertainment, sponsors ongoing cultural exhibits, provides continuous learning opportunities to retired folks and features a major athletics program. Of the large communities mentioned above, only Reynolds Plantation is not close to a major city. Athens, home to the University of Georgia, is 50 minutes away and Atlanta 90 minutes. Both The Landings and Daniel Island are about 20 minutes from two of the most popular and interesting cities in the South, Savannah and Charleston, respectively. But the catch is that neither is very close to a beach, with The Landings a full 45 minutes from Tybee Island and Daniel Island about 20 minutes to Isle of Palms, if the traffic is moving.

In short, these are terrific communities offering a wide range of distractions for the golfer and non-golfer alike, but none of them are perfect. What is a couple to do if paradise is unreachable?

The Art of Compromise

The answer, of course, is obvious, as it often is, and the advice here is to draw up a list of the things that are most important to each of you -– assuming you are a couple -– and rank order them (two lists, not one, and don't peek before you compare). The golfer, of course, is certain to have "high-quality golf" on the top of his/her list, perhaps multiple golf courses, and in many cases, the other spouse may indeed have golf at the top as well. But man and/or woman cannot live by golf alone, and considerations below the #1 spot on each spouse's list could be just as important as #1 in terms of family harmony.

My wife Connie and I went through this exercise. She doesn't play golf and it was nowhere on her list of top five. It was, of course, at the top of my list, followed by 2) restaurants; 3) food shopping; 4) entertainment (movies, sports); and 5) culture and history. Connie's list included 1) access to good healthcare; 2) beach; 3) culture, especially local-history related; 4) close to good convenience shopping, especially food; and 5) near airports for family access.

We have owned a condo south of Myrtle Beach, in Pawleys Island, SC, for 15 years, and in most regards, it checks the boxes for us both. I get to play a wonderful, top-rated Jack Nicklaus course whose first tee is a two-minute walk from the condo, and Connie gets easy access –- just seven minutes over the marsh –- to one of the best beaches in the southern U.S. We will never complain about the food shopping -– our fifth supermarket within a few miles is about to open -– and we are both fascinated and captivated by local Low Country history and terrain. When we need an extra jolt of culture, we head for Brookgreen Gardens, just 10 minutes away, a spectacular revelation of flora, fauna and hundreds of sculptures spread along the marsh and Waccamaw River that was donated to the state by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, an industrialist and prominent early 20th Century sculptress, respectively. But, frankly, the area doesn't offer much more in the way of culture, with no museums within a half hour and Coastal Carolina University a full 45 minutes away. And even more important, health care ratings for the area's hospitals are only fair, although we have zero complaints about our visits to local emergency rooms and doctors' offices over the last 15 years.

Peeling the Onion to Find the Most Relevant Golf Community

We are pretty settled in Pawleys Island, but if we were starting from scratch to look for a golf community in the South with our two lists in hand, our target area would not likely be just south of Myrtle Beach. Golf is the easy part of the search, as there are dozens of outstanding golf courses inside the gates of golf communities along the coast. The focus for us would be on healthcare and beaches, the items on the top of Connie's list. For the best coastal cities for healthcare, I looked at two online sources, including a U.S. News and World Report magazine ranking of best hospitals in the Southeast. The only coastal hospitals on the two surveys are located in Charleston, SC –- Medical University of South Carolina and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.

That was easy. The only beaches in the Charleston area are on Isle of Palms, home of the Wild Dunes Resort and about a seven-minute ride from the growing town of Mt. Pleasant, just east of Charleston; and another resort area, the barrier islands of Kiawah and Seabrook, beside each other and about 40 minutes from the city. Much as we love Kiawah, where we vacationed annually with our pre-school kids 20 years ago, neither Connie nor I would want us to be 40 minutes from a hospital in case of a medical emergency; therefore, our search brings us to the Mt. Pleasant area where we would most likely look at the golf communities of Rivertowne and Snee Farm which, together, have the area's only combined golf membership; and Daniel Island, about eight minutes from Mt. Pleasant and offering the widest range of housing styles and prices (although prices there start around $400,000). I would have the golf and Connie the beach and the secure feeling that comes with top-rated hospitals nearby. Everyone would be happy.

*

In the left column of this newsletter, I offer a few ideas of golf communities that will suit a couple with one spouse whose #1 interest is in golf and the other whose chart topper is a nice beach nearby. There are many more items of interest to a couple searching for a golf community than simply a good beach nearby; where one spouse's must-haves intersect with the other's nice-to-haves, the potential for a happy retirement life is highest.

If you would like to share your own lists with me, I'd be pleased to conduct a search in your behalf for the perfect retirement golf communities. Please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via my cell phone at 860-205-0464.

Wired for Sound Safety Practices

I spent a wonderful day recently at the Dataw Island golf community south of Beaufort, SC, and played the club's Tom Fazio golf course with golf pro Dave Britton, general manager Ted Bartlett and resident John Schafer. I'll be writing about the golf, which includes a second course by Arthur Hills, and the community at some length at GolfCommunityReviews.com, but I did want to share a feature at Dataw that is unique in my experience. Alcoa, the corporation known for aluminum production, originally developed the property beginning in the mid 1980s in an attempt to enhance shareowner value. Alcoa, according to Ted Bartlett, required that every home built in Dataw include a direct electronic link to the community's guardhouse, which is manned round the clock every day of the year. Although there is no crime problem at all at the secluded and well guarded Dataw, there is always the chance, especially as people age, that accidents will happen, and the community "panic button" (my name for it) guarantees that help will be on the way quickly, especially since a Dataw security person is almost always patrolling the community's 870 acres in a vehicle. For those concerned about personal safety in their homes, we can't think of a better place than Dataw.

 

Larry Gavrich, Founder & Editor

GolfCommunityReviews.com

GolfHomesListed.com

 

 

Read my Blog This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

© 2015 Golf Community Reviews

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