Best value private courses in Savannah?

[reasfordhoo]

I've been spittballing living in either Charleston or Savannah 4 or so months out of the year in the winters, where I'd buy a house and rent the other 8 months of the year. I'm leaning toward Savannah because the cost of living is much more reasonable. Any ideas on private (or semi-private) courses that offer really good, not crowded, golf that I could get away with either a young executive (I'm 34) or national membership that won't break the bank? Hoping to spend less than $6-8K in initiation and perhaps $3-4K per year in monthly dues. I'm open to something up to 45 min away from Savannah,, so Blufton is in play. 

 

Had a chance to play the new course Riverton Pointe in Hardeeville, which was exceptional, and certainly an option, though hoping for something a little closer to Savannah and perhaps with more character than a Toll Brothers development.

[caniac6]

We have been thinking about Savannah, and one course that looks interesting is Savannah Quarters in Pooler, Ga. I don't know anything about it, but it might be worth checking out.

[tomba51]

4 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

We have been thinking about Savannah, and one course that looks interesting is Savannah Quarters in Pooler, Ga. I don't know anything about it, but it might be worth checking out.

Savannah Quarters is a very nice facility that is inside a gated community. I don't know if you have to be a resident in order to join, or if they offer non-resident memberships. But it looks like a nice place to live. It's a convenient location, near the intersection of Route 16 and Pooler Parkway, not far from I-95. It is a fast growing area, with lots of shopping centers, so if that is not to your taste, consider that as a factor in your decision. On the other hand, anything that you could possibly want is close by, including a new Costco that just opened in November

[caniac6]

On 1/10/2022 at 9:45 AM, reasfordhoo said:

I've been spittballing living in either Charleston or Savannah 4 or so months out of the year in the winters, where I'd buy a house and rent the other 8 months of the year. I'm leaning toward Savannah because the cost of living is much more reasonable. Any ideas on private (or semi-private) courses that offer really good, not crowded, golf that I could get away with either a young executive (I'm 34) or national membership that won't break the bank? Hoping to spend less than $6-8K in initiation and perhaps $3-4K per year in monthly dues. I'm open to something up to 45 min away from Savannah,, so Blufton is in play. 

 

Had a chance to play the new course Riverton Pointe in Hardeeville, which was exceptional, and certainly an option, though hoping for something a little closer to Savannah and perhaps with more character than a Toll Brothers development.

Pictures of the course at Riverton Pointe looked very nice. The houses, not so much. Just looking at the development, I wouldn't be surprised to see this turn into a semi private.

[reasfordhoo]

2 hours ago, caniac6 said:

Pictures of the course at Riverton Pointe looked very nice. The houses, not so much. Just looking at the development, I wouldn't be surprised to see this turn into a semi private.

Absolutely loved Riverton Pointe. Played 18 with a cart solo in two hours only seeing a couple other people on the course. Obviously it has some warts of a brand new course, but in general, the layout and conditioning were exceptional. I guess it's something you've got to live with for most non-elite private courses in the area, but the new housing development around it isn't ideal as far as what I'm looking for in a private club. With that said, the back nine is fantastic as it doesn't snake through housing. Looks like Club Corp scooped it up, which of course is a whole different can of worms.

[BNGL]

10 hours ago, caniac6 said:

We have been thinking about Savannah, and one course that looks interesting is Savannah Quarters in Pooler, Ga. I don't know anything about it, but it might be worth checking out.

I love that course played there 3/4 times in the past nothing but good memories from it seemed to use every club in the bag good par 3s, great par 5s, couple short drivable fours if memory serves (8/11) and then a beast of a par 4 (14) before an island green par 3. 

[Jd00047]

I would recommend The Landings Club in Savannah.  6 golf courses inside a gated golf cart community.  The Korn Ferry Tour plays the Club Car Championship there every year and they will be hosting the 2022 Georgia Am.  

[caniac6]

2 minutes ago, Jd00047 said:

I would recommend The Landings Club in Savannah.  6 golf courses inside a gated golf cart community.  The Korn Ferry Tour plays the Club Car Championship there every year and they will be hosting the 2022 Georgia Am.  

I called and asked about membership, and it was $40,000 to join, and with trail fee that allows use of personal cart, about $1200 a month.

[T-MAC]

I think it might be tough to find something like you are describing in the Savannah area.  There just aren't a lot of options.
Have you looked at Hampton Hall in Bluffton?  Nice homes, Pete Dye course, and reasonable membership rates.
Hampton Hall is also a Toll Brother's community but there are several other builders who build homes there.  You can purchase a lot in Hampton Hall and bring in any builder you want.
I'm not sure if that is the case with Riverton Pointe.  Originally, Riverton Pointe was called Hampton Pointe and it was going to be the same type of community as Hampton Hall, where you could purchase a lot and bring in a builder of your choice.  However, they started developing that community a few years after Hampton Hall and they got caught in the 2008 housing market collapse and basically shut everything down for several years.  The golf course was never opened and the clubhouse was never built.  I guess Toll Brother's felt that the name Hampton Pointe was tarnished after leaving so many customer's / homeowners (that purchased there early on) high and dry with no amenities that they thought they could start over by simply changing the name and offering more affordable homes.  I have also played the course and it is a decent layout for sure (Nicklaus Design Team, not a Nicklaus Signature) but I'm not sure how well a community of less expensive homes will support it.  Only time will tell I guess, but as Caniac said earlier, it may end up becoming semi-private........especially after home development is completed and Toll Brother's (and their money) pull out of the community.  Toll Brother's is known for leaving communities high and dry financially when they leave.
Hampton Hall is a bit different in that respect, in that they have so many homes built by reputable builders in that community.  Some of the homes are a $million plus and the Club seems to be doing well financially.  Also, the members in Hampton Hall are supposed to get a reciprocal with Riverton Pointe because all of the homeowners there were members of Hampton Hall for years when Toll Brother's stopped development of the golf course at Riverton.
I have played Savannah Quarters and it is a very nice course, usually in good condition.  There is a nice mix of homes / price points in the community so I'm sure you could find something.  I had heard years ago that they were going to limit the total number of members to 300 but I'm not sure if that is the case still.  I believe they are / were allowing outside membership but were hoping to change that once they had enough people living in the community become members.  It is a Norman design and are a part of Troon Golf, so you get a nice reciprocal program with Troon.
I also like Osprey Cove, which is in St. Mary's.  You might want to check that out.
I'm in Bluffton  / Hilton Head.  Have you considered moving to this area?  There are a lot more options around here, as far as golf is concerned.

Edited January 14, 2022 by T-MAC

[caniac6]

23 hours ago, T-MAC said:

I think it might be tough to find something like you are describing in the Savannah area.  There just aren't a lot of options.
Have you looked at Hampton Hall in Bluffton?  Nice homes, Pete Dye course, and reasonable membership rates.
Hampton Hall is also a Toll Brother's community but there are several other builders who build homes there.  You can purchase a lot in Hampton Hall and bring in any builder you want.
I'm not sure if that is the case with Riverton Pointe.  Originally, Riverton Pointe was called Hampton Pointe and it was going to be the same type of community as Hampton Hall, where you could purchase a lot and bring in a builder of your choice.  However, they started developing that community a few years after Hampton Hall and they got caught in the 2008 housing market collapse and basically shut everything down for several years.  The golf course was never opened and the clubhouse was never built.  I guess Toll Brother's felt that the name Hampton Pointe was tarnished after leaving so many customer's / homeowners (that purchased there early on) high and dry with no amenities that they thought they could start over by simply changing the name and offering more affordable homes.  I have also played the course and it is a decent layout for sure (Nicklaus Design Team, not a Nicklaus Signature) but I'm not sure how well a community of less expensive homes will support it.  Only time will tell I guess, but as Caniac said earlier, it may end up becoming semi-private........especially after home development is completed and Toll Brother's (and their money) pull out of the community.  Toll Brother's is known for leaving communities high and dry financially when they leave.
Hampton Hall is a bit different in that respect, in that they have so many homes built by reputable builders in that community.  Some of the homes are a $million plus and the Club seems to be doing well financially.  Also, the members in Hampton Hall are supposed to get a reciprocal with Riverton Pointe because all of the homeowners there were members of Hampton Hall for years when Toll Brother's stopped development of the golf course at Riverton.
I have played Savannah Quarters and it is a very nice course, usually in good condition.  There is a nice mix of homes / price points in the community so I'm sure you could find something.  I had heard years ago that they were going to limit the total number of members to 300 but I'm not sure if that is the case still.  I believe they are / were allowing outside membership but were hoping to change that once they had enough people living in the community become members.  It is a Norman design and are a part of Troon Golf, so you get a nice reciprocal program with Troon.
I also like Osprey Cove, which is in St. Mary's.  You might want to check that out.
I'm in Bluffton  / Hilton Head.  Have you considered moving to this area?  There are a lot more options around here, as far as golf is concerned.

The weather forecast here has me thinking about a move south. Is Hampton Hall the most reasonable private option in the are, or are there others?  Also, I know that HHI got hit pretty good by a hurricane a few years ago. Would I just be trading one bad weather event for another?

Edited January 15, 2022 by caniac6

[reasfordhoo]

On 1/14/2022 at 1:26 PM, T-MAC said:

I think it might be tough to find something like you are describing in the Savannah area.  There just aren't a lot of options.
Have you looked at Hampton Hall in Bluffton?  Nice homes, Pete Dye course, and reasonable membership rates.
Hampton Hall is also a Toll Brother's community but there are several other builders who build homes there.  You can purchase a lot in Hampton Hall and bring in any builder you want.
I'm not sure if that is the case with Riverton Pointe.  Originally, Riverton Pointe was called Hampton Pointe and it was going to be the same type of community as Hampton Hall, where you could purchase a lot and bring in a builder of your choice.  However, they started developing that community a few years after Hampton Hall and they got caught in the 2008 housing market collapse and basically shut everything down for several years.  The golf course was never opened and the clubhouse was never built.  I guess Toll Brother's felt that the name Hampton Pointe was tarnished after leaving so many customer's / homeowners (that purchased there early on) high and dry with no amenities that they thought they could start over by simply changing the name and offering more affordable homes.  I have also played the course and it is a decent layout for sure (Nicklaus Design Team, not a Nicklaus Signature) but I'm not sure how well a community of less expensive homes will support it.  Only time will tell I guess, but as Caniac said earlier, it may end up becoming semi-private........especially after home development is completed and Toll Brother's (and their money) pull out of the community.  Toll Brother's is known for leaving communities high and dry financially when they leave.
Hampton Hall is a bit different in that respect, in that they have so many homes built by reputable builders in that community.  Some of the homes are a $million plus and the Club seems to be doing well financially.  Also, the members in Hampton Hall are supposed to get a reciprocal with Riverton Pointe because all of the homeowners there were members of Hampton Hall for years when Toll Brother's stopped development of the golf course at Riverton.
I have played Savannah Quarters and it is a very nice course, usually in good condition.  There is a nice mix of homes / price points in the community so I'm sure you could find something.  I had heard years ago that they were going to limit the total number of members to 300 but I'm not sure if that is the case still.  I believe they are / were allowing outside membership but were hoping to change that once they had enough people living in the community become members.  It is a Norman design and are a part of Troon Golf, so you get a nice reciprocal program with Troon.
I also like Osprey Cove, which is in St. Mary's.  You might want to check that out.
I'm in Bluffton  / Hilton Head.  Have you considered moving to this area?  There are a lot more options around here, as far as golf is concerned.

Awesome info. Thank you!

 

To clarify, I’d likely find a house in the Savannah area and be looking for a club strictly for golf. I’d have to convince the significant other of a place to live that’s vibrant enough to live in our 30s, so suburbia or retirement type communities  aren’t overly appealing for either of us. I’d be open to Bluffton, but not sure it fits that criteria. I’ve actually looked into Beaufort, but it may be a little too sleepy.
 

Hampton Hall looks great. Any idea the pace of play there? Would also like to be able to find a group of like minded non retirees who are single digit-ish handis and like to have the occasional beer or four on the course.

 

 

[T-MAC]

On 1/15/2022 at 1:06 PM, caniac6 said:

The weather forecast here has me thinking about a move south. Is Hampton Hall the most reasonable private option in the are, or are there others?  Also, I know that HHI got hit pretty good by a hurricane a few years ago. Would I just be trading one bad weather event for another?

Hurricane Mathew was a very rare storm for this area.  If you look on a map you will see that Hilton Head is tucked in a cove along the coast and it is very rare for a hurricane to venture into this area, especially as a direct hit (Mathews actually skirted up the coast further north, as most storms do, and hit closer to Charleston).  Most people don't really worry about hurricanes here. I think in the last 40 or 50 years this area has only had a couple of mandatory evacuations.  It's very rare for a hurricane to travel directly into this cove.  Most skip up along the coast and hit further north or take a more southern route and hit Florida, the Keys, or head into the Gulf and go towards La, TX, or Mexico.  Savannah is pretty safe from storms as well.
Hampton Hall is one of the more reasonably priced private golf communities in the area and I would say that it is one of the "younger", private golf communities as well.  Berkeley Hall, Belfair, and Colleton River have a good mix of young and old members but they are in the $20K per year range for their HOA/Membership dues.  However, they all have 36 holes of premium golf where Hampton Hall only has 18.  Moss Creek may have the best value in the area for a private golf community but I would say that they are probably the "oldest", in terms of the age of the homes / community itself, and the age of it's members.

Edited January 17, 2022 by T-MAC

[T-MAC]

On 1/15/2022 at 3:22 PM, reasfordhoo said:

Awesome info. Thank you!

 

To clarify, I’d likely find a house in the Savannah area and be looking for a club strictly for golf. I’d have to convince the significant other of a place to live that’s vibrant enough to live in our 30s, so suburbia or retirement type communities  aren’t overly appealing for either of us. I’d be open to Bluffton, but not sure it fits that criteria. I’ve actually looked into Beaufort, but it may be a little too sleepy.
 

Hampton Hall looks great. Any idea the pace of play there? Would also like to be able to find a group of like minded non retirees who are single digit-ish handis and like to have the occasional beer or four on the course.

 

 

If you really want to live in Savannah then I would probably look at the golf communities in that area for a membership.  I think it would get really old driving from Sav to Bluffton/HHI and you wouldn't use your membership as much as you'd like to.  
If you can convince the wife to look into Bluffton / HHI then I think Hampton Hall would be one of the better golf communities for people in their 30's.  You may also want to look at Hampton Lakes.  They are a lake oriented community (they put a man-made lake into the footprint of what was originally going to be a golf course) but they are offered memberships to Hampton Hall Golf and have a direct access into Hampton Hall through their back gate so people can even bring their own golf carts onto the Hampton Hall property to play golf (carts have to be approved by Hampton Hall and they must pay a trail fee to use them on the golf course).  
I love downtown Beaufort for it's history and to grab some food and a few beers along the water, but I don't think I could live there.  Certainly not while I was in my 30's.  There just isn't enough going on.  Bluffton is BOOMING (too much so, IMHO), and it is becoming younger and younger.  HHI is still more of a retirement community but it is also getting younger.  They just aren't "expanding" like Bluffton is because it's an island and there simply isn't a lot of room left to expand.  The town of Bluffton has gone from 1 square mile about 20 years ago to well over 50 square miles and growing.  Take your wife to downtown Bluffton and I'll bet she would love it.  Plus, Savannah is not that far away for a nice day trip and neither is Charleston.  We spend long weekends in Charleston quite often and we also go down to Florida a lot.  We can get to the FL border in an hour and a half.  We spend a lot of long weekends in Amelia Island.  Lots of good golf there and it's a great place to chill.  Amelia was developed by the same developer as Sea Pines on Hilton Head (Charles Fraser) and it reminds us of how HHI was about 30 years ago.

[caniac6]

24 minutes ago, T-MAC said:

If you really want to live in Savannah then I would probably look at the golf communities in that area for a membership.  I think it would get really old driving from Sav to Bluffton/HHI and you wouldn't use your membership as much as you'd like to.  
If you can convince the wife to look into Bluffton / HHI then I think Hampton Hall would be one of the better golf communities for people in their 30's.  You may also want to look at Hampton Lakes.  They are a lake oriented community (they put a man-made lake into the footprint of what was originally going to be a golf course) but they are offered memberships to Hampton Hall Golf and have a direct access into Hampton Hall through their back gate so people can even bring their own golf carts onto the Hampton Hall property to play golf (carts have to be approved by Hampton Hall and they must pay a trail fee to use them on the golf course).  
I love downtown Beaufort for it's history and to grab some food and a few beers along the water, but I don't think I could live there.  Certainly not while I was in my 30's.  There just isn't enough going on.  Bluffton is BOOMING (too much so, IMHO), and it is becoming younger and younger.  HHI is still more of a retirement community but it is also getting younger.  They just aren't "expanding" like Bluffton is because it's an island and there simply isn't a lot of room left to expand.  The town of Bluffton has gone from 1 square mile about 20 years ago to well over 50 square miles and growing.  Take your wife to downtown Bluffton and I'll bet she would love it.  Plus, Savannah is not that far away for a nice day trip and neither is Charleston.  We spend long weekends in Charleston quite often and we also go down to Florida a lot.  We can get to the FL border in an hour and a half.  We spend a lot of long weekends in Amelia Island.  Lots of good golf there and it's a great place to chill.  Amelia was developed by the same developer as Sea Pines on Hilton Head (Charles Fraser) and it reminds us of how HHI was about 30 years ago.

I wish I was in my 30s, but I’m in my mid 60s. We are kind of thinking about moving south, and we don’t really have to be in a city, but we would like to be close to a city. We have been to HHI on about ten years worth of summer vacations, and really enjoyed the bike riding, kayaking, and the beach. We did not like the crowds the last time down there. We have gone to Beaufort several times, and really liked it. The thing that makes us most nervous is the increasing frequency of hurricanes, and possible evacuations. My wife has one sister that lives about 5 minutes away, and another about 20 minutes away, so the reality of a move south is probably pretty slim.

[tomba51]

2 hours ago, caniac6 said:

I wish I was in my 30s, but I’m in my mid 60s. We are kind of thinking about moving south, and we don’t really have to be in a city, but we would like to be close to a city. We have been to HHI on about ten years worth of summer vacations, and really enjoyed the bike riding, kayaking, and the beach. We did not like the crowds the last time down there. We have gone to Beaufort several times, and really liked it. The thing that makes us most nervous is the increasing frequency of hurricanes, and possible evacuations. My wife has one sister that lives about 5 minutes away, and another about 20 minutes away, so the reality of a move south is probably pretty slim.

Don't worry too much about hurricanes. As T-Mac said a couple of posts above, they are a rarity in the Bluffton/Hilton Head area.

[sui generis]

On 1/17/2022 at 5:20 PM, tomba51 said:

Don't worry too much about hurricanes.

 

It only takes one. 😲 I wouldn't want to own a house at 6 feet above sea level on that coast.

[caniac6]

1 hour ago, sui generis said:

 

It only takes one. 😲 I wouldn't want to own a house at 6 feet above sea level on that coast.

We were thinking about looking at the Landings, but it is surrounded by water with an elevation of 10 feet. A big storm at high tide, with a full moon, might be a bit dicey.

[sui generis]

57 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

We were thinking about looking at the Landings, but it is surrounded by water with an elevation of 10 feet. A big storm at high tide, with a full moon, might be a bit dicey.

 

I love Savannah, I've been going there for more than thirty years; but it's rent not buy. That's why I own a house in Asheville. 😉

[T-MAC]

20 hours ago, sui generis said:

 

It only takes one. 😲 I wouldn't want to own a house at 6 feet above sea level on that coast.

It only takes one tornado. It only takes one fire.  Etc......etc.
Why live your life in fear?
Yeah, I don't want to live in a nice house, along the coast, in one of the most beautiful parts of the United States with all kinds of terrific golf to be played...................because I'm afraid a rare Cat 5 might someday find it's way into that location, on the perfect trajectory, at high tide, during a full moon, and I might have to evacuate.

I've owned property here for 30 years and I haven't had any issues with storm damage at all, let alone losing everything.  I know people who's families have lived here for generations and they are just fine.  You can't live your life worried about stuff like that.
I lived in Chicago for 20 years (Naperville) and saw plenty of bad storms / tornados go through.  We have friends in Plainfield Il that lost everything when their home got wiped out by a tornado.
Know what they did?  They rebuilt, moved on with their lives, and they still live in the same town. 

[caniac6]

5 minutes ago, T-MAC said:

It only takes one tornado. It only takes one fire.  Etc......etc.
Why live your life in fear?
Yeah, I don't want to live in a nice house, along the coast, in one of the most beautiful parts of the United States with all kinds of terrific golf to be played...................because I'm afraid a rare Cat 5 might someday find it's way into that location, on the perfect trajectory, at high tide, during a full moon, and I might have to evacuate.

I've owned property here for 30 years and I haven't had any issues with storm damage at all, let alone losing everything.  I know people who's families have lived here for generations and they are just fine.  You can't live your life worried about stuff like that.
I lived in Chicago for 20 years (Naperville) and saw plenty of bad storms / tornados go through.  We have friends in Plainfield Il that lost everything when their home got wiped out by a tornado.
Know what they did?  They rebuilt, moved on with their lives, and they still live in the same town. 

Great points. Thanks

 

[tomba51]

I live right near T-Mac. We have a Hilton Head address even though we are actually on the mainland, just over the bridge. FEMA just adjusted their flood maps to reflect the fact that we are NOT in a flood zone. I still have flood insurance, just in case, but my premiums are minimal. Local code requires that houses be built a few feet above grade (I'm not sure of there exact number of feet). I would assume that Savannah also has that requirement. In the 30 years that I have owned here, I've never had a problem. Yes, we did have to evacuate for Hurricane Matthew, but that was a once in a lifetime event (hopefully LOL).

[caniac6]

On 1/11/2022 at 10:26 AM, tomba51 said:

Savannah Quarters is a very nice facility that is inside a gated community. I don't know if you have to be a resident in order to join, or if they offer non-resident memberships. But it looks like a nice place to live. It's a convenient location, near the intersection of Route 16 and Pooler Parkway, not far from I-95. It is a fast growing area, with lots of shopping centers, so if that is not to your taste, consider that as a factor in your decision. On the other hand, anything that you could possibly want is close by, including a new Costco that just opened in November

Is this course walkable, or is it too spread out?

[jpthreesticks]

4 hours ago, caniac6 said:

Is this course walkable, or is it too spread out?

 

There are a couple of long walks from green to tee (#1 to #2 and #3 to #4). Back 9 is all close together. Lots of water. Lots of houses. But the couple of times that I played, I enjoyed it. That area is really growing outside the gates as others have mentioned.

[caniac6]

On 1/24/2022 at 6:51 PM, jpthreesticks said:

 

There are a couple of long walks from green to tee (#1 to #2 and #3 to #4). Back 9 is all close together. Lots of water. Lots of houses. But the couple of times that I played, I enjoyed it. That area is really growing outside the gates as others have mentioned.

What is your opinion on the neighborhood? They sent some floor plans and interior pictures to us, and we were not very impressed.

[tomba51]

3 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

What is your opinion on the neighborhood? They sent some floor plans and interior pictures to us, and we were not very impressed.

I've played the course (Savannah Quarters) several times. I've never been inside any of the houses or talked to any of the residents, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. But from what one can see from the golf course, it looks like a very attractive neighborhood.

[jpthreesticks]

On 1/28/2022 at 9:50 AM, caniac6 said:

What is your opinion on the neighborhood? They sent some floor plans and interior pictures to us, and we were not very impressed.

 

I am not sure about the neighborhood. I have only been to the course a few times and live up towards Atlanta area. Good luck though!

[caniac6]

How are the other privates in Savannah-excluding The Landings?