Where would you retire to golf?

[Schley]

There are a couple key ones, although others can add as they may have different thoughts. Assuming you like the course, facilities, location you basically need to find out the financials and any miscellaneous fees/policies.

1. Do you know any members, as this is the best way to get your answers regarding the financial health of the club (assessments, capital projects, typical dues increases, etc.).

2. if you don't know any members, then you have to ask the membership director. If there is an initiation fee is it refundable and what is the process for refunding it?

3. What is your assessment history and what was it for in the last 5-10 years. Is it voted on?

4. What is the dues increase yearly and at what level does the membership have to vote on the dues increase?

5. Do you have any reciprocity with other clubs and the details on access/fees for those courses?

6. Guest fees for family and are they discounted?

7. Is there a legacy membership for children or even grandchildren and terms?

8. Is it a fully private club or are they allowing public play at all? Are your tee times restricted at all or limited?

9. F/B minimum and does alcohol count towards it?

10. Is it a tipping club or a non tipping club? Some have increased dues so members don't have to tip everyone for everything, which I personally think is helpful. Obviously caddies and some other services would still require.

10. Not that important but fees like locker/bag storage/range fee/carts/caddies/even walking fee.

 

So that is pretty exhaustive but should give you a good idea.

[ctsgolf]

Buy a 40' motorhome and spend each quarter living/golfing in a different part of the country.

 

 

[dasams]

We retired to Palm Desert and couldn't be happier. We decided against joining a private clubs and ended up buying adjacent to Desert Willow Golf Resort. This is a city owned property that has 36 holes, a large range and a separate golf academy. We have private golf cart access to the course that is super convenient. I've timed it and it is 1 min 50 sec from my front door to the range B)

[jbrunk]

Would love to retire on $125k per year. Where do I sign up?

Having never been there, I vote for Scotland.

[tarheel golf]

Pinehurst

[wingedfoot97]

St. Simon’s Island. Would join Sea Island Golf Club.

[JumboJack]

Arizona/Scottsdale for me. There are so many nice courses in that area.

[DandyDon]

So I just checked out two areas: Charleston/Kiawah and Sea Island.

1) I wouldn't do Kiawah unless I joined the private course. While the Ocean Course is is fantastic, the other 4 courses are nothing to write home about. They are maintained well although I thought the greens ran too slow.

 

2) I toured the Briars Creek club as well as Bulls Bay in the Charleston Area. I loved the Briars Creek facilities, the no set tee time policy and would definitely consider living there. I did not see a whole lot of the course, but did like what I saw. Their lockeroom is too small though. The monthly dues are a bit high for a club that is essentially golf only. I got to see a lot of the Bulls Bay golf course and absolutely loved it. Their costs are much better, but if you want to live on property, you need to be a member, which is good for me, but will ultimately hurt ability to sell later.

 

3) Sea Island- absolutely loved the facilities, the pools, the beach etc....I did not get a chance to look at the courses as much as I would like, but I can't imagine that Davis Love III would do a bad job on the plantation redesign. Is there enough to do in the immediate area after you are done playing golf, tennis, or hanging at the beach is the only question since Jacksonville and Savannah are an hour to hour and a half away...

[Florida Gator]

Pinehurst

[sethg]

I have enjoyed reading this post. I think a lot of this depends on are you looking for a great place that you would not to live at and play year round or is it going to be seasonal (and which season - winter or summer).

[BirdieRoll]

Wanted to refresh this great thread for 2021.

 

Whose plans came to fruition?

Who ended up making an adjustment?

Places ruled out, new places under consideration?

 

We're a dozen years from retirement and the biggest thing I grapple with (first world problem to be sure) is buying into a private golf community/HOA. The thought of wanting to or needing to sell a property and having a hard time doing it while still paying dues is a tough one. Tougher still when we want to have a summer home in the upper midwest as well.

 

I'm hanging my hat on the idea that demographics for these private golf communities are not in their favor and some or most clubs will need to adjust by offering a combination of a seasonal membership and/or a national membership, and/or a NPO membership.

 

We still like the idea of Hilton Head Island or Bluffton (joining Long Cove Club would be ideal if they ever offered a NPO membership) but I'm also going to start exploring coastal Jacksonville and perhaps even the Sarasota area.

[HackerDave]

Well, it's been just over a year since I last replied to this thread and oh my have things changed, huh?   Seemed for some time that prices in golf communities were falling with all the talk of golfers leaving the game.   Covid sure has changed that equation.   I know properties in Hilton Head are selling briskly and prices seem to be moving up.   Working remote combined with leaving expensive (and cold) cities up north suddenly seems to be a winning combination.

 

The question is will these changes "take" in the long term?   I think they might.  This pandemic has helped to change/shape what people feel are important.   It certainly hasn't hurt that the markets have performed so well.   Not many could have seen that coming.   

[mallrat]

Another factor going forward will be working remotely. I have a handful of friends whose companies have shut down their headquarters, gone remote and no lease something small with 1 or 2 people staffing it and basically using it as a meeting space. These companies range from a tech start up to a medium size regional bank to a large computer chip company. 

[MPAndreassi]

3 hours ago, BirdieRoll said:

Wanted to refresh this great thread for 2021.

 

Whose plans came to fruition?

Who ended up making an adjustment?

Places ruled out, new places under consideration?

 

We're a dozen years from retirement and the biggest thing I grapple with (first world problem to be sure) is buying into a private golf community/HOA. The thought of wanting to or needing to sell a property and having a hard time doing it while still paying dues is a tough one. Tougher still when we want to have a summer home in the upper midwest as well.

 

I'm hanging my hat on the idea that demographics for these private golf communities are not in their favor and some or most clubs will need to adjust by offering a combination of a seasonal membership and/or a national membership, and/or a NPO membership.

 

We still like the idea of Hilton Head Island or Bluffton (joining Long Cove Club would be ideal if they ever offered a NPO membership) but I'm also going to start exploring coastal Jacksonville and perhaps even the Sarasota area.

My parents are in Bluffton at Belfair. They originally planned to snowbird, back and forth between there and the Philly area. They went down three and a half years ago and never came back. They have two courses in the neighborhood and and good practice area. Plus, they get membership reciprocation days at other neighborhoods nearby. They had the 2019 PGA Teaching Pro National Championship at Belfair. 
 

As far as that area goes, I don’t think there’s going to be any majors changes to their structure anytime soon. Real estate down there is red hot, even with the expensive carrying cost if you’re not there year round. 

[Wedgefromhere]

5 hours ago, mallrat said:

Another factor going forward will be working remotely. I have a handful of friends whose companies have shut down their headquarters, gone remote and no lease something small with 1 or 2 people staffing it and basically using it as a meeting space. These companies range from a tech start up to a medium size regional bank to a large computer chip company. 

This is me.  By the time we have to go into the office again, my office will have downsized to just a handful of work stations and a couple of conference rooms.  I'm in the process of buying a new house in a Naples private golf community.  I still have 5 -7 years until retirement , but I'll be close enough where I won't mind going to Fort Lauderdale periodically and have everything I've ever dreamed about from a golf and amenity standpoint.

[btpd806]

Sarasota FL. Awesome courses there, also love Destin FL area

[doctorgriffo]

A former colleague, and avid golfer, sold his house in Portland, OR and bought some land down near Bend - rented in Portland for a year or so until he retired, and built a place by a good fishing river surrounded by good golf (was a member at Crosswater, but I think he dropped this recently to play at more courses).. He spent some of the winter in Bend for the snow at Mt Bachelor, and spent the rest of the winter renting a place in Palm Springs. The crazy house prices in Portland supplemented his retirement income.

[swagee]

On 10/12/2012 at 2:48 PM, ukalum said:

 

You have a $125k/yr retirement income and want to find a great golf area to live. Where would you go? Florida, Arizona, California, or somewhere else? Would you become a snowbird? Membership, or public links?

Somewhere along the coast of California, where it's sunny and dry, and u can golf for 11.5 months a year. Definitely a cc membership to socialize. I'd also golf around the world for 3+ months a year, during the so called "winter" in California. 

However, if swimming in the ocean after a round of golf is ur thing, then I'd move further south, maybe to central or even south America, where I'm surrounded by hot babes and warm water all day long. 

Think about it tho: golf + hot babes + warm water... It's heavenly. 

I don't have a plan for ur wife and kids yet, so don't bother asking 😄 

[ronnbee]

On 1/3/2021 at 7:17 PM, btpd806 said:

Sarasota FL. Awesome courses there, also love Destin FL area

agree