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America's Top 100 Golf Communities (EXCERPT)
TRAVEL + LEISURE GOLF presents the definitive list of the best places
to live—and live well
by David Rynecki, January 2006
No one can doubt that golf's star has risen dramatically in the last
couple of decades, and there are many explanations as to why: The crush
of baby boomers entering their prime golf-playing years. Bull markets.
Tiger Woods. A cosmic conjunction between the calming nature of the
game and the psychological needs of an anxious era. But when it comes
to how, not why, the culture of golf has changed in that time, one trend
clearly eclipses all the others: the marriage of golf to real estate,
and with it the blossoming of a new golf lifestyle.
Of the 100 communities presented in Travel
+ Leisure Golf's inaugural list of the nation's top residential
golf properties, only a handful, such as Sea Island in Georgia,
are even remotely historic. A few others were part of the first
wave of "country club communities" in the 1970s and 1980s,
but most are much newer. Fully half of the communities on our list
have been built in the last dozen years. Of all golf courses in
the United States today, only one in five is part of a planned
residential community; but of those under construction, three in
five are. And golf-home prices are surging. Yes, there are worries
that rising interest rates will prick the so-called housing bubble,
but developers show no signs of slowing down, and many real estate
experts expect demographics to keep demand strong at the extreme
high end of the market, even if the rest of the real estate market
slumps.
The traditional golf paradigm—living in an ordinary neighborhood
and pursuing the game at nearby private or public courses—is
still the dominant one, of course, especially in the nation's northern
tier. But across the Sun Belt, from the coastal Carolinas and Florida
to Southern California, as well as up the Pacific Coast and even into
the western mountains, master-planned golf communities have been booming.
They draw not just locals but also passionate golfers from elsewhere
in search of second homes and places to retire.
A few decades ago, when developers were putting up the first golf communities
in Florida and the Carolinas, the best buyers might hope for were cookie-cutter
fairways squeezed between bland condos. But since the early 1990s, as
soaring markets stoked boomers' lust for luxury, there has been an explosion
of communities offering heretofore unheard-of amenities and a sense
of endless vacation.
The treatment can be lavish. In addition to ever higher quality golf,
some communities dole out perks such as extensive concierge service
and access to private jets. Others hire full-time master chefs and nature
guides. Spas, horseback riding, hiking-trail networks, marinas and frequent,
planned activities for both kids and adults are common.
Sociologically, the impact of this trend may be to further isolate
the very wealthy from the rest of the world. In some cases, residents
pass not one but two or even three gates to reach their homes. But for
those fortunate enough to reside in such places, security is part of
what makes the lifestyle sublime, as is the sense of belonging and the
satisfaction of having reached the pinnacle of residential success.
In compiling this list, we began with the premise that the golf needed
to be great: top course designs, impeccable maintenance, easy access
for members. But we also recognized that a great community encompasses
much more than golf, both tangible (superior housing, flawless facilities)
and intangible (a sense of identity, breathtaking sunsets).
Of course, every list such as this is subjective in subtle ways, and
this one favors communities offering sophistication and transcendent
experience. The top twenty-five are ranked in order according to our
criteria (see below); consider the rest tied for twenty-sixth. The bottom
line is: Are these 100 communities the places in which we ourselves
would most like to live? The answer, resoundingly, is yes.
America's Top 100 Golf Communities
The Gallery Marana One of the area's newest communities, the Gallery
features a large sports club with basketball and volleyball courts,
Olympic-size pool and fitness center. Golf: 36 holes (John Fought/Tom
Lehman, Fought). Recent Home Listings (lots only): $400,000 to $1 million.
Contact: 888-437-4800 or gallerygolf.com.
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