Living on a golf course is a dream for lots of people. Sitting in your yard with a morning cup of coffee while looking out down the course is pretty hard to beat and can deliver an exceptionally high standard of living.
But there’s a lot to think about before buying property at a golf course, and golf course living might not be for everyone.
So, to help you decide if buying an apartment or house at a golf course is a good move for you and your family, we explain the pros and cons associated with such a decision below and help you come to a final decision.
What is Golf Course Living?
Golf course living is a term that is used to describe residing on a golf course. You might have a property in a golf course community, or you may have a home that backs onto a golf course, which is common in America and Europe.
If you move into a golf course community, there are many advantages.
First and foremost, you might be eligible for reduced rates at the course, which is ideal if you’re a keen golfer. You can also enjoy the social aspects of having a golf course right next to your home.
Also beneficial is the fact that golf course properties are surrounded by lots of green space.
This is much better than having your neighbors essentially on top of you and provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the vast open spaces on the course.
To help you decide if golf course living is for you, we dive into some of the pros and cons of buying a property in a golf course community and explain what you need to think about before finding your dream home.
Pros of Living on a Golf Course?
As mentioned, there are lots of benefits of golf course living. While everyone is different, here are some of the pros associated with purchasing a property at a golf course:
- You might be able to access reduced green fees and membership costs if you live in a golf course community.
- Many golf courses are open to the public, meaning you can walk the course even when you’re not a member. This is a great way to use the gorgeous green space around your home.
- Living on a golf course is typically very quiet, and you can expect to live a tranquil lifestyle with your family in a golf community.
- Buying property on a golf course is likely to be a good investment, as apartments and individual homes are highly sought-after by many buyers.
- Even if you’re not a golfer, you can benefit from the social side of living at a golf course, whether you enjoy a beer in the nineteenth hole or take your family out for a meal.
Many people dream of golf course living, particularly in retirement, and there’s no doubt that it enables you to live a good quality life.
But are there any drawbacks to golf course living?
Cons of Living on a Golf Course?
As you can see, living on a golf course is undoubtedly a great move for many people. But as with everything, there are some potential drawbacks to living on a golf course, including:
- Property at golf courses is usually expensive. This is because it is highly sought-after, and the developers can use the golf course to crank up the price. As such, you might end up paying over the odds for a golf course property.
- Some golf course properties come with high maintenance fees, particularly if you have to pay into a communal management fund. Make sure you’re aware of any annual fees attached to the property before committing to a purchase.
- Lots of people hold golf course properties as rentals or as holiday homes. Therefore, if you plan on living at a golf course permanently, you might find that the neighboring properties aren’t permanently lived in, which can make it quite difficult to get close to your neighbors.
- Depending on where your home is located, you might find that golf balls find their way onto your property, which could lead to damage. Although this is unlikely, it can prove to be a nuisance.
- Living on or near a golf course can potentially lead to various environmental issues relating to the pesticides applied to the grass.
Overall, we’d say that the pros definitely outweigh the cons as far as golf course living is concerned. So, if you have the opportunity to purchase a golf course property, we’d highly recommend checking it out.
Is Living on a Golf Course a Good Investment?
Living on a golf course can be an excellent investment. After all, people are always going to be attracted to living on a golf course, which will make it relatively easy for you to sell your property if you decide to in the future.
However, it’s really important not to pay a hugely inflated fee for a property just because it overlooks or is situated on a golf course.
Doing so will make it difficult to recoup your investment in the future, particularly if the housing market is struggling when you come to sell up.
You should also consider the standard of the home that you’re planning to buy and ensure it’s in keeping with other properties in the area.
Provided that you employ common sense and do your research into the local housing market, buying property at a golf course can be a great investment.
Is It Prestigious to Live on a Golf Course?
Living on a golf course can be prestigious, but it really just depends on the course that you live on. For instance, if you have the opportunity to buy property at one of the world’s most famous golf courses, then there’s no doubt that living there could be regarded as prestigious.
However, if there’s a nice new development at a local golf course in your area that you’re interested in investing in, it’s not necessarily prestigious to live there.
But that certainly doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t buy a golf course property just because the course doesn’t have the best reputation.
The whole point of golf course living is that you get the opportunity to live in a green and peaceful area, and you can enjoy the relaxing environment around your home.
Whether or not the golf course in question is prestigious shouldn’t really come into your thinking.
Potential Health Risks Living on a Golf Course?
Living on a golf course may present certain potential health risks, but it very much depends on the area in which you live. For instance, some courses may apply toxic chemicals to improve their fairways and greens, which can potentially affect people living close by.
Some homeowners may also be affected by sand and other debris blowing across the golf course onto their properties, but this really depends on the weather conditions near to where you live, as well as the layout of the golf course.
Aside From these environmental issues, there’s a very small possibility that you could be hit by a golf ball when you’re sitting in your yard.
Also, there’s also a slim chance that a golf ball could come flying through your kitchen window.
While it’s important to take these potential risks into consideration, they’re small compared to the benefits of living at or near a golf course, and you shouldn’t necessarily be put off by the idea of golf course living.
Overall, is it Good to Live Near a Golf Course?
After weighing up the pros and cons, we think that living on or near a golf course would be awesome. You get to enjoy a slow pace of life and benefit from the natural space surrounding your home.
What’s more, if you’re into golf, the chances are that you will benefit from reduced green fees or membership payments if you’re a local resident.
This means you can sign up for the golf course and walk to the first tee in a matter of minutes, which is pretty hard to beat!
Of course, buying property at a golf course can be a little more expensive than other locations in certain areas, so it’s worth researching the property market thoroughly, so you don’t end up paying over the odds for your next home.
So, if you’re currently on the fence about buying a golf course property, we’d highly recommend golf course living.
Conclusion
Whether you enjoy playing golf or not, the opportunity to live on or near a golf course is undoubtedly an attractive one. After all, what’s not to like about waking up in the morning and gazing down the fairways?
We hope that you now have all the information you need to decide whether golf course living is for you, and if you’ve seen a property that you would like to invest in, we’d strongly advise you to make an offer before someone else snaps it up!