Golf course properties have a lot of advantages you may not know about, and these advantages benefit golfers and non-golfers alike. If you’ve been looking for a home that gives you lush, maintenance-free, plenty of privacy even in an urban setting, and a home that is likely to hold its value over time, property on a golf course checks all the boxes. REMAX agents who specialize in these homes have offered their perspectives on why their clients love these properties.
Key Takeaways
- Premium golf course properties border directly on the course, but lower-priced homes are available within the same community, a few streets over. Whether on the course or not, these homes are often part of a master-planned community or HOA with shared amenities.
- The visual appeal of golf course homes goes beyond aesthetics: research consistently links access to green space with lower stress, better mental health, and improved physical health outcomes.
- Golf course homes offer a rare combination of privacy and community, with open space behind you and no neighbours looking in, while shops, services, and social life remain close by.
- Value stability is one of the key reasons to invest in a golf course property; a committed buyer pool helps prices hold even when the rest of the market is struggling.
- You don’t have to play golf to love living on a course: club amenities like pools, tennis courts, and social events benefit the whole family.
What Is a Golf Course Property?
Before we get into the details of buying property on a golf course, it’s important to understand their defining characteristics. Is a golf course home just property near a golf course, or is there more to it?
- Typically, a golf course property borders on the course territory. That could be a fairway, tee area, green, or a wooded area. Some homes in golf course communities aren’t directly adjacent to the course but are separated from it by a row of other homes; these properties are usually priced lower than homes directly on the course.
- They are often part of a Master Planned Community or Homeowners Association (HOA) centred on golf and the social activities surrounding the sport.
- Buying a golf club home sometimes includes membership in the club or reduced membership and green fees.
When you’re looking for a golf course home for sale, ask your agent for details about the relationship of the neighbourhood to the club, and perks that might be available to homeowners.
What Makes Property on a Golf Course so Attractive?
Breathtaking Surroundings
According to REMAX real estate experts, the visual appeal of golf course homes is one of the things that buyers value the most. Imagine a long stretch of lawn with an expansive skyscape. If your property backs onto a fairway, this is what you could be looking at every day. Your property might also back onto a part of the course that features thoughtfully chosen native plantings and mature trees. It’s like living next to a park, but without any wild or overgrown areas.
Physical and Mental Health Benefits
Living next to a green space isn’t just beautiful: it’s restorative. Research has consistently shown that access to green spaces, even in urban areas, has numerous positive correlates1, including:
- Lower levels of obesity and cardiovascular disease, as well as lower mortality rates.
- Improved mental health, including lowered symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- Greater social cohesion.
- Lower levels of self-reported stress.
Golf course properties often house various species of wildlife, including squirrels, foxes, and rabbits. Just watching these small animals can promote calm, lower anxiety, and even help with severe psychological disorders like PTSD2.
Privacy Without Isolation
With a golf course property, you get some distance from the world, but the conveniences of living in a nice community are still available.
With open space behind you, no one is looking into your kitchen from their back deck, and you can enjoy your space with minimal intrusion. When there are no yards backing onto yours, it’s also quieter and more peaceful. This sense of space, freedom, and serenity is hard to find outside of a rural setting.
At the same time, you’re still living in a community. Shops and restaurants are close by, along with year-round opportunities for social interaction at the club itself. Unlike a country home, you don’t have to get in your car and drive for an hour to go to the doctor or pick up a few supplies.
Low Noise Levels
If you’ve lived in a busy setting, even a suburban one, you’ll be surprised by how quiet living on a golf course is. Beyond the lower density and the lack of neighbours behind you, there are a few factors that reduce the noise:
- Golf course communities are laid out to minimize traffic flow through the streets, with lots of dead ends and crescents that lead back to where they started. They’re not a natural option for delivery trucks or people going from A to B.
- Traffic patterns are predictable, so even the busy times at the club are limited to short periods when a lot of people are arriving and leaving.
- Golfers either walk or take electric carts, and aren’t known for rowdy behaviour or loud conversations on the course.
- Course maintenance runs on a schedule that doesn’t change unless special work is being done.
Since many of the local homeowners are also club members, the management of the club is motivated to keep noise levels low and maintenance work non-intrusive.
Value Stability
Buyers are attracted to golf course homes partly because they hold their value due to a committed pool of buyers. People in the market for a house on a golf course have their minds made up and aren’t as likely to be affected by changes in the market. That dynamic means that owners can expect reasonable price appreciation when selling. As long as the course itself doesn’t fall into neglect and isn’t sold for redevelopment, a golf course property is a solid investment.
Lifestyle and Social Opportunities
If you play golf, there’s nothing better than living right on a course, especially if home ownership includes a membership. However, if you or your family members don’t play, golf clubs have fantastic amenities like tennis courts, pools, and lounges for them to enjoy.
Families with children also get underrated benefits from club membership. The grounds tend to be safe, and teens can enjoy many parts of the facilities unsupervised. There are also social events for younger people. Families with kids who grow up as part of a golf club community often develop close friendships with other families through the club. Mentorship relationships are also common as younger people get a chance to interact with established business people and community leaders.
Finding Property for Sale on a Golf Course
Your best resource when looking at golf course homes for sale is a real estate agent who has experience with this type of property. They can help you figure out the club’s financials and ownership structure so you know whether it has long-term staying power. They can also access information about HOA fees, community rules and noise patterns so you can compare properties and figure out which one is ideal for you and your lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a golfer to enjoy living on a golf course property?
Not at all. Many buyers who don’t play are drawn to golf course homes for the views, the green space, the privacy, and the club amenities. Pools, tennis courts, fitness facilities, restaurants, and a built-in social community are available to all residents, regardless of whether they ever plan to learn golf.
Are golf course properties a good investment?
Yes, provided the club itself is financially healthy and not at risk of being sold or redeveloped. Golf course homes attract a specific, motivated buyer pool, which helps maintain prices across market cycles. Before purchasing, your real estate agent can help you research the club’s finances and membership base so you have a clear picture of its long-term stability.
Do all golf course homes back onto green space?
No. Homes in a golf course community may be part of the same neighbourhood and HOA, but separated from the course by other homes. These are typically priced lower, though they still offer access to club amenities and the general lifestyle benefits of the community.
Do golf course properties have HOAs?
Many golf course communities are governed by an HOA that maintains shared amenities and enforces community standards. Fees can be significant, and rules may cover everything from fence heights to exterior finishes. Always review the governing documents before making an offer, and work with an agent familiar with the community.
Is living on a golf course actually quiet?
Most of the time, yes. Golf course communities are typically designed to minimize through-traffic, golfers travel by foot or electric cart, and maintenance runs on a predictable schedule. During busy periods, there’s activity around the clubhouse, but on the course itself, it’s genuinely peaceful. In the off-season, the course itself is very quiet.
