Retirement Spots

[ncates00]

50 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

See Davis Love III's home burnt yesterday?

No I didn't see that til you mentioned it.  Wow, that's crazy.  

[TussinMan]

5 hours ago, dennyjones said:

Your post caught my attention because I've asked the same question.   I believe if you search the forum you'll find similar threads.   Your bullet items  make it almost impossible.   There is going to have to be some give and take with your wife.  

• Warm enough for year-round golf (or close to it)
• Not unbearably hot (wife does not do well in excessive heat)
• Low crime / safe
• Low(ish) cost of living, or at least reasonably affordable homes, property taxes, and golf
• Diverse / not racist
• Reasonably close to a big city to drive in a couple times a month
• A plus would be if they had a local professional soccer team

Low(ish) cost of living.     Everyone has the same idea so the best warm golf spots are not ideal unless you have deep pockets for golf.    Your diverse / not racist  may seem like it's a destination area but racism is something that is taught and it's generally not a location area.

Agreed. It's possible but going to be very tough. 

Your basically asking for an ultra desirable year round place to live but at lowish cost of living (ultra desirable places almost always require deep pockets). 

Not only that quality golf isn't usually cheap. The better public coures in my area are anywhere from $100-200 a person per round. Membership to get access to all of the clubcorp tier 1 courses in my area (almost all of which are pretty nice) is about $850 a month. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

When I retire I'm going to retire in place (don't have to leave my golfing buddies or favorite bars behind).  Heck, I'm already in a "resort" area.  I can check off everything on that list except for a couple of things. 

A bit wet in the winter but not really cold, save for a few days.  And there's plenty of sunny days... but you have to learn to live with carry distance on your drives.  Summers are mild and from July 4th through late October the weather is gorgeous, sunny.

There're a dozen quality courses within 30 minutes.  While the courses are not expensive the cost of living is a bit high.  Seattle to the south in an hour, Vancouver, B.C. to the north in an hour.  Seattle has the MLS Champion Sounders in soccer... just for Effington.

Great city parks, trails, restaurants, brew pubs, coffee shops, bike trails, bars/lounges... on the water and close to Mt. Baker Ski Area... always getting the most snow in the continental U.S.

I did check out California once for retirement/golfing purposes, but the costs were prohibitive, though the better weather was a positive.  Who wouldn't want to live on the Monterrey Peninsula?!

Hmmm... then again, maybe a tiny home near Pebble Beach...

 

[mcanadiens]

Here's where I'm going to retire. Already got a spot.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

Play golf now!  There's plenty of time to sleep when you're dead...

 

[Carl3]

23 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Here's where I'm going to retire. Already got a spot.

 

You know why they have a fence, don't you?

 

 

People are dying to get in. Dad joke. 

[Double Mocha Man]

31 minutes ago, Carl3 said:

You know why they have a fence, don't you?

 

 

People are dying to get in. Dad joke. 

Yes, but once you're in that fence serves as "out of bounds"... stroke and distance.

[Rippy_72]

How about Delaware coastal.  Near Philly and soccer.  Low taxes and low housing costs.  

Pinehurst?

Flagstaff?  (not hot)

 

[Double Mocha Man]

9 minutes ago, Rippy_72 said:

How about Delaware coastal.  Near Philly and soccer.  Low taxes and low housing costs.  

Pinehurst?

Flagstaff?  (not hot)

 

Flagstaff.  At 6909 feet above sea level you're going be a hero... lot's more distance on your drives.

[NM Golf]

It's tough picking a spot. My wife and I have started discussing places with my retirement a little over a handful of years away. I have several of the same wants minus soccer, although having a good NFL or top 20 college football team around would be really nice. We are looking at going south (Florida, Georgia, North/South Carolina) or maybe even Texas. Another possibility is with my wife's family in Michigan splitting time between there and someplace warm in the winter. 

All I want is to never see snow again, ever.

[snapfade]

3 hours ago, bwdial said:

I live north of Atlanta, near Lake Lanier, and I think north Georgia might fit your bill, somewhat.

• I can play golf throughout the year.  Yes, it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter, but it's generally pretty temperate.  When it does snow, it usually only lasts a day or so.  North Georgia is mountainous, so when it's in the 90s around Atlanta, it'll be in the low 80s in the mountains.
• Nowhere near the crime rate of metro Atlanta.
• Cost of living is pretty good around here. 
• Diversity isn't a hallmark of the North Georgia mountains, but Atlanta is an extremely diverse city, and the surrounding areas are becoming more diverse.
• Atlanta is about an hour or so away if you are north of Lake Lanier, which if you like to boat and/or fish, is ideal.
• Soccer?  Atlanta United.  Fantastic fan experience in one of the best - and cheapest to drink and eat in - stadiums in the country.  And, if you like a more 'intimate' soccer experience, Atlanta United 2 plays at Kennesaw State University, which is about a half an hour north of Atlanta.
• Also:  the beaches of Georgia are a few hours away.  Myrtle Beach and Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail are both a short trip away for some variety.  The Appalachian Trail starts in the northeast corner of the state. 

I might add as someone who grew up downtown, Atlanta has become more than a southern city. It really has taken on an international destination. Superbowl's, NCAA Championships, the new Hollywood, and some amazing food. Sweet tea like nowhere else. Great golf, and like @bwdial said the Appalachian trail BEGINS, in North Georgia, we hiked from Springer to Fontana Dam in NC a few years ago when we were living there, it's awesome. It's worth looking into. If you don't mind horrendous traffic then it's the place for you. And I will add, if you are a single dude, up around where @bwdial lives you will find some of the most beautiful Korean ladies outside of Seoul. 

[iSank]

Hawaii! Honolulu while you work then pick an outer island to retire. I chose Lana’i. Lana’i is always 10 degrees cooler than Honolulu, it’s quite diverse, shorts year round, venison is free but every other bit of food is expensive so a monthly trip to Costco is in order. Free golf but no pro teams at all, in fact the only sport that fills the arena is volleyball. 
Along with location pick an age and save for it. I somewhat agree with outside Atlanta. I’ve gone there a few times and always bring my clubs. 
 

[Bonvivant]

If you find fantasy island or neverland or wherever it is, let us know. 

[Double Mocha Man]

11 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

If you find fantasy island or neverland or wherever it is, let us know. 

"Da plane, da plane... da golf swing plane."

[gbogey]

The only place I can think of that has year round golf without heat is California which is not going to pass the affordability scale.  I would like to retire to the Carolinas, either North or South, both of which have a variety of options from the mountains / foothills to the shores.  Golf is pretty close to year round, it can be hot but bearable for me.  Similar options could be found in VA, GA, TN would have similar options.

[dennyjones]

Have you checked out Fairfield Glades in TN?  They keep sending me crap in the mail. 

[NZ Golfer]

15 hours ago, Effington said:

Hey guys, hope all is well and everybody is staying safe.

I am way aways from retirement, but like to play the game of imagining it, so I can at least do my due diligence in planning (which is the most fun part anyway). I was mulling over potential locations and wanted to draw on the knowledge of the masses here, because I was not finding anywhere that fit the bill perfectly.  I have a short check-list here (in order) but don't have a lot of great ideas of places that fit the bill:

• Warm enough for year-round golf (or close to it)
• Not unbearably hot (wife does not do well in excessive heat)
• Low crime / safe
• Low(ish) cost of living, or at least reasonably affordable homes, property taxes, and golf
• Diverse / not racist
• Reasonably close to a big city to drive in a couple times a month
• A plus would be if they had a local professional soccer team
• English speaking (not opposed to leaving the US).  If there is somewhere else in the world that fits this bill the best, I'm not entirely opposed to moving and learning a new language (although that might be too ambitious for retirement life).

Wife has vetoed Florida and Arizona, your typical retirement hotspots (too hot).  Here were the options I was mulling:

• Southern California: Is there is an area with affordable housing?
• Myrtle Beach: Is it one of those places that are good to visit, not to live?
• Australia
• England (are winters too cold?)

I'm probably not going to have country club money, unless that is the more cost effective option if I'm playing golf very frequently.

Cheers and thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

 

One of the best locations would have to be my home- New Zealand - (think we are only 2nd to Ireland for Golf Courses to pop. in the world)

I'm down in Central Otago .. without doubt a honey hole of GC's

Weather -50f av. winter - summer av. 80f so Golf all-year round here in Cromwell GC 

rainfall only 300-400mm =13in .. so very little rain affected play

NZD/USD sub .60

Total population surrounding these GC's less than 50k

We also have the "NZ Golf Open" played on the hills ,millbrook in March

here's a list of whats on offer in Central Otago --->>>>

(being member at Cromwell I can play -Arrow,KH,Alex,Wanaka for $25NZD etc)

The Hills Golf Course – The Hills

 

Golf — Jack's Point

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18 hole par 72 championship course weaves through native tussock grasslands to the edge of Lake Wakatipu

 

Queenstown Golf Club - spectacular New Zealand golf course

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Queenstown, New Zealand, has one of the most picturesque golf courses in the world, surrounded by the clean waters of Lake Wakatipu. The scenery is spectacular, the golf course challenging and we have fine clubhouse...

 

Golf Resort New Zealand - Queenstown Golf Venue | Millbrook Resort

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Home of the New Zealand Open, set against the backdrop of mountains. This 27 hole golf course is world-class for an unforgettable golfing experience.

 

Arrowtown Golf Club

 

Cromwell Golf Club - Central Otago Golf

 

Wanaka Golf Home - Wanaka Golf Club

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Wanaka Golf Club is an 18 hole course boasting spectacular lake and mountain views, just 45 mins from Queenstown. Visitors welcome, club hire available.

 

Alexandra Golf Club - Home

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From my home just north of Cromwell pop. 6k I can easy reach all of these above course under 1hour most make less time

Edited March 29, 2020 by NZ Golfer

[TussinMan]

7 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

If you find fantasy island or neverland or wherever it is, let us know. 

Yeah it's gonna be near impossible in the USA to find. Especially with the whole "Florida is too hot but we still want it hot enough for year round golf" (I know Florida has humity but it's like 60 to 85 degrees for like 90% of the year). You can't get much cooler than that but still want year round golf. 

The upper half of the USA is going to be too cold. California is going to be too expensive. Pretty much all of the South is going to be extremely hot with dry air or decently hot but have good humity from the gulf/atlantic coast. 

Closest I can think of is one of the Carolina's but even then your going to have basically Florida type summers with less desirable winters + both Carolina's still have a good amount of humidity.