Best Place to Live for Year-Round Golf

[boogielicious]

1 minute ago, colin007 said:

What about coastal Oregon/Washington? Isn't the weather temperate enough do that it's not too hot in the summer and not too cold in winter?

Basically, I'd play year round if it didn't snow and it was above 40

Me too. 

[ghalfaire]

17 hours ago, k-troop said:

 

Agreed Sedona/Prescott/Flagstaff are quite nice (and have some good courses) in the summer but can get a crapload of snow in the winter. 

 

Well Flagstaff wasn't on my list as it is over a mile high and cold, snowy Winters, but great Summers.  However neither Prescott or Sedona get much snow in the winter.  Prescott can get a little warm in the Summer but not like the lower deserts.  Also around Sedona is Cottonwood, AZ.   Payson is nice all year and similar weather to Prescott and Sedona and has a couple of great courses.  There are some smaller communities in AZ where weather is tolerable all year but the golf facilities are not there. As you probably know about 85% of the population in AZ live in Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tucson.  So difficult to find both great weather year around and great golf facilities.  

Of course the ideal situation is to semiannually move from the desert to the mountains.  But you need  a couple of addresses to do that.  

[k-troop]

15 minutes ago, ghalfaire said:

Well Flagstaff wasn't on my list as it is over a mile high and cold, snowy Winters, but great Summers.  However neither Prescott or Sedona get much snow in the winter.  Prescott can get a little warm in the Summer but not like the lower deserts.  Also around Sedona is Cottonwood, AZ.   Payson is nice all year and similar weather to Prescott and Sedona and has a couple of great courses.  There are some smaller communities in AZ where weather is tolerable all year but the golf facilities are not there. As you probably know about 85% of the population in AZ live in Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tucson.  So difficult to find both great weather year around and great golf facilities.  

Of course the ideal situation is to semiannually move from the desert to the mountains.  But you need  a couple of addresses to do that.  

I would have expected Sedona winters to be similar to Flagstaff because they're so close, but I guess the elevation makes quite a bit of difference (Flagstaff is 7000 ft and Sedona is 4500 ft.)  I've been in some pretty wicked snow in Flagstaff, but I've never been to Sedona in the winter.

That's actually interesting information for me.  Wife and I are making a retirement (from the military, not from work altogether) decision pretty soon and I really like AZ.  We both love Phoenix from trips we've taken there but my wife is not interested in living there permanently (too hot and not enough color).  I think she could definitely get on board with Sedona as it's a lot greener and has seasons.  Not sure what I'd do for a living there, but I think it would be a great place to live.

[Psyber]

58 minutes ago, k-troop said:

I would have expected Sedona winters to be similar to Flagstaff because they're so close, but I guess the elevation makes quite a bit of difference (Flagstaff is 7000 ft and Sedona is 4500 ft.)  I've been in some pretty wicked snow in Flagstaff, but I've never been to Sedona in the winter.

That's actually interesting information for me.  Wife and I are making a retirement (from the military, not from work altogether) decision pretty soon and I really like AZ.  We both love Phoenix from trips we've taken there but my wife is not interested in living there permanently (too hot and not enough color).  I think she could definitely get on board with Sedona as it's a lot greener and has seasons.  Not sure what I'd do for a living there, but I think it would be a great place to live.

FL in the winter and somewhere more mild in the rest of the year. If it's semi retirement work seasonal jobs or work from home if you can.

[DaveP043]

6 minutes ago, Psyber said:

FL in the winter and somewhere more mild in the rest of the year. 

When we talk to people who have ended up in the Pinehurst area, its surprising how many of them initially moved to FL on retirement, then moved back north to Pinehurst.  They're called "halfbacks", they went all the say south, and came halfway back.

[Psyber]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

When we talk to people who have ended up in the Pinehurst area, its surprising how many of them initially moved to FL on retirement, then moved back north to Pinehurst.  They're called "halfbacks", they went all the say south, and came halfway back.

It's not for everyone but there sure are a LOT of courses if that is what you're there for. If I was going to be one spot all year I'd prefer NC but this is where my family is so I'm sticking around here for a while. What is nice is if you're in FL you can play a lot more golf in the off season since the prices are so low. I hardly practice at the range after work in the summer because I can just drive to the local executive and play a round for $10 on an empty course. I can always finish by sundown and if I want to hit multiple balls on a hole no one is being held up. I'm also young enough to be able to tolerate the heat out there without risking a major health issue. I just be sure to bring tons of water.

[No Mulligans]

Played an 18 hole executive round this morning.  6:15 am start, blue sky's, no wind, low humidity, 55 degrees.  Ended at 8:30, temp was 67 degrees.  Just another typical San Diego coastal day. Seems like golf heaven to me.

[ev780]

On 2/25/2016 at 2:06 PM, Golfingdad said:

For many (most?) of us here in California, the weather pretty much trumps all of the above.  And the "horrific traffic" is not really that bad.  You can't extrapolate the 405 or the 91 at rush hour. :)

Hey, I get it.  23 million people agree with you so there must be something good there! :)

And dude, you have traffic PTSD!!!  It sucks!! But then again it is getting pretty bad everywhere these days.  Too many rats in the maze! Time to thin the herd.

 

[Pendragon]

3 hours ago, ev780 said:

Hey, I get it.  23 million people agree with you so there must be something good there! :)

And dude, you have traffic PTSD!!!  It sucks!! But then again it is getting pretty bad everywhere these days.  Too many rats in the maze! Time to thin the herd.

 

The traffic can be brutal at times in the metro areas, no doubt. But where we live is rural, with the nearest cities at least 20 miles away in any direction. While there's only 1 golf course in our community, there are at least 8 or 9 decent tracks within 20-25 miles, with another 10 no more than 35 miles away. I'll grant you that it would suck to have to commute from here, but I'm retired, so that's not an issue. 

[No Mulligans]

Traffic is not an issue for me. There are so many courses that you can always find one close by. Torrey Pines is 6 miles away, less than 15 minutes, Tecolote course 5 miles, Misson Bay course 5 miles, Miramar course 10 miles, Balboa Park course 15 miles.  I can get to all those courses in 20 minutes or less.

(Where I work is 6 miles away.  I really don't have it that bad in spite of traffic.)

[ev780]

On 2/27/2016 at 1:02 PM, Pendragon said:

The traffic can be brutal at times in the metro areas, no doubt. But where we live is rural, with the nearest cities at least 20 miles away in any direction. While there's only 1 golf course in our community, there are at least 8 or 9 decent tracks within 20-25 miles, with another 10 no more than 35 miles away. I'll grant you that it would suck to have to commute from here, but I'm retired, so that's not an issue. 

 

On 2/28/2016 at 7:27 PM, No Mulligans said:

Traffic is not an issue for me. There are so many courses that you can always find one close by. Torrey Pines is 6 miles away, less than 15 minutes, Tecolote course 5 miles, Misson Bay course 5 miles, Miramar course 10 miles, Balboa Park course 15 miles.  I can get to all those courses in 20 minutes or less.

(Where I work is 6 miles away.  I really don't have it that bad in spite of traffic.)

Fair enough guys. I had horrible traffic today too.  Had to wait for a herd of elk to clear the roadway. All perspective for sure.  Everywhere in the world has it's pluses and minuses. I would not trade Colorado summer for anything but the white stuff in the winter sure gets old.

[Carl3]

Another couple of inches (snow) are on the ground this morning and one of my first thoughts is "where can you play golf year round in the US"? Google throws this a link to this thread up as my first choice. Spent some time reading the responses, but did not see any thing on Alabama. My thought is that it is probably a less expensive place to live than many of the suggestions, plus the state has investing a lot of their pension funds in the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Anybody live there or have experiences playing the Trail? 

[Edsland]

My son is in Lexington South Carolina, which is mostly year round. They'll have their cold spells but a week later its 60. As im writing this him and a buddy are waiting out a frost delay thats suppose to be an hour. 

[Vinsk]

Florida. All year. Of course we get weather that any place can get making golf uncomfortable (big rain). But it’s never too cold. No snow, ice. I’ve played Nov-Feb with shorts and occasionally pants and a wind jacket.

[Archie Bunker]

If you can do it - spend winter in Florida and become a Florida resident. No state taxes.Golf up north at your "second" home during the Summer.  You can get some pretty good deals in Florida, even in the winter, due to the number of courses. There are 666 holes in The Villages (1 hour north of Orlando) and you can play the executives for "free" if you don't mind all the old folks playing them for "free". Not bad, and usually in pretty decent shape. The championship courses are ok, but somewhat boringly similar. Bring your own golf cart and play these for $50 during the winter. I prefer to go "off campus" and play more interesting layouts, which are usually much less expensive. If you can stand the summer heat, Florida courses are a real bargain. 

[StuHouston]

On 7/5/2008 at 9:09 PM, jeffhale08 said:

Not as scenic as some of the other destinations, but right here in Southeast Texas (Houston, Beaumont area). Golf all year long, maybe 5 days at or near freezing during the winter. Summer from April through late October.

And soggy for the last four months...

[Bucki1968]

Yep....there is a reason so many tour pros live in Florida. I played golf in Las Vegas last summer in 102 degree heat and had no problem. The guy in the shop said, "you must be from Florida". I could stand that "dry" heat in the summer!

[mchepp]

On 2/26/2016 at 5:52 AM, colin007 said:

What about coastal Oregon/Washington? Isn't the weather temperate enough do that it's not too hot in the summer and not too cold in winter?

Basically, I'd play year round if it didn't snow and it was above 40

Many many people come from California thinking exactly what is stated in this post. For the most part this is very true. Especially during a el nino year like we're having this winter, warm and I think So Cal has gotten almost as much rain as we have. However, I would not rate these areas tops for year round golf, ironically not because of winter. Dec, Jan, and Feb are cold and rainy but no snow (well, maybe a little but its gone within a day or so). The problem is Sept, Oct, Nov, Mar, April, May. Those six months when you are expecting it to gradually start to move into winter or be improving can be punishing. November is the most rainy month. Golf in November is a crap shoot. And it will rain right through your weekend in May. People from most other parts of the country don't understand west coast rain. It is cold. Not worth golfing in.

I see many California's head back. They miss sunshine in October or May.

The coast has some nice cities, but they are super small and lack much in the way of golf. Someone on here will pipe up and say Bandon, but that isn't a real golf option it is too expensive in the summer to play with any regularity. 

Personally, I think year round golf requires a nice 401k (or pension) and a 2 home strategy. Very few places have it all and are affordable.