I'm retiring to southwest Florida how do I figure out which country club to retire to?

[w0lverine]

I found that there is more than 360 golf clubs south of the Sarasota, Palm Beach county lines.  I cannot figure out a method to narrow them down.  When I call different clubs they all tell me there the best.  I need opinions that are unbiased , a consultation if you will.  I checked out the golf membership consultants and they were helpful and free.

Please give me some advice.  I can also share some local knowledge of clubs for small talk

[Golfingdad]

Don't know much about private clubs ... But won't they invite you for a round of golf with a member? Sort of a mutual interview, and it gives you a chance to see if you'll like the course?

[w0lverine]

Not from what I've gathered. Plus travel costs to go back and forth to all these clubs cost a good amount of money. I will now start asking that question. Are you retiring to a golf area? Or have already.

[newtogolf]

Are you looking to live in a community that is part of a private country club or join one that is in your area?

[easyjay39402]

My suggestion, which worked for us, would be to retire to an area that hosts many activities in addition to golf that you would enjoy.  If family and/or friends happen to live there, that is a plus.  Also, if there is a university in the community, that is a plus.  Likewise a plentitude of medical facilities.

AFTER you have moved into the area spend a few months learning about the local clubs before joining one.  What makes a course isn't just the track, but mostly the guys that you will be playing with day-to-day.

What I learned is that about 10-15 years after you retire, the physical limitations of aging make golf much less fun.  You can certainly play golf until you die, but it might not be a form of golf that you would enjoy. So it is nice to have other things to fall back on ... in Florida, fishing comes to mind.

[w0lverine]

I'm still just in the preliminary part of Investigation. I've been searching and gathering a lot of information from different sites. I've also been learning about different memberships, assessment fees, bundled vs non bundled communities, resignation lists (which is something new to me), and many other things. the golf membership consultants checked back in with me and provided even more information beyond what I would have thought to know. Still, I would like to speak to people who belong to country clubs or are beginning to retire to Country clubs. I still seek advice

[bkuehn1952]

Check this article out:

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2011-01/peter-finch-finance

You should decide on the area where you want to live (i.e. Sarasota? Venice? Fort Myers? Miami? Palm Beach? etc...).  Once you have narrowed down the area, look what is available from a club standpoint.

You are going to be spending 18-20 hours a day not on the golf course.  So the area you pick is more important than the club.  Traffic congestion, crime, hurricanes, top rate medical care, cost of living are all more important than the club you choose.

[w0lverine]

I am currently living in Orlando.  I am open to anything in southwest florida.  I'm a little young yet to retire but I like to study it early so I can feel confident about decisions come that special time.

I think I like the bundled communities where I would be an equity member.

Those are very interesting points.  Actually they provided me with that nice information (in south Florida). You are absolutely right about the 18 to 20 hours off the course and now I will consider that piece of wisdom

[Orlando38]

If I were you, I would retire to Naples/Marco Island? do you fish? fishing down there is amazing and good country clubs! I'm a poor, currently unemployed guy, but have been to the Marco area about 5 times. I fish way more than golf(when I lived in Cali, it was golfing way more than fishing). Jealous. Wish I could retire in SW Florida.

[w0lverine]

I like private clubs because the amenities are so much nicer.  More money gets pumped in at the private clubs which means It filters out in the golf course and the amentities

[imsys0042]

I would be interested in moving to South Florida as well, but understand that there are a lot of cheaters who lift, clean and place.

[14ledo81]

I would be interested in moving to South Florida as well, but understand that there are a lot of cheaters who lift, clean and place.

Lol.. good one. Must be catching in that area. I heard everyone does.

[w0lverine]

Yeah only in the summer with the torrential downpoors.  You can do it straight up but you might not like what it does to your 150 dollar outfit.  Especially ladies!!

[imsys0042]

I'm here all week, be sure to tip your waitress. Seriously though, I'm not local to your area, but I am on the membership committee at my golf club. One of the best things you can do is to ask to play a round of golf with another member to get a sense of the club. My club is owned by a corporation, so there is little incentive for me to get someone else to join for $$$. So I try to give an honest and fair critique of what they are looking for and what is a good fit. Interacting with someone from the membership is always a good idea because you can kind of pick up on the culture of a place by seeing people in action.