The Golf Course Community Lifestyle

The game is part of the culture of Arizona and people across the country recognize this. According to CBS Sports, Arizona ranks number two in the nation as the best state for golf.

And it’s not just golf courses that Arizona is known for. The state also has the best golf lifestyle communities in America. The reasons for this are many but climate certainly ranks as number one. During winter, while the golf courses in the northeast are empty, except for the loitering Canadian Geese, hackers can golf 12-months a year in the beautiful Arizona sunshine.

It’s not just blistery winters that make golfing difficult elsewhere. The average precipitation rate in the U.S. is 32.2 inches. The average rate for Arizona is only 13.6 inches in Arizona so your likelihood of getting washed out in a spring rainstorm is less likely here.

The Rise of Golf Communities

As every dedicated golfer knows, the first golf course was St. Andrews in Scotland. It was established in the mid-1500’s and remains one of the most famous golf courses in the world.

In the 1880’s, a Scotsman brought the game to America and established Saint Andrews Golf Club in New York in 1888, 22 years before Arizona became a state.

There’s some dispute as to which golf course was the first in Arizona, but the consensus appears to be the Turquoise Golf Course, which was founded in 1908. It was located just yards away from the Mexican border. Poncho Villa was known to rode through the golf course and his pursuer, General Blackjack Pershing, had camped nearby. Others say The Phoenix Country Club was the first when it was founded in 1899. Either way, golf has been in Arizona for a long, long time.

It wasn’t until 1922 that the first “golf community” was established in San Marcos. Today, golf course communities can be found across the state.

Future of Golf Communities Will Be Different

Anyone who follows the game of golf knows it is changing. Its popularity remains high with over 25 million people playing the game in the U.S. Most golf enthusiasts are on the higher end of the age scale. The games appeal seems to be less popular among the younger Millennial generation, however.

Another thing that is changing the nature of golf course communities is the shift in behavioral mores. The younger generation has a decidedly less formal manner about it, as compared to the previous generation. When is the last time you saw someone under 30-years old wear a jacket and tie? Even Wall Street’s Goldman Sachs allows their employees to come to work “tieless”.

Many young folks are put off by the formality that many golf clubs impose on their members and guests – coats and ties at dinner, large rule books outlining what “can’t” be done, and stuffy furnishings from the previous century.

Combine these changing social trends with the overbuilding of golf courses during the past decade, and you are seeing a lot of courses either being repurposed or shut down altogether. Many golfing communities are moving beyond the single recreational pursuit of golf. Fitness centers, cooking classes, pickleball, and swimming pools are being added to appeal to those who want an activity besides just golf.

Moreover, many of the rules, regulations, and dress codes have been replaced in favor of a more casual, friendly, and informal code of dress and behavior.

Golf communities in Arizona are, like those across the country, adapting too with the objective of appealing to a broader and younger generation.

Arizona Golf Course Communities: Something for Everyone

There are over 300 golf courses in Arizona and about 100 golf communities where a golf course is located within the community or where residents have access to a course nearby. Many golf communities are also active, age restrictive retirement developments that offer their members many recreational activities beyond golf alone.

Arizona also has golf course communities for every pocketbook. Some communities cost close to $2 million for an empty lot, while others have homes that cost just over $100,000. Here are two examples, one at the top of the price-point pyramid and the other for those of more modest means.

Desert Mountain is a members-owned golf community for those with deep pockets. It is one of Scottdale’s premier golf communities. Homes run as high as $10 million. The community has six Jack Nicholson Signature golf courses as well as just about every amenity you can think of including a state-of-the-art fitness center, swimming pools and tennis courts. There is also a new 54 par championship golf course for all to enjoy.

Lower down on the monetary scale is Leisure World where home prices begin in the low $100,000’s. There are two golf courses at Leisure World and a number of additional recreational activities for those who want something beyond golf. These include tennis, swimming, and a 10,000 sq. ft. fitness center.

Leisure World is age restricted for those 45 and older. There are 2,664 homes in the community which is located in the greater Phoenix Metro Area in Mesa, Arizona’s third largest city.

If you are thinking of moving to a golf community, it would be wise to hire an experienced real estate agent who knows the local landscape. These top agents can guide you to the best community that fits your pocketbook and your needs.

If you do move to a golf course community in Arizona, just make sure you have screens on your windows. You don’t want a stray golf ball crashing through your window and landing in your morning bowl of cereal.

Included below are Golf Course Community homes for sale throughout Arizona.  If you would like more information on any of these Arizona Golf Course Community homes for sale, just click the "Request More Information" button when viewing the details of that property. We can provide you with disclosures, past sales history, dates and prices of homes recently sold nearby, and more.

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