| Today, more and more avid golfers who are | | | | neighboring small towns of Southern Pines and |
| approaching their retirement years are growing | | | | Aberdeen still have affordable building sites and resale |
| increasingly concerned that the current economic | | | | homes. |
| crisis in this country might perhaps force them to | | | | Golf is also a major attraction in the mountains of |
| abandon the idea of finding a place to retire on or | | | | western North Carolina, but here the price for homes |
| near a golf course. True, for many golfers, their | | | | and home sites located within a golf complex are |
| shrinking 401 investment portfolio and uncertain | | | | among some of the highest in the country. However, |
| financial status might necessitate that they forgo the | | | | if one looks a little closer at small towns like Brevard, |
| luxury of an expensive luxury home on the fairways | | | | Boone or Waynesville, or others around the Asheville |
| of a prestigious private country club. | | | | area, single family homes are reasonably priced and |
| However, with careful planning, a willingness to | | | | yet not far removed from good golfing. |
| downsize that dream retirement home and the | | | | Most golfers are familiar with the golf courses that |
| investment of some time and effort in pursuit of an | | | | abound in and around the area of Hilton Head Island |
| affordable place to golf, it is still possible to find a | | | | in coastal South Carolina, and while the home prices |
| very well-priced and inviting home in a golfing | | | | on the Island itself may be above the reach of the |
| environment that most retirees would consider as | | | | average retiree, there are a growing number of |
| fitting their requirement for the best place to retire. | | | | retirement communities in neighboring towns such as |
| In fact, in nearly every area of the U.S., there are a | | | | Bluffton with affordable homes, some of which |
| number of communities with a ready supply of | | | | feature golf courses as part of their amenities. South |
| affordable retirement housing with challenging golf | | | | Carolina's best known golfing destination, Myrtle |
| courses, both private and daily fee public facilities. | | | | Beach and the Grand Stand, a sixty-mile strip filled |
| Furthermore, with most new master planned golf | | | | with oceanfront hotels and golf courses extending |
| communities, developers are drastically reducing | | | | into Brunswick County, North Carolina, still attract an |
| prices in an effort to boost falling sales, and | | | | increasing number of retirees who have found the |
| higher-priced golf properties are more reasonably | | | | area meets their requirements for their best place to |
| priced than any time in recent memory. | | | | retire. |
| Even with these circumstances, retirees who want to | | | | Georgia and Tennessee, two other Southeastern |
| live where they can spend their leisure time on the | | | | states with moderate climates that permit golfing |
| links would be well served to explore certain towns | | | | almost ten months out of the year, are both home |
| and cities where golf is a major focus and therefore | | | | to small towns noted as being highly desirable |
| where housing inventories and prices are more | | | | retirement destinations for golfers. Several designer |
| attractive. Here are a few suggestions where, not | | | | courses, bearing the names of Arnold Palmer and |
| only are prices for retirement housing extremely | | | | Jack Nicklaus, have been carved out of the Georgia |
| reasonable, but also there is an abundance of good, | | | | rural landscape along Lake Oconee. Initially, these |
| quality golf courses which can be enjoyed at very | | | | developments were executive-style luxury |
| moderate rates. | | | | communities, but a recent trend has been the arrival |
| It may be surprising to some to discover that the | | | | of new retirement properties, spearheaded by a Del |
| most affordable retirement destinations are often | | | | Webb complex with a varied selection of affordable |
| located in or near what are also some of the most | | | | home designs near the picturesque small town of |
| popular and best known golfing communities. Among | | | | Greensboro. |
| such places is Pinehurst, North Carolina, long | | | | And perched atop Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau, |
| considered to be one of America's great golf resorts | | | | Crossville, which bills itself as the "Golf Capital of |
| and home to a number of residential golf course | | | | Tennessee," has been a major destination for |
| developments, including the prestigious Pinehurst Club. | | | | retirees for the last thirty years. Lured by the |
| In spite of the fact that most homes along the | | | | presence of a number of affordable residential golf |
| fairways can be pretty pricey, there are also a large | | | | communities, the absence of a state income tax, a |
| number of resale homes and condos available at any | | | | low cost of living and a thriving small town economy, |
| given time for less than $200,000. In addition, several | | | | retirees have made Crossville a major retirement and |
| of the communities in and around Pinehurst and the | | | | golfing destination. |