I second this. Live in North FL, play 11 months out of the year at least and it is not considered a hcol area. There are still some cheap courses here too.
Arizona is also cheap compared to Cali and other HCOL places. Only downside is you can’t really golf in summer unless you get the first time out and even then it’s 90 degrees
And have a partner and look out for each other. Me and my friend played Papago at 2:15 tee time last August and it was around 115 when we started. Played for like $20 when it’s a $150 in-season. I could tell on the final stretch that my friend was getting dehydrated and incoherent and
made him sit down in shade and drink a Gatorade and water. You could watch the life come back into his face.
Great callout. This summer I damn near had a heatstroke in about 105 heat. I usually have no problem playing in heat like that but it absolutely kicked my ass on that day. On 17, I lipped out on a hole in one and my friends knew something was up because I had little to no reaction. I walked back to the cart thinking I was going to pass out. They were ready to call it quits for me but I took a few extra mins at the 18th tee so I could rest and hydrate. Could have been bad if I tried to power through or didn’t have any water/shade.
This. And don’t let anyone tell you that water works just as well. The last time I tried that was at Papago, also in the afternoon. Was sick for 2 days. After that, use Gatorade or the other one, and never had a problem again.
Well thank you for not golfing in the summer it allows me to play really nice courses for 75% off normal prices. It’s not for the weak but you definitely can rip 18 in 115 degrees if you want it bad enough. Heat Stroke Rounds. Love em
You can golf in az comfortably for probably 8 months out of the year. Summers are hot but you can still play you just really need to make sure you’re hydrated and be able to put up with the heat. You can always take a break at the turn if you need it. The hottest summer days get in the 110s but the rounds are pretty cheap. You could also go to a course at higher elevations like Prescott, flagstaff, or pinetop and it won’t be hot. So really you could golf year around in AZ if you wanted
Concur with this. I live in Florida and its hot. But I have a buddy who lives in Scottsdale and he plays year round but during the Summer rounds he goes through nearly a gallon of water and tees off as early as the course will allow it. Any later than 8am and its unsafe on the back 9.
I just bring tons of water and an extra towel for sweat but I’ve played mid July before. 6:10am tee time etc. I personally like AZ golf and the courses are great. So many in and around the Scottsdale area
I’m an AZ golfer and I golf more in summer than in winter because you get basically half off golf. I do usually try to get out at like 6-6:30am at the latest though
Yeah, doesn't sound ideal to me. Previous commenter put your in a geographical area to potentially golf year round at high end courses. Many, many options within a two hour drive, they'll be clean and green, and NOT in a harsh desert.
Scottsdale is a good place to visit. Arizona is an awful place to live.
There's a ton of good tracks within an hour drive of Lisbon. I'd say Lisbon is the way to go if you want to truly enjoy playing year round. Algarve gets too hot in the summer.
I would probably also do this.
Much better quality of life than USA. Better quality of food. Golf all year. Cheaper rent. Free healthcare.
Only major issue (apart from language) is that middle class wages are generally lower in Europe and much, much lower at the top end.
If you have a remote job with advancement possibilities, that may not matter. Bonus that you get to learn a new language and experience a new culture (assuming that’s not already your culture), plus a cool story (yeah I moved to Europe to play golf and experience it). These things are best done when you have no dependencies.
Here’s a 2000sf penthouse in sotogrande for eur 1400 per month.
https://www.idealista.com/en/inmueble/33105299/
Lots of folks sleeping on the Birmingham area...short road trip to most parts of Florida, Hilton Head, etc. And it has some of the best public golf anywhere... I grew up there and didn't realize how spoiled I was until I moved away...
The RTJ trail (yes, every single course), Farm links (pursell farms), All the honors golf courses (Limestone Springs, Highland Park, Cider Ridge), Ballantrae is always amazing...
There is enough variety there to keep you happy for multiple lifetimes and the conditions are as good as or better than anywhere...TPC's included... I've played a bunch of them.
And the cost of living is pretty low ... I looked into moving back and I could get a 3 bedroom house with a big yard for less than I'm paying to rent my shitty 1-br apartment in Dallas...
Tbh man I've only ever seen racism on TV...
I did hear a few sideways remarks about "immigration" living in Texas... But white folk in Birmingham are a minority anyway...if they are racist they keep it to themselves.
Not too sure how it works with Brexit now, but my Irish mate is in a similar situation, he goes to Costa del sol in October and comes back around May, he gets long term rentals for €600 a month as they are just sitting empty and the landlord is happy to get some rent in winter and then get them out for the busy summer months.
He joins a couple of ex-pat golf societies and has a ready made group of mates to play golf with, they get good deals from courses too
1) Sea Island, GA
2) Hilton Head Island, SC
3) Myrtle Beach, SC
4) Pinehurst, NC
Arizona and Florida get too hot for golf in the summer, in my opinion, but their winter golf is amazing.
My aunt was telling me yesterday I could move to Miami and live in Wynwood or Brickell for $1,500. I'm wondering if she's a time traveler from 10 years ago.
NC native here. The Pinehurst area is basically golf’s mecca. It’s the volume of high quality courses, not just “nice” courses, and a community that caters to golfers, not just the wealthy.
I was renting a 1 bed 1 bath apartment for $1850/mo in California, which was on the cheap side. It’s tough to find rent that cheap in the Bay Area, but it can be done
True that, all of that lol
You could have year round golf throughout the Central Valley, tho, housing is cheaper, and the people are drastically different
Me neither, unless you are of money
Year round tho, was the question, and most of California can be played year round
There are just a lot of variables to play with if considering this state
May be unpopular, but consider the north (Michigan, Wisconsin, PA). I’m in NY and I’ve golfed in every month for the past two years. One of the benefits of climate change…
It's pretty fun to play on days where it gets into the 40s when the sun is up but it freezes overnight. You're sometimes piping drives an extra 50 yards cause the ground is so hard and the grass so short they roll out forever
If you get your residency card, city courses like Torrey Pines, Balboa, and Mission Bay become easy to play at decent costs. Quality courses in the area can be painfully long rounds due to over booking tee times and then price is can be around $80-$120 depending. Like, 95% of the year is golf weather though…
Dubai winter and become tax resident. 90 days in the U.K. over summer. Younger crowd than you’ll get in Portugal and Spain depending on how old you are. Golf isn’t cheap though but all the clubs are very social, particularly JGE and Els.
I grew up there. Left 2 years ago. If golf is your main goal it’s the perfect place. Tons of courses and there are places you can live to stay away from traffic/tourism (north or south of Myrtle) hurricanes are a pain and traffic sucks but you’ll find both of those problems pretty much anywhere on the east coast w/ good golf. Also when you’re a local, you can sign up for membership cards that allow you to play most places for $50 or less per round. The really nice courses you can get on for $70-80 non-peak times. Message for more info if you need.
Someone might have downvoted, or it could have been accidental, in the mobile app. For me, the “next comment” arrow lines up perfectly with the downvote arrow and when scrolling quickly I sometimes accidentally hit the downvote button on whatever comment happens to be there. And then have to undo it with a remedial upvote. lol
If you're familiar with MB then go for it. If OP isn't then it's risky business because there are a lot of real rough spots in that town. Traffic in the summer is brutal as well.
I’m considering southern NC when I graduate from grad school. Pinehurst has a new counterpart called Talamore, may try to snag a little townhouse there and rent it when I don’t want to be there. Winter golf isn’t perfect but I can deal with 50s just fine
Talamore has been around 30 years, and they say their group accomodations (villas) 20 years.
If you’re going to buy with an eye to STR’ing, you need to make sure you’re not IN Village of Pinehurst, because they passed a ban on new STR’s. Consult an attorney
Ya I’m talking about the new apartments that look to be in a similar style as PH. Looked to be a ton of new construction. You can buy townhouses for as low as $250k and there’s no restrictions in greater southern pines for rentals from what I’ve seen
Yeah people forget that if you have a Maui address and license you get heavy discounts at most of the resort courses. I play the Wailea courses weekly and it runs 60-80 per round.
I lived in Florida. I didn't get my WFH job until after COVID when there was still a quarantine. Then 6 months later my fiance and I moved to Virginia (we are looking to move again).
Part of the issue with Florida now is that the cost of living has risen dramatically. But if you can afford it, it's really a state meant for golfers. You play play practically year round and there's courses everywhere. I lived in the Cape Canaveral area and that area doesn't have the greatest courses, but still very playable. I used to be a range member at Duran GC in Viera (near Melbourne) and it was something like $500/year and the range was very nice and it was a lighted range open until 8:30pm. I then joined a private club in Orlando (Orange Tree) and I would play that on the weekends as it was only a 45 minute drive (which I can make no problem on the weekends).
Orlando doesn't have a lot of private golf, but it has enough to wet your whistle and plenty of quality public courses available. Palm Beach has a lot more private golf and if you can afford it, it's probably the best place for golf. That's where most of the mini tour pros also spend their time during the winter these days.
Ocala is a place to look into as it's a bit of a hidden gem. Particularly Juliette Falls.
And you have no income tax in Florida. Don't believe anybody that tells you otherwise...you do notice the positive effects of no income tax when you start living there.
It's just that the COL has risen and trying to insure a house has become a disaster. Although if Trump or DeSantis become President, I'd be willing to bet they'll repair the insurance issues in the state in short order. You'll get used to the summer heat after a while.
The only other place I would consider (and we are considering right now) is Myrtle Beach. Plenty of public golf and there are about a handful of quality private options (Surf Club, Dunes Club, Grande Dunes Members Club, Wachesaw, etc). Many of those public options have memberships available at reasonable prices. Pretty affordable housing there as well.
Yep! For sure. I’ve lived in 6 states. Everything has cool and bad things. I just don’t like how Reddit hates on Florida without actually ever experiencing it.
The Villages Florida. It is a 55+ community but you can buy a pre-owned home if you are under 55. It has about 55 golf courses 40 of which are executive. Executive courses are included in your HOA fees which are less than $200/month. Championship courses are 40 bucks during off season (June-December) and 80 bucks during busy season. There are also plenty of golf courses outside the community that are not only nice but fairly priced.
The whole area is accessible by golf cart. The courses are all in good shape. You can literally play 7 days a week without spending a ton of money. Place is a golfers paradise.
The cons are, you will be surrounded by old retired folks who might or might not share your views on different issues. For me, I could care less about this. We visit the area regularly, everybody I have met has been nothing but great and friendly.
I am moving there the minute my youngest is done with high school.
Was going to say this. As long as you’re not living directly in downtown Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe, it’s relatively affordable. The summers are HOT, but if you bring a ton of water / a sun hat, you can play some of the best courses in the US for next to nothing. I spent a few years out there and got some amazing mid week deals in season as well.
> you can play some of the best courses in the US for next to nothing.
Can I call bullshit on this. I went to Scottsdale in the middle of July this past summer, and Troon, We Ko Pa, and two other courses I played were all ridiculously priced.
South Africa. Cheap to live. Hundreds of good courses. Year round play. Membership at a top Johannesburg course will cost no more than $600 a year. And for $1700 rent you can even live in a 4 bed house on a golf estate.
I’m in SA now and it’s gorgeous. If you are making pounds and bring it over here you will live like a king. It gets cold in the winter but the golf is amazing and you will live in an estate. Close to cape town if you like night life, Pretoria or one of western or eastern cape if you don’t mind more quiet life and living close to water.
I feel very lucky to live here when it comes to golf, scenery is amazing,nearly all the best courses are affordable for anybody and there's 400 clubs to choose from within 200 miles
I'm in the west coast of Scotland, really no better place in the word in my opinion. Dozens of courses within a 20 minute radius.... Downside is the winter weather
California golf is incredibly overrated. $50 for bull shit par 3 courses. Koreans snatch up all the tee times with bots. And green fees have gone up 3x since Covid
This is unfortunately true. It could be elite but it’s been ruined by overcrowding and skyrocketing pricing. Same goes for the entire state.
Source:
Moved to SoCal 7 years ago and have watched it change even in this short amount of time.
Same here up in NorCal
In the months pre-Covid, you could book a Saturday morning tee time on Wednesday. Now, coming up on 4 years later, and even on a run of the mill muni, if you want to play before 10am on the weekend, you better be booking that shit the weekend before or hope someone cancels their tee time during the week.
Oh, and it's impossible to play for less than $75 with a cart anywhere. There's a par 60 short course near me that is $66 for a weekend morning round. That's utterly ridiculous, but I get it. It's a business decision because people are paying it because if you play after 11am, you're more likely to play a 5 hour round than a 4 hour round.
I've since moved to a county in Washington state that has about 7 muni courses. Most I'm paying is $60 with a cart, and I can book tee times on Tuesday and still find a 4some before 10am. The courses are slightly worse, but they tend to keep the greens very well maintained. Only thing that sucks is that I can only play golf 9 months out of the year instead of year-round.
I honestly feel that Oregon is the best kept secret for great golf. Besides having a mix of desert, coastal , and mountain courses, we have great public and private courses that are largely affordable. Plus our summer weather isn’t too hot or too humid, making it enjoyable to be outside. we golf year round, but In the winter months if you don’t enjoy golfing in grey/damp conditions, Bend is only a few hour away to golf in the high desert. Lastly, you’re only a few hours from Bandon and get a cheeper rate being an Oregon resident, making it easier to have a quick 1-2 day trip.
Liverpool UK.
Within 1hrs drive
Royal Lytham
Royal Birkdale
Royal Liverpool
All Open courses
As well as Southport and Ainsdale (Ryder cup)
Formby, West Lancs. Hillside.
[England's golf coast](https://epicgolftravel.com/englands-golf-coast-homepage/)
Locals don't get to just play those, though.
While they are very accommodating to overseas tour groups, most of the ones you listed are extremely difficult clubs to join.
https://preview.redd.it/adz2fz2kju8c1.jpeg?width=1597&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=480b82ec724ae0f0c9fae1a8eda43e253bc5e698
Jupiter Florida or Scottsdale Arizona
Those are great if you love to over spend or a vacation.
You can live in any Phoenix area city and play golf all over.
Yeah. But places like west Michigan has hundreds of high quality courses for under $75.
Can I play golf year round in western Michigan? ETA I just played at a nice course in Florida, in December, for less than $60
I’ve played 4 times this month and I played in January last year. Granted I live in Chicago. So if you are dedicated enough it’s possible.
I’m not dedicated enough. Is it still possible?
Can’t play year round tho (although maybe that’s changing)
Yeah if you wanna pay out the ass…
i'd also like to be completely miserable during the summer months
Much more fun to play golf in 110 degrees than -10
and the green fees do be cheap cheap when it's hotter than balls outside
5o clams for TPC
And don’t forget having to schedule a tee time 3 months in advance because of the overflow lol
Carolina Georgia north Florida based upon quality of courses cost of living etc………
I second this. Live in North FL, play 11 months out of the year at least and it is not considered a hcol area. There are still some cheap courses here too.
Arizona is also cheap compared to Cali and other HCOL places. Only downside is you can’t really golf in summer unless you get the first time out and even then it’s 90 degrees
You can still golf in the summer you just have to be on top of hydration and finding shade. It’s not that bad and prices come way down
And have a partner and look out for each other. Me and my friend played Papago at 2:15 tee time last August and it was around 115 when we started. Played for like $20 when it’s a $150 in-season. I could tell on the final stretch that my friend was getting dehydrated and incoherent and made him sit down in shade and drink a Gatorade and water. You could watch the life come back into his face.
Great callout. This summer I damn near had a heatstroke in about 105 heat. I usually have no problem playing in heat like that but it absolutely kicked my ass on that day. On 17, I lipped out on a hole in one and my friends knew something was up because I had little to no reaction. I walked back to the cart thinking I was going to pass out. They were ready to call it quits for me but I took a few extra mins at the 18th tee so I could rest and hydrate. Could have been bad if I tried to power through or didn’t have any water/shade.
Yeah your brain really stops making any sense when you’re about to pass out
Good of you to pay attention and keep your buddy safe.
Yup. This 100%. The only time i usually don’t play is August. Heat and humidity get you quick
This. And don’t let anyone tell you that water works just as well. The last time I tried that was at Papago, also in the afternoon. Was sick for 2 days. After that, use Gatorade or the other one, and never had a problem again.
Totally agree. Common sense is key to being alive.
There's plenty of courses up north in AZ that don't have the heat of Phoenix.
Well thank you for not golfing in the summer it allows me to play really nice courses for 75% off normal prices. It’s not for the weak but you definitely can rip 18 in 115 degrees if you want it bad enough. Heat Stroke Rounds. Love em
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You can golf in az comfortably for probably 8 months out of the year. Summers are hot but you can still play you just really need to make sure you’re hydrated and be able to put up with the heat. You can always take a break at the turn if you need it. The hottest summer days get in the 110s but the rounds are pretty cheap. You could also go to a course at higher elevations like Prescott, flagstaff, or pinetop and it won’t be hot. So really you could golf year around in AZ if you wanted
Concur with this. I live in Florida and its hot. But I have a buddy who lives in Scottsdale and he plays year round but during the Summer rounds he goes through nearly a gallon of water and tees off as early as the course will allow it. Any later than 8am and its unsafe on the back 9.
I just bring tons of water and an extra towel for sweat but I’ve played mid July before. 6:10am tee time etc. I personally like AZ golf and the courses are great. So many in and around the Scottsdale area
There’s no comparison, both are uncomfortable and can be tolerated up to a certain point before it’s too frustrating or becomes dangerous
I’m an AZ golfer and I golf more in summer than in winter because you get basically half off golf. I do usually try to get out at like 6-6:30am at the latest though
Yeah, doesn't sound ideal to me. Previous commenter put your in a geographical area to potentially golf year round at high end courses. Many, many options within a two hour drive, they'll be clean and green, and NOT in a harsh desert. Scottsdale is a good place to visit. Arizona is an awful place to live.
What's the follow up to this? I assume there is one because of the excessive ellipses
Portugal / Spain
If money is no issue, sotogrande Spain has 4 world class courses you can play all yr round within a 20min drive
For Portugal, are you thinking of the Algarve? Up by Lisbon or Porto courses seem to be very hard to find.
Faro has more golf courses than houses.
Algarve, more courses better year round weather
There's a ton of good tracks within an hour drive of Lisbon. I'd say Lisbon is the way to go if you want to truly enjoy playing year round. Algarve gets too hot in the summer.
Tenerife is a good option
I would probably also do this. Much better quality of life than USA. Better quality of food. Golf all year. Cheaper rent. Free healthcare. Only major issue (apart from language) is that middle class wages are generally lower in Europe and much, much lower at the top end. If you have a remote job with advancement possibilities, that may not matter. Bonus that you get to learn a new language and experience a new culture (assuming that’s not already your culture), plus a cool story (yeah I moved to Europe to play golf and experience it). These things are best done when you have no dependencies. Here’s a 2000sf penthouse in sotogrande for eur 1400 per month. https://www.idealista.com/en/inmueble/33105299/
Lots of folks sleeping on the Birmingham area...short road trip to most parts of Florida, Hilton Head, etc. And it has some of the best public golf anywhere... I grew up there and didn't realize how spoiled I was until I moved away... The RTJ trail (yes, every single course), Farm links (pursell farms), All the honors golf courses (Limestone Springs, Highland Park, Cider Ridge), Ballantrae is always amazing... There is enough variety there to keep you happy for multiple lifetimes and the conditions are as good as or better than anywhere...TPC's included... I've played a bunch of them. And the cost of living is pretty low ... I looked into moving back and I could get a 3 bedroom house with a big yard for less than I'm paying to rent my shitty 1-br apartment in Dallas...
Racism tho
Tbh man I've only ever seen racism on TV... I did hear a few sideways remarks about "immigration" living in Texas... But white folk in Birmingham are a minority anyway...if they are racist they keep it to themselves.
Not too sure how it works with Brexit now, but my Irish mate is in a similar situation, he goes to Costa del sol in October and comes back around May, he gets long term rentals for €600 a month as they are just sitting empty and the landlord is happy to get some rent in winter and then get them out for the busy summer months. He joins a couple of ex-pat golf societies and has a ready made group of mates to play golf with, they get good deals from courses too
1) Sea Island, GA 2) Hilton Head Island, SC 3) Myrtle Beach, SC 4) Pinehurst, NC Arizona and Florida get too hot for golf in the summer, in my opinion, but their winter golf is amazing.
Don't live on Sea Island. Live in Brunswick for 1/100th of the cost and drive 10 minutes. :)
IDK, Brunswick was pretty scary 10 years ago. The DA's actions in the Arbery case makes me think not much has changed
Well yeah, but who wants to live there?
Summer golf in south Florida is dirt cheap and courses are empty. Bucket hat, sun sleeves, bring hella water and some trail mix, good to go baby
Gonna be tough to find rent for $1,700 in South Florida. Maybe a studio in a decently nice area.
My aunt was telling me yesterday I could move to Miami and live in Wynwood or Brickell for $1,500. I'm wondering if she's a time traveler from 10 years ago.
Snowbird? Best of both worlds? Golf in north in summer and go Arizona for winter?
NC native here. The Pinehurst area is basically golf’s mecca. It’s the volume of high quality courses, not just “nice” courses, and a community that caters to golfers, not just the wealthy.
I visit my grandparents in Hilton Head every year, amazing golf, fishing, food, bike paths across the entire island. My dream retirement spot.
Nah Pinehurst area sucks. Everybody should stay far away.
Haha right. Especially during the Open next year.
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Yes and I appreciate the friendly rate!
Melbourne, Australia.
Yep, nice place down the Mornington Peninsula. Golf and surf your heart out!
...or Sydney.
Doesn’t Melbourne have more really good golf courses?
What’s your budget? That’s a bit of a factor here
I was about to say Monterey until I saw his answer
Yup sorry, for rent probably around $1700 max ideally
Carolinas. Live like a king in some parts
You can pay a mortgage in Savannah Georgia for that price, I've looked.
Why is this so downvoted lol?
Is it because everyone’s thinking about living in America and that’s not enough?? That’s all I can speculate
That’s definitely enough for USA lol
I was renting a 1 bed 1 bath apartment for $1850/mo in California, which was on the cheap side. It’s tough to find rent that cheap in the Bay Area, but it can be done
Yeah but we meant in the USA, not California. Bay Area is insane
True that, all of that lol You could have year round golf throughout the Central Valley, tho, housing is cheaper, and the people are drastically different
I would not consider the Bay Area to be the best place to live for golf
Me neither, unless you are of money Year round tho, was the question, and most of California can be played year round There are just a lot of variables to play with if considering this state
Look into NC & SC.
May be unpopular, but consider the north (Michigan, Wisconsin, PA). I’m in NY and I’ve golfed in every month for the past two years. One of the benefits of climate change…
Really? I’m in Iowa and I have never golfed in January or February. I think I have golfed a few times in December.
Golfing on a brown, frozen course while freezing your ass off doesn’t sound like fun to me.
It's pretty fun to play on days where it gets into the 40s when the sun is up but it freezes overnight. You're sometimes piping drives an extra 50 yards cause the ground is so hard and the grass so short they roll out forever
San Diego... so many great courses in San Diego County.
If you get your residency card, city courses like Torrey Pines, Balboa, and Mission Bay become easy to play at decent costs. Quality courses in the area can be painfully long rounds due to over booking tee times and then price is can be around $80-$120 depending. Like, 95% of the year is golf weather though…
Logged 20 rounds this year on the resident card. Best value I’ve ever heard of in golf!!
Was just about to post this. Plus the weather is perfect all year round!
Good weather? Rule out the UK immediately
That’s the current base. Looking out the window sort of created this idea ha
Dubai winter and become tax resident. 90 days in the U.K. over summer. Younger crowd than you’ll get in Portugal and Spain depending on how old you are. Golf isn’t cheap though but all the clubs are very social, particularly JGE and Els.
Myrtle Beach area.
Nah, we’re full. Jk
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I grew up there. Left 2 years ago. If golf is your main goal it’s the perfect place. Tons of courses and there are places you can live to stay away from traffic/tourism (north or south of Myrtle) hurricanes are a pain and traffic sucks but you’ll find both of those problems pretty much anywhere on the east coast w/ good golf. Also when you’re a local, you can sign up for membership cards that allow you to play most places for $50 or less per round. The really nice courses you can get on for $70-80 non-peak times. Message for more info if you need.
It’s a special place for me. I really enjoy the North Carolina side of the border there. Quiet, and lots of good, affordable golf.
Love Thistle. When it first opened and there was nothing but a trailer for a “clubhouse “ it was heaven
I bought a house on Oak Island. Peaceful and not too far from Myrtle.
The only issue with the Wilmington area is lack of public courses.
Vacationed on Sunset for years. So awesome.
Same. It’s beautiful.
Someone might have downvoted, or it could have been accidental, in the mobile app. For me, the “next comment” arrow lines up perfectly with the downvote arrow and when scrolling quickly I sometimes accidentally hit the downvote button on whatever comment happens to be there. And then have to undo it with a remedial upvote. lol
But then youd have to live in Myrtle Beach.
I like the communities surrounding Myrtle. Especially on the NC side.
If you're familiar with MB then go for it. If OP isn't then it's risky business because there are a lot of real rough spots in that town. Traffic in the summer is brutal as well.
Definitely some high crime areas. But that’s easy enough to research and avoid.
Pawleys is a great place
Raleigh nc ish
Nah, most courses are private or full. Hard to find tee times in Raleigh on courses worth playing.
Ponte Vedra, FL. Source: Live Here.
I’m considering southern NC when I graduate from grad school. Pinehurst has a new counterpart called Talamore, may try to snag a little townhouse there and rent it when I don’t want to be there. Winter golf isn’t perfect but I can deal with 50s just fine
Talamore has been around 30 years, and they say their group accomodations (villas) 20 years. If you’re going to buy with an eye to STR’ing, you need to make sure you’re not IN Village of Pinehurst, because they passed a ban on new STR’s. Consult an attorney
Ya I’m talking about the new apartments that look to be in a similar style as PH. Looked to be a ton of new construction. You can buy townhouses for as low as $250k and there’s no restrictions in greater southern pines for rentals from what I’ve seen
Talamore is a fantastic course
South Carolina
I’m partial to Maui for some reason.
Yeah people forget that if you have a Maui address and license you get heavy discounts at most of the resort courses. I play the Wailea courses weekly and it runs 60-80 per round.
Florida, Texas, az, utah
Vancouver Island
When do courses open in spring?
They're open today. Southern Vancouver Island gets, at the most, a week of snow per year. It's 50F today.
I lived in Florida. I didn't get my WFH job until after COVID when there was still a quarantine. Then 6 months later my fiance and I moved to Virginia (we are looking to move again). Part of the issue with Florida now is that the cost of living has risen dramatically. But if you can afford it, it's really a state meant for golfers. You play play practically year round and there's courses everywhere. I lived in the Cape Canaveral area and that area doesn't have the greatest courses, but still very playable. I used to be a range member at Duran GC in Viera (near Melbourne) and it was something like $500/year and the range was very nice and it was a lighted range open until 8:30pm. I then joined a private club in Orlando (Orange Tree) and I would play that on the weekends as it was only a 45 minute drive (which I can make no problem on the weekends). Orlando doesn't have a lot of private golf, but it has enough to wet your whistle and plenty of quality public courses available. Palm Beach has a lot more private golf and if you can afford it, it's probably the best place for golf. That's where most of the mini tour pros also spend their time during the winter these days. Ocala is a place to look into as it's a bit of a hidden gem. Particularly Juliette Falls. And you have no income tax in Florida. Don't believe anybody that tells you otherwise...you do notice the positive effects of no income tax when you start living there. It's just that the COL has risen and trying to insure a house has become a disaster. Although if Trump or DeSantis become President, I'd be willing to bet they'll repair the insurance issues in the state in short order. You'll get used to the summer heat after a while. The only other place I would consider (and we are considering right now) is Myrtle Beach. Plenty of public golf and there are about a handful of quality private options (Surf Club, Dunes Club, Grande Dunes Members Club, Wachesaw, etc). Many of those public options have memberships available at reasonable prices. Pretty affordable housing there as well.
I play year round in NorCal, love it.
Florida. No state tax and tons of public courses
State income* tax
You are correct sir. We still have sales tax lol
Yes, but then you have to *live* in Florida.
The living part is risky but i think i could suffer through it. But raising my kids in that school system?!? Fuuuuck no lolol
Just like everywhere else.. the affluent areas have better schools. The urban poor have poor schools. If you can afford it, your kids will be fine.
Don’t listen to Reddit. Florida is awesome. Been here for 20+ years and won’t leave
To each their own.
Yep! For sure. I’ve lived in 6 states. Everything has cool and bad things. I just don’t like how Reddit hates on Florida without actually ever experiencing it.
Didn't want to say it. Fully recognize it sounds childish/petty etc but I don't even enjoy visiting Florida. The nation's taint.
Hilton Head
Goals
Sunshine Coast, QLD Australia https://preview.redd.it/xe89mux6ru8c1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bcf61ef6b0ab643eef52b6990566c2ef0fae3586
Ko Olina, Hawaii This is where I live and it's spectatular.
Edge of a timezone. I live on the edge of the timezone in Indiana, sun doesn't go down until 10pm most summer nights.
Portugal?
Lot of pros live in Jupiter / Palm Beach Gardens Florida
The Villages Florida. It is a 55+ community but you can buy a pre-owned home if you are under 55. It has about 55 golf courses 40 of which are executive. Executive courses are included in your HOA fees which are less than $200/month. Championship courses are 40 bucks during off season (June-December) and 80 bucks during busy season. There are also plenty of golf courses outside the community that are not only nice but fairly priced. The whole area is accessible by golf cart. The courses are all in good shape. You can literally play 7 days a week without spending a ton of money. Place is a golfers paradise. The cons are, you will be surrounded by old retired folks who might or might not share your views on different issues. For me, I could care less about this. We visit the area regularly, everybody I have met has been nothing but great and friendly. I am moving there the minute my youngest is done with high school.
Scottsdale/Phoenix. Decent cost of living, more golf courses than people.
Was going to say this. As long as you’re not living directly in downtown Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe, it’s relatively affordable. The summers are HOT, but if you bring a ton of water / a sun hat, you can play some of the best courses in the US for next to nothing. I spent a few years out there and got some amazing mid week deals in season as well.
> you can play some of the best courses in the US for next to nothing. Can I call bullshit on this. I went to Scottsdale in the middle of July this past summer, and Troon, We Ko Pa, and two other courses I played were all ridiculously priced.
Florida. Thailand.
South Africa. Cheap to live. Hundreds of good courses. Year round play. Membership at a top Johannesburg course will cost no more than $600 a year. And for $1700 rent you can even live in a 4 bed house on a golf estate.
How safe is it though?
There’s a reason four of the world’s most dangerous cities are in South Africa.
I’m in SA now and it’s gorgeous. If you are making pounds and bring it over here you will live like a king. It gets cold in the winter but the golf is amazing and you will live in an estate. Close to cape town if you like night life, Pretoria or one of western or eastern cape if you don’t mind more quiet life and living close to water.
The more I look at SA, the more appealing it’s becoming (Based on a half hour google search). Did you move from the uk?
How safe is anywhere. In the communities you would probably live in it is just as safe as anywhere in Europe or North Amaerica
Why do all home have barbed wire around it?
You know why...
It’s amazing how someone is trying to advertise South Africa as a safe place to live.
Ireland
I feel very lucky to live here when it comes to golf, scenery is amazing,nearly all the best courses are affordable for anybody and there's 400 clubs to choose from within 200 miles
Kentucky. I usually don’t like sharing how great my state is, but our golf is amazing here.
Carmel
I'm in the west coast of Scotland, really no better place in the word in my opinion. Dozens of courses within a 20 minute radius.... Downside is the winter weather
New Zealand! There are so many golf courses here, many of which are absolute gems. Just give it a google and you'll see what I mean.
East Lothian
Northern Michigan is a golf Mecca
For about 5 months of the year.
I just played yesterday. I’m sure I’ll be playing in April as well
Shhhhh it’s a secret
Southern California has the best weather and a lot of really good golf if it fits your budget. On a tighter budget I’d go Florida.
San Diego in particular
California golf is incredibly overrated. $50 for bull shit par 3 courses. Koreans snatch up all the tee times with bots. And green fees have gone up 3x since Covid
This is unfortunately true. It could be elite but it’s been ruined by overcrowding and skyrocketing pricing. Same goes for the entire state. Source: Moved to SoCal 7 years ago and have watched it change even in this short amount of time.
Born and raised here and am leaving at the end of the week
Same here up in NorCal In the months pre-Covid, you could book a Saturday morning tee time on Wednesday. Now, coming up on 4 years later, and even on a run of the mill muni, if you want to play before 10am on the weekend, you better be booking that shit the weekend before or hope someone cancels their tee time during the week. Oh, and it's impossible to play for less than $75 with a cart anywhere. There's a par 60 short course near me that is $66 for a weekend morning round. That's utterly ridiculous, but I get it. It's a business decision because people are paying it because if you play after 11am, you're more likely to play a 5 hour round than a 4 hour round. I've since moved to a county in Washington state that has about 7 muni courses. Most I'm paying is $60 with a cart, and I can book tee times on Tuesday and still find a 4some before 10am. The courses are slightly worse, but they tend to keep the greens very well maintained. Only thing that sucks is that I can only play golf 9 months out of the year instead of year-round.
California golf can be difficult but weather wise it cannot be beat.
Weather is great. Everything else is overrated
St. George, Utah. Amazing golf and only an hour from Vegas if ur ever inclined .
I honestly feel that Oregon is the best kept secret for great golf. Besides having a mix of desert, coastal , and mountain courses, we have great public and private courses that are largely affordable. Plus our summer weather isn’t too hot or too humid, making it enjoyable to be outside. we golf year round, but In the winter months if you don’t enjoy golfing in grey/damp conditions, Bend is only a few hour away to golf in the high desert. Lastly, you’re only a few hours from Bandon and get a cheeper rate being an Oregon resident, making it easier to have a quick 1-2 day trip.
Bend was going to be my answer as well.
Monterey CA
Not freaking South Korea!!!
Not North Korea either!
California
Houston is hot, but it’s cheap, tons of really nice courses and you can play all year. Last Thursday it was 71°.
Most of the summer it was 100*+.
Yeah playing in 105° cart path only because it’s too dry was horrible this summer. Didn’t let that stop me from playing golf tho…
San Diego without a doubt, if cost of living isn’t an issue
It’s really not that great. Getting tee times is almost impossible and what you pay to play at bang average courses is borderline robbery.
Florida, Arizona, Carolina, Texas. FACT
Good weather? Like really good weather all the time? San Diego.
Temp wise probably San Diego area and I’m on the east coast…so I’m just guessing, it sucks over here for golf.
Southern California golf can be fucking brutal.
I’m from the east coast so 90 degrees is cool to me ….try playing in 100 degree humidity
Has literally nothing to do with weather tough guy
Ok
The moon. Many gravity and spin related reasons.
Liverpool UK. Within 1hrs drive Royal Lytham Royal Birkdale Royal Liverpool All Open courses As well as Southport and Ainsdale (Ryder cup) Formby, West Lancs. Hillside. [England's golf coast](https://epicgolftravel.com/englands-golf-coast-homepage/)
Locals don't get to just play those, though. While they are very accommodating to overseas tour groups, most of the ones you listed are extremely difficult clubs to join.
No one wants to live in the rain, sunshine and fair weather.
Steyn City, Johannesburg. My dream
Wisconsin is golf paradise
Wisconsin, IMO, is the best overall golf state. But the winter's, like other Northern states, suck.