I've been daydreaming a lot lately. Midwinter in CT has that effet on me. We spend a lot of time indoors during February. Even a simple trip to the driving range, is out of the question on icy, gray days with grounds covered in snow and winds whipping wildly.
My winter reveries are often inspired by virtual meanderings across the seductice landscape of the internet. Not long ago, on a particularly dark and bitter day, I did a google search for "Luxury Golf Communities" and discovered what is currently my ultimate fantasy: The Cliffs, a place where dreams (and daydreams) appear to come true... that is, if your dreams involve attractive people frolicking in gorgeous landscapes, playing relaxed rounds on masterfully designed courses. ...and isn't that what everyone fanasizes about?
Well maybe not. As seductive as it may seem to some, the preplanned golf community lifestyle is apparently not for everyone. I explore this curious contrariety in Golf Community Conundrum, a piece I posted at Golf for Women. Check it out if you've ever thought (or fantasized) about life in a golf community.
As for me, we'll it's currently 23 degrees here in Danbury, so I think I'll go spend a couple of hours at The Cliffs. I feel better already.
GG,
ReplyDeleteI am with you on the golf community questionable image. On the most part I hear from a number of people who want to live that lifestyle in a Golf Only community. Most find that the community they chose was not closed to just Golfers leaving the few golfers in the community held responsible for financially supporting the entire golf club and community’s operations budget.
That is really too bad, however, there are many good communities as well. Many times the change in environment for people is why they do not accept the community and many people do not make friends well. So there are also other reasons other than the golf community not being what it was made out to be that causes people to go back to where they came from.
Maybe you and I should start our own golf community? I am sure everyone would want to be our friends, won’t they?
PS: I would love to comment on your GFM blog, but their sign up requirements are really not very exciting and I already get enough promotional material from enough golf magazines
OMG The Cliffs looks beautiful! We're hoping to retire (early) in a couple of years and definitely need a place to get away from Boston winters. Just emailed my hubby a link to the site. ;)
ReplyDeleteI think you need to check out AZ. Seriously, we've got stunning properties and fabulous courses. And I'm in the real estate business here.
ReplyDeleteDon't do anything till you see me.
;) Ill send uou an email.
I'm not sure you're ready for the geriatric set GG. Better stay in CT for a few more years or you'll probably regret it.
ReplyDeleteI agree The Cliffs looks amazing. The pic I liked best was the one of the three perfect looking mature guys in the beautiful teak boat with the golf clubs along. I've got to admit, that conjured up all kinds of fantasies for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you choose to live in an exclusive gated community don't be surprised to find it boring and one dimensional.
ReplyDeletehow beautuful photo!^^
ReplyDeleteso huge and so blue..
i cannot see any golf links like this in Japan (> <)(except Okinawa)
GG You look to be in your fifties and so I guess it is time for you to start looking at golf communities. Keep us posted on what you find.
ReplyDeleteFifties? Even after all that botox and lipo? Damn!
ReplyDeleteTime for a little chivalry here guys - saying that GG looks like she's in her 50's ? Come on - not only is that NOT true, it's just plain sophmoric. (notice that comments like that always come from people who post as anonymous)
ReplyDeleteAbout golf communities - they are what you make them. Sure, most of them have some strict appearance codes - but most houses in those places are built in a generally similar style anyway. They just don't want you to paint your house purple with green polka dots.
I have a number of friends who live in some very high end golf communities, and they are about as normal a bunch of people as you will find anywhere. They don't live their lives where their houses are - they bought in a nice community because (a) they could afford it and (b) they really liked the golf course.
None of us are best buddies with all of our neighbors, whether we live in a cheesy apartment, a high rise condo, or a house in the burbs.
Falling into this class envy trap is very dangerous. If someone WANTS to live in a community and never leave the walls except for food, that's their perogative - but MOST people don't do that. The rules of the community do not make the people.
If you want to play a lot of golf in retirement, there are options to the golf community. Buy a nice in-town place in, say, Charleston or Savannah or Asheville and join one of the many good private clubs that are begging for members now. You can buy a nice place in Asheville, for example, for much less than at The Cliffs, save about $100,000 on initiation fees, and walk from your home to nice restaurants, theaters and the like. To me, The Cliffs is doing a high wire act with their amenities. Someday the developer may stop subsidizing everything and turn the costs over to the residents. Consider the equestrians versus the golfers versus the naturalists and the battles that may ensue. Another options is to buy in a golf community (e.g. The Landings) that is within 20 minutes of a nice downtown area, in this case Savannah. Plus The Landings has six nice golf courses and is within 20 minutes of the beach. Other such communities are in that sweet spot as well.
ReplyDeleteMaking knight gold is the old question : Honestly there is no fast way to make lots of knight noah . Sadly enough a lot of the people that all of a sudden come to with millions of knight online gold almost overnight probably duped . Although there are a lot of ways to make lots of knight online noahhere I will tell you all of the ways that I know and what I do to make cheap knight gold.
ReplyDelete