Best Places To Retire For Affordable Golf Course Living

Today, more and more avid golfers who are approaching their retirement years are growing increasingly concerned that the current economic crisis in this country might perhaps force them to abandon the idea of finding a place to retire on or near a golf course. True, for many golfers, their shrinking 401 investment portfolio and uncertain financial status might necessitate that they forego the luxury of an expensive luxury home on the fairways of a prestigious private country club.

However, with careful planning, a willingness to downsize that dream retirement home and the investment of some time and effort in pursuit of an affordable place to golf, it is still possible to find a very well-priced and inviting home in a golfing environment that most retirees would consider as fitting their requirement for the best place to retire.

In fact, in nearly every area of the U.S., there are a number of communities with a ready supply of affordable retirement housing with challenging golf courses, both private and daily fee public facilities. Furthermore, with most new master planned golf communities, developers are drastically reducing prices in an effort to boost falling sales, and higher-priced golf properties are more reasonably priced than any time in recent memory.

Even with these circumstances, retirees who want to live where they can spend their leisure time on the links would be well served to explore certain towns and cities where golf is a major focus and therefore where housing inventories and prices are more attractive. Here are a few suggestions where, not only are prices for retirement housing extremely reasonable, but also there is an abundance of good, quality golf courses which can be enjoyed at very moderate rates.

It may be surprising to some to discover that the most affordable retirement destinations are often located in or near what are also some of the most popular and best known golfing communities. Among such places is Pinehurst, North Carolina, long considered to be one of America’s great golf resorts and home to a number of residential golf course developments, including the prestigious Pinehurst Club. In spite of the fact that most homes along the fairways can be pretty pricey, there are also a large number of resale homes and condos available at any given time for less than $200,000. In addition, several of the communities in and around Pinehurst and the neighboring small towns of Southern Pines and Aberdeen still have affordable building sites and resale homes.

Golf is also a major attraction in the mountains of western North Carolina, but here the price for homes and home sites located within a golf complex are among some of the highest in the country. However, if one looks a little closer at small towns like Brevard, Boone or Waynesville, or others around the Asheville area, single family homes are reasonably priced and yet not far removed from good golfing.

Most golfers are familiar with the golf courses that abound in and around the area of Hilton Head Island in coastal South Carolina, and while the home prices on the Island itself may be above the reach of the average retiree, there are a growing number of retirement communities in neighboring towns such as Bluffton with affordable homes, some of which feature golf courses as part of their amenities. South Carolina’s best known golfing destination, Myrtle Beach and the Grand Stand, a sixty-mile strip filled with oceanfront hotels and golf courses extending into Brunswick County, North Carolina, still attract an increasing number of retirees who have found the area meets their requirements for their best place to retire.

Georgia and Tennessee, two other Southeastern states with moderate climates that permit golfing almost ten months out of the year, are both home to small towns noted as being highly desirable retirement destinations for golfers. Several designer courses, bearing the names of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, have been carved out of the Georgia rural landscape along Lake Oconee. Initially, these developments were executive-style luxury communities, but a recent trend has been the arrival of new retirement properties, spearheaded by a Del Webb complex with a varied selection of affordable home designs near the picturesque small town of Greensboro.

And perched atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, Crossville, which bills itself as the “Golf Capital of Tennessee,” has been a major destination for retirees for the last thirty years. Lured by the presence of a number of affordable residential golf communities, the absence of a state income tax, a low cost of living and a thriving small town economy, retirees have made Crossville a major retirement and golfing destination.

How to Find an Awesome Golf Retirement Community

As people age, deciding to live in a retirement community sometimes seems to be the best option. Many decide to relocate to warmer, sunnier areas like to enjoy their golden years. However, lots of people who are ready to live in a senior living center don’t want to give up their current way of life. Staying healthy and active is an important part of life, and though some people might be of age to enter a retirement living center, they also often live very active lifestyles.

Luckily, many retirement communities allow their residents to continue having an active lifestyle.

Look For Retirement Communities With Ongoing Activities

Retirement living doesn’t mean retiring from life. From tai chi to bingo, these facilities always have something going on. Fitness classes to keep you in shape, movie nights, bridge tournaments, arts and crafts, and musical entertainment nights are just some of the other activities that senior communities offer.

Most retirement communities in also have pools that allow you to take a water aerobics class or simply relax in the pool or spa. No matter what you enjoy, you’re sure to find a great way to spend your time in a community with a full activities calendar.

Look For Senior Communities That Schedule Outings

Many retirement communities offer regular field trips to nearby attractions. This offers residents an excellent opportunity for staying active as well as having the chance to do something they may have never experienced. Look for communities that have trips to shopping areas, downtown areas, beaches, or unique local tourist locations. Whether you enjoy antiquing, relaxing on a beautiful beach, or just exploring the local culture, look for a senior community that offers regular outings to nearby attractions to liven up your routine.

Regardless of the inevitability of old age, lots of seniors are inclined to overlook the fact they may need to avail the service of retirement communities soon. Some are caught unaware, causing them to suddenly move into a retirement community the moment that they feel overwhelmed by the need to maintain a home on their own.

Consider Communities That Promote Companionship and Variety

When it comes to retirement living, most retirees want to stay as active as they possibly can. But the retired also want to maintain relationships, create new friendships and have companions to do activities with. Active retirement communities are just that, communities that are active. As part of such a community residents will have the opportunity to be a part of a group, visit new places, and enjoy new things with other like-minded people.

In searching for the perfect retirement community, most people want to find a place that keeps them active as well as safe. Many retirement communities create such an environment, providing enough variety in activities to keep their residents busy while making sure they are doing so in a safe group environment.

Off-Season Golf Exercises For Baby Boomers

Adult Golf Course Communitites

With the cooler seasons upon us, it’s almost time to clean the past season off those mighty golf clubs and put them away.

But wait!  There is one piece of golf equipment that shouldn’t be tucked away in the closet – you! 

Don’t put yourself in storage like those beloved clubs; offseason training might be exactly what you need to improve your game.

So let’s take a look at some exercises for baby boomers that just might improve your score.

Balance:
All sports performance is based on balance and stability.  The mid-course correction muscles keep the body stabilized throughout the swing. They compensate as the weight shifts from the swing phase into the follow through. What keeps your body from falling forward or the direction of the swing? Balance! If you improve your balance you will be far more stable during your swing.

One simple way to improve balance during your swing is to stand on a two-by-four (I recommend getting a better grade board for straightness) with your feet across and centered on the board.  Assume the stance you use when teeing off.  First, work on balancing on the board without falling. 

Once you can perform that successfully, practice your swing while balancing on the board. If you can swing and follow through without wobbling or falling off, just think how stable you’ll be with your feet planted on terra firma.

Core:
The core is made up of the abdominal muscle groups and the muscles of the lower back. These muscles are pretty much what hold us together. The stronger your midsection is, the more powerful your swing will be resulting in longer drives without over swinging.

Try two sets of crunches three times per week. Lie on your back with your feet up on a chair or bench so your knees are over your belt line. Tuck your chin and place your arms across your chest. Slowly raise your shoulders toward your knees as you press down lightly on the bench with your heels, then return to the starting position. Do as many repetitions as you can. Work up to fifteen repetitions per set.

When you can perform two sets of fifteen reps, try holding the crunch at the top of the movement rotating your upper torso as if trying to touch your left shoulder to your right knee. Return to the start position and repeat, this time rotating in the opposite direction. This will start to burn quickly so just do as many as you can—again working up to fifteen repetitions. Remember, golf is a sport of rotations: torso, shoulders and hips.

Retirement Communities

Joints:
Now let’s work on your rotational joints. When the body performs a function, like playing golf, the hips and shoulders move in a series of rotations and diagonal angles. Frankly, most equipment at your health club probably won’t help you accomplish this. Don’t give up your membership at the Y just yet.

Take a look around the workout area; my guess is that there are free weights, pulley machines or exercise tubes. Many health clubs now have free motion equipment. These machines can be invaluable in training for golf (they allow you to work your joints through all planes of movement unlike standard plate loaded machines). 

Some great exercises for shoulder and hip stabilization are: external shoulder rotations, horizontal shoulder abduction (reverse fly), shoulder extensions, hip extensions, light squats, hip abductions and hip adductions. Ask one of the attendants or trainers for assistance. They should be able to show you how to perform these movements on the type of equipment mentioned above.

Weights:
When lifting weights, always start light, it only takes a small increase in strength to improve your game. Make sure when performing upper body exercises to stabilize your shoulder girdle by pulling your shoulders back and down before performing each exercise.

When working the hips, make sure your hips are stable. Keep your back nice and straight and your core tight. Try two sets of each exercise two to three times per week. Finally, don’t get frustrated, especially with the balance training. Be patient, it will come, and when it does, I think you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your game.  Fore!

Be the one to beat in your new home at an amazing Adult Golf Course Community.

Robert Bresloff is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Therapist, Adaptive Fitness Specialist, a Specialist in Fitness for Older Adults and Endurance Trainer with The International Sports Sciences Association. He owned and operated, Total Fitness Concepts Inc for 10 years. He has written for Masters Athlete Magazine, The Waukegan News Sun and trade e magazines and recently released his first fitness book,  ‘The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Fitness”.

History of the Golf Cart

Did you know….?

The first golf cart was introduced in the 1940’s and was originally made for golfers with disabilities.  By the early 50’s they had caught on with the entire golf community as well as a few retirement communities.

In 1951, the first mass-produced golf carts were made available. These early electric golf cars made history by being the first electric vehicles that private consumers could purchase. This allowed for whole communities, schools, and towns alike to embrace the efficiency of the golf cart as a whole.

Some small-town communities really embraced the golf cart. One of the first was a town called The Villages in Florida, which was a large retirement community with a very extensive golf cart trail system. The golf cart was especially useful in retirement communities, because it was a safe and effective way for active adults 50+ to gain independence and get around. Another golf cart enthused town is Peach Tree City in Florida, where golf carts are a major form of transit for the old and young. The local high school even has a student golf cart parking lot.

While most people prefer the electric golf cart over gas, these vehicles do certain advantages. Electric golf carts are perfect for the golf course or cruising close to your new home, but when they run out of power you may not be near a place to re-charge. When going further from home, a gas powered golf cart makes much more sense, as you can bring additional gasoline along with you and refuel anytime you want.

The golf cart is thought to have led on to other types of small transport devices, such as indoor power scooters and NEVs (neighborhood electric vehicles). The low speed capacity, affordability, and easy maintenance of golf carts make them very popular, and who wouldn’t want to play off of that idea?

Over the years, new technology and interest in design have offered newer and more advanced golf cart models every year. Branching out to include golf carts with 4-wheel drive and utility tires, new golf cart utility vehicles were created. They were made to drive on all sorts of terrain, from movie sets to warehouses to gardening stores.

If you are a golf enthusiast and are looking for a new home in a retirement community, visit www.trilogylife.com for golf resort-style living choices.

Interesting facts for this post provided by Electric Vehicles News.

Retiring to a New Home in Florida Can Be a Good Deal

Everyone has an idea of how they will probably be spending their retirement years. Some retirees want to tour around the countryside in their RV while many others want to buy a new home on a lake and park themselves on the porch in a rocking chair. However, many people still think of Florida to be the state to retire to because they like the warm average temperature and huge amount of retirement communities.

Florida is a place that makes great sense for retirees, even more now than ever. Because Florida was affected by the awful economy and housing marketplace pretty badly, retirees can come across some deals on all kinds of retirement homes there. More and more retirees possibly will have lost a substantial amount of retirement investments in the stock market, for that reason they almost certainly will have a lesser amount of money to invest into a estate. This is why the Florida property market makes even more sense at the moment. Though they will have a smaller amount to invest, the properties have spectacularly dropped in price allowing for potentially bigger purchases than they could have otherwise made.

Aside from just property considerations, Florida is a place full of nice weather and enjoyment. Retirees can take pleasure in beach front living or find a golf course community. There are many options open to retirees which allows for any personality to discover a great place to live.

Florida has an abundant amount of retirement communities and condo complexes where seniors can get together with other like minded retirees and enjoy the comraderie of the retirement lifestyle. In addition, there are even RV communities with free standing sunrooms that will affix to the side of just about any RV. When you depart in your RV, you just lock up your sunroom and depart.

Buying a estate in Florida makes perfect sense right now for retirees. There are more and more options open to retirees with regards to the type of community as well as the costs. Carry out your due diligence, as always, and be sure that you know a lot about the region, the amenities and the last market sales.

Information for this article was provided by a post in Mortgage Info by Kevin Forcey.

Make A Playing Hobby A Paying One

Addiction to golf comes second only to that of booze, no wonder ‘golf widows’ were creatures who once received our deepest sympathies.

Now, of course, the term ‘golf poor’ is quickly becoming a universal truth as well. And that’s only because golf and its accessories can really empty out an addict’s wallet.
Gated Golf Communities
But the wise and the wiser can whisper a couple of secrets on how you can stop golf accessories from pinching your wallet. In fact, those in-the-know will inform you how this is one hobby that helps reap rich dividends for them.

First, every loves freebies especially if you happen to dish out your golf tips for free. You might be loved, but you’ll remain poor.

Instead, if you play your cards right you can advice golfers alright. However, when the time is right, ask them to allow you borrow some expensive accessories.
Golf Retirement Communities
You will soon realize that no one will deny a golf guru their just dues. In the process, you can use (not own or possess) high-end golf accessories for free. Take this a step further and offer to give informal tuitions for a small fee.

Think of other ways in which you can allow your golf accessories to earn a small income for you. Can you rent them to other golf instructors so they can be used for training rookies

Not only will this bring in some pocket money, you can actually use the additional money to buy your own set of fancy golf accessories.

Gated Golf Retirement Communities

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