golf course home

Want a golf course home? They’re a symbol of your success and the views are great. There are a few things to watch for when shopping for a golf course home. Here are a few.

Noise and hazards

A few obvious items are golf course noise and hazards. Tour the home on a weekend afternoon when golfers are out and about. If your home is close to a tee box or tee off area people tend to chat a lot and it can be noisy.

Look for signs of whether the house or the yard is getting hit by golf balls. In Florida many golf course homes are made from stucco which are particularly susceptible to damage from golf balls.

Also look to see how private your yard and home really are. Remember that if you can see the fairway, they can probably see you.

Golf carts

Golf carts can be a nuisance too. Even though electric powered golf carts are quiet, if the course has a cart path rule (meaning that golfers have to use cart paths which are closer to the edge of the course) are by proximity also closer to you home and gas powered ones are noisy.

Homeowner’s association rules

Don’t think for a minute that your homeowner’s association will let you do whatever you want or need to do to ensure your privacy or lack of damage. Try asking them to allow you to put up a fence or a net to keep balls off your home or land and watch how fast they tell you no. Something to keep in mind as you shop.

Think that golf course is an extension of your backyard? Think again. Your yard is your yard and you will need to keep to it. The course isn’t a run for your pets or kids. So ask the size and line where your yard stops and the course starts.

You’re looking for a new home and you’re considering maintenance a golf course home. They seem like a dream, but can they really be a nightmare? Here are the good, the bad and the ugly of owning a golf course home.

Deed restrictions and HOA

First and foremost, a golf course community will have deed restrictions and a homeowners association. That means what you can do with your home and property is subject to the restrictions and the HOA.

In order to maintain a certain look and feel of the course, house exterior paint colors are limited and putting things in your yard like a swing set or sandbox are usually a big no no.

Think you’ll be able to get away with it? Think again. Those golfers paying for the privilege of using the course will probably complain to the community or HOA if they see something is amiss. That may be a big deal for you either way, so be sure to ask about it before buying.

Not for community use

Along with those deed restrictions, be aware that during off hours the actual course and cart paths are not for community use. You can’t walk, jog or bike on cart paths or the greens. Letting your dog run on the fairway is really not ok. If space to do those activities is important to you ask about community space set aside for them.

Course maintenance

Those gorgeous grass courses need constant maintenance. Course management won’t inconvenience their bread and butter, the golfers paying to use the course. So all that grass is cut very early in the morning, most likely before sunrise. That means that the groundskeepers are out on golf carts and riding mowers with headlights. If a bedroom window faces a green, those lights will shine on through. And while the golf carts may be quiet electric ones, the mowers certainly aren’t.

Cart paths are a reality that can be a distraction

The path for golf carts will run along one side of the fairway from tee box to green. If that’s behind your home, you’ll see them all day. So remember that if the home you are looking at is less expensive than others in the same community, there are probably cart paths close by. Those greens and tee boxes are also a gathering place for golfers. That means you will hear conversations and laughter and see a lot of rather loud clothing.