WHERE WOULD GOLF BE WITHOUT CALIFORNIA? - by Mark Soltau
Subtract the legendary players, world-famous courses and tournament lore, and the game would lose plenty of luster without the Golden State.
When people think of California, smog, traffic, earthquakes and El Niño come to mind. Makes you wonder why anyone would live there. Then again, the Golden State is also home to the Monterey Peninsula, Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego and San Francisco. What do all seven have in common? Why, golf, of course. No other state is blessed with so many diverse and distinguished courses. Can you imagine what the game would be like without Pebble Beach? Cypress Point Club? Los Angeles Country Club? Riviera or The Olympic Club? Didn't think so.
Ever since explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claimed California for Spain in 1542, the territory has been on an upward curve that would leave much of the world behind. With a melting-pot population estimated at 33.25 million, the state ranks as a world leader in entertainment, computer software and hardware, tourism and finance. Anywhere else on the globe, California is a decent-sized country.
And so it goes with golf. Think of any aspect of the game — players, tournaments, equipment, architecture, courses, administration. Remove California from the mix and the United States drops from superpower status. The state's contributions over the last century have redefined the phrase West Coast swing.
"We've always felt that perhaps we didn't get our just due, and we felt that we were in the western part of the country and the border stopped at the Mississippi," Tom Morgan, the executive director of the Southern California Golf Association, says in explaining the state's view toward the rest of the country. "But I would say that in the last 10 years, we have started to receive the recognition.
"California is always looked upon — at least the media portrays California — through the more bizarre people we have here, the ones who make headlines: the land of fruits and nuts. But with a more traditional game, a more conservative game like golf, people may think that if they have the people in those stories, how can they be good at anything like golf?"
They are not just good, they are leaders. Consider the state's courses, exceptional both in quality and quantity. This summer California is scheduled to open its 1,000th course. In that respect it is second only to Florida (1,170), which may have more courses and more resident professionals per capita than just about anywhere on earth, the latter because there is no state income tax. Remove California's stringent environmental permitting requirements — one proposed course is in its 12th year without breaking ground, and five-year waits are commonplace — and it would easily lead a course census.
It wasn't always that way, of course. Golf established its western beachhead a shade over 100 years ago with Burlingame Country Club in Hillsborough, which dates to 1893 and bills itself as the oldest west of the Mississippi.
Redlands Country Club was built in 1896 and was expanded to 18 holes in 1927. In 1897, Old Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey made its debut and is believed to be the oldest course west of the Mississippi in continuous use. In 1901, it expanded to 18 holes and was reportedly the first course in the world to have green fairways year 'round. Old Del Monte hosted the first California Amateur in 1912.
"If you look in (the book) The History of the Southern California Golf Association, it notes that people didn't think golf had much of a chance because it didn't rain during the summer," says Bob Hanna, a former executive director of the Northern California Golf Association.
"In fact, at the Arbuckle course in the Sacramento Valley, they had sand greens, and when the rains stopped in the spring they would park the mowers under the trees and they'd still be there in the fall. There was no irrigation of courses, and in the very early days that had a great deal to do with the growth of golf in the state. When they began to irrigate golf courses, golf took off."
It was not until the 1920s when golf began to flourish. That was when the scene was enriched by many of the state's classic courses — Cypress, Olympic Club, Riviera, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Oakmont Country Club and Bel-Air Country Club.
"George Thomas and Alister Mackenzie both lived there in the '20s. That was the boost," says architect and author Tom Doak. "Up until then, California didn't have a lot of great golf courses. Once you get a few good courses in an area, that sets an example and everybody's standards get higher."
It did not hurt that a booming economy and the growth of Hollywood, the latter gaining worldwide recognition for its film industry, helped underline golf as a glamorous pasttime. For all of the state's trumpeting of the game through celluloid, however, geography would conspire to make sure California would not receive its share of competitive attention from the Eastern seaboard. The Western Amateur was played at Old Del Monte in 1916, but the forerunner to the PGA Tour did not visit until 1921, when Hutt Martin won the season-opening California Open.
Five years later, the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce conceived the Los Angeles Open, an event that became a mainstay on the circuit. That first year it took a purse of $10,000, of which $3,500 would go to the winning professional, to draw more than 330 entrants. Three years later the USGA made its first appearance in the state with a U.S. Amateur at Del Monte Golf and Country Club, later to be christened Pebble Beach.
"Golf was either East or West," Hanna says, "and the only time the twain would meet was at the Open or the Amateur, when they'd go out and stay for the qualifier and then the championship." One of the seminal moments for the state in terms of tournament golf came in 1937 when the celebrity pro-am format was born. Singer and actor Bing Crosby, an accomplished player, invited about 50 pros and friends to play in a better-ball event at Rancho Sante Fe Golf Club in San Diego County. Crosby, a four-time club champ at Lakeside Golf Club in Los Angeles, where he frequently played with Bob Hope, owned a small ranch and was involved in building a race track called Del Mar.
"The golf tournament," Crosby recalled in later years, "I believe, was a success if for no other reason than the opportunity it afforded the amateurs to meet and play with some of the great golfers of the day, and for the professionals to establish a social relationship with some of the people who played and supported the game."
In 1947, Crosby moved the "Clambake" to the Monterey Peninsula, where he was a member at Cypress Point. The Bing Crosby Pro-Am quickly became the most popular stop on the PGA Tour, and though the name has changed to incorporate AT&T's sponsorship, it remains a favorite.
The professional circuits would come to rely on California sites to buttress their western journeys. In 1952 the burgeoning LPGA circuit played 22 tournaments, with two starts in California. The following season the five Golden State events represented 20 percent of the schedule. The numbers have continued to grow; this year, California stops on the regular, senior, women's and Nike tours number 20, including the Open and Senior Open.
During that post-World War II boom of the 1950s, California saw its course count equal and then rapidly surpass levels seen in similarly populated regions of the country. Hanna recalls that when he joined the NCGA in 1956, there were 85 courses in that half of the state — and the NCGA was founded a half-century earlier. The Southern California G.A., established seven years earlier, wasn't much further ahead.
Prior to the war, most players had been riding the train or driving for days to arrive at tournaments within easy reach of players on the East Coast. As they were given more of an opportunity to fly to tournaments, Californians flooded the competitive scene. It was a foregone conclusion among the state's residents that in most years, a team of homegrown players could be assembled to beat the Walker Cup or Curtis Cup teams from either side of the Atlantic.
Population has always played a role in the state's seemingly endless production of world-class players. That remains true today. The NCGA has the largest membership of any state or regional golf association when it comes to issuing handicap indexes, with about 190,000 members. The SCGA ranks second with about 150,000 members, while New York's Metropolitan G.A. trails with about 110,000 members.
Sheer numbers do not explain the legions of exceptional players the state has produced. Overlapping the population advantage are two competitive spirits: north versus south, city versus city.
"California has always been divided along the lines of north and south, San Francisco and Los Angeles," says the SCGA's Morgan. "San Diego gets its due, and it tries to separate itself. And despite the growth in other areas of the state, it still comes down to the NCGA being started in San Francisco — although they're now in Monterey — and we were started and stayed in Los Angeles with our headquarters office."
The NCGA and SCGA host their own championships every year, but most of the state's top players convene in June at Pebble Beach for the State Amateur. Not only is it deemed the most prestigious amateur event in the state, players also vie for association bragging rights, although competition has been lopsided of late. Eight of the last 10 winners have come from the SCGA.
Later this year, the two associations plan to inaugurate a true team event, along the lines of the Walker Cup format. Trying to determine an all-time, all-star roster for such a competition would be difficult. Imagine these possibilities, from a list that just scratches the surface: NCGA: Lawson Little, Mat Palacio Jr., Ernie Pieper, Bob Rosburg, Ken Venturi, George Archer, Harvie Ward, Tony Lema, Eli Bariteau, Vern Callison, Tal Smith, Dick Lotz, John Lotz, Bob Lunn, Forrest Fezler, Ron Cerrudo, Jim Wiechers, Bob E. Smith, Bob Eastwood, Johnny Miller, Mike Brannan, Joey Rassett, Keith Clearwater, Bobby Clampett, Gary Vanier, Mike Springer and Casey Boyns.
SCGA: Paul Hunter, George Von Elm, Charlie Seaver, Johnny Dawson, Billy Casper, Gene Littler, Al Geiberger, Craig Stadler, Corey Pavin, Mark O'Meara, John Cook, Scott Simpson, Lennie Clements, Greg Twiggs, Ron Commans, Sam Randolph, Phil Mickelson, Steve Pate, Duffy Waldorf, David Berganio Jr. and Tiger Woods.
Those lineups don't even consider the women who have played a prominent role in the Golden State. Natives Mickey Wright and Nancy Lopez are members of the LPGA Hall of Fame; only Texas can claim multiple natives in that small group (Sandra Haynie, Kathy Whitworth and Babe Zaharias). Other standouts from the state include Amy Alcott, Laura Baugh, Jane Bastanchury Booth, Kellee Booth, Brandie Burton, Kay Cockerill, Dana Dormann, Amy Fruhwirth, Marlene Hagge, Shelley Hamlin, Beverly Hanson, Elizabeth Hicks, Pat Hurst, Juli Inkster, Beverly Klass, Emilee Klein, Alice Miller, Leona Pressler, Barbara Romack, Patty Sheehan, Pearl Sinn, Margaret (Wiffi) Smith and Martha Wilkinson.
In fact, California may be able to claim a tie to more USGA champions than just about any other state. Until last year, a Californian had won a USGA title in 19 consecutive years. That stretch included one of the great upsets not only in California's history, but in the 100 years of the U.S. Amateur. Bing Crosby's youngest son, Nathaniel, outlasted a stellar field at Olympic to defeat fellow Californian Brian Lindley at the 37th hole. Crosby, who grew up about 20 miles away in Hillsborough, an affluent suburb, wasn't just a longshot; he couldn't get odds.
"A lot has happened," says the 36-year-old Crosby, now an executive with Orlimar Golf Company and a father of four children. "I don't dwell on it much. I just feel good about accomplishing it."
Just as the NCGA and SCGA have become hallmarks among state associations, the Golden State has produced a large number of administrators.
Californians have earned 20 spots on the USGA Executive Committee, with three of those men becoming president: John Clock of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and a pair of San Francisco Golf Club members, Frank (Sandy) Tatum Jr. and C. Grant Spaeth. Tatum and Spaeth both attended Stanford, with Tatum becoming the university's first NCAA individual champion in 1942 and leading the team to the co-title.
California has also gained acclaim for its course architects. Alister Mackenzie, William P. Bell and George C. Thomas spent much of their time in California, as did Robert Trent Jones Jr. The Scottish-born Mackenzie, considered by some the finest at his craft, designed Cypress Point, not to mention several other state gems, including Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz.
Bell, who built many of the courses Thomas designed in the 1920s, created Del Rio Golf and Country Club in Modesto and Stanford University Golf Course, two of the state's finest. Bell's son, William Francis, built both courses at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, site of the San Diego stop on the PGA Tour.
Thomas, meanwhile, is responsible for Los Angeles C.C., Riviera and Bel-Air. Born in Philadelphia, he moved to Los Angeles in 1919 to breed roses but wound up building 25 courses, most with William P. Bell.
Course development ground to a halt in the '80s when the state's economy soured. It has since resumed its growth despite some of the world's most stringent environmental regulations. Ted Robinson, who has done 23 courses in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, believes it is probably more difficult to build a course in California than anywhere else in the country.
For the last five years, Robinson and his staff have been working toward obtaining the permits for a course in Santa Clarita. Still, that project has a ways to go to match the Hellman Ranch site in Seal Beach, which is now 12 years in the works due to work around the site's wetlands and tidelands.
That has placed a premium on course availability in the backyard of Tiger Woods' hometown. According to the SCGA's Morgan, the state's lone Achilles heel may be its lack of affordable courses. Figures compiled in 1997 by the National Golf Foundation show California as first in the number of golfers but fourth (highest) in average weekend green fees for daily-fee courses at $57 (including cart).
"In California it might take five or 10 years to get the permits to do a project, and the little golf course doesn't happen in California," attests Doak. "Nobody can afford to wait that long; they can't option the land for five or 10 years while they wait to see if they get the permits. And by the time you've waited out the permits and lawsuits and everything else, it's real expensive. And they have to pass those costs along to the player. That's bad for affordable golf."
But it is a problem the state is tackling with the same fervor it has shown in every other facet of the game. Given a few years, considering its leadership position within golf, it would not be surprising to find California showing the rest of the country where to find the solution.
Mark Soltau is a senior writer and San Francisco Bureau Chief for CBS Sportsline USA.
Second-Home Living for Pre-Retirees 13 Questions to Ask Before You Buy -by BRIAN McCALLEN, Senior Editor, GOLF Magazine
May 1997
Am I buying for pleasure or investment?
Do I want to live in a single-family home or a condominium?
Do I want to live in a master-planned golf community, or would I prefer to occupy a home convenient to a club or variety of public-access courses?
If buying into a master-planned community, how reputable is the developer? Have I checked the federally-required HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Report to ascertain the developer's financial status and learn more about taxes, zoning, and climate?
What percentage of residents make the community their primary home, and is there a sufficient amount of golf to meet the community's needs?
What is the exact cost of the community's amenity package, and how will it change if the development downsizes or adds more memberships?
Is there an architectural review board to ensure design consistency in the community? How many homes will be built per acre upon completion of the community's master plan?
Is it worth renting for a period of time or swapping homes to get a feel for the immediate neighborhood and surrounding community?
Is the community reasonably accessible by plane and car, and will my family and friends enjoy visiting?
Do I have a reliable real estate Exclusive Buyer's Agent (EBA) , tax advisor or attorney to guide me through the often-complicated transaction process?
Is a change of seasons important, or is guaranteed golf year-round more important?
What kinds of courses do I like to play -- championship caliber or moderately challenging?
Is there a carts-only policy, or is walking available?
Gated living makes fairway fashionable - By Christine Dugas
Cover Story USA TODAY Tuesday, November 18, 1997
Jim and Allison Wear don't know a 5-iron from a wedge. But they recently moved with their two children into a new home in Cordillera, a residential community near Vail, Colo., that has three golf courses.
"It has a lot of non-golf amenities, like the spa and the national forest trail system," says Jim, 42, a lawyer. "The setting is beautiful and we're surrounded by open space."
Although golf course living has long appealed to retirees and wealthy executives who can afford a second home in the Sun Belt, today younger families like the Wears are flocking to golf course developments. And to appeal to more home buyers, golf course developments are including nature trails, day care centers and fly-fishing clubs. This trend, like many other, is being fueled by the 78 million baby boomers born 1946 through 1964. From 1996 to 2011, a baby boomer will turn 50 every eight seconds, says Gerald Engle, CEO of Kensington Partners, which owns Cordillera, whose 6,500 acres include an equestrian center, children's camp and spa.
And at 50, many boomers will have reached the point in their careers when they can afford a luxury home on or near a golf course.
In August, Len and Carol Sands moved into Harbor Pines Golf Club and Estates near Atlantic City, N.J. "I always wanted to live on a golf course. This house is right on the fairway," says Len, 52, who owns two motorcycle dealerships.
There are more golf communities than ever to choose from. Since 1989, 793 have been started across the USA, according to Golf Research Group in Martinez, Calif. And those communities contain 456,000 home sites. Average home price: $366,500.
Exciting young pro golfers such as Tiger Woods have revitalized the sport and added to the allure. The National Golf Foundation says 24.7 million Americans played golf in 1996 vs. 19.9 million a decade earlier.
In that time, the number of African-American golfers nearly doubled, from 360,000 to 700,000. And women now account for about a third of the 2 million beginning golfers each year.
But in some golf course communities, only 30% or 40% of the residents play golf. "Golf is just a way to dress up real estate," says Colin Hegarty, director of the Golf Research Group.
The attractions:
Security. About 42% of golf course communities are gated, Hegarty says. Even when they are not, they often have private security patrols.
"If the residents aren't rich, they are affluent, and they take comfort in knowing that their home is protected when they travel," says Richard Burke, president of Burke, Fox & Co., a golf community consulting firm in Savannah, Ga.
Cachet. "The quality of the golf course tends to elevate the image of the community," says Gene Krekorian, a golf real estate specialist at Economics Research Associates in Los Angeles. "People are attracted to the image."
Control. The communities usually have strict regulations on the number of homes and their design. "So you're not going to wind up with a big surprise across the street," Burke says.
Open space. Jeffrey and Marie Shepps were the first homeowners at Lake Las Vegas, a $4 billion golf resort built around a 320-acre man-made lake. Their home has views of golf course and the lake.
"One of the beauties of living here is that we're surrounded by national park land," says Jeffrey, 52, who owns an ad agency and several travel and tour companies.
But some golf communities are being built in metropolitan areas.
"It's like living in the country here, but with access to the city," says Ron Farrell, semi-retired head of a leveraged-buyout firm, who recently built a home in Country Club of the South, near Atlanta. Farrell, his wife, Marie, and their 10-year-old daughter, Alexandra, routinely go into Atlanta to attend professional basketball games and plays.
Golf courses with a touch of home
Nationally, 43% of golf courses include some homes or condos. Five states have no golf course developments, according to Golf Research Group:
State Courses wt homes State Courses wt homes State Courses wt homes
Alabama 44% Kentucky 40% New York 12%
Arizona 67% Louisiana 13% North Carolina 65%
Arkansas 46% Maine 25% Ohio 36%
California 44% Maryland 35% Oklahoma 35%
Colorado 43% Massachusetts 27% Oregon 53%
Connecticut 13% Michigan 41% Pennsylvania 38%
Delaware 57% Minnesota 27% South Carolina 55%
Florida 70% Mississippi 72% South Dakota 38%
Georgia 50% Missouri 42% Tennessee 49%
Hawaii 43% Montana 62% Texas 33%
Idaho 50% Nebraska 17% Utah 35%
Illinois 27% Nevada 70% Virginia 50%
Indiana 39% New Hampshire 20% Washington 44%
Iowa 33% New Jersey 47% West Virginia 42%
Kansas 29% New Mexico 27% Wisconsin 32%
Source: Golf Research Group, Martinez, Calif.
Environmental problems
Golf course developers have been criticized for bulldozing land and ruining the environment. In particular, many have come under fire for using valuable water to transform desert into lush landscapes. As a result, the developments can be subject to many environmental regulations.
"It took seven years to get all the approvals," says Joseph Gurwicz, a partner in Max Gurwicz & Son, which developed Harbor Pines near Atlantic City. Gurwicz says 124 of the 500 acres are set aside for a nature preserve.
Today, developers talk about building golf courses to fit the terrain. To appeal to environmentally sensitive baby boomers, some are promoting conservation programs. Lake Las Vegas, for example, touts a wetlands park it is developing with the Audubon Society.
Another attraction: Although private golf clubs historically have excluded minorities, fair-housing laws require that golf course communities be open to people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
"As incomes and job titles have moved up, a tremendous number of minorities have moved to golf communities , particularly those in south Florida," says John David, executive director of the Minority Golf Association of America. "They want to be a member of a country club, but many are still closed to them."
You only need money
The only requirement for entry to a golf community is the ability to afford a home, says Hank Thomas, president of the Jupiter Group, which is developing the Sports Acres golf course community in Miami. And the cost can be quite high.
Residents pay a premium for the lots - in some cases, nearly double similar lots in non-golf developments.
Even within a golf development, lot prices can vary considerably. At the Landings on Skidaway Island in Savannah, Ga., where Burke lives, a half-acre wooded , interior lot will cost about $40,000, while a half-acre on the golf course will cost $90,000 to $120,000, he says. The most expensive lot is a half-acre on the marsh, which will cost more than $200,000.
The homes are usually custom-built, within a set of guidelines. And they generally range from $200,000 to $10 million.
Then there are homeowner association fees, which go for such things as security and property maintenance. They can range from $250 to $1,000 a month, says Robert Dyson, president of Dyson & Dyson Real Estate, based in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
And that doesn't include club dues. Dyson says a social membership can cost $500 to $1,000 for an initiation fee, plus $70 to $100 a month. A full golf membership, which usually includes unlimited use of the course, can run $7,500 to $100,000 for the initiation fee, with monthly dues in the $300 to $500 range.
"The upfront fees can be such a big hit that the club may finance them over a three- to five-year period," Dyson says.
Despite the cost, luxury golf course property is in demand. A magazine dedicated to golf real estate is set to make a debut next year.
Mark Sullivan, editor of International Golf Course Estates, explains the attraction of golf communities this way: "They are like an adult playground, where everything is taken care of and the property is beautiful."
With over 100 golf courses and many golf communities, the Coachella Valley is THE desert location for a full-time, 2nd home or retirement residence! How to select a golf course community
Am I buying for pleasure or investment?
According to the National Golf Foundation (NGF) approximately 3.7 million, or 15 percent of all golfers, are permanent residents of a golf course community. Another 3 percent of all golfers own a residence on a golf course that they use as a vacation home or rent out as an investment. And this number is increasing every year.
A growing number of people are getting into the swing by buying a home in one of the Coachella Valley's many golf communities.
Golf communities are enticing to golfers and non-golfers alike and appeal to a wide range of age groups. In addition to the golf course, many of the communities offer a host of other amenities, such as swimming pools, baseball and softball fields, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, and hiking, biking and equestrian trails. Some also feature a community recreation center, club house, restaurant and reception areas.
The NGF says 15 percent of all golfers are permanent residents of a golf course community. However, organization spokeswoman Judy Thompson says the golf lifestyle apparently is popular among those who never pick up a club. “I've seen information from developers who state that as many as 70 to 80 percent of their residents do not play golf. But there are others where a larger proportion are golfers.”
Course development ground to a halt in the '80s when the state's economy soured. It has since resumed its growth despite some of the world's most stringent environmental regulations. Ted Robinson, who has done some 23 courses in the Coachella Valley, believes it is “probably more difficult to build a course in California than anywhere else in the country.”
Questions to ask before you buy
• Am I buying for pleasure or investment?
• Do I want to live in a single-family home or a condominium?
• Do I want to live in a master-planned golf community, or would I prefer to occupy a home convenient to a club or a variety of public-access courses?
• If buying into a master-planned community, how reputable is the developer?
• What percentage of residents make the community their primary home, and is there a sufficient amount of golf to meet the community's needs?
• What is the exact cost of the community's amenity package, and how will it change if the development downsizes or adds more memberships?
• Is there an architectural review board to ensure design consistency in the community? How many homes will be built per acre upon completion of the community's master plan?
• Is it worth renting for a period of time or swapping homes to get a feel for the immediate neighborhood and surrounding community?
• Do I have a reliable real estate agent, tax advisor or attorney to guide me through the often-complicated transaction process?
• What kinds of courses do I like to play, championship caliber or moderately challenging?
• Do I even play golf, or do I want other attractions?
• Do I want a community restricted to those over age 55, or do I want to be around younger families?
Gated living makes fairway fashionable
Although golf course living has long appealed to retirees and wealthy executives who can afford a second home in the Valley, today's younger families are flocking to golf course developments. To appeal to more home buyers, golf course developments are including nature trails, day care centers and other amenities. This trend, like many others, is being fueled by the 78 million baby boomers born 1946 through 1964. From 1996 to 2011, a baby boomer will turn 50 every eight seconds.
Fees
Then there are homeowner association fees that go for such things as security and property maintenance. That doesn't include club dues. A social membership can have initiation fees and monthly dues. A full golf membership, which usually includes unlimited use of the course, can vary widely in initiation fees and monthly dues.
Despite the cost, luxury golf course property is in demand.
Mark Sullivan, editor of International Golf Course Estates, explains the attraction of golf communities this way: “They are like an adult playground, where everything is taken care of and the property is beautiful.”
The attractions
Security . A high percentage of golf course communities are gated. Even when they are not, they often have private security patrols. If the residents aren't rich, they are affluent and they take comfort in knowing that their home is protected when they travel.
Cachet . “The quality of the golf course tends to elevate the image of the community,” says Gene Krekorian, a golf real estate specialist at Economics Research Associates in Los Angeles. “People are attracted to the image.”
Control . The communities usually have strict regulations on the number of homes and their design, so you're not going to wind up with a big surprise across the street.
Open space. It is a very comfortable feeling to have an expansive golf course right outside your door, so that, at least in one direction, you are not simply looking at your neighbor's walls. Some courses in the Valley also have man-made lakes and it is hard to beat a visual expanse that includes water.
The homes are usually custom-built within a set of guidelines and they generally offer a wide range of home and property pricing. Naturally, the interior of the community will be lower in price than the properties fronting fairways and water.
Who pays for broken windows?
Occasionally a golfer will hook or slice his or her ball through a window or a screen on the edge of a course. An errant ball may land on your patio or in the hot tub.
Technically, when a homeowner purchases a home in a golfing community, they assume the risk.
Most conscientious golfers, however, will do the right thing and come clean to the homeowner, offering to pay for replacement of the window.
