Living on the links

Has the golf real estate boom on the North Shore hit its peak, or will it continue to flourish?

By Joel Beck

To hear Mary Ann Hanson talk about it, it’s tough to imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to live on a golf course. After all, who wouldn’t want a year-round vacation?

Having lived with her husband for 15 years on the grounds of the Thomson Country Club in North Reading – not to mention having spent the majority of those years working as a Realtor for RE/MAX – Hanson has been an advocate of golf real estate for some time.

Golf Real Estate Chart All you need to know about the region's golf real estate communities, right here.

“Everyone who comes out here says they wish they had done it sooner and they just couldn’t be happier,” says Hanson. “It’s like being on vacation every day.”

Longtime inhabitants of golf communities certainly wouldn’t dispute such a claim, considering the quiet maintenance-free living, the unparalleled views and the attractive recreational options most golf communities offer. On the other hand, for people in search of these amenities living on a golf course, Massachusetts hasn’t been a traditional Mecca.

Based on geography alone, the Bay State has always been at a disadvantage when it comes to golf real estate. With more than 4,000 golf communities throughout the country (a number that continues to grow), it makes sense that the majority of them can be found in balmier climates in Florida, North Carolina and California.

Still, it wasn’t all that long ago that even Florida remained a relatively untapped resource when it came to golf real estate. Only as the population of the sport – and perhaps more importantly, the lifestyle – has grown during the last 40 years has Florida become the top destination for people looking to invest in golf communities.

Today, it’s impossible to find a condo on a golf course in Florida that starts at anything less than $1 million. It may be pricey, but as Hanson says, we are talking about a year-round vacation, after all.

“Location, location, location,” says Hanson, reciting a familiar mantra in the real estate world. “To live on a golf course is the perfect location.”

It may be perfect in Florida, but here in Massachusetts, where Mother Nature tends to be a little more ornery, golf real estate wouldn’t seem to be as much of a slam-dunk.

That depends on whom you ask, of course. And here on the North Shore, there are those who say Massachusetts is definitely catching up with the rest of the country.

Look no further than the exquisite Turner Hill Golf & Racquet Club in Ipswich, which after its extensive 1997 renovations – courtesy of the Raymond Property Company – has become one of the swankiest in the country. With the restoration of the 100-year-old, 35,000-square foot Elizabethan-style mansion at Turner Hill, the course also features the kind of elegant homes and amenities that have made it among the most prestigious golf community in Massachusetts.

“I would say it’s a combination of having a fine place to live in Massachusetts and also being involved with a wonderful championship course and a private club,” says Steve Archer, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in Beverly who handles sales and marketing at Turner Hill. “The club is surrounded by just phenomenal real estate. The beauty is something to be seen.”

Indeed it is. With more than 300 sprawling acres abutting the Willowdale state forest – not to mention an endless list of recreational opportunities that come with a membership to the club – Turner Hill is tough to beat. State-of-the-art tennis courts, swimming pools, fine dining and meticulously manicured greens only scratch the surface of Turner Hill’s beauty.

Still, it isn’t the only option on the North Shore, where golf real estate has seen an undeniable boom in the last decade and a half.

Just down the road from Turner Hill, Ipswich Country Club also underwent major renovation in the 1990s, and prides itself on offering its homeowners a “maintenance-free lifestyle” with the kind of amenities people have come to expect from a world-class golf community.

“People love the lifestyle and the beautiful setting,” says Mark O’Hara, a Realtor for the Ipswich Country Club.

“Being able to live on a golf course means living on a beautiful and well-maintained piece of property. [Ipswich] is also a gated community, so security is a big factor there. I think that’s important nowadays.”

Meanwhile, other local golf communities such as Ironwood on the Green at the Ferncroft Country Club on the Danvers-Middleton line also offers a prestigious set of modern condos while Rowley Country Club features a collection of homes that border the outskirts of the golf course.

Jim Falco, Rowley’s head professional, says it may be only a matter of time before homes start popping up on that course as well.

“We’re talking about developing the actual property,” says Falco. “It’s going to put some dollars in the ownership’s hands and it’ll improve the golf course and the club’s atmosphere.”

That’s especially true when studies have shown that there are a growing number of people living in golf communities who don’t even play golf. That would explain why Massachusetts is fast becoming a desirable destination when it comes to golf real estate.

For some, it’s all about the lifestyle.

“It’s nice to be associated with something nice,” says Falco.

Who’s buying?

If you ask Peter Vlahos, there could be something in the water at the Bradford Country Club where he is the clubhouse manager and head pro. Having long considered the residents of golf communities to be mostly empty nesters and baby boomers, Vlahos has seen a shift in the age of some of the homeowners.

There’s a baby boom, all right – but not from the baby boomers.

“It’s a lot of young couples who just got married,” says Vlahos. “I see a lot of strollers and a lot of ladies who are either pregnant or walking their kids.”

While the youth movement in golf real estate is a new trend, it really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Not only are the benefits of a golf community to a young couple obvious – with the benefit of security at the top of the list – but in many cases, such property is becoming more and more affordable.

Relatively speaking, of course.

Archer says that the ritzy detached cottages at Turner Hill usually start at about $1.2 million, while the townhouse condos there generally start somewhere between $845,000 and $900,000. Some of the mansion residences at Turner Hill will start at $600,000, but as Archer explains, the prices are steep because the property is as good as it gets.

“It’s apples and oranges,” he says when comparing Turner Hill to other golf communities. “There is no comparison. If you find golf courses beautiful, this is where you want to be.”

In communities like the one at the Thomson Country Club, however, Hanson says it is possible to experience the much sought-after “lifestyle” of a golf community and still remain in something of a middle class setting. Like Turner Hill, Hanson says Thomson offers three types of units, all of which range from about $430,000 to $625,000. Such prices aren’t fitting for first-time homebuyers, but it also shows you don’t have to break the bank to live on a golf course.

“Certainly the neighborhood around us has a lot of million dollar homes, but the condos are part of a more affordable development,” says Dave Trull, the golf outing coordinator at Ferncroft, speaking about the condos available at Ironwood on the Green.

That being said, it’s entirely possible that with the emergence of so many golf communities throughout the North Shore and beyond, golf real estate could very well be one of the fastest growing markets for homebuyers. The homes are pricier than they were 15 or 20 years ago (“like the rest of the world,” adds Archer, “everything is much pricier than it was 15 years ago”), but at the current rate, golf real estate in Massachusetts could become bigger than anyone ever expected.

It’s just a matter of how long it will last.

“I think builders are realizing how property values are increasing and that this is what people want,” says Hanson. “But I think it’s about as high as it’s going to go at this point. I think it’s got to go down. There just isn’t a very big turnover.”

An ‘egregious situation?’

Off the record, some North Shore golf aficionados will tell you they aren’t pleased with the effect the golf real estate explosion has had on the industry.

Sure, the number of homes sold will help to increase the number of memberships per country club, but depending on whom you ask, there’s just something about a three-story luxury condominium that compromises the integrity of a pristine golf course.

“People in these parts will tell you Thomson Country Club is the most egregious situation,” says Trull. “The whole golf course was compromised by a very crowded development. You had to get up and start hitting four-irons off the tee rather than a driver because it was simply too dangerous.”

It might be dangerous, but it’s also hard to find sympathy for anyone in a golf community whose car or living room window is shattered by a ball in flight. Besides, if you ask Hanson, most people who live on a golf course are willing to take the good with the bad.

“You do have to be careful when you buy on a golf course,” she says. “You kind of have to look around and make sure you’re not where some of the big drives are going to hit you.

“Thomson is a very narrow course,” she adds, “but I don’t think it takes away from the value of the property or the golf course. They’re well-maintained, but sometimes people do hit windows.”

As Vlahos points out, most people love the idea of living on a golf course, but few are keen on dealing with some of the headaches that come with it. Still, not having to mow the lawn or manicure the property usually outweighs any irritation that might come from a few golf balls landing in your kitchen window.

Is it a nuisance? Sure. But does it keep people from buying the property? Not usually.

“Buyers know what to expect up front because they can see the property,” says O’Hara. “Golf balls hitting the property isn’t a major deterrent. It happens on occasion, but people are coming into this with their eyes open. They’re moving into a golf course community so they know the chances of that happening. I don’t think that factors into their decision at all.”

Perhaps. But what about the people on the other side of the fence? It’s easy to learn to live with the headaches associated with living on a golf course, but for the people who don’t live there and would prefer to golf amidst serenity and tranquility, that becomes more difficult to do when the Johnsons are having their barbecue 100 feet away.

“If they’re golfers and they don’t like a golf course home community because it takes away from the beauty of the landscape, then they’re not likely to move there,” says O’Hara. “It’s as simple as that.”

Still, with the number of golf communities popping up in the region, developers are certainly taking all concerns into consideration.

“Turner Hill is certainly upscale and tasteful,” says Trull. “The new houses and condos will be in the three-and four-hole section of the back nine. You can play 13 or 14 holes there and really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”

Catching up

Massachusetts will never be the same kind of golf destination as its southern counterparts, but the region certainly appears to be gaining steam at an impressive clip. Pine Hills Country Club in Plymouth may have set the bar for other golf communities throughout the state, while the likes of Turner Hill and Ipswich have certainly made their mark north of Boston.

It’s not Key Largo, but it has its perks.

“I think we’re catching up with Florida,” says O’Hara. “Trends tend to travel south to north, west to east, so it’s becoming much more popular.”

For Rowley’s Falco, it all comes down to prestige. Having spent time this spring golfing at Pinehurst in North Carolina – site of the U.S. Open earlier this summer – Falco says he witnessed a palpable sense of pride from the folks living down there.

And for good reason.

“All these places are being developed down there with the mindset of ‘Wow, we live on the grounds of the Pinehurst Country Club.’ That’s attractive, especially if those people are golfers.”

Here on the North Shore, that mentality clearly exists. At Ipswich Country Club, O’Hara says the grounds are already mostly built-out, with plans for more than 230 homes when it’s completed. In the end, O’Hara doesn’t expect there to be many vacancies in those homes.

“Historically, real estate has been strong and upscale communities have been ahead of the curve,” says O’Hara. “Sales have been very strong. It’s a strong market and people should take advantage of it.”

Once they do, taking advantage of some sunny, warm weather can only help. You won’t always get that in Massachusetts, but whether you live in a golf community or not, there’s usually a way to sneak in a few rounds – rain or shine.

“You can’t golf year round, but when you can, you can,” says Falco. “We’re probably playing golf seven or eight months out of the year up here. I have friends who play when it’s 33 degrees. It’s always feasible, depending on how far north you are.”

Not to mention, Hanson estimates that about 75 percent of the people living at the Thomson Country Club aren’t even golfers. That number may seem a bit high, but Ipswich’s O’Hara says most people who live on golf courses are primarily looking for the lifestyle.

“There is a fair percentage of them who are not [golfers],” says O’Hara. “They’re mostly people who like it for the setting and like it for the benefits it provides. Many of the ones who aren’t golfers do have social memberships so they’re able to use the dining rooms and the facilities of the club itself.”

Still, even with the youth movement, Falco says it may be a while before the empty nesters and the baby boomers completely relinquish their hold on golf real estate.

“You get to be 50 years old and you want to slow down a little bit,” says Falco. “Where better to do it than a maintained facility where they have entertainment and restaurants?

“Not only that, the views aren’t too bad,” he continues. “You look out your back door and you’ve got the seventh green.”