Golfweek Honors 2012 Best Golf Courses

Four Reynolds Development Lake Oconee golf courses, two Coastal Communities golf courses and one Brunswick Forest’s golf course were recognized this week by Golfweek on their list of 2012 best golf courses in the United States, a reflection of stability by real estate developments and outstanding golf course designs.

The Reynolds Development golf courses are:

1. Great Waters at Reynolds Plantation, Lake Oconee Georgia
2. Oconee at Reynolds Plantation, Lake Oconee Georgia
3. National at Reynolds Plantation, Lake Oconee Georgia
4. The Landing at Reynolds Plantation, Lake Oconee Georgia
5. Achasta Golf Club, Dahlonega Georgia

The Coastal Communities golf courses are:

1. Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach North Carolina
2. Rivers Edge Golf Club and Plantation, Shallotte North Carolina

The Brunswick Forest golf course:

1. Cape Fear National, Wilmington North Carolina

We found it interesting that despite financing hardships induced by Bank of America, the master planned golf communities Reynolds Plantation, Achasta Golf Club, Rivers Edge Golf Club & Plantation and Ocean Ridge Plantation have done a stellar job maintaining their golf courses for the benefit of property owners and we applaud them. We've read stories during the past couple years claiming Baby Boomer’s interest in golf is trending downward making it harder for golf clubs to attract new members. We've heard people tell us no one is paying a premium anymore for golf course property which is asinine. We suppose we could blame Tiger Woods for putting a dark cloud over the sport. 

If you asked my husband and his friends what is their favorite hobby, I can pretty much guarantee golf will tumble out of all of their mouths. Golf is still the dominate activity we hear buyer’s ask for today while searching for where to retire in the Southeast. Is it the beauty of living on a golf course, the prestige of being a golf club member or affordability that makes folks choose one golf community over another?

We believe golf communities have experienced a bubble burst just like the real estate market has. Golfers don’t want to pay expensive initiation fees on principle, even if they can afford it. Buyers today are closely comparing monthly golf dues, initiation fees and membership types. Buyers like golf courses with club exchange privileges, the ability to play private golf courses in other states.

If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you already know that finding pricing for golf membership on a golf community’s website can be very difficult. Real estate developers and golf clubs keep this information off the radar because they want to call them to ask these questions, so they have the opportunity to sell you.

If you're comparing the best golf communities, we want you to know we have a list of golf clubs on our website. Our data includes their initiation fees, monthly dues and whether the club is private, semi-private or public. We also update our 'Southeast Averages' frequently on our website so you can see the average fees for all the golf communities.

This is how we help buyers in this market discover the best golf courses in the Southeast.