September 24th, 2008 by Michael Oliver

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Regardless of your preference of area and price range, for the most part, a golf course home is an option for many in the Tucson area. On the northwest side of town, there are many courses from which to choose: Dove Mountain, Canada Hills, Oro Valley County Club, Rancho Vistoso, or my personal favorite, Omni Tucson National, just to name a few. If you are an avid golf fan or just enjoy an amazing golf course view from the back of your home, then purchasing a golf course property in Tucson AZ is something you should seriously consider. Arizona (Tucson and Phoenix) and California offer some of the highest-end golf courses and real estate on earth, and in most situations, a nice golf course home can be purchased right on a good course for less than $350k. When you purchase a golf course property in Tucson Arizona, you also buy directly into the surrounding amenities that most higher end courses offer, including restaurants, sports bars, spas, and exercise facilities. Typically, these amenities will require a resident to purchase a membership in the club, however some home loans and/or development loans allow the initial membership costs to be rolled into the mortgage.

Golf course living in Tucson offers other benefits that few outside the real estate community are aware of. Since Tucson AZ is a world wide golf destination, many homeowners rent out their golf course homes to winter visitors. Winter rents, on average, are very high. This is especially true for high-end, gold, neighborhoods such as Ventana Canyon on the northeast side of Tucson, and Dove Mountain, Rancho Vistoso, Oro Valley Country Club, Canada Hills, and Omni Tucson National on the northwest side. Winter visitors gladly pay hundreds of dollars a night to rent a home for periods lasting 1-2 weeks to several months at a time. I know many people who rent their home out for a month and then, after all the rents have been collected, have enough to pay their mortgage and take a very nice vacation as well. It’s not at all uncommon for a $300k home to rent for $6k per month during the winter if it’s on a golf course and, of course, fully furnished. Another benefit of owning a golf course property/home in Tucson Arizona (AZ) is that these homes are in limited supply and are always in demand. Homes that are situated on premium courses and holes will always have a built-in demand by golf enthusiasts. Even if you will not be renting your home during the winter or even play golf, regardless of the state of the real estate market, your home will be a prized commodity that should get much more interest than other homes in the neighborhood that are not “on the course.” It really makes a huge difference.

Tips on purchasing a golf course home.

Play the course where you are thinking about making a purchase. Do you like the course? Is it in good shape? Do the other amenities work with your family’s wants and needs? How many members are there? How many renew their memberships? What are the costs of membership? These are all questions that should be answered prior to even looking for a home in the golf course community. If all these things don’t check out, then you should not be purchasing in this community. Way too often, people find a home they love only to buy it and then realize that the other amenities or even the course itself wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Don’t let this happen to you. The community is every bit as important as the home since most buyers will be using all the facilities. If the overall condition of the facilities is on the decline, think about what will happen 5-10 years down the road when you want to resell your home.

When purchasing a golf course property, keep in mind the location of the driving areas and try your best to purchase a home on or very near the “green.” Errant balls are less likely to strike your home, and these homes are typically more prized than those overlooking the tee box or even 200-300 yards from the tee boxes. That is the prime area for golf balls to be coming into your property or breaking windows, etc. If the decision is between two homes you like equally, then the home closest to the green should win out. There are some exceptions. Sometimes the layout of a golf course will give amazing, one-of-a-kind views from a particular home. The views alone could make it a very special property that will be easy to resell. Also, keep in mind that every course has a “signature hole.” Homes that abut this signature hole are also generally worth more than homes on the other holes. Many golf fans will pay a nice premium to reside on that hole. There’s prestige attached to owning a home on such a privileged spot in the community.

As you can see, when purchasing a golf course home/property in Tucson Arizona (AZ), there are many, many things to consider beside the actual home. If you are interested in buying a golf course home but don’t know much about golf, you should consider hiring a real estate agent who understands both real estate and golf. With an understanding of the game, the agent will be able to help you not only select a great home, but will also know which courses and locations will provide you with the best lifestyle and investment opportunities. I myself have been playing golf very heavily for over 10 years and have personally caddied at the LPGA tour event in Tucson and at the old Tucson Open at Tucson National Country Club. If you’re looking for representation for your golf course property, please consider using a Realtor who understands the sport and will assist you in obtaining the best fit for your needs and wants.