Is Buying a Home on a Golf Course Worth the Premium?
By Denise van den Bossche, Associate Broker
I have been a full-time licensed Realtor in metro Phoenix since 1985, the mecca of year-round golf, and hundreds of golf communities to choose from. I personally live on a golf course, and have owned a second golf course home in California .
My perspective comes from both sides of the decision: helping clients evaluate the purchase and sale of their golf course homes, and experiencing the lifestyle myself.
Golf course properties deserve careful, individual evaluation.
The short answer: Is a golf course home worth the extra money?
Yes, a golf course home can be worth the premium when its views, location and lifestyle benefits are supported by comparable sales, manageable ownership costs and a careful review of the course’s future. Golf frontage alone does not guarantee appreciation or make every lot equally desirable.
For me, the central value is openness without the upkeep of owning all that open space. The view extends beyond your property line, while your personal yard can remain comfortably manageable. For buyers who want less maintenance without feeling confined, that can be a meaningful reason to pay more.
The financial premium still needs to be supported by the particular property and market. A good purchase should address both daily enjoyment and resale value.
“When our children were grown, we were ready to leave their childhood oasis. Moving to a golf course allowed us to downsize the maintenance while keeping the feeling of space. We had less yard to care for, yet an expansive outlook beyond our own property.”
That was the appeal for us. But the open space you enjoy is generally land someone else owns and manages. Understanding that relationship is essential before paying a premium.
What are you really paying for? Openness without the upkeep
When you buy a well-positioned golf course home, the property you maintain may be modest compared with the landscape you enjoy. Your patio can look across fairways, mature trees and distant views rather than directly into another backyard. The sense of space can be much greater than your lot size suggests.
That is especially meaningful when downsizing. Leaving a large property does not have to mean giving up a generous outlook. A smaller private yard can still feel connected to a much larger landscape.
“For me, the real value of golf course living is the openness without the upkeep. I can enjoy an expansive landscape without personally maintaining an expansive property.”
A large private property brings responsibilities: landscaping, irrigation, pruning, repairs and the time involved in arranging and overseeing that work. On a golf course, the course operator maintains the fairways and course landscaping beyond your boundary. You remain responsible for your own property and any applicable fees, but you are not personally managing the entire landscape in your view.
The benefit is both practical and personal:
- Less private yard to maintain: Potentially less landscaping work, irrigation and oversight, depending on the home you choose.
- A larger visual setting: Long sightlines can make a patio, living room or modest backyard feel more expansive.
- More freedom to leave: A manageable property can simplify travel or seasonal ownership when appropriate home-care arrangements are in place.
- An enjoyable setting at home: The outlook can become part of everyday life—from morning coffee to an evening with friends.
You do not need to play golf to appreciate those benefits. You may be purchasing the setting as much as access to the sport.
“We were ready for less property to care for, but we still wanted room to breathe. Golf course living gave us a smaller yard with a much larger outlook.”
Of course, the course is an active recreational property, and its costs may reach homeowners through dues or assessments, depending on the community. Compare total ownership costs rather than assume golf frontage automatically saves money. Here at my firm, we use AI tied into the MLS feed to quickly create a buyer's search by the amount of their monthly payment... the search automatically adds together HOA dues, community dues, property taxes and any mortgage needs. (Our use of AI tied directly to the MLS is the newest tool available).
The premium is most compelling when the home gives you the openness you want, the maintenance level you prefer and a position along the course you can comfortably enjoy. That is why the following questions matter.
1. Where are the tee boxes—and where do the golf balls actually travel?
The home’s position relative to the direction of play is one of the first things I evaluate. A beautiful view deserves a closer look if the patio, pool or windows sit where errant shots tend to land.
Start with the tee boxes, then examine the entire hole: its direction, bends, usual landing areas, approach shots, neighboring holes and any nearby driving range. Distance from a tee box, by itself, does not establish safety.
Before purchasing:
- Observe play from the property, ideally during a busy period.
- Ask the seller directly about ball strikes, injuries, broken windows and repairs.
- Speak with neighbors about how often balls enter their yards.
- Ask course management about known problem areas and planned layout changes.
- Look for existing nets, impact damage or protective modifications.
If concerns remain, a golf course design or ball-flight specialist can provide a more informed assessment.
A net may be necessary in some locations, but it can materially change the view you are paying to enjoy. Also verify whether protective installations require approval.
“Before you pay for the view, understand what comes with it. The location of the home along the hole can matter as much as the home itself.”
Ask your insurance professional about coverage, exclusions and deductibles for golf ball damage. Have an attorney review relevant easements or liability provisions when needed; do not assume the golfer or club will automatically pay for damage.
2. Could the golf course be sold, redeveloped or redesigned?
Treat the course’s future as a due diligence question—not a promise made by the view.
Begin by identifying who owns the land and who operates the course. Those may be different entities. A privately owned club, resort course, municipal course and homeowner-owned course can have very different ownership structures and obligations. On my street in Paradise Valley, the course was completely re-done and I now live on a different hole than when I first moved in over a decade ago. One of my neighbors now has a golf path directly behind her back yard. Beware of potential changes that are planned for the future.
Investigate:
- Ownership and history: Previous sales, closures, major renovations and changes in operators.
- Land-use restrictions: Current zoning, recorded restrictions, easements and development agreements.
- Pending activity: Planning applications, rezoning requests, public hearing notices and proposed projects.
- Course plans: Relocated tees, revised fairways, new cart paths, lighting or clubhouse expansion.
- Financial condition: Available information about deferred maintenance, capital needs and assessments.
Current zoning is a starting point. Have the local planning department explain the applicable rules and any pending applications, and have qualified counsel evaluate recorded protections and whether they can be changed.
A sale does not necessarily mean redevelopment. Equally, the course remaining a golf course does not mean its layout will remain unchanged. A relocated tee box or cart path could affect your property without changing the land’s overall use.
“A fairway view is an amenity. Whether that view is protected is a separate question.”
3. What pesticides are used, and how is the course maintained?
A well-maintained course requires an active turf-management program. Buyers should understand the practices near the home rather than make assumptions from the appearance of the grass.
Ask to speak with the golf course superintendent. Useful questions include:
- Which herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are used near residential boundaries?
- Can the course provide product names, labels and safety data sheets?
- How are applications scheduled, and are adjacent homeowners notified?
- What practices control drift and account for wind conditions?
- Does the course use integrated pest management to reduce unnecessary applications?
- What instructions apply after treatment, including restrictions on entering treated areas?
The EPA explains that pesticide spray drift can carry droplets or dust beyond the intended application area. That makes the specific products and application practices relevant; proximity alone does not establish an individual property’s exposure or health risk.
In Arizona, I also recommend asking about the course’s irrigation source, water costs, conservation plans and proposed turf reductions. Understand whether water-related changes could affect the landscape or costs you are evaluating.
4. What is everyday life like beside this particular hole?
The course you see during an afternoon showing may feel different at dawn or during peak season.
Golf course maintenance can begin before sunrise. Visit early enough to assess equipment noise, then return during active play to evaluate golfers, carts and privacy.
Consider:
- Cart paths and stopping areas near bedrooms, patios and pools.
- Conversations, music, tournaments and clubhouse events.
- Maintenance roads, equipment storage and service traffic.
- Irrigation overspray, drainage, standing water and odors.
- Seasonal overseeding, closures and changes in the landscape.
- Sun exposure and afternoon heat on the outdoor spaces you expect to use.
Open views and privacy are different benefits. A home can have an expansive outlook while golfers pass close to its backyard throughout the day.
Also verify property boundaries and course-access rules. Living beside a fairway does not automatically give you permission to walk it, exercise a dog there or use the course after hours.
5. Does buying the home include golf membership?
Do not assume that owning a golf course home includes membership, playing privileges or priority access.
Obtain current written information directly from the club. Confirm whether membership is optional or mandatory, available immediately or subject to a waitlist, and transferable when the home sells.
Review initiation fees, annual dues, food-and-beverage minimums, assessments, guest policies and any separate HOA charges. If a membership is advertised with the property, verify the precise terms and the club’s approval requirements.
A buyer who primarily wants the view may evaluate those costs very differently from someone planning to play several times a week.
6. What can neighbors and property records tell you?
I encourage buyers to speak with several homeowners, particularly those beside the same hole. Ask what they enjoy, what surprised them and what they wish they had understood before buying.
Public records can add context. Review county assessor information and recorded deeds alongside MLS sales and listing history. Look for repeated short ownership periods, frequent relisting, unusual concessions or recurring descriptions of the same concerns.
However, a recorded transfer is not always a market sale. It may reflect estate planning, a trust transfer or another ownership change. A high turnover rate is a reason to ask questions, not proof of a problem.
Compare the pattern with similar nearby homes, and use seller disclosures, HOA records and available club communications to investigate specific concerns.
7. How much of a premium is reasonable?
There is no single percentage that reliably applies to every golf course home in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley or any other community.
The right comparison is recent closed sales of otherwise similar homes in the same community, ideally including properties with and without golf frontage. Account for condition, architecture, lot size, orientation, privacy and the quality of the actual view.
A broad fairway outlook with mountain views and separation from play deserves a different evaluation from frontage beside a busy cart path or an exposed landing area.
The asking price is not evidence of the premium’s value. Nor should the full difference between two sale prices be attributed to golf frontage when the homes differ in other meaningful ways.
“The question is not simply whether golf course homes cost more. It is whether this home’s particular location, view and ownership costs justify the difference.”
Factor in the likely holding period and the future buyer audience. A lifestyle benefit can be worth paying for even when it does not produce a dollar-for-dollar return at resale. Make that choice consciously.
Frequently asked questions about buying a golf course home
Are golf course homes a good investment?
They can be, when the purchase price is supported by comparable sales and the property offers desirable views, sensible placement and manageable costs. Appreciation is not guaranteed, and the course’s future should be investigated.
What is the best location for a home on a golf course?
Look for a position that combines views, privacy and separation from likely ball-flight areas and busy cart paths. There is no universally safe location based solely on being near a tee, fairway or green; evaluate the specific hole and observe play.
Can the golf course behind my home become housing?
Possibly, depending on ownership, applicable land-use rules, recorded restrictions and required approvals. Investigate the particular course with the planning department and qualified legal counsel rather than assume the open space is permanent.
Is golf course living worthwhile if I do not play golf?
It can be. I rarely play due to long work hours, but still choose to live on the course. Views, openness and less private yard maintenance may be the primary attraction. Verify whether mandatory club fees or other obligations change the value for you.
My perspective: The right golf course home can be well worth it
For our family, the value was the openness without the upkeep of our former two-acre property. We reduced the landscape we were responsible for while keeping the sense of space we enjoyed. That experience has made me appreciate the lifestyle—and look carefully at the details that can affect a client’s enjoyment and long-term position.
A Realtor with substantial experience in the area, knowledge of the course’s history and firsthand experience living on a course can help you identify the right questions and bring in the appropriate specialists.
If you are considering a golf course home in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale or the greater Phoenix area, I would be happy to share my insights and help you evaluate whether the premium makes sense for you.
Denise van den Bossche | Associate Broker
Exec-Elite Team | Realty Executives Arizona Territory
Call or text: 602-980-0737
Exec-Elite.com | Contact Denise
RESEARCH SOURCES
- Visit Phoenix, Greater Phoenix golf courses: https://www.visitphoenix.com/things-to-do/outdoors/golf/
- EPA, Introduction to Pesticide Drift: https://www.epa.gov/reducing-pesticide-drift/introduction-pesticide-drift
- USGA, Why Do Golfers See Maintenance on the Course?: https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/63/issue-19/why-do-golfers-see-maintenance-on-the-course-.html
- Arizona Department of Real Estate, Property Buyer's Checklist: https://azre.gov/consumers/property-buyers-checklist-home-or-land
- Arizona Department of Water Resources, AMA Management Plans: https://www.azwater.gov/ama/ama-management-plans
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