What's one thing many baby boomers have in common with their parents as well as their adult children?
Answer: A passion for golf. And now, as they prepare to retire, interest in exclusive golf course communities is hot, like the rest of the real estate market.
With prices soaring and memberships at top courses becoming ever more exclusive, home ownership in these communities cannot only bring with it a morning or twilight round. Spas and nearby beaches and mountains for everyone have also become a must.
According to Gopal Ahluwalia, staff vice-president for research at the National Association of Home Builders, golf homes can be second homes, but increasingly they're primary residences. Just being close to a course has become a selling point. According to Ahluwalia, about half of the families who own such homes have no golf-playing member. "They just like having houses there," he says.
Here are some golf homes currently for sale around the country, ranging from under $200,000 to more than $11 million. In some cases, they also serve as ski or beach houses, as well as weekend getaways just outside the city limits. And they all have enough bedrooms to invite some colleagues out for a weekend round — maybe even the boss.