Golf Club Community Amenities Hit a Hole-in-One With Pandemic Buyers

Just one year ago, residential golf communities were struggling with sales and stagnant prices. Now, demand has surged during the pandemic. One new golf homeowner says she bought not because of golf, but the other amenities such as outdoor sports, dining, and socializing. Golf clubs have a powerful ability other communities may not: the ability to limit access to all facilities. This makes residents feel safe from the virus, says Realtor.com. One November survey found 63% of respondents would want to live in a gated golf community versus outside, which is up from the 51% pre-pandemic.

After overdevelopment in the 1980s and 1990s, golf communities have struggled in recent years as participation in the costly and time-consuming sport declined, forcing many courses to close. Golf participation peaked in 2001 with roughly 30 million people; by 2017 it had dropped to approximately 24 million, according to the National Golf Foundation.

But experts agree that golf—an outdoor activity played in wide-open spaces—carries relatively little risk of spreading Covid-19. As a result, golfers have returned to the links in droves since the pandemic’s onset. Americans played 10 million more rounds of golf in August than in the same month of last year, a 20.6% jump, according to data from Golf Datatech and National Golf Foundation.

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