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Best place to retire and become a Golf Bum

BagBoy
robo729

robo729

Well-known member
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
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Location
Staten Island, NY
Handicap
NE Weather
So here is the deal: I am nearing retirement, within the next 3 years, and starting to look at places to either buy a 2nd home, or if it comes to it, rent for the winter months. I currently live in NYC, where obviously the cost of living is high but I do have a house that is paid for already. I want to be in obviously a warmer climate for the winter months, say from January to April at least, possibly November to April.
My only requirements are as follows:
1. Warmer climate, it can be anywhere in the US. Winter temperature has to consistently be above 60 during the day, I would prefer even warmer but know that this isn't neccessarily possible.
2. Lower cost of living.
3. Places to see and explore.
4. Good/decent food experience, hard to beat NYC's food options.
5. Access to airports for other travel needs.

I will take any and all suggestions. I am open to many different scenarios, buy or rent, condo or house, multiple locations over the winter or just a single location. I am sure THPers will be one of my better resources for this adventure.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!
 
Oh man I was going to say Ocean Isle Beach, NC (40 minutes north of Myrtle), but it falls just short of your 60* in winter requirement.
 
I have been begging my wife to move to cocoa Beach fl...its a hard no right now 😔
 
TheHammer0711 said:
I have been begging my wife to move to cocoa Beach fl...its a hard no right now 😔
Click to expand...

Well, she must know how most strange news stories begin ...

"A man in Florida..."
 
Following!

We're pretty much set on moving to Mexico and working remotely, and possibly retiring there. The golf isn't cheap though...
 
RealPretendPsychic said:
Oh man I was going to say Ocean Isle Beach, NC (40 minutes north of Myrtle), but it falls just short of your 60* in winter requirement.
Click to expand...

I know but I can't take the winters anymore and want to be able tp lay golf without being layered up too much. I hate not being able to play up here in for most of December thru March. Even if we do get that 1 nice day the courses are so packed it isn't worth going for a 5 hour round. I guess I should have put that in there too but if its warmer out I don't mind.
 
pattyboy21 said:
Following!

We're pretty much set on moving to Mexico and working remotely, and possibly retiring there. The golf isn't cheap though...
Click to expand...

Mexico is out of the question. My wife won't even go visit Mexico for vacation. I am not a big fan of there either. If I am moving out of the US it is to the Carribbean somewhere, but I need golf on the regular and for a fair price, not Carribbean island prices.
 
TheHammer0711 said:
I have been begging my wife to move to cocoa Beach fl...its a hard no right now 😔
Click to expand...

My BIL lives in Plantation Florida near Jacaranda Country Club. Thats the only reason my wife wants to leave NY at all. She likes the changing of the seasons. I have no desire to see another winter right now and this years was very mild and little snow. I will gladly decorate palm trees with Christmas lights.
 
Oh wow...I didn't think about Charleston SC and now it might be on the top of my list.
 
Palm Springs. More courses around there than you could play in three weeks.
 
Nappy said:
Oh wow...I didn't think about Charleston SC and now it might be on the top of my list.
Click to expand...

It should be lol. I was moved here for work and it is a golf paradise. Consistently warm, lots of great old school courses north of town (tight fairways full of moguls and tall pines) and then you have tremendous ocean courses out on Isle of Palms which is Wild Dunes, and Kiawah Island obviously everyone knows.

Wild Dunes is awesome though, last 3 holes on Links course straddle the Atlantic, and it’s only $44 after 3 lol. Once March rolls around it’s 70-80° at least everyday.

Also SC law is that anyone over 65 does not pay property taxes
 
robo729 said:
Mexico is out of the question. My wife won't even go visit Mexico for vacation. I am not a big fan of there either. If I am moving out of the US it is to the Carribbean somewhere, but I need golf on the regular and for a fair price, not Carribbean island prices.
Click to expand...
Club Campestre membership comes with a home purchase, and of course golf IS cheap in the Summer for those that live in Los Cabos (which is where we want to live). There is a nice course in Ensenada but I wouldn't want to live there - must be other options too but Los Cabos is where we want to go.

I would love to live in Phoenix/Scottsdale again but Mexico is just a better option for us long term.
 
robo729 said:
My BIL lives in Plantation Florida near Jacaranda Country Club. Thats the only reason my wife wants to leave NY at all. She likes the changing of the seasons. I have no desire to see another winter right now and this years was very mild and little snow. I will gladly decorate palm trees with Christmas lights.
Click to expand...
Use to love the changing season and snow....but now as I'm getting older my back says NO MORE SNOW. Plus I like to fish and golf....and it sucks that almost 4-6 months out if the year i can't.
 
robo729 said:
So here is the deal: I am nearing retirement, within the next 3 years, and starting to look at places to either buy a 2nd home, or if it comes to it, rent for the winter months. I currently live in NYC, where obviously the cost of living is high but I do have a house that is paid for already. I want to be in obviously a warmer climate for the winter months, say from January to April at least, possibly November to April.
My only requirements are as follows:
1. Warmer climate, it can be anywhere in the US. Winter temperature has to consistently be above 60 during the day, I would prefer even warmer but know that this isn't neccessarily possible.
2. Lower cost of living.
3. Places to see and explore.
4. Good/decent food experience, hard to beat NYC's food options.
5. Access to airports for other travel needs.

I will take any and all suggestions. I am open to many different scenarios, buy or rent, condo or house, multiple locations over the winter or just a single location. I am sure THPers will be one of my better resources for this adventure.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!
Click to expand...

I find myself in an almost similar situation. I’m from upstate NY and I’m approaching retirement age, although not as soon as you. I have no use for winter. I don’t care how mild it was or how little it snowed. I want to be warm and I want to play golf. I’m thinking anywhere from SC to Florida would work.
 
Arizona is hard to beat. Between the Phx area and Tucson there is so much golf. Tucson is smaller so you don't get the traffic like Phx can get. Both places are outstanding and it is only hot for like 3 months lol!
 
Bernoulli said:
I find myself in an almost similar situation. I’m from upstate NY and I’m approaching retirement age, although not as soon as you. I have no use for winter. I don’t care how mild it was or how little it snowed. I want to be warm and I want to play golf. I’m thinking anywhere from SC to Florida would work.
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I am on the younger side. I am with my place 30 years now and can retire at any time I want now. More of it is just to get my 401k up higher and i still have a contract until 2023. So that is what is factoring into my waiting. I would retire today if my wife was ready.
 
My wife and I looked at a winter place before retirement. Florida hit all the right buttons for us , especially near Sarasota. We decided not to because of excessive cost of medical insurance and a surplus of guns. We try to visit every other winter for a month. Golf courses are superb with a good range of costs.
 
It will be Florida...A good bet will be near BIL to sooth the wife. Plenty of great restaurants/golf in the area. And tons of New Yorkers.
 
@robo729 I didn't see whether FL was on or off your list. You mentioned your BIL is there... take a vacation and visit... see how you like it. Adjust locale from there to GA, SC, NC... although NC might be out of contention due to cooler temps... but once in FL, there's the Gulf Coast states... but in the summer they're HOT and HUMID if you're choosing to relocate permanently.
 
Been looking for 2 years while waiting to tie up some loose ends up here. These are the places weve looked(for most part wife wants ocean very close if possible)
Florida- Tampa/St pete area near Indian Rocks Beach; Venice, Fla and Fort Myers area. Love the Gulf side. North Carolina- Ocean Isle Beach looks great but anywhere up and down the coast of North or South Carolina is fine by me and taxes are low. I love Arizona especially Tucson area but no ocean for the missus:(
We have spent time overseas and I would love to retire to Spain or Portugal! Lots of great courses, great food and very reasonable property wise. And once you are there its easy traveling around Europe. Good luck there are lotsa options. Some places wont tick all the boxes but few ever do!
 
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