Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
As a golf cart community resident, I can tell you that it is an excellent experience. When we moved here, we sold one of our cars. Today, we use the golf cart more than our actual vehicle. Golf carts are on the rise in the United States. By 2028, it’s expected to be a 2.5 billion dollar business. If you love golf carts as much as we do, here are the best golf cart communities you can move to.
Golf cart enthusiasts will love what each of these communities has to offer. As a former golf professional and membership director, I couldn’t imagine a life without a golf cart ride every afternoon. There is just something special about it.
The Villages
- Location: North Central Florida
- Median Home Value: ($400,000)
- Age Restriction: 55+
- Membership Cost Range: Golf is Free for Residents at Executive Courses, Membership Enhancement Package for Championship Courses
- Number of Golf Courses: More Than 50 (Executive and Championship)
What started as a small village in the late 1970s has turned into a hot spot for golf, retirement, and electric vehicles (golf carts!). The 55+ Villages community is a self-contained city that takes up 20,000 acres of space.
This one could be the best place if you want a mix of affordability and a busy, golf-centric lifestyle. Some of the championship courses are designed by Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez, and things like the annual golf cart parade and golf cart socials make this a great cart-friendly community.
Inside the Villages, your golf cars can be used to get you pretty much everything you could ever need. Also, if you want to be the person with the coolest golf cart, you’ll have plenty of competition. The Villages is not overly strict, requiring you to have a white Club Car or anything of the sort.
Bald Head Island
- Location: North Carolina
- Median Home Value: ($888,400 to $1,725,000, average around $1,234,570)
- Age Restriction: None
- Membership Cost Range: (Details not specified, but includes Full, Lifestyle, and House categories with varying privileges)
- Number of Golf Courses: 1 Championship Golf Course
Bald Head Island is a golf cart-only community. If you want your primary mode of transportation to be a cart, this is it. This destination is unique for its scenic beauty and golf cart-friendly environment. Established in 1974 and renovated a few years ago, the course offers stunning ocean views.
Be prepared for the winds; the course is exposed and difficult. Remember that electric carts are the only type allowed on Bald Head Island, and you will find them at the Landings as well.
Membership at the Bald Head Island Club extends to family members and offers varied recreational facilities depending on the category. Home values on the island vary widely, and this is a unique community with a hectic summer season when it comes to rentals and vacations.
The Landings Golf & Athletic Club
- Location: Skidaway Island, Georgia
- Median Home Value: $800,000 (Top prices are well above 2 Million)
- Age Restriction: None
- Membership Cost Range: $25,000-$60,000 Initiation Fee, $6000-$13,000 Dues
- Number of Golf Courses: 6 Championship
The Landings is a gated community on Skidaway Island with about 4000 homes. The community features 6 championship golf courses, and as a golf cart owner, you can get to the local Publix, church, or club restaurants without ever having to leave your golf cart. Although many look at the Landings as a retirement community, there are many young families and people of all ages.
One thing to remember at the Landings is that there are restrictions for the type of golf carts you can have on the course. If you want to ride around the neighborhood on your golf cart, feel free to choose your favorite color and style. You will need a white cart with a few other restrictions on the course.
The Landings is not a golf cart vacation community. You’ll have to live here to enjoy the benefits of golf cart life.
Sandestin
- Location: Miramar Beach, Florida
- Median Home Value: $785,000
- Age Restriction: None
- Membership Cost Range: $10,000 to $25,000 Initiation, Dues $5000-$10,000 annually
- Number of Golf Courses: 4- 18 Hole Golf courses
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, located in Miramar Beach, Florida, just east of Destin, is a sprawling 2,400-acre resort. The area is well known as a travel and tourist destination, but it is also a fun golf cart city if you want to enjoy the golf cart lifestyle.
One of the great things about Sandestin is the number of different home options. There are townhomes, condos, and bills, and each little pocket feels like a completely different neighborhood.
Sandesting is one of the best golf cart beach communities. Take the golf cart ride to the beach and then play 18 holes of golf in the afternoon. This neighborhood has excellent fitness facilities and fun things for the entire family to do, and you never really have to get off the golf cart!
Sun City
- Location: Arizona
- Median Home Value: $350,000
- Age Restriction: 55+
- Membership Cost Range: NA
- Number of Golf Courses: 8 Golf Courses
Sun City, a Del Webb community located in Arizona, is an age-restricted community primarily designed for residents aged 55 and older. Established in 1960, it is tailored to the needs and interests of active retirees and offers a range of amenities and a vibrant social scene.
This is one of the more affordable golf cart communities on our list regarding the median home value. The retirement-friendly location focuses on a mix of fun, activity, and affordability. The fees needed to use the facilities in the Sun City neighborhood are $575 per property per year.
Sun City offers tremendous value if you have looked at other golf cart cities nationwide.
Some of the golf courses include the Lakes West Course, Riverview Golf Course, and Willowcreek Golf Course. This is one of those retirement communities designed to keep people moving for years.
Laguna Woods Village
- Laguna Woods, California
- Median Home Value: $550,000
- Age Restriction: 55+
- Membership Cost Range: NA
- Number of Golf Courses: 27 Hole Championship, 9 Hole Par 3 Course
Laguna Woods Village is the largest 55+ active adult community on the West Coast. If you want the option to play golf, swim, dine out at clubhouses, and even enjoy shopping centers without leaving your golf cart, Laguna Woods Village could do the trick.
This community was developed from 1964 to 1985, with nearly 13,000 homes. If you enjoy playing golf and want an active retirement, Laguna Woods Village could be a good choice. Some amenities include seven clubhouses, 36 holes of golf, five swimming pools, an equestrian center, and over 250 clubs and organizations.
Wexford Hilton Head
- Location: South Carolina
- Median Home Value: ($1,000,000+, ranges from $500,000 to over $2 million)
- Age Restriction: None
- Membership Cost Range ($17,000 to $40,000 Initiation fee, dues ranging from $15,000 to $19,000)
- Number of Golf Courses: 1 Arnold Palmer 18-hole signature course
Wexford, located on the island of Hilton Head, is a golf cart-friendly community with miles of golf cart paths and a challenging and beautifully maintained 18-hole golf course. The membership fees here are standard for a Hilton Head Island private club.
Although Wexford offers pricing options for golfers who don’t want to purchase their electric golf cart, you get the best deal when you sign up for the $1400 personal cart trail fee. The marshlands that surround Wexford are really what sets it apart. A low-country cart ride is something hard to complain about.
What To Look For In The Best Golf Cart Communities?
If you are ready to enjoy all that a golf cart community has to offer, here are some things you should be looking for.
- Check the surrounding areas and see if golf carts are allowed on public roads or inside the neighborhood.
- Ensure you can use your golf cart on the golf courses and that there are no specific restrictions for what type of cart you want to purchase.
- See, if there is access to things like a doctor’s office, food store, coffee shop, and community center, all without the confines of the community, a nice downtown area can change the feel of the neighborhood.
- Check gas and electric golf cart restrictions; most of these communities are moving towards all-electric carts.
- Are there golf cart paths, or do carts travel on the road? Having golf cart paths is a tremendous benefit to keep traffic moving and keeping you safer in low-speed vehicles.
- Ensure adequate golf cart parking at recreation centers, tennis courts, fitness facilities, etc.
Final Thoughts
Golf carts come at a cost and still need to follow the same traffic laws as traditional cars. However, having a golf cart as your primary mode of transportation can bring a new level of enjoyment to golf course life. We will continue to add to this list of the best golf cart communities in the United States. Feel free to send us a message with some of your favorite facilities and how we can help you get the information you need about these places.
