But that doesn’t mean they haven’t caught their attention. The trend of millennials parking their cars at country clubs may be new, but not every community is ready to adapt to the times. Here’s a snapshot of some of the changes happening around the nation’s links.
A 'full bore' movement
The Wall Street Journal spotlighted the trend in April with a headline to make baby boomers bury their heads in a sandtrap: “Millennials are coming for your golf communities.” In that story, Gabrielle and Brandon Sloan repeat the same refrain as the Murphys: They wanted to settle down someplace quiet and family-friendly. Both couples ended up buying property that borders the Tequesta Country Club.
Homes in these types of areas aren’t cheap, either. They tend to be in gated communities and often feature swimming pools and tennis courts, all wrapped in a bucolic setting. The Sloans paid $660,000 for their three-bedroom house, while the Journal describes similar properties in California, Georgia and Texas that attract millennials who are willing to pay upwards of millions of dollars.
One real estate agent in Texas described it to the paper as “a full-bore, ‘let’s get going on the country club lifestyle’ movement.”
The pandemic may be largely responsible. The National Golf Foundation (NGF) reports a surge in play over the past few years, with a record 531 million rounds of golf being played across the U.S. in 2023. The foundation credits favorable weather conditions and greater work flexibility as key contributors.
The potential backlash
While real estate professionals, the golfing industry and of course millennials are thrilled to be part of it all, the wave of newcomers hasn’t excited everyone. As Miami real estate agent Jordan Lederman told Today: “Some communities are adapting while others aren’t.”
In Southern California’s Coachella Valley, Doug and Jamie Baker told Today that they relish not having to deal with Halloween trick-or-treaters, for starters. But lately, they’re beginning to wonder whether the trick is on them.
“We don’t want Coachella here all year long,” Doug Baker groused, referring to the rowdy annual music festival hosted nearby.
