Random question... how much does golf factor into your retirement plans?

I'm 48 and hope (with a little discipline) to be able to retire at 55. I live in the NE where the golf season is probably 7 months long on average. So I feel like moving somewhere where I could play 12 months a year would be a big plus in terms of my happiness level in retirement. Likewise access to nice, affordable public courses... although who knows maybe if I had the $ it would make financial sense to join a club with unlimited golf privileges.

Anyone else think about golf when planning retirement?

If you're retired you will have so much time on your hands to golf. If you plan to play more than once a week I see no reason not to become a member at a course so you can play all the time. If you're going to move and golf is a part of the reason, then look for some place that has a multi-course membership. You can pay one membership and get unlimited golf at multiple courses.

Well I already live in death's waiting room so I'm all set. If you are in the Northeast I guess Florida is your logical option. I would for sure look at getting a membership.

I wouldn't get a membership right off the bat as I'm sure you want to play many areas. One thing we have in the Tampa and Orlando area is the Paradise Golf Card. It's good to check out the courses in the area and also some private ones.

To give you an idea on price I would generally say have about $700 a month set aside, give or take. That will get you unlimited golf and cart. At least that's what it is at my course. Since I am Club Corp too we can play at 3 other local ones, although if you are on cart plan it doesn't work over there.

So basically if golf is important to you I would say make it a part of your retirement plans and keep it in mind when moving.

Well assuming I am alive that long membership somewhere up this way and down south for winter. Long way to go so I don't worry much about that stuff, only 34.

Yeah Florida makes sense but I am looking more at Cali, love the weather there and not a big fan of the excessive heat and humidity you get in FL during the summer. Was looking at SF/bay area but it's a long way off, just doing some preliminary internet research at this point.

How often do you think you will play when you retire (or how much do you play if already retired)?

If you are thinking about California then prepare for waaay more $.

Well right now I play at least 2x a week. I think so far this year I have posted 86 rounds to GHIN. I am lucky enough to have a job where I work from home and can get out and play 18 before I start working. I have also been with my company for 20 years so I am now maxed out with 33 vacation days per year.

When I retire I would imagine I will be playing as much as my body will allow me to. I have a long ways to go as I'm 44.

Lately only playing 2 rounds a week. When I have a tournament upcoming or grinding at the start of season after winter I aim for 4 or 5 and tons of on course practice trying to get out when the course is empty.

I would love to play Sr. Am events when I retire so I would try and play 4-5 days.

This. I play pretty often with retired guys and even the most diehard of the lot really don't play more than 5 days a week. 4 or 5 seem to be common. I know I feel it when I play 4 or 5 days in a row over a holiday weekend and I don't expect to have fewer aches and pains when I'm old.

Personally, I'm not all that interested in moving south when I retire. Some trips during the winter sure but not giving up summers here.

This part of Ohio has some of the best public courses for the money anywhere.

Yours truly at Forest Dunes Golf course on our road trip last month:
IMGL6348 by Stephen McAllister, on Flickr



More pics from the course:
https://flic.kr/s/aHsm2DDVV2

So I don´t have any ideas about the course rating numbers. You guys often mention them, so maybe could give a comment on my home club courses based on these:

PAR 72
Valkoinen (White) 74.2/132
Keltainen (Yellow) 72.1/128 78/132 (6298yards)
Sininen (Blue) 70.9/126 76.5/129
Punainen (Red) 69.2/123 74.5/125

AND

PAR 71
Valkoinen (White) 71.3/122
Keltainen (Yellow) 69.2/118 75.2/125 (5980 yards)
Sininen (Blue) 67.5/115 73.1/120
Punainen (Red) 65.7/111 70.8/115

Here whites are the back-tees, yellow the club tees. These are from http://clubsg.skygolf.com. I personally (and my friends too) think that the first course is maybe a bit tougher than average in Finland compared to slope. Strong wind often, and against it most times on the longer par-fives. Second course is easy, short and lots of room. Wind also is easier to live with. Somehow the slope on the actual course is almost the same. My friend has 15.5 hcp and he gets 18 slope on the first, 17 on the second. I think that is kinda strange. They re-measured the slope on the second course this spring, and it actually got a bit higher, I find that very hard to believe.

I´m guessing the 128 and 118 numbers from yellow (club) tees are similar to the numbers you guys post, not sure though if 118 s affected because it is par 71, but I would not argue if it would be a lot easier (118 to 128). Would a 128 rating from 6300y sound kinda average in difficulty to where you play at, or what would be the norm (I tried to google a bit but not with great success)?

Okay thanks for any input!

i think about golf and retirement alot....... in fact, also playing more and perhaps playing in senior amateur events. i would need to play alot more to do this.

complication for me is i'm canadian so i can't just easily move to palm springs and live full-time, which i'm sure i would if i was american citizen.

is there some website that compares obvious retirement areas? like tucson vs. phoenix vs. palm springs etc... i love the feel of palm springs though.

I have know idea what the rules are but when I lived in Florida it seemed like there were a lot of Canadians who spent the winter there.

Not sure I totally have an answer but I will post my last 4 courses since I think you are just curious to the yardage to slope over here.
In reality the par doesn't matter to the ratings and slope though. Might make it harder or easier to break par but that doesn't matter much.

Par 71 - 6893 73.3 133
Par 72 - 7079 74.3 137
Par 72 - 6481 70.5 116
Par 70 6203 69.5 118

Keep in mind the slope number is going to feel harder the worse the golfer is, ie water that is easy to carry for the scratch golfer and those type of things.

I would consider 128 at 6300 to be harder than average in my area.
The 137 course is 126 from 6200 yards and it eats people up if they are wild off the tee.

Not sure if that helps any

Here are my courses (taking out the red tees):

South:
White 6,052y 70.0/126
Blue 6,346y 71.0/130
Gold 6,565y 72.1/133

North:
White 5,887y 69.3/131
Blue 6,248y 71.0/141
Gold 6,616 73.0/147

Our North course is insanely difficult compared to everything else in the area.
Holes with water/ob on both sides: 2,3,4,7,9,12,13,15,17,18
Holes with water/ob on one side: 1,5,11,14

I didn't include any par 3's.

lol 141 at 6200 is just mean. Hope they sell balls for cheap at the turn

That north course sounds absurd.

Nta, Scott: Thanks! Yep that helped, was wondering about the yardage/slope. Also wish people would mention ratings here too, at least I never hear them talked about. Would make sense, instead of "yea it´s pretty difficult, a bit like xx course but with..."

Yeah I can start posting ratings and yardage with my scores. I really should anyways since some of my better rounds are actually 78-80 on the tougher courses I play compared to the 77 I can put up with out actually hitting the ball all that well at my home course. I live 2 or 3 minutes away so it is my home course due to me being lazy.

My home course is the Par 72 - 6481 70.5/116 one. Hence the reason I can put up a bunch of 70's scores but my cap is mid singles. The funny part is how narrow the fairways are which leads to all those 4/14 FIR rounds. They are mostly 20 yards wide with the widest about 25 yards. I love when I show up to a new course and the fairways are 35 yards wide, feels like 60 yards to me.

Why isn't there a major golf tournament with men and women competing together? Just have them play from different tees.

Hell, I think Vegas should have this. It should be huge.

It was a silly season event instead of a major, but they used to do this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy%...Tour_Challenge

Jump to :36

I remember this...but I mean a regular tournament with both genders competing.

It was the JC Penney Classic at Innisbrook Copperhead course. John Daly and Laura Davies were a team one year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JCPenney_Classic

Jesus ****ing christ guys...I'm not talking about "team" events. Just a regular stroke-play tournament where it is is truly "open." Male and female can play. Only the women play from a closer tee box, like in a handicap tournament - but without the handicaps - just straight gross.