The Benefits of Living in a Golfing Community
While Port Ludlow may best be known as a scenic waterside community, it’s also a top-notch golfing community, home to the championship 18-hole Port Ludlow Golf Course, designed by highly acclaimed golf course architect Robert Muir Graves. Golfing in Port Ludlow means you’ll be teeing off while surrounded by spectacular scenery, with views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Ludlow Bay and Hood Canal. Of course, playing a round of golf anytime the urge hits isn’t the only benefit homeowners enjoy when living in a community with an outstanding golf course, though, admittedly, having more time to practice and enjoy the game is an obvious perk.
Owning a New, Intentionally Designed Home in a Master-Planned Community
Owing a home in a golfing community is often associated with owning a first-class home in a master-planned community. While it can depend on multiple factors, those properties are also more likely to hold their resale value and to weather downturns as they tend to be highly sought after, especially when surrounded by picturesque scenery and a host of other amenities are available too. The views, the amenities and the atmosphere all make homes more attractive to potential buyers.
Homes in a master-planned golfing community are typically conceptualized, designed and built with future homeowners in mind, adding amenities that the homebuyers will actually want and removing those things that many don’t want or need. Here, where homeowners are the focus of its entire design and development, you can also expect to enjoy more of a “sense of community” too, with neighbors waving hello, perhaps grilling together, and feeling comfortable borrowing an egg or two when coming up short.
The homes are often brand new too, so you’ll get to enjoy benefits like customized details, the landscaping of your choice, greater energy efficiency, the latest technology and safety features, like an alarm system, fire resistant insulation, and more. Intentionally designed homes are built to take advantage of the views too, perhaps of a manicured golf course, or a boat-filled bay.
Golf club membership
Living in a golfing community means that you’ll have the chance to take advantage of all aspects of a golf club membership too. One of the greatest benefits of membership, is not just having the tee time you desire, but the added sense of friendship and community that are important aspects of any golf club. Plus, you can often participate in things like members-only clinics, tournaments, leagues and other events.
The Port Ludlow Golf Course offers a club program that includes unlimited golf with no additional green fees, preferred tee times, discount rates on things like golf balls, clothing, cart rentals and guest fees as well as eligibility to play in special events and local leagues. Many of the members belong to one or more of the local leagues, like the men’s or women’s Nifty Niners, the Men’s Golf Association and the Women’s Golf Association. Plus, there’s a pro shop and café, Niblick’s, an ideal spot for enjoying a bite to eat and relaxing before or after a round.
The opportunity to learn to play
If you don’t golf, this is your opportunity to learn how to play as you’ll have easy access to a place to practice – and, the more you practice, the faster you’ll be able to get out there and join everyone else that’s having a good time. Golf is one of the sports that you can learn to play at any point in your life, and not only will you naturally get better with practice, but you can take advantage of private or group lessons, learning about things like golf etiquette, strategy, putting and chipping, that will help you play your best.
Spending time with friends and improving your social life
Living in a golfing community means that you’ll be living in a place with many others that share similar interests. Naturally, you’ll spend more time out on the course with friends, and you’ll meet plenty of new people that can help improve your social life as well. An active social life is important for well-being, both mentally and physically. It can lower the risk of developing depression, warding off loneliness that’s especially common after retirement. Engaging in a more active social life also helps to relieve stress and even lower your blood pressure to reduce the risk of heart-related ailments. It also benefits cognitive functioning, can slow health decline and even improve your fitness level, simply because it provides motivation to get you up, moving, and out of the house. Of course, with a golf course just steps away, it’s even easier to get inspired to spend time outside with friends.
Health Benefits
As mentioned, golf is a great way to exercise and enjoy an active social life, both of which benefits one’s health in a myriad of ways. Having such easy access to a golf course means that you’re more likely to be active regularly, and just playing one round of golf, if you stay on your feet, can take 18,000 steps. That’s a lot of walking, making one of the biggest perks from a fitness standpoint, the cardio activity that’s involved. With most courses spread across acres of hilly ground, it’s an ideal way to support your cardiovascular health. While most people think of activities like jogging, biking or swimming as being good for the heart, as long as you don’t ride in a cart throughout your game, you’ll get similar cardio benefits from golfing. The sport also involves building muscle strength too, as walking those hills works the hamstrings and quadriceps, while lifting your golf bag and carrying it around develops upper body strength too.
Golfing is great for controlling your weight, as covering all of those acres in a round means lots of calorie burning – in fact, golfers may burn as much as 1,000 calories in a single game, especially when carrying their own clubs. But golfing not only exercises the body, it exercises the brain, which is important for longevity as well as enjoying a higher quality of life as it helps reduce memory loss by forcing you to remember things like tips, techniques and numbers. It also fosters hand-eye coordination that keeps the brain active for logical functions, and it even increases brain volume and blood flow – as your heart rate increases, so does blood flow to the brain, stimulating nerve cell connections that can delay age-related disease like dementia and Alzheimer’s. The competition among other golfers serves to boost confidence and self-esteem, and staying focused helps to reduce negative thoughts so you’ll feel happier too.
Golf is particularly good at alleviating stress, which is known to contribute to all sorts of illness and disease. Being outdoors in a place where you can interact with others who share your interests is a great way to forget all about your troubles. The pleasure of walking surrounded by nature and spending time with friends, is an automatic mood booster. Playing a round of golf helps to release endorphins, or “feel-good hormones,” which are natural, mood-enhancing chemicals within our brains that make one feel happier and more relaxed.
All of that exercise means better sleep too. Those who golf more often tend to fall asleep faster, and enjoy more quality rest as they’re able to remain in a deep sleep longer, due to all of the energy that’s expended. Deeper sleep is important so that the body can regenerate cells as well as repair muscle and tissue. When you sleep better on a regular basis, you’ll enjoy benefits that include greater longevity, an uplifted mood, improved memory and focus, greater weight control, be more creative, lower your risk of injury, and you’ll have more energy too.
A wide range of amenities
Homeowners who live in a golfing community often have access to a wide range of other amenities too. Most have a clubhouse with facilities like an exercise room, swimming pool and spa, and areas for events that can be used for meetings, parties and gatherings of all types. You’ll have access to events throughout the year, meaning more opportunities to get to know your neighbors and have fun without having to venture far from home.
At Port Ludlow’s South Bay Club Association, there are instructed water aerobics, Aqua Zumba and Aquawalk hosted at the pool, while Zumba classes, yoga and Mind Body Practice are just some of the other options available. The Port Ludlow Yacht Club offers dozens of social functions every year, making it even easier to meet new people who share at least one of your interests. Its social epicenter, the Wreck Room is open on Wednesday and Saturday evenings, and hosts special events like grilling on the deck and themed nights.
Many communities have onsite eateries, like Port Ludlow’s award-winning Fireside Restaurant, and places those that are fortunate to enjoy a waterside location may even have a marina. The Port Ludlow Marina allows residents and their guests to enjoy a host of resort activities along the waterfront, as well as the ability to dock their vessels for easy access to excursions out on the bay and well beyond.
If you have family and friends that want to visit and enjoy their own private space, yet still be fairly close by, some golfing communities even offer accommodation options, like the 37-room Port Ludlow Inn, renowned for its gorgeous water and mountain views, along with amenities like a private balcony, fireplace and/or jetted tub.
The Bottom Line
Just imagine, a therapy that had no known side effects, could improve your well-being and fairly inexpensive and readily available. That’s what you get living in a golfing community, and a whole lot more, from great opportunities to spend time in nature, exercise, foster new and existing relationships, and plenty of time for relaxation too.