2025 GCH Annual Index

~ 2025 GCH Annual Index ~
Year-End Double Issue

> Happy New Year!
> The Year: Golf Growing, Course Correction Over 
> Top 10 Most-Visited Communities of 2025 – Where Buyers Want to Live

> The 2025 GCH Community of the Year
> 2025’s Top 10 Amenities
> Five New Communities Join Golf Course Home
> The Most Popular States

> The Most Popular Homes of 2025
> New! Luxury Golf Homes
> The Golf Retirement Planner
> The Most Popular Community Types, Lifestyle
> Most Searched-for Categories
> The GCH Index Through the Years

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Happy New Year!  Welcome to the 2025 GCH Annual Index–an in-depth look at all of 2025’s activity on the Golf Course Home Network. To see all the sections, click on  the headlines listed above and it will jump you to the desired section.

Initiated in 2012, this year marks the 14th edition–a labor of love, this year’s compilation exceeds last year’s, which up to that time, was the largest Annual Index we had ever done.

The Entire Year at Your Fingertips

The GCH Annual Index is like having the entire year at your fingertips.

New to GolfCourseHome.com in 2025 is the Luxury Golf Homes section, which was added to address the rising number of homes priced from $800,000 to $3 million and above.

If you’re looking for the finest homes in a world-class community, you’ve come to the right place.

In addition, you’ll find all of the new communities we added in 2025, plus, the Top 10 Most-Visited Communities, retirement advice, Top 10 amenities, most popular homes and much more. Scroll down and enjoy, and let the year unfold!—David Lott, Founder/Publisher

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2025 GCH Annual Index

The Year: Golf Growing, Course Correction Over

Find new-construction homes at Savannah Lakes Village, SC.

The year 2025 was a mixed bag. There was good news as fewer golf courses closed and new ones opened up. And rising prices for golf course real estate softened a bit as buyer resistance to higher prices tempered sales. Communities that paid attention to “affordability” or invested in community improvements prospered.

And a total lowered Fed rate of 0.75 percentage points helped keep the lid on rising mortgage rates which hovered in the low 6 percent range. Hopes remained afloat for lower mortgage rates in 2026. Whether that happens is up in the air.

The Good News

Get comfy in the new homes at Traditions of Braselton, GA.

The good news is that the golf market continues to grow, communities are investing in upgrades and new amenities and new homes are being built with special incentives (lower rates, upgrades) designed to entice buyers.

The state of Georgia, in particular, has been active in new construction with new homes going up at Lake Arrowhead, GA, The Traditions of Braselton, GA, and Creekwood, GA.

New homes in the $300s are available at Savannah Lakes Village on Lake McCormick, SC. New homes are also being completed at Riverton Pointe, SC, and Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, SC.

And communities are continuing to invest in their amenities and infrastructure. Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, SC, for example, is expanding its golf offerings with a new Coore & Crenshaw course.

And The Club at Quail Ridge, Boynton Beach, FL, recently finished a redesign and renovation of its North Course ($21M) and built a new Racquet Sports Center ($6.6M – $8M). See more exciting news about Quail Ridge below.

Golf Continues to Grow

Palmetto Bluff, SC, to add new Coore & Crenshaw course.

The U.S. golf industry has recorded record numbers of rounds played in three of the past four years, and the National Golf Foundation (NGF) reported in September that the industry could be headed for another record-setting year in 2025.

More good news from the NGF is that the nearly two-decades-long ‘course correction’ in which thousands of golf courses closed after years of overbuilding is over. According to the latest NGF report, the number of U.S. courses and facilities at year-end 2024 were 15,962 and 13,952, respectively.

The “current momentum suggests the trend in supply stability has legs,” says the NGF.  “This balanced state is an indication the industry has matured beyond its boom-and-bust cycle into a more sustainable phase of measured growth.”

Research also shows that many of the new courses coming online are high-end facilities which are often associated with a golf community. That means more choices in the future.

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No. 1 for Retirement

Heritage Shores, DE: Popular choice for the 55+ set.

Finally, our stats show that in 2025 the No. 1 reason–again--that someone visits GolfCourseHome.com is to find a home for their retirement.

The Top 10 Most Visited Communities for 2025 earned their spots by consistently ranking high all year long with two communities hitting the Top 10 every month.

Three communities made the jump to the Top 10 for the first time–Vineyard Haven Luxury Homes, MA, Westlake Golf & Country Club, NJ, and Latitude Margaritaville. SC.

Trilogy at Verde River, AZ, stood out by virtue of its claiming the No. 1 Most Visited Community ranking in six, though not consecutive, months to finish as the No. 2 Most Visited community in 2025. Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA, made a strong leap into the Top 5 from the No. 7 position.

In all, 34 different communities representing 12 states enjoyed at least one stint ranked amongst a month’s favored 10, and six different communities reigned for at least one month as the most-visited community.

See the full list below.

2025 Top 10 Most-Visited Communities
GolfCourseHome.com

1. The Club at Quail Ridge, Boynton Beach, FL – Up from No. 2
2. Trilogy, Rio Verde, AZ 
3. Moss Creek, Hilton Head Island, SC
4. Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro, GA – Up from No. 7
5. Vineyard Haven Luxury Homes, MA – New!

6. Lake Arrowhead, Waleska, GA
7. The Club at Ibis, West Palm Beach, FL
8. Westlake Golf & CC, NJ – New!
9. Riverton Pointe, Hardeeville, SC
10. Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head, SC – New!

Honorable Mentions: These communities were also strong performers, landing just outside the Top 10, earning a well-deserved Honorable Mention: Ocean Ridge Plantation, NC, Southern Hills Plantation, FL, and Pecan Plantation, TX.

2025 Top 10 Most-Visited Communities
WaterViewHome.net

Hilton Head Plantation, SC: Tied for the No. 1 Most Visited for the Year.

Nineteen different communities from seven states made at least one appearance in the Top 10 on WaterViewHome.net in 2025.

Treasure Lake, PA, topped the chart for the second year in a row as the Most Visited Community on the site which features communities with ocean, lake, river and pond views.

Tucked right alongside Treasure Lake in a tie for the No. 1 spot was Hilton Head Plantation, SC, which, like Treasure Lake, claimed four turns as the Most Visited Community of the month.

Honorable Mentions: These communities were also strong performers, landing just outside the Top 10, earning a well-deserved Honorable Mention: Osprey Cove, GA, Woodside, SC, and Dataw Island, SC.

See the full list below.

Top 10 Most-Visited Communities
WaterViewHome.net

1. Treasure Lake, DuBois, PA
1. Hilton Head Plantation, Hilton Head Island, SC – New!
3. Hampton Lake, Bluffton, SC
4. Moss Creek, Hilton Head Island, SC
5. Governors Land, Williamsburg, VA

6. Osprey Cove, St. Marys, GA
7. The Club at Ibis, West Palm Beach, FL
8. Boathouse – The Field Club, Edgartown, MA – New!
9. Heritage Shores, Bridgeville, DE
10. Lake Arrowhead, Waleska, GA

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2025 GCH Annual Index
The Community of the Year

The Club at Quail Ridge, FL: “The 2025 Community of the Year.”

The Club at Quail Ridge in Boynton Beach, FL, is a community on the move.

In anticipation of celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, it embarked in 2019 on a spectacular, six-year “renaissance” of upgrades and improvements that has resulted in it becoming a top, world-class community.

Those improvements have attracted the attention of GolfCourseHome.com visitors whose consistent focus on Quail Ridge throughout 2025 has resulted in it earning the “Community of the Year” award for the first time.

Golf, Racquets Sports & Infrastructure Upgrades

The past two years (2024–2025) were especially active for Quail Ridge with the community completing a major phase of its long-term master plan and the investment of approximately $21.45 million in renovations. 

• North Course Redesign – A complete overhaul of the North Course along with the installation of a modern irrigation system
• New Racquet Sports Center – 16,000-sf pavilion with tennis, pickleball courts, new locker rooms and more
• Practice Facility Enhancements – New short-game area, driving range & practice putting green
• Infrastructure & Entrance Upgrades – Redesigned south entrance & guard house, plus a new South Turn House

All told, Quail Ridge now has a sparkling campus of top-drawer amenities that will continue to attract new residents and guests for years to come. Send me more information about The Club at Quail Ridge!

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2025 GCH Annual Index

Most-Wanted AMENITIES

Governors Land, VA: A marina is the No. 3-ranked amenity.

Retirement communities and gate-guarded communities retained their status as the top-two required amenities for buyers searching for a community in 2025.

New in 2025 was a clear concentration on cost. Communities offering rentals and private residence clubs both appeared high up in the rankings (Nos. 4 & 5, respectively)–as they are considered lower-cost alternative to purchasing a home.

Water access remained a high priority with communities having a marina came in at No. 3.

Out of the Top 10 were past favorites–fitness center, walking trails, tennis and boating.

Returning to the Top 10 were equestrian facilities and Olympic-size pool. 

Hovering just outside the top-coveted categories were pickleball and skiing. With the newly added Tamarack Resort in Tamarack, ID–America’s only major golf, lake and ski resort–we anticipate a rise in skiing in 2026.

See below for the complete Top 10, with links connecting to a list featuring all communities with the stated amenity.

2025 Top 10 Amenities

1. Retirement Communities
2. Gated Communities
3. Marina
4. Rentals – New
5. Private Residence Club – New

6. 24-Hour Security
7. Equestrian – New
8. Pet Friendly
9. Camps/Children’s Activities
10. Olympic-size Pool – New

Next-Level Priority

Ocean
Pickleball
Skiing
Nature Center

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2025 GCH Annual Index

Top 5 Lifestyle Locations

Sailfish Point, FL: Oceanfront living & Nicklaus golf.

Waterfront living is still the No. 1 lifestyle/location choice for visitors to Golf Course Home.

Military communities, such as Indian River Colony Club in Melbourne, FL, continued to be a top choice as well.

Top 5 Locations/Lifestyle

Links go to a list of all communities featuring the stated location/lifestyle:

1. Oceanfront Communities
2. Lake Communities
3. Mountain Communities
4. Island Communities
5. Desert Communities

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2025 GCH Annual Index

The Most Searched-for States

Westlake Golf & CC: Powers New Jersey to Top 10 status.

2025 Top 10 Most Searched-for States

1. Florida
2. North Carolina
3. Georgia
4. Arizona  
4. South Carolina 

6. New England – Up from No. 9
7. Texas
8. New Jersey – New
9. Virginia
10.Delaware 

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2025 GCH Index

The Golf Retirement Planner

Sanctuary Cove, GA: Golden Isles coastal setting, golf & more.

The Golf Retirement Planner features a number of guides that give the top 5 or 10 (or more) reasons for retiring to a specific community or location. See a sampling of the newest guides, below. Go to Golf Retirement Planner for the full list of articles.

• Top 10 Reasons to Retire to Palmetto Bluff, SC – READ MORE
• Top 10 Reasons to Retire to Sanctuary Cove, GA – READ MORE
• Top 5 Reasons to Retire to Westlake Golf & CC, NJ – READ MORE

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2025 GCH Annual Index
Top Search Categories

Here are some of 2025’s most-searched-for categories featuring all the posts related to the search phrase.

• The Golf Retirement Planner – Questions & Answers about Special Places for Retirement
• Discovery Visit Packages – Visit Packages to Experience the Country Club Lifestyle
• Things To Do – Volunteer Drives, Clinics, Events & More to Make Community Life More Meaningful
• 2025 Newsletters – 12 Months of GCH Newsletters tell the story of 2025
• 2025 Golf/Waterview Homes for Sale – Every Home Featured for Sale in 2025

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2025 GCH Annual Index
New Communities on Golf Course Home in 2025

Tamarack Resort, ID: 4-season mountain, golf & lake resort.

The Golf Course Home Network welcomed five new member communities in 2025. States represented were Georgia, Idaho and New Jersey. See a brief description and links to these recent additions below.

Georgia

Creekwood, GA: Comfortable homes, modern amenities.

> Creekwood, Powder Springs, GA – is a vibrant, 55-plus, active-adult community located in Powder Springs, GA. This new community is smartly designed to offer comfort, convenience and a strong sense of community for retirees.

Developed by Paran Homes, this gated neighborhood features ranch-style villas with modern amenities, making Creekwood an ideal setting for homebuyers seeking a relaxed, active lifestyle. Send me more information about Creekwood 55+ Community!

> Sanctuary Cove, Waverly, GA – is a private, gated golf and waterfront community, offering the relaxed Lowcountry lifestyle from its location alongside the famed Golden Isles of Georgia.

Its resident members enjoy country club amenities enhanced by walking trails, championship golf, tennis complex, fitness center and pool and riverfront activities on the Little Satilla River. Send me more information about Sanctuary Cove!

> Traditions of Braselton, Jeffersosn, GA – is a charming, master-planned community with resort-inspired amenities set on 1,140 acres of scenic North Georgia terrain. All roads lead to the the amenity center and social hub at the heart of the property. Send me more information about Traditions of Braselton!

New Jersey

Westlake Golf & CC, NJ: Private, gated for 55+ adults.

> Westlake Golf & Country Club, Jackson, NJ – is a private, gated, golf community for active adults age 55 and up located in Ocean County, New Jersey. The community is set close to Atlantic Ocean beaches, cosmopolitan cities, major highways, highly ranked hospitals and diverse shopping.

Life at Westlake is upbeat and spirited, thanks in part to an Arthur Hills golf course, brand-new tennis and pickleball courts, two swimming pools, dining options and more. Send me more information about Westlake Golf and Country Club!

Idaho

Tamarack Resort, Donnelly, ID – is a four-season, mountain resort, featuring a championship golf course, marina with on-water fuel, 2,800 feet of vertical drop and 1,100 acres of skiable terrain.

Set 90 miles north of Boise on the west shore of Lake Cascade, it is tucked into the Payette River Mountains region and is renowned as America’s only ski, golf, and lake resort. Send me more information about Tamarack Resort!

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2025 GCH Annual Index
The Most Popular Homes

The 2025 Most Viewed Home is in Reynolds Lake Ocone, GA.

The year 2025 continued the trend of golf homes going up in price. Last year the least expensive homes were in the $200,000s. No more. That prince range for single-family, golf course homes has all but disappeared.

This year, the lowest, most-popular home was asking $395,000 while the highest, most-popular home was up from last year’s $695,000 to $849,000.

Overall, the average price for the most-popular golf homes on the Golf Course Home Network jumped from the high $400s to $541,000–a 13.6 percent increase over 2024.

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New for 2025: Luxury Golf Homes  

Palmetto Bluff, SC: 2025’s most expensive home, $3,595,000. 

With the increasing prevalence of golf home prices topping $800,000, this year marked the introduction of a new Luxury Homes & Land section to our 3/week e-newsletter for homes priced from $800,000 to $3 million+.

And, as a complementary section on GolfCourseHome.com, we also added Luxury Golf Homes where you’ll see all upscale homes added to the GCH Network.

See below for the most viewed homes on golfcoursehome.com, ranked according to number of views. Note that the No. 1 home in Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA, was the most viewed home in three separate months.

The most expensive home featured on golfcoursehome.com in 2025 was in Palmetto Bluff. A new-construction, estate home, the 5BR home is set on a private, half-acre-plus lot with woodland views.

Its floor plan provided 4,092 sf of Lowcountry-style living space with a carriage house, plus pool and spa. It came on the market with an asking price of $3,595,000. 

Watch for New Homes Every Monday – Thursday

Florida Lifestyle: The No. 3 most-viewed home at The Club at Ibis.

In 2026 be on the lookout each week–Monday through Thursday–when we post new homes, condos, villas and cottages for sale on the GCH homepage and feature them in our e-newsletter (subscribe here).

They’ll be easy to spot as each home enjoys up to 10 days in the spotlight on the homepage and in the newsletter.

See below, in order of the most number of views received, the most popular homes we presented for sale.

2025 Top 10 Most-Viewed Golf Homes

1. Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA – 3 BRs/2 BAs – $419,900  READ MORE

2. Trilogy at Verde River, AZ – 2 BRs/2 BAs $598,000 READ MORE

3. The Club at Ibis, FL – 3 BRs/2.5 BAs $659,000 READ MORE

4. Riverton Pointe, SC – 2 BRs/2 BAs – $395,000 READ MORE

5. Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA – 3 BRs/3.5 BAs – $849,000 READ MORE

6. River’s Edge, NC – 4 BRs/3 BAs – $785,000 READ MORE

7. Savannah Lakes Village, SC – 2 BRs/2 BAs – $348,000  READ MORE

8. St James Plantation, NC – 3 BRs/2 BAs $675,000 READ MORE

9. Sea Trail Plantation, NC – 3 BRs/2.5 BAs – $535,000 READ MORE

10. Southern Hills Plantation, FL – 3 BRs/2.5 BAs – $469,000 READ MORE

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2025 GCH Annual Index
The GCH Annual Index Through the Years

Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA: 10+ years in the GCH Index.

The GCH Annual Index has been published every year from 2012 to 2025–14 years and counting. To see them all, click here!

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