A house and the land that surrounds it can both be beautiful, but what if there are three hundred identical homes, right next to it?
Well, at least the golf was good…
First round of the year and I shot a 92. I hadn’t swung a club since last September, and I’m still nursing a bevy of old-man injuries, so I’m okay with that.
My buddy shot a 77 with four birdies, and amazingly that was with a quadruple-bogey on the 10th hole, where, ironically, I had been grilling him about his recent marriage proposal…
Here we were – two engaged dudes, golfing in what was essentially a retirement community for older couples. Seems only fitting…
The whole golf course is surrounded by 60 and 70-something couples, walking the streets, holding hands, and crossing the fairway like it’s a park. “FOOOOOORE!!!”
The houses in the video above are tiny bungalows, likely only 1,700 square feet. But it’s not the size, style, or location I take issue with; it’s the lack of creativity that went into the design. These houses are identical, from the lot sizes, to the floor plans, to the position of every single window. Only the brick is different (red or grey) and that’s almost an identifiable pattern.
I don’t have access to these homes on MLS, but you can search around on Google and find a handful of listings; shockingly, these 2-bed, 2-bath bungalows are priced upwards of $500,000.
I’d love to live near a golf course when I retire. But on a golf course? I’m not so sure about that.
Ballantrae is a great little place to visit for a day, whether you’re a golfer, real estate enthusiast, both, or neither!
BTW – if any of my readers have a good hole-in-one story (ie. you’ve actually made one), I’d love to hear it!
Deez Nuts
at 8:59 am
loved the action shot at the beginning. 77 with a quad is a fine score. Those houses are a joke, not a bad course though, played there once.
George
at 10:46 am
I’ve hit too many houses lining a golf course to ever want to buy one myself…although I may never have to buy golf balls again.
mike
at 5:56 pm
Wow that ball started way right..but the club twirl was classic and very professional
Duncan
at 9:23 am
I have some friends who live in here, it is a peaceful community, but you are right in the fact that all of the houses are the same. If you forget the house number when visiting it is almost impossible to find the correct unit. Inside the finishes are top quality and the floor plans are very well thought out. The problem with living on the course is unless you plan to have the blinds closed all the time, you are def living in a fishbowl. Apart from 70’s & 80’s couples there are quite a few younger professionals living in here, mostly from the Equestrian World… you just don’t see them often as they are mostly on the road at competitions which is why they choose to live here, close to the stables, in the country but condo advantages such as lawn care etc. From what I hear, the moment one comes on the market they are sold very quickly. I too was surprised at the price since most of these are only 2 bed units. Too bad the developer didn’t put more imagination into the elevations. I do know this was based on the golf club communities in the West Palm area in Florida.
Rick
at 12:49 pm
I know this is going to sound like BS but a friend of a friend golfed with a guy who had two holes in one in the same round. I know it sounds like an urban legend, but it’s true. The guy is a scratch golfer who had never made a hole in one before (he was like mid 30’s) and ended up making his first hole in one on the front nine, and his second ever hole in one on the back nine just a few holes later.
dave
at 4:46 pm
The estimate on that is apparently about 9 million to 1. (2 holes in one in the same round of golf)
“In 1999, Golf Digest reported, “One insurance company puts a PGA Tour pro’s chances at 1 in 3,756 and an amateur’s at 1 in 12,750.”
That same issue reported that the “odds of an amateur making two holes-in-one in a round are 9,222,500 to 1.”
http://golf.about.com/od/faqs/f/holeinoneodds.htm