Retired couples are splitting the difference between the life they envision for themselves post-career with a desire to be within an easy day’s driving distance of their children and grandchildren.  For couples with children in major cities of the northeast, Delaware’s coast may fill the bill. The convenient car ferry from Cape May, NJ, to Lewes, DE means a couple leaving the New York metro area early in the morning could very well be on the first tee at Rehoboth Beach Country Club or Bear Trap Dunes by noon. Washington, D.C. residents are closer and Philadelphians closer still.  One other feature of a Delaware retirement:  The state charges no sales tax.

Naples is pretty much the high-rent district on the Gulf coast, but if you do your homework, you will find a wide range of sharply priced real estate options in its dozens of golf communities.  Nearly 100 golf courses compete for the attention (and, in many cases, the initiation fees) of the many snowbirds attracted to Naples for its laid-back sophistication. Vacationers looking for winter respite from the frozen north will find attractive condos starting as low as the $100s; others will find a wide range of upscale communities with single-family homes ranging from the $400s.  And the beaches of Naples are rarely more than a half hour from anywhere.  For a second or year-round home for a relaxing retirement, you could definitely warm up to Naples.

Even during the dog days of summer, when the common wisdom says Floridians retreat indoors to the comfort of their air conditioners, beaches and other attractions in and around Sarasota are bustling.  Siesta Key Beach was named the best beach in America in 2011 by “Dr. Beach,” a professor at a Florida university and arbiter of such rankings.  Siesta’s baby-powder sands are easy on the feet even on the hottest days.  For those turned off by the relentless sunshine and mid-90s heat, shops and restaurants on the main street of the quaint St. Armands or the famed Ringling Museum just off downtown Sarasota are fine places to chill out.  And with such major league attractions in the area as the Tampa Rays baseball team and professional football and hockey teams, and the large Tampa International Airport nearby, Sarasota is a magnet for retirees seeking fun and sun.

You have to look at a map close-up to understand just how unique Vero Beach is, and how its geography, especially water, lends itself to the area’s golfing experiences. In a city of nearly 13 square miles, nearly 2 square miles of it, or 14%, comprises water of the Indian River and numerous lakes and ponds inside the city’s borders. And just beyond the Indian River, and across the strip of land that forms the beach of Vero is the Atlantic Ocean. Vero Beach has long been a favorite destination for retirees and vacation home owners seeking relief from cold weather up north during harsh winters. With annual high average temperatures of 81 degree Fahrenheit and an average low of 64 degrees, Vero is both warm in winter and, unusual for many locations in the Sunshine State, more than tolerable in summer thanks to moderating ocean breezes. As for golf communities, there are many to choose from across all price ranges, from the lush and luxurious John’s Island to a range of others whose mix and match of condos and single-family homes offer residents a wonderful place to spend a few months a year or a lifetime.

In terms of landscape features, Citrus County just about has it all. At a relatively tidy 773 square miles, almost one quarter of it water, the area supports a wide range of aquatic life. For those fascinated by exotic animals, the coastal area of the county is home to more than 400 manatees among its population of sea creatures. The many lightly inhabited islands just of the coast in the Gulf of Mexico provide plenty of frolic space for the manatees as well as ideal sport fishing opportunities. For golfers, there are plenty of communities to choose from, none more renowned than Black Diamond Ranch and its Tom Fazio designed Quarry Course. Even though Florida is notoriously flat, elevations change inside Black Diamond Ranch; the county, at its highest point reaches more than 230 feet, or about the height of a 19 story building.  In recent years, things have definitely been looking up in Citrus County as more and more retirees discover its temperate climate and reasonably priced real estate.

The 56,000 acre Lake Hartwell is as close to a “perfect” lake as you will find in the southeastern U.S. Its nooks and cranny coves provide their own private spaces for homeowners and boaters. The lake may seem secluded but it is bisected by Interstate 85, which makes it an easy-to-reach destination for visitors and weekend vacationers from Atlanta and Greenville, SC. Baby boomers seeking a permanent active lifestyle on a lake surrounded by mountains have begun to discover Hartwell, but bargains still abound. And the golf courses are superb, chief among them Currahee Club, ranked top 60 of all residential layouts by Golfweek.

The Lake Oconee area of central Georgia is a recreational oasis for residents of Atlanta looking for a rejuvenating break from urban life, as well as for baby boomers from all over the nation looking for an active lifestyle oriented toward water and golf. The golf is superb, with 117 championship holes at Reynolds Plantation alone, and additional full-length top-rated courses at nearby Harbor Club and Cuscowilla, a Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore masterpiece that features bright red bunkers resulting from a mix of sand and rich Georgia clay. Located between Augusta and Atlanta, Lake Oconee are within a short distance of all kinds of options for entertainment and dining.  But more and more, options are coming to them as a large supermarket and theater lie just outside the gates of the community, and a brand new hospital should be ready for use within the next year.

For those who yearn for a coastal location but fear the potential of hurricanes, Savannah is your place.  Check out a map of the southeast coast; Savannah is notched into the coastline.  Virtually all Atlantic storms catch the Gulfstream and are whisked north before they get near the city.  In 100 years, only one serious hurricane has reached Savannah, and it came out of the Gulf of Mexico and across the Florida Panhandle.  Popularized by the novel “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” Savannah is a better-than-good place to live and play golf all year round.  And golf communities like The Landings and Ford Plantation, taken together, offer just about every possible style and price of golf home -- from mature and amply sized $250,000 single-family homes in need of a bit of cosmetic updating at The Landings to $1 million plus estate homes at Ford Plantation, where club owners recently completed a $7 million renovation of the Pete Dye course. 

The mountains of western North Carolina are a magnet for northerners and southerners.  Northerners looking for a second home or retirement location appreciate the laid-back nature of many of the small mountain towns and the dramatically lower cost of living than they are used to.  Southerners used to extreme summer heat, especially Floridians, love that the thermometer rarely rises above 80 degrees on some of the most popular mountains, especially those that rise as high as 5,000 feet.  Carolinians from such urban areas as Charlotte and Greenville look to the western Carolina mountains as weekend refuge. Golf above 4,000 feet can also add distance to one's golf game.

After the initial boom in Myrtle Beach, developers saw the wide-open spaces of Brunswick County as a landscape on which to build sprawling communities, each with their own character and most with multiple golf courses inside the gates. Over the last decade, the stretch of coast from Wilmington to the South Carolina border has been one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. That should be of little surprise, given the access to some of the most attractive beaches on the coast, dozens of finely conditioned golf courses and reasonably priced real estate that makes vacation and retirement home ownership within reach.

The University of North Carolina and its 26,000 students are the focal points in Chapel Hill, although Duke and NC State are within an easy drive. All the culture and entertainment options that revolve around a major university make Chapel Hill one of the most desirable places to live in America. The Raleigh/Durham airport, a major hub in the east, is within 35 minutes in Chapel Hill, and healthcare, shopping and employment opportunities, especially in an area of so many universities and the famed Research Triangle Park, are plentiful. The restaurants are good and varied as well. (Carolina barbecue, anyone?)

Two rivers, the Trent and the Neuse, meet in North Carolina’s second oldest town and its former capital, a confluence that is an apt metaphor for a friendly little city where locals like to stroll, dine, shop and, well, meet up.  New Bern is named for the capital of landlocked Switzerland, an odd choice in that the city is almost waterlocked.  The historic district does feature architecture of a distinctively European styling, but New Bern can boast of its all-American bona fides:  A city pharmacist formulated Pepsi Cola at his New Bern soda fountain in the 1890s.  Greenville, NC, is inland, just up Highway 17 from New Bern, but it to is defined very much by water, in this case the Pamlico River, which flows from the sound of the same name.  Cypress Landing, in Chocowinity, sits alongside the river and combines the golf and boating lifestyle into one reasonably priced package.  And for those concerned about medical facilities, Greenville's medical campus rivals those of cities five times larger.

The Wilmington/Southport area spreads from the coast inland toward the Raleigh-Durham area and along Interstate 40.  Wilmington is the quintessential “southern” town, so much so that Hollywood directors have used the city and its environs as the backdrop for their productions, adding a nice extra bump to Wilmington’s stable economic base.  With an active branch of the University of North Carolina and both upscale and reasonably priced golf communities scattered throughout the area, Wilmington offers the kind of access to cultural, entertainment and medical options you would expect from a much larger city.  Southport itself is a small fishing village that cannot hide its charms any more, having been discovered by vacationers who hop on the ferry to sail out to Bald Head Island and retirees who call the sprawling St. James Plantation their home.  Further inland, a successful local family dedicated to the area around Wallace, NC, decided to build an impressive golf community two decades ago called River Landing; features some of the best 36 holes in the state.  And its Craftsman style clubhouse, the center of the community in terms of its sheer size as well as the dinners and other activities it hosts, will impress anyone who sees it for the first time.  Golf in the Wilmington/Southport area is as diverse as it gets, from the links style of Bald Head Island to the sandy links-like terrain around Wilmington to the parkland designs at River Landing.  

For years, Asheville and its surrounding mountain towns have ranked near the top of most “best places to retire” lists. One of the reasons may be that, despite the altitude, Ashevillians do not have a particularly lofty attitude of themselves or their progressive mountain town. Just don’t mess with their mountains, streams and the rest of what nature bequeathed. As for man made inventions, Asheville can boast active theater programs, top-quality restaurants and an atmosphere of invention that attracts some of the top artisans in America. You can craft quite a nice retirement in Asheville.

For almost two centuries, Aiken, SC has been a welcoming refuge for couples and families seeking a mild climate, affordable cost of living, and true sense of Southern charm. In the 19th Century, wealthy industrialists including the Hitchcocks, Astors and Vanderbilts escaped the harsh Northern winters with their horses in tow to create a “home away from home.” The local soil and almost insect-free environment made Aiken comfortable for the horses and their owners. The seasonal migration gave the Aiken area a strong equestrian component that continues to this day and features frequent steeplechase events, polo matches and horse races.  The 21st Century Aiken is a magnet for discriminating retirees who not only feel comfortable in the company of horses, but also are attracted by the fairways and greens of the area’s select group of golf communities that include Woodside, Cedar Creek and Mount Vintage. With Augusta National only 17 miles away, and current professional golfers like Kevin Kisner produced in the area, golf is embedded in Aiken as both hobby and tradition.  Although Aiken might seem right out of central casting for charming Southern town, the area is ripe with sophistication. This college town features a thriving downtown with a host of eclectic locally-owned eateries, boutiques, antique shops and more. Get outdoors in Hitchcock Woods, one of the largest urban nature preserves in the country, or catch a Juilliard performance during the annual Joye in Aiken festival, a partnership with the prestigious school. Thanks to the University of South Carolina Aiken, even more theatrical performances, continuing education opportunities, and cultural events are available to Aiken locals.

No strip of highway on the east coast features more upscale golf communities than does State Highway 278 in Bluffton, SC. Just off of Hilton Head Island, Colleton River, Belfair and Berkeley Hall Plantations each feature lush landscaping, dramatic vistas of marshland and rivers, and 36 holes of golf each, including layouts by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye.  The bridge to the beaches and restaurants of Hilton Head is just a few minutes away, and for side trips to one of America's fascinating cities, Savannah is less than 40 minutes to the south.  Some of the communities in the area charge a mandatory, but reasonable, initiation fee for residents which adds to the financial stability of the clubs.  It also ensures they are in peak condition year round.

Whether you are a golf or food fanatic, or simply enjoy spending many hours touring historic neighborhoods, Charleston will satisfy all the most demanding appetites. Some of the most celebrated chefs in America have chosen the city as their home bases because of the year-round growing season for local produce as well as the vast selection of bounties that come from the local waters. The golf is equally celebrated, from the Rees Jones and Tom Fazio private layouts on Daniel Island to the publicly accessible but beautifully tended courses in Mt. Pleasant.  As for real estate, the choices and prices are as diverse as the city itself.

If you plan to dine in downtown Columbia, make sure to nail down reservations well in advance –- say when the University of South Carolina Gamecocks’ football schedule is released.  Gamecocks fans are notorious celebrators –- before and after home games, especially if the team wins (which they do most of the time), when the vibrant Five Points section of the downtown area can be a magnet for celebrants.  No worries, though, if you live in one of Columbia’s many fine golf communities; the clubhouses serve up fine meals with plenty of TV screens to catch the action after a round on courses designed by Fazio and P.B. Dye and other notables.

Greenville has come a long way in just a few short years. Many happy locals trace the area's economic health and stability to the decision by Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) to locate its major North American manufacturing facility in nearby Spartanburg. That spawned local feeder companies to supply the huge plant with parts and other services. Greenville itself has become more cosmopolitan as well, with a world class concert venue, the Pease Center, anchoring a vibrant downtown. Museums, shops and restaurants followed, making Greenville a magnet for companies looking to enhance the work lives of their employees.

If your desire is to "get away from it all," there are few better places to do that than at Haig Point on Daufuskie Island.  First of all, you won't have to worry about gassing up your car, or even driving it.  There are no cars on the island except for a few service vehicles, and few paved roads to drive on.  The standard mode of conveyance is the golf cart; everyone owns one.  The golf is superb, the product of the "U.S. Open Doctor," Rees Jones who produced 29 of them -- that's right, two extra tee boxes -- attractive enough to lure the pros from Harbour Town across the Sound to practice at Haig Point.  Travel to and from the community is via a residents owned ferry service that is frequent and convenient.  Personal cars are parked at a secure parking lot on Hilton Head, just over the bridge from the mainland and services, restaurants and entertainment options.  Haig Point is quiet, yes, but you can make your own excitement just 1/2 hour away.

It wasn’t just glaciers that created the magnificent bodies of inland waters in the eastern half of the U.S.  From the 1930s on, and in the name of progress and hydroelectricity, the U.S. government flooded hundreds of thousands of acres and created lakes that, today, are host to dozens of golf communities throughout the southeast, many of the best in South Carolina.  From The Cliffs Communities and The Reserve on Lake Keowee, to Grand Harbor and Stoney Point on Lake Greenwood, to Savannah Lakes Village on Lake Thurmond, and many others, golfers, boaters and anglers have discovered a freshwater approach to their lifestyles.

In the '70s, in the name of hydroelectric power, Duke Energy dammed the Keowee and Little Rivers in upstate South Carolina, creating an oddly shaped lake -– some say a Christmas tree -– and a haven for water recreationists and retired golfers. Keowee Key, a community with a full roster of amenities, including a George Cobb golf course, led the way near the southern edge of the 26-mile long lake, 15 minutes from the university town of Clemson. Keowee Key attracted upscale company in the 1990s and 2000s when The Reserve at Lake Keowee and the Cliffs Communities developed along the shoreline of one of the cleanest lakes in the east.

  The Myrtle Beach area is a grand buffet of golf, the prime eastern destination for golfing buddies as well as families seeking something for every member of the family -– great shopping, especially at the outlet malls; the wide Atlantic beaches; and the seemingly endless choices of golf courses, more than 50 of them wedged into the 40 or so miles that extend from the NC border to Surfside Beach. A modern airport at its heart makes Myrtle Beach a prime choice for a vacation home and a favorite destination for both northerners and southerners for more than 40 years.  Nowhere will you find a wider variety of possibilities to live where you play.  And the wide, clean beaches are never more than a few minutes from the golf communities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach.

The towns of Pawleys Island, Murrells Inlet and Litchfield Beach present a more laid-back environment than the brightly lit Myrtle Beach, just to the north. But golf on the South end of the Grand Strand is as exciting and high-quality as any in the area, with perennial favorites Caledonia, Pawleys Plantation, True Blue and Founders Club three miles from each other. DeBordieu Colony, The Reserve and Wachesaw Plantation offer the only private club experiences of the 100+ golf courses along the Grand Strand. You will be surprised at the many restaurants between Georgetown and Murrells Inlet, many that focus largely on the bounties of the nearby ocean.  For convenience, Pawleys Island is about 40 minutes from Myrtle Beach International but often flights into Charleston International Airport, a little over an hour away, are considerably less expensive.  And if you time it right, you can sample the menus at some of America's best restaurants in the charming city of Charleston.

Lake Thurmond, named for the longtime and famous South Carolina Senator, straddles the border between South Carolina and Georgia and is one of those large, amoeba-like shaped manmade bodies of water created for hydro-electric purposes.  Many golf communities owe their very existence to the flooding program during the mid part of the 20th Century.  Savannah Lakes, and its 4,000 acres that includes two excellent golf courses, is the predominant golf community on the South Carolina side of the lake.  The lake, which comprises 71,000 acres and claims 1,200 miles of shoreline, was the result of the damming of the Savannah River in the early 1950s.  The nearest town, McCormick, has a population of just 2,700 people, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.  Greenwood, about 25 minutes away, provides most services to residents along Lake Thurmond.

Retirees and others who move to the Charlottesville area do so for its four-season climate -- albeit with mild winters and summers -- and the vibrancy that is unique to a major university town. In the case of the University of Virginia, the school Thomas Jefferson built, this includes big time college athletics, an active continuing education program, outstanding restaurants and cultural venues, and a friendly, yet live-and-let-live vibe that makes northerners feel at home from the time they arrive.  Golf communities within shouting distance of Charlottesville run the gamut from gently undulating to the lofty Blue Ridge Mountains.

It is less than an hour's drive between the historic state capital of Richmond and Colonial Williamsburg, one of the most popular and interesting historical attractions in the nation.  A broad range of golf communities surround the city of Richmond, among them Kinloch, home to one of the best golf courses in the state; and Williamsburg's outstanding roster of golf communities includes Kingsmill (two layouts), Governors Land (one of the few private communities in the area) and Colonial Heritage, a 55+ community with a challenging Arthur Hills layout.  Between Richmond and Williamsburg lies Viniterra, the most modern of the area's golf communities, with a working winery at its edge.