We are a ranking-crazy nation, especially this time of the year when multiple organizations rate college football teams. (What an entertaining game LSU vs Alabama was this past Saturday!). Search online for a restaurant recommendation, for example, in a town you are traveling to and you will need to claw your way through multiple best of lists.
And so it is with best towns to retire to or best towns to live in. No two rating agencies agree, and virtually all of them have some subjective bias, if only based on how they weight the factors that determine their choices. Financial web sites will tilt toward the economic, more mainstream journals will emphasize culture and entertainment. That leaves many of use wondering what “real” people think of the best places to live.
TopRetirements.com, a web site I turn to a few times a week for discussions about best places to live, measures “best” in a unique way – it bases its choices on the specific interests of its readers. The more times readers access information about a specific town, the higher that town is rated on TopRetirements’ best of lists.
The site recently published its latest rankings for the Southeast Region and, once again, Asheville, NC, tops its list. In the upcoming Home On The Course newsletter, we provide a rundown on Asheville and the other towns that made the grade.
Nagging aches and pains are part of my golf game these days. One especially annoying set of “problems” imposed themselves on me during a recent round yet, despite them, I played some of my best golf in years – at least for seven holes. And that caused me, no New York Yankee fan, to think of the Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. Why, you ask? For the answer, please sign up for our free Home On The Course by clicking here.
Getting to and from Hartford, CT, by plane is neither easy nor cheap. Most flights from anywhere to Hartford involve at least one change of planes and a few hundred dollars minimum. Other medium-sized market airports are in the same boat (sorry, mixed transportation metaphor). But thanks to the low-fare, few frills Spirit Airlines, golfers across the Midwest and Northeast have cheap access to one of the nation’s major golf markets, Myrtle Beach where, even after the loss of a couple of dozen golf courses in the last decade, golfers still have a choice of more than 90 layouts within an easy reach of their hotel or resort.
The porch that overlooks the 18th green at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club south of Myrtle Beach, just a $56 flight from Hartford, CT, and equally reasonable from 22 other markets from Plattsburgh, NY to Minneapolis.
Based on my own recent experience, Spirit provides excellent service at a low cost, with the options to make yourself even more comfortable on an a la carte basis. I flew from Hartford, CT, non-stop to Myrtle Beach last week for just $56. To enhance the experience, I paid an extra $30 for an exit row seat giving me the ability to stretch my legs straight out. I had stuffed all my electronics and toiletries into my backpack which was small enough to qualify as a free “personal” item. If I had been toting a carry-on bag, I would have been assessed another fee. And if I had checked another bag and/or my golf clubs, the register would have kept ringing. (I had flown from Myrtle to Hartford a week earlier with my golf clubs, and they arrived safe and on-time.) Even with the extra charges, Spirit is cheaper than competing airlines, none of which fly non-stop from Hartford to Myrtle Beach. (Note that Spirit service is only during spring and summer on that route.)
The plane was only half full, immaculately clean and we took off and arrived on time (actually a few minutes early). Myrtle Beach has upgraded its airport significantly over recent years, and it now provides a comfortable atmosphere in which to arrive or to await your return flight home.
The other 22 cities from which you can catch a non-stop Spirit flight to/from Myrtle Beach include Minneapolis, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Columbus (OH), Pittsburgh, Plattsburgh (NY), Niagara Falls, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
If you would like to arrange to visit any golf communities in the Myrtle Beach area that match your preferences for a golf home, please contact me.
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Our Latest Newsletter
March 2024
March 2024 In This Issue Half Million People Leave Florida. Why? Your Next Home Not Getting Bigger; It’s Getting Better
