“The more amenities a community has, the broader its appeal is, making your home more sellable if you ever look to move,” Mr. Melton said.

UNDERSTAND FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

Living in a golf development comes with additional costs that could include club dues, property taxes and monthly maintenance fees. These costs can vary greatly from one community to the next, and while the home you are considering might be affordable, the price of living in the community could be exorbitant.

Also, some communities assess their residents, while others don’t. That means that residents are billed for the cost of projects such as a new health club or repairing the clubhouse’s leaky roof. Financially sound communities have a healthy cash reserve to pay for such projects (the exact number varies, depending on a community’s size and the scale of its amenities), but according to Mr. Plumley, some communities have no or limited money in reserve. Your broker will be able to give you that information.

“Be careful what you sign up for, because you could unexpectedly be out a few thousand dollars at any given time,” he said.

ARE YOU WILLING TO PLAY BY THE RULES?

All golf communities have regulations that residents are expected to follow. Mr. Melton said that buyers should be sure to understand what these rules are and decide whether they’re comfortable abiding by them.

One of the more significant rules is whether all residents are required to be members of the golf club. Whether you’re a golfer or not, it may be a smarter move to live in a community where you’re not required to be a member; otherwise, when you look to resell, a potential buyer base will be more limited.

And if you are interested in becoming a member, know what you are signing up for. If you ever move and need to give up your membership, for example, you may be required to pay dues until someone can take it over, which could take a few years.