Home on the links: Life in Indiana's golf communities.

• Author: Kronemyer, Bob
• Position: Indiana Golf - Brief Article

"I don't think you will see in central Indiana another golf course built that is not a part of a development." That's the prediction from Mike Caskey, head golf professional at Heartland Crossing in Camby near Indianapolis.

"I believe the days of someone building a golf course and expecting it to survive on its own are over," he continues. "There is simply too much competition. The golf course is typically a loss-leader when you build a development. But people love to live around golf courses. It increases the property value of their home."

"We are primarily marketing to families with children, as well as both golfers and non-golfers," Caskey explains. "Only a small percentage of homeowners are golfers." These residents typically play the home course about twice a week. "But they are just as likely to golf elsewhere half the time," he says.

There are approximately 1,500 detached homes currently occupied at Heartland Crossing, ranging in price from $90,000 to $275,000. "Apartments are now being constructed," Caskey says. Eventually, there will be a total of about 2,600 units, including condominiums.

Aberdeen, a golf community near Valparaiso, goes to great lengths to create that community feel. Its design includes plenty of parks and open areas for families to enjoy. The community's "Village Center" has retail offerings, and guests may stay at the nearby Inn at Aberdeen bed and breakfast.

The community also includes a pool, playground, soccer and baseball fields and tennis and basketball courts, along with the 18 holes of championship golf, according to Barb Young, president of Benchmark Ltd., developer of Aberdeen. "You don't have to be a golfer to appreciate the aesthetics of living on a golf course."

While Indiana's golf communities are populated mainly with non-golfers, having a golfer as a neighbor has its benefits. "We've discovered that people who like golf tend to be ideal neighbors," says Ben Fitzpatrick, sales and marketing director at Cambridge in Evansville. Because of their respect for the game and rules in general, golfers are more likely to abide by the covenants. "Most golf fanatics believe that a golf course is a cathedral. It's like a small paradise."

Cambridge opened September 1999, and the Scottish links-style 18-hole championship golf course in July 2000. The 365-acre community is projected to have 483 homes in nine neighborhoods by 2009. At present, only 44 homes are occupied in three high-end neighborhoods, mostly...