Living on the links: come home to your own golf resort.

• Author: Held, Shari
• Position: INDIANA GOLF

GOLF-COURSE LIVING. Country-club living. No matter what you call it or the specific location, it's one of today's most popular lifestyles. Part its allure lies in the growing popularity of the game itself.

"Golf is booming thanks to the Tiger Woods phenomenon in the late '90s and women's golf coming on strong," says PGA pro Rick Reid, director of golf for The Course at Aberdeen in Valparaiso. "Golf has historically been a sport dominated by white men, but given more opportunities and more places to learn the game that are not cost-prohibitive, many other people are now able to tap in to the game of golf."

At the other end of the state, PGA pro Heath Rigsby, director of golf for Cambridge Village Community and Golf Course in Evansville, agrees with the trend. "Our golf play in 2005 was up about 25 percent over 2004," he says.

For golfers, having a golf course in their backyard is a great convenience, but people choose to live in golf-course communities for many reasons. In fact, when it comes to the residents, the ratio of golfers to non-golfers in these communities is close to 50/50.

The aesthetics of golf-course living appeal to golfers and non-golfers alike--beautifully manicured greens, water features, white sand bunkers, wide-open spaces.

"The views just can't be beat," says Mike Stone, director of sales at Sagamore in Noblesville. "The alternative is looking out your back window and into someone else's back window."

Leisurely lifestyle.

The leisurely lifestyle with upscale amenities associated with golf-course living is another big draw.

"Nowadays in our fast-paced world, people enjoy a little escape," says Doc O'Neal, director of operations for The Bridgewater Club in Westfield. "In an upscale golf community, residents can do all those things that make them feel like they are in a resort."

Bridgewater Club members tend to be health-conscious, making its fitness center one of the most used amenities. The center features an indoor pool and gym equipment and offers a variety of popular group classes, such as Pilates and yoga. After a workout, members can relax with a massage.

"We are selling a country-club lifestyle where people can just walk out their back door and go to the club," Sagamore's Stone says. "They can have lunch, play cards or golf while the kids are swimming or taking golf lessons. Afterwards everyone can join up, have dinner at the club and then walk back home. You don't even have to get in your car."

Some communities...