I'll be graduating from college in May and am completely sick of cold weather. I'm looking to move somewhere that I can golf 365 days/year if I wanted to. I've narrowed my choices down to the Austin or Phoenix areas. Just wondering, which area you guys would recommend and why? Weather, living costs, housing costs, job market (I'm in Physical Therapy), etc. should all come into play.

I know the Phoenix area is loaded with courses just about everywhere but which suburb/part of Phoenix would you recommend to reside in? What about Austin? I don't need different courses to choose from. I would completely happy living close enough to 5 decent courses that I could go play around at whichever I preferred after a day at work.

Thanks for any information you guys may share.

Phoenix. I like Scottsdale, Peoria, North Phoenix.

- winter, spring, fall....better weather in these 3 seasons. Summers...you can still get out early before the big heat and no humidity.
- great deals on real estate.....
- I like the area better personally. Love Scottsdale and suburbs of Phoenix.

Not that Phoenix has a shortage but Austin has some smoking hot women

i love phx, i love austin. i've never played in austin, but i am guessing... it costs less than phoenix on average per round...
Also, i think the glory days of careers in phx are done... i assume you have a job you can do where ever...

I don't know if your of college age, but I would say ASU has some fine women. I've never been to Austin, but I hear it's fun. If you like sports we might have an edge too, spring training, dbacks, suns, cardinals, coyotes (maybe). Also, you can drive 1-3 hours north and be in the mountains, some days 30 degrees cooler or even ski in winter. 6 hours from Vegas and San Diego by car, 1 by plane.

Austin for the golf, weather, other activities and its close to DFW and San Antonio which has tons of great golf as well. Texas also has more jobs, better economy and more affordable housing.

I second that!

You are not kidding. ASU has the finest in the country......IMO.

I live in Austin and love it but truthfully we don't need anymore people...So I'm going to tell you it sucks and to move to phoenix....have you seen all the foreclosures there???/ you can pick up a house real cheap.

In all honesty you are not going to play golf 365 days a year in either location. You get a decent amount of thunderstorms in Austin and the humidity in the summers is a golf killer. Same with PHX. You literally have to tee off before 7AM and it is still close to 100 by the time you are done. However, if my hand was held to the fire I would definitely go with AZ for the following reasons...

You are closer to some awesome golfing vacations.
I hate, hate, hate, humidity.
Honestly the women are insane. Not that they are bad in Austin but Arizona is just nuts.
Even though Austin is a bit more progressive than some other areas of Texas it still definitely has the southern feel to it. Which is or isn't your thing. Not for me.

Why not consider Socal? I mean in comparison to PHX it really is not THAT much more expensive and you really can golf 365 days a year. If cost is more of a deciding factor Austin will be much cheaper.

I love SoCal, but the traffic has got to be the worst ever.

All depends where you are and what you do for a living. I don't deal with it at all. I will take an extra 30 min commute looking at the ocean versus flying up and down an express way covered in snow all day.

We agree....snow sucks! I drive up to Tahoe if I want snow, but I usually choose golf.

Can you get a 0700 tee time, finish 18... jump in your car and drive under 2 hours and snowboard the rest of the afternoon???

In Phoenix you can!

Does Austin have over 200 golf courses....
Phoenix does!

Yeah that's the other thing, quality of golf is far superior in the sunshine state. For me again, humidity. Why deal with it if you don't have to?

Phoenix! I wanted to go to AZ my whole Air Force career and never made it!

I'd go Austin. crime and economy of phoenix are not appealing to me, especially with a family.

Random thoughts:

Texas does not have state income tax.

The traffic in Austin has gotten ridiculous, so bad that I refused to move there from Houston. I have a second home west of Austin and its great out on the lake, but I won't drive into Austin anywhere near rush hour. Took me 90 minutes to make a 20 mile commute to Bee Cave with no visible wrecks or road construction.

I get tired of desert golf pretty quickly, but if it's your thing, AZ would be great. I've played in both locations, and AZ (played phoenician and boulders) is great for a quick trip. But day in and day out, I'd rather have fewer courses in Austin (barton creek, horseshoe bay) with more hills and more trees.

I might get flamed for this, but it's all in good fun....

I was talking about Austin after a recent business trip, and my best friend's comment (who lived there for a few years) was "Austin is awesome, but the only problem is it's surrounded by Texas..."

If you like live music and staring at college girls, Austin is great. Phoenix may be better long term though, especially with an older population and your career choice.

Another vote for Phoenix. One thing that hasnt been mentioned yet is how spread out it is here and you may want to find a job before a full time residence. That way you can find a place close to work when you get settled in. Many great areas to live/work north scottsdale/phoenix chander gilbert etc very reasonable housing costs right now as well as cost of living. Like others have said well over 200 courses to choose from. Plus plenty of undeniably hot women. My only complaint is the cost to play high end courses in peak season but deals are out there if you find them.

Coming from someone who has to deal with winters in the Baltimore area, and having been to both Austin and Phoenix. You can't go wrong with either one, honestly.

Good luck, I envy you!!

You can currently buy a 3 bedroom house with 2 car garage and pool for $69,000 in Maricopa,AZ.

Maybe I'm biased but that's one thing Austin has going for it. Texas is awesome, great golf, great fishing, great hunting, head down to the coast for the beach. Pretty much anything you want besides skiing and Colorado isn't pretty cheap to get to.

I'd do Austin but that's just me.

Austin's a great lake town and it's small. Lots of springs and natural swimming holes with a tone of things to do. Good people and good food. (Guerros comes to mind). It is in Texas though...

Public courses are reasonable. It does get hot but not as bad as Houston(humidity)

Also you are far! Far from anywhere outside of the state. It's gigantic.

But ya, overall a solid college town. And the girls there are a lot less pretentious than say, LA or Phoenix. jmo.

IMO, as a native, the only pretentious area of AZ is North Scottsdale, and maybe around the Biltmore.

you are a lucky guy whether you end up in either of these cities. I have been to Austin once but didnt really get a chance to see the city and i have been to the verrado area near phoenix and it was nice too...great places for golf and good weather...good luck

Thanks for all the comments and support guys. It is still a toss up between the 2 spots. I am completely torn between the 2. Any further insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

What other criteria do you have?

For me, I hate being rain delayed. That is not an issue in arizona....it is in texas.

"Austin for the golf, weather, other activities and its close to DFW and San Antonio which has tons of great golf as well. Texas also has more jobs, better economy and more affordable housing."

I third this. Plus a city like Austin with the Capital and large university will always do better in a recession than other cities. Take it from me, i'm 60 and recently laid off. I'm in commercial construction and real estate and like that they can build year around not like Chicago where I live.

Quick question, how unbearable is the AZ heat in the dead of summer? I will most likely work 8-5 so I wouldn't be out on the course until after 5:30 during the week? Also, how much of a mark up is there for green fees during the winter months? I'm thinking that Austin may be a more practical choice as it will be slightly cheaper on the green fees. I wouldn't be against having a membership at a local or even a private (if not outrageously expensive) course. Any recommendations for either city?

Are you kidding me? Have you been to Phoenix? The only reason austin has a few hot women is because its a college town, Tempe is also a college town ranked in the top 10 party schools in the country, there is absolutely no doubt that there are way more hot women there, then you have cities like scottsdale, peoria, and the enitire east valley that are swarmed with hot woimen

But where are you going to stay in summer, lol. Both are brutally hot, no worries at all about being cold my friend. It just depends if you like 110 degrees with or without humidity.

Austin would be my choice. Just seems to be a more interesting place for someone who likes going out. AZ might be better for someone who is more of a homebody or retiree.

you are kidding right? Phoenix has a ton of nightlife and as azturf24 mentioned, there are a lot of hot girls all over the valley. Unreal smoky hotness in fact.

I can't believe what I'm reading, either you people haven't been to Phoenix or you're actually from Austin and are very biased. I grew up in Michigan and moved here 5 years ago for almost all the reason you people are arguing right now. I would've chosen California but it was just to expensive and Phoenix had a booming job market about 5 years ago. Scottsdale is as upscale as it gets and the club scene there is known country wide, in fact I think about 60 or so tour pros live in Scottsdale alone and many celebrities. I call the metro Phoenix area a mini California, even though its the desert we strive to create a tropical theme in almost every new development.About 4 years ago I considered Austin because it was supposed to boom there next but never really did as the housing market declined. In case you don't read magazine or pay attention to anything to do with golf in the winters this is one of top golf destinations in the country for folks looking to get away from the snow. Yes, it is hot as hell here in the summer, but you get used to it fast and it is what they call a "dry" heat which is much more comfortable than the "humid" climate you'll get in Austin.

Here is my biggest point, you're less than a 6 hour drive to San Diego, Los Angeles, the west coast, Las Vegas, and if you want to go to mexico its only 4 hours from Phoenix, and if you like snow in the winter you can drive 3 1/2 hours north to Flagstaff or the White mountains. Where are you going to drive to in Austin? Besides Mexico, where? Dallas? Houston? A bunch of other cities that aren't that great? It's an easy choice, don't be mislead. Phoenix is the 5th most populous city in the country, there is a vast area or beautiful suburbs to choose from and a lot more job opportunity, the metropolitan-Phoenix cities of Gilbert and Chandler were the number 1 and 3 fastest growing cities in the country during the 2005 census and are beautiful areas if you want to live in the burbs.

Point made, nothing against Austin, but its not like Phoenix.

I grew up in Houston and went to college in Fort Worth and have currently lived in the SW Valley of Phoenix, in Goodyear for for the last four years. Obviously there are a number of factors to consider, but since you've mentioned golf a one that is critical to you, then hands down it is Phoenix.

Within twenty minutes of my home there are twelve public courses (5 very championship level courses, a few very nice munis, and then some cheap munis). I can play nearly 365 days a year and rarely pay over $30 including cart. Usually in the summer I pay around $15-20 for a nice course. If I want to drive 45 minutes I can play any of the Scottsdale courses, but honestly there are plenty in my area that are comparable in quality of play and much cheaper.

With that said, both Phoenix and Austin are very cool places to live. You should visit each.

Time to end the debate
How many professional golfers live in Austin??? Exactly !!!! The valley of the sun has more to offer a golfer, if it didn't the pros wouldn't live here.

Great discussion guys. I am heavily leaning toward the Phoenix area. Can you guys name some good cities/suburbs to live in around that area? Remember, I'm in the healthcare field so being close to a hospital would be ideal. I will also be fresh out of grad school so I don't need the most upscale neighborhood but don't want to live in the slums either. Thanks again.

I origionally moved to Tempe when I first moved here because it is somewhat centralized but its where ASU is so as a 21 year at the time it was the place to be. When I found my career and eventually went into business for myself I decided to buy a home and every one I worked with always spoke so highly of the east valley (chandler, gilbert, ahwatukee (nickname for a small portion of phoenix along the south mountain) namely, but also parts of mesa and queen creek. I ended up buying out there myself, very clean and affordable in most parts, theres a nice mix of high end developments with affordable suburban communities. The west valley has some nice parts, peoria is nice, glendale and the rest (avondale, litchfield, surprise) are hit or miss and very far away, but also the cheapest places to buy or rent. If you have the dough, north phoenix and north scottsdale, which are neighboring parts of both cities is probably the place to be for a golfer. There is a snobby distinction to some of the folks in that area and it is pricey but is a golfing mecca, the TPC of scottsdale, Troon North, Grayhawk, and several other premier course are in that immediate area but attached are the premium greens fees during the winter, but the awesome parts is during the summer you get up early (like 6-7 am) when it is still 83 degrees and play any of these world class courses for no more than $40 usually and many of the nice courses in the burbs are as low as $15 simply because it is hot. Just get up early and you'll love it, this last summer has been one of the best golf seasons of my life as I made a point of playing 2-3 times a week and making sure I played all the high-end scottsdale courses, and the golf experiences have been awesome, Troon North (#21 ranked in the country) was incredible, it defines desert golf and is an experience in itself.


Whatever you choose you can't go wrong for a golfer in Phoenix.

I am from neither area, but I have been to both. Phoenix is hands down my choice.

Gilbert has just built three new hospitals, all desert banner hospitals, also Goodyear has a desert banner that is one year old. All told i think the valley has at least 15 hospitals so you can live anywhere.

Austin is fantastic! GREAT people - great golf...

Phoenix is freaking hot in the summer - to me, it's my golf "winter" most of the
time...but, then, I'm in my fifties now and I guess the heat gets to me more than it used to...

The rest of the year is golf paradise...

That said, I married a smoking-hot Phoenix blonde...I mean, geez, I needed to get some sleep eventually!

Good luck - Ben.

I have been to neither, but my cousin and uncle have been to Phoenix 2-3 times in the summer on holiday to play golf. From what they have told me, Phoenix is a fantastic place to play golf, the climate is fantastic (all year tan!) and the housing is cheap too. Good luck on reaching a decison.

Have you considered Florida? Better climate and is one of the most desirable places in the States to live and play golf.

Personally, I find Florida to be largely uninteresting as a potential place to live.

I think the climate in Florida is awful. Hot AND humid. And LOTS OF BUGS.

The terrain is dead flat. It is full of retirees and snowbirds that drive 22 MPH maximum. Swamps, snakes, alligators and did I mention BUGS?

As well, I don't think the golf is all that great either. The water table is like 2 feet deep, which means every course practically, has water hazards on every other hole.

It beats Michigan in February for sure...

Yes, I have definitely considered Florida. I have a buddy that lives in Jacksonville and he loves it. Not for the golf but for the beach and nightlife. I grew up in IL where it is 75% and higher humidity in the summer. I'm used to the humidity but not sure if I could handle it all year round like it is in FL. Not sure that I can handle the 110+ degree weather in AZ in either though. I guess only time will tell. I still have until July 2010 until I would be ready for the move to whichever destination I decide on.

Golf & injured people=

AZ-1
TX-0

Cheap living, music scene, jobs, crime rate, women, traffic, stability, friendly people, weather, & night life=

AZ-0
TX-1

You have to decide what is most important to you. "You can be good at golf or you can have a life, but you can't do both" is my motto. I prefer life over golf though. I spent the last 6 years dedicated to golf & I missed out on so much living. Now I am living with golf sprinkled in on the weekends. I am fairly confident in the above info. Your choice sir. I do not think you could go wrong either way.

I live in south east New Mexico where the heat is way up and the humidity and way low. I visited both and would choose Austin every single time. Last time I visited Phoenix it was 114 with zero humidity. I got out of my rental car and could feel the heat coming off the pavement. It was 91 when I went to bed and 93 when I woke up. Since then I haven't complained about sweating when playing in the humidity. You get used to it, just carry some extra gloves or use a rain glove. And a bad for both are rattle snakes. Not sure about you but I'm not a fan of any snake. Big, small, deadly or not. They suck and I might guess a few less in Austin.

Boy, how do you folks do it? I'm in the SF BAy Area and I'm miserable when a mini heat wave sends temps over 90. I'm turning cartwheels when the marine layer (fog) returns and it's back in the more normal 70s. I can't even imagine a hole summer of 90s and 100s. I'd die.

I played today at 8 am on a desert course with no shade and it was friggin hot, but the key is just to hydrate hydrate hydrate and dress for the climate. I went to the range around 530 and it was 114 degrees and as I was hitting balls into the sunset(how romantic!), I could see sweat flinging off my arms down the range(yuck).

Never been to Austin but I say visit both for sure and try to hang out with different types of people in each area, some locals know the locale better than others.

hahaha heat n' beans

I will agree with Deemo that there is an overabundance of desert courses but hey we live in a desert. There are a few good traditional parkland courses here to. The thing I like to do is use summer and the overseed time to get out on a vacation and go play in colorado or back to where I am from in the bay area. The other really nice thing about phoenix is since about 90% of the people here are from somewhere else the social and bar scene is really diverse. So you can find something that suits you. It doesnt hurt that hot chicks just migrate here like birds flying south for winter.