Blog · Active Adult Living
Comparing Phoenix-Area Active Adult Golf Communities
A comparison built on the dimensions that actually matter: how golf is structured and priced, what the HOA or assessments include, the age rules, the home types, and the location, community by community, with no rankings and no assumptions.
By Andrew Texidor Realtor · Founder, Clearly Sold Updated October 7, 2026 
The direct answer
In every Phoenix-area active adult community with golf, the course is a separate cost from the HOA or assessments, structured differently everywhere: PebbleCreek sells golf memberships on top of HOA dues for a gated, resident-oriented 54 holes, Trilogy at Vistancia pairs an 18-hole public daily-fee course with a 10 percent resident discount, Sun City folds pool and recreation access into an annual property assessment and charges separately for golf across eight courses, and Sundance keeps its public 18-hole course entirely separate from its HOA-run recreation center. Compare the fee schedule, the access rules, the age requirements, and the home product together, and verify the current terms with each community.
Key takeaways
- Golf is never automatically included in an active adult community: every one of these communities charges for its courses separately from its HOA or assessments, through memberships, passes, green fees, or a mix.
- PebbleCreek in Goodyear offers 54 holes across two course complexes, with golf sold as a separate membership on top of HOA dues, and play is effectively for residents and their guests.
- Trilogy at Vistancia in Peoria pairs an 18-hole championship course with resident clubs; the course is a public daily-fee operation where residents get a discount, not an HOA-included amenity.
- Sun City's Recreation Centers maintain eight courses, five regulation and three executive, with an annual property assessment that funds recreation access and separate golf fees, and the public can play at higher rates.
- Sundance in Buckeye offers a resident recreation center through its HOA plus the separate, public 18-hole Sundance Golf Club, and Sun City Grand in Surprise runs its own golf program, so verify each community's exact structure before comparing.
- No single community is the right answer for everyone, so compare on the dimensions that matter to you: golf access and fees, age and occupancy rules, home types, and location, and confirm the current terms with each community.
What does golf access actually include in these communities?
PebbleCreek, Goodyear
55+ resort community by Robson, guard-gated, with 54 holes across the Eagle's Nest and Tuscany Falls courses, plus two resort clubhouses and a 36-court pickleball complex. Golf is a separate membership purchased through the pro shop on top of HOA dues, with resident and guest fee structures, and play is effectively resident and guest oriented rather than public.
Trilogy at Vistancia, Peoria
Age-qualified, guard-gated Trilogy community by Shea Homes, fully built out, organized around the Kiva and Mita resident clubs and an 18-hole Gary Panks championship course. The course is a public daily-fee operation, not an HOA-included amenity: residents receive a discount and extended tee-time booking, and annual pass options exist for residents, with published 2026 pass rates.
Sun City, RCSC
The original 55+ community, with the Recreation Centers of Sun City maintaining eight courses, five regulation and three executive. An annual property assessment funds recreation access for up to two owners per household, and golf is an additional fee at reduced cardholder rates or through annual passes, with public play available at higher green fees.
Sundance, Buckeye
A 55+ community of roughly 1,100 single-family homes with a recreation center and pools run through its HOA, and a separate 18-hole Sundance Golf Club on campus. The course is open to the public, with its own tee times and fees, making golf an à la carte item independent of community assessments.
Sun City Grand, Surprise
A separate age-qualified community with its own golf program and campus, closer to Surprise than to the original Sun City. Golf structure, fees, and public access are the community's own, so treat its published materials as the source and verify them directly rather than assuming they mirror RCSC Sun City.
What do the fees look like, and how are they dated?
Published 2026 figures give a sense of scale, and every number should be re-verified before it shapes a decision. PebbleCreek's HOA dues run roughly $294 a month and cover the gate, common areas, fitness and recreation centers, pools, and courts but not golf; its 2025-2026 golf fee schedule included annual premium memberships around $5,120 for a single and roughly $9,780 for a household, with a 10-play punch pass around $620. Trilogy at Vistancia's published annual weekday golf passes for Trilogy residents ran about $3,640 for an individual and $5,825 for a couple, with Vistancia residents at slightly higher rates, plus a resident green-fee discount on daily play. Sun City's RCSC annual property assessment was about $680 per property for 2026, with golf paid separately at cardholder or public rates across its eight courses.
Fees change every year and vary by plan, season, and household, and none of these figures includes carts, taxes, or initiation terms. Pull the current fee schedule from each community or course before comparing totals.
What are the age and occupancy requirements?
PebbleCreek, Trilogy at Vistancia, Sun City, Sun City Grand, and Sundance are all age-qualified 55+ communities operating under the federal Housing for Older Persons exemption, but each community writes its own occupancy rule and documentation process. Some require at least one resident over 55 in every home; others apply different percentages or exemptions. Fair Housing law governs how these rules can be applied, and the community, not a sales brochure, is the authority on its current requirements.
How should you compare communities without rankings?
Build the comparison from your own priorities. If year-round golf is the center of your plan, model the total annual cost of membership or passes plus assessments in each community. If you play a few times a season, daily-fee access at Trilogy, Sundance, or Sun City may beat a full membership. If the lifestyle matters more than the fairway, weigh PebbleCreek's resort clubs and pickleball, Trilogy's resident club program, or Sun City's recreation network on their own merits. The right fit is the one that matches how you will actually live, and that answer varies by person by design.
What should you verify with each community before buying?
- Current golf membership or pass pricing, including household, single, and guest structures
- Whether the course is public, resident-only, or something in between, and the tee-time rules
- HOA or assessment amounts, what they cover, and their reserve status
- Current age and occupancy requirements, confirmed in the community's own wording
- Cart fees, seasonality, and any initiation or transfer costs on the golf side
- Home types, resale versus new, and the specific lot characteristics you care about
Frequently asked questions
Is golf included in active adult HOA fees?
No, not in the communities covered here. PebbleCreek, Trilogy at Vistancia, Sun City, and Sundance all treat golf as a separate cost from their HOA or community assessments, whether that is a membership, a pass, or daily green fees. The amounts and forms differ widely, so golf cost belongs in your comparison as its own line item.
Can the general public play these courses?
It depends on the course. Sundance Golf Club and Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia operate as public-access courses. Sun City's RCSC courses accept public play at non-member rates. PebbleCreek's courses are resident and guest-oriented within a gated community, so public access is effectively limited. Confirm access, tee-time rules, and rates with each course directly.
What are the age requirements in these communities?
All of the communities in this comparison are age-qualified 55+ communities under the federal Housing for Older Persons exemption, but the specific occupancy rules and documentation differ by community. Sun City, Sun City Grand, PebbleCreek, Trilogy at Vistancia, and Sundance each publish their own requirements, and the details change, so confirm them with each community before comparing prices.
How do I compare golf costs fairly between communities?
Ask each community for the current fee schedule: initiation or membership fees, annual dues, household versus single rates, guest fees, and whether any pass includes cart fees. Then add the HOA or assessment on top and compare the totals for the way you will actually play, a few rounds a year versus year-round play changes the math entirely.
Related resources
- PebbleCreek guide The Goodyear 55+ resort community and its 54 holes, separate from HOA dues.
- Trilogy at Vistancia guide The Peoria age-qualified community and its public-access 18-hole course.
- Sundance guide The Buckeye 55+ community with a public-access golf course on campus.
- Sun City Grand guide The Surprise age-qualified community with its own golf program.
- Active adult living The 55+ corridor, with the fees, rules, and lifestyle questions answered.
- Goodyear vs Buckeye A neutral comparison of the two active adult corridors.
Comparison note: community details and fee figures reflect published materials from the communities, their associations, and their courses as of the update date, with 2026 figures dated where available. Fees, rules, age requirements, and course access change, so each community is the authority on its current terms. This comparison makes no claims about appreciation, lifestyle guarantees, or superiority, and it does not assume any golf inclusion, fees, or availability.
Next step
Comparing golf communities on your shortlist?
A strategy call lays the fee schedules, the age rules, and the home products side by side so the comparison is real, not a brochure. No pressure, just the math.
- Phone
- 623-400-5957
- andrew@clearlysold.com