55+ Golf Communities in Monmouth and Ocean County: What the Golf Includes

Ten age-restricted communities in Monmouth and Ocean County describe a golf course inside the community on their own websites: nine in Ocean County and one in Monmouth County. They range from a private nine-hole par-3 course to an 18-hole, par 71 course owned by the homeowners. Course size, who owns it and whether play costs extra all differ, so compare them before you compare kitchens.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group. "55+ golf communities in NJ" is a common search, and the answers online tend to be lists without the details that change what you'll pay. Below is each course as the community itself describes it, followed by the questions I'd ask before buying in any of them.

Which communities have a golf course?

Each description comes from the community's own website or published handbook, checked October 11, 2026. Every community here is confirmed as age-restricted by two independent sources in this site's research.

Ocean County

• Westlake Golf and Country Club, Jackson: an 18-hole, par 71 course designed by Arthur Hills. The community says all homeowners are part owners of the course, and lists 1,421 single-family homes (Westlake).
• Greenbriar Oceanaire, Ocean Township (Waretown): a gated community of single-family homes with an 18-hole golf course "which homeowners are encouraged to join" (Greenbriar Oceanaire).
• Greenbriar Woodlands, Toms River: a gated community of 1,250 single-family homes with an 18-hole executive golf course, putting green and golf shop (Greenbriar Woodlands).
• Renaissance at Manchester: an executive 18-hole golf course in the center of the community (Renaissance HOA).
• Leisure Village West, Manchester: two nine-hole golf courses open twelve months a year, in a gated condominium community of 2,692 single-story attached homes (Leisure Village West).
• Crestwood Village One, Whiting: a private nine-hole, par-3 course open to residents and their guests (Crestwood Village Co-Op).
• Lions Head South, Brick: a nine-hole executive course on 29 acres, owned and operated by the homeowners association (Lions Head South).
• Leisure Village East, Lakewood: a nine-hole executive golf course, in a gated community with an 18,790-square-foot clubhouse (Leisure Village East).
• Four Seasons at Lakewood: a nine-hole executive course with a pro shop, practice tee and driving cage. The handbook says annual membership and guest fees are set by the board of trustees and the regular season runs March 15 to December 15, weather permitting (residents' handbook).

Monmouth County

• Shadow Lake Village, Middletown: a private par-3, nine-hole executive course located entirely within the village, in a gated community of 952 condominiums. Residents get a golf badge from the office (Shadow Lake Village).

What's the difference between these courses?

Length and layout. A regulation 18-hole course like Westlake's plays as a full round. Executive and par-3 courses are shorter layouts built around shorter holes. None is better than another; it depends on how you play and how often.

Who owns the course, and why does it matter?

Ownership decides who pays to keep it green. Two communities say it outright: at Westlake, homeowners are part owners of the course, and at Lions Head South, the homeowners association owns and runs it. For every other community, ask.

It matters for three reasons:

• The budget. If the association owns the course, its upkeep and eventual replacement costs live in the association budget and reserve study. New Jersey requires associations to obtain a reserve study with a 30-year funding plan for the common elements they maintain (N.J.S.A. 45:22A-44.3).
• Membership. Some communities charge a separate golf membership on top of the monthly fee. Four Seasons at Lakewood's handbook, for example, has the board set annual membership and guest fees, and Greenbriar Oceanaire's page invites homeowners to join the course.
• Financing, for condos. Fannie Mae won't buy loans in condo projects that require mandatory membership fees for amenities like golf courses owned by an outside party. Fees for amenities owned by the association are acceptable (Fannie Mae B4-2.1-03). More in financing in a 55+ community.

What should you ask before you buy?

1. Who owns the course: the association, the homeowners, or an outside owner?
2. Is play included in the monthly fee, or is there a separate membership? What does it cost this year?
3. What are the guest fees and the season?
4. Where does the course show up in the budget and the reserve study?
5. What are the rules for golf carts on community roads? Four Seasons at Lakewood, for one, requires carts to be registered with the management office.
6. If the home backs onto the course, what's the drainage and the fence line like? That one's the builder in me.

What comes with the course?

Usually a full clubhouse, which your fee also supports. Greenbriar Woodlands lists an 18,000-square-foot clubhouse with a fitness center, ballroom, library and pool and spa, plus tennis, pickleball, bocce and shuffleboard courts. Westlake lists indoor and outdoor pools, an exercise facility and an on-site restaurant and bar. Leisure Village East lists an Olympic-sized pool, a woodworking shop and a lake for boating and fishing. Golf is one line in a longer budget, so read the whole budget.

How do you choose between them?

By the homes and the numbers, the same as any community. These ten range from co-op homes at Crestwood Village One to single-family homes at Westlake and condominiums at Shadow Lake Village, and the fee covers different things in each. See condo, co-op or single-family for what each ownership type means, and browse every community on the adult communities map. If you're selling a house to make the move, start with a free home value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which 55+ communities in Ocean County have a golf course?

From their own published pages: Westlake (Jackson), Greenbriar Oceanaire (Waretown), Greenbriar Woodlands (Toms River), Renaissance at Manchester, Leisure Village West (Manchester), Crestwood Village One (Whiting), Lions Head South (Brick), Leisure Village East and Four Seasons at Lakewood.

Is there a 55+ golf community in Monmouth County?

Shadow Lake Village in Middletown has a private nine-hole, par-3 executive course inside the community.

Is golf included in the association fee?

It depends on the community. Some charge a separate annual membership. Ask for the current membership and guest fees with the association documents.

Does a golf course affect getting a mortgage?

For a condo, it can. Fannie Mae won't buy loans in projects with mandatory memberships for amenities owned by an outside party; association-owned amenities are acceptable.

This is general information, not legal or lending advice. Course details come from each community's own website or handbook, checked October 11, 2026, and can change. Confirm fees, rules and ownership with the association before you buy.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• Can you get a mortgage in a 55+ community?
• HOA and condo fees in New Jersey: what they cover
• What is a 55+ community, and how do the rules work?
• Every community on one map: Adult Communities in Ocean and Monmouth County