All you need is a good golf course, friendly neighbors, and enough to keep you busy. That’s the perfect retirement recipe for baby boomers relocating to 55+ communities like Rolling Greens Village in Ocala, Florida.
It’s why Joseph and Joyce Jutras made the switch. They traded Vermont snow for Florida sun.
“The thing that sold us was the people in Rolling Greens. Everybody was so nice.”
Joe Jutras
It’s a common story in Florida communities like Rolling Greens Village. Seniors looking to retire somewhere warm become Florida snowbirds. Some stay for a season. Some make it a full-time home.
And if you’re lucky, like Joe, you find a special community. It’s more than a house. Rolling Greens offers a golf course community lifestyle for people 55 and older who want to be active, stay social, and enjoy the Florida sun.
The Social Scene at Rolling Greens Village
Rolling Greens Village is an active adult community. You won’t find Joe sitting around. He’s busy. He’s running the community golf association. He’s attending events. He’s planning events. He’s helping neighbors as a handyman.
In fact, he’s busier now than ever and loving it.
“On Friday nights, I play Texas hold ’em at the West clubhouse. There’s wiffle ball on Thursdays, cribbage on Wednesday, and bean bags on Monday.”
That’s Joe’s starter schedule. It doesn’t include golf, community dances, live bands, or the packed activity schedule open to residents.
“You can actually overbook yourself. Some days, I’m more tired now than when I was working.”
It’s about finding a balance, according to Joe, who also does work within the community. He fills any remaining free time by helping neighbors, painting houses, and doing yard work.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about helping each other when neighbors need it. A lot of people in the community help because it’s the right thing to do.”
But that’s a community sentiment that began long before Joe arrived.
He credits the longtime residents with setting that tone in Rolling Greens. They’ve built the friendly community feel that makes Rolling Greens unique. Everyone feels like family. It’s a community legacy that brings everyone together.
Look beyond the homes and the amenities. It’s about the whole package – the community lifestyle.
The Perks of Living in a Florida Golf Course Community
For Joe and his wife, Joyce, that retirement community is Rolling Greens Village. Resort amenities include an aquatic complex, sports courts, and the Rolling Greens Executive Golf Course, which offers free clinics.
Joe has fully embraced the Rolling Greens lifestyle, even serving as the Golf Association President.
The community (and Joe’s free time) is centered around the Rolling Greens Executive Golf Course. The 18-hole, par-60 course is the favorite for residents.
“It’s very interesting because this golf course is probably in better shape than many of the ones that we played outside Rolling Greens.”
Joe and the rest of the Executive Golf Course board stay busy planning golf scrambles, tournaments, and weekly events, all of which are growing in popularity.
“I’ve been here five years, and it’s the first time we’ve had 72 people come to play on a Friday.”
Easy access to great golf is a bonus for homeowners like Joe. But don’t let the regulars intimidate you. Joe says the Executive Golf Course is great even for new golfers.
“Golf is everybody’s game. You play to your ability. None of us here are pros.”
The 57-acre golf course is open to the public. Anyone can book a tee time online or purchase a golf course membership. There’s even a special membership for the Florida snowbirds who can’t golf year-round in Ocala.
Buying a Manufactured Home in the 55+ Community
Joe wasn’t the first in his family to make the move to the central Florida community.
His in-laws moved to Rolling Greens Village in 2006.
“We’d visit twice a year. So when we moved to Rolling Greens in 2020, we already knew the vast majority of people,” explained Joe. “Then your little circle grows over the years.”
Joe and Joyce initially did the Florida snowbird routine, spending only winters at Rolling Greens. Two years later, they became full-time Florida residents.
“I wanted to be in a community where people say ‘hi,’ and it feels like family.”
Nowadays, there are additional perks for Rolling Greens residents when family or friends move into the neighborhood. Residents can earn up to $2,000 for every future resident they refer. Residents sign up before family and friends start touring manufactured homes for sale to qualify.
Residents aren’t referring friends for the free cash (although it’s a nice bonus). Most just want their friends to be able to live the good life in Florida as well.
“We’ve got friends who came to visit from Illinois. They were close to moving here, too.”
The homes for sale in this Ocala, FL community are all modern manufactured homes. These aren’t the tin cans from the 1970s. Modern manufactured homes are single-family homes that must meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s improved building codes.
Newer homes in Rolling Greens are typically larger, with at least two bedrooms, higher ceilings, and start around the mid-$150,000s.
Tap an image to expand the Rolling Greens Village photo tour.
Comparing 55+ Communities in Ocala, Florida
Joe encourages people to do their research before picking a 55+ community, but admits it’ll be hard to match the welcoming feel of Rolling Greens.
“I’d play golf in another community. I’d wave to people, but they weren’t friendly. They’d just drive past.”
It’s an experience that confirms he made the right decision.
“It just never felt homey in any other places like Top of the World or Del Webb. They were too big.”
“We have friends in The Villages, but it wasn’t right for us. It’s just too big, too noisy,” added Joe. “We always lived in rural Vermont. We had a home, two acres, and neighbors. But we don’t want neighbors right on top of us.”
Rolling Greens Village offers a more rural feel. The 55+ community features more than 1,000 homes and sits on the edge of the Ocala National Forest. The forest covers 387,000 acres and features more than 600 lakes, rivers, and springs, enhancing the area’s rural character.
“There’s now this little group of Vermont people in Rolling Greens,” explained Joe. “We all lived in the same area of Vermont.”
The location gives Rolling Greens residents easy access to the best of north-central Florida. Homeowners like Joe are a short drive from Silver Springs State Park and Ocala’s downtown shopping and restaurants.
The centralized location is a great jumping-off point for exploring the rest of Florida, according to Joe.
“We’ll take a week to travel to some new place. Or we go on cruises if we see a good one coming up.”
Making the Move to Rolling Greens Village
Take a tip from Joe.
Getting older doesn’t mean you have to slow down. Retiring in Florida can be the start of a new chapter. See what’s possible for your next chapter at Rolling Greens Village in Ocala, Florida.
Discover all the benefits of living in a land lease community, from the golf course to the casino nights to the group trips.
You can schedule community tours online. Or contact the team for a virtual tour if you’re out of state. You can even try out the 55+ community before buying. Explore rental opportunities at Rolling Greens and see if the Ocala lifestyle is for you.