Journal · Buyer guide

Homes on Golf Courses in Huntington Beach: Where They Are and What to Know Before Buying

A buyer guide to the fairway-adjacent neighborhoods around The Huntington Club and Meadowlark Golf Club, and how to read a golf-course lot before you make an offer.

July 26, 2026 · 8 min read

By Justin Ratowsky, Realtor®, Ratowsky Group at Compass

Where are the homes on golf courses in Huntington Beach, and what should you know before buying one?

In Huntington Beach, most golf-course homes sit around The Huntington Club (formerly SeaCliff Country Club) in the Seacliff area (ZIP 92648) and near Meadowlark Golf Club in northwest Huntington Beach (ZIP 92649).

Before buying, weigh four things: the lot's exact position on the course, whether the view is permanent, the HOA and assessment costs, and the errant-ball exposure.

Which golf courses do Huntington Beach homes back onto?

Two courses shape almost all of the golf-adjacent housing in the city. The first is The Huntington Club, a private 18-hole course that opened in 1966 and was formerly known as SeaCliff Country Club, threaded through the Seacliff neighborhoods of southwest Huntington Beach in ZIP 92648. The second is Meadowlark Golf Club, a public course in northwest Huntington Beach near Bolsa Chica Street and Heil Avenue in ZIP 92649, by the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

Around The Huntington Club you will find fairway-facing tracts such as Seacliff on the Greens, Peninsula Park, and the estate enclaves. Around Meadowlark, the housing runs to the Meadowlark-area tracts and the newer Summerlane community on the former Meadowlark Airport site. Browse the full set on the communities page.

What does "on the course" actually mean for your view?

"On the course" is a spectrum. A true fairway-backing lot has a rear yard that opens directly onto maintained turf with an open sight line down a hole. A golf-adjacent lot may sit a row back, face a cart path, or overlook a tee box or landscaped edge, not open fairway.

Value follows position. On a private course like The Huntington Club, the fairway is not developable, so a genuine course-backing view tends to be permanent. Confirm what the lot faces, and from which rooms, before you trust the listing photos.

The Huntington Club or Meadowlark: private club or public course?

This is the biggest functional difference between the two settings. The Huntington Club is a private golf, tennis, dining, and social club, and membership is a separate decision from owning a home nearby. A fairway-adjacent lot in Seacliff does not grant membership, and joining does not require living there.

Meadowlark Golf Club is a public course, so play is open to anyone booking a tee time. For a buyer, the two settings carry different levels of daily activity, parking, and public access along the edges. Neither is better in the abstract; each is worth matching to what you want near your home.

How much is the golf-course lot premium, and is it worth it?

A fairway-backing lot generally trades at a premium over an interior or greenbelt lot in the same neighborhood, a gap visible in closed-sale data. It reflects the view, the open space, and the course's permanence, weighed against the specific view you are buying.

Condition can move a price as much as position. In fairway communities like Seacliff on the Greens, the spread between an original and a fully renovated home on the same street can be substantial, so a golf-course lot with dated finishes may price very differently than the one next door. For any specific lot premium, a direct home-value conversation with an agent who has sold these tracts beats a portal estimate.

What HOA, assessment, and disclosure items matter on a fairway lot?

Most golf-course neighborhoods in Huntington Beach carry homeowners association governance, and several of the newer planned communities also sit inside Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts. Both add to the monthly carrying cost, both vary by parcel, and both should be confirmed in the HOA documents and county tax records, not assumed.

Fairway lots can also carry their own disclosure items, including fencing rules, easements, and restrictions on modifying the rear boundary that faces the course. Reviewing the CC&Rs and the full HOA document set line by line is how buyers avoid surprises after closing. The Huntington Beach real estate overview covers how these coastal neighborhoods compare.

Are errant golf balls and course access a real concern?

For fairway-facing homes, errant golf balls are a genuine consideration, with exposure that depends on the lot's position relative to the tee and the shape of the hole. Homes near a landing zone or on the slice side of a fairway see more stray balls than those behind a green. Ask the owner about the history, and look for existing screening, netting, or upgraded glass.

Access along the edge differs by setting: the private Huntington Club is limited to members and guests, while public Meadowlark sees broader daily play. Fencing, cart-path proximity, and early-morning mowing all shape what living on the edge feels like, so visit more than once.

How do you evaluate a golf-course home before you buy?

Start with the lot, then the house. Walk the rear boundary and confirm what the yard faces, whether fairway, green, tee, or cart path, and how exposed it is to stray balls. Then layer in the ownership costs, HOA dues, any Mello-Roos assessment, and the condition-driven remodel spread that sets the comp range.

Local history matters here. Ratowsky Group is third-generation in Huntington Beach, with 58 years of combined experience and Craig Ratowsky selling in the city since 1977, the kind of track record that helps separate a true fairway premium from a marketing line.

"A fairway lot is a decision you make once and live with for years, so we would rather have the honest conversation about view, access, and carrying cost up front than sell you on a premium you do not understand. Most of our best work starts with a conversation, not a listing." — Justin Ratowsky, Realtor®, Ratowsky Group at Compass, DRE #02026158

Pricing and negotiation on a golf-course lot turn on property-specific details, so the best next step is a direct conversation, not a generic estimate. Start with our buyer process or reach the team on the contact page for a read on a specific address.

Sources

• National Association of Realtors
• California Association of Realtors
• City of Huntington Beach

This article is general information about property and the local market, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm HOA dues, any Mello-Roos assessment, and any lot-specific disclosures with the association and Orange County records before you rely on them. Justin Ratowsky, Realtor®, Ratowsky Group at Compass, DRE #02026158, and Craig Ratowsky, Realtor®, DRE #00608046. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Frequently asked questions

What golf courses are in Huntington Beach?

The two courses most home neighborhoods sit around are The Huntington Club, a private 18-hole course in the Seacliff area formerly known as SeaCliff Country Club (ZIP 92648), and Meadowlark Golf Club, a public course in northwest Huntington Beach near the Bolsa Chica wetlands (ZIP 92649).

Is The Huntington Club the same as SeaCliff Country Club?

Yes. The Huntington Club is the current name for the club formerly known as SeaCliff Country Club, whose 18-hole course opened in 1966. It was renovated in recent years and offers golf, tennis, dining, fitness, and social membership categories.

Do you have to join the golf club to live on the course in Seacliff?

No. Membership in The Huntington Club is a separate decision from owning a home in Seacliff. Living on a fairway-adjacent lot does not grant membership, and joining the club does not require living in the neighborhood.

Is Meadowlark Golf Club public or private?

Meadowlark Golf Club is a public course in northwest Huntington Beach, so tee times are open to the general public rather than limited to members. That gives it a different daily-access pattern than the private Huntington Club in the Seacliff area.

Are errant golf balls a problem for homes on the course?

They can be, with exposure that depends on the lot's position relative to the tee and the shape of the hole. Homes near a landing zone or on the slice side of a fairway tend to see more stray balls than homes set behind a green. Buyers should ask the seller about any history and look for existing screening.

Do homes near Huntington Beach golf courses have Mello-Roos or HOA fees?

Many do. Most golf-course neighborhoods in Huntington Beach carry homeowners association governance, and several of the newer planned communities also sit inside Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts, both of which add to the monthly carrying cost. The amounts vary by parcel, so confirm the HOA dues in the association documents and any Mello-Roos assessment in the Orange County tax records before you rely on a figure.