The Fairways at Lake Ridge

The Fairways at Lake Ridge is a gated, age-restricted 55+ community set on roughly 360 acres in Lakewood, New Jersey, tucked alongside the 18-hole Eagle Ridge Golf Course in the heart of Ocean County. Built by the Kokes Family beginning in 1997, the original community was largely completed by 2002 with 1,124 homes — 984 single-family and 140 attached courtyard homes — and a newer phase starting around 2016 added roughly 93 additional single-family homes on land backing to the fairways. Homes here fit a wide range of retirement buyers. Courtyard homes are typically 2-bedroom, 1-car garage layouts up to about 1,600 square feet, ideal for low-maintenance downsizers. Single-family homes range from around 1,500 to 3,400 square feet with 2-3 bedrooms, many with lofts, full basements, four-season sunrooms, and gas fireplaces — features unusual for warm-weather 55+ communities and reflective of the Northeast climate. Popular floor plans include the Claridge, Barrington, Fairfax, and Lake Ridge II models, and many resales show significant owner upgrades like gourmet kitchens, hardwood floors, renovated baths, and Generac whole-house generators. The social heart of the community is an 18,680-square-foot renovated clubhouse paired with a separate 5,669-square-foot annex building. The main clubhouse houses an indoor pool, jetted hot tub, sauna, state-of-the-art fitness center, café, grand ballroom, library, and a four-table billiards room. The annex holds meeting rooms, a computer room, an all-purpose room, and a spacious arts and crafts studio. Outside, residents have an outdoor pool and patio, tennis courts, pickleball, bocce ball, shuffleboard, walking trails, and catch-and-release fishing lakes. Water features greet visitors at the entrance. A full-time activities director keeps the calendar full. Residents can join dozens of clubs and interest groups — Amici Club, Atlantic City bus trips, bingo, bridge, Mah Jongg, poker, gin rummy, Scrabble, book discussion, camera group, ceramics, knitting, ladies' quilting and needlecrafting, artists group, wine tasting, opera, sailing, fishing, and garden club among them. Fitness programming includes Zumba, yoga, water aerobics, line dancing, and tennis leagues. While the community is adjacent to (not on) Eagle Ridge Golf Course, residents receive discounted memberships there. One of the most distinctive features is the exceptionally low HOA fee — roughly $30 per month (about $364 annually), which covers lawn maintenance, snow removal, and community amenities. This is among the lowest HOA fees of any 55+ community in New Jersey and a major draw for budget-conscious retirees who want resort-style amenities without resort-style dues. Location is another strong selling point. The Fairways sits just two miles from Route 70 with quick access to the Garden State Parkway, putting shopping and restaurants on Route 9 within minutes. Point Pleasant beaches are about a half hour east, Jackson Premium Outlets are 20 minutes west, and Atlantic City is roughly an hour south. Both New York City and Philadelphia are about 90 minutes away, making this a practical base for retirees who want to stay connected to the metro corridor while living in a quieter Jersey Shore-adjacent setting. The community's sister development, the Enclave at the Fairways, sits directly across Massachusetts Avenue.