Carefree Club Pool

This place is not affiliated with a homeowners association, but lists one of its purposes is to make Carefree a better place to live and to improve their property value. The complex consists of a clubhouse, a pool, two tennis, two basketball courts and a playground. They have a decent sized private parking lot as well. There is an annual fee of $300, which i think mostly goes to the maintenance and upkeep of the pool.The grounds are not very well maintained. The basketball courts are ok, but one is clearly better than the other. The court has some major cracks and one of the rim's nets are falling off. I think the tennis courts are even worse than the basketball courts. They have some grave cracks and is barely playable. The courts have lights, but whether they work or not is another story. The playground equipment is on the bare grassy ground and not lined with wood chips or rubber mating like other playgrounds. The equipment is older. They have a jungle gym with a slide, 2 sets of swings, pull up bars, monkey bars, and dome climber. As i mentioned the equipment is a bit dated and in need of repair. The playground has a few benches for you to sit and it is bordered by a small creek. There is also two poles that appear to be the past home of a volleyball net, however that net is long gone.The club house is decent sized and they host members' meeting, and special events there. They have events like pictures with the easter bunny and it is available to be rented, but only by members.I really like the concept of not going with an official HOA, and just having those that want to take advantage of the facilities to just pay membership dues. However, this complex misses the mark and the facilities are very run down and forsaken. I would find it very difficult to pay the annual $300 maintenance assessment fee given the current state of the complex. If they were to ever upgrade their facilities, however, this would be a bargain.

It's a good sized pool, with room for the little ones in a small wading pool and a reasonable number of chairs on the deck for families and sunbathers. The pool is for members of the community only, but with a guest pass, all are welcome. It can get quite crowded at times, as is expected from a community pool, but the life guards try to alleviate that by not allowing kids 17 and under in the pool during the last 15 minutes of every hour. I'd like to commend the young life guard staff, while I'm on the subject. They're attentive and comparatively more polite and professional than kids their age in other jobs. I will say the facility looks and feels a little run down and rough around the edges. I can't fault them too much, as I'm sure it difficult to keep an all concrete structure perfectly cleaned and uncracked in the Midwest, but it does have its spots. During free swim, they keep one of the Olympic standard lanes open for laps, and they also host swim classes and meets throughout the warm months. Glass isn't allowed, obviously, but all beverages are allowed, and they have a concession stand with snacks and ice cream and frozen candy bars. It's next to the three grills you can reserve. It's one of the few things you'll pay for if you live in Carefree, but the cost is definitely worth it.