Your first 90 days in an Arizona 55+ community come down to three jobs: get your member or activity card, learn the reservation systems for golf, courts and clubs, and set up the household basics. Each recreation organization runs these differently, so start with your own community's member office and orientation.
Your first 90 days at a glance
- Week one: utilities, keys, association contacts and your member or activity card
- Month one: resident orientation, club visits and guest rules
- Days 30 to 90: golf and court routines, vendors and a seasonal plan
- Sun City: RCSC member cards, with SCHOA and RCSC orientations
- Sun City West: RCSCW Member Services and the new member packet
- Sun City Grand: two activity cards per household with the annual assessment
I am Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty. Closing is the finish line for the purchase, but it is the starting line for the community. This is the checklist I share with new owners in the West Valley Sun Cities and similar communities. Rules change, so confirm each step with your community's office.
Days 1 to 7: the household basics
Before the clubs and courts, handle the house itself.
- Put electricity, water, gas if the home has it, trash and internet in your name. Your title company or the seller can tell you which providers serve the address.
- Find and photograph the main water shutoff, the breaker panel and the irrigation controller.
- Change your mailing address with the post office and update your address with the association.
- Save the contact information for your association office, recreation member office and any condo or neighborhood association.
- Set up any online portal the association uses for statements and payments.
Getting your card
The card is how these communities know you are a member. It opens facilities and gets you member pricing, and each community issues it differently.
Sun City (RCSC)
The Recreation Centers of Sun City issues member cards per property. Its fee sheet says that if the Annual Property Assessment is not paid by the due date, the property's cards are no longer valid, so confirm the account is current after closing. RCSC's chartered club policy says only cardholders can join a club, so the card comes before club sign-ups.
Sun City West (RCSCW)
The Recreation Centers of Sun City West handles membership through its Member Services office on R.H. Johnson Boulevard, and it publishes a New Member Packet and a membership FAQ. Dues are billed per owner member on the deed, with associate memberships for other household members. RCSCW also runs a member portal for bills and fees.
Sun City Grand
At Sun City Grand, the annual assessment includes up to two activity cards per household, and residents must show a card to use the facilities. Households with more qualified occupants can buy additional cards. The Grand's rules say a card is valid only for the person it was issued to.
Wherever you bought, ask the card office what to bring, how lost cards are replaced and how the guest system works.
Orientation and your first month
Sun City has a long-running orientation habit. The Sun City Home Owners Association (SCHOA) has hosted new resident orientations for years, and in April 2025 SCHOA, the Condominium Owners Association and RCSC held a joint resident orientation at the Sundial Recreation Center to explain what each organization does. Check SCHOA and RCSC for the next date.
At Sun City Grand, the rules mention fitness orientations for anyone using the fitness centers, and Neighborhood Representatives who welcome new residents. Ask the association whether a broader new-resident session is on the calendar.
Clubs without overcommitting
Every large active adult community has a long club list. Sun City West's chartered clubs are listed at scwclubs.com. RCSC publishes a chartered club policy, and Sun City Grand charters clubs that are open to residents in good standing. Clubs may also charge their own dues on top of the assessment.
- Visit two or three clubs before you pay any club dues. At Sun City Grand, the rules allow a non-resident guest to visit a given club up to three times a year unless the club's charter says otherwise.
- Pick one daytime activity and one social group.
- Reassess at day 90 and add more if you have the time.
Golf and court reservations
Golf and courts usually have their own systems, separate from the card office.
- Sun City: RCSC runs a tee time lottery through its golf website. Members log in to participate, and cardholders play at a reduced rate by showing a card.
- Sun City West: tee times are booked through RCSCW's Book a Tee Time link, and annual golf cards have their own page.
- Sun City Grand: tee times are booked through the association's online system or the golf shop, and golfers check in with an activity card at least 15 minutes before their tee time. Pickleball and tennis courts are reserved through each club's website.
For more on courts and courses across the Valley, see pickleball in 55+ communities and 55+ golf communities in Arizona.
Guests and family visits
Learn the guest rules before family arrives. Sun City West uses paid guest wristbands that a member checks in, and children under 16 must be with a responsible adult. Sun City Grand defines a guest as a non-resident accompanied by a resident with a valid activity card, and fitness center hosts must check in with their guests. For ideas once they are here, see things to do with grandkids in Phoenix.
Days 30 to 90: the home binder and a seasonal plan
- List your association office, recreation office and after-hours contacts in one place.
- Ask neighbors for plumber, HVAC and electrician names, then interview them yourself.
- Keep the architectural guidelines handy before any exterior change.
- If you will be gone for summer, read closing up an Arizona home for summer and consider home watch service.
- Review Phoenix heat safety before your first summer.
If you are still choosing a community, the active adult homes guide compares the options.
Settling in goes faster when you know which office handles what. Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty, is glad to point new owners to the right starting place in the community you chose.
Questions buyers ask
What should I do first after closing?
Put utilities in your name, then visit your community's member office for your card. In Sun City that is RCSC, in Sun City West it is RCSCW Member Services, and in Sun City Grand it is the association.
How many activity cards does a Sun City Grand home get?
Up to two per household with the annual assessment. Households with more qualified occupants can buy additional cards.
Do I need a card to join clubs?
In Sun City, yes. RCSC's policy says only cardholders can join chartered clubs. Sun City Grand clubs are open to residents in good standing.
Do golf and pickleball use the same booking system?
Usually not. At Sun City Grand, golf uses the association's tee time system while pickleball and tennis courts are reserved through each club's website.
Is there a new resident orientation?
In Sun City, SCHOA has long hosted one, and SCHOA, COA and RCSC held a joint session in 2025. Ask your own association what it offers.