Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr
I posted a very nice comment about Briarwood a while ago. If I see something positive I'll comment on it. So far, these golf courses are in deplorable conditions. It'snot a question of being ideal. Mediocre would be fine.
These so-called championship courses remind me of some of the worst municipal course I played up north.
I hear all the excuses. Heavy play in the winter time, the weather is not cooperating and on and on. I've worked at and played many golf courses in Florida and they all get heavy play in the winter and deal with the same conditions yet they were in very good condition. The condition of these courses is due to one factor. Not spending enough money on them.
I had an assistant manager of one course tell me that the maintenance budget for that course is $52,000. That's completely absurd. I've worked at good 18 hole private clubs where the maintenance budget was $1,000,000 and that was back in the 80s and 90s.
I don't know what the income level is on these courses but if they're only spending $52,000 to maintain 18 or 27 holes they have no idea what they're doing. The money from green fees has to be going somewhere else.
I was also told that the golf course maintenance is controlled by the districts. They have people who know nothing about golf or golf courses holding the purse strings.
I don't know where you've played golf in the past, but if you call these conditions "reasonably good" it seems that you might have played lower end public courses.
These courses are poorly designed, poorly maintained and poorly managed.
They need to get some people that have experience in running golf courses here. And I'm not talking about the managers, professionals or superintendents. I'm sure they are pulling their hair out dealing with this situation.
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I have to agree with you on a couple of points. This forum is for opinions to be posted. And you are correct some of the courses are in poor shape. But when you post your opinions as fact, or what you are told,
you are wrong.
Fact: Depending on the size of the championship course the maintenance budget is about $1,000,000 per year.
Fact: You stated "I was also told that the golf course maintenance is controlled by the districts. They have people who know nothing about golf or golf courses holding the purse strings." The Championship courses budget have nothing to do with the districts. The districts control the exec courses.
Fact: Lack of water, which is controlled by the water district is a major problem.
Fact: you stated in another post the ambassadors have no power other then to give out water and sand. Again you are not correct. The the power to move players when needed based on need and issues.
Fact: You stated that a starter sent your group out before you came to starter building. THAT is wrong on the starters part, but did you go and see a manager?
Fact: the Villages Championship courses had almost 1,000,000 rounds of golf last year, SOMEBODY must find them " reasonably good".
Fact: These are NOT private courses, they are public courses.
Fact: Bunkers have footprints in them, unfixed marks and non filled divots, but that is NOT the fault of the owners. That is the fault of golfers that think ambassadors will fix it.
You are correct, you have the right to voice your opinion, and you have the right to be wrong. But myself and many others have asked you if you complaining to the proper people.
And you always have the right to play elsewhere, that would leave more tee times for me.
Sometimes it works better to voice your opinion with your wallet, not unfounded facts and misleading statements.