Quote:
Originally Posted by Marathon Man
I don't understand this statement at all. Nothing in the system recognizes part time vs full time.
Also, what is 'pay to get a tee time'? Tee times can be made for free with the call in system. The for-a-fee on line system is much more convenient, and so worth the cost - but it is not required.
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A resident can only by a priority membership for a year or for six months (at a price greater than half of the annual membership). There are no memberships available for shorter periods of time. Priority membership gives the golfer both a discount in green fees and priority in getting t-times at Championship courses. A priority member has to be able to golf frequently, over an extended period of time, in order for the green fee discounts to come close to covering the cost of the membership. The priority a member gets for t-times is an added benefit of the membership. From roughly mid April through November this is no big deal since it is relatively easy to get t-times without a priority membership. However, once the busy winter season begins it is very difficult to get a t-time, especially for a foursome, without priority membership. This situation is the worst during the shortest days of the year when there is often not enough time to finish a round before dark with an afternoon t-time. That is the reason why most golf leagues/groups require all members to have a priority membership. The system is unfair to part time residents, especially those who have responsibilities and obligations that never allow them to spend long stretches of time at their Villages home. I get it that if they sold monthly priority memberships at 1/12 of the annual cost, very few people would bother to pay for priority during the slower months of the year and it would be lost revenue. Nonetheless, that doesn't make it right to structure a t-time system that favors frequent year round golfers and disadvantages part time residents. I would prefer that they just raise the green fees by a couple of dollars for everyone to maintain their revenue and do away with the priority system so that ALL residents have the same probability of getting a t-time during busy season.