Golf rates starting June 1st are out

[tophcfa]

Just checked “Golf the Villages” and the new Championship rates are out. In general for a resident member, morning and afternoon rates are up $2 and the evening rate is up $1 from last year. Can’t compare Southern Oaks to last year since it wasn’t open, however, Southern Oaks is charging a $3 premium versus other courses considered top tier.

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of the courses have been in May, especially during the second half of the afternoon wave? Perhaps the strategy of extending the busy season rates another month (through May instead of April) is not working out as planned and will be reconsidered next year????

[dewilson58]

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of..........................

Everything is more empty.

I think we are getting back to more "end of snowbird season".

With less COVID, people are not extending their stays in TV.

Feels more like three or four years ago.

[rustyp]

Did you notice ? Priority member is gone and substituted is enhancement member.

[tophcfa]

Everything is more empty.

I think we are getting back to more "end of snowbird season".

With less COVID, people are not extending their stays in TV.

Feels more like three or four years ago.

Less Covid or people choosing to ignore it’s existence? It’s currently exploding up north in the greater Boston area according to various family members, including our daughter who just started feeling sick and tested positive.

Have noticed how quickly everything got more empty in the Villages. Went north towards the end of March and came back three weeks later and it’s like a totally different place. I’m guessing Easter is the true demarcation point between busy and slow season, not the end of May.

[alwann]

Just checked “Golf the Villages” and the new Championship rates are out. In general for a resident member, morning and afternoon rates are up $2 and the evening rate is up $1 from last year. Can’t compare Southern Oaks to last year since it wasn’t open, however, Southern Oaks is charging a $3 premium versus other courses considered top tier.

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of the courses have been in May, especially during the second half of the afternoon wave? Perhaps the strategy of extending the busy season rates another month (through May instead of April) is not working out as planned and will be reconsidered next year????

Posted greens fee rates don't reflect added sales tax, correct?

[Lucas]

Just checked “Golf the Villages” and the new Championship rates are out. In general for a resident member, morning and afternoon rates are up $2 and the evening rate is up $1 from last year. Can’t compare Southern Oaks to last year since it wasn’t open, however, Southern Oaks is charging a $3 premium versus other courses considered top tier.

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of the courses have been in May, especially during the second half of the afternoon wave? Perhaps the strategy of extending the busy season rates another month (through May instead of April) is not working out as planned and will be reconsidered next year????


The village golf course mow the grass way to LOW !

[tophcfa]

Posted greens fee rates don't reflect added sales tax, correct?

Correct. Up until a couple years ago posted green fees included sales tax, but not anymore.

[Papa_lecki]

Any idea why they make it so confusing? Why not one price for 18 holes, same on all courses.

(Maybe confusing isn’t the correct word, too complex maybe)

[tophcfa]

Any idea why they make it so confusing? Why not one price for 18 holes, same on all courses.

Different rates for morning, afternoon, and evening are because of differences in demand for the different times of the day, as well as increased likelihood of thunder and lightning as the day progresses during the hotter months. Ten out of the thirteen courses have identical rates, my guess regarding the other three courses are as follows. Orange Blossom has the cheapest rates because it’s the original course and is viewed by many as a lesser quality course and therefore has less demand. Hacienda Hills also has cheaper rates, falling between Orange Blossom and the other courses. I would guess the discounted rates are also because of lesser demand, most likely because the clubhouse and restaurant have been torn down and there are several other Championship golfing options in the area with full facilities. Southern Oaks is the third course, which charges a premium versus all 12 of the other courses. Given that the course offers nothing special versus the other courses, does not have a clubhouse or restaurant, and plays along the turnpike, the fact that it is the only game in town south of 44 is the only logical reason for its premium price.

[kkingston57]

The village golf course mow the grass way to LOW !

Are you referring to the hard pack?

[Rwirish]

The premium at Southern Oaks is for the additional turnpike view and noise you get to enjoy.

[Rwirish]

Not confusing or complex.

[donassaid]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

[Papa_lecki]

Not confusing or complex.

What I meant, one price, all courses.

I understand a different price for each of the waves.

It’s not like one course is $75 and another is $40. It’s a $2 difference from Hacienda Hills to most of the courses, then $3 to Southern Oaks.

[Papa_lecki]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

How does this relate to greens fees?

[Bogie Shooter]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

just saying......in the wrong thread.

[dewilson58]

The premium at Southern Oaks is for the additional turnpike view and noise you get to enjoy.

They are trying to raise funds so they can have a trash can on every hole.
:MOJE_whot:

[Bay Kid]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

Who do we trust?

[CatskillBill]

Correct. Up until a couple years ago posted green fees included sales tax, but not anymore.

It's called instant 7% more profit for them.

[Bay Kid]

Everything has gone up. Just the fuel for the lawn mowers. Fertilizer. Workers pay. It is now just funny money.

[DaleDivine]

Did you notice ? Priority member is gone and substituted is enhancement member.

Yep. One of first things I noticed...
:ohdear::ohdear:

[jabacon6669]

I'm all for keeping costs down. But, IMHO a $2 increase is not too bad. With inflation running at the historical rates it is, that's what we should be concerned about. Most of us are on fixed incomes, I get it. Going up this amount will cover increase gas costs for maintenance equipment, salary increases for those who run the course and maintain them, and the cost of machinery. You want to talk about hurting, how about filling my car twice this week at $80/ fill up, ouch!

[MidWestIA]

no the new variants get by the old protections but vaccine may still keep you out of the hospital

[jbrown132]

The village golf course mow the grass way to LOW !
What grass?

[NoMo50]

Just checked “Golf the Villages” and the new Championship rates are out. In general for a resident member, morning and afternoon rates are up $2 and the evening rate is up $1 from last year. Can’t compare Southern Oaks to last year since it wasn’t open, however, Southern Oaks is charging a $3 premium versus other courses considered top tier.

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of the courses have been in May, especially during the second half of the afternoon wave? Perhaps the strategy of extending the busy season rates another month (through May instead of April) is not working out as planned and will be reconsidered next year????

Southern Oaks did open last year, in November. The rates there when they opened were $3 higher. Also in 2021, they started collecting 7% sales tax on green fees and cart rentals, whereas before tax was included in the fees.

Another "hidden" increase? The new enhanced membership (old Priority) is really no enhancement at all. It no longer includes the executive golf trail fee, nor the country club pool membership...yet the rate did not go down. This could be viewed as a $340+ price increase.

Ahhh...the price of living in paradise!

[Pat La Rosa]

The new rates for Priority Membership is $791.80. Same as last year with a couple of exceptions. The pools are not included and Executive Trail fees are not included. The is a $355.24 increase from last year. Talk about inflation????? I never used the pools and I only play executive once a week, otherwise I play Championship. They changed the reduced rates to June 1 this year. Yesterday I played at Cane Garden and there were 3 groups playing in the afternoon. There is no need to request a tee time now since most of the golfers are waiting for June 1st to start playing the Championship courses. I can't believe they don't see all the income they are losing by not going back to May 1 for the reduced rates. Maybe the Morse's should look at the revenue for May and June of this year and change their policy for next year. Just a suggestion.

[Marine1974]

Keep on believing what you want .not fooling anybody.
This is about golf fees .

[tophcfa]

They are trying to raise funds so they can have a trash can on every hole.
:MOJE_whot:

Word has it that special giant trash cans have been ordered for the vehicles wizzing by on the turnpike.

[eyc234]

It's called instant 7% more profit for them. So what you are saying is that every business that collects tax keeps that money and puts it into their pockets. Please tell us what you have bought that the price included tax on the tag.

[Tom M]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

Or have you noticed that most of those getting covid are right-handed and that Bill Gates is LEFT handed??? Is this a contest for reaching conspiracy theories? Did I win?

[Mrfriendly]

They are trying to raise funds so they can have a trash can on every hole.
:MOJE_whot:

hopefully cigarette butts will go into those new trash cans...:ohdear:

[Papa_lecki]

Literally, every week, there’s a post here about some course being in terrible condition. So it seems to me, we want nicer maintained courses.

In the last MONTH, the price of nitrogen is up 14%. That is just one chemical I found. Not sure if it’s used on golf courses or not, but in general, lawn/farming chemicals are double digit more expensive.

“Leading the way higher was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer was 14% more expensive compared to last month and had an average price of $1,031/ton, which is an all-time high price in the DTN data set.”

Inflation is close to 8 to 10%. Labor costs are up.
But yet, we complain about the greens fees. The golf course can’t lose money, it’s not sustainable for the developer.
Maybe the greens keepers know what they are doing, but they are under pressure to keep expenses down.
Which one is it - nice courses or greens fees?

[MiPalmers]

Enhancement member? 😂 perhaps they should rethink that!

[JoMar]

The new rates for Priority Membership is $791.80. Same as last year with a couple of exceptions. The pools are not included and Executive Trail fees are not included. The is a $355.24 increase from last year. Talk about inflation????? I never used the pools and I only play executive once a week, otherwise I play Championship. They changed the reduced rates to June 1 this year. Yesterday I played at Cane Garden and there were 3 groups playing in the afternoon. There is no need to request a tee time now since most of the golfers are waiting for June 1st to start playing the Championship courses. I can't believe they don't see all the income they are losing by not going back to May 1 for the reduced rates. Maybe the Morse's should look at the revenue for May and June of this year and change their policy for next year. Just a suggestion.

Does anyone really believe the Morse Corporation doesn't hve a tight grip around every dime here? They are astute business people who understand profit/expense better than most.

[jimlambert]

The village golf course mow the grass way to LOW !

Too low.

[don4345]

I've been here 12 years and the fairways have always been mowed short.

[golfing eagles]

Has anyone else noticed that the majority of those coming down with Covid have been "vaccinated" or the number of unexplained deaths in people under the age of 50? Any correlation to the vaccine? Just saying.

Besides new variants, you also need to consider that most of us were fully vaccinated and boosted over a year ago and therefore waning immunity might be playing a role. Now, back to our regularly scheduled golf green fees discussion......:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[CatskillBill]

The fees included tax two years ago if you've been here that long.

So yes, they effectively made a 7% more profit.




So what you are saying is that every business that collects tax keeps that money and puts it into their pockets. Please tell us what you have bought that the price included tax on the tag.

[eyc234]

Literally, every week, there’s a post here about some course being in terrible condition. So it seems to me, we want nicer maintained courses.

In the last MONTH, the price of nitrogen is up 14%. That is just one chemical I found. Not sure if it’s used on golf courses or not, but in general, lawn/farming chemicals are double digit more expensive.

“Leading the way higher was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer was 14% more expensive compared to last month and had an average price of $1,031/ton, which is an all-time high price in the DTN data set.”

Inflation is close to 8 to 10%. Labor costs are up.
But yet, we complain about the greens fees. The golf course can’t lose money, it’s not sustainable for the developer.
Maybe the greens keepers know what they are doing, but they are under pressure to keep expenses down.
Which one is it - nice courses or greens fees?

:bigbow: :a040: Ohhhh Papa you used way too much logic and looking at all the processes involved for most in TVG.

[collie1228]

Up until last year the "priority membership" was worth it to me, as I play twice per week on the championship courses, and we occasionally use the priority pools. By my calculations if I played roughly 80 rounds a year and used the pools/trails, I would break even. That's no longer true, due to the major price increase caused by last year's new sales tax policy plus the removal of pools and trail fees from the priority membership. I'll not be renewing my membership in July and will be sending a letter to the Golf office explaining why. I doubt that anyone in power will ever see that letter, but the Developer needs to know that if his customers are unhappy.

[Bellavita]

My husband has not played with the higher rates and I don't blame him. Its sad and we play the executive and they are in terrible shape. TV needs to tend to all the courses that we pay for.

Just checked “Golf the Villages” and the new Championship rates are out. In general for a resident member, morning and afternoon rates are up $2 and the evening rate is up $1 from last year. Can’t compare Southern Oaks to last year since it wasn’t open, however, Southern Oaks is charging a $3 premium versus other courses considered top tier.

On another note, has anyone else noticed how empty many of the courses have been in May, especially during the second half of the afternoon wave? Perhaps the strategy of extending the busy season rates another month (through May instead of April) is not working out as planned and will be reconsidered next year????

[JSR22]

My husband plays the Championship Courses 3 days a week year-round. He will continue to be an "enhanced member". He will not pay the separate trail fee. He rarely plays an executive course. No priority pool has zero impact.

[grayesun]

Seems not so long ago, we were going out on Champ courses after 5:00, $5 - $8 for unlimited golf. Fortunately my retirement income has almost tripled (in my imagination) since those days.

[drcar]

The new rates for Priority Membership is $791.80. Same as last year with a couple of exceptions. The pools are not included and Executive Trail fees are not included. The is a $355.24 increase from last year. Talk about inflation????? I never used the pools and I only play executive once a week, otherwise I play Championship. They changed the reduced rates to June 1 this year. Yesterday I played at Cane Garden and there were 3 groups playing in the afternoon. There is no need to request a tee time now since most of the golfers are waiting for June 1st to start playing the Championship courses. I can't believe they don't see all the income they are losing by not going back to May 1 for the reduced rates. Maybe the Morse's should look at the revenue for May and June of this year and change their policy for next year. Just a suggestion.

HMMMMM, I think they how to run a business, and golf is a business.

[drcar]

Literally, every week, there’s a post here about some course being in terrible condition. So it seems to me, we want nicer maintained courses.

In the last MONTH, the price of nitrogen is up 14%. That is just one chemical I found. Not sure if it’s used on golf courses or not, but in general, lawn/farming chemicals are double digit more expensive.

“Leading the way higher was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer was 14% more expensive compared to last month and had an average price of $1,031/ton, which is an all-time high price in the DTN data set.”

Inflation is close to 8 to 10%. Labor costs are up.
But yet, we complain about the greens fees. The golf course can’t lose money, it’s not sustainable for the developer.
Maybe the greens keepers know what they are doing, but they are under pressure to keep expenses down.
Which one is it - nice courses or greens fees?

Plus every part time employee for the villages that were making minimum wage got a 17% raise last October and will get a 10% raise this October. That is a BIG increase in cost.

[drcar]

My husband has not played with the higher rates and I don't blame him. Its sad and we play the executive and they are in terrible shape. TV needs to tend to all the courses that we pay for.

Most of the executive courses are owned and maintained by the districts.

[dewilson58]

The village golf course mow the grass way to LOW !

The old farts can't find their balls now, can you imagine how slow play would be if the grass was normal length???

:ohdear::ohdear::ohdear:

[Papa_lecki]

Plus every part time employee for the villages that were making minimum wage got a 17% raise last October and will get a 10% raise this October. That is a BIG increase in cost.

There is a huge labor supply/demand imbalance - in favor of the worker. Inflation is also at 6/8/10% - pick a number.
The raise is probably part labor imbalance and part inflation adjustment.

My company has to give employees a 6% bonus on top of their raises, just to keep pace with inflation.