Golf Course Conditions

[DrBrutyle109]

I’m not sure why, maybe due to the cold weather????
I pay to be an “enhanced” member…..then during peak season I pay $53 a round…..to constantly putt ON SAND !!
The conditions are mediocre at best. I expect better for what we pay.

[Laker14]

I’m not sure why, maybe due to the cold weather????
I pay to be an “enhanced” member…..then during peak season I pay $53 a round…..to constantly putt ON SAND !!
The conditions are mediocre at best. I expect better for what we pay.

Don't know what to tell you. But I can guess what you'll read on subsequent posts.

I'll put them in order.

1. Don't like it? Move, or play somewhere outside of The Bubble.
2.The courses get too much traffic to be maintained better than they are.
3.While the enhanced membership ($971) for 12 months, and off-season green fees of around $40, and high-season greens fees of around $50 may seem like a good chunk of money, if you play 2 times a week, with the enhanced membership, that's around 6K/year. Not chump change, but if you are looking for high end private course conditions, that won't even get you in the door. Golf on the Championship Courses may not be "free", but it's definitely golf on a budget compared to a high-end private club.

4. I'm not here all year long, but I'm told conditions improve during the low usage, warmer, wetter months.

5. High traffic means a lot of maintenance, which around here, unfortunately, means a lot of sand.

Or to quote Tony Soprano, "Whatcha gonna do?"

[Papa_lecki]

Aerating is not scheduled at any course until June

https://www.golfthevillages.com/turftalk/Championship%20Aerification%20Schedule.pdf

[VApeople]

I expect better for what we pay.

I really hate the word "expect".

I love the Bruce Springsteen song "Tougher than the rest", especially the line:

"Around here, baby, I've learned you get what you can get".

That applies to both finding Love and to finding a golf course to play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XQX-zRVK-w

[drcar]

Aerating is not scheduled at any course until June

https://www.golfthevillages.com/turftalk/Championship%20Aerification%20Schedule.pdf

They are NOT Aerating, every few weeks they top dress. It needs to be done!

[Rainger99]

You get free (unless you consider the $2000 yearly amenity fee as an expense) golf for life on the executive courses but most of them seem to be like poorly maintained municipal courses.

[JGibson]

Amenities don't just include golf and MOST of the executive courses are in great shape considering the volume of folks on them.

[Love2Swim]

I’m not sure why, maybe due to the cold weather????
I pay to be an “enhanced” member…..then during peak season I pay $53 a round…..to constantly putt ON SAND !!
The conditions are mediocre at best. I expect better for what we pay.

I feel your pain. Posts like this have been made for years on TOTV. The bottom line is, the condition of the courses varies by a lot, depending on time of year and usage, and it certainly is no bargain. Many of us come from smaller cities, etc., where we played golf on nice courses for substantially less $$. They have a captive audience here and will charge what they can get away with. There are always groups that go to other courses outside the bubble. If you play mens or ladies day you will hear about the opportunities, and I encourage you to join up. There are many beautiful courses within easy driving distance of TV that are cheaper and much nicer than what we have here.

[NotGolfer]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[DrBrutyle109]

They are NOT Aerating, every few weeks they top dress. It needs to be done!
I’m not sure if you’ve worked at a golf course. There are several types of aeration. There is core…they did this 3 times to each course this summer. There is also, deep tine and verta cut.
So please don’t tell me when I am standing on the green and look down and see holes….there’s no aeration!

[NoMo50]

I'll go out on a limb here, and say that some course condition issues are directly related to inconsiderate golfers. How often do you see golfers fail to repair divots, or rake bunkers? Or, heaven forbid, fail to fix ball marks on greens? I also think the course maintenance crews do a darn good job, considering the sheer volume of play on these courses.

[golfing eagles]

They are NOT Aerating, every few weeks they top dress. It needs to be done!

Thank you!

[drcar]

I’m not sure if you’ve worked at a golf course. There are several types of aeration. There is core…they did this 3 times to each course this summer. There is also, deep tine and verta cut.
So please don’t tell me when I am standing on the green and look down and see holes….there’s no aeration!

It is NOT true aeration, you are correct, the do do verta cut and spiking, but no plugs are pulled. These types last only for a day or 2 then they heal.

[Mrmean58]

They are NOT Aerating, every few weeks they top dress. It needs to be done!

Here we go again. Top dressing needs to be done to make the green smooth. Lack of fixing ball marks is the main culprit. I just got back from golfing on Amelia Island/Jacksonville area for 4 rounds and like here, the fairway grass is dormant with little cushion. And surprise no top dressing and not unrepaired ball marks. Cause and effect? You be the judge.

[golfing eagles]

Here we go again. Top dressing needs to be done to make the green smooth. Lack of fixing ball marks is the main culprit. I just got back from golfing on Amelia Island/Jacksonville area for 4 rounds and like here, the fairway grass is dormant with little cushion. And surprise no top dressing and not unrepaired ball marks. Cause and effect? You be the judge.

Amazing that resort courses with many guests that will never return have golfers that repair pitch marks, but here we don't even care for our home courses. Of course, I doubt Amelia Island is populated by first time golfers who think the sand bottle is a urinal. :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[mjr0773]

We actually have a real winter here. The grass does go virtually dormant and without the top dressing by the time the high volume of play gets done in march every green and fairway especially on the execs would be dirt. And don’t forget. The odds of someone stepping on the same part of the course as everyone else is much is much higher on execs than champs which explains why the wear and tear on them is higher.

[Jdburns11]

Aerating is not scheduled at any course until June

https://www.golfthevillages.com/turftalk/Championship%20Aerification%20Schedule.pdf

No question Havana or portions of it were doing in the past couple of days… can see it from the road….

Respectfully, DB

[lpkruege1]

I feel your pain. Posts like this have been made for years on TOTV. The bottom line is, the condition of the courses varies by a lot, depending on time of year and usage, and it certainly is no bargain. Many of us come from smaller cities, etc., where we played golf on nice courses for substantially less $$. They have a captive audience here and will charge what they can get away with. There are always groups that go to other courses outside the bubble. If you play mens or ladies day you will hear about the opportunities, and I encourage you to join up. There are many beautiful courses within easy driving distance of TV that are cheaper and much nicer than what we have here.

No, the courses outside of The Villages are horrid. Don't Go. I have a hard enough time getting a tee time the way it is. :laugh:

[MidWestIA]

“enhanced” member has nothing to do with course conditions how could that make the course better for just you? It discounts to be cheaper if you play twice a week

[Janie123]

I played Glenview last week, shhhh but don’t tell any one else but the conditions were as good as anywhere in TV from where I’ve played in the past 2 months.

I played Heron executive yesterday and the 9 greens were all different and IMHO, it was due to the brutal cold we got in December and then more cold just recently. The greens thru the trees were bare in many spots others in the sun were bare in just a very small areas hence the speed varied every hole depending on what you were putting over.

[Papa_lecki]

Played Belle Glade today. I would say about 20 to 30% of the greens had patches of top dressing. Not sure what, but it seems the weather got to some portions of some greens.

So you could have been putting over sand. But it was not the entire green was topped.

Fortunately, i have the skills to land my chips so I didn't have to put over sand (JOKING).

The rest of the greens were awesome, and fast.

BTW, if you have the chance to play BG in the early morning, you are in for a treat, the way the sun rises is something. I started on Seminole and the sun coming up was beautiful.

[Janie123]

I’m not sure why, maybe due to the cold weather????
I pay to be an “enhanced” member…..then during peak season I pay $53 a round…..to constantly putt ON SAND !!
The conditions are mediocre at best. I expect better for what we pay.
I want to add to my earlier post about paying Heron and having various greens in various conditions. I played Red Fox yesterday and for non of the greens were in any type of poor condition… all greens and tees were excellent.

Now the question, why are some greens terrible, some have some issues and some are in near perfect conditions… Don’t all the greens keepers talk to each other???

[golfing eagles]

I want to add to my earlier post about paying Heron and having various greens in various conditions. I played Red Fox yesterday and for non of the greens were in any type of poor condition… all greens and tees were excellent.

Now the question, why are some greens terrible, some have some issues and some are in near perfect conditions… Don’t all the greens keepers talk to each other???

Believe it or not, there may be significant soil composition, rainfall, grass type and watering restrictions between Heron and Red Fox, all of which can contribute to differing conditions.

[John Mayes]

Believe it or not, there may be significant soil composition, rainfall, grass type and watering restrictions between Heron and Red Fox, all of which can contribute to differing conditions.

Absolutely correct and if I could add, number of rounds, amount of shade and age of the turf are big factors as well.

[DrBrutyle109]

Don't know what to tell you. But I can guess what you'll read on subsequent posts.

I'll put them in order.

1. Don't like it? Move, or play somewhere outside of The Bubble.
2.The courses get too much traffic to be maintained better than they are.
3.While the enhanced membership ($971) for 12 months, and off-season green fees of around $40, and high-season greens fees of around $50 may seem like a good chunk of money, if you play 2 times a week, with the enhanced membership, that's around 6K/year. Not chump change, but if you are looking for high end private course conditions, that won't even get you in the door. Golf on the Championship Courses may not be "free", but it's definitely golf on a budget compared to a high-end private club.

4. I'm not here all year long, but I'm told conditions improve during the low usage, warmer, wetter months.

5. High traffic means a lot of maintenance, which around here, unfortunately, means a lot of sand.

Or to quote Tony Soprano, "Whatcha gonna do?"
Hardly the point