Golfing as a new villager

[BPRICE1234]

We just moved here last week, my wife doesnt like to golf just yet. Are there leagues or list of people who do not want to golf alone? I see a men's day but I'm not sure how that works.

I did sign up for a class next Friday to learn how to use the TT system. Thanks in advance. Bryan

[Snakster66]

We just moved here last week, my wife doesnt like to golf just yet. Are there leagues or list of people who do not want to golf alone? I see a men's day but I'm not sure how that works.

I did sign up for a class next Friday to learn how to use the TT system. Thanks in advance. Bryan
I’ll be moving there in two weeks. I’m guessing I’ll be flying solo for a little while until I find some people.

[Two Bills]

Unless you form your own group of four, you will always be playing with strangers.
My wife and I loved the system. We met loads of great people, also a few grumps, but nearly always had an enjoyable game.
Over many years, we also met several long-lasting friends, whom we still keep in touch with.
It really will not be a problem, and the bonus is, that as a single player T times will be easier to find.
Enjoy.

[ThirdOfFive]

Unless you form your own group of four, you will always be playing with strangers.
My wife and I loved the system. We met loads of great people, also a few grumps, but nearly always had an enjoyable game.
Over many years, we also met several long-lasting friends, whom we still keep in touch with.
It really will not be a problem, and the bonus is, that as a single player T times will be easier to find.
Enjoy.
Concur.

That is one of the positives about snowbird season. My wife and I don't belong to any groups so when the 'birds are here it is a given that we'll be playing with two strangers, often snowbirds. It has nearly always been an enjoyable experience. We've played in groups with folks from Mexico, South America, Canada (many), The UK, Sweden, and others, as well as many Americans, TV'ers and Non TV'ers. Interesting to hear their opinions on things.

[Rainger99]

We just moved here last week, my wife doesnt like to golf just yet. Are there leagues or list of people who do not want to golf alone? I see a men's day but I'm not sure how that works.

I did sign up for a class next Friday to learn how to use the TT system. Thanks in advance. Bryan

It will be very rare to play alone. They will put you in with another single, twosome, or threesome. 99% of the people that they put you with will be nice but about 10% will be pretty good, 40% will be decent golfers, and 50% will be bad golfers. I am surprised at how many people never played golf until they got to the Villages.

If you want to play alone, try to get a tee time between noon and 2 pm this time of year!

[Decadeofdave]

I enjoy meeting new people every week that I golf. The stories of how the different lives and paths people took to get here is interesting.

[MrChip72]

I have a group that I golf with once a week, and then I also usually book tee-offs solo a couple other days of the week. I'm usually paired up with 2-3 other people where most of the time they booked as a group of three. I've never had a group that I really disliked much at all. Usually I end up enjoying having a little small talk with people from another part of the country (or even another country). Everyone is pretty friendly.

The one regular group that I golf with, I actually met when I booked a solo tee-off and they thought I was fun to golf with, plus their buddy just had knee surgery so they needed someone to take his weekly spot for awhile. I've been golfing with them for about a year, and I haven't really asked in a long time how their buddy's knee is coming along. :)

[Ellwoodrick]

Ask around in the neighborhood you will be in. Our neighborhood has a larger organized group that plays on Wednesdays.

[sdeikenberry]

I run a men's 18 hole championship golf group on Wednesday and Friday mornings. Some guys play both days, some one day. We play early...0730 tee times. It doesn't matter if you're a good golfer or not as long as you can keep up the pace of play. We play all champ courses and have members from all over TV. We don't take ourselves too seriously but we do play by USGA rules of golf with some local rule changes. We kick in $5 for prize money each round. We use a quota system and you play against your own quota, so all players are on an even playing field. We have lunch and payouts at the country club we play at. It's a fun group of guys who have golfing abilities all over the map...it doesn't matter if you are a high or low handicapper. IF you want more info email me and I'll send you a couple PDF's about our group. If you want to try the group I'm happy to put you in a time or two. If you stay long term we ask you get priority membership because that gives us priority tee times and over a year's time if you play 1.5 times a week you'll come out ahead on the cost of priority. Want more info? Let me know at sdeikenberry@gmail.com

[rsmurano]

If you pay the $8 a month to use the online golf system, you can put yourself in any group that has 1 or 2 openings, up to the night before.
After living here for a few years, there are so many people that golf in the pickleball/tennis/card groups that you will be playing with that you can join or create your own group to play everyday each week with these people. Also, check out your local village website, they usually have 1 or more golf groups (we have 2 for example).

[WSU]

I would be interested in playing once or twice a week, early. I am a priority golfer. I would like to join a group of 3 to 4 would be great and a ready golfer.

[thevillagernie]

We just moved here last week, my wife doesnt like to golf just yet. Are there leagues or list of people who do not want to golf alone? I see a men's day but I'm not sure how that works.

I did sign up for a class next Friday to learn how to use the TT system. Thanks in advance. Bryan
sign her up for a group lesson and then WAIT.

[NoMo50]

Ask around in your neighborhood. There is a good chance there is a group that gets together on a regular basis. Also, as you meet new people and make new friends, you will invariably find folks to golf with. My wife and I both took up the game after moving here, and we each now golf 3-4 times per week with various groups, in addition to going out as a couple or with another couple.

[Judiland]

The Villages Golf Club welcomes couples and singles who enjoy playing 18 holes of golf. We play outside TV twice a month within an hours drive. Nice way to meet others.

[BPRICE1234]

I would be interested in playing once or twice a week, early. I am a priority golfer. I would like to join a group of 3 to 4 would be great and a ready golfer.
I'm available to play at least once a week. I'm not priority at the moment but I have thought about it. Still getting used to things, just my second week here.

[MplsPete]

[QUOTE= ... about 10% will be pretty good, 40% will be decent golfers, and 50% will be bad golfers. I am surprised at how many people never played golf until they got to the Villages....
[/QUOTE]

Can you define "decent," and "bad?" I've been worrying about this quite a bit. I first swung a golf club as a teenager, and don't think I am any better now than then. I worry about how a golfer as bad as me will be accepted in TV. I have seldom played long courses, and I've certainly never broken a hundred, or come close. One summer I got out regularly to a driving range, and saw no improvement. And with the stiffness and infirmity of a ~70 yo body, my swing is terrible, and not getting better. (And I bet a lot of residents are like me.)
Your post characterizes 90% of golfers in TV as less than good. Hence, the average golfer must be poor.

[Two Bills]

Can you define "decent," and "bad?" I've been worrying about this quite a bit. I first swung a golf club as a teenager, and don't think I am any better now than then. I worry about how a golfer as bad as me will be accepted in TV. I have seldom played long courses, and I've certainly never broken a hundred, or come close. One summer I got out regularly to a driving range, and saw no improvement. And with the stiffness and infirmity of a ~70 yo body, my swing is terrible, and not getting better. (And I bet a lot of residents are like me.)
Your post characterizes 90% of golfers in TV as less than good. Hence, the average golfer must be poor.

Stick to the Executive Courses and you will not feel intimidated, or alone with a dodgy swing.
You will enjoy, and improve as you play more, and if you walk the courses, your heart will love you.
You could take a few lessons for guidance.
Remember, most golfers only practice their faults on the driving range.
Good luck.

[Rainger99]

Can you define "decent," and "bad?" I've been worrying about this quite a bit. I first swung a golf club as a teenager, and don't think I am any better now than then. I worry about how a golfer as bad as me will be accepted in TV. I have seldom played long courses, and I've certainly never broken a hundred, or come close. One summer I got out regularly to a driving range, and saw no improvement. And with the stiffness and infirmity of a ~70 yo body, my swing is terrible, and not getting better. (And I bet a lot of residents are like me.)
Your post characterizes 90% of golfers in TV as less than good. Hence, the average golfer must be poor.

According to the National Golf Foundation, the average score shot by the 25 million or so American golfers is ~102. A mere ten percent of all players consistently break 100. Only five percent break 90 and less than one percent break 80.

The typical Villages golfer is in the 90% of bad golfers. Unfortunately, a lot of them tend to think that they are in the top 10%!

This is on a regulation 18 hole course and it is following the rules of golf. No mulligans, no kicking it out of the rough, playing out of sand, no 5 foot putts conceded, etc., etc.

But I wouldn't worry about not being a good golfer. 90% of us are not. The best thing about the Villages is that most people play executive courses. And if you play from the front tees (we don't call them women's tees), the holes are very short - almost all of them are under 100 yards. And you can usually avoid having to carry any water if you are playing the front tees. So even if you top it, slice it, hook it, or shank it, you should be able to get on most of the greens in three or four shots. Most people don't need more than 4 putts.

The only time that people might complain is if you are a slow golfer - four or five practice swings, then back off; take a couple of more swings, etc. And some people take a long time to line up their putts.

I have been playing off and on since high school but I rarely played more than 5-8 times a year until I got to the Villages. I try to get out at least once a week. My game has improved somewhat but I am still in the 90% group of bad golfers.

Since coming to the Villages, I have played with a few very good golfers and I have played with people who first started playing a couple of weeks ago. They were bad (swing, miss; swing, miss; then top it for about thirty yards; ;and repeat) but if they aren't on the green on the fourth shot, they usually just pick up or toss it on the green and putt out. But all of us started out at one point so 99% of the people understand that.

Get out and play. I guarantee that if you play three or four times that you won't be the worst golfer in your group.

P.S. My experience is primarily based on playing the executive courses. I think the championship courses attracts better golfers (they pay a lot of money to play so I assume they are good).

So if you are a hacker, I would avoid championship courses. If you are bad, you don't want to have a 500 yard par five!

[ThirdOfFive]

My wife plays a lot of tennis. Along with playing regularly in two groups, she is constantly being asked to sub when this-or-that group is missing a player for their scheduled time. She is not only a pretty darn good tennis player (I'd say 4.0) but she is also a very nice person.

She has numerous stories about women who may be asked to join a certain group but who end up being prima donnas, PITAs, etc., and who may start as a regular with this-or-that group but who not only may be dropped from their group but who also may find that the times they're asked to sub are few and far between.

I imagine that the golfing groups are similar.

[graciegirl]

I’ll be moving there in two weeks. I’m guessing I’ll be flying solo for a little while until I find some people.

You aren't generally allowed to play alone. You will will have people added to make a foursome.

Please keep your eye on your ball. Only take a few minutes to search for it if you lost it. Don't hit into the group ahead of you.

[Snakster66]

You aren't generally allowed to play alone. You will will have people added to make a foursome.

Please keep your eye on your ball. Only take a few minutes to search for it if you lost it. Don't hit into the group ahead of you.


Flying solo means I won't be golfing with friends or a set group (yet), it does not mean I think I will be golfing by myself with no other people. It's more like I will be joining groups of 2 or 3 to help complete a foursome, rather than the other way around.

And I know the rules, but thank you for the refresher.

[ThirdOfFive]

You aren't generally allowed to play alone. You will will have people added to make a foursome.

Please keep your eye on your ball. Only take a few minutes to search for it if you lost it. Don't hit into the group ahead of you.
True during high 'bird season, but not so much during the summer months. If you wait until, say, 1:30 PM during June, July and August, you can pretty much show up at about any exec course and get on as a single. I've done it dozens of times.

Same for lost balls. If there is no one behind me it doesn't really matter if I take a few extra minutes to look for my errant ball.

[DonH57]

We just moved here last week, my wife doesnt like to golf just yet. Are there leagues or list of people who do not want to golf alone? I see a men's day but I'm not sure how that works.

I did sign up for a class next Friday to learn how to use the TT system. Thanks in advance. Bryan

Welcome to the villages. Thank God you will be one of the smarter ones to attend the Good Golf class to learn the tee time system and expected golf ettiquite. Lord knows it should be mandatory before being able to get a tee time but that's another story for another day. Check with your new neighbors or any social clubs you join. Find a course for a tee time where there is a single slot open and go for it. Don't be shy to explain you are new and the tees you feel comfortable hitting from. I was once in your shoes and I never played golf till I moved here. It's the villages fault!:evil6:

[FloridaGuy66]

According to the National Golf Foundation, the average score shot by the 25 million or so American golfers is ~102. A mere ten percent of all players consistently break 100. Only five percent break 90 and less than one percent break 80.


I don't doubt this at all but for anyone that has golfed often, you'll run into many golfers that hit great drives often, sometimes are decent with their irons, are terrible at chipping, terrible in bunkers and then they 3 putt most holes. They obviously practice at the range and that's it.

A lot of golfers look better than their actual scores reflect.

The best part of my game is short game/putting so I notice this maybe more than most.

[DonH57]

Can you define "decent," and "bad?" I've been worrying about this quite a bit. I first swung a golf club as a teenager, and don't think I am any better now than then. I worry about how a golfer as bad as me will be accepted in TV. I have seldom played long courses, and I've certainly never broken a hundred, or come close. One summer I got out regularly to a driving range, and saw no improvement. And with the stiffness and infirmity of a ~70 yo body, my swing is terrible, and not getting better. (And I bet a lot of residents are like me.)
Your post characterizes 90% of golfers in TV as less than good. Hence, the average golfer must be poor.

I never played till I moved here because when I worked I never had time. In high school it was out of the question because to get onto the school golf team your parents were either doctors, lawyers, dentist or one of the school teachers. Others always failed tryouts because they couldn't afford good quality clubs. Of course those weren't the kids that played the other sports.