Follow the money
 

This is done on purpose!! You don't neglect the courses like this unless you want too. If you hire competent managers who know what they are doing this would never happen...unless their budget is cut!! Follow the money.

New conspiracy Boss!

Managed to play every Championship course this winter (some several times) except for Havana and Evans due to conditions. Looking forward to returning later this month to cross those two off the 2024 list. Love the variety of golf at the various courses, however I won’t be returning to Southern Oaks anytime soon. Besides good greens (which several other courses offer), I was very disappointed with the very mundane and boring wide open layout, turnpike and major power lines, and pro shop set up across the street. And for that it’s the most expensive course in the bubble? Even for the same price, I would rather play any other course in the Villages, with the possible exception of Orange Blossom, that’s about a tie. Hopefully the new Championship courses being built will be better?

Southern Oaks looks (& plays), like an airport that someone stuck flags in. I played there exactly once. Shook my head all the way home, realizing what an idiot I was, for riding 40 minutes in a golf cart to play that joke of a golf course.

On the other hand, it proves how smart the Developer is. He bought that land and said ... "Geez, most people aren't going to want to buy a house right next to the Turnpike. That land isn't worth anything. Oh wait! Let's stick some flags in the ground, call it a golf course and we'll charge folks extra to live on the golf course".

Too funny!

I guess that makes me an idiot also, I brought my guests there and it was about an hour golf cart ride using both my Yamahas. Oh well, at least our t time was after 2:00, so we played 18 for the 9 hole rate. In an attempt to say something positive about the course besides the quality of the greens, we enjoyed the three par 3, 4, and 5 per 9 design.

I have a tee time there this Wednesday. Looking forward to playing it again.

I played it just that one time, soon after it opened. I do remember the 3-3-3 setup. It was like playing on pavement. I can't hit it long, I'm old. But on 13, I hit Driver-5 Iron onto the green ... which means I must have totaled 100 yards of roll, between the 2 shots. Made Eagle, though.

They are giving the grass time to grow back

Really ??

All they have to do is STOP mowing the snot out of it when there nothing there to mow to begin with !!!

Havana golf
 

Interesting that it closed and reopened w/zero public announcements?

Recovered pretty well
 

I played with a Couple of friends on Kenya this week and the greens are a bit fuzzy, not real fast, but weed free and fairly true lines to the holes. It was a pleasure to golf a real course in the Villages again.

Nearly all of the championship courses are designed with the same boring layout.
Developer puts in drainage ponds on land and hands it over to be turned into a golf course. Designer has to work with what the developer gives him, which is not much.

Havana has opened
 

Havana opened this past Monday.

In my opinion, Havana is in the best condition of any course on Campus ... including TDS & Glenview.

The fairways and greens aren't cut as short as usual, as I think they're working hard to keep it in condition and rain is in short supply. As a result, the Greens are slower than most would like, but the course is in great condition for TV.