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Not all of them are bad
 

I have golfed several executive and championship golf courses over the last two months and yes some of them are in horrible shape. However, there are a whole lot of them that are actually in very good to excellent shape.

I thought about sharing the good ones but then realized that might be the same as telling everybody where your secret fishing spot is.

My advice is to go out and try several different courses in several areas… You might be surprised that you'll actually find what you're looking for.:gc:

Agreed. We're trying to play as many different courses as possible. The last two we've played have been Hilltop and Lowlands. Both (with the exception of some fairway mud in a couple of low spots) were in very good condition.

That has been the rule rather than the exception for us in the last couple of months.

I think part of the question is: WHY are some courses horrible and others in good shape?

And in general, Southern courses are in worse shape?

Sort of. Southern Oaks is the best of the 7 "southern" courses. Bonifay, Belle Glade and Mallory are "OK". Cane is questionable and Evans/Havana are horrific.

The Villages needs to have a Golf Season!
 

The real issue is that the curses do not get any rest at all. In Oregon, where our second house is, and locations further north, the courses lie dormant for months while it is cold and snowy. This allows the courses to rest. It also allows times for supers to perform maintenance. When the weather permits the good courses aerate prior to opening and water liberally to get the grass back into shape before cutting.

While closing all the courses in The villages would cause a riot there should be a plan to allow some of the courses to be closed for up to 3 months while they are allowed to recover and whomever to perform maintenance.

Another issue is that this season has been unusually dry so there is not enough time to put enough water on the courses and keep them open. It does not matter who takes care of them.

A large issue is the expectations of owners v.s. a finite resource. Number of players has increased much faster than courses have been created. There is little or nothing that can be done about this as the Developer has determined that golf courses are a loss leader and they have enough folks buying that they no longer need to entice folks with the local "protected courses". I would not be surprised if there was not a push by outside courses to move Villagers to them.

I love being able to get in my cart and drive to a course and play. I think it will be harder in the future to get on to a course that is worth playing. All things come to an end. Unless the powers that be take a hard look at what they have it will be gone in a few years.

If that were the "real issue", then ALL courses in Florida would suck. Courses here are rested, closing some 9's each day, the greens are aerated 3x/year. None of that explains the difference in condition between Southern Oaks/Glenview and Evans Prairie/Havana.

Checking your facts might have been a good place to start.


Climate Summary for Florida - February 2024 - Florida Climate Center

Orlando January 2024 Historical Weather Data (Florida, United States) - Weather Spark

Yes, winter in Florida has been crazy different. Here’s how the rest of the season will play out

NOAA forecasting a wetter winter in Central Florida. Here’s what we’re in for

Correct! That's the question. The answer, in my enfeebled mind, lies not in what the powers that be are telling us what they are doing, but in what they are NOT doing. Managers are not managing, or are not capable. Supervisors aren't supervising or or they don't really know what they should be doing. They have failed!
All courses should meet or exceed certain standards and never, repeat, never be allowed to fall below set standards lest people be replaced.
The time for new, healthy grass is here. Kill the fungus/disease, weed, feed and reseed, if needed, and the courses should look better then the best lawns in the community in as short a time.
Oh, and the equipment (mowers, equipment carts, and even the workers boots) should be cleaned after each course before it has a chance of transporting, fungus, disease, weeds, etc, to another course.
That's just for starters. The golf courses aren't just for golfers. The scenic views, and beautiful open spaces enhance life in The Villages in ways we seldom or never think about. They are our community jewelry and the hire caretakers aren't doing a very good job of protecting them. And, that is my most humble opinion.
Have a great day!

Given the state of some of the courses, you can't wonder at it! :icon_wink:

If Villagers ( golfers) would treat the courses properly and clean up, drive on the paths and/ or rough, then maybe things would turn around!

Right On!

Supers
 

The bottom line, no matter how you pay for it is, 1 course 1 super-Championship Courses.

4-5 Execs. 1 Super......... this will almost guarantee better conditions and not have the same cutting patterns on every layout.

1-1 or 4-5 is the rallying cry..................then all the courses will have a different look to them...

Jus learned this week...........Same Maint Crew, Same Maint Equipment at EP and Bonifay.

All the equipment comes out of the same location.

Two totally different course conditions.

:shrug: