and the villages are not totally to blame in that regard, how about the people who play those courses they share some of the responsibility, when I learned the game I was taught repair DIVOTS, repai BALL MARKS and Rakethe traps when you are done!!!!

Me too. But I recall walking the course as a group and passing along and reinforcing the niceties, courtesies and course conduct that went with the game. Reminders to companions to fix divots or rake bunkers. The game used to be much more relaxed and congenial.
Now, it's hurry, hurry up, rush-rush, gotta stay ahead of the group behind, push the group ahead. If you can't keep up, get out of the way. No wonder newbies don't learn golf etiquette. Nobody has the time or desire to instruct the new kids. Only complain when they fail to keep up.
Ah. The good old days.

pull carts
 

I agree with the pull cart fee should go up - we are talking about conditions of the courses - and not one pull cart has a sand bottle on them - to replace any divots they may make - yet they pay no fee because they are walking

No. I already pay a large monthly fee, no I will not pay more to play executive courses. It is ridiculous what they charge to play the championship courses as it is.

Not being contrary on purpose, but I just think none of that will happen because it is not in line with the deep psychology of the "business" end of the villages. Those suggestions would more closely reflect a situation where the priority is the residents, not the business aspects. In an average city, town, or villages, this changes with the WISHES of the residents. This is a completely different configuration. Again, not saying your suggestion that the "ambassadors" work in pairs for their own security is worthless, not at all, but I'd like to point out that while people can be very confrontational (and/or very drunk), the marshal's at our former country club, and the marshals on our local PUBLIC courses never worked in pairs, and yes, they did encounter some "entitled" country club members (as in Groundhog Day and comic films), and often belligerent drunks on public courses, never seemed to have two marshals ! ? The marshal is the marshal, that was it. But so much is needed here and just marshals alone as a first step would save a ton of $$$.

Definitely not that simple, I agree. Did most expect people already paying for something would welcome additional payment. I anticipated people would not crave that, but you never know.

"What" is right ? Definitely puzzling answer. Perhaps some don't realize it is an amenity, as in "amenity fee" ? Don't know, but agree with your "what what" !

One person on here has the line from Tom Petty about "most things I worry about never happen anyway" applies to this. Don't think it's worth worrying about, not likely to happen. Amenity fees rising, perhaps, but choosing a few exec's to tack on additional charge, doubt it, but who knows. Could become tiered, you never know. You pay so much for base amenity rate, then can add $20 a month for unlimited choice of exec's which would include the "well cared for ones", you never know, just doubt it ! As far as continuing to pay your amenity fees and then playing the public courses outside the villages, you'd have to do a LOT of pencil pushing to make sure that would pay off for you... there is travel (fuel is expensive), time, maybe even purchasing snacks or lunch compared to having your own from home, then you have to figure in cart rental if you use motorized cart, just a lot to figure before saying you'd switch and play outside courses if they begin an extra change. But then, perhaps you don't play often, might be able to justify it, but hard to do since no matter what, you still have to pay monthly amenity fees ! A lot to think about before would decide something like that.

True in some situations, but this is a BUSINESS, that is the point. I hope this is a logical analogy: if you run a restaurant and make a decision to serve just a little less soda and a little more ice per drink, and people just keep coming, business is not only steady, but increases year over year. So you consider this, and instruct staff to use a little more ice and a little less soda, or let's say, you decide to cut your french fries (which are legendary all over your area) by just 6 fries per order, but they are so good, so well known, that your business continues to grow by epic proportions, would you actually make a decision to INCREASE the size of an order or your "legendary" fries, or go back to serving MORE soda and less ice, of course not, it's your BUSINESS, it is not the same as just asking your friends over for your excellent fries so you give them heaping amounts ! When people stop coming, when homes don't sell very fast, and when word gets around the entire nation that "that place, The Villages that's so "famous" for "free" golf, is not fee at all of course, how could it be ? But golfers and non golfers alike pay the freight for the golf courses, but the golf courses are little more than cow pastures, complete with the same kinds of weeks, THEN, a smart business person changes the business plan !

And we pay "good will ambassadors", not marshal's who tell people (politely of course), to keep their carts ON the path, and NEVER ever explain to people who are ignorant of etiquette, how to use the 90 degree rule if they are incapable to walking to their ball in the fairway, and so on, many many things "could" be done to help. Never happen !

Guests already pay $15 so they should be able to keep them in better shape already. Why have I heard that the ones around Lopez up north are in great shape? Must be the person/persons that do maintenance on those courses!

Approximately half of the amenities fee goes to pay off the purchase of the amenities from the Developer. All of that money is not available for maintenance.

Still a lot of money left in the pot. That isn't the problem.

As miraculous as it may seem, some regular and experienced golfers do report good conditions at some of the courses. Why only at some? Conditions should be all good if mgmt/supervision have their finger on the pulse of maintenance. Less than good at any course should be the result of a plague of locusts. An individual case, not the general condition for all or most courses.
Mgmt has failed! Maintenance has failed. Time sweep out the office.

I was not commenting on the condition of the courses. I was not commenting on whether there is sufficient money available to maintain the courses. I have no experience in golf course management. I can only remember one poster on this forum who has such experience. My comment was in response to a post about how much of the amenities money is available for maintenance. Dissatisfaction with the conditions of the courses would be best expressed to the CDD management instead of this forum.

Let it go.

Just a “bad” idea…

Mr
 

No way! No way!

Greens Divot Repair Tool - supplied by The Villages
 

I would propose since many of us enjoy the Executive Golf Courses, we take a different approach to supporting the greens keepers. Instead of raising rates, no one wants that, why don't we ask The Villages to place some Greens Divot Repair tools on the green and we can help, after all, the reason the greens are in bad shape is because many of us are not repairing the ball mark on greens, I may be guilty as well on occasion. Perhaps if TV buys enough for 4 courses and distributes them to different courses, we all can pitch in and fix the issue. As it is, these courses are over played and until we find a way to help resolve the issue, no additional fee or separation of tee times is going to fix the issue. I think it is better to take a Root Cause analysis approach to the issue and we, the ones that see the issue fix the issue. Open to suggestion, but before I get a snarky response, let's remember, the people that are causing the issue are not the ones who are going to fix the issue, it's the old 80/20 rule, 80% cause the problem and 20% fix the problem. Lastly, I agree with some of the comments about the Ambassador, but they should be enforcing speed of play and other issues and we all should be good patrons and fix the greens.

The courses up north of 466 are in great shape. Perhaps the problem is some people (Greenskeeper) at some locations do NOT know how to do their job?

More than likely.

Course Conditions
 

Playing on Executive courses for "free" draws many who have poor golf skills. Paid public courses tend to draw golfers with a better understanding of the rules of play, including repairing divots and ball marks.
The Spring season here is dry and the number of players is at its max.

The Villages have been at it well over 50years. Now some come- lately thinks that they have a solution!!!!!!!

Or in this case, let the user pay TWICE...

Players: fix your divots and ball marks. Only drive your carts where permitted.
Course Management: train your staff AND make sure your maintenance staff are doing a good job.

District Management: let your contracted maintenance staff know whether they're doing a good job or a bad one. Renew contracts only for doing a good job.

Everyone: be thankful our low amenity fees bring a lot of great options for activities, including golf.

The Championship courses should be in better shape as more $$$ are coming in from the players