[Albany]

Played yesterday. Volusia gets a lot of play because folks who bought "down south" don't have enough golf courses to choose from, and Volusia is just about the closest executive for these golf-deprived buyers. Volusia has one of the nicest layouts in The Villages, including elevation changes which is unusual. It has always been in decent condition. Until now. The first tee is unbelievably un-maintained and unkempt. It's just a warning that the course itself is the same. The greens are now unplayable, huge areas with no grass and not maintained to any degree of acceptability. In fact the greens are quite similar to the greens at Havana, before they finally closed it (months after they should have.) It just doesn't seem that the condition of Volusia is solely the fault of heavy play. The entire track is unmaintained. Very concerning and disappointing, add another course to the list of golf course management debacles.

[alwann]

You're preaching to the choir.
This is the guy to preach to. Mitch.Leininger@districtgov.org

I think he already knows. The question is, when will something be done about it? So many other execs are on life support.

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by Albany

Played yesterday. Volusia gets a lot of play because folks who bought "down south" don't have enough golf courses to choose from, and Volusia is just about the closest executive for these golf-deprived buyers. Volusia has one of the nicest layouts in The Villages, including elevation changes which is unusual. It has always been in decent condition. Until now. The first tee is unbelievably un-maintained and unkempt. It's just a warning that the course itself is the same. The greens are now unplayable, huge areas with no grass and not maintained to any degree of acceptability. In fact the greens are quite similar to the greens at Havana, before they finally closed it (months after they should have.) It just doesn't seem that the condition of Volusia is solely the fault of heavy play. The entire track is unmaintained. Very concerning and disappointing, add another course to the list of golf course management debacles.

Actually, with all 7 executive closures north of 44, we actually have the lowest number of lots per executive hole of golf down here south of 44, so don't blame us!

Lots/Exec
224 - The Villages
222 - North of 466
234 - South of 466
219 - South of 466A
211 - South of 44

This does not include the 3 pitch and putt courses down here.

[Mleeja]

I play Volusia today and it is not as bad as the OP makes it sound. The greens are a C/C- but are puttable. I don’t recall the first tee being in bad shape. It needed mowing but all tees and greens needed mowing. But that’s ok if you want to bad mouth the course. It keeps folks from making tee times and opens it up for others.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by kansasr

Actually, with all 7 executive closures north of 44, we actually have the lowest number of lots per executive hole of golf down here south of 44, so don't blame us!

Lots/Exec
224 - The Villages
222 - North of 466
234 - South of 466
219 - South of 466A
211 - South of 44

This does not include the 3 pitch and putt courses down here.

I heard that Red Fox and Gray Fox were also closed.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Albany

Played yesterday. Volusia gets a lot of play because folks who bought "down south" don't have enough golf courses to choose from, and Volusia is just about the closest executive for these golf-deprived buyers.

It’s amazing how many southern Villagers are named El Niño!

[MrChip72]

I played 5 executives last week including Volusia and Volusia was in better shape than 2 of the 5.

Try playing on Roosevelt/Truman right now. It makes Volusia look like PGA course conditions in comparison.

[Tvflguy]

….some folks here expect excellent conditions for THEM. Our view is that we’d certainly like that as well, but Reality is that almost all tee times are booked on Execs, even in Snowbird season now. Non-stop play. And the weather in winter here and drier conditions lately doesn’t help.

So I guess we appreciate the things we have here on TV, even tho perfection is not possible.

[Vermilion Villager]

Originally Posted by kansasr

Actually, with all 7 executive closures north of 44, we actually have the lowest number of lots per executive hole of golf down here south of 44, so don't blame us!

Lots/Exec
224 - The Villages
222 - North of 466
234 - South of 466
219 - South of 466A
211 - South of 44

This does not include the 3 pitch and putt courses down here.

Something makes me think the OP was up for hours thinking how he could work bashing South of 44 into his golf rant.

[jbsnarkin]

I guess the people “up north” never come “down south” to play a golf course. Last time I checked my activities fees, and my trail fees don’t limit us “down south” to just play courses south of 44

[CODYCAT]

Seems to be a golf dispute. Dixie will rise again. There are new golf courses opening soon in the south.

[UpNorth]

Practice putting and chipping greens next to Volusia are closed and in terrible shape. Amazing that they can't even keep these areas alive and playable.

[bobmarc]

And yet most of the Championship courses are fine. Played Lopez this week and greens were excellent. Did El Nino skip them? And don't tell me it's because we pay to play them....last I knew the execs cost $4 to play for a great majority of players. I'd imagine without doing the math the income from ALL the execs is pretty good too so the budgets for care should be there.

[kansasr]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I heard that Red Fox and Gray Fox were also closed.

Yes, indeed, apparently Red Fox and Grey Fox have been closed for several weeks and will be closed for several weeks more. Although you'd never know it from anything I've been able to find.

[AlanC]

Volusia greens have been iffy for a while. Played many times on Tuesday play day.
I think these greens have come to the end of their useful lives, maybe prematurely?
Partly to blame may be shoddy, rushed Village half ass green construction at the start(poor soil, type of greens, etc) and maintenance shortfalls. Regardless, the course is still playable if you don't take your putting seriously.