[UpNorth]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There is. If they had to supply carts, the Greens Fees would be significantly higher.

That's why you can $70 to play in TV and a comparable course that provided a cart, would be $100+.

Call Juliette Falls, Candler Hills or Skyview and see what they want for Greens Fees.

You'll find out fairly quickly, golf in The Villages is a good deal.

Try booking on GolfNow or TeeOff with a GolfPass membership (which quickly pays for itself) and you may change your mind.

[Snakster66]

Originally Posted by WharfRat

I considered it, but I think you’ve got to consistently play TV courses twice a week to come close to breaking even.

Well, first of all, that’s not a problem.

But yes, I’ve been avoiding it up until now (moved in 3 months ago) because the difference was only roughly $9-10 per round. But these ‘in-season’ rates show the difference is more like $19 per round. This makes it much easier to make it worth it. I’d probably make it up by end of May, and would easily make it up by end of next year.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There is. If they had to supply carts, the Greens Fees would be significantly higher.

That's why you can $70 to play in TV and a comparable course that provided a cart, would be $100+.

Call Juliette Falls, Candler Hills or Skyview and see what they want for Greens Fees.

You'll find out fairly quickly, golf in The Villages is a good deal.

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Try booking on GolfNow or TeeOff with a GolfPass membership (which quickly pays for itself) and you may change your mind.

I've probably booked 750 rounds on GolfNow through the years, when traveling.

None of the courses I mentioned can typically be booked on GolfNow and I just searched a 40 mile radius from TV, to see if GolfNow has added any decent courses and didn't find a one.

TeeOff is basically the same access as GolfNow and both are owned by NBC Sports Group.

[UpNorth]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I've probably booked 750 rounds on GolfNow through the years, when traveling.

None of the courses I mentioned can typically be booked on GolfNow and I just searched a 40 mile radius from TV, to see if GolfNow has added any decent courses and didn't find a one.

TeeOff is basically the same access as GolfNow and both are owned by NBC Sports Group.

Candler Hills, Mission Inn, Deer island, Arlington Ridge and others are all bookable on Golf Now. What other good public access courses do you know of that are within a 40 mile radius of The Villages?

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There is. If they had to supply carts, the Greens Fees would be significantly higher.

That's why you can $70 to play in TV and a comparable course that provided a cart, would be $100+.

Call Juliette Falls, Candler Hills or Skyview and see what they want for Greens Fees.

You'll find out fairly quickly, golf in The Villages is a good deal.

Originally Posted by BrianL99

None of the courses I mentioned can typically be booked on GolfNow and I just searched a 40 mile radius from TV, to see if GolfNow has added any decent courses and didn't find a one.

TeeOff is basically the same access as GolfNow and both are owned by NBC Sports Group.

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Candler Hills, Mission Inn, Deer island, Arlington Ridge and others are all bookable on Golf Now. What other good public access courses do you know of that are within a 40 mile radius of The Villages?

Go try to book Mission Inn or Candler Hills on GolfNow. No Mission Inn Tee Times and only a couple of Candler Hill times and only during the next 3/4 days (there was a "Hot Deal" available cheap).

In season, both Mission Inn and Candler Hills typically only use GolfNow randomly, when they have some extra Tee Times to fill and the price is over $100.

I wouldn't put Deer Island in the same category as TDS, Palmer, GlenView or Hacienda. It's a goofy design and was in awful condition the last time I played it.

[jimhoward]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There are surely not many 1st Class Country Clubs in the USA, you can belong to for $6000/year. More like $10,000 - $20,000+ in most parts of the country.

I have a raft of friends in Naples and none of them are paying less than $12,000/year for Membership, plus Initiation fees of $50,000+

The villages championship courses are not like a "first class country club" by any stretch of the imagination if by that is meant an exclusive fancy one.

Naples is notoriously expensive for golf.

At my home club in Nashville Tennessee I pay a senior rate of $475/month and paid a $10K initiation. Its one of the best courses in Nashville (for whatever that is worth). Most of the clubs in Nashville are at about that same rate, although some have higher initiations. My brother belongs to a nice club on cape cod Massachusetts and pays slightly less than me, but he does have a food minimum. A have a good friend in Huntsville Alabama who belongs to a nice club there and pays less than $400/month but does have a food minimum.

Those three data points are what lay behind my comment that you could join a private club for $500/mo. Maybe my sample is not representative...don't know.

Or maybe all of Florida is just expensive for golf. I also belong to a club called Reunion resort in Kissimmee and there I pay rate closer to your Naples friends. It was a $10K initiation and then $870/month plus $30/round. But that $870/month includes tennis, pool, gym and other amenities. The other amenities are paid for separately from championship golf in the villages. Naturally, I will resign the Reunion membership at some point now that I am here.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by jimhoward

The villages championship courses are not like a "first class country club" by any stretch of the imagination if by that is meant an exclusive fancy one.

Naples is notoriously expensive for golf.

At my home club in Nashville Tennessee I pay a senior rate of $475/month and paid a $10K initiation. Its one of the best courses in Nashville (for whatever that is worth). Most of the clubs in Nashville are at about that same rate, although some have higher initiations. My brother belongs to a nice club on cape cod Massachusetts and pays slightly less than me, but he does have a food minimum. A have a good friend in Huntsville Alabama who belongs to a nice club there and pays less than $400/month but does have a food minimum.

Those three data points are what lay behind my comment that you could join a private club for $500/mo. Maybe my sample is not representative...don't know.

Or maybe all of Florida is just expensive for golf. I also belong to a club called Reunion resort in Kissimmee and there I pay rate closer to your Naples friends. It was a $10K initiation and then $870/month plus $30/round. But that $870/month includes tennis, pool, gym and other amenities. The other amenities are paid for separately from championship golf in the villages. Naturally, I will resign the Reunion membership at some point now that I am here.

I think your numbers are fairly close and representative. A mid-tier Private Club is probably $6000-$8000 in most parts of the country. A 1st class club is probably $10K-$15K, depending on location. I pay about $6800/year in New Hampshire. The club I left in MA is about $13,500/year.

On Cape Cod, I'm guessing, but I suspect a club like Cranberry Valley is around $7500/$8500 a year and a place like the Ridge Club is probably $12K-$14K? Just a guess. If I'm not mistaken, Old Sandwich (not official on the "Cape) is about $15K/year, but also has an initiation of $100,000+.

I don't know of many club w/o Food Minimums, but they're out there. My NH Club doesn't have one.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I think your numbers are fairly close and representative. A mid-tier Private Club is probably $6000-$8000 in most parts of the country. A 1st class club is probably $10K-$15K, depending on location. I pay about $6800/year in New Hampshire. The club I left in MA is about $13,500/year.

On Cape Cod, I'm guessing, but I suspect a club like Cranberry Valley is around $7500/$8500 a year and a place like the Ridge Club is probably $12K-$14K? Just a guess. If I'm not mistaken, Old Sandwich (not official on the "Cape) is about $15K/year, but also has an initiation of $100,000+.

I don't know of many club w/o Food Minimums, but they're out there. My NH Club doesn't have one.

Also keep in mind that you get to golf 12 months in Florida, while the season is much shorter in northern states. My CC in NY was only $4500/year with no greens fee, $10/ cart rider and $125/month spending minimum from April--Nov. But....the clubhouse was closed from 1/1-4/15, the pro shop closed 10/31-4/15, and realistically golfing season was 5/1-9/30 with many cold and rainy days. As a result, while working, I would get only 30 or so rounds in each year, it cost me over $200/round, if one wanted to look at it that way. Here, I'm playing between 150-200 rounds/year averaging about $55/round with priority membership. Total cost more, but cost/round much less given # of rounds and length of season.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Also keep in mind that you get to golf 12 months in Florida, while the season is much shorter in northern states. My CC in NY was only $4500/year with no greens fee, $10/ cart rider and $125/month spending minimum from April--Nov. But....the clubhouse was closed from 1/1-4/15, the pro shop closed 10/31-4/15, and realistically golfing season was 5/1-9/30 with many cold and rainy days. As a result, while working, I would get only 30 or so rounds in each year, it cost me over $200/round, if one wanted to look at it that way. Here, I'm playing between 150-200 rounds/year averaging about $55/round with priority membership. Total cost more, but cost/round much less given # of rounds and length of season.

I'm guessing those numbers are a few years old? I don't know of any decent private clubs in New England, that you can belong to for less than $6500/$7000 a year. I'm sure there are some out in the sticks, but I don't know where. Dues have been increasing exponentially the last few years.

As I'm sure you know, if you try to justify Country Club Memberships on a "cost per round" basis, you're not really a country club player. The numbers never work. We had many members at my prior club, who were in the $500-$700/round range. At Myopia Hunt Club, the dues are probably in the $12,000/year range and if you play more than 15-20 times a year, you'll likely get a letter that says you're abusing your privileges.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I'm guessing those numbers are a few years old? I don't know of any decent private clubs in New England, that you can belong to for less than $6500/$7000 a year. I'm sure there are some out in the sticks, but I don't know where. Dues have been increasing exponentially the last few years.

As I'm sure you know, if you try to justify Country Club Memberships on a "cost per round" basis, you're not really a country club player. The numbers never work. We had many members at my prior club, who were in the $500-$700/round range. At Myopia Hunt Club, the dues are probably in the $12,000/year range and if you play more than 15-20 times a year, you'll likely get a letter that says you're abusing your privileges.

You are correct---those numbers are 11 years old. No idea what the same club costs now.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Also keep in mind that you get to golf 12 months in Florida, while the season is much shorter in northern states. My CC in NY was only $4500/year with no greens fee, $10/ cart rider and $125/month spending minimum from April--Nov. .....

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I'm guessing those numbers are a few years old? I don't know of any decent private clubs in New England, that you can belong to for less than $6500/$7000 a year. I'm sure there are some out in the sticks, but I don't know where. Dues have been increasing exponentially the last few years.

As I'm sure you know, if you try to justify Country Club Memberships on a "cost per round" basis, you're not really a country club player. The numbers never work. We had many members at my prior club, who were in the $500-$700/round range. At Myopia Hunt Club, the dues are probably in the $12,000/year range and if you play more than 15-20 times a year, you'll likely get a letter that says you're abusing your privileges.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

You are correct---those numbers are 11 years old. No idea what the same club costs now.

I bet it's more than doubled. Most every club went up 10%, just last year. There seem to be a lot of inflation last year, in all sectors 😂

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I bet it's more than doubled. Most every club went up 10%, just last year. There seem to be a lot of inflation last year, in all sectors 😂

Not in all sectors, just the ones that aren’t part of either the social security cost of living adjustment formula or the gauge used by the Fed to set the Federal Funds rate!

[UpNorth]

I wouldn't put Deer Island in the same category as TDS, Palmer, GlenView or Hacienda. It's a goofy design and was in awful condition the last time I played it.[/QUOTE]

If you enjoy playing along house backyards, busy streets and retention ponds, The Villages champion courses have plenty to offer.