[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Thnonne

The exec courses in The Villages are challenging par 3 courses with par 4's on some of them. Those south of Lake Sumter Landing are excellent, there are 14 of them, I play them regularly. The 2 most scenic are Heron and Pelican.

I love Pelican and Heron. One extreme to another, but great wildlife!

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

It is Truman, and it is a very challenging course. Avid, and very good golfers play the execs, and he will be able to get on in January especially if he is willing to play early or late. My favorites are:

1. Becall
2. Roosevelt
3. Truman
4. Yankee Clipper
5. Bogart
6. Pelican
7. Southern Star
8. Redfish Run
9. Tarpon Boil
10. Heron

All great! I miss them and can't wait to get back to play.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by TrudyM

So if you are a single do you make a T time through the system?

I do. It is much easier to get single tee times.

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by TrudyM

So if you are a single do you make a T time through the system?

Trudy. I'm glad you asked that question. You mentioned earlier that your husband likes to walk up when the starter shack opens. That technique won't work during the high season. Most of the better courses are filled with reservations from opening to late in the PM. So, to answer your latest question, he definitely should make a tee time through the system and that can be done two different ways. He can submit a request through the system up to four days in advance (i.e., submit by Sunday for a Thursday time or Monday for a Friday time, etc.) for the day he wants to play and a preferred time along with a list of courses he is willing to play. And he can be a single golfer. He has as much chance of getting what he wants as a foursome has. Or he can look up open slots on the system after the requests are filled and look for opportunities to play. But, again, during the high season, there may not be many openings on the better executive courses.

Regarding short game practice, what I sometimes do is to take one or two less clubs for my tee shots which will leave me with a short pitch or chip to the green. Or aim at the sand traps so I can play out of those. As someone posted above, the executive courses are not pitch and putt courses. Some have holes as short as 100 yards from the middle tees, but most of the time they are much longer than that. They are challenging. The Palmetto course has a par 4 I could put on any championship course and it would be one of the tougher holes there.

[TCLaD]

when I take the little lady to An executive course, another thing I occasionally do is also tee off from the forward ts with her and practice my short iron and wedge shots. It's a great short iron workout and helps nail down yardage for those clubs.

[ijusluvit]

Having played all but the three newest exec courses I chuckle when the one which I've found the most challenging, and therefore my choice for 'best', has only been mentioned once above. Heck, the Coach didn't even have it in his top ten! Literally thousands of Village golfers have never been there and don't really know where it is. Thank goodness that the well-kept secret means I can get on to play even in the winter.

Can you guess?

[mulligan]

Sounds like Mira Mesa !!

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by mulligan

Sounds like Mira Mesa !!

That is a good one - agree. And it is available a lot.

Maybe El Diablo?

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by ijusluvit

Having played all but the three newest exec courses I chuckle when the one which I've found the most challenging, and therefore my choice for 'best', has only been mentioned once above. Heck, the Coach didn't even have it in his top ten! Literally thousands of Village golfers have never been there and don't really know where it is. Thank goodness that the well-kept secret means I can get on to play even in the winter.

Can you guess?

I have not played north of 466 in the last three years since staying in Hemingway. We have been able to get tee times without including courses north of 466 or south of 466a, and we don't include the Belmont trio. Nothing against those courses, but for convenience we like to stay within a 15 minute cart drive. By playing early in the morning we get our tee times on one of the thirteen corses we include virtually every time. A few years ago we played Amberwood and Saddlebrook, and really liked Amberwood. I prefer courses where I can use all my clubs at least once or twice.

[ijusluvit]

Mira Mesa and El Diablo can't hold a candle to my 'best' exec course!