Originally Posted by kansasr (Post 2294287)

What seems to be more missing in these discussions is the pressure put on the executive courses when the increased January rates on the championship courses go into effect.

Originally Posted by rsimpson (Post 2294298)

You are correct - the continual price increases in greens fees for Champs (already too high) puts even more strain on the Execs.

Here's a controversial idea - if you cannot hit a golf ball more than 60-70 yards (or you whiff more that 5 times in 9 holes) play the Pitch-and-Putts. Then stick to the Level 1's for a while. Yikes....

Originally Posted by natjos (Post 2293940)

Well I have finally experienced the difficulty getting a Tee time that others have complained about. It has everything to do with the golfers in all of the new developments coming north because of the lack of courses in the south. I have been here for 10 years and have never been constantly shut out of getting a time. I went on 6 days before and asked for a starting time within a four hour spread. I had 4 points at the time. Didn't get any of the three days requested. I think that groups are forming leagues down south and rotating request so that there are request with only 1 or 2 points. I have golfed with people who are traveling an hour by cart to get to the north end to golf. My reason for owning in the Villages is quickly fading.

Originally Posted by Parteeinga (Post 2294337)

I do not have any issue riding the hour in the golf cart from my house to play the northern most courses.

Originally Posted by TheWarriors (Post 2294230)

I couldn’t do that to Women playing. I’m sure 99% of women playing don’t want an unfamiliar man joining them.

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki (Post 2294196)

When the area south of 44 and the turnpike was being planned, golf participation was declining, until 2020.
From 2010 to 2019, participation dropped from 26.12 million to 24.3 million - almost 10%. In 2022, it was 25.6 million, almost recovered to 2010 level (back to 2011 level). No one could have predicted that.

Golf participation US 2022 | Statista

Originally Posted by TheWarriors (Post 2294230)

I couldn’t do that to Women playing. I’m sure 99% of women playing don’t want an unfamiliar man joining them.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2294366)

We often have only 7 of us playing and so one group of 3 gets a lone guy nearly every time. It works out fine. The guy starts at his tee, we wait, then drive to our tee. Guy might finish first and then waits for each of us, sometimes giving helpful comments or making jokes. I mean he has three considerate and funny ladies to entertain him!

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers (Post 2294103)

The fourth generation developers don't care about tee times. They want to sell houses and build paying Championship courses open to the public. They don't care about aesthetics, they want to pack the houses in. No beautiful mvp Golf cart paths out that way majority are diamond lanes. They couldn't replicate a gorgeous treed in mvp golf path and come out $$ on top. They are putting in practically no trees and real plant, just palms (now deamed weeds in parts of FL) and scrub bushes. 140,000 people (?) And a permanently closed gorgeous movie theater in Brownwood. The list goes on and on that shows the newest areas are lacking what used to be excellent above the standard industry draws for picking T V.

They are doing the bare minimum to keep T V "lifestyle" appearance.

A dream stays alive when there is a vision... the magic fairy dust is blowing away in the dust bowl surrounding the temporary "new" center of T V. The next one is being planned already.

There is definity a honeymoon season living in T V and the further south one goes the quicker that ends.
It is possible to have too much of a good thing.

They aren't keeping up with free golf demand any longer. But hey at least there is disc golf now in the Hogeye Preserve, so tee up, that'll fix the lack of golf courses being built.

Originally Posted by Flyers999 (Post 2293974)

You mentioned that you had "4 points at the time." I'm assuming you are playing executive (you didn't mention.) It's not about having points 6 days before tee time, it's how many points you have when the algorithm is run, which is usually 3 or 4 days before tee time.
Having four points means you have played four times in the past seven days. That's a lot. I would vote that golfer's be limited to three days a week executive. There are some that play every day; one can usually get a tee time if one if a single.
I play executive twice a week and can't remember the last time I had a problem. I'll play Championship if I play more.
I agree with your overall complaint though. These worthless pitch and putts are to blame.

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2294312)

It's lasted about 125 years in the USA and doubt it's going anywhere, fast.

What a lot of folks aren't realizing, is golf is being over-taken by "virtual golf". There's now a virtual professional golf tour. Why waste 100's of acres, when a computer can create the perfect golf course?

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2294643)

I just checked open tee times for tomorrow. Between 7 am and 6 pm, there are no openings at any executive course for a foursome; there is one opening for a threesome at 5:14; there are several openings for a twosome starting but the earliest is at 5:14; and there are about 10 openings for a single.

Originally Posted by Happydaz (Post 2294081)

If golf is a dying sport why are tee times hard to get?

Originally Posted by Topspinmo (Post 2294040)

Koolaid turned sour after about 4 years for me. Having mover’s remorse :22yikes:

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2294643)

I just checked open tee times for tomorrow. Between 7 am and 6 pm, there are no openings at any executive course for a foursome; there is one opening for a threesome at 5:14; there are several openings for a twosome starting but the earliest is at 5:14; and there are about 10 openings for a single.

Originally Posted by Jayhawk (Post 2294660)

Why wait until the day before? Go out 2 more days and there are tons of openings. Yes, even for foursomes.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2294674)

The reason I waited until the day before was because I wanted to find out how difficult it is to get a tee time if you try to get a reservation the day before.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2294019)

What is not obvious is why the developer stopped building courses for five years. Did he really think that golf was not one of the main attractions?

Originally Posted by natjos (Post 2293940)

Well I have finally experienced the difficulty getting a Tee time that others have complained about. It has everything to do with the golfers in all of the new developments coming north because of the lack of courses in the south. I have been here for 10 years and have never been constantly shut out of getting a time. I went on 6 days before and asked for a starting time within a four hour spread. I had 4 points at the time. Didn't get any of the three days requested. I think that groups are forming leagues down south and rotating request so that there are request with only 1 or 2 points. I have golfed with people who are traveling an hour by cart to get to the north end to golf. My reason for owning in the Villages is quickly fading.

Originally Posted by dano121 (Post 2294727)

I was reading another Communities marketing literature. They present that The Villages allows short term rentals which helps cause the over population. I forwarded it to The Villages and did not get a reply.

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive (Post 2294647)

Heh. Sorta like Cherry 2000.

Virtual might be a viable alternative at times but never really does beat the real thing.

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive (Post 2294647)

Heh. Sorta like Cherry 2000.

Virtual might be a viable alternative at times but never really does beat the real thing.

Originally Posted by TomPerry (Post 2294113)

The developer DID listen to the priorities of the residents south of CR44! Everyone was connectivity, connectivity, connectivity! It takes a lot of money, resources, and TIME to get the state permitting to build 2 bridges over CR44 and especially 1 over the Florida Turnpike!!! The residents south of CR44 set the priorities and the developer complied! It appears to me that a lot of residences south of CR44 think their wishes can happen at the wave of a “Magic Wand “!!! “Patience Grasshoppers”!!!!!

Originally Posted by natjos (Post 2293940)

Well I have finally experienced the difficulty getting a Tee time that others have complained about. It has everything to do with the golfers in all of the new developments coming north because of the lack of courses in the south. I have been here for 10 years and have never been constantly shut out of getting a time. I went on 6 days before and asked for a starting time within a four hour spread. I had 4 points at the time. Didn't get any of the three days requested. I think that groups are forming leagues down south and rotating request so that there are request with only 1 or 2 points. I have golfed with people who are traveling an hour by cart to get to the north end to golf. My reason for owning in the Villages is quickly fading.

Originally Posted by Twindham (Post 2295677)

As a single player I have heard that you can golf everyday as a walk on. You have to call the courses the day of play for an opening rather than scheduling in advance.

Originally Posted by charmed59 (Post 2295523)

This week my foursome had 3 points between the four of us. I tried to put in 12 courses, but 3 were closed. We got 20 min after the requested time and 7th choice of courses. Two weeks ago, with the same, we got first choice time and course, and then it stormed. I think the rainouts made a difference.

Originally Posted by DonH57 (Post 2295828)

Our group of 12 got shut out again. Four hour window and 22 course selection, under three points on half of us. I wouldn't look forward for this to get better any time soon. I guess I should feel lucky I picked a good time to do my knee replacement!

Originally Posted by Jayhawk (Post 2295832)

What about the other half?

Originally Posted by DonH57 (Post 2295857)

Of 12 of us 6 had 1.8 points, 2 had 2 points and the other 4 only had 3. So we got to go lower next week and try to hit more open courses unless they close more.

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 2293960)

Conspiracy Theory...............please expand on this, inquiring minds want to know.

Originally Posted by Flyers999 (Post 2295994)

There's always the trick of putting someone who doesn't play golf (e.g., your wife) into your group every other week to lower the average.

Originally Posted by Jayhawk (Post 2295899)

Sounds like 4 guys cost 8 other guys the ability to play. But they got theirs in.

Originally Posted by DonH57 (Post 2295857)

Of 12 of us 6 had 1.8 points, 2 had 2 points and the other 4 only had 3. So we got to go lower next week and try to hit more open courses unless they close more.

Originally Posted by Irmidick (Post 2296228)

I have lived here for 12 years and never get shut out for championship courses unless I screwed something up with my request.
Are you a priority member? That could be the problem this time of the year.

Originally Posted by natjos (Post 2293940)

. I went on 6 days before and asked for a starting time within a four hour spread.