[jebartle]

I think it is called fall rates....Winter rates will go up another $10 the first of the year.

Originally Posted by Mleeja

I played Lopez today and noticed the fees went up $5.00. Winter rates?

[rubicon]

I;m late to this thread.

One could buy priority meaning they gain priority for tee times. However for that to work effectively means that your entire foursome be priority because once you reduce to three priority in a foursome two and then one well one priority in a foursome doesn't gt you much. You do get a reduce rate with priority. However with such an investment you have to play a lot of golf on championship courses to even break even.

I had priority for 6 years at roughly $800 per year meaning I paid $4800. do you know how many rounds of golf that would be at outside courses where I could secure the tee time I wanted and they would throw in a cart.

The Villages Championship courses are open to the public and hence public. Villages residents get a little bit of a break on fees and should since they invested a lot to reside here. Keep in mind a residents provides his/her own cart. Rentals last I heard were $10 for 18 holes

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by rubicon

I;m late to this thread.

One could buy priority meaning they gain priority for tee times. However for that to work effectively means that your entire foursome be priority because once you reduce to three priority in a foursome two and then one well one priority in a foursome doesn't gt you much. You do get a reduce rate with priority. However with such an investment you have to play a lot of golf on championship courses to even break even.

I had priority for 6 years at roughly $800 per year meaning I paid $4800. do you know how many rounds of golf that would be at outside courses where I could secure the tee time I wanted and they would throw in a cart.

The Villages Championship courses are open to the public and hence public. Villages residents get a little bit of a break on fees and should since they invested a lot to reside here. Keep in mind a residents provides his/her own cart. Rentals last I heard were $10 for 18 holes

A little disagreement on this
$800 sounds like the previous 12 club, couple rate, which is now 925
Besides priority tee times, which does have diminishing returns IF you're signing up as a foursome with some non-priority golfers, but still an advantage, you get $5 off summer, $10 off fall, and $15 off winter rates for a year round average of $9.60. Therefore 1 person playing 2x/week or 2 people playing 1x/week breaks you even
If you get a good deal on outside courses, say year-round average of $30 with cart, that's 16 rounds in 6 years for your $4800, or 27 rounds/year one person, 13.5 rounds 2 people. Minus the travel time and cost of gas.
With 12 championship courses at TV, 10 of which have 27 holes, so the equivalent of 17 courses, there would be some travel time to the 17 nearest outside courses of equal quality
And while "the public" can play, if they can get a tee time, they cannot play on equal terms--no reserved tee times, no discount, no pool, no tennis----so the courses at TV are semi-private by every definition in the book, not "public"

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

...the courses at TV are semi-private by every definition in the book, not "public"

Yep.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

so the courses at TV are semi-private by every definition in the book, not "public"

Every semi private course that I've ever known about or worked at had memberships where members could play unlimited golf without additional fees. They also allowed the public to play upon payment of a green fee with restricted starting times. In addition they have events for their members such a tournaments and social events.

I don't consider paying an annual fee for preferred starting times and a slightly reduced green fee a membership.

IMHO, TV courses are public with no real membership. I don't see anything private or semi private about them.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

A little disagreement on this
$800 sounds like the previous 12 club, couple rate, which is now 925
Besides priority tee times, which does have diminishing returns IF you're signing up as a foursome with some non-priority golfers, but still an advantage, you get $5 off summer, $10 off fall, and $15 off winter rates for a year round average of $9.60. Therefore 1 person playing 2x/week or 2 people playing 1x/week breaks you even
If you get a good deal on outside courses, say year-round average of $30 with cart, that's 16 rounds in 6 years for your $4800, or 27 rounds/year one person, 13.5 rounds 2 people. Minus the travel time and cost of gas.
With 12 championship courses at TV, 10 of which have 27 holes, so the equivalent of 17 courses, there would be some travel time to the 17 nearest outside courses of equal quality
And while "the public" can play, if they can get a tee time, they cannot play on equal terms--no reserved tee times, no discount, no pool, no tennis----so the courses at TV are semi-private by every definition in the book, not "public"

At a discount of $9.60 you have to play about 97 rounds of golf in order to break even. Of course for a couple that's 48 rounds each.

I don't know what kind of value you put on the preferred tee times, but it's certainly worth it to some people and not worth it to others.

I think that it's really a shame that TV doesn't have truly public clubs where there are weekly events and camaraderie.

But, a golf course, like anything else is a business and a money making enterprise. The owners have determined the best way of marketing and selling their product.

[tomwed]

Maybe they could throw us a bone first couple of tee off times for nine holes on the "back nine?" Back nine being the nine that where you go to after the front nine.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

Every semi private course that I've ever known about or worked at had memberships where members could play unlimited golf without additional fees. They also allowed the public to play upon payment of a green fee with restricted starting times. In addition they have events for their members such a tournaments and social events.

I don't consider paying an annual fee for preferred starting times and a slightly reduced green fee a membership.

IMHO, TV courses are public with no real membership. I don't see anything private or semi private about them.

In the metropolitan NY area a lot of SEMI-PRIVATE courses just sell a tee time membership, you still pay daily greens fees. The "public" can take pot luck at a tee time, but it is still semi-private, by definition. There are tournaments at TV courses, and the need for "social events" is obviated by all the other social events in TV. There is also the pools, tennis courts and some hot tubs you get for MEMBERSHIP.

Again, from golf.com:

"Semi-private course" is the term applied to golf courses that sell memberships, but also allow non-members to book tee times and play. So a semi-private course combines elements of a country club with elements of a public golf course.

The term "semi-private course" is one used most commonly in the United States. But many of the famous links of Great Britain, for example, qualify as semi-private.

What benefits do members of a semi-private course receive? Typically, reduced (or waived) green fees, sometimes preferential tee times, and access to other amenities or perks offered by the club.

Non-members can play the golf course, but typically pay higher green fees and might be restricted from entering other parts of the club (swimming pool or tennis courts, for example).

[tomwed]

Wasn't it Shakespeare who said "I hose by any other name will get you just as wet" or something like that?

[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

At a discount of $9.60 you have to play about 97 rounds of golf in order to break even. Of course for a couple that's 48 rounds each.

I don't know what kind of value you put on the preferred tee times, but it's certainly worth it to some people and not worth it to others.

From my perspective. I almost always play inside The Villages. It fits me better to hop into the cart in garage and off I go. I understand I could be paying a premium for that.

So the following rationale fits my wife and I. (I hope I got the math right)

For priority, I look at the math a bit different. My wife and I both play championships twice a week. If we just look at Jan - Apr, we each 'save*' $15 per round.

About 16 weeks * 2 plays *2 people * $15 = $960

So I have already 'broken even**' and I also get:

• trail fee worth $141 which we use
• I do believe there is a benefit having a priority tee times during the winter,
• Men's day is also available to priority members on Tuesdays and is a good way to meet and play with other golfers.
• we enjoy going to the CC pools to relax and maybe even a cocktail

* I understand the save is a bit off here as I pre-paid!
** I understand breaking even is only compared to someone who plays on TV as we do without priority.

[justjim]

Let's face it most of us play (most of time) the TV courses because they are convenient. In addition, they are reasonable in price relative to similar in quality courses. As a matter of fact, it cost much less here in TV for golf than many places in Florida.

The courses here are not truly public and not truly semi-private. The country Clubs are not truly Country Clubs as we know them either. The Developer owns the courses and the Clubs and operates them to his best advantage.

Following build out of The Villages it's anybody's guess what will happen and how policies might change. Fore!

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by justjim

Let's face it most of us play (most of time) the TV courses because they are convenient. In addition, they are reasonable in price relative to similar in quality courses. As a matter of fact, it cost much less here in TV for golf than many places in Florida.

The courses here are not truly public and not truly semi-private. The country Clubs are not truly Country Clubs as we know them either. The Developer owns the courses and the Clubs and operates them to his best advantage.

Following build out of The Villages it's anybody's guess what will happen and how policies might change. Fore!

Not to beat a dead horse, but read the definition of semi-private courses in post #38. Then, what part of the definition, just any one part, do the championship courses in TV NOT meet? Ok, I am beating a dead horse, but then maybe we can bury it.

[Bogie Shooter]

I don't understand all the concern as to what the courses are called? Or is this just a pi$$ing contest?

[tomwed]

Beating a dead horse? I suppose that's a lot kinder than beating a live horse but.......

[Mleeja]

What would this site be if we did not keep riding and beating dead horses? As my wife tells me "the merry-go-round has stopped. Get off"