[yabbadu]

Originally Posted by John_W

I see your point. We normally played up to November 15th. Although my last winter there they said the day after New Years was going to be warm, that would of been January 2, 2011 and it did get into the upper 40's. The place was packed more than in August, it was an unreal crowd and I played with 3 young guys, neat experience. We normally would start back sometime in March, as long as there wasn't any wind, low 40's was our beginning number. Those Footjoy gloves weren't bad either, they helped a lot.

I just checked that course, Geneva Farms which is my favorite, and tomorrow Thursday I can get a teetime at 11:03 for $27.75, forecast tomorrow is 79 degrees but a 50% chance of rain. This is the one course I really miss playing. There is so many different elements to the layout, elevation changes, a lot of water, blind shots, things you don't see here. Rates are way down, Saturday morning until 10am, teetimes are only $33.95 and then they go to $37.95. You have to click the teetimes button to get those rates. In the big scheme of things, Baltimore is sandwiched between DC and Philly, and it's probably the cheapest place to live on the east coast until you get to the Carolinas.

Welcome to Geneva Farm Golf Club

This is not a Par 3, it's the second shot on #10 a Par 4 dogleg right. The white tees is the same as our blue tees, about 6200 yards. From the whites, you need to hit about 230 or more to get to the corner because of heavy trees on the right. Then your second shot is only about 120 to the green, but a large pond is on the right and a creek crosses the fairway completely about ten yards short of the green and then there are large dropoffs on the back and left side of the green. This is what I mean when I say there are a lot of fun holes and this is only about $30.

Great now but what about January with the Snow on the ground? I too am from the North and could not golf in January but will gladly pay the rates here to golf in January. Better than No golf at all.

[par]

[B]True. Price increase again January 1st. (winter rate). After a Villager pays His amenity fee and $145.00 golf cart fee they pay top dollar for a round of golf. I play great courses out of the reservation for lower fees PLUS I get to use their cart and gas!! /B]

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by par

[B]True. Price increase again January 1st. (winter rate). After a Villager pays His amenity fee and $145.00 golf cart fee they pay top dollar for a round of golf. I play great courses out of the reservation for lower fees PLUS I get to use their cart and gas!! /B]

The amenity fee has nothing to do with the championship courses and there is no cart fee for using your own cart on those courses. The trail fee is only for the executive courses. Yes, you get to use their cart and gas when you go off campus, but you are using your car and gas to get there. Seems like a wash to me as far as that aspect is concerned.

And "top dollar" depends a lot on where you lived before. Most courses available to me in my previous home wanted $75-100+ on weekends and slightly less weekdays, so the fees here don't seem too bad. Some from other areas indicate they are used to paying much less, so the fees here seem high.

Since the courses within TV have no trouble filling times during the winter season, there is little incentive to lower fees, whereas some of the outside courses have specials to try to fill up their times. Works well for us. Choose convenience of getting to the course in your own cart or drive to a course outside to take advantage of the lower fees.

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Mikeod

...Since the courses within TV have no trouble filling times during the winter season, there is little incentive to lower fees, whereas some of the outside courses have specials to try to fill up their times. Works well for us. Choose convenience of getting to the course in your own cart or drive to a course outside to take advantage of the lower fees.

The last two Fridays I've played and we waited until Thursday to put in for a threesome at a championship. Last Friday for example, one course was closed, that was Belle Glade for overseeding. We took Evans Prairie at 12:52 and we were the last group to tee off. Essentially nobody is playing except for those on the course after 1pm. If they kept the 11am discount for the second wave they would be making more money with more teetimes, or maybe just go up from $23 to $32 after 11am, and they could still keep their full price for the morning wave.

[Greg Nelson]

I golfed today at Green Valley par 35 9 hole course. We're 40 miles east of Fargo. Membership is $399 for husband/wife. Today was my 59th time walking the course..

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Greg Nelson

I golfed today at Green Valley par 35 9 hole course. We're 40 miles east of Fargo. Membership is $399 for husband/wife. Today was my 59th time walking the course..

Greg - are you saying Fargo - as in ND?

If so, please leave today for The Villages. Pay $104 in cart fees per year, and golf any of the zillion 9 hole courses for free. Plus, snow mobiles are not necessary to find the ball you hit into the rough.

You can fish without using a chainsaw to cut through ice. Bermuda shorts are acceptable year round. If necessary, you can buy a portable heater for your golf cart.

Come on Greg. Do you need an intervention?

[yabbadu]

Originally Posted by par

[B]True. Price increase again January 1st. (winter rate). After a Villager pays His amenity fee and $145.00 golf cart fee they pay top dollar for a round of golf. I play great courses out of the reservation for lower fees PLUS I get to use their cart and gas!! /B]

Please tell us where and at what price. How long of a drive?
Same quality or farm ;and type course. restaurant on site/ Real bathrooms or porta johns?

details please!

[John_W]

Originally Posted by Greg Nelson

I golfed today at Green Valley par 35 9 hole course. We're 40 miles east of Fargo. Membership is $399 for husband/wife. Today was my 59th time walking the course..

So you play one nine hole layout all year, if you like nine hole layouts and you like to walk, there are 36 nine hole layouts here and it's free if you walk, or $143 trail fee a year if you ride. Quite a few of those layouts are par 29, so you can use your driver on a couple of holes. If I had to play just one nine hole layout all year, I think I would get bored.

From Tamarind Grove in my cart within 25 minutes I can play Glenview, Palmer, Cane, Mallory, Havana, Evans Prairie, Bonifay and Belle Glade. That's eight 27 hole courses and I even get bored here sometimes. This thread has turned mostly into a discussion about the cost of green fees. Paying $400 a year to walk one nine hole par 35 layout in an area that will be under snow in another month, doesn't really prove any point either way.

[ukbill70]

Reading all these posts has confirmed my suspicions that Golf is not only a disease but a contagious disease. In my 3.5 years in 'The Villages ' my immune system has been able to protect me, I am hoping it will continue to do so.

[alancusa]

Originally Posted by yabbadu

Please tell us where and at what price. How long of a drive?
Same quality or farm ;and type course. restaurant on site/ Real bathrooms or porta johns?

details please!

Here's an example. Just played at Royal Oaks in Ocala, 30 minute drive door to door. Green fees $29 including Cart. Course in pristine condition compared to most Villages layouts. Scenic layout with character as opposed to flat and baron. Clubhouse is new, spacious and spotless, the food was very good and prices considerably more reasonable than CC Restaurants in TV. There are others but no current comment as I haven't played most of them recently.

[ColdNoMore]

Golf here in TV, compared to outside The Bubble, basically boils down to... "whatever the market will bear."

The convenience of driving your golf cart from your driveway to a dozen 'championship' courses, is a big advantage over those off-campus.

In addition, most of the courses here are relatively easy (from the same tees)...compared to courses away from TV.

So the combination of convenience and the chance to score well, gives TV the edge they need to justify the higher greens fees.

When you throw in the fact that you pretty much need to be a priority member to play in a group, or to get the courses/times you want during snowbird season...says that TV knows its market and can get away with higher prices for mostly ho-hum courses.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by ukbill70

Reading all these posts has confirmed my suspicions that Golf is not only a disease but a contagious disease. In my 3.5 years in 'The Villages ' my immune system has been able to protect me, I am hoping it will continue to do so.

Sorry, but to paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, "the lack of golf is the root of all evil". I can give you a variety of immunosupressants so that you might see the light

[Polar Bear]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

Golf here in TV, compared to outside The Bubble, basically boils down to... "whatever the market will bear." ...

So you're saying it's the same as everywhere else. I agree.

[Chi-Town]

Before retiring and moving to The Villages $80.00 is about what I paid per round (that darn drink cart girl)

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by ukbill70

Reading all these posts has confirmed my suspicions that Golf is not only a disease but a contagious disease. In my 3.5 years in 'The Villages ' my immune system has been able to protect me, I am hoping it will continue to do so.

I think there is a booster shot for that. It makes your arm hurt so much you couldn't possibly swing a club for months. You must get one every year though.