[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Golf in the Villages is a GREAT DEAL!

Less than $11,000 for 200 Rounds/year in a golf cart (your own).

My club at home, would be about $13,000 for 200 rounds and I wouldn't have the convenience of bringing my own golf cart to the course and getting there in 10-15 minutes ... plus The Villages gives you the choice of a dozen different courses.

You can't compare prices here to prices at home and simply declare it a great deal. That doesn't even make sense. Prices in central Florida are not comparable to prices in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, etc.

You need to compare prices in The Villages to prices at comparable courses just outside the The Villages. When you do that, you realize that it's a really BAD deal.

We can play at good courses outside of The Villages for half of the rate here - and many of those courses are better maintained.

I'm certainly rethinking my priority membership at this point.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by rustyp

Speaking of apples and oranges Beth Page is a New York State Park. Subsidized by every NYS taxpayer. No comparison to a course owned by a private individual but open for public play. The Championship Courses here in TV are exactly the same - privately owned opened to the public.

Ok, so I'll substitute Colonie Hill Golf Club in Hauppauge which cost $3.25. Now you have a direct privately owned public course to compare with.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Janie123

I lived on a 7400 yard city course in Colorado where the Colorado Open was held. I compare it to Palmer/Glenview/Lopez. I lived in the city and green fees + cart was $75-$88 depending on the day. I’m an EM here (mainly to get tee times - the discount might be a wash probably save me a few bucks over the year) Comparing conditions in FL vs up north is hard because the soil/temp/grasses are so very different. I grew up in PA and worked the course in high school. Getting the grass to grow was easy. The biggest difference I see is 4 hours to play here here vs 5.5+ on these public courses at least on the ones in Colorado.

And the crowds on the executive probably has to do with the 60k+ snowbirds that flock to TV every January for 4 months.

I’m happy to pay for our championship courses 2x a week where I can drive to the course in 5-15 min in my cart and be back home in 4.5 hours. In Colorado I could just be starting the back nine.

Antler Creek in Falcon, CO??????

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Looking at the new rates, I figure my last round on a Villages Championship course will be on Christmas day.

So, you have defined what "Value" is to you. That's great.

Value Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary

"A fair or proper equivalent in money, commodities, etc., esp. for something sold or exchanged; fair price or return."

Based on demand, there are plenty of people who perceive they are getting value when paying to play on TV Championship courses. That's how an economy should work.

[Papa_lecki]

Inflation is killing golf course maintenance budgets.

Fuel is up 100-125%
Lawn chemicals - dont know
Labor ???
Equipment - my club ordered a piece of lawn equipment for 70,000, two years ago, it came in at 90,000 this fall
Because equipment is back ordered, maintenance budgets are up

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Looking at the new rates, I figure my last round on a Villages Championship course will be on Christmas day.

Priority rates on most courses has gone up to $49.50 from $47---a 5.3% increase. So, based on current inflation rates, are you "figuring" on not buying any food or gasoline as well????? Fertilizer, gasoline, equipment, and labor are all more expensive----nobody is going to run a golf course at a loss.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Ok, so I'll substitute Colonie Hill Golf Club in Hauppauge which cost $3.25. Now you have a direct privately owned public course to compare with.

$3.25 a round with no membership fee ? How do they do that ? That's fantastic. I had to buy a house to get free golf.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

As usual, the new golf rates are out now that we are almost a couple weeks away from when they will take effect. In general, the rates for a resident member are up $3 from the January through May 2022 rates, or a little less than a 5% rate increase. Not bad given the inflation levels on everything else. That being said, it’s gonna cost $67 before taxes for one person to play 18 holes at most courses while using their own cart. To put that in perspective, it will cost my wife and I almost $145, including taxes, to use our cart for a round of golf that takes approximately 4 hours. That’s dam close to what an entire month of amenity fees costs. It’s no wonder the Executive courses are so flipping crowded during the high rate season for Championship golf. Golf on : )

The golf courses in The Villages are primarily a sales tool. As prospective owners are driven around they see the courses and think "This is golf paradise." They aren't told how the rates have gone up exorbitantly over the years with no end in sight. The high price makes for less play so it's easier to maintain the course. (I know they tout 3 million rounds a year, but that includes executive courses and I think they count every nine as one round, so 18 holes is tabulated as 2 rounds.) I've been here 17 1/2 years and when I moved here golf WAS a bargain. Now, during the low rate times I play here just once a week and outside TV twice a week. In the high rate season it's outside TV 100%. Eagle Ridge, The Links, Plantation at Leesburg, Stonecrest, Silver Springs Shores and more, all within 15-30 minutes of TV at less than half the price--it's a no-brainer!

[Ken D.]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Golf in the Villages is a GREAT DEAL!

Less than $11,000 for 200 Rounds/year in a golf cart (your own).

My club at home, would be about $13,000 for 200 rounds and I wouldn't have the convenience of bringing my own golf cart to the course and getting there in 10-15 minutes ... plus The Villages gives you the choice of a dozen different courses.

So, you play 4 rounds of championship golf every week of the year? Wow

[Steve]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

That's an apple to oranges comparison.

Brantingham is a PUBLIC golf course and only 5300 yards. It's $26/round for a golf cart, doesn't provide any amenities and at least according to the reviews I read, it's condition doesn't compare with the Championship Clubs in The Villages.

The Villages GCs are also public golf course IF you want to pay what they're asking. Anybody can play whether you live here or not.

[JSR22]

Originally Posted by Ken D.

So, you play 4 rounds of championship golf every week of the year? Wow

I know a number of people who play the championship courses 4 times a week. My husband plays the championship courses at least 3 times a week. We moved here because of the number of Championship courses.

[Ken D.]

Originally Posted by rustyp

My club at home for 2022 was $500 single membership, $1050 family, $130 student. 18 holes and their conditions beats winter conditions on the champ courses here in TV. Added bonus I can call my lunch order in and have it ready at the turn. Many weekend tournaments , member guest, and club championships.

$500 covers greens fees and cart?

[Steve]

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

You can't compare prices here to prices at home and simply declare it a great deal. That doesn't even make sense. Prices in central Florida are not comparable to prices in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, etc.

You need to compare prices in The Villages to prices at comparable courses just outside the The Villages. When you do that, you realize that it's a really BAD deal.

We can play at good courses outside of The Villages for half of the rate here - and many of those courses are better maintained.

I'm certainly rethinking my priority membership at this point.

I dumped my priority membership after my third year here. It took me that long to find out how much cheaper it is to play outside TV. (I'm a slow learner!)

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by rustyp

$3.25 a round with no membership fee ? How do they do that ? That's fantastic. I had to buy a house to get free golf.

It was 1974, on weekdays, and I was under 18.

[MidWestIA]

Southern Oaks is the most expensive?! I go there because they are always open because people do not want to go there.