[waynet]

But they should try hard. No excuses.

[jebartle]

Don't shoot the messenger but here is the update:

Water Oaks $28 $22 May
352-753-3905 (1.6 miles) b4 12 $30 w/$4 lunch

Stonecrest CC $37 $32 2/15
352-245-0565 (3.5 miles)

Miona Lakes Golf b4 8 $22 after $25 1/31
352-748-4200 (4.4 miles) After 2:00 $18

Penbrook 36.45 (b4 1:15)$19.63 aft
352-728-3200 (4.6 mi 4-some $89.72 +tax $28.03 ea.
9 & dine Wed & Fri. $24.50
Sun Brunch + 9 is $19.50
Sat. 11-12, 9 +lunch $18.59

Harbor Hills 49 39 4/15
352-753-7711 (4.0 miles) $35 group rate

Continental 33 b4 3:00 4/1
352-748-3293 (7.1 miles) 15 (AFTER 3:00)
Sun. & Mon $22

Links of Spruce Creek $30 all day 1/31
352-347-6172 Sun. $22 Morn.
Across from Walmart on 441 $25 Aftn

Eagle Ridge (Del Webb) b4 11 $32 1/30
352-307-1668 (10.3 miles) After 11 $39

Arlington Ridge b4 9 $28 1/31
352-787-7414 (15.6 miles) After 9 $35

Plantation Golf b4 11 $32 1/31
352-365-0526 (17.7 miles) Aft. 11 $24
Aft. 2 $17

Monarch Golf Club M-Th $27 $25 UFN
352-314-9000 (21.7 miles) F-Su $29 $27

Juliette Falls b4 11 $46, Aft 11 $36 UFN
352-522-0309 (31.5 miles)

Stone Creek b4 10 $28 aft $32 1/31
352-854-1272 (33 mi) Tues. 4 some $100

El Diablo 352-465-0986 (60 mi) $45 $37.50 4/30

phone number for Links of Spruce Creek appeared to be FAX, changed number

.

[ilvgolf]

Originally Posted by Taj44

Jebartle posted the following rates for off-campus golf courses. Has anyone played any of these courses recently and could you comment on their condition? I understand Juliette Falls is in really nice shape. I haven't played any of the others recently. I played Continental about 5 years ago, and it was beautiful, but I hear they almost lost their greens last year. I guess if their greens fees are only $20 including lunch, that the course isn't it too great shape. Has anyone played there recently? In the past, Arlington Ridge and Harbour Hills have been nice - those are a couple I'd be curious about. Thanks in advance.


Stonecrest Country Club 352-245-0565 $22 with drink voucher 5.2 miles

Baseline 352-245-4414 $22 - $27 with cart
(13.7 miles)

Harbor Hills 800-822-5558 $39 b4 12
(6.9) $29 w/coupon Daily Sun
$29 after 12:00

Deer Island 352-343-7550 $35 weekdays b4 12:00
(45 min) $30 after 12:00
$40 weekends b4 12:00
$25 weekends after 12:00

Juliette Falls 352-522-0309 $45 b4 noon
(31.5) $35 after noon

Continental - Wildwood 352-748-3293 $20 which includes
(7.1) hotdog, beer or soda

Eagle Ridge (Del Webb) 352-307-1668 $28 b4 12:00
(10.3) $25 after 12:00

El Diablo 352-465-0986 thru Oct. $25, after 1:00 $20
(1 hr.) Nov. $37.50, after l:00 32.50

Stone Creek (Ocala) 352-854-1272 b4 11:00 $27
(33 mi) after 11:00 $24

Water Oaks 888-542-1272 b4 10:30 Oct. $22
(1.6) after 10:30 2 people $22
after 12:00 2 people $16

Miona Lakes Golf 352-748-4200 b4 12:00 $18
(4.4) after 12:00 $15
bring foursome $60

Plantation Golf 352-365-0526 $23 b4 11:00
(17.7) #20 after 11:00

Arlington Ridge 352-728-2186 b4 10:30 $27
(15.6) after 10:30 $22

Monarch Golf Club 354-314-9000 B4 12:00 26
(21.7) after $21

Don't play water oaks or Miona. They are both disasters - El Diablo and Juliette Falls are excellent courses - a bit pricey at this time but guess no more so that TV. In fact, they are both cheaper to play than Arnold Palmer in the Villages. When you go to set up your tee times, be sure and mention that you are coming from The Villages - a lot of the courses have "special" rates for "The Village People". Not saying they all do, but it doesn't hurt to mention that. Deer Island is a great course - but take plenty of golf balls with you. Stone Creek in Ocala is an awesome course. Haven't played it lately but Summer Glen is another course that is usually in pretty good shape and they at times offer "discounts" to villagers. Hope this helps.

[schotzyb]

Played Stonecrest today and I must say, it is a very nice course with many elevation changes and uniquely designed holes, Course was in very good condition from T to greens. You need your A game for this course. $37 + free drink voucher for a morning T time

[ilvgolf]

Played Baseline last week - course in great condition but the price with tax is $36.04.

[orlandomike]

Originally Posted by Taj44

"Played The Links at Spruce Creek South today and I have to say that the fairways there are head and shoulders better, greener and fuller than any inside The Villages or off campus that I have played so far. Greens are also nice but slow. Windy ,rough day but still enjoyable due to the wonderful cobition of the course. $32 after 12 noon. "


Sounds good except for the slow greens part. We've been disappointed with the course conditions in The Villages since the overseeding last fall. About half of the courses are in decent shape (Palmer, OB, Lopez and Havana), but the rest of are really not very good. Mallory has had problems off and on with the greens - I played there a couple of weeks ago and the greens had been top dressed, and were very bumpy. Played Glenview last week and the fairways were okay, but greens were slow and bumpy. This was after a heavy rain, so perhaps they are better now. Cane and Mallory fairways are like concrete; Hacienda fairways weren't overseeded - hard to tell from the tee where to aim - everything is brown. Tierra is marginal. With the money we spend and the large numbers of people playing (i.e. income they are raking in that could be used on course maintenance) I don't get why all the courses here are not as good as those outside The Villages. I guess I just answered my own question. With all the people playing them irregardless of the conditions, they really don't have to try very hard.

with such a wonderful community, that i viewed for the first time last week, some questions.
why arent all the courses fully overseeeded?
is it only a financial matter?
with so much golf here, why are people interested in playing off campus as soon as they get here?
is it difficult for people even with a priority membership to get good tee times on the champion courses in the prime time and prime seasons?
thank you

[Mikeod]

Originally Posted by orlandomike

with such a wonderful community, that i viewed for the first time last week, some questions.
why arent all the courses fully overseeeded?
is it only a financial matter?
with so much golf here, why are people interested in playing off campus as soon as they get here?
is it difficult for people even with a priority membership to get good tee times on the champion courses in the prime time and prime seasons?
thank you

Water. There's no point in overseeding if you can't put enough water on the course to get the seeds t germinate. If I remember correctly, as of January we were about 19" short of the rain we had the year before. Also, much of the water for the courses is reclaimed water which is also used for home irrigation. More homes=more water required for home landscape irrigation=less water for golf courses. Some of the courses have built-in retention ponds for irrigation, but some do not. We are limited in how much water we can take from the aquifer.

I don't think priority members have problems getting times on the courses. But remember, if one member is not priority, they have a lower chance of their preferred course/time. And we are seeing more homes built and occupied, so more demand for times on the courses.

As for playing off campus, all I can tell you is that I have met some people who find that off campus rates are lower than those in TV. I met a resident who has a priority membership only during the summer, and only plays off campus during the high season. Add to that the posts above that tell about better conditions elsewhere.

[Irish Rover]

Has anyone played Harbor Hills in the last week or two? If you have, what kind of shape is it in? Thanks
Irish

[schotzyb]

Last time we played it was 12/18/10 and it was not in very good shape at all.Of course that was almost two months ago and we have had some rain since then so maybe it is better. Love the layout of the course

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Taj44

"Played The Links at Spruce Creek South today and I have to say that the fairways there are head and shoulders better, greener and fuller than any inside The Villages or off campus that I have played so far. Greens are also nice but slow. Windy ,rough day but still enjoyable due to the wonderful cobition of the course. $32 after 12 noon. "


Sounds good except for the slow greens part. We've been disappointed with the course conditions in The Villages since the overseeding last fall. About half of the courses are in decent shape (Palmer, OB, Lopez and Havana), but the rest of are really not very good. Mallory has had problems off and on with the greens - I played there a couple of weeks ago and the greens had been top dressed, and were very bumpy. Played Glenview last week and the fairways were okay, but greens were slow and bumpy. This was after a heavy rain, so perhaps they are better now. Cane and Mallory fairways are like concrete; Hacienda fairways weren't overseeded - hard to tell from the tee where to aim - everything is brown. Tierra is marginal. With the money we spend and the large numbers of people playing (i.e. income they are raking in that could be used on course maintenance) I don't get why all the courses here are not as good as those outside The Villages. I guess I just answered my own question. With all the people playing them irregardless of the conditions, they really don't have to try very hard.

Article in today's 2/3 Daily Sun sports section under Golf. Discusses course conditions.

[FLBuckeyeIII]

Originally Posted by Taj44

"Played The Links at Spruce Creek South today and I have to say that the fairways there are head and shoulders better, greener and fuller than any inside The Villages or off campus that I have played so far. Greens are also nice but slow. Windy ,rough day but still enjoyable due to the wonderful cobition of the course. $32 after 12 noon. "


Sounds good except for the slow greens part. We've been disappointed with the course conditions in The Villages since the overseeding last fall. About half of the courses are in decent shape (Palmer, OB, Lopez and Havana), but the rest of are really not very good. Mallory has had problems off and on with the greens - I played there a couple of weeks ago and the greens had been top dressed, and were very bumpy. Played Glenview last week and the fairways were okay, but greens were slow and bumpy. This was after a heavy rain, so perhaps they are better now. Cane and Mallory fairways are like concrete; Hacienda fairways weren't overseeded - hard to tell from the tee where to aim - everything is brown. Tierra is marginal. With the money we spend and the large numbers of people playing (i.e. income they are raking in that could be used on course maintenance) I don't get why all the courses here are not as good as those outside The Villages. I guess I just answered my own question. With all the people playing them irregardless of the conditions, they really don't have to try very hard.

All about budgets and water restrictions....

[schotzyb]

Played Arlington Ridge today and the course was in very good condition from T to greens. The fairways were in very good condition but if you missed them , the rough or lack of it made your next shot very difficult. The greens were as good as Palmer in their prime and were nice and fast. Nice course.

[jebartle]

Course was beautiful and great for new golfers, all par 3's, except 6 par 4's, NO par 5's...Cost $22 with cart.....On a scale from 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7

[schotzyb]

Played Eagle Ridge today and course is in really good condition. $15.00 +Tax =$16.90 for 18 holes after 9:30 AM. Great deal.

[waynet]

where is Eagle Ridge? And if you could reccomend one off course what would it be?