[Marathon Man]

We don't need more golf courses. What we need is more TOTV threads about how many golf courses there are and how fast they are built.

[Chi-Town]

Interesting and informative time line. Food for thought about the Fenney to Eastport plan.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I have been trying to find out when the executive courses were opened for play. I believe the following information is accurate.

From 1987 until 2019, the biggest gap between opening a new executive course was three years - which was between 1990 and 1993. There were several two year gaps between openings. As things now stand, the Villages has not opened an executive (with the exception of two Pitch & Putts) since 2019 which is a five year gap. The fewest courses built in a five year period was three courses - and the most that were built in any five year period was thirteen courses. I am aware that more courses are being built near Eastport but that doesn't explain the five year gap.

Silver Lake 1987
Hill Top 1988
Chula Vista 1990
Mira Mesa 1993
De La Vista 1995
El Diablo 1997
El Santiago 1998
Hawkes Bay 1999
Saddlebrook 1999
Briarwood 2001
Walnut Grove 2001
Churchill 2003
Oakleigh 2003
Pimlico 2003
Belmont 2004
Heron 2004
Pelican 2004
Amberwood 2005
Bacall 2005
Bogart 2005
Roosevelt 2007
Sandhill 2007
Truman 2007
Turtle Mound 2007
Bonita Pass 2009
Redfish Run 2009
Yankee Clipper 2009
Tarpon Boil 2010
Southern Star 2011
Palmetto 2012
Mangrove 2013
Sweetgum 2013
Escambia 2015
Okeechobee 2015
Sarasota 2015
Volusia 2015
Gray Fox 2017
Red Fox 2017
Loblolly 2018
Longleaf 2018
Lowlands 2019

Would be interesting to add to these numbers which generation of developers had them built.

Morse et al building houses to meet a retirement lifestyle "selling the dream" golf carts and free golf for retirees

vs

selling as many homes as possible and throwing in token lifestyle ammenities under the guides of people can share the "selling the dream" free ammenities of the past freeing up third generaton developers (or more) to instead build 5 championship courses for the public to use.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

Would be interesting to add to these numbers which generation of developers had them built.

Morse et al building houses to meet a retirement lifestyle "selling the dream" golf carts and free golf for retirees

vs

selling as many homes as possible and throwing in token lifestyle ammenities under the guides of people can share the "selling the dream" free ammenities of the past freeing up third generaton developers (or more) to instead build 5 championship courses for the public to use.

Buy the cry has been lack of championship courses in the south, that mostly residents use because they don’t play Free golf, and the small percentage of open to the public guests.

I can’t many imagine outside people come to play championship in TV, the rates alone are outrageous, for non resident.
The main concern is instead of building more existing execs, the pitch and puts are being built.

[Nell57]

Numbers don’t lie.
Great job of pulling together data on growth of The Villages.
As Asianthree pointed out, COVID greatly affected the complexity of building homes. But they did build and they did sell.
Golf courses. We all know that the Morse family are long term planners. They buy land decades ahead.
I’ve never heard the timeline on planning a Village. I would guess they’d have to start at least 3 years ahead.
So the 2020-2022 land useage was planned 2017-2019. COVID had no effect at all on their decision making on golf courses.
I’ve lived here since ‘09. When I look at this data, what jumps out at me is Gary Morse. I believe the greatest growth of golf courses occurred when he was at the helm.
It would be interesting to take this same chart and layer in “Who’s the Boss?” Harold, Gary, or the third generation ?

[rickaslin]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

New home sales
2018 2134
2019 2429
2020 2452
2021 4004
2022 3923
2023 3029

The last executive course was built in 2019. Since that time, 13,408 new homes were sold.
From 2003 to 2006, the Villages sold 15,510 new homes but also built 9 executive courses.

They do need to do a better job and keep up with the home growth compared to golf holes finished and not pitch and putts !!

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Altavia

You left out 54 holes of Pitch and Putt.

That's a lot of tee times that divert a significant number of golfers away from the Exec's.

In some cases, the casual golfers you don't want to play behind

And I also didn't count the four putting courses - Fenney, Clifton Cove, First Responders and Jubilee Putting courses. That would be another 72 holes!

[ken.yotz]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

Did something happen in early 2020 that might have impeded planning and construction?

No matter what, COVID impacted supply chains and labor costs. TV did a great job of pivoting, but it took time and effort.
A large number of golf courses (both exec and champ) will be online within the year.

They sure built a lot of houses in that time frame! I don't know where to get the info, but would like to see the number of Executive golf courses PER CAPITA for the last 20 years.

[Vermilion Villager]

Originally Posted by FosterMomma

Does anyone actually use the Pitch and Putts?

I can see Marshview right out my front window. I'd say 30% of the time it's not being used.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

We don't need more golf courses. What we need is more TOTV threads about how many golf courses there are and how fast they are built.

More TOTV threads definitely won’t make it any easier to get a t-time. On the other hand, more golf courses certainly wouldn’t hurt.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by FosterMomma

Does anyone actually use the Pitch and Putts?

Somebody must, they are actually including pitch and puts in the weekly hole in one’s published in the Daily Sun sports section. Talk about discrediting the accomplishment, next thing ya know they will be including hole on one’s at the putting courses.

[biker1]

I suspect there is some play from people who have been denied their tee time request. I play the pitch and putts when this happens, which is fairly often this time of year.

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Somebody must, they are actually including pitch and puts in the weekly hole in one’s published in the Daily Sun sports section. Talk about discrediting the accomplishment, next thing ya know they will be including hole on one’s at the putting courses.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

More TOTV threads definitely won’t make it any easier to get a t-time. On the other hand, more golf courses certainly wouldn’t hurt.

On the other, other hand.............More golf courses will certainly cut down on ToTV threads.

[jarodrig]

In reality, no one owes anyone an explanation.

It is what it is, deal with it !!

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

On the other, other hand.............More golf courses will certainly cut down on ToTV threads.

Not really, more golf courses would increase the number of threads complaining about the executive course conditions.