As far as grass type the type you have depends on where your home is. Most people areas, have either St Augustine or Empire Zoyzia. Sadly, endless useless posting of my lawn can take your lawn.

Each has pluses and minuses and each can grow a nice lawn. In terms of PROPER care, they are different.

Actually that is not so. There are many varieties of St Augustine grass. You can buy St Augustine grass seed, it is not the same variety planted by the builders in the villages.

Runners Zoyzia runs them under ground. St Augustine runs them on top.

Both the variety of St Augustine planted in the villages and the empire zoysia do produce seeds. They are either not viable or since both are hybrids they will not breed true.

The Developer used Empire Zoysia between 466A and State Route 44 in all of the villages. South of 44 they are using St. Augustine grass. The area between 466 and 466A has both types of grasses. I have Empire Zoysia and like it and have friends who have St. Augustine grass and they like it. Some probably don’t care for either! To each his own. As to why the Developer has changed the type of grass south of 44 you would have to ask the Developer. The white “stuff” on your grass I would contact a company like Massey or Deans who applies fertilizer and other various chemicals on yards for a living.

Stolons are what run beneath the earth; runners are above the earth

That’s what I thought too.

Zoysia common south of 44

I haven't seen any Empire Zoysia in the villages South of SR44. All of the grass (sod) being placed in the new home's is St. Augustine. Specifically, it is a type of St. Augustine called Floratam. This is a variant jointly developed by the University of Florida and Texas A&M geared to the soil and climate of our region. In the common areas owned by The Villages, the developer typically plants Bahia grass.