snack carts or vending machines
 

We have recently had a few visitors and a couple of them mentioned that at their courses at home they have snack carts that go around the course selling water, soda, chips, candy, hot dogs etc. Some have vending machines near the water fountain, restroom on the course.

Or that had a snack bar after the 9th hole. You could call ahead from a phone on the 7th hole and your order would be waiting when you finished.

I am new to golf and haven't really played any courses other then here.

Seems like a great idea, though. Any thoughts as to why they don't offer this here?

Snack cart usually operated by scantily clad student on summer break. That might be a medical risk to be exposed to that non sense in this community. On the other hand have never had a golf ranger greet me with an ice cold water on any other courses but here.

Almost all carts here have a cooler. Coolers are not allowed on most other courses. ;)

There was a beverage cart at Palmer for a little while . The business that they did was so low that it was discontinued.

Slows down Play

Yes. Yes it does. No carts please, junky.

Might lead to trash on the courses, too.

At the 36 hole complex I managed in KC, we had 2 snack carts we utilized during the spring, summer and fall months on the weekends and for tournaments; did quite well. People could stop in between 9's and get a hot dog, burger, chicken strips :icon_hungry:; Arlington Ridge in Leesburg has a snack station people can stop in between 9's and load up.

It is what it is.......

Village golfers don't take the time to fix their divots or ball marks. Think they would take time To BUY a snack ?

Or pay the prices since most bring their own drinks and snacks.

Basically as some have stated, it is simple.

Most courses will not allow you to bring anything to consume on the course.

Here, at least, you may bring what you want to drink and eat and not have to pay very high prices for it.

Much better this way!

The drink cart girls were angels of mercy. The cooler on my cart is no substitute.

If you forget to bring a cooler, at least you can buy drinks and snacks at the starter shack (championship courses), at very reasonable prices compared to off-campus courses.

As far as the chances of more trash on the course from having a beverage/snack cart traveling around, why would it be any more than from people who bring their own drinks/snacks? :confused:

:popcorn:

We have membership on two courses both have a snack cart that goes around doesn't seem to slow up lplay, everybody's pretty courteous about that. The young girls that drive the cart make tips are between 150 and $200 a day it's a great job for the kids in a good way to make money safely. During tournaments their tips usually double. I don't find the snacks any more expensive or beer or soda then if I would've bought them at the corner 7-Eleven. We still do take snacks and we can take something to drink with us at our courses but we prefer to buy it from the snack girl and give her a tip.

Just to be clear, you are talking about "back home" as opposed to in The Villages.

As for Executive courses that take a little more than an hour and a half to play, how hungry can you get? Those who have sugar issues are packing snacks, but many of us do "nine and dine", especially if we play in an established group. The lunch afterwards is half the fun for many of us. The water from the ambassadors and the cold water stations on the course are good and important especially in the hot weather and we usually take pop in our cooler too.

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But, but, but, then the players will just throw their beer cans all over the course. :oops:



:D

Probably result in more drunk golf cart drivers too.

Coffee and hot chocolate and ice cream cones would be more to my taste for one of these snack carts.

I do not remember if the golf course out my back door in Rohnert Park had a snack cart or not. I do not recall any attractive co-eds though. Ducks pooping yes.



Always seemed to be a lot of duck poop on the Rohnert Park Golf Courses. This is called Foxtail Golf Club now but I do not recall what they called it in 1986-1996. Foxtail Golf Club - Rohnert Park, CA

Mountain Shadows sounds right for what Foxtail used to be called.

Not a good idea here. Probably would not generate enough business and would definitely slow down play.
Please NO

Coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Beer and hot dogs in the afternoon.:beer3:

Seems to be fairly successful on courses that have them. There's only one way to find out if it has a place in TV...try it out for say a limited time. If it works, great, if not its gone.

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I'll try to actually answer your question. All 12 of the country club courses in TV are owned and operated by the developer. They sell snacks (candy, chips, crackers, soda, water, Gatorade, etc.) in every starter shack so you can actually stop at the turn for a snack/refreshment. Approximately 10 years ago, The Palmer Course used to have an on course beverage cart but, for several reasons, it did not work out and was discontinued. Having the phone system here would cause more pace of play and relative position on the course issues than you could imagine.

The executive courses do not sell snacks or beverages for several reasons. First, you are generally only on the course for ~1 1/2 hours and secondly, the Executive Golf Trail courses are owned and operated by the Village Center Community Development District and the Sumter Landing Community Development District. They are supported and maintained by the amenities fees of the residents of The Villages. It would not be feasible to provide and maintain this service on all of the executive courses.

Besides, all courses in TV have ambassadors that provide ice water if needed and everyone is allowed to fill their cart cooler with their choice of snacks/beverages. Usually no other course, public or private, allows this option.

Hopefully this response helps.

I use to play on 7 different couses northeast of Baltimore and lower Pennsylvania until 2011. About 3 of the courses had the snack cart in the summer with the girl driver and a can of beer was usually $3. Those courses you couldn't bring bring your own beer and sometimes the starters would even check your cooler or bag for beer. I didn't drink when I played so it was no big deal to me, but buying your own beer at the store would be a lot cheaper.

What I do miss was having food at the turn. My favorite course was Geneva Farms near Forest Hill, MD. It was $37 to play, cart included, for those over 55 and the price included a hot dog, drink and bag of chips at the turn. Another course was Pilgrims Oaks in Delta, PA. It was only $33 to play for those over 50 and food wasn't included but they had the best pulled porks sandwiches. I think it was about $7 for the platter. Another course the Chesapeake Course in Rising Sun, MD had a phone at the 7th tee, I usually ordered a Club Sandwich. When you got to the 9th green it would be ready. At the Wetlands Course behind Cal Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen you could run into the bar next to the club house and they had hot dogs on the rollers ready to go for about $2.

A good drink cart girl knows when to pull up and is quick. And they know which players will require multiple stops. There are snacks on these carts, but the major emphasis is liquid refreshments. Basic mixed drinks, beer, wine coolers, and soda, of course.

It took some getting used to here when going from 9 to 10 and not stopping at the snack shack for a bite. Since everybody did it the flow stayed even. It's funny that when we now have time on our side we rush more than when we were working. Or maybe back then a round of golf was unique enough to be an enjoyable outing.

Just for fun article from Golf Digest..

The Secret Life Of Cart Girls - Golf Digest

I just can't see how you can play ready golf and buy/drink a glass of wine or a beer at the same time. My golf mentor chastises me if I don't get from the green to the cart quickly enough.:evil6:

The championship courses have beverages and light snacks in all the starter shacks.

Key word membership. There are none of those in TV

I certainly miss calling out "Nurse!!!" as I saw the cart approaching. But, with my own cart with built in cooler, I don't feel the need for the beverage cart.

" Nurse, Nurse. I need fluid replacement, :beer3:STAT"

Ronat1, thanks so much for getting down to the facts.

As I said, I am a new novice golfer, having never played before TV. I was just curious because our visitors were asking. They were used to having that option.

We carts only don't need to slow down play on our busy courses.

for the last 10 years, thread after thread after thread contained hundreds of posts complaining about slow play in The Villages. methinks a food/beverage cart would not be a welcome addition
but I can understand why some would welcome the addition of a food/beverage cart.

And as one poster aptly stated that's what your cart cooler is for.

As a single, I once was paired with three guys at Glenview. The guy I rode with downed better than a six pack during play. In case you missed it alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the courses.

I guess I did miss it, where does it state that alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the courses?

The starter shacks may not like this, but perhaps the Championship course starter shacks could put a small sign above the window letting golfers know their are snacks and drinks available. "Snacks/Refreshments" Not quite hot dogs and beer. Sure some see the snacks behind the counters when they get there, but I would bet many don't know. Of course it would increase revenue for the develop and provide some refreshments for golfers if they were aware.

:agree:

I love the idea of snack carts and would be happy to support them!

oic

Snacks at Golf Courses
 

I bring my own thermal Bubba Cup and refill with the ice water that is offered on the Ambassador's cart. I also usually bring a protein bar if I'm golfing at a time when I think I'll need something to eat. Today I forgot my protein bar so I asked at the Starter Shack for something "healthy." The ONLY thing available was a 1st Tee or 10th Tee bar. When reading the nutrition information I was shocked - 46 grams of carbohydrates and 19 grams of sugar. "HEALTHY" - I don't think so, but it was the closest thing to a protein bar available so I bought one. I wish the country clubs would carry a healthier choice of snacks.