About Country Club Membership
 

We were looking for pricing for the membership, and what it included.

I started at the main Villages website and clicked on the Golf link, and found this in the Championship promotion page:

Championship Golf
As a Villager you’ll enjoy free membership to any of The Villages Golf & Country Clubs for life!
Enjoy the challenge of a championship course with 12 distinctive country clubs located throughout The Villages. As a resident, you’re automatically a member meaning you can enjoy the game, unique dining experience, pro shops and more at every golf and country club!

But according to the "Golfthevillages.com" website, you have to be a "priority member" and pay membership dues in order to use the pool, the tennis court at Hacienda Hills, and the spas.

Are these things not actually part of the country club? If they are part of the country club, well - all residents are automatically members and would be entitled to using those amenities. Maybe they'd have to pay an extra fee because they're not "priority" members, but they're still members, nonetheless and should be entitled to access (even at a premium cost per visit).

If they're not part of the country clubs, they shouldn't be included as amenities of the country clubs in their promotions and advertisements.

Also - how does one get a tee time as a "lifetime member" resident of the Villages, to these Championship golf courses, if one isn't a priority member?

The golf courses do not have memberships like they do in other areas.
But if you do you want to use the pool and the tennis courts you can get priority membership for a fee. You can also add on both the tennis and the pool to your golf priority membership.
Here there is not one price to play unlimited golf on the championships.
We belong to twocountry clubs up north and have to spend a certain amount in the restaurants and do have some greens fees for guests other than that our membership covers our golf and cart if unable to walk or a caddy. It’s a lot different here.

Plus here anyone can play any of the championship courses unlike if you have a membership at a private club elsewhere you must be an invited guest to play.

I understand that, but that wasn't the question/concern.
The country clubs advertise that the pool, spas, and tennis are part of the club. Either you're a member of the club, and entitled to using those things that are "part of the club" or you're not. They shouldn't be having it both ways.

I shouldn't have to pay for membership to a club I'm already a member of. These are membership fees, not useage fees.

In other words - I should be permitted to visit the pool, because I am a member of a club that has a pool. Perhaps as a non-priority member I'm only allowed to visit in the mornings during the weekdays, and after 6pm on weekend evenings. Or perhaps if I want to visit the pool, I'd have to pay a $1 locker fee each time I go, because I'm not a priority member.

But as a member, I should be permitted to use an amenity of the club, EVEN if I have to pay per visit. I shouldn't have to pay a whole year's membership fee for the club, since I'm already a member.

Come on. There are members and there are priority members. Two levels of membership with two levels of access. Certainly not a new concept. And, anyone can get a tee time. Continue reading the Golfthevillages to learn how.

Unless you have priority membership you cannot use the pools or tennis. However with priority your guests can use those pools also. It’s been the same rules since we bought in 2010. The ability To play in the championships, use the pro shop and restaurant, is your FREE membership.
Priority tee times priority pool and priority tennis is at a price.

I discovered that the tennis courts allow ALL members, whether or not they're priority members, to use the tennis courts. But non-priority members have to pay a fee per use. This makes sense, and I agree with that.

I guess it's the pools that don't make sense to me at all. Especially if you go to the fee schedule and discover you have to pay almost $1,000 per year, per couple, to be priority members of all the clubs, but the second person of the couple can't use the pools without paying an additional $200.

Here is the "real" story. As you indicated, the web site says: As a Villager you’ll enjoy free membership to any of The Villages Golf & Country Clubs for life! Enjoy the challenge of a championship course with 12 distinctive country clubs located throughout The Villages. As a resident, you’re automatically a member meaning you can enjoy the game, unique dining experience, pro shops and more at every golf and country club!

But that really is just a marketing slogan to get you to buy a house here in The Villages. What it really means is that you can go to any country club and have dinner and drinks in the restaurant. It also means that just like a public golf course, you can play there when you pay your green fees. And since anybody, resident or not, can eat in one of the country club restaurants and play golf at the Championship course if they pay the green fee, it really isn't as exclusive as it sounds.

Now, if you want to use some of the other things that are at the Country Clubs, like the swimming pool and tennis (where available), you have to buy a priority membership. Sort of like joining a country club at other communities, and definitely NOT free for life. That also gets you a discount on the Championship green fees and gives you more options for making tee times.

And the web site marketing wording says if you buy a home here in The Villages, "Free Golf for Life". And while the residents are not charged a green fee at the Executive golf courses, there is a "trail fee" for every person riding in a golf cart. There is no "trail fee" if you walk so, I guess, there is "Free Golf for Life" but most ride in their own carts and pay the trail fee.

Bottom line is "don't believe everything you read". We can all remember great slogans for products and services, and Marketing is always trying to convince people that their product is the best.

I know nothing about any of this. However, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Some may think it's only semantics and that you are possibly "dancing on the head of a pin" but if your facts, as stated are correct, I think you are justified in your position.

Of course since I am a person who loathes the "10 items or less" signs in most supermarkets (applause to Publix's use of "10 items or fewer"), take it from where it comes. LOL

Signed,

An occasional pin-head dancer.

PS

Sometimes it is the small details that count as in the example whereby the lack of capitalization of just two letters dramatically changes the meaning of a sentence:

Helping your Uncle Jack off a horse. vs
Helping your uncle jack off a horse.

Ms BK001! Lol.

The underlined above, is pretty much it...in a nutshell. :shrug:

Yes, my koala eats shoots and leaves too.

I'd love to dance with you on that pinhead!

I couldn't help myself, the devil made me do it.

Never heard that one -- very good.

Ok I'll start a thread. Please repost this.

First time in 17 years that I have heard there was an issue.
Why now?

PEOPLE...............Don't fall for it.

In another world where many Villagers used to live.....
 

Priority Membership is a money grab for the powers that be running the Championship Golf Courses. It is discrimination against part time residents since there is no way the membership cost can be cost beneficial if you are not year round golfers. I get it that no one would bother to get the priority membership during the summer since the courses are not busy, but to make the membership only work for those who are at the Villages full time makes it very difficult for part time residents to get decent t-times during the busy season. How about making the membership available on a monthly basis like the way one can sign up for the t-time system on the Villages.Net?????

I hadn't even thought of that. They have seasonal rates for greens fees, maybe they could have seasonal rates for priority membership too. If you want to use the country club pools during peak season (snowbird season) you pay $130 for that season. If you want it only off-season (summer) you only pay $80 for the off-season. If you want it year-round you'd pay the yearly rate of $200.

As I said, tennis already has "per visit" rates, so it looks like it's only the pool that is absolutely not allowed without a full year membership, regardless of how many or few months you actually reside in the Villages.

It'd be really awesome though if they allowed a per-visit usage fee for the country club pools, for homeowners of the Villages. I'd just absolutely love to check out the one in Orange Blossom, and I will be living there permanently full-time in just a couple of months (we already own the home and have started moving in). My husband can get tee-times there (not free, I was on a roll, yes I know there's a fee to play golf at the country clubs), we can play tennis in Hacienda for a fee if we want (we don't play tennis), we can eat at the restaurant, park in the parking lot, attend the tournaments and other events even if we can't participate in them, but if I want to go for a swim I have to PASS that pool, in order to get to the next-closest pool to my house because I'm not allowed to swim in that one.

It just doesn't make much sense to me. Sort of like a bait and switch from a marketing standpoint, if you use their promotional brochures, videos, and website as your example of what to expect if you buy in the Villages.

The rules and regulations for priority membership seem to work for about 125,000 people so far.

:boom::beer3::agree::thumbup:

Actually I don't think you know that at all. Ask all the snowbirds who own homes in the Villages if those priority membership rules and regs work for them. I would be surprised if you found the majority agreed with you.

Priority memberships for golf can be purchased for 6 months. You can purchase priority poll membership for $260 for 2 people for the year.

Your complaint is nothing new - it is what it is - sign up, don’t sign up, deal with it!

If offering priority memberships to the country clubs is a complaint, then we truly live in a great place.

Please stop confusing the issue with facts.:ohdear:

Does it say anywhere that these are exclusive country clubs? You do get free golf, just not free if you choose to ride in your cart then you pay for that privilege to ride, no different than a toll road, you have a choice. Just walk and you can play for free. If you do not research before you purchase here, who is at fault? Priority membership gets you priority, can get full year or half or not at all. You can still play, you just accept price and time as they are set. If you do not like prices or rules because you are only here part time then move here full time. Your choice and you again should have done your homework before you bought here.

Yes, we need fresh thinking fresh ideas. Otherwise, things can never get better.

Wait a minute , I don't golf, or play tennis, but i do swim, so I cant use the pool . When I went in the Villages trolley ride from the sales Department , the old guy never mentioned anything about having to pay for a swimming pool. Nor did he mention that the *developer ignores the condemned sinkhole homes in District 4, and the DRY LAKES in Districts*2 and 4.*

:boom: We have a BINGO! :ho:

I bet you haven't polled all of the snowbirds either. But those of us who have lived here for more than a dozen years have talked to hundreds of people because it IS a friendly place.

As a new Villager, who has spent only three or four weeks here, you really have not given yourself time to see that it works very well. Most new golfers don't want to spend five hours to play eighteen holes of golf so the nine hole courses with your choice of level of difficulty is a good thing and they are free if you walk and four bucks if you drive your golf cart. I think there are 70 free pools that come with ownership here. We learn that driving some ways here is entertainment in itself, and don't think much of going to far away golf courses to play so "driving by a pool you have to pay for doesn't really seem like a big problem to me.

Most golf courses in the "real world" charge for people to just ride along to watch and that is free here. And trail fees are much more than four bucks in that other life outside this lovely place.

You're confusing executive golf, free if you walk, $4 if you ride in your cart, free with a annual trail fee of about $150. The Country Clubs are never free, even if you walk. Currently the non-priority resident green fees at most courses is $34, whether you walk or ride. A priority membership would discount that fee about $10 and you would get priority on your teetime requests and would include your trail fee on the executive courses, that's what it does for you.

You probably have 2 or 3 pools within a half a mile of your home that are free. I live just off St. Charles near Southern Star and I have St. James and Tamarind Grove Neighborhood pools and Sterling Hgts Rec Center Pool, all within a 5 minute cart ride and they're free.

As an X-Snow, hell yes Priority Membership work for me. Six month membership paid for itself. The math is easy.

I sometimes wonder if local non-Villagers realize that the country club restaurants aren't restricted to residents. I only eat at them maybe once a month but have never seen a group in their 20s-30s or a young family. Villagers with their adult children, sure, but not young folks by themselves.

But I almost exclusively eat there for lunch or brunch, so perhaps it's different at dinner service?

People who feel deceived after they purchased obviously did not perform due diligence prior to buying. We visited for one day, then spent several months researching The Villages on the internet (including reading Talk of The Villages), and finally rented for one entire month so that we would know everything that was important for us in making a decision to buy or not buy here. I never understood how anyone can come here for one Lifestyle Preview visit for just a few days and learn all they need to learn in order to make a well educated decision about buying here and moving here. We knew about bonds, access to medical care, pre-owned versus new construction, club activities that interested us, the free swimming pools of which there are many, golf carts, retail stores, restaurants, country clubs, trail fees, priority golf, timelines from deposit to closing for purchasing a spec home versus designing a new construction, access to an auto dealership for our auto, landscaping, restrictions and covenants, property taxes, utilities, annual maintenance fees, insurance, guest passes, climate, and much more. Nothing has surprised us since we moved here other than how so many people believe rules/laws do not apply to themselves and how fast the developer keeps finding new areas in which to build.