OPINION: Living ON a golf course, water, or nature?
 

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

I love golf, but living on a course is not for me. Let's see, pay a premium to have no privacy from sunrise to sunset, get woken up early by lawn mowers and weed wackers, and risk having the club house torn down and replaced with a multi story high density apartment complex. After what happened at Hacienda Hills, anyone would be crazy to pay a premium to live on a golf course.

We abut a nature preserve and love it, it can never be developed, it gives us great privacy, and the sounds and sights of the wildlife are great. The bugs are only bad right around sunset to a little while after dusk and the only critters that concern me are snakes. We have seen gators, bobcats, fox, and just about every type of bird you can imagine. We love the spring when the frogs are chirping and as a bonus the sunsets are spectacular.

Golf course life
 

We live on a golf course (3rd hole of Fox Run/Glenview) and yes, they mow early in the morning. Never bothers me because I’m a sound sleeper. Never bothers my hubby because he’s any early riser. That said, we moved here from Ft. Lauderdale where we lived on a small lake, so we weren’t used to having anything/anyone behind us. We love living on the course, and are glad we chose it over a water view.

We lived on a golf course for 13 years and never again, if you are near the cart path, or God help you a tee box, there is no privacy whatsoever and very noisy. We have now lived on a lake/pond for 3-1/2 years and it is totally peaceful and relaxing, no bug problem, have only seen one snake since moving here, have one resident gator that doesn't bother anyone. You know my answer.

We live on Bogart #4 and love it. The view is great. Sunsets beautiful. I have seen the headights from the mowing equipment but have never heard any noise at all. I don't like snakes of any kind. I was told by a landscaper that I should stay away from water and oak trees. I also have a dog so I we didn't want to take any chances and live around water.

Have lived on golf course for 12 years. It is a championship course, so it is not as busy as an executive course. The golf cart trail is 12 feet from my lanai screen. My house is on the left side of the fairway so we don’t get many balls close to the house.

I love living on the course! Nothing about it bothers me. The players seem so rushed and quiet, and I don’t sleep with windows or doors open, so I don’t hear the maintenance crews.

If you have a water view, it may change at different times of the year, or may just become an area with a lot of growth.

No doubt someone will say that my golf course can be changed by the developer (think Hacienda) but where I live should be safe for many years to come.

I love the fact that there is activity in my back yard. The carts and players are nice to watch. Lots of life! Sitting on the lanai by the pool and golf course is like being on vacation every day.

Most water lots in TV are nothing more than drainage ponds. The water level vary drastically. When water levels go low aquatic weeds go wild and you are now looking at a marsh. Do your homework here and talk to neighbors before a purchase offer. Golf course lots are an easy formula. For the most part your view is protected - most likely it will remain a golf course and not another neighborhood (putting this apartment debacle issue aside for a moment). The don'ts of a golf course lot are:
1 - not on a tee unless you like listening to swearing
2 - not adjacent to the cart path
3 - not on the right side of a hole unless more than 300 yards from the tees.
4 - If you are a late sleeper golf course lots are not for you.

We live on water and it is simply heaven.

The birds that we see are so relaxing.
Yes we have a gator but this is Florida.

Like my Son says every time he visits,
“ this view never gets old.” ☺️

I think what is important is the view should have some action.

Some nature views are pretty inactive the same also applies to golf views.

Have you considered that you can get two out of three. Nature with water or golf with water?

We went with golf and water away from the tee on the fairway 50 yards from the path. 120 feet of frontage makes for a nice panorama. It is common to see birds, golfers and a gator all at once

Water view................no guarantee water will be there tomorrow.

No crocs here, they need brackish or salt water. There are plenty of alligators.

We chose a lot with a pond connected to Evan's Prairie. We love it. We constantly see birds and bird arguments. A few turtles and snakes . Some kind of mammal comes and night and feeds on clams and other shells. We think it is a racoon. Alligators come and go regularly, but have never bothered us.

Since we are connected to the Prairie, I don't worry about losing water. We'd be in a heap o trouble if the Prairie went dry.

We were not attracted to a golf course lot, because we don't like early morning mowing, and the potential for people to constantly be near your house.

P.S. No bug problem at all.

Very true, but let's not forget, Country Club view..................., no guarantee that will be there tomorrow either.

All have pluses and minuses
 

We live on a champion golf course. Our home is set back so there is no cart path real close.....probably about 30 feet. We just love our location. Once in a while at about 8:00 am or so I hear them empty the metal trash cans on the tee but that’s about it. We have an inroom air conditioner going so we don’t hear much...if anything, so noise is not a problem for us. What we like is having nobody behind us, the beautiful sunset that occurs over the golf course, we love that we get to watch people tee off and hear them laugh (and of course a few choice words when the shot goes a foul) sometimes we yell a friendly hello when people are looking our way. They wave, we wave back. I like having people around and the golfers, for us, are part of what The Villages are all about. I think living on an executive course may be a lot different with the amount of golfers on them every day. I would not choose to live on an executive course. I agree about the bugs near water. When we were looking a homes when we first moved here, we looked homes on the water and all of them Had an enormous amount of bugs on their lanai screens. We knew then that water was not for us. Best of luck with your search. Everyone’s needs and desires are different. Do what’s right for you!

Have a water view and no problem with bugs, critters or lack of water. They use bubble aeration at least south of 44 to keep the water clear of alge. Plenty of nature to watch and sunset view is amazing.

Try looking for a house between two streets. I love it, no traffic after 9 at night ( it is a retirement community) and you and your dogs can watch the people go by during the day.

Thanks. She was a hoot.

If you choose a golf course home, please embrace the golfers, when their ball comes into your yard, and not getting made at holfers or putting up no trespassing signs. Never understood why owners on holf courses get mad at golfers. What did thet expect?

I have a house for sale 230770 on the Villages site. It is water view and corner cul de sac. Has great privacy and a wonderful view and I played with my 2 dogs in the cul de sac side as well as put their wading pool out there. Can throw a ball and play. Not buggy , no issue with critters, great neighbors. Sounds like exactly what you are looking for. Close to pool and mailboxes. Ready to move in

I LOVE my waterview with gorgeous sunrises. What an awesome way to greet the day! It's a perfect size lake where I can see the houses all around which makes me feel part of a community, yet far enough that I don't feel we are checking each other out. I haven't seen any alligators in it yet, but LOTS of beautiful birds, ducks, turtles and jumping fish. Total delight.

I have lived on a championship course with water view for 20 years now; the Talley Ho course,
and even after 20 years I have never gotten tired of the beautiful view. Championship courses are not crowded with players like executive courses. They seem to mow on days the course is closed and around 9 or 10 a.m. so that's not a problem. The golfers are great, often waving and saying hello if I'm outside. Rarely hear swearing, no more or less bugs than anywhere else in the Villages. My lot will never have apartments near, too many lakes, no room for a street or houses or apartments. I think most who say they would never live on a golf course can't afford a championship course. You'll see that they seldom come up for resale. People love living on championship courses because of their privacy. I wouldn't buy next to the club house because that's not the view I want, wouldn't buy next to or near a community center either, again, not the view I want. Definitely consider buying on a championship course, 20 years from now you'll still be happy you did.

I live on a championship course with the most glorious sunsets. But there are golfers, because, it is a golf course. Most are good but the rare few are just plain stupid. They know better than to go on private property but do it anyway. It has nothing to do with living there, they just can disregard the rules. No golf cart trail, which makes a significant difference. Do not live near a pickle ball court! They start before dawn and go all day, so unless you like the sound of “ping ping ping,” I would stay away. The prairies and large bodies of water are very nice with wildlife but a little buggy. Small ponds can dry up and your water view can disappear. So, like everything, everything has it pro and cons, you have to decide what you can live with. One thing is certain, a premium lot is a definite advantage.

I live on a championship golf course and the cart path is far away from my house. My house is in the very back of my neighborhood and it’s very quiet. There is a big difference between championships and executives. Even if someone started out at 7 am it would take them hours to get to the hole I’m on so no issue with that. I love watching the sandhill cranes and other birds walk by everyday. Also the championship courses have much fewer people on them. Many days I see no one in summer. Once in a great while I’ll hear someone mowing. I would never switch to an executive course and I love the oak trees but wouldn’t want those around my house for many reasons. From safety to mess to small dogs getting attacked. Sons dog got scooped up and killed by an owl. Hope that helps.

What sold us on our home was the conservation area across the back, no homes behind us at all.nice and private and what a view of lots of plants, flowers and the other side of the area is all big oak trees. We feel like we live in the country! We have no problem with bugs, sometimes the frogs get a little loud ;) we get lots of visits by all kinds of birds, even the cranes come sometimes. We don't have pets but do have grands that visit so a water view would be out because of the gators! We turned down a home that was on the golf course because of the lack of privacy.

Benefits of Living by a Nature Preserve
 

Our house backs up to a Nature Preserve and we love it. We have no problems with alligators or bugs, although a shy tortoise occasionally visits our yard. We love the privacy and enjoy seeing different birds, including Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Sandhill Cranes that visit the preserve.

We lived on a golf course for 7 years. we even had a golf club lodged in the upper branches of a tree on our property for a while! Yes, the machinery noise starts around 5am...but over time I trained myself to immediately go back to sleep....so that was not the reason I will never live on a golf course again. People don’t think about the fact that they spray pesticides three or four times a year. And during those days, for a day or two, I couldn’t go in my backyard. I felt like my throat was closing/or had a slight sore throat. Pesticides may not hurt the golfer while they’re on the course for a couple of hours but breathing that for 24 to 36 hours is definitely not good for you.

Oops...almost forgot: 2 dents in the siding & 1 broken patio light fixture from wayward golf balls. The light fixture golfer owned up .....the dent-ers did not.

We love living on the golf course. Our lanai has a cage so no bugs. Alligators are in every pond in the villages. If they’re not there, they will be. Get used to it. Walking your dog on the golf course is prohibited and enforced.

And we have alligators not crocodiles. You should know the difference.

Ohiobuckeye
 

What you want, be prepared to spend a lot more money to live by a pond, lake or wildlife area! You’ll pay 75 to at least $100,000. more to get what you want. I know someone will answer this & tell me I’m way off, so price another home yourself. You will pay a lot more for what you’re asking for. Then again money might not be an issue for you!

Not sure just how much space you want between houses. We purchased at the end of a cul de sac on a pie shape lot
and I feel we have adequate space between houses.

Our first house was a villa with a west facing view of a golf course with a pond. The villa had a picket fence which was great for our two dogs. Just let them out, they do their thing, you pick up the poop once a day. The garage was the only down-side so we moved to a larger house with a west facing view of a golf course and a bigger pond. Now, I have to walk the dogs twice a day, and pick up the poop.
I am blessed to be able to pay the $100,000 premium for the view. If you can afford it, definitely go for it. Here are some hints:
1. Don't worry about gators or bugs. Bugs (on a golf course) are not a problem. You have to keep your dog on a leash at all times anyway. Just stay away from the haters. They will not attack you.
2. I am typing this sitting on my patio with my coffee and the morning paper. The third tee of Pensacola is about 20 yards from where I sit. If I notice the carts driving up and the golfers teeing off at all, I am only curious how many of them can hit across the water. The golfers don't bother me. They are a form of entertainment.
3. Get a west-facing view. Sunsets are spectacular.

a Few comments
1)We live on a nature corridor that is essentially a canal. While it is a drain basin for the storm run off and the water level does go up and down, it is never completely dry. The powers that be seem to manage the water level so that during hurricanes, it doesn't flood nor does it go completely dry in other times. We have hawks, osprey, kingfishers, egrets, great blue herons, little blue herons, tricolored herons, wood storks, blue birds, occasional white pelican, alligators and even saw a river otter once. Bottom line is we love it.
2) We only have mosquitoes once in a great while - must spray for those at night.
3) The back of our house has a plank fencing with some wire at the bottom to discourage the gators. Everything around it is grass.
4) We did pay a premium and with today's prices you are looking at least $100,000 over an inside lot.
5) Being a golfer, I have "read" about folks slicing the ball into houses. Would stay away from the right side of fairways and probably away from the executive courses.
6) We don't usually let our dog off the leash. We do walk around our village and go to park areas near us for our pooch.
7) Space between houses is usually pretty small though you can buy places with more land. These will also have higher bonds as well. While I wanted a 100 acres of land when I was young, today I am happy with 100 sq. ft of lawn. Okay, Okay, it is a bit more than that but you get the idea. Good luck and have fun in your search!

Mowers on the golf courses are not very loud. Very easy to sleep through.

We have lived in two houses here in The Villages. Both have been on golf courses with ponds and a slight street view. The thing we love about our house the most is sitting on the lanai and watching golfers enjoying their day as well as the wonderful view and wildlife. It's even fun to see the groups of bikers who go by on the nearby street. I know I would not be happy looking at another persons house. The extra money spent on the view lot was an investment in ourselves which we or our children will get back someday.

Don’t buy. Go somewhere that you own your house with no bond or a neighbor behind you and you can life in freedom

We have backed up to a horse pasture for 10 years and the lanai faces east. Horses better neighbors than golfers. Sometimes smells like a horse but no big deal. Prefer an north or east facing lanai to avoid the heat. Two drawbacks are it could be developed someday and an occasional critter.

I live on a course that also has water in my view.....exactly what we wanted. We have lived on a course in the past also. To answer your questions.....The animals are present where ever you live....the bobcats and coyotes come out at night and roam. The alligators will stay in the water and away from you except during mating season, then they protect. If a small dog/cat is near the water edge, risk of being grabbed by the alligator is high. The bad snakes are in or near the water and generally run from any advances. The bugs come from aqua positions but the areas also get sprayed at night. Wooded areas near water will contain more bugs. As for golf course noise, cutting is done beginning before sunrise on the greens....starting on #1. The cutters are fairly quite but can be heard if you live on the green. After 7:30, the lawn cutting noise is far more abundant. We live on a tee box and seldom hear any loud out bursts (except occasional hole in one shot celebrations). If you live down a fairway, within 200 yds of the tee, you can expect errant golf balls in your yard. We have never had a window broken....but it does happen once in a while...and is the owner's responsibility. Noise from carts on the cart paths is not a problem, any more than a cart driving down the street in front. I find far more privacy on the golf course than I would if I backed up to another lanai within 30 yards. The only draw back to homes on the courses or water or both, would be the premium you will pay for the view.

Live on a preserve great water and grass view. 2 fences so no alligators or animals. Just birds. Great long view. Beautiful house on the market. 3 bed 2 bath boxwood if interested in seeing view and house please call me. 352 5523799

The Villages has Gators, not Crocs.

We have a lot below 466a with a nice size pond very close behind us with golf on the other side of the pond. We absolutely love it. When we started to look, this type of lot wasn't on our list but when we came across it the view clearly made our decision easy. The water lot wasn't cheap, by any stretch of the imagination, but every day we look at the view and wild life for breakfast and dinner on our Lania we know it was the right decesion. We did 3 years of looking and reasearch before we finally purchased this house. I'll share with you a few notes on what we like about the lot.

Its very enjoyable watching the wildlife. This includes a large variety of birds, ducks, pelicans, eagles, cranes, and yes every once in a while a gator. Yes there is a gator that comes into the pond but not often and they don't really bother us at all. Their arrival makes the day a little more interesting and gives us a little something to talk about. A few of our neighbors have small dogs and the rare gator hasn't been an issue (one actually moved across the street to have the water view)
Our pond is clear and the level is very steady >it doesn't vary much at all (Even durning the last hurricane) Bugs are not a issue. Since the golf course is on the other side of the pond the golfers try real hard to avoid the water and we haven't had a ball on our lot in 7 years. The golf path and T box are on the other side of the pond also and far enough away to not present even a small problem. We enjoy watching the golfers from afar (but close enough to wave to neighbors playing ) and often use the lack of golfers to tell us when we can run over to the starter shack and jump on for 9 holes after an early dinner. Golf course mowing is also not an issue; the grass cutting of our own lawn is more anoying when they decide to do it in the early morning. The golf course has 7 palm trees behind us we don't have to maintain and a cluster of large oak trees on the far side or the pond. Sunsets many evenings are unbelievable!

I work in the yard a lot. I'm on my hands and knees a lot when I work in the yard. I'm not sure I could comfortably work in the yard, on my hands and knees, with my back to the water. But......that's just me.

Do you or would you work in the yard, as I do, with your back to the water? Just wondering.

Pond behind us and did it today for 2 hrs. Easier now that its a bit cooler.