The Best Course in TV
 

Southern Oaks is the Best Course in the Villages. You can't find better greens or Tee boxes in better condition.

If they were giving out $100 bills on the 1st Tee, I wouldn't drive across the street to play it.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion.

A little harsh. It is what it is----a driving range that you eventually putt on.

I thought it was an airport runway....that you putt on to!:1rotfl: (I think I stole that one from Brian!)

The conditions very well might currently be the best in the Villages, but the conditions at most of the other Championship courses are very good this time of the year and have much better layouts. Shallow Creek aside (haven’t played it yet), I’d take the layout at all the other courses, including Orange Blossom, over Southern Oaks.

I love when people agree with me :mademyday:

Has anyone with some knowledge of golf, played Shallow Creek? I'll have to renew my Passport and book a flight to get that far south to play it, but if it's worthwhile, no obstacle is insurmountable.

My men’s golf group of some 15 players with good knowledge of golf played Shallow Creek. It’s not a complicated course. It’s easy to play, very open, not much trouble, zero shade, not very interesting from a technical playing standpoint. Honestly, the courses above 44 are much more interesting to play. If you want easy this is a good course. We noticed if you want a “target” to aim your next shot it was not easy to find one because the course is so open and lacks topography. That said, we play all Village champ courses and will keep it in our rotation.

That's exactly what I've heard. Thanks for the info.

I love the layout of Southern Oaks. The course has some challenging holes and easy holes. Trees and hazards with interesting placements. I particularly like the 3-3-3 configuration because it gives me more chances for birdie and par. However... One of the things I love about golf is the quiet of nature (other than the deleted expletives). That's something Southern Oaks does NOT have. The noise of the turnpike overrides everything. In places, it even makes normal conversation difficult.

Shady Creek and Southern Oaks are both in excellent condition. Played them both last week. I agree that they may not be challenging enough for some, but for us recreational golfers, they are a great choice.

Having not yet played Shallow Creek, I’m trying to interpret the above post. Is It another driving range where you eventually put out like Southern Oaks?

Can't really blame the course designer. The developer strips the land, maximizes the amount of houses, then leaves retention pond drainage for a golf course. The designer can't do much but lay out holes in the area, making for the same bland, boring design elements. Holes that are forgettable as soon as you play them (hopefully!). Overpriced, housing view courses that enable fast play and little thought. Same thing, over and over again as the developer marches south.

In the new TV business model (as opposed to the northern areas), golf courses really only have 2 functions. They're usually part of the drainage system and they provide an opportunity for the Developer to charge a premium, for residents to look at them.

Any real value as a "golf" course, disappeared, once they moved south of Palmer. Mallory Hills and Cane Garden seem to be in the "transitional zone".

That’s very dramatic. I’ve never encountered that issue.

I guess you were present at all the design and planning meetings?

'Dramatic' is an understatement.

...

Nope, didn't have to be.

To anyone who knows anything about golf and real estate development, it's ridiculously obvious.

It's like looking at a mountain and saying, "wow, that's big" and someone responding, "how do you know, you didn't build it". We'll no, but sometimes we can rely on common sense, as well as what we see with our own eyes.

You mean it’s really not an airport runway? My eyes deceive me! :1rotfl:

No. It's nearly a complete small airport, with flags stuck in the ground.

You claim to know the 'TV business model'. Can't tell any intent by looking. Must have been at a meeting.

"Sometimes a duck is just a duck" .... Sigmund Freud

I wear hearing aids so the turnpike noise doesn’t bother me.

I've been married over 42 years...

I can easily tune out annoying, droning noise...

You left off the part of your post that said the reason you can tune these things out is because MrsMintzer made you so much stronger and wiser through her love, strength, and guidance.

Tierra del Sol is far and away the best course in The Villages. Their greens are consistently among the best, if not the best, and the course actually presents a challenge with many tight fairways and some very interesting high risk/reward holes. Most courses in The Villages are simple resort style courses - meaning they don't have a lot of trouble to get into, greens aren't protected, and 95% of the time you can hit your drive way off course and still have a shot at the green. This is not true for Tierra del Sol. Reminds me of an up north course layout.

Shhhh, don’t want it to get too crowded.

So true. That’s the course that should be used on any promotional material. Great staff there as well!

Actually, there’s a 3rd function south of 44 ….. A buffer to the turnpike. It’s a good reason, vs putting up houses along the turnpike walls.

Brian is correct, most of the courses north of 44 are 27 holes. Rounds of golf, after declining, have been increasing at 4 or 5% a year.
I know, plans have been made for years, but golf rounds started increasing 4 or 5 years ago. Southern Oaks could not have been altered, but the courses coming online could have - and that would have meant more golf course lots.

You apparently haven't had the pleasure of dealing with Ernie. Ernie would like to quit I'm told, but his wife won't let him ... then she'll have to put up with him. He's miserable.

TDS is by far the best golf course in TV in my opinion. I'm going to disagree on the staffing. The Pro Shop Staff is ok, especially if the nice lady from New Hampshire is at the desk.

Brett is great, whether he's in the starter shack or being the Ambassador. I've had at least 2 or 3 "incidents" with other staffers there, who don't know anything about golf and/or don't know the Cart Rules currently in place.

& I'd prefer not to have to play 17 into the wind, every time I have a good round going on.

I thought that was implied... :beer3:

Is she from NH? Ok, i’ll definitely say hey next time we play it.

LOL, that hole has ruined a good scoring round a few times for me. I have learned the hard way to play one or two extra clubs than I would typically play for the yardage on that hole. The bottom of the swamp in front of that green must be covered with multiple layers of drowned golf balls.

I haven't hit a fade or slice since 1998, so I have to hit about 4 extra clubs .... the more left you go, the longer that hole gets! I just aim it in the rear bunker. Making 4 is like a Birdie.

Careful
 

Your nose is growing............

WOW! Haven’t been here long

Course Condition
 

I was saying the Southern Oaks has the best Greens, Tee Boxes, and Fairways. They are the best maintained in the Villages. The Crew under the Superintendent management has done a outstanding job.

Fort Walton at Bonifay just reopened so had to play. Keep your ball in the fairway. It appears the rough has been cut longer and you almost have to be standing over your ball to find it.

Shallow Creek is an executive on steroids!

Pardon, but you said was:
"The Best Course in TV
Southern Oaks is the Best Course in the Villages."