No tee times
 

I know the birds are back but it seems awful strange to me when I look at open tee times the day before I want to golf, about 99% of the courses have nothing available until 5:30 or later. I think I heard that the villages saves tee time for LSV's? It kind of strikes me odd that we who live here all year get short changed in the winter. It seems that the villages really puts on the dog for the returning snow birds and we get the left overs. The courses are in very nice shape now compared to this summer. Maybe they thrive in the winter with the cooler temps. Anyhow, I'm disappointed that I will probably only be able to play golf 1-2 times a week now. I think its time to go off campus. I still love it here!!

Try looking 3 days early and or put a request in up to 7 days early.

money talks
 

The possibility of huge profits from lifestyle visits pushes all of us to the back burner They have already gotten our money

Not true. Very few t-times are set aside for LSV's. This time of year, your points come into play a lot more. Even among the full time residents, a lot more play as it gets cooler. Make a request 4 to 7 days out, put in a 4-5 hour time spread, and list at least 6 - 8 courses, and you can play just about every day. Also keep in mind course closures for overseeding, and do not include those courses on your list.

There are NO tee times reserved for the returning "season" villagers. It's a rumor and only a rumor. If you want a tee time you have to be willing to travel a bit further for a round and be more flexible with the approximate tee time you want.

It only appears they get preferential treatment because the prime tee times are filling up faster....so save your conspiracy theories for something else....points only last 7 days and then it's back to zero.

Please explain what this means?

Welcome to the real world of golf in TV.

z

As our seasonal residents return, tee time availability within 24 hours is going to be hit or miss, especially if you're looking for room for a foursome. If you don't make a request/reservation, you need to look three days out for your best chance of finding room.

There is no way TV is doing something special to make it easier for seasonal residents to get tee times over full time residents. The primary factor may be that these returning golfers have no points, so those playing multiple times per week wind up with lower priority for times. Think about that man profiled in the paper at the opening of Mangrove and Sweetgum who plays every exec course every month. He must have a lot of points, so he has to seek out open times on the computer in order to play that much. If you want to play a lot during the high season, that's the way to go. But be sure to get those times as soon as they open three days out.

Take the classes offered in the paper. No reason you should not be able to golf. Just learn how the system works and you will be OK

Very difficult to look at the next day and expect to see openings. More likely to get a tee time by making a request.
No need to take any classes.

The Villages should by now know what the population to golf course ratio ought to be. In the past prime time meant that some people went without. this is still occurring. The golf admin people especially the tee time office ought to have an answer as to why some folks are not accommodated. perhaps those ought to contact the Tee Time office to determine why. I'll wager 999 out of 1000 times it because of the golfer

During this time of year I restrict my golf tee times and also play off campus. In fact off campus is becoming sort of the norm for many people

That's what we do and we always get a t-time. We find that the northern courses usually have availability too.

I would also love to know what this means :confused:

I'm glad the birds are back.The rec trails look a lot cleaner.
Thanks birds for cleaning up after the frogs

We ALWAYS put in several days ahead. Only in the summer do you have the luxury of booking a tee time the day before.

HOW would it benefit the developer to put on the dog for snowbirds?

Don't forget the snowbirds don't really worry about the cost of golf on the championship courses. Our group of about 25 - 30 families come down and play mostly off campus. Most of us book a week in advance and hope we get something. It is what it is.

Wow listen to the negative drum beat when someone who waits till the last minute and does not get their druthers!

Doing it the recommended way of three days ahead and there is no problem getting a tee time.
And the last couple of weeks we have been able to get a tee time a couple of days out and a couple day before attempts that got us mid afternoon times.

No complaints about getting a tee time in 10" years.
Of course it is busier this time of year and the developer has pretty much figured the ratio right.

Let's work on promoting ready golf and fixing ball marks on the greens if we really want to see some improvement.

btk

tee times
 

Thanks you billethkid. I also have been here 10 and never had a problem with tee times any time of year.

Me too.

Snowbirds pay the ammenity fee every month, even though they are not here. Then when they arrive is it too much to expect them to be on a level footing with everyone else?

Too much blaming of the Snowbirds, next we will be hearing they are accountable for bad weather and the lovebugs!!!!

Better course conditions
 

From what I see golfing on the courses in the past week they are putting new sand in the sand traps as opposed to the concrete like sand we have been playing in.....they seem to be grooming the courses more than they did in the summer, watering every day to make sure the greens are pretty. It just didn't seem like they paid that much attention to detail in the summer. The courses seem to be in better shape. Just my observation.

It rains every day in the summer.

Every fall they have to begin the process to overseed the courses because the bermuda will go dormant when soil temps get below 50. The overseed needs to be done when temperatures enable germination. During that process, they need to increase watering just like you would do with a newly seeded lawn. They also need to eliminate some starting times so they can water during the day. They will close the courses while they do the overseed and that gives them the opportunity to do other work at the same time without disrupting normal play. This year they are re-doing many sand traps especially because the heavy rains this summer resulted in compacting them.

I must disagree with your assessment that they didn't pay much attention during the summer. I submit reports on executive courses to golf administration during the year. My report in April was positive, but I was disappointed at the conditions in July. My report in October was very positive. That only happens when the contractors are paying a lot of attention to the courses. They were hampered by the rains, yet course conditions improved markedly.

There is no comspiracy, no favoritism.

So, you don't want them to be in better shape? I would be thankful that they are being improved.

I doubt very much that there is a conspiracy, time to put it to rest.

Great explanation Mike, you obviously are on top of things

All the attention and watering being given to the courses right now is because of the over seeding with rye grass. Not because the snowbirds are coming back.......................

Happinow, the grooming and watering of the golf courses have been explained, hopefully to your satisfaction.

However I still don't understand your statements:

"We who live here all year get shortchanged in the winter".
"We get the leftovers".

Could you please clarify exactly what you mean? I'm concerned because if all Frogs feel this way about Snowbirds, we deserve to know why. Is it something we can personally fix? Is it some problem that you see in the Golf Booking System? Please explain.

I don't think that's gonna happen, Bare. I think that statement was something Happinow threw out there without thinking it through. The lack of response from her, to me, indicates that maybe she thinks that might not have been an accurate statement.

So we should just let it go, maybe. At least I am, but then I'm not a golfer! Shame, I know.:faint:

You are coming back soon, right? November? welcome back, snowbird.

I guess perhaps I'm taking it personally. And I want to understand it, because I am a Snowbird and I am a golfer. And Snowbirds pay amenities happily 12 months a year in order to use the golf course for six months. So when Frogs complain about Snowbirds, I'm gob smacked!

I'll see you mid November, either at Crispers or at the Dog Park! Or perhaps Doug and Pammy will arrange a happy hour party.

Golf
 

Better to take classes and learn the proper way than to go by heresay

Its not that difficult. All explained in great detail here:
http://www.golfthevillages.com/golf-...heVillages.pdf

And I certainly don't agree with the statement and am not trying to defend. We were snowbirds too for a couple of years.

It would help if peeps took a good, long look at what they're about to post in order to avoid offending.

30+ courses to play and we all pay. We are all very lucky!

The next Happy Hour will be in two weeks. It will be Karaoke. Stay tuned for more info.

What if I can't hold a note in a paper bag? I'm real good at happy houring:, though. :beer3: (Whoops... off topic.)