Long time TV Residents & Golf
 

So I have a question.

Having been in the golf course business, I'm baffled by The Villages approach to golf course maintenance.

Two of the biggest problems facing golf course managers all over the world, is the cost of equipment and the difficulty of staffing (the other is weather).

Because in much of the world, golf is "seasonal", it's difficult and costly to maintain staff, particularly when you have to layoff 75% of your staff, during the off season. The Villages does not face this dilemma.

Because the golf courses are so localized, a 1st Class General Superintendent (read that as highly paid) can probably manage a staff of 8-10 "local superintendents".

The cost of equipment to maintain a golf course, is a big deal. Should a course buy its own "rolling equipment", even if it's only going to be used a dozen time per year? Should a course buy its own Aeration equipment, both hollow-tine & deep, when a course is only going to be aerated twice a year? How many Power Rakes can we justify? How large of a "sod farm" should we have?

With over 50 Executive Golf courses to be maintained, The Villages could use that equipment, 365 days/year.

The same theory goes for heavy-equipment, given The Villages always seems to be renovating 4-6 courses.

So my question is, has The Villages ever managed their own golf maintenance and/or renovation projects? If not, why not? The "economies of scale", seem to dictate that approach, does it not?

Just a window from the outside looking in, but it seems that The Villages golf operations could be much more efficient, productive and professional, if it were all centralized, under professional leadership and direction. Am I missing something?

I am sure you are retired, but you sound like you have very valid points, perhaps you could try contacting property maintenance and having a discussion with them, maybe offer your services for a short time.

The Villages does not maintain over 50 Executive courses.

:rolleyes: YES ......... And thanks for asking. :ho:

My guess would be that they are in the “Land Development / Home Building” business and not the golf course maintenance business. They contract out all their maintenance ; landscaping, mowing, ponds, water, etc.,

This way they also don’t have to worry about providing health / retirement benefits to all the extra staff.

They also don’t have to worry about lawsuits should anything go wrong.

I'm using the words "The Villages", in the vernacular & as for the number, I keep reading different #'s. 50 is a close enough approximation of the number of golf courses in TV, isn't? I can do some research and may come up with the exact number?

I don't think my point changes, if it's 38 or 43, does it?

There's a letter to Rickey Craig on my computer, I've revised at least 10 times, but still haven't sent it. I've met Rickey once and he seems like a good guy and from my short conversation with him, competent. I've never met the guy who's in charge of the Executive Courses. I'm sure they'd probably offer me a job as an Ambassador ... which means I won't live to 72, someone will shoot me.

I'm mostly retired, but bored to death ... which puts me on TOTV more than I should be.

The course I belonged to up north rolled greens at least four times a week. They were quite fast. The Super would post the putting green speed daily prior to tournaments; always above 11, and usually higher.

With currently 41 executive courses, 3 pitch & putt and 4 putting, I'd say you're pretty close!

No issue with your wrong number of courses, just including the number you stated.

"vernacular"???:
a) the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
b) using the form of a language that a particular group of speakers use naturally, especially in informal situations

Do you mean you are using the words "The Villages" more generically???....including the Districts??

The Villages is a land development company..........develop & sell.
Mowing & fertilizing are not core businesses.
When profitable / efficient, they sell off non-core functions (CDD's, water treatment, etc.).
I think that's what you are missing.........it's not centralized, hasn't been "forever" and is not what a land development company focuses on.

:ho:

How can you be bored here? No hobbies or interests or expanding experiences?

Husband plays four times a week, 18 holes, doesn't come home complaining. He is 83. Most people know that the golf here is different than what we have left.......and so are we, mostly. This is a hugely successful development here, golf and all. If it ain't broke, why fix it???

The developer should follow in a common theme they go by and create their own golf maintenance company. They could take advantage of the huge economies of scale involved in owning specialized equipment that might only be used once a month on each course.

I honestly don't know how some of the smaller muni courses up north can maintain fairly good conditions just using a small team of seasonal golf maintenance workers and limited equipment.

Call him and see if he'll take a 50% pay cut & come work here in The Villages!

When I used the words "The Villages", I was meaning the CDD's & all the other entities involved with golf in The Villages (but you already know what I meant). Folks in The Villages seem to lump the entities all together, so I used "vernacular" ... it's such a good word.

"Generically" probably would have worked as well and maybe even better. If you prefer, the next time I lump them all together, I'll use "generic", so you don't have waste your valuable time, looking words up in a dictionary.

I still haven't figured out all the various entities involved and probably never will. I know that Staff at the Championship Golf Courses (that the "Developer" owns), are now employees of some other entity. One of the CDD's, I think? I don't really understand how all that works, but it's been going on since November.

The point is, there are somewhere approaching 50-60 golf courses, all managed and/or owned by different, but related entities. Seems that there should be some economy of scale to be had.