Mikey Lee
 

With all the comments about the lack of Executive golf south of 44 why didn't they build an Executive course instead of pitch-n-putt and putt-n-play at Mickey Lee

Good question. Why did they build Richmond Pitch & Putt instead of an executive?

Because they don't read ToTV?? :loco:

Because the planning phase was completed 10 years ago??? :oops:

Or, why are all of the Pitch & Putts newly built & why are the 4 putting courses newly built?

That way, the Villages can claim that they have 108 more golf holes!

Why was their 10 year planning so much better in previous years?

Golf participation was declining 10, 15 years ago for the first time in 20, 25 years.

Their trying to draw the poor players away from the real courses ;-)

An executive or championship course do me no good. I love the pitch and putt and you should too, they keep me off the real courses. Imagine having a hack in front of you slowing you down, dropping beer cans and peeing in the bushes. We need a few more pitch and pick putts and a few less executive/ championship courses.

Hopefully the decision makers got the message loud and clear when Silver Lake was renovated. A resident survey was taken to determine 1) Renovate the existing course and keep it an Executive. 2) Convert it to a newly renovated/built pitch and put.

The results showed an overwhelming desire among residents to keep it as an Executive course, in an area with no pitch and puts. It appeared obvious that a conversion to a pitch and put was favored by the decision makers, but they yielded to the residents overwhelming sentiment. Unfortunately, residents desires don't appear to be requested/considered when planning new golf build out plans in the southern area.

Whoever was in charge of the planning phase 10 years ago appears to have gotten it wrong, at least from the perspective of golfing residents.

Because you can build more houses on the available land and still claim "golf course views".

It is true that, nationwide, total participation in golf started decreasing about 15-20 years ago. However, most of the decline was with millennials and the two biggest factors were that golf took too much time and that it was too expensive.

The Villages is unique in that most people are retired so time is not a factor and since golf is free for life, cost is not a factor. Therefore, the two biggest factors don’t apply here.

In addition, the Villages is one of the fastest growing areas of the country.

If you had a normal sized city with average population growth, you would have been wise not to add additional golf courses in the past 15-20 years as they would be underutilized today.

But the Villages is unlike the rest of the country.

And if you advertised yourself as the golf capital of the world and one of your top marketing features was “free golf for life,” and you were the fastest growing area in the country, you would want to build more courses to keep up with demand and population growth.

"Who pays the piper, calls the tune!"

Be thankful for the pitch and putts....you don't want many of us who play them to be clogging up play on executives if they didn't exist. And for people moving to The Villages who have never played golf, they are the perfect introduction to the game.

The best thing about Pitch and Putt is the fact that they are walked. More golfers should give them a try, especially those who get little or no exercise. A fun healthy activity in our retirement years is a good thing.