First time visitor
 

I will be visiting for the first time beginning the last week of July for two weeks. I am excited to experience all that The Villages has to offer but, after researching the myriad of activities available, that is probably not possible in two weeks time.
In preparation for my visit, I have taken up pickleball. I enjoy water sports and am an occasional golfer but I am not certain that I want to devote four hours to golf for fear of missing out on one or more other activities.
I will be traveling alone and do not know any residents but am certain I will make many new friends.
I would like to know if one facility/venue is preferable to another, for any given activity, from a social/activity perspective for a 70 year old single Male. I have made arrangements to purchase a temporary ID. I will be staying in Sabal Chase. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions that will help me make the best choices during my visit. Thank you. Greg

Several years ago when I was in my late sixties I visited TV alone as a single male and found people quite welcoming. Don’t know if anyone is setting up meet and greets for singles anymore but I found I could speak to people anywhere. Everyone comes from somewhere else and most enjoy making new friends and acquaintances. If you are even a little outgoing you will be all right. Don’t hesitate to ask folks about TV. I found it did not really matter whether one was single or married. At least that was my experience.

If you get to the point at wanting to look at houses try to get an outside Realtor as well as the TV RE agent they will set you up with. My TV agent steered me to new homes. Although he did not openly refuse to show me resales somehow I could never get him to show me any and he knew what I was looking for so I cannot recommend him.

Are you doing a Lifestyles visit?

What's your goal?

Will you have a golf car?

I'd break it up an plan a few days in the area's around each square. The Trolly tours are a good place to start to get your bearings and they cover past, present and future. There are open houses daily to mix in.

The daily newspaper has a list of activities for the day to choose from.

Beach tennis looked like an interesting alternative to Pickleball, the sand is softer if you fall ;-)

The squares a great in the evenings, the outdoor bars around them are a good place to meet people. Made me feel more like being at a friends BBQ than being at a bar (if that makes sense).

If yo8 enjoy walks/hiking, the rec center and trails in the Fenny area are beautiful, some of the nicest I've seen in FL.

Thank you for replying. I will have a golf car and plan on wearing it out! My goal is to have an enjoyable vacation while also considering relocation. It looks like a wonderful place to retire with almost limitless activities. I will not be looking at properties this trip but if things work out as I anticipate, I will soon return with that objective. Thanks for the suggestions.

Good luck. Been here since 2005 in Lynnhaven which is near the Villages High School and Southern Trace Shopping Center and really love the Villages especially when coming back from places like the Tampa Bay area, DC, or Orlando.

Have been single since then but am taking care of aging parents so it kind of make things a little difficult. Am a 60 year old male.

When you are going around in the golf cart and try to think of a location for a home in the Villages which is close to all three town squares.

Lots of very pretty golf cart drives around the Villages. The drive from Laurel Manor to Saddlebrook Rec Center is one of these and its is especially beautiful at night.

Go to any Rec Center and pick up a copy of the Rec News, it has every possible activity in it. You can go to any rec center where there is pickleball and just get in line and play. At this time of year play is usually in early morning.
Find an activity you might like and just go to it, most activity groups welcome visitors all the time.
There are about 30 executive golf course which only take less than two hours so try some, they are all over the place!
Sabal Chase is a good location to explore all parts of Villages. Get a map at a Sales Center and take off in the golf cart. If you get lost, pull over, look at nap, someone will stop and help you.
It does get very hot, you will need hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water bottle. Have fun!

Sabal Chase is near Cane Garden Country Club. Not long ago I was playing at Allamanda, that's the nine holes on the east side of Bailey's Trail. The pickleball courts are right next to the first tee. I was just pulling in when I saw about six very attractive woman coming out of the fence from playing pickleball. Also you're right around the corner from Lake Miona Rec Center, might check that place. You'll also have a neighborhood pool in your village and you're probably no more than a mile from LSL, where there is music every night.

If you're worried about spending 4 hours playing a round of golf, try one of the 36 or so executive 9 hole courses. It takes an hour and a half or so. We've met many really nice folks that way.

Being a single villager makes it so easy to play more golf during the peak season. So much to do in TVs, too much fun!

I don't think there are locations that are better for pickleball or other activities. Various classes such as line dancing, water aerobics, or yoga may have specific instructors that people like, but the facilities are pretty equal all around. You can't really go wrong!

Thank you all for taking the time to provide feedback to my post. I will definitely purchase a map and learning that there is a nine hole golf course resolves one of my concerns. It is also good to know that you can just show up at an activity without a partner and have the opportunity to participate. I will definitely secure a copy of the newsletter to make certain I am aware of activities.

I have always thought I could judge a place by doing this:

Stand in a very conspicuous place (like a town square), open up a map appear to be orienting the map to your location and see what happens...

We just happen to do this at TV and we met so many of the most interesting and helpful people! Most were on their way to do something, but were happy to help us in any way they could. There was a group of bicyclists nearby taking a break. They were very helpful, talked about where they came from and asked us the same. They suggested a lot of things we could do during our time at TV.

Ride the trolley.

I would recommend that you attend the live music each night in one of the squares!

If you are interested in buying, check 3 sources: MLS, VLS and FSBO.

You may not be ready to buy but certainly view some of the homes to get a feel for what they have. The Village homes tend to be quite similar by model. By viewing different styles , you can better define what your needs and wants are when you are ready to buy.

Best Wishes

Since you like water sports check out water volleyball. A great way to be outside, get some sun, socialize, and, ha ha, get a little workout. If you're just basic like me you can play every day of the week. More when you get good.

A useful intro is water volleyball 101, held twice a month at one of the rec centers. Registration recommended.

Just done the Lifestyle visit and my husband and I could not stop smiling for 5 days. Not one bad-negative thing to say about the place. Our house has gone straight on the market and we will be back very soon, it is AWESOME!!!