El Santiago
 

I just played on El Santiago today. The course is a mess. Lots of bare spots, tire tracks and brown grass. It really needs to be shut down so it can be repaired.. Yesterday we played at Turtle Mound and it was beautiful. I am wondering why the souther executive courses are kept in better condition than the northern.

They don't care about the north end anymore. Just look at all of the places that closed.

Allow me to try to change your mind. The Villages was built from North to South and generally speaking there is an older population living North. They have NO idea how they got older and not quite as active as they were and not willing to go out for dinner and other activities as much as they once did. In order to survive financially and at all, places that charge money must have patrons. When they do not have enough customers to stay afloat they close. NO MATTER or not that I am sure The Villages Inc. would like for them to continue and prosper. They rent them their space....AND please do not give us the old saw that they charge too much rent. No one forced the business to rent there and they knew the price and terms of their contract. Times change. People age. Quality changes and interest in activities.

And one day, the south will become the north.

Promised made but NOT KEPT!

What do you expect from what is probably the easiest Executive course in the entire Villages. The course caters to beginners and non-serious golfers, so it is what it is. Go to El Diablo, right next to El Santiago, and you will find a challenging course in reasonable condition. Although we live north of 466 and love it there, I will agree with the OP that in general the southern Executive courses are both better layouts and in better condition.

I'd agree...played there Friday for 1st time ever & was less than impressed. Went there to try it out and can not believe the contrast to southern courses. Something badly wrong.

I thought the Executive courses were now owned and maintained by the resident-run Amenity Authority? Misplaced criticism?

I played there 2 weeks ago it was beautiful ... Maybe it was the tropical storm that came through last week?

Maintaining The Village Property should be a priority on either side. We all pay the same fee’s to live here and should have the same availability of living the lifestyle, that’s the concept The Villages are built on!

Check out the practice green at El Diablo and El Santiago. It’s in the worst shape in the last 16 years.

Ground keepers probably caused the damage, I see big bare spots dead grass in prefect circles. Like they didn’t get mixed right or didn’t rinse weed killer out or tanks?

Your theory makes no sense at all. The best courses in the Villages are up north. Briarwood, Oakleigh, Walnut Grove, and Amberwood. They are in excellent condition, and it is due to the company that maintains them. You think that our older residents have stopped living and going out?? You need to get out more!

If people would stop driving on the grass the problem would resolve itself. I do not understand people who do not comply with “golf cart path only.”

Because the northern courses are overplayed