Ease of Getting a Golf Tee Time
 

We will be visiting The Villages in February to see if this lifestyle is for us. Our main interest is golfing. We plan on golfing most days. We will have a guest ID, how hard is it to get tee times with this ID? If there are any tricks to getting a tee time feel free to share.

I found it was easier if I paid for access to the online tee time system (thevillages.net).
Look into that - make a call to them.
Now remember, you will be visiting at the busiest time of the year, and COVID turned a lot of non golfers into golfers. Read about the wave tee time system too.
Also read about the Country Club Enhancement (you get access to priority tee time).
Golf The Villages

Don’t be frustrated, it takes some experience getting the system down. If you can’t get what you want during your visit, you’ll have better luck as a resident with some experience. Last winter, I had good luck with tee times, it just took me a few weeks to figure it out.

As the first post mention there is a tee time reservation system (villages.net). When I visited and got my guest passes the Villages had the form to fill out to join this system. But, I also suggest, you ask a neighbor how to fill this out and see if there is not already groups in your neighborhood who already play and they could include you in their group. That is how I got started, eventually learned the online system for myself. This system is for both executive courses and championship courses. This web site also has a scrolling alert if there are any weather or frost delays.

If you plan on playing the executive courses you should purchase a trail pass (again something I was offered the form to fill out when I got my guest pass). Otherwise it is $4 per round on the executive courses. The championship courses don't have a separate trail fee.

I have heard that they give priority to guest pass holders in this reservation system. They want you to be happy. They are generous with rain checks, any slight rain before you finish 5th hole is good for a check.

The other post mentioned the wave system. On championship courses they send out players in waves on all three nines (dawn to 9:30 am). Then the players finish the front nine they go to another 9. So, there are no tee times opening up until the afternoon wave (noon to 2 pm). So plan on playing in morning or afternoon waves. The executive courses are just straight tee times.

Executive courses are rated by how hard they are, 4 levels of difficulty. I was amazed at how hard they can be, sand traps in front of the entire green, long carries over water (depends on which tees you use). I figured they would be like the flat and featureless par 3 courses I had seen up north.

18 hole courses or executive? Online tee time system. Put in more than more than 4 days ahead and give yourself a wide range of times and courses. 18 hole courses are easier to get a tee time, but cost more.

Are you doing a Lifestyle visit? If so your assigned Villages sales agent can make tee times for you. Also they will give you vouchers for a certain number of free rounds.

Just be flexible in time to play and where and you will get a t time most of the time.

I think we have missed 3 or 4 times in 17 years!!

Last 10 years executive only.

Tee Times
 

If you play golf on your home local courses outside The Villages, you will find it different in The Villages. If you use computer system with Golf Now for your local club to get a tee time the same day, that will not happen at TV courses. The system they use is old and is not capable of doing that. With that said you can call TV golf course your interested in playing the same day to see if they can get you a tee time. I think they are in the process of updating the reservation system, there not much info on what the new system will be capable of doing. Hope fully it will be like Golf Now system. For my Villager golf friends if your not familiar with Golf Now system it's free, check it out very simple to understand. It dose not include TV courses?

Good to know you are allowed to enter multiple courses and tee times. Thanks

Play every day? Tee times can be brutal in the winter.

Get up early and pick-off a unassigned tee time; may not get the course or time you want but there is probably a time to play...

Why buy a trail pass for the executive courses? Walk and it is free!!! The only people who should ride on exec courses are those with a physical disability. Golf is meant to be for walking, not riding!

I prefer our golf system over Golf Now it’s not just the early bird gets the worm but those who play all the time and those who cancel move towards the back of the line. It gives others who do not play as often a greater chance of securing the time location for so everybody gets to enjoy not just the early early bird.

If you are coming on the lifestyle visit your representative will schedule your two free tee times. If you are coming just for a visit with friends and have a guest id you most likely will use the antiquated phone system. If you are coming for an extended time at least one month it might pay to set up at the villages.net when you arrive and use the internet system.

Very easy to do over the phone. If the request is for a twosome and your not very picky with your course time and course you want to play you’ll be golfing all week

Great advise but........
 

Someone correct me if I am wrong........
I don't believe if you truly have a "Guest Pass" that you can use the online tee system or buy the trail fee package. And you need a resident ID number which you would be a "Guest of" to even play on the executive courses.
Confirm with the Salesperson assigned to you and they can probably set you up with tee times while you are here.