Talk of The Villages Florida

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Wayne_TN 02-16-2011 03:41 PM

Other Retirement Options with Inexpensive Golf
 
My wife and I are about a year from retirement coming from Tennessee - looking for someplace warmer that we can do outdoor stuff year-round. Both very active and "sporty". We have been to The Villages several times for up to a month at a time. I LOVE it, but my wife isn't sold. She thinks she might be happier in a more conventional town with golf course, tennis courts, etc., or perhaps a smaller "active 55" retirement community. I have been looking for some places in Florida and Arizona for us to check out, but I would really like for us to play golf in retirement at least a couple of times a week. Therein lies the rub - EVERYWHERE else i look, it looks like playing golf twice a week for the 2 of us (in a cart) will cost about $5000 per year, vs. about $200 in the villages (executive courses with trail fee). We aren't poor, but I can't afford $5k a year just for golf. I hope she will eventually settle on The Villages, but does anybody know some places I could take her to visit that would have golf where we could play a couple of times a week in a cart (ours or theirs) for like, $2000 a year or less?? The villages has 90,000 folks (right?) and ~30 free courses. How come none of the active retirement places with 9,000 folks have 3 free courses?? I understand "economy of scale", but the difference is amazing to me...
THANKS!!

Russ_Boston 02-16-2011 03:55 PM

Even though I'm an avid golfer I would never make a decision about my retirement community based just on that. But if that is a deal breaker then maybe you have to do some math.

The villages 'free' golf costs $135 per month plus that $200 you mentioned if you want to ride. Plus you'd need to own your own golf cart or rent one. And this is only for executive golf. Regulation length golf would still cost you another $25 or so per round.

Most people feel that homes in TV are higher priced than other 'retirement' communities so you could save some cash there as well.

The point is that you are going to 'pay' for golf in some form.

TV, for us, is so much more than the opportunity to play golf. That $135 per month pays for executive golf, pickleball, tennis, water VB, lap swimming, billiards, cards etc. Not to mention the miles and miles of roads and paths to run, walk and bike. You can take your golf cart for lunch, shopping or just fun.

You can golf anywhere and even probably find something for your golf price range but to my knowledge you won't find TV anywhere else.


Best of luck!

Wayne_TN 02-16-2011 04:48 PM

thanks Russ. Yeah - I agree with what you are saying about the amenities fee, especially if we live in a town, as opposed to another retirement community. And don't get me wrong - I absolutely LOVE all the cool stuff the villages has to offer. I've just played golf for almost 50 years and i would like to find other places i could afford to keep playing and still make my wife happy if i can't convince her on TV - so far i haven't found any.

I'm totally happy with just playing the executive courses. I hadn't thought about the housing costs being higher - what do you think - 10% more in the villages ?? thanks!

eweissenbach 02-16-2011 05:10 PM

There are a great many places in Florida and Arizona that have been hard hit by the housing bubble, and have unbeleiveable buys on homes. Sarasota, Fort Myers in Florida and the Phoenix area in Arizona are among them. I am confident you could buy a home in one of those warm weather areas and use the money saved vs. buying a home in TV to play golf twice a week for the rest of your life with $ left over. On the other hand TV is about way more than golf, and there are many who live in TV who play no golf. The amenity fee pays for a lot of things other than golf, such as abundant pools, recreation centers, nightly entertainment at the squares etc., etc. The Villages is unique as far as I know in providing opportunities for activities all day every day, and that is worth the extra cost for the housing in my, and many others, opinion.

JenAjd 02-16-2011 05:44 PM

I'm not a golfer and could care less. My spouse eats, sleeps, lives golf...and is into other things as well that are active (pickleball, softball etc). We originally thought we'd be on the gulf-coast in our retirement years (probably as snow-birds) but we also looked at Arizona. After checking out The Villages we didn't think twice about going to those other places and directed all our energies on coming here. It's been wonderful! We love the life-style and over and over have heard the stories from others that they "were" in other places but came here as there was far more to do. There is nothing like it anywhere else!!!!

ssmith 02-16-2011 06:55 PM

Ocala
 
I have friends who lived in Ocala...he used the public golf courses and they rode bikes. It was a good solution for them...not one I would agree with. They liked the feel of the living near downtown Ocala. Just a thought for you. I personally think this option does not even compare to what TV has to offer but hey.... if it is your idea of what you want then that leaves one more home for me to buy some day ;).

Mudder 02-16-2011 07:34 PM

there is a place
 
Where two people can play on a championship golf course for $2000.00/year. It is called Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club. It's in San Antonio, Fl, just north of Tampa. You have a good size city nearby, also beaches fairly close, many clubs, large pool and many other activities. There is also an executive golf course. It's right off of route 75. We happen to have a three bedroom villa for sale at TBGCC. Excellent location, lanai looks out over pond and down the 18th fairway.

zcaveman 02-16-2011 08:45 PM

...

Wayne_TN 02-17-2011 10:02 AM

Tampa Bay Golf and CC
 
Thanks Mudder :BigApplause:- Actually, it's not quite that cheap, but it is less than $5000 - I just got off the the phone with them and it's about $3300 per year for a couple if i buy a house there (plus a couple of hundred more per year if i want to use their golf carts - we could use ours for free) That does give me unlimited golf at both their courses. We'll probably go by and check it out next month when we are down there looking around.

Does anybody know of a better deal than this one in FL or AZ besides The Villages???

Wayne_TN 02-17-2011 10:08 AM

SSmith - thanks - the problem i am finding with public courses is even the cheaper ones at the very cheapest (read "worst) times are $15 per round, which sounds cheap until you say twice a week for the 2 of us makes 15*4 = $60 a week and then when you rent a cart twice a week at at least 20 per day you're looking at $100 per week which gets me back to $5000 per year - Hard to imagine that i can get that down to $2000 on a public course, but I'd love to hear from anybody that can prove me wrong...

Wayne_TN 02-17-2011 10:10 AM

Eweissenbach - Thanks - I would indeed have to get a good deal on a house to afford $5000 per year for 30 years or so, but we might stop by and see a realtor to see how cheap the houses are in the Sarasota, Fort Myers area

scroll 02-17-2011 11:05 AM

What about Stonecrest. Homes are cheaper and you can ride your golf cart to the villages too. Seems like no ever plays the 9 hole course.

Wayne_TN 02-17-2011 01:40 PM

Thanks Scroll. I just called about Stonecrest and it's a little high - $4160 per year for a couple including your trail fee. We may check it out further to see how much cheaper the houses are..

I think my wife would really like to visit a couple of "towns" the next time we are down there instead of just 55+ communities. Does anybody know of any towns in FL that have golf courses (public or membership) that we could play for $2k per year or so. Here in Tennessee I can beat that price, but we want to come to someplace where it's warm year-round.. thanks

Mudder 02-17-2011 01:58 PM

Oh TBGCC must have just raised their prices, but it still an excellent deal . There are all levels of very active golfers there, both male and female. Can't think of any "towns" that have what you are describing....well, I can but much higher costs. We know many people who moved to TBGCC from the Fort Meyers area because the golf was to expensive there......and don't even think about Naples! If you look at TBGCC and want a villa looking down 18th fairway, let me know.
Have fun looking......but of course I think The Villages is the very best choice!

Wayne_TN 02-17-2011 04:14 PM

Tampa Bay Golf and CC
 
Yeah Mudder, that price is pretty good - You're still "winning"... I'm still hoping somebody can crack that magic $2000/year barrier, though...:undecided:


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