Me too - it doesn't seem fair to the restaurant owner, the staff or other patrons to hold tables for 20 open for so long. If there are 5 foursomes playing, you are looking at 40+ minutes from the first group to the last group.

If Big Al wanted to be seated with the foursome immediately after his, then no worries...

Don't tell anyone but I'm with you. Maybe we can leave Sweetie and Linda home and hit the market!

i would like to join that trip! Love to do the grocery shopping. Only trouble is I add to the list.

Mallory
 

Folks left out "cook" in my last post meant to say My wife is a good "cook". Scary when you realize you had an unintentional mental pause. I do not have the shopping gene but again I am married to a wonerdful woman although she is a couponaholic. A byproduct I am afraid of being reared in a family with 8 other siblings, and her father wasn't even catholic. Anyway careful shopping and cooking at home help us reduce spending or at least diverts spending toward items of a more lasting nature. I have a brother who unbashfully proclaims that he likes going out and likes being waited on. I agreed but reminded him that its good to be waited on as long as you don't have long to wait.:D Essentialy we all spend about the same amount of money it is just a matter of where. All of you enjoy your passions:smiley:

How about keeping the playing field level. First group comes in at 1:00PM. Orders their lunch. Second group arrives 7 minutes later, orders their lunch, etc.etc. Only one table sits empty until the last group arrives. Now, how about considering that almost always there are other tables available so that other patrons don't have to wait at all. Bottom line is that these people are using a bunch of rules that they are not smart enough to interpret with logic and good sense. Hopefully they will understand when we don't show up in the Summer when they will be crying for our business. You can't alienate us in the Winter and try to kiss our butts in the Summer. I doesn't work that way if you have any concern for who your real customers are.

Good post, totally agree with it except for one word "customers". Regarding the championship clubs, sales office says we are "members" which where I come from are treated better than off the street "customers".

I think that solution is similar to what I suggested. If you sit two or three foursomes to a table, you should be able to sit and be served fairly quickly. Heck, bring a Coke or a beer to enjoy in the parking lot while you wait.

You mention that there are available tables while you are waiting, however, whenever we are at Cane around midday it is usually packed. You also mention that in the summer the CCs need your business more as they are less crowded. That seems a bit contradictory if they are not full in the winter and not full in the summer.

The restaurants have to make money and they need to keep their help - all by selling food/beverages to golfers, red hat ladies, life style folks etc. They are not like "private" country clubs with minimum spend amounts every month.

7 min later? Have you read any of the posts about slow play? Closer to 10-12 min for second group with the third another 10-12. If I'm the one waiting for a table while it takes 20 min for your whole table to be present then I'm not happy.

I like Kate's idea (which I have done numerous times), have a beverage in the parking lot or at the last green and talk about the round. Wait for the last group to play (everyone loves an audience of hecklers:)) and decide where to eat. Then go as a group.

we started going out of the village to eat...went to little Joeys last night very good....

What was very good? (I've only had pizza there)


.

Wow! 10-12 minutes behind the group in front of you. Must be mostly the people who have moved on to the Championship Courses well before they have completed their apprenticeship on the Executive Courses.

Having beverages in the parking lot sounds a lot like what people do up North in the parking lots at Public Courses. Tacky!

With the exception of Cane and Palmer.... There is no affiliation between the golf courses and the restaurants that are located at them....the restaurants are open to the public:shrug:

Not showering/bathing before entering a dining facility after a sweaty round of golf..... That's Tacky... Thats disgusting.The beer drinking and heckeling in the parking lot I can take.

How about drinking beer, heckleing, and showering in the locker room while we wait for the rest of our group to putt out; before going into the restaurant to eat???

Makes perfect sense to me.. JMHO

Methinks you have never been in a semi non existent locker room/shower facility in The Villages Country Clubs. That is a far more revolting option than breaking bread with a bunch of 15 or so equally smelly golfing buddies. Oh well, if you choose to parade around in your birthday suit in what amounts to a public restroom, so be it. I'd rather stink a bit until I get home to my real shower.

Just as I suspected....entitlement issue.

"I want to do what's best/convenient for me, regardless of how it might negatively impact someone elses experience.".

What of the folks that are unfortunate enough to be seated next to this golf group?

Unfortunately, this is a culture created by the developer..that the proprietors of the local business' have had to endure, but didn't necessarily sign on for. Personally, my hat is of to any bussiness in the villages that is ventureing to break it....

I look forward to some peaceful dining experiences in the villages when I return to the area in May...

OH MY.

(That is twice I have said that today)

I have golfed for over 40 years and never showered before having a sandwich or drinks with my buddies.

Neither has my husband Sweetie. (I think his hygiene is perfect)


Gracie aka Stinky.

Please!!!

I'm not talking about public rowdiness for god's sake. But just having a water/soda/beer from your cooler while you wait for the others to finish. And try timing it next time - I'll bet it's no better than 9-10 minutes. Could be better but not likely, unless there are 4 of me:)

And the executive courses aren't meant solely as training grounds.

Tee times generally start about 7 - 9 minutes apart. Sometimes with more time on the execs. Havana says it should be played in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Doesn't that come out to about 14 minutes a hole?

Also, FYI - Russ' handicap is just about my shoe size....so he is no slacker.

And Gracie, I think I am stinky too. Have never showered after a round when having a drink afterward. Also, usually just grab something quick if we are eating out. I think if I was planning on having the works at Lopez, I would want to clean up my act a bit....

k

Me neither. Nor do I think it's tacky for a golfer to have beer from his cooler during or after golf.

Pturner aka tacky stinker :shocked:

PeeUuuu! Sure am glad I don't golf or I would have to hang out with all you tacky stinkies!

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n...boy/stinky.jpg

WARNING: Stay upwind of this crew! :thumbup:

Bill

OK, I wasn't going to comment on this one, but I can't control my fingers. After ten plus years of visiting TV for a couple of months a year, I have listened to how bad the snow birds are, how crowded the restaurants are, how bad the the roundaboubts are, how congested the area is, how the dogs are screwimg up the squares, and how hard it is to get tee times.
All of this is ture some of the time, but if you don't like it - MOVE. You are in a great place and YOU are not going to make it like the old home town because that's what you escaped from. ENJOY your new life and thank God every day that you had the opportunity to spend your leisure years in THE VILLAGES.
I split time in two other locations but I still look forward to my two months in TV. I'm just saying--------!
Irish Rover

:BigApplause:

Glad you didn't control your fingers:clap2::clap2:

:thumbup::mademyday:

Depending on which Championship Course you play Tee Time intervals are either 7 or 8 minutes. The fact, true or not,that it takes about 14 minutes to play a hole has nothing to do with the price of apples, so what's your point? Simple fact is that if you start 7-8 minutes apart you should finish 7-8 minutes apart.

That's true in theory. But we all know that some groups can cause issues. But this distracts from the question about whether all the foursomes should come together to the restaurant. I contend they should and my suggestion was to wait for them at the course as I said. If they all come 7 min. apart that's great, but please don't make 2 - 3 parties who are ready wait at Cane during the busy season while your other foursome tables lie empty for 15-20 min. Don't see how anyone could say that's right. During the off season when there are empty tables - OK with that. That's my take on it.

May I suggest that you use the time you wait for your friends to finish playing to clean your golf equipment. It will save you time when you get home. Whenever I wait at the golf course, I try to find something useful to do to fill the time. That would include digging out a few weeds to improve the course.

I don't the kveching is really done seriously! It's just human nature to kvech about things, even in Paradise.

I always wondered how to spell it.:read:

OK. Got it! During busy season they can treat you like trash. In the Summer when they are crying for business you should kiss their butts. WOW!

Say Mhoerauf,
Methinks you have um... very creative interpretive skills. He said nothing of the sort.

Following is the quote I was referring to: "please don't make 2 - 3 parties who are ready wait at Cane during the busy season while your other foursome tables lie empty for 15-20 min. Don't see how anyone could say that's right. During the off season when there are empty tables - OK with that"

I've highlighted the phrases that I was interpretively commenting about in red to help you find them.

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate....

The Villages is still a very "seasonal" community(November-April).
Suppose alot of these business only make money in those months, and operate in the red in the remaining(feeding expences from seasonal savings). Certianly, I have witnessed many organizations in other highly seasonal demegraphics close their doors in the off season; pocketing the profits from a lucritive season...as opposed to re-investing them back into the year-round residents and staff.

Personally, If I owned a business in the villages, and I did not recieve your full cooperation and support in "season" when I needed it most.. You could go somewhere else in the off season as well... (remember, the good restaurants and country clubs get better in the off season, and the bad ones get worse or go out of business).

Can we think for 2 seconds...of all the courtesies these establishments extend, exclusively to those of us who are here in the "off-season"(I am only there in the off season, blessed)...The promotions and specials, the ability to pick-up tables in the dining rooms as we come in sweaty off the golf course, extended happy-hours, the extra time owners, management, and staff get to spend visiting with us?? Consider these things are done in gratitude... cause it's not making them more money.

I suggest we get over thinking these business' owe us something because of year-round residency...it entitles you to "NOTHING".

Thanks for what you said Irish...and Russ, you're always "the man".

Thank you. Very Well put. We have that here in RI and I do miss some of the places I go when they are closed.

I also agree with Russ and Sunday.......great explanation.

My point is that during the off season they have room to do what you say without bothering anyone. In the on season, to do what you say, would cause someone (either your foursomes or other diners) some wait. I say first come first serve if there is a wait involved.

Don't see how you can't understand my points.

Seems simple enough to me.

me too. Thanks again Russ.