[Rainger99]

I play the executive courses about 99% of the time. That is because
1. I am not a very good golfer.
2. I don’t want to spend 5 or more hours playing golf including travel time.
3. They are free.

I was just checking the prices at the Championship courses and they range from $50 at Orange Blossom Hills to $58 at Hacienda and the rest are $64 except for Southern Oaks which is $69.

These seem fairly high for public courses.

[thevillages2013]

The championship courses are public but not everyone understands that. Any yayhoo can wander in and play if they can get a tee time. Non-resident fee is $84 now that is pricey plus they have to rent a cart for $12 . After tax $102.72. Don’t rely on my math but it should be close

[collie1228]

I play championship courses twice a week, and all I can say is that this generation of "The Developer" is really pushing the envelope on golf pricing. I'm willing to pay for the convenience of using my own cart, but I'm on the edge of moving off campus for golf. I will not renew my priority golf when it expires in July, mainly due to the removal of the executive trail pass perk, but also due to the fact that the prices have increased so much that playing 80 times a year is no longer priority pass cost-effective. Frankly, I don't think they care.

[Mortal1]

Exec courses are not "free"...the fee is included with the amenity fee.

Is the cost of 18/27 hole courses too much because you can't justify paying the money, or do you just think they should be less expensive than they are? There are many things I can't afford or do. some because I no longer have the need/desire(played 18 hole courses for more than 30 years-the ego doesn't have that need to 'prove' anything by doing it).

If I did want to play them there are various levels of cost depending on how many of the 18/27 hole courses you want access to as a priority member. if you can't fit it in your budget then don't play them. if you don't understand the cost of running those courses perhaps it would be best if you tried to find out rather than think they're over charging.

Having played from Japan to Great Britain in the last 58 years I don't see the average cost of these courses as too much or extravagant . they do not fit my budget unless I were to give up other things I like to do and since right now that isn't an option it matters not.

grousing about the cost has no effect on their setting their price. there are many who can easily afford it, but don't like it...sigh...

[tvbound]

Most of the 'championship' courses are definitely overpriced, for what you get. The reason they can get away with it, is because of the convenience of driving your cart (saving the courses even more money) to the course and basically having a mostly captive audience who don't want to mess with the hassle of going somewhere else in their vehicles. Never underestimate the pricing power of 'convenience' and obviously, TV has found that point. A lot of people are willing to pay a high price for conditions that are like the average muni course in most towns across the country - only at a significantly inflated cost.

[Rainger99]

There are two types of public courses – ultra expensive courses such as Pebble Beach, Pacific Dunes, St. Andrews, etc. The top public courses are ultra-expensive courses and are almost all over $300 a round.
Currently, Pebble Beach is $575 plus cart fee; Pacific Dunes is $295 for resort guest and $345 for day guest; and St. Andrews varies depending on the season from 98 pounds to 270 pounds (this is up 40% in the last year). However, if you are a resident of St. Andrews, the yearly fee is only 340 pounds which allows you to play all of the courses.
However, these are world class courses where majors have been played. None of the Championship courses have had, or are likely to have a PGA tournament.
Then there are the true public courses. These are usually municipal courses where the prices are almost always reasonable.
The link is from 2009. It lists the top municipal course in each state for peak, non-resident walking rates. 36 of them were under $50. And these are the top courses in the state. I don’t think anyone would rank the Championship courses as the top courses in Florida. The top course in Florida was The Links at Boynton Beach. In 2009, the price was $59 for 18 holes. The current price is $65 for 18 holes. Please note that these are for non-residents.

Public Golf: Best Muny in All 50 States | Courses | Golf Digest

[ohiosbestus]

I think the courses are way too expensive for my tastes and income to play 3 times a week, but I was spoiled living in a private community in Ohio where I paid about 140.00 a month for assessments but played golf for FREE. Based on those reasons I am choosing not to renew my priority fee any longer, so I will settle playing the executive courses. If i ever want to play with fellow villagers we will play courses outside of the villagers instead of playing here in the villages. To the people that have plenty of money in their budget to play multible days per week then they probably should stay here in the Villages and play.

[Flyers999]

I don't think that the Championship courses are too expensive,yet. I play them around once a week and even though it doesn't save me money I pay for the priority membership every year. Up north I played with some people who actually wanted the cost to be higher to keep out the "riff-raff" and make the play less crowded. I've never been in that camp, but here's my reasoning. I would like to see the golf courses be successful and would hate to see them turn into apartments or strip malls. I don't work for the villages or the local government, I just want to maintain the village lifestyle. Having golf courses surrounding me is part of that.

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I play the executive courses about 99% of the time. That is because
1. I am not a very good golfer.
2. I don’t want to spend 5 or more hours playing golf including travel time.
3. They are free.

I was just checking the prices at the Championship courses and they range from $50 at Orange Blossom Hills to $58 at Hacienda and the rest are $64 except for Southern Oaks which is $69.

These seem fairly high for public courses.

It’s all relative to how you play - if your game sucks, it probably is expensive; if you have game, probably not as bad. For me, I do have game; I’m never going anywhere so I’ll pay whatever they charge. The time and expense to drive somewhere off campus have to be figured in to the rate so a lot of times, the cost will be close to here.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Flyers999

I don't think that the Championship courses are too expensive,yet. I play them around once a week and even though it doesn't save me money I pay for the priority membership every year. Up north I played with some people who actually wanted the cost to be higher to keep out the "riff-raff" and make the play less crowded. I've never been in that camp, but here's my reasoning. I would like to see the golf courses be successful and would hate to see them turn into apartments or strip malls. I don't work for the villages or the local government, I just want to maintain the village lifestyle. Having golf courses surrounding me is part of that.

I totally agree. I play the Champs 2x/week, and executive typically once/week. I have the Priority Membership to facilitate tee times. I consider the ability to drive a golf cart from my house to a course and use my own cart on the course as part of the lifestyle that I found attractive to me.
I'm still happy with that.

[Blueblaze]

I never play the Championship courses, but when my scratch-golfer brother-in-law came to town, I reserved a tee-time -- and my jaw hit the floor when I got the bill. I don't know how anybody plays them twice a week. He was shocked as well. He has three municipal courses back home he plays all the time for $30-40, and thought they were much nicer. We played the exec courses for the rest of his visit.

At $75, golf was too expensive for me to play regularly back home in Texas, too. But that was non-member rates, unlike here. Somehow they got by with member rates in the $50's

I guess, if the market will bear it, there's not much we can do but gripe. Like a lot of things here, the reality falls short of the promise. But the reality is still pretty good.

[I'm Popeye!]

What you see mostly these days that are playing Championship golf course here at the Villages are people who work (discounts) as "Ambassadors", "Starters" and let's not forget the "Snowbirds"....

[pauld315]

Once you play the championship courses you know that the executive courses are garbage. I gladly pay for a real course

[I'm Popeye!]

Originally Posted by pauld315

Once you play the championship courses you know that the executive courses are garbage. I gladly pay for a real course

So what makes it a championship course "A Real Course" the extra 50 - 80 yards?

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I play the executive courses about 99% of the time. That is because
1. I am not a very good golfer.
2. I don’t want to spend 5 or more hours playing golf including travel time.
3. They are free.

I was just checking the prices at the Championship courses and they range from $50 at Orange Blossom Hills to $58 at Hacienda and the rest are $64 except for Southern Oaks which is $69.

These seem fairly high for public courses.

Lol, my last "neighborhood course," which is public, had green fees of $250 PER PERSON in a foursome. $60 doesn't sound so bad.