I don't think it will sell.

:agree:

Not in The Villages!

Some of these responses are amazing...and a bit sad. I am a golfer (admittedly a poor one) and do play when I can be at my home in TV. I don't take it nearly as serious as some of the respondents do though. It's not a PGA tournament folks; just a game that's supposed to be fun.

Many people move to The Villages because of all of the golf opportunities. Many people have played golf for most of their lives and many people begin to play when they move here. The opportunity to play golf at ALMOST free is a wonderful thing for a majority of people who live here. People who are truly part of the sport have spent endless hours and lots of money chasing that little white ball. Interest in golf doesn't need to be drummed up in this community. Interest in golf may be needing advocates and encouragement and tours of golf courses in some communities but not here.

I don't see anything sad here, I just think that my fellow Buckeye has his eye out for a good cause to back. Golfers want him to look elsewhere.

Mr. twoplanekid, if I remember correctly at one point you said you would like to run for office when you moved to TV. As your campaign organizer may mention to you this may not be a good subject to press onward with until you would be serving your last term. To put it in aviation terms....It Ain't Gonna Fly!

The thing about golf is that it can be many things to different people.
To some of us, the fun is in being able to figure out how to play well. It's spending time working at becoming better. WE play golf to play golf.
To others it's more of a social activity and that's fine as long as they move along and don't hold up others that want to play.
I played behind some guys the other day who were intolerably slow. I mentioned it to one of my fellow golfers and he said, that they're probably just like us, retired with no place to go. I explained that I liked to go out to play golf, and not stand around and watch others socialize while I'm waiting to play.
I played with a woman that was holding up the whole golf course one day and she complained that we were going to fast for her. One of her friends told her very nicely that we were holding up the people behind us. Her reply? "I don't care about them."

Some people just like getting out in the fresh air and getting some exercise. Some like to socialize. Some like to try to play the best they can and some like to compete. It would be nice if we could all just get along and recognize and respect each other's desires.

But please, NO NON GOLFERS ON THE GOLF COURSES!!!!

Golf is why my wife and I moved to The Villages. We do take it serious but have fun playing the game, by ourselves and with other couples that take the game serious also, that is, until we get behind those that don't take it serious and do nothing but play "hit and giggle". To each, his own......

It's a "golf course". There are many other places to drive your golf carts that will not impact what happens to the courses. Surely you can be satisfied with over 100 miles of multi-modal paths without the need to put yourselves into areas you were not meant to be....there is nothing you will see on the course that you won't see off the course. The decision to "need" access to golf cart paths is patently self serving to the degree that only another liberal would understand. You want what you are told you can not have...therefore you want it more. It's called "entitled".

There are many places on this planet where vehicles can not go. In order to access them you must take up whatever lifestyle allows you access. Thus it is with golf courses. You want access? Take up golf...or pretend to. Otherwise deal with it!

Nope, hope it doesn't ever happen. With the thousands of carts that are continually driving all over the courses and "hardpanning" the fairways and approaches to the greens, more carts driving every where they want to are not needed on the courses. Let the non-golfers see the courses from the roadways or the mmp's.

I think all the benches along carts paths and golf course provide enough view of some hole to see golf course. If that's not good enough for some. Then, take lessons and good golf class and play.

Wow. Greetings and welcome to the Villages as a full time resident. Although our pod was unpacked last week, we are still trying to locate places to store our stuff that should have remained in Ohio. It’s hard to make changes to accommodate a different lifestyle. As I will now have time to do things here, I want to see and experience everything that the Villages have to offer.

I had to laugh at the news article in my post # 39 that describes playing golf as “too hard, too expensive, too time-consuming, too elitist, too sexist and too racist.” We aviators face those same accusations.

One person says in post # 47 “It would be nice if we could all just get along and recognize and respect each other's desires. “ I would hope that would be true for both golfers and non-golfers.

Everyone seems to have a passion or opinion about life in The Villages which is a good thing as long as we can respect others who have differing views. I would hope we can welcome all who want to live in this great place we call the Villages, America’s Friendliest Hometown.

Swing by Swing. Courses from Satellite. Hole-by-Hole.
 

Belmont Golf Course - The Villages, FL, United States | Swing By Swing

This is a fun resource to see all but the newest Villages' area golf courses from a bird's eye view.

There are some holes I have heard of that are quite pretty to view the scenery from here in the Villages but I do not golf. Yet!

I don't know if TV even would allow driving around on golf course even after hrs. because like this gentleman that's asking the question. Do you know golf course rules about NOT driving on fairways on par 3's, & I'm sure someone would evenually drive on the greens, but I know what some people are thinking, of course I knew that, but they don't. I know of 2 incidents of people that's played the first time that drove the cart right up by the hole on the green, seriously! I think if you would call or go to the starter shack or to the pro shop they could tell you for sure.

from my post #32 ->

"Again, aircraft owners would not encourage the general public to wander around ramp areas with engines starting and aircraft taxiing. A special event with the public under supervision and learning about how we operate is how we do it.

I am suggesting that non-golfers be given an opportunity to enjoy seeing the courses without having to play golf. A once or twice a year event doesn’t seen too much to ask. Plus, more of the general public would become aware of the issues golfers have with untrained people on the course.

I suppose I could take up the suggestion to just take a time with my wife to just putt some of the courses. However, I would rather be in an organized group that is lead around the course. "

I will go to a starter shack to ask how it might be done! And, I have made the suggestion of a special event on the Villages survey forum.

Two Plane. Perhaps you should try harder to see things the way they are and see how many decisions have been pondered and tried over time to get to this almost perfect appeal in a place where we don't vote on every little detail. Most of us do not want a regular community run like Ocala or Orlando. We are satisfied with this large CDD and the way it's run.

It would be good if YOU respected the differing views too. I very much doubt what you are presenting would have wide spread appeal.

We all moved from where things were run differently. We all moved where there was better this or that; traffic, water bills, teaching hospitals, pizza, corn, tomatoes, and unaccented speech, but overall the lack of snow and the clean and beautiful spaces are very appealing as is the company of people who have five decades or more of experiences to share.

I really have not met anyone who was lied to or pressured to move here. The same geo-climate is in Stonecrest and Tampa has a newspaper with the other political slant. Orlando has Disney, crime and kids. We were all free to decide to live here because most of us did not look at it as a wonderful opportunity to cause CHANGE.

Welcome Rick. I hope that you and the missus join the Ohio clubs, all three of them, visit the Cincinnati Club, and enjoy your fellow aviators. Coffee pot is always on at our house. We may disagree on some things but we will find much common ground as Buckeyes. I sincerely hope you will find happiness here.

Grace Gantner

:BigApplause::BigApplause:

Calm down Grace and I know you don’t like change. I asked a simple question, presented my thoughts and stated that I have submitted my ideas on The Villages survey. As the survey is under the auspices of the developer, I would hope you would agree with them when they ask for our help to make things even better for everyone living in TV. Yes, some ideas will fly and some won't.

Thinking out of the Box
 

Twoplanekid: As I already mentioned in my previous post, (#25) my first thought "this won't fly". No pun intended. But... I thought you have a creative idea and why not give it a go!

As usual you have disagreement among posters, especially those with strong opinions. With few exceptions, most of us like "things" the way they are in The Villages. Thinking "outside the box" is rarely acceptable especially in a sport as old and traditional as golf. Enough said. I look forward to meeting you sometime around The Villages.

Wow, this seems like a perfectly reasonable request and one that can be very easily made possible with no impact to golfers. Yet, based on most responses, one would think that twoplanekid proposed using the golf courses for steeple chase events. As was mentioned earlier, all of the courses are closed on a regular basis for maintenance. I live on a course and know for a fact that this maintenance does not occur from sunup to sundown. It would be very easy to designate an hour or two once in awhile to each course to allow our non-golfing neighbors to traverse the cart paths. So, as I see it, the number of amenity paying golfers who would be negatively affected - zero; the number of amenity paying non-golfers positively affected - at least two.

From a Wolverine to a Buckeye - I'm on your side (until that Saturday at the end of November).

Just thinking of the vastly different thoughts that could go through the minds of people touring the course compared to golfers playing it.

"Oh, look at the beautiful pond they have next to that green with the pretty white sand in places."

Vs.

"Oh crap, another water hazard next to a green and look at all the traps around it!"

Well stated. :thumbup:



As an avid golfer on the championship courses, two-plane's idea initially struck me negatively...and as being quite naive.

Upon further reflection however...I'm coming around to your thoughts on it. :cool:

While some very specific rules, protocols, oversight/supervision and limited times to do this (twice a year?) would need to be established up front...I don't really see the harm it would do.

And while I don't exactly relish the thought of having more golfers become interested in taking up tee times, I can also see the larger picture in that golf is actually losing participants in recent years (discounting our little anomaly here) and 'growing the game'...should be the goal of everyone who truly loves to play. :ho:

Along those lines, making one of these 'non-golf tours' to coincide with the peak of summer break for kids...might be a good idea.


Golf's decline takes toll on retailers

Excellent. :1rotfl:

Which brings to mind Robin Williams' classic stand-up routine on golf, which I won't link here...as it is definitely NSFAFS (Not Safe For A Family Site). :D

Actually The Villages does give us a sort of annual "Open House" on the golf courses.

Free golf on Christmas Day, no tee times required.
Just show up.

That would work for golfers who are actually playing, but would be a disaster and a huge safety issue (as mentioned in other posts above)...if some were just cruising around rubber-necking. :ohdear:

bbbbbb Yes that would be so nice, so let us look at this topic and I am serious.
1. How about bikes ?
2. What about the persons heading home after 4 Happy Hours ?
3. Can an activity be enjoyed where no money is involved ?
4. Would it be great to just walk the courses ?
Thank you !!!

Under the correct circumstances non-playing spectators are allowed on Executive Golf Courses. Below I have copied the appropriate regulations. I can't find anything for the Championship Courses, albeit a few of years ago, I was able to ride as a non-playing spectator on a championship course while I was visiting a resident friend.

Executive Course Spectator Policy
As approved by The District Boards, commencing May 2015 regarding the Spectator Policy on Executive Courses.
 Spectators are allowed, and must follow golf course guidelines
 No Charge for residents/guests with a valid resident/guest ID card
 Spectator Tags will be issued; If a spectator is caught playing, they must pay the appropriate fees
and golfing privileges will be suspended for 30 days.
 Spectators must be at least 10 years of age with an accompanied resident/guest
 Spectator golf cars must remain on the path
 One (1) spectator limit per person, with a maximum of four (4) spectators per foursome not to
exceed four (4) total golf carts

See post #8.

OhioBuckeye
 

You made some excellent points. Great Post!