[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

So it'll cost us $1000 a year for hubby to be able to play golf at reduced rates and for both of us to be able to use the country club pools. And hubby will still have to pay for the golf game itself.

We're fine with him having to pay trail fees for the executive courses, he walks those most of the time anyway.

They should at least toss in free pool access to employees who sign up for priority membership.

Why??? What makes them more "special" than any other priority member?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Why??? What makes them more "special" than any other priority member?

Employees who work with customers in most of the rest of the customer-driven world, get discounts on products and services of their employer.

Golf ambassadors, starters, and pro-shop workers get a discount on golf and products in the pro-shop. But they don't get a discount on the pool, because up until now, the pool was included in their priority membership. Now that it isn't, they should get a discount on that.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by collie1228

Wow, I'm pretty much in shock over The Villages new pricing of priority golf. I paid $925 (plus tax) last year for the twelve-month priority package for a couple, which included priority pools and executive trail fees. Now, the new priority rates has stayed the same, but no longer includes priority pools or trail fees. This is a price increase of $332.00 ($132 for the trail fee plus $200 for priority pools). I had expected the priority golf rate to decrease substantially, since it will now includes a lot less value. How naive am I? Needless to say I won't be renewing my priority golf when it expires on July first. It's value has gone to less than zero for me.

May I assume you play both CC and exec courses? If so, let's say you go for the whole enchilada----$925 priority, $132 exec and $260 pool = $1317 + $92.19 sales tax= $1409.19. At the current savings of $17/ round on CC courses, you would have to play 83 rounds in a year between the 2 of you to break even, or less than 1 round/week. If you both play 2 rounds/week there would be a savings of 52x4x17=$3536 less the $1409 or net $2127----plus you get to play all of the exec golf you want at no additional charge and then relax at a pool. Hardly a value that has gone to "less than zero".

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

May I assume you play both CC and exec courses? If so, let's say you go for the whole enchilada----$925 priority, $132 exec and $260 pool = $1317 + $92.19 sales tax= $1409.19. At the current savings of $17/ round on CC courses, you would have to play 83 rounds in a year between the 2 of you to break even, or less than 1 round/week. If you both play 2 rounds/week there would be a savings of 52x4x17=$3536 less the $1409 or net $2127----plus you get to play all of the exec golf you want at no additional charge and then relax at a pool. Hardly a value that has gone to "less than zero".

Or, they could play only the executive courses, walk the course, use any adult or family pool they want whenever the pools are open in the entirety of the villages, and not pay a dime more than their monthly amenity fee - which they pay whether they play golf and swim or not.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by Plinker

Just a heads up:
My priority membership is due for renewal the middle of May. You are allowed to renew one month prior to the actual renewal date. If you pay before the end of this month you will be grandfathered into last years fees. I called and verified this. As such, if you happen to have a May renewal date, be sure to sign up before the end of April and you will get the CC pools and trail fees for the old fee of $925.
Otherwise, it will cost you over 40% more for the same amenities if you wait until May 1st. Yikes!!!

If you are accurate (sure seems like you did your homework - thanks) that indirectly answers another question we had. Is last years priority pass good for executive trail pass and priority pools until the expiration date. Logic would say yes based upon the ability to lock in as you outlined above.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Employees who work with customers in most of the rest of the customer-driven world, get discounts on products and services of their employer.

Golf ambassadors, starters, and pro-shop workers get a discount on golf and products in the pro-shop. But they don't get a discount on the pool, because up until now, the pool was included in their priority membership. Now that it isn't, they should get a discount on that.

Maybe, but sounds a bit convoluted. A pool attendant gets a golf discount as it is. They do not have to be priority members, just get 1/2 price on the applicable category of greens fees. An ambassador getting a pool discount? Maybe, but like all of us there are 108 other pools to choose from, they don't have to be priority members. It is usually a slippery slope when we start making a lot of exceptions-----what about discounts for veterans? those with disabilities? mentally ill? Ukranian refugees? Red Sox fans (no , wait, that IS a disability , no, I meant mental illness). Sooner or later, it becomes like the IRS tax code.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Or, they could play only the executive courses, walk the course, use any adult or family pool they want whenever the pools are open in the entirety of the villages, and not pay a dime more than their monthly amenity fee - which they pay whether they play golf and swim or not.

They could---anyone could----but the fact that they are currently priority members implies that they have a desire to play CC courses. My response was simply to give them an idea of the price points they are looking at so they are less prone to making a knee jerk decision.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Yes, it is now up on the website-----$260 for pool and $132 for execs, while keeping the $925 for a couple the same. It's a nice "a la carte" menu, just like Ruth Chris or Morton's. I'll take the baked potato for an extra $18

Wow - looks like they added a 1 month election to all categories - trail pass, priority golf, pool, tenis. etc. This is great news for renters !

[drcar]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

So it'll cost us $1000 a year for hubby to be able to play golf at reduced rates and for both of us to be able to use the country club pools. And hubby will still have to pay for the golf game itself.

We're fine with him having to pay trail fees for the executive courses, he walks those most of the time anyway.

They should at least toss in free pool access to employees who sign up for priority membership.

"toss in pool access to employees"

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Maybe, but sounds a bit convoluted. A pool attendant gets a golf discount as it is. They do not have to be priority members, just get 1/2 price on the applicable category of greens fees. An ambassador getting a pool discount? Maybe, but like all of us there are 108 other pools to choose from, they don't have to be priority members. It is usually a slippery slope when we start making a lot of exceptions-----what about discounts for veterans? those with disabilities? mentally ill? Ukranian refugees? Red Sox fans (no , wait, that IS a disability , no, I meant mental illness). Sooner or later, it becomes like the IRS tax code.

Pool attendants don't get to use the pool at all unless they pay full price for pool privileges.

I'm not talking about discounts for other demographics of the population. I'm talking about employee discounts for employees, whatever their status, making use of the property in which they work. If you're employed by the country club, you should get discounts on all of the things the paying customers get to pay for.

When I worked for Staples as a cashier, I didn't get a discount ONLY at things that were near the cash register. I got discounts on every item the store sold. When I worked for a supermarket that actually gave discounts to employees (that is amazingly rare), I got a discount on ALL store-brand products. Not just the products in the aisle I was assigned to work.

At the shoe store when I was a kid, I got a discount on ALL shoes and accessories sold in the store. Socks, laces, whatever customers could buy, I could buy too - at a discount.

That is the nature of customer-driven employment. The only exceptions would be pharmaceuticals, alcohol and tobacco, which have certain federal regulations.

[collie1228]

Not a great assumption. The $17.00 per round priority discount is only on the (highest) Winter rates. While we haven't seen the Summer rates yet for 2022, if history repeats itself, the savings per round will be considerably less than $17.00 per round. You can look it up.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by collie1228

Not a great assumption. The $17.00 per round priority discount is only on the (highest) Winter rates. While we haven't seen the Summer rates yet for 2022, if history repeats itself, the savings per round will be considerably less than $17.00 per round. You can look it up.

I do realize that, it's not my first rodeo. Last year the summer difference was $11, but even if we average the savings to $14 it reduces the savings to $2912 less the 1409 still equals $1503 in yearly savings, so the concept remains quite valid.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I never understood why people wanted to pay for a priority pool membership and I’m a status snob , who at 83 is still shopping at Hugo Boss and Amani for clothes and the more expensive the restaurant, the more I want to be there lol

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by drcar

Trail fee and pool WILL not be included in in your renewal, if you wanted those it would be extra.

Agree, pool and trail fee were included. I would hope that this portion of the priority fee should be taken out of the cost. I do not have the bill but suspect that it was around $200.

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by collie1228

Wow, I'm pretty much in shock over The Villages new pricing of priority golf. I paid $925 (plus tax) last year for the twelve-month priority package for a couple, which included priority pools and executive trail fees. Now, the new priority rates has stayed the same, but no longer includes priority pools or trail fees. This is a price increase of $332.00 ($132 for the trail fee plus $200 for priority pools). I had expected the priority golf rate to decrease substantially, since it will now includes a lot less value. How naive am I? Needless to say I won't be renewing my priority golf when it expires on July first. It's value has gone to less than zero for me.

And it was described as an "enhancement"