[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Robyn1963

While making your decision take a look at my YouTube video about Golfing in The Villages Golfing in The Villages FL | Executive Courses - YouTube

I am a realtor and would love to help find your perfect home.

Thanks. She was a hoot.

[DecaturFargo]

If you choose a golf course home, please embrace the golfers, when their ball comes into your yard, and not getting made at holfers or putting up no trespassing signs. Never understood why owners on holf courses get mad at golfers. What did thet expect?

[Cpusch53]

I have a house for sale 230770 on the Villages site. It is water view and corner cul de sac. Has great privacy and a wonderful view and I played with my 2 dogs in the cul de sac side as well as put their wading pool out there. Can throw a ball and play. Not buggy , no issue with critters, great neighbors. Sounds like exactly what you are looking for. Close to pool and mailboxes. Ready to move in

[La lamy]

I LOVE my waterview with gorgeous sunrises. What an awesome way to greet the day! It's a perfect size lake where I can see the houses all around which makes me feel part of a community, yet far enough that I don't feel we are checking each other out. I haven't seen any alligators in it yet, but LOTS of beautiful birds, ducks, turtles and jumping fish. Total delight.

[Villagesgal]

I have lived on a championship course with water view for 20 years now; the Talley Ho course,
and even after 20 years I have never gotten tired of the beautiful view. Championship courses are not crowded with players like executive courses. They seem to mow on days the course is closed and around 9 or 10 a.m. so that's not a problem. The golfers are great, often waving and saying hello if I'm outside. Rarely hear swearing, no more or less bugs than anywhere else in the Villages. My lot will never have apartments near, too many lakes, no room for a street or houses or apartments. I think most who say they would never live on a golf course can't afford a championship course. You'll see that they seldom come up for resale. People love living on championship courses because of their privacy. I wouldn't buy next to the club house because that's not the view I want, wouldn't buy next to or near a community center either, again, not the view I want. Definitely consider buying on a championship course, 20 years from now you'll still be happy you did.

[merrymini]

I live on a championship course with the most glorious sunsets. But there are golfers, because, it is a golf course. Most are good but the rare few are just plain stupid. They know better than to go on private property but do it anyway. It has nothing to do with living there, they just can disregard the rules. No golf cart trail, which makes a significant difference. Do not live near a pickle ball court! They start before dawn and go all day, so unless you like the sound of “ping ping ping,” I would stay away. The prairies and large bodies of water are very nice with wildlife but a little buggy. Small ponds can dry up and your water view can disappear. So, like everything, everything has it pro and cons, you have to decide what you can live with. One thing is certain, a premium lot is a definite advantage.

[MKDiva]

I live on a championship golf course and the cart path is far away from my house. My house is in the very back of my neighborhood and it’s very quiet. There is a big difference between championships and executives. Even if someone started out at 7 am it would take them hours to get to the hole I’m on so no issue with that. I love watching the sandhill cranes and other birds walk by everyday. Also the championship courses have much fewer people on them. Many days I see no one in summer. Once in a great while I’ll hear someone mowing. I would never switch to an executive course and I love the oak trees but wouldn’t want those around my house for many reasons. From safety to mess to small dogs getting attacked. Sons dog got scooped up and killed by an owl. Hope that helps.

[kbogli]

What sold us on our home was the conservation area across the back, no homes behind us at all.nice and private and what a view of lots of plants, flowers and the other side of the area is all big oak trees. We feel like we live in the country! We have no problem with bugs, sometimes the frogs get a little loud we get lots of visits by all kinds of birds, even the cranes come sometimes. We don't have pets but do have grands that visit so a water view would be out because of the gators! We turned down a home that was on the golf course because of the lack of privacy.

[coleprice]

Originally Posted by 123marcel

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

Our house backs up to a Nature Preserve and we love it. We have no problems with alligators or bugs, although a shy tortoise occasionally visits our yard. We love the privacy and enjoy seeing different birds, including Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Sandhill Cranes that visit the preserve.

[jgmroc67]

We lived on a golf course for 7 years. we even had a golf club lodged in the upper branches of a tree on our property for a while! Yes, the machinery noise starts around 5am...but over time I trained myself to immediately go back to sleep....so that was not the reason I will never live on a golf course again. People don’t think about the fact that they spray pesticides three or four times a year. And during those days, for a day or two, I couldn’t go in my backyard. I felt like my throat was closing/or had a slight sore throat. Pesticides may not hurt the golfer while they’re on the course for a couple of hours but breathing that for 24 to 36 hours is definitely not good for you.

Oops...almost forgot: 2 dents in the siding & 1 broken patio light fixture from wayward golf balls. The light fixture golfer owned up .....the dent-ers did not.

[Kgcetm]

We love living on the golf course. Our lanai has a cage so no bugs. Alligators are in every pond in the villages. If they’re not there, they will be. Get used to it. Walking your dog on the golf course is prohibited and enforced.

And we have alligators not crocodiles. You should know the difference.

[OhioBuckeye]

Originally Posted by 123marcel

I have rented for years. I am thinking I should drink the Kool Aid already! So...
I would love to be able to look out one side of my house and NOT see my friendly neighbor watching TV through the window. I would prefer nature or openness of some kind...

a) I think water would have the problem of bugs and or bigger creatures? (I'm a dog person. My dog is big but as I get older might opt for one easy to pick up. So NO CROCS PLEASE!)

b) I think golf course would be nice. I heard they mow the grass at sun up. I sleep until 9-10. I'm retired! You think I'm getting up early!?!

c) Nature preserve - Both bugs and crocs?

d) Fenced properties w/ pebbles instead of grass seems not great for a dog. Also dog clean up might be more unpleasant... I'm not thrilled about limiting my horizon to 20 ft either.

I would love to hear from any long term residents who have lived in these type of situations and can give me feedback. And/or suggest another way to have some nature around my home?

Thanks for your time!
Be safe!
M

What you want, be prepared to spend a lot more money to live by a pond, lake or wildlife area! You’ll pay 75 to at least $100,000. more to get what you want. I know someone will answer this & tell me I’m way off, so price another home yourself. You will pay a lot more for what you’re asking for. Then again money might not be an issue for you!

[pennywin]

Not sure just how much space you want between houses. We purchased at the end of a cul de sac on a pie shape lot
and I feel we have adequate space between houses.

[zendog3]

Our first house was a villa with a west facing view of a golf course with a pond. The villa had a picket fence which was great for our two dogs. Just let them out, they do their thing, you pick up the poop once a day. The garage was the only down-side so we moved to a larger house with a west facing view of a golf course and a bigger pond. Now, I have to walk the dogs twice a day, and pick up the poop.
I am blessed to be able to pay the $100,000 premium for the view. If you can afford it, definitely go for it. Here are some hints:
1. Don't worry about gators or bugs. Bugs (on a golf course) are not a problem. You have to keep your dog on a leash at all times anyway. Just stay away from the haters. They will not attack you.
2. I am typing this sitting on my patio with my coffee and the morning paper. The third tee of Pensacola is about 20 yards from where I sit. If I notice the carts driving up and the golfers teeing off at all, I am only curious how many of them can hit across the water. The golfers don't bother me. They are a form of entertainment.
3. Get a west-facing view. Sunsets are spectacular.

[dtennent]

a Few comments
1)We live on a nature corridor that is essentially a canal. While it is a drain basin for the storm run off and the water level does go up and down, it is never completely dry. The powers that be seem to manage the water level so that during hurricanes, it doesn't flood nor does it go completely dry in other times. We have hawks, osprey, kingfishers, egrets, great blue herons, little blue herons, tricolored herons, wood storks, blue birds, occasional white pelican, alligators and even saw a river otter once. Bottom line is we love it.
2) We only have mosquitoes once in a great while - must spray for those at night.
3) The back of our house has a plank fencing with some wire at the bottom to discourage the gators. Everything around it is grass.
4) We did pay a premium and with today's prices you are looking at least $100,000 over an inside lot.
5) Being a golfer, I have "read" about folks slicing the ball into houses. Would stay away from the right side of fairways and probably away from the executive courses.
6) We don't usually let our dog off the leash. We do walk around our village and go to park areas near us for our pooch.
7) Space between houses is usually pretty small though you can buy places with more land. These will also have higher bonds as well. While I wanted a 100 acres of land when I was young, today I am happy with 100 sq. ft of lawn. Okay, Okay, it is a bit more than that but you get the idea. Good luck and have fun in your search!