[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by John_W

The championship courses are owned by TV, the green fees pay for their upkeep and profit, if you don't golf you don't pay a dime. The executives are own by the community, your CDD owns them and they're are one of the free amenities that you enjoy as a resident of the TV.

There is no such thing as free. We pay for the golf courses through the amenity fees. I think all golf courses should be privately owned and the golfers pay fees to maintain the course. I don't play golf, never have and never will, so why should I have to pay for their upkeep.

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Number 10 GI

There is no such thing as free. We pay for the golf courses through the amenity fees. I think all golf courses should be privately owned and the golfers pay fees to maintain the course. I don't play golf, never have and never will, so why should I have to pay for their upkeep.

I don't play softball, why should I have to pay for the field maintenance?

I don't play pickelball, why should I have to pay for the court maintenance?

I don't play basketball, why should I pay for the court maintenance?

I don't shoot air guns or do archery, why should I have to pay for the range maintenance?

I don't use the rec centers, why should I have to pay for the maintenance, upkeep, utilities, and staffing?

The list goes on and on, take your pick. The bottom line is that it is a package deal for the amenities, you don't pick and choose and pay for things piecemeal. If it was piecemealed, you couldn't afford to live here and there would be very few amenities.

[Goldwingnut]

The fitness centers are a separate budget and operating entity from the rest of the amenities. They are run by the Parks and Recreation Department, but they are not funded from amenity fees, they are funded by the users of the facilities. As said previously, they have different staffing requirements and operating requirements than the other amenities.

Does anyone really believe that there would be sufficient utilization after 8 PM or at 5 in the morning to justify the staffing costs? Except for at the town squares, they roll up the sidewalks around here 30 minutes after sun goes down.

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

The fitness centers are a separate budget and operating entity from the rest of the amenities. They are run by the Parks and Recreation Department, but they are not funded from amenity fees, they are funded by the users of the facilities. As said previously, they have different staffing requirements and operating requirements than the other amenities.

Does anyone really believe that there would be sufficient utilization after 8 PM or at 5 in the morning to justify the staffing costs? Except for at the town squares, they roll up the sidewalks around here 30 minutes after sun goes down.

No one said anything about hours. The rec centers could continue to operate as they currently do just start accepting silver sneakers for those who are eligible instead of charging residents.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

No one said anything about hours. The rec centers could continue to operate as they currently do just start accepting silver sneakers for those who are eligible instead of charging residents.

How could that happen..... we're talking a place where people lined up at 3 a.m. to get a FREE pineapple when Sweetbay opened in LSL.

Anything FREE tickles me!

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

No one said anything about hours. The rec centers could continue to operate as they currently do just start accepting silver sneakers for those who are eligible instead of charging residents.

I think, if The Villages accepted Silver Sneakers, the Medicare advantage plans would be paying money to The Villages for that benefit. And, The Villages would be required to allow non-residents to use the fitness centers, because they would need to provide the benefit to anyone who subscribed to the Medicare advantage plans that included Silver Sneakers. This would also discriminate against people under 65.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by oldtimes

A lot of people don’t golf but still have to pay for the course maintenance

I think both of them are getting used to it and I saw one taking lessons at Arnold Palmer.

[CWGUY]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I think both of them are getting used to it and I saw one taking lessons at Arnold Palmer.

Thanks for the chuckle.

[Rwirish]

MVP is a private gym. Why would you be surprised a company charges a fee?

[banjobob]

Because you live in The Villages and the fees are paid by all. Does not matter if you use them or not ,those of us that do enjoy them thank you for not using a tee time.

[Kevin Knussman]

I agree. It would be nice to include the rec center weight and cardio as part of the amenities. The fees are about the same as the private club fees with smaller facilities. Still I use the one at Mulberry. The staff is most pleasant and it is convenient.
I agree that at least the adults only pools could be open extended hours perhaps on occasion. Having a few pools open late probably wouldn’t be a budget buster.
But as a recently arrived resident I am having a blast. What a wonderful place to live.

[Buckeye Bleau]

Originally Posted by Vikingjunior

First off I have a free membership through insurance at MVP. What I find odd is there are actual membership fees for rec center fitness. Not only fees but fees that are inline or more than big name gyms. Some gyms that are 24/7 and 4x the size of rec center gyms are actually cheaper than our rec center gyms. I personally don't mind paying for things but I don't like being overcharged. I also find it odd that our rec center gyms don't accept any insurance like so many other gyms do.

Actually TV might be the only retirement community that actually charges extra on top of amenity fees for its fitness room.

Don't get me wrong I'm blessed and fortunate to be living in TV and not actually complaining but merely trying to understand the justification of rec center membership fees. Surely there is some explanation. Have a great day!

All this is well said but you elude to your own solution.

TV has some of the lowest HOA fees that I have found. When I visited OTOW and Del Webb I found those fees to be $350 to over $500 per month. Yes they have free gym equipment use.
Let us all get together and go to TV management and ask them to charge everyone here another $60 per month, then you can get you workout 1/2 price, those of us that don’t use it will pay the rest for you.
Oh while we are there, I hold, so let us demand that they collect another $100 per month per resident for free golf everywhere, I don’t mind, this would help me and the community needs to subsidize my activity too.

Come on people we have a bargain, we get great value and yes you could get a lot more but it has to be paid gor. How much do you want to spend?

[J1ceasar]

It's only an excessive fee if nobody uses it like you but just imagine if we didn't have golf courses or fitness centers I guarantee you half the people in The villages never use a golf course or 90% of what's available but you need it for resale. And by the way there are retirement communities in Leesburg with indoor pools as there are in Orlando as well so la vida is one of them in Orlando and there are several on route 27 that have indoor pools. By the way pools are one of the biggest expenses any community can have because of the maintenance and electrical costs and insurance

[J1ceasar]

You're very right and less and less people play golf every year as well as you'll notice tennis. But the fact of the matter is you need golf courses tennis pools and gyms as well as someone to run the activities if you want to have a true community. This all helps in resale because whether or not you do something the next buyer of your home wants these facilities to be there

[J1ceasar]

You always did not check out the other dozen communities in Leesburg that are much cheaper than villages. There are some communities that pay $160 a month for HOA fees. There are some that pay more I live in Pembroke four miles down the road and pay $250 and this is what I get included. Grass cutting, golf course, a gym, two pools, and HOA a management company, we also get internet service 300 MBS, and cable. The last two save us about $100 a month over probably what you're paying. Yes golf can cost more what about 70% of the people do not play golf in any community. Oh and by the way how homes cost 30- 50% less than your homes by the SQ foot . And I bet we have a lot less type A personalities driving around thinking they're entitled because they live in The villages.