If the developer really wanted to build the executive courses, I think he could have found a way.

Instead of building golf courses in this area, they built houses. If the developer built houses where volusia, escambia, and okeechobee are, there would be no room for a golf course.

How much more space would it have taken to turn Richmond or Mickylee into executives? Twice as much land?

If you gave me $500,000, I could find the space for 2 executive courses.

The other thing about the centralized mail boxes, in a community like the Villages, it is a social experience getting your mail. The Villages is all about the experiences - and getting your mail, is an experience for many.

The developer is literally in the business of building and selling houses, not building golf courses. They need a minimum density of housing - profit is the definition of capitalism.

Plus, they dont need the courses for the water management, there is a lot of wetlands between turnpike and 44

They are built surrounding the old landfill and under the high tension power lines... No one would buy a house there...

Once again, it's more than just the land. There are the roads, the turnpike, the wetlands... They all play into where they can build.

If you actually looked at where they built houses in all of the places you listed, you would see (especially NE of the turnpike and east of Morse) that the homes are built on a skinny, long swath of land.

It is simply not feasible to put courses there.

If you actually look at Richmond, you would see that they kept THREE HUGE undeveloped areas of wetlands, and lakes... The houses are split into two relatively small sections, divided nature. You want them to fill that in and build a golf course? Then you would have people screaming that they are destroying nature!

Every time I drive over the Water Lily bridge and go thru Marsh Bend and Fenney, along with Richmond, I'm amazed at what they DIDN'T develop...

Look at the lowlands course. Look at how much land they had to use to fit that course in

St Johns is tiny, and it is bordered by Meggison, wetlands and a MASSIVE lake... Where in god's green earth do you think they could fit in a course there?

There is a HUGE preserve in the middle of Marsh Bend. They had to build everything around it, severely limiting the # of homes they could build.

You may THINK you could. But you don't have access to the water tables, the soil composition, nor anything else that goes into actually building a housing development...

Exactly. When I live in Columbia, MD, we had a central mailbox in the middle of our cul de sac. It was a meeting place and people would hang out there, talking to the neighbors...

I think he is the business of building houses and amenities including golf courses. “Free golf for life” was what they advertised!

How many people would have moved here if we didn’t have free golf? And free golf implies that there will be enough holes to support the population. You can’t just build one executive course for a population of 140,000 and say you have free golf.

And if you have 11 villages, I think you have the minimum population density to build a course.

In Osceola Hills, many people use the mail station for their dogs to crap.

I guess that bothered some people, so in the newer areas like St. Cats and DeLuna, dogs are not allowed in the postal station or in the recreation area.

That is what they said about houses near the turnpike and the houses near the power lines. Check out Richmond, Newell, and Citrus Grove. The houses sold.

None of them are built on a landfill...

And I didn't say "near" the power lines. Those courses run directly UNDER the power lines...

Are you aware of the courses are being put in on the other side of the Turnpike?

Volusia runs under power lines?? And the other two courses are not directly under the power lines - they are built next to the power lines. I don’t think you can put a course in the right of way. It is true that you have to walk under the lines to get to some holes but the courses are not under the power lines. In Citrus Grove, houses are adjacent to the power lines. I think it is better to build golf courses next to power lines and turnpikes instead of building houses.

And you never told us how much more space it would have taken to turn two 18 hole pitch and putts into executive courses.

The houses in Citrus Grove are nowhere near as close to the power lines as the holes on Volusia... My buddy lives off of Moyer Loop. His neighbor, across the street backs up to one of the hols on Volusia. You have to got PAST the golf course to get to the power lines... It's a pretty big buffer...

But sure... Keep beating that drum...

And people are already bitchin' about Southern Oaks being built too close to the turnpike. The traffic noise disturbs their concentration...

How do you expect all the Village golfers to win another green jacket with all the turnpike noise?:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Especially, since most of them ar half deaf anyhow...

Hell, my cursing drowns out any traffic noise in the area...

I never cared for gang mailboxes but I have mellowed with age. I actually prefer the gang mailboxes for one reason. They are more secure.

That’s the only reason i play southern oaks - built in excuse. I almost broke 80, but the noise on the turnpike messed up my concentration.

We got a cluster mailbox at our new house up north in the early 90s. I was expecting one at the end of my driveway. They said it's in an urban development. Then I called later and asked why my mail didn't arrive until late evening. They said it's a rural delivery route and they try to get the mail there before dark (9pm in the summer). Meanwhile, older houses in the same county get their mail dropped through a slot on their front door and it lands on their living room floor at 10am.

when the turnpike is off my left shoulder I play a trap-draw, into the wind blast from the semis,
and when it is off my right shoulder I play my kiss-cut-fade for the same reason.

And that, my friends, is how I break 100 on Southern Oaks.

It's really not a problem if you have all the shots.