[Goldwingnut]

Many have heard about and read about on the other website that the trail fees are going up for executive golf. It's time to set the record straight, to clear up the misinformation. They are not going up.

I'm the Chairman of the PWAC, I was in the meeting when trail fees were discussed, I know what was said and what wasn't said. Many of you know me for my videos and many for my writings on this website, I deal in FACTS and I check my opinions at the door unless I'm actually trying to express my opinion on the topic. I love the community we live in but also know it's not perfect and I'm not afraid to say, even if I upset the developer.

Here goes.

Last year when dealing with the budgets for Amenities it was discussed by the PWAC that when someone purchases a Priority Membership for the Championship courses the trail fees for the Executive courses is included and the Amenity Fund is reimbursed for the trail fees. This in itself was not news to any of the PWAC members, what was news was that the Executive course trail fee was only reimbursed 75%. The PWAC members questioned why this was the case and what are we, the residents, gaining in return. The response was basically "it's always been that way" and "nothing". Neither answer was acceptable.

At the budget workshop held March 24th the issue was brought up again and we (PWAC) all agreed that full reimbursement by the developer was required, and no discount was justified.

We (the PWAC members) lost track of this when the proposed budget was reviewed at the May 10th meeting, and the District Staff never mentioned the topic either (convenient or coincidence?).

At the June 3rd PWAC meeting when the final review and approval was happening, I brought up about the subject of the trail fee reimbursement. Only then were we informed by the District Staff that they were still "looking into it" and that they realized that it had been 15 years since the trail fee rate had been adjusted and that staff was reviewing the current rate.

There was some additional discussion about the rate and the PWAC members expressed their objections to the discount being given the developer. At no time did anyone state that the fee needed to be or should be raised, not the PWAC, not District Staff. The first time a statement was made about raising the rate was on the other website, once again looking to stir up discontent in our community.

At today's CDD7 meeting, I was there, one board member, taking his ques for the other website, went down the trail about a possible trail fee increase with less than all the information. Creating additional click-bait for that other website. District Staff tried to clear up the information, but the board was on a roll and wouldn't listen. The board chairman, who serves on PWAC, was fully aware of all that I've written here and yet failed to step in and squelch the fear mongering by the other two board members or try to set the record straight.

Bottom line is that there currently is no plan to raise the trail fee.

As a District Supervisor and PWAC member I have and take very seriously the responsibility of looking out for the resident's best interest.

My pledge to you, the residents, is that before this budget is approved at the September meeting, either the developer will be reimbursing 100% of the trail fee for the Priority Memberships or they will not receive the Executive course trail fee privilege. How the developer decides to accomplish this is their responsibility, not the residents of The Villages. I see them having 3 possibilities - they can eat the additional cost, they can raise the Priority Membership fee to cover the cost, or they can drop the inclusion of the Executive golf trail fees from their offering.

This is not an attempt to target those residents who've decided to purchase the Priority Membership at the Championship courses, this is simply requiring full restitution by the developer for those services being provided.

Before ever considering adjusting the trail fees we will first recover the funds for the unjustified discount being taken on the Priority Memberships and then a full accounting and justification will have to be made of the current fee structure and associated costs. There is no desire to raise the Trail Fee by the PWAC.

One last thing, these trail fees are paid to the SLAD and RAD funds as part of the revenue stream used to cover the amenity operating costs, this does not, contrary to what some believe, go to the developer.

I hope that this will put to rest the angst many have on this topic. Your District Supervisors are looking out for the resident's best interest.

[Papa_lecki]

Doesn't it make sense that priority members probably play fewer rounds on the executive courses (because they are playing championships), so maybe shouldn’t reimburse 100%.
No one pays the priority memberships for the trail fee alone.

[l2ridehd]

There is a valid reason it’s only 75%. And it could be argued it should be less. When people buy priority membership it’s because the play mostly championship courses. The original plan was to split them and then it becomes optional. Doing that meant only about 30% of those folks would pay the trail fee. So it was a win for the district to get 75% included. And then they were forced to join even though the amount of executives played was low.

So be careful what you wish for. If they made it 100% and split it out, most would never buy it. If I was given a choice I would not buy it but pay the $4 every time I played. Cost me under $40 a year. So I would argue 75% is to much. Should be split out or 50%.

[golfing eagles]

I am forced to agree with those that have already responded. I have been a resident and priority member for 7 years, and in that time have played executive courses exactly 4 times. So, if my numbers are correct, exec courses have received 75% of $140/year=$105/yr=$735 from me in 7 years. If the trail fee were split off, I would decline and the exec courses would have received $16 from me instead. Beware yet another crusade against the "greedy developers", they are only the middlemen in this case, you will be trying to extort more money from priority golfers, your neighbors, and it is highly likely to backfire. If you think exec course conditions are bad now, see what happens if you pull say $500,000 out of their budget.

[Laker14]

What does it currently cost for a resident to buy the seasonal pass for the trail fees?

Is one subject to a trail fee if one walks the course?

[golfing eagles]

And another point: The exec trail fee hasn't changed in the 7 years I've been here. Can you say the same about the champ courses? So who is subsidizing whom????? To stay in line with the price increase at the champ courses, the trail fee should go to $6

[PoolBrews]

To add to the above - if you have a spouse that only plays executives once in a while, it ends up costing an individual far more for the trail fee total. Although you "get" the trail fee included in the priority, you then have to pay for a full single trail fee for your spouse. The supposed savings don't end up being that much.

Once I pay for a priority membership, I should be able to get the trail fee for my spouse for the difference from a single to a couple trail fee membership.

Based on this, the 75% is most likely a good deal for the executive courses.

[blueash]

As every round of golf is entered into the Villages computer system, it should be very easy for their IT team to produce accurate data about how many rounds of executive golf the average priority golfer plays in a year. We have read here from those who do not play any or many a year, but clearly there are many who do play executive golf rounds. The IT team can also produce data on how many rounds the average non-priority golfer who pays with a yearly trail fee plays on the executive courses. This is a starting point for calculating the pay back. It seems obvious to me that someone willing to pay the priority fee is a big fan of golfing. So even if they only play 1/4 of the time on executive courses, their number of rounds on those courses may exceed the average of the casual golfer who pays an executive trail fee only.

[alwann]

If my Priority membership includes the Executive Trail Fee, but I never or rarely play Exec courses, I'm being abused. I would be a much happier camper if the trail fee was not included in the expensive priority membership. I would gladly pay 5 or 6 bucks on the rare occasions I play execs and didn't walk.

[collie1228]

I appreciate your thorough and well thought-out post on this subject. That being said, I am a priority member who plays the championship courses at least twice a week and don't play the executive courses. In fact the last time I played an exec was sometime in 2019. My suggestion to the developer would be to remove the executive trail fee entirely from the priority golf fee, and let each priority member pay it or not, directly. That way it's fair to everyone. I don't want to pay it at all, either directly or through the priority fee.

[blueash]

I appreciate, greatly, that GWN serves us and reports to us regularly. I do, however, wonder about his assertion that

They [trail fees] are not going up.

which he writes without any uncertainty... until he later writes

Bottom line is that there currently is no plan to raise the trail fee.

Which is an absolutely meaningless statement as it fully allows for an increase tomorrow, which is possibly coming if you understand the language GWN quotes:

District Staff that they were still "looking into it" and that they realized that it had been 15 years since the trail fee rate had been adjusted and that staff was reviewing the current rate.

If the District Staff is looking into the current rate that means it could be going up soon. I don't think this is unreasonable if the rate is the same as it was in 2006. I'd support a rate that even paid a living wage and benefits to the hard working people who do the hard work on the courses. But please don't try to argue that the other news site has it wrong in their stories that there is consideration of raising the trail fee as apparently that reporting is accurate

They used these words in their brief June 3rd story:

Trail fees could be hiked at executive golf courses after heavy use during COVID-19
Director of Technology & Board Support Services Brittany Wilson said the trail fees haven’t been raised in 15 years.

District officials noted it will be important to hear from residents on the possibility of raising the trail fees.

That is almost exactly what GWN is reporting here. They did not provide any misinformation as alleged here.

[UpNorth]

I always assumed that these "Trail Fees" were used to maintain the paved golf car paths on the executive courses. However, I've never seen these paved paths "maintained" or in need of repair - ever. Are these "Trail Fees" used to maintain the grass areas of the execs, and, if not, exactly where is this huge revenue stream being used on?

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by blueash

As every round of golf is entered into the Villages computer system, it should be very easy for their IT team to produce accurate data about how many rounds of executive golf the average priority golfer plays in a year. We have read here from those who do not play any or many a year, but clearly there are many who do play executive golf rounds. The IT team can also produce data on how many rounds the average non-priority golfer who pays with a yearly trail fee plays on the executive courses. This is a starting point for calculating the pay back. It seems obvious to me that someone willing to pay the priority fee is a big fan of golfing. So even if they only play 1/4 of the time on executive courses, their number of rounds on those courses may exceed the average of the casual golfer who pays an executive trail fee only.

Excellent point about how the computerization of the system provides thorough data.
Wouldn't the fairest way to solve the issue be to assess how much "trail fee" revenue is needed, divide that by the number of rounds played, and charge that number to each player, per round, as played?
That removes the guessing, the magic, and unfortunately for some, the feeling that they are "getting a deal"...Hey, if you play 150 executive rounds a year, and someone else plays 5, why shouldn't you pay 30 times the fees that the guy who plays 5 rounds pays?

But then, we were told "executive golf is free"....so if it is free, why is there a trail fee at all? As someone else asked, are the trail fees actually used to maintain what they are purported to maintain, or are those fees co-mingled with the funds from the amenity fees for general maintenance ?

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

Many have heard about and read about on the other website that the trail fees are going up for executive golf. It's time to set the record straight, to clear up the misinformation. They are not going up.

I'm the Chairman of the PWAC, I was in the meeting when trail fees were discussed, I know what was said and what wasn't said. Many of you know me for my videos and many for my writings on this website, I deal in FACTS and I check my opinions at the door unless I'm actually trying to express my opinion on the topic. I love the community we live in but also know it's not perfect and I'm not afraid to say, even if I upset the developer.

Here goes.

Last year when dealing with the budgets for Amenities it was discussed by the PWAC that when someone purchases a Priority Membership for the Championship courses the trail fees for the Executive courses is included and the Amenity Fund is reimbursed for the trail fees. This in itself was not news to any of the PWAC members, what was news was that the Executive course trail fee was only reimbursed 75%. The PWAC members questioned why this was the case and what are we, the residents, gaining in return. The response was basically "it's always been that way" and "nothing". Neither answer was acceptable.

At the budget workshop held March 24th the issue was brought up again and we (PWAC) all agreed that full reimbursement by the developer was required, and no discount was justified.

Thanks for the clarification. Those who golf the championship courses should not be subsidized by executive course golfers. No reason for the executive course trail fees to go up.

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Laker14

What does it currently cost for a resident to buy the seasonal pass for the trail fees?

Is one subject to a trail fee if one walks the course?

https://www.golfthevillages.com/exec...railfeeapp.pdf

Also a lot of information here:
Golf The Villages