DGS49
Diamond Member
I took up golf at age 50, and am now 76. I never got good at it, despite a lot of time and effort spent in the attempt. I got my wife involved shortly after I did, because I didn't want to turn her into a golf widow, and she didn't want to. We both consider golf to be a part of our lives, and in fact are "vacationing" for the months of February and March in The Villages, Florida, which is formally described as a "golf community," where the primary means of transportation is the golf cart.
I do not particularly like golfing in Florida, and even less so at the Villages. "Executing Golf" is the universal hobby here (followed by Pickle-freaking-Ball, which I abhor). There are more than fifty "executive" courses here, which are "free" to play. All you have to do to play them is to arrange a tee time on line, in advance. FWIW, Daylight Savings Time is a boon to golf here in the Villages, adding a couple potential rounds per day to all the courses.
The Executive courses are basically par-3 courses with an occasional long par 3 or a short par 4 in the mix. With a little bit of cynicism, I say that there is no actual grass on those Executive courses. They have green vegetation that lays flat on the ground and looks like grass, but any shots from that playing surface are essentially being hit off of dirt. The greens get so much play that they play like linoleum - with bumps.
Parenthetically, The Villages also offers a dozen or so "Championship" courses, the greens fees for which are too high for me, even with our guest registration.
I don't keep score when I play the Executive courses. I mark an "X" on the scorecard for each hole, unless I get a Par or Birdie, which I mark with a P or B. If I kept score I would be seriously aggravated, which defeats the purpose.
To be clear, ALL golf is good, but on a scale of 10 to 1, the Executive courses rate about a 3.5...the best ones maybe 5.
In order not to get too bothered with the Executive courses, once a week we go "off the reservation" and play an 18-hole "Championship" course in the area. We did that today. On a verbal recommendation from a couple we played with, we went to a course called, "Harbor Hills." The ambient conditions, as they say, were oppressive. 90 degrees in the shade. So as soon as I showed up at the clubhouse, 45 minutes before our scheduled time, we were welcome to head off to the first tee and start our round. We played 18 holes at our own relaxed pace, with nobody ahead of us or behind. The course was physically beautiful and very well laid out and maintained. On the aforementioned scale of 10-to-1, this one was a 10.
The course was designed around a posh residential neighborhood, with spectacular residences and landscaping throughout.
Golf is good.
I do not particularly like golfing in Florida, and even less so at the Villages. "Executing Golf" is the universal hobby here (followed by Pickle-freaking-Ball, which I abhor). There are more than fifty "executive" courses here, which are "free" to play. All you have to do to play them is to arrange a tee time on line, in advance. FWIW, Daylight Savings Time is a boon to golf here in the Villages, adding a couple potential rounds per day to all the courses.
The Executive courses are basically par-3 courses with an occasional long par 3 or a short par 4 in the mix. With a little bit of cynicism, I say that there is no actual grass on those Executive courses. They have green vegetation that lays flat on the ground and looks like grass, but any shots from that playing surface are essentially being hit off of dirt. The greens get so much play that they play like linoleum - with bumps.
Parenthetically, The Villages also offers a dozen or so "Championship" courses, the greens fees for which are too high for me, even with our guest registration.
I don't keep score when I play the Executive courses. I mark an "X" on the scorecard for each hole, unless I get a Par or Birdie, which I mark with a P or B. If I kept score I would be seriously aggravated, which defeats the purpose.
To be clear, ALL golf is good, but on a scale of 10 to 1, the Executive courses rate about a 3.5...the best ones maybe 5.
In order not to get too bothered with the Executive courses, once a week we go "off the reservation" and play an 18-hole "Championship" course in the area. We did that today. On a verbal recommendation from a couple we played with, we went to a course called, "Harbor Hills." The ambient conditions, as they say, were oppressive. 90 degrees in the shade. So as soon as I showed up at the clubhouse, 45 minutes before our scheduled time, we were welcome to head off to the first tee and start our round. We played 18 holes at our own relaxed pace, with nobody ahead of us or behind. The course was physically beautiful and very well laid out and maintained. On the aforementioned scale of 10-to-1, this one was a 10.
The course was designed around a posh residential neighborhood, with spectacular residences and landscaping throughout.
Golf is good.
