After weeks of complaints from frustrated residents, golf officials in The Villages had a chance to answer some hard questions about the condition of the courses in The Villages.
Executive Director of Golf Operations David Williams and Executive Director of Golf Maintenance Mitch Leininger both took to the podium Wednesday morning to answer pointed questions from residents during the Amenity Authority Committee meeting at Savannah Center.
Both men presented Power Point presentations to explain golf operations and the challenges being faced.
Williams has worked in golf for 20 years in The Villages. Most of his years were spent at the Developer-owned Cane Garden Championship Course. Last year, a major changed moved all golf employees over to the District payroll and Williams assumed a new title under the District’s new lineup.
Williams pointed out that there are now 57 golf courses in The Villages – 44 executive courses and 13 championship courses. There are also four putt and play courses and 48 practice greens. Millions of rounds of golf are played each year in The Villages.
He said there are 1,000 people who work in the golf and tennis operation. Most are part-timers and most of them are residents.
“They are very dedicated,” Williams said.
Leininger listed a number of challenges faced in golf course maintenance including, weather, aging courses, labor contracts and the quality of irrigation.
Property Owners Association of The Villages President Cliff Wiener pushed Leininger on the topic of overseeding. Leininger admitted the practice of overseeding in the winter has been abandoned in part because it required a lot of water.
He said four courses are currently closed for rest and rehabilitation. They are:
• Bacall
• Bonita Pass
• Pelican
• Redfish Run
Residents attending the AAC meeting appeared to be receptive to the information. However, they said the lack of communication on what has become the hottest topic in The Villages, made the problem even worse.
“What is frustrating is probably the lack of information,” said Villager Joe Heffernan. “I think you need to acknowledge courses are not in great condition.”