Is golf really free in The Villages?

The short answer is no, not all golf is free in The Villages. The only free golf is when a resident walks an executive course with their own pull cart or carrying their clubs. The executive courses are the par 3 and 4, nine-hole courses in The Villages. There are over 42 executive courses ranked 1 through 4 in level of difficulty. In addition, there are 12 championship courses which are the 18+ hole courses. I, personally, have never paid for golf in The Villages, but I only walk the executive courses. If you want to drive your golf cart on an executive course, you must pay a trail fee of $142 per year per household. Also, if you want to make a reservation for a tee time online, you will need to pay the extra fee of $8 per month to access www.thevillages.net . There is a free automated telephone system to reserve a tee time but it is difficult to navigate. It is designed to help you choose either a specific course and time OR a course and a time range during the day ONLY 4-7 days in advance. On the day of play you can cell the starter shack directly to see if a time is available. Championship 18+ hole courses are connected to country clubs which require yearly dues to get discounted greens fees. However, any Villager can play a championship course as long as they pay the greens fee for that round of golf. Be aware that there are off-season and off-time discount greens fees to championship courses as well. And remember, a bad day at golf is better than a good day at work!

There are all kinds of golfers here in The Villages, ranging from some who have been playing for years to some who have just taken it up. At any given time and on any course, you will find all levels of players. There are so many fun 9-hole executive courses here. No matter which Village you are in, there will be executive courses near-by. You can rent or borrow clubs, you can rent a pull cart or a golf cart, you can play just a few holes at a time or you can play 2, 9-hole courses back to back!

Are there golf lessons or driving ranges? Yes to both! Most of the Country Clubs have golf pros that give group or private lessons. You would be surprised how many retirees take up golf when they get here and they have to start somewhere! There is one driving range within the borders of The Villages open to those with Villages ID cards. But there are also others outside The Villages, like one near Oxford 301 and 466 as well as in Lady Lake off of Rolling Acres Road. Take a few lessons, practice some swings at the driving range and then hit the closest executive course! Ta da! You're a golfer!