Innovations
- Rental Property in the Villages, Florida
The 18th green at Tierra Del Sol, one of the nine
country club golf courses at The Villages
As a master planned retirement community, The Villages
offers numerous forms of recreation. The majority
of the costs are paid for via the monthly amenities
fee assessed to residents
Golf courses
Further information: List of golf courses in The
Villages
The centerpiece of The Villages is its numerous assortment
of golf courses. The ability to play "Free Golf
for Life" is a key component of The Villages
advertising campaigns (though technically the statement
is inaccurate as the costs are covered by the mandatory
monthly amenity fees assessed on each residential
lot). As of June 2012, The Villages operates 39 courses.
The majority (32) of the courses[40] are executive
golf courses, all of which are 9-hole layouts. It
is these courses at which residents of The Villages
can play "free golf for life" (i.e., no
green fees) and can walk the courses for free as well;
fees are charged for riding a golf cart on the courses.
These courses are owned by the Villages residents
and managed by the Villages Community Center Development
District (VCDD)
The remaining 12 courses are country club championship
courses.[42] Among notable course architects are Arnold
Palmer and Nancy Lopez. The Orange Blossom Hills and
Tierra Del Sol clubs are 18-hole layouts; the other
eight clubs are 27-hole layouts. Residents of The
Villages are automatically members of these clubs;
however, unlike the executive courses residents must
pay green fees to play the courses and the clubs charge
for priority tee times. These championship courses
are owned by the Villages Developer and through an
agreement with the VCDD, are managed by that entity.
On October 15, 2013, The Villages officially opened
executive courses Sweetgum and Mangrove.The most recent
championship course (Belle Glade) was opened for public
play on November 26, 2014.
By final buildout, The Villages will operate 12 country-club
championship courses (the last two will be 27-hole
layouts; there are no plans to expand Orange Blossom
Hills or Tierra Del Sol beyond their existing 18-hole
layouts) and 35 9-hole executive golf courses, for
a total of 621 holes of golf.
The Villages also operates a golf instruction academy
for all skill levels.
Recreation centers
In addition, The Villages operates numerous recreation
centers. There are three classes of centers (the number
shown are as of March 2011 and are based on the types
of swimming pools offered):
"Neighborhood Centers" (32; these centers
offer local adult-only pools as well as bocce, horseshoe,
and shuffleboard courts)
"Village Centers" (17; these centers offer
family pools (except for Silverlake, which has no
pool), facilities with billiard meeting rooms and
full kitchens, bocce, horseshoe, and shuffleboard
courts, plus tennis and pickleball courts)
"Regional Centers" (eight; these centers
offer resident-only sports pools (except for Paradise,
which offers a family pool), larger venues with stages
for theatrical and musical productions, and many of
the same features as the village centers; all but
two also operate fitness centers for which a membership
must be purchased)
The Villages operates 11 parks, dog parks, and fitness
trails, which are separate from the recreation centers.
Other activities
Beyond the golf courses and recreation centers, The
Villages also operates numerous softball fields, a
polo stadium (The Villages Polo Stadium), and a woodworking
shop, plus the Lifelong Learning College. The newest
softball complex, Soaring Eagle, opened on January
16, 2015.
Nightly activities are held in The Villages three
town squares, Lake Sumter Landing's Market Square
and Spanish Springs Town Square. A third town square,
Brownwood Paddock Square, opened on October 12, 2012.