To the Editor:
Closing and/rebuilding courses is only half the solution. The entire management structure has to be rebuilt as well. You can say what you want about all the other activities available in The Villages, the very existence of The Villages was advertised, promoted and expanded on the promise of golf. That promise has been broken, several times over.
It is very obvious that the golf management system has no idea what they are doing, nor do they care. Aside from changing their attitude, priorities must change. One area that severely must change is the golf “ranger/marshal” system. Notice I did not say “ambassador.” Golf rangers must be allowed to address the lack of repairing ball marks, divot repairing and sand raking, etc., WITHOUT fear of repercussions from management. It is obvious that, from lack of enforcement, many golfers are not voluntarily “taking care of their own property.”
Don’t forget, we all own these courses (except for the championship courses, of course). Let the ambassadors roam on the championship courses, and help sell homes. We need rangers doing what is necessary to maintain the property we all bought into. If someone doesn’t like being told what to do, then I say goodbye and good riddance, I don’t want you on my property destroying it.
Thomas Ochal
Village of Santo Domingo
