Two years ago my wife Joan and I moved to The Villages Golf and Country Club. These last two years have exceeded our expectations from the day we moved in. We had lived in the Cambrian and Willow Glen area our entire lives. Joan and I raised our daughters in a quiet and friendly little neighborhood in San Jose. Our daughters both went off to college and started their lives in Los Angeles and San Diego. I had just turned fifty-five when Joan and I started looking at different areas throughout Northern California to retire. We were ready for an alternative place to live with an active community.
I found a house on-line through The Villages website and decided to have a look because the golf course really caught my eye. It took us less than three weeks to fall in love with The Villages, and without second guessing our decision we sold our house that we had lived in for thirty-three years and moved into our beautiful new house on the golf course in The Villages.
We were greeted by several encouraging neighbors upon moving in who quickly became great friends. It was very easy to grow close to the people who lived in The Villages since it was only a walk or golf cart ride away to have dinner or drinks together. In just the last year, Joan and I have gone to both Hawaii and Palm Springs with these friends. The active lifestyles and friendships have motivated us to travel and have fun!
The golf course has also been a major part of being active, especially through the men’s club. Between the men’s club events, weekly tournaments on Saturday and Monday’s, the home and home travel golf, and the NCGA competitive events, golf now takes up three to four days a week for me and I am playing with several men’s club members each week. The greatest part of being so involved and dedicated to the sport is that you constantly meet different people and makes every round of golf new and different! I remember the very first tournament I played in was with another villager who was new to The Villages. He immediately became a very good friend and two years later we still continue to play in tournaments together.
Joan was not much of a golfer when we first moved to The Villages. She had golfed with me before of course, but once we moved to The Villages she was able to take a beginning 6-lesson class with our head golf professional and this changed everything for her. We now play together at least once a month and take advantage of the “fun” golf tournaments that are specifically for mixed couples. It is amazing to see between 60-120 golf couples gather for this social tournament.
Another very nice surprise in The Villages is the bistro and restaurant, located on the first hole of the golf course. Joan and I enjoy having a local place to go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The bistro is informal and we can always find someone we know to have a beverage and a bite to eat with, just about any time of the day. The restaurant has also been great for full menu dinners where we can meet friends or have guests come for an outstanding meal. It has been so nice to have this amenity within the gated secure community.
Other activities we have enjoyed are the four swimming pools, many walking areas, hiking trails in the foothills, and the tennis courts. I now try to walk four miles a day and occasionally Joan and I play tennis. We also enjoy the new workout facility which is great, especially when the weather is not good. The clubs and activities are really endless!
In my opinion, The Villages Golf and Country Club is a gem in the Silicon Valley.
This blog is to give the villagers a way to share their experiences to people who might be interested in The Villages Golf and Country Club. Please fill free to share your story.
