THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Several holes opened up over the weekend near a golf course in The Villages, according to fire rescue officials.
The Villages Fire Rescue officials said three holes near the Moyer Recreation Center were discovered around 7:30 a.m. Saturday between the recreation center and the golf course. The holes were near a retention pond and drained the body of water.
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Officials originally identified the holes as sinkholes, a common geological occurrence in Florida, but later engineers said the holes are considered “depressions,” WKMG in Orlando reported.
The recreation center remains open and the holes are not threatening any structures, according to Sumter County officials.
Kevin Harms was out golfing on Monday with his friends when he saw the depressions in the ground.
“We’ve had sinkholes pretty much all around The Villages on rare occasions, but this is probably the worst one I’ve seen,” Harms said.
Property management workers with The Villages were at the site on Monday morning and used a drone to get a closer look at the holes.
“When you see it so close to the building, that’s a sense of concern,” Rick Kleindienst said.
Kleindienst was also golfing Monday.
“It’s Florida,” he said. “We are sitting on hollow ground here.”
An engineering team responded Saturday and will return Monday to continue to determine the next steps. The holes have not grown since they were first discovered, according to fire rescue.
The Villages Fire Rescue will also continue to monitor the depressions.
The area around the retention pond is blocked off for safety.