Asking Guests (Friends) to pay Greens Fees at your Country Club??

[Tomboys]

Not only should you ask for the green fees, you should consider asking them to cover their food/beverage purchases made at the course as well.  Simply say something to the effect of, "Hey, you guys wanna play at my CC this weekend?  The green fees would be $___.__ per player.  Also, you can't pay for your round in the pro shop as well as any food/beverage ordered at the course because all expenses are billed to the member.  So, you have to bring cash and pay me.  In turn, I will pay the bill once I get it."  This is what my bud did the first time we played his CC.  We've never had a problem.

[KillaK]

I was confused along I think with some other posters until someone mentioned that you physically cannot go into the pro shop and "pay for yourself" (I have never been to a private cc with this setup).  There I could see it getting a little awkward because you have to literally collect from those you invite.  I guess just having the conversation before hand about what everything is going to cost is the way to go - I will say if someone invited me to their club to play I would assume I would have to pay my own way except if it was business related.

[clubchamp]

I'm sort of lucky because my country club makes the guests pretty much on point with all the local public courses. I will only pay for a guest fee if it's a birthday etc but my friends don't really ever expect me to pay for them regardless.

[Tifosinumerouno]

I've been a member at a private and a public course, and my guests have always paid their own way. I let the know up front how much it will be. Sometimes it was too expensive, so we'd play somewhere else or I'd pay. I also paid for my Father-in-Law to play most of the time, but that's the way you do with family.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by KillaK

I was confused along I think with some other posters until someone mentioned that you physically cannot go into the pro shop and "pay for yourself" (I have never been to a private cc with this setup).  There I could see it getting a little awkward because you have to literally collect from those you invite.  I guess just having the conversation before hand about what everything is going to cost is the way to go...

Yeah, it's similar to the situation I'm often in when I set up a tee time for my threesome or foursome via an internet site and it's discounted if you prepay. I tell everyone what the cost is, they agree to it, I pay for everyone when I book it, they reimburse me at the course. Same deal with the OP - he just needs to tell his friends "It's x amount to play - is that cool? Yeah? Ok, well they'll charge my account so just pay me back when you get a chance". No big whoop.

[x129]

That is the wrong way of thinking about this sitituation. The annual dues and food minimums are fixed costs. If we don't play at my club, I am still paying them.  At the end of the year I might quit the club when I realized I paid 200 dollars a round but that is a different choice:)

Compared to the 50 dollar public course (other than pace of play it is very similiar to the CC course wise)  here are the options

1) Have my friend pay 70.

2) We both pay 50 = 100

3) We both pay 35

Now if your friend really wants to play your course than 1 might work out. But if he doesn't care between the courses he is going to pick 2 to save 20 dollars. In the end 3 saves both of us money.

Originally Posted by Derek02

While I do understand your logic, another way to look at it is that you have already paid you annual dues (thousands of $), and continue to pay your monthly maintenance costs.  On top of that, you're providing your friend access to a course that he/she would otherwise not be able to play.  So while you would technically not have to pay greens fees when you go to your course, you are just pre-paying them every year at the beginning of the season.  And unless you play A LOT, I guarantee you are paying more in greens fees than your guest.

[bobsuruncle]

Etiquette works both ways - for the person doing the invitation and the invitee.  I always ask to pay my portion of the green (and buggy) fees, where ever I play.  I think that's the proper etiquette.  If the person doing the invite declines i.e. says it's on him, then I graciously accept.  To EXPECT to play for free is unreasonable.

Of course, if the club is an expensive one, then it's incumbent on both parties to clarify up front who's paying for what, which gives an invitee the option to politely decline the invitation, else he/she be forced to fork out more than he/she wishes to for one round of golf.

[Gioguy21]

A friend of mine is a member at baltusrol and we have a rule...he pays the greens fees as long as i pay for and tip both our caddies. it works out. if he comes to play with me at my club, he pays for his round since my club has CERTAINLY cheaper guest fees than baltusrol lol

[zeg]

IMO whatever you're comfortable with is fine. As was suggested above, you should be clear about the plan just to avoid surprises and/or hard feelings later. "Why don't we play at my CC on Saturday? The guest fee is $X, but it'll be charged to my account so we'll have to settle it ourselves," would be fine, I think.

I'd probably be inclined to round the guest fees and food charges to something convenient, too. If it's $67 for the round, I'd just ask for $60 because it bugs me to make a fuss about making small amounts of change among friends. There's nothing wrong with it, but I usually figure that we'll cover/pay back enough times over the years that things will even out and we'll save the trouble.

[Derek02]

No, I don't think my friends would expect me to pay, and I would not be embarrased to mention the fees.  I just haven't really been asked to pay the greens fees myself when invited by others so I wasn't sure if it was commonly accepted to pay for guests you invite to your club.

Originally Posted by Shorty

I don't think it's your job to provide free golf fror friends.

Maybe as a birthday present or something you could pay - that would make friends realise that they have to pay their share.

Just curious - do you have the type of friends who would expect you to pay, or would you be embarrassed to mention to them what the green fees are?

[Derek02]

Duly noted.

Originally Posted by x129

That is the wrong way of thinking about this sitituation. The annual dues and food minimums are fixed costs. If we don't play at my club, I am still paying them.  At the end of the year I might quit the club when I realized I paid 200 dollars a round but that is a different choice:)

Compared to the 50 dollar public course (other than pace of play it is very similiar to the CC course wise)  here are the options

1) Have my friend pay 70.

2) We both pay 50 = 100

3) We both pay 35

Now if your friend really wants to play your course than 1 might work out. But if he doesn't care between the courses he is going to pick 2 to save 20 dollars. In the end 3 saves both of us money.

[Derek02]

I would be happy to pay my greens fees and tip the caddie if I had the opportunity to play Baltusrol.

Originally Posted by Gioguy21

A friend of mine is a member at baltusrol and we have a rule...he pays the greens fees as long as i pay for and tip both our caddies. it works out. if he comes to play with me at my club, he pays for his round since my club has CERTAINLY cheaper guest fees than baltusrol lol

[Timothyjack]

I agree with most of you that say they should pay their own way. The only reason they can pay to play your course is because you are a member. They would normally have no access to that course. I wouldn't have a problem letting them know what the cost was. Even if you were a big baller with tons of money, that still doesn't mean that you should pay their way.

[bcp]

I never ask or expect guests to pay when I invite them to play with me at my club. More times than not, they will either insist on slipping me some cash or do something like buy me dinner and/or cocktails at a later date.

[topspin4hand]

I follow what others have said, if friends ask to play at my place then I have them pay their fees.  When I first joined, I was the only person in my group who was a member at this club so I got a lot of requests and quickly learned that this must be sorted out early!

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by Derek02

I am joining a local country club this season, and I ask: Is it wrong to ask my guests to pay their greens fees?

This shouldn't even be an issue......

One of my pet-peeves when I belonged to a private club is they wouldn't accept payment from guests.  I'm sure some private clubs accept payment from guests, but mine didn't.  My golf friends always understood, and it was never even a topic of discussion because they would never expect me to pay for their golf.  They were happy to be guests!!    I told them the Fees in advance, and they forked over the cash on arrival with no questions asked.   It was never an issue....  If you weren't playing your course, they'd never expect you to pay for their golf so this should be no different.

PS...my dad paid his way too.  He would never expect me to pay for his golf!!!!  Just because you are a member doesn't= free ride to others.

[Derek02]

The reason I would never ask my Dad to pay to play at my club is that I have played at his club countless times without him ever asking for any money; that and all the things he has done for me over my lifetime.  I actually am proud of the fact that I cannow  afford to be a member of my own club, and can invite my Dad to play there instead of the other way around.

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

PS...my dad paid his way too.  He would never expect me to pay for his golf!!!!  Just because you are a member doesn't= free ride to others.

[Tomboys]

Originally Posted by Derek02

The reason I would never ask my Dad to pay to play at my club is that I have played at his club countless times without him ever asking for any money; that and all the things he has done for me over my lifetime.  I actually am proud of the fact that I cannow  afford to be a member of my own club, and can invite my Dad to play there instead of the other way around.

I'm sure your parents are proud too.  Great job.