Private, Public, or both

**AbsoluteZero** · February 3, 2009

Where do you primarily play your golf? Do you belong to a club, or do you just hit all of the public courses you can?

What are the benefits of each where you live?

Where I live the private courses are pretty reasonable as far as cost, and they are 2 of the 3 best courses in town. The play is MUCH faster and it's easy to get a tee time. The biggest drawback I see is that I'd feel the need to always play there instead of trying new courses because members are essentially already paying to play there whether they do or not. They do have reasonable reciprocity, so that helps, but if I'm going to drive 90 miles I'm not sure they are any better than the clubs here.

The best public course for 90 miles is less than 10 min away and it's under 50 with cart. It's an amazing course, but +5 hour rounds are common if you can even get a tee time on the weekend, and they have so many outings that playing during the week can be a struggle. Other public courses in the town are OK, but nothing you'd ever travel to play.

So what are things like where you live? Do you have a membership, or at least wish you had one somewhere?

**George** · February 3, 2009

I play mostly at public courses around the area. I may get a season pass at my local course in order to save a little money.

**David in FL** · February 3, 2009

If I belonged to a private club I'd feel obligated to play there the great majority of the time and there are just too many good courses around Orlando to limit myself to a single one.

**bcollins** · February 3, 2009

I play public courses 100% of the time. Mainly because I really don't want to spring for a membership. However, living in Denver, the city has a ton of great public courses. Even the city run muni's are decent and well maintained.

Of course you get the same problems with public courses anywhere with slow rounds and difficulty of getting tee times on weekends. However, there are enough options where it isn't the end of the world.

**cubdog** · February 3, 2009

I was fortunate enough to grow up playing a private course. Now it's public. The best part of playing public courses is the variety. Drawbacks are getting tee times, slow rounds, and a more few idiots.

cubdog

**Ben** · February 3, 2009

I play mostly private tracks. But, I do get out on semi-private and public courses every now and then.

**GaijinGolfer** · February 3, 2009

I play public courses. There so many great public courses around here that finding a tee time really isnt a problem.
Infact, most of them dont even require you call ahead and book a tee time.
I wouldnt mind being a member at a private courses if the membership cost were reasonable, that way I could play as much as I want and it wouldnt cost me any more, but theres only 1 private course around here that I know of and Im pretty sure the annual membership dues are at least $1,000-$1,500.
I can play a lot of golf at the public courses for that much money and not feel like I have to play the same course all the time because I payed to be a member.

Fahmie25 · February 4, 2009

I do a bit of a mix of both, but predominately private clubs, but i do mix it up with my friends clubs as well. We like to take each other out on our respective private clubs to see who has the homefield advantage

**Titleist Man** · February 4, 2009

Well i am a member of both and i play a ratio of 18/2 hours in 2 days LOL. But thats in the summer cant wait......

**meenman** · February 4, 2009

Mostly my private course. I do get a bit of time in on the public courses with my friends that can not afford the guest fees at my club.

**microcrayfish** · February 4, 2009

There's no fully private courses around where I live. Most are semi-private where members are given preferred tee times but if you play during the week you can just roll on up and pay your green fees and play. I'm a member at a course and mostly play there but I like to get around to a few of the other courses about town.

**lumpuckeroo** · February 4, 2009

Public, more options and less expensive. Always wanted to join a private club, but after my brother and my best friend joined private clubs I don't think it is worth the expense.

This is only the negative side, they both had issues with the extras, an extra $20 a month for clubhouse renevation, extra $10 a month for flood damage repair, extra $20 a month for swimming pool improvements, extra $10 a month for a new cart barn.

Both clubs had set tee times, if you where not in the "in crowd" you couldn't get decent tee times. Plus the course were closed on Monday's, Women's league on Tuesday's, tourmanents on Wednesday's, Junior league on Thursday's. So you could play Friday, Saturday and Sunday, except not at 8:15 that is when Dr. Jones and his wife played, no one was allowed to play with them. I had less of an issue getting on to local public then they did.

**DavidFehertysBike** · February 4, 2009

Ive did a membership at a semi-private club a couple of years ago and it was the best decison i ever made. Decent price (only 3k for the year i think) decent course, and great practice facillities that were always availablle. Pretty open play on the weekends (i could get in 36 holes walking before 5pm sometimes) Its one of the major reasons ive progressed as fast as i have. I think if you can find a nice semi-private club then you have the best of both worlds.

**AbsoluteZero** · February 4, 2009

Public, more options and less expensive. Always wanted to join a private club, but after my brother and my best friend joined private clubs I don't think it is worth the expense.

I think all of the extra fees are pretty common. I've found that there are a ton of extras at both of the clubs here in town. Talking to members is a good way to find that out because it's not always listed on the club info.

As far as the tee times, that's rediculous. I'd never join a club where I couldn't easily play just about any time I want. Of the two clubs here in town one will not have outings of any kind because the members have said the extra money is not worth the impact to tee time availabiliity. They also recently opened up Monday afternoon because so many members decided that having the club closed to golf for a whole day each week wasn't acceptable. I think it's really interesting how clubs are universally similar in some ways, but so different in others.

**lumpuckeroo** · February 4, 2009

My brother and I are early risers and like to play early, sun up, in the morning, his course didn't allow tee times before 8:00 am. He was able to pal up with the pro and get some early tee times or he would have given up his membership years earlier.

**traviswise** · February 4, 2009

Private exclusively for me, we have less than 300 members and never a problem getting a time is what keep me a member there. Now, during the winter if the temps creep up to 55-60 on the weekends, I might as well sit at home b/c everyone comes out that same day. During the summer people spread out and it's rarely backed up anytime after 1:00 PM. Sometimes I don't even call ahead and just show up and play.

**schapman** · February 4, 2009

Way to expensive to become a member where I am.

I can get an intermediate membership at 1 course. $1800 to join + $167 in dues (i assume monthly). Same company owns 3 of the nicer courses here. A full single membership to the three is $18,000 joining fee + $310 in dues.

**flopdarock** · February 4, 2009

i like variety and play both as much as possible...
between the relatives/immediate family members/friends... i have a choice of 5 prvt courses both in and out of town... if i get bored of my home course or theyre having some kind of function at the course... ill call up my fam... if that doesnt pan out... ill call around to see if some of my fav public courses arent too busy

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Private, Public, or both

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