Just a quick though on courses, reservations, tee times etc..

[Golfaway]

The more I stay on this forum and know about the system of golfing/tee times/resevations, etc.. you guys have to go through the more I realize how previleged I am. I play in a sporting club where I am member at, I pay nothing for entering the club of course, and I pay nothing to play, no green fees, I don't even pay for the membership of the club, it's lifetime membership, you pay only once at the start (it's closed now, no more members) and the membership is extended to your wife, sons, grandsons and your lineage forever.

On the course, I can show up any time I want on the range, the putting green, the pitching area or on the course, I can play any time I want, single, threes, fours, or even fives. Heck, this week I have seen a group of six players!! The course is not really busy, the registered handicapped players are about 200, but the regulars are even less than half that number. When I play alone, I usually play for practice, I tee off with two balls and proceed hitting the two balls until one of them is in a bad lie I don't want to play from. I can even play back-to-back rounds (if I am not too tired to)

Literally: you can do everything you want here, and for free.

Wait, there's more. Lessons. I can have lessons with our pros (they aren't on par with PGA pros of course but they are still pros on the local level) for no more than $10 an hour, or even less sometimes. There are no power carts, but trolleys are for rent at $1, and you can have a caddy for about $6 per round.

The caddies also sell balls. Not new balls, but some caddies have almost-new balls, mint conditions, hit once or twice at most. Pro V1s, Taylormade, Nike, etc.. for around $1 for 5 balls. You don't get to pick the brands you like though, you just take what they have.

If it just weren't for the not-so-good conditions of the fairways and the greens, this place would have been PERFECT. Fortunately though, there has been a new greenskeeper appointed lately and looks like he's taking more care of the course conditions.

On the other hand, there are other things that are much more hard to come by here. Buying golf equipment is VERY hard and VERY expensive compared to the US. You either have to buy online (and you rarely find an online vendor who ships to Egypt) and pay for international shipping, taxes and customs. Your other option would be trying one of the pros to get you something pre-owned, and again, it will be very expensive compared to buying it in the same condition from the US. Just an example, I got my current Callaway X-14s (3-PW) online from Callaway preowned and outlet for $183 and free shipping (I shipped them to the US to a friend of mine who was visiting there and he got them back with him) while one of the pros told me he could get me the same set for $270!

Before you consider moving here, please know that all the above applies only to nationals and permenant members of the club. Temporary members pay more, but still, compared to what you guys have, it's much cheaper :D

Hope the long didn't bore you.

[FLOG4]

If the trade off is live in Egypt for free golf....UMMM I'll stay here in states and pay through the nose.

[flanagan]

Seriously, I have to know, do they make pyramids of the balls on the practice range like the pros get here?

[Golfaway]

Seriously, I have to know, do they make pyramids of the balls on the practice range like the pros get here?

Haha, no, never seen it.