Golf in your area...

[cdriver]

DDBowdoin got me thinking about how lucky we are in our area of the country to have inexpensive, but great, golf available to us.

I lived in Hot Springs until 3 years ago and was a member at Hot Springs Village. My membership dues were $254 per year and I could play unlimited golf on any of the courses you will see on the link below for $7.00 per round.

Since I moved to Northwest Arkansas, there is a community called Bella Vista that is owned by the same developer and I could do a similar deal up here. That is really cheap in any market. These courses are manicured like any nice resort course you might play while on vacation and I had them every day.

They even had the availibility of making tee-times online up to 2 weeks in advance and I could buy a 20 coupon book that allowed me to bring guests 20 times during the year and instead of the $60 fee, they paid $10.

Here is the link to Hot Springs Village Golfing: http://www.hotspringsvillagechamber....ng/default.asp

and to Bella Vista: http://www.bellavistapoa.com/golf/

How are things in your area?

[mediaguru]

My local deal is pretty good. With a $75 yearly pass I can play about 12 courses for $20 walking, $31 riding...

[satch_ip]

As an Active Duty Air Force guy I get to play free at any Air Force Base around the world. I pay a membership at my local base ($480 i think this year), and i get free golf at some great courses. I even get my own jet to travel to these places. What a life!!

Hot Springs is great. I have a good golf buddy whose Dad owns a lot in a golf villiage there and goes there often.

[ragontona]

As an Active Duty Air Force guy I get to play free at any Air Force Base around the world. I pay a membership at my local base ($480 i think this year), and i get free golf at some great courses. I even get my own jet to travel to these places. What a life!!

Dang, then why did I have to pay greens fees when I was active duty?

[satch_ip]

you have to be a member of your local base club and then the other bases reciprocate. Its a great deal for me in Del Rio. Our small base fees are under $500 for an O-4. Most nice base courses they are well over $800 yet they reciprocate me fully. A great deal. I have played all over the country at bases. The Air Force Academy is one great example.

[LarryK]

I lived in Hot Springs until 3 years ago and was a member at Hot Springs Village. My membership dues were $254 per year and I could play unlimited golf on any of the courses you will see on the link below for $7.00 per round.

Here in the metro Denver area, we have some outstanding golf and a lot of it, but the cheapest municipal courses run about $25 on the weekends plus $11 or $12 bucks for a 1/2 cart. Top of the line public courses go for about $100 on the weekends and occasionally include the cart.

I have been looking for a great residential/golf combo deal like yours in preparation for retirement in about six or seven years. Hot Springs sounds tough to beat. My only concern is the winter weather. I closely watched daily temperatures last winter and it looked like the only really reliable area for 60-degree days and above was nowhere north of Waco,TX. I really want to play year round. How realistic is it to do that in Hot Springs? It would seem even a bit tougher in Bella Vista. Am I wrong (sure hope so)?

[thehillgolfer]

the little muncipal course i play at (and now work at) is really cheap. $250 for a weekday membership and $350 for everyday. You still have to pay the $6 per 9 hole cart fee, but its still really cheap. Luckily for me, everything is free. And we have other private and public places and i dont think any are more than $40. Like if you go with a member to the country club its only $32 i think.

[cdriver]

Hot Springs sounds tough to beat.

You are partially correct. It is tougher to play all winter in Bella Vista. Up here we get snow a few times a year that will keep you off the course maybe 10 to 14 days per winter. Hot Springs is easier. I started playing a couple of years before I left Hot Springs and winters were not really a problem. They get some snow or ice almost every winter, but I can't remember missing more than a few days playing either of those winters. Wintertime temperatures rarely stay below freezing all day. You may have to wait til 10 to tee off, but you can still play. A couple of the courses have a shotgun start at 11AM during those days to make sure they can maximize the number of players each day.

The bigger problem for a guy used to Denver will be the couple of months every summer where the temps are in the mid to upper 90's with high humidity. Most everyone tries to play early or late during these hot periods. Other than that, the place is fantastic for retirement. Low taxes, reasonable real estate prices and all in the beautiful Ouchita Mountain range. Nothing like your Rockies (the tallest peak in Arkansas is just under 3000 ft), but very unique just the same. If you decide to come down and check it out, let me know. I have friends that still have memberships there and I'd gladly drive down and join you.

[LarryK]

The bigger problem for a guy used to Denver will be the couple of months every summer where the temps are in the mid to upper 90's with high humidity. Most everyone tries to play early or late during these hot periods. ... If you decide to come down and check it out, let me know. I have friends that still have memberships there and I'd gladly drive down and join you.

Thanks for the info, CD. As for playing in the heat, it was 100+ here in Denver today and I still played. Of course, as they say, it ain't the heat, it's the humidity. And being from Louisville, KY, (and probably moving back there this winter) don't I know that. It can be 83 there and you're miserable because the temperature and dew points are so close together. Soaking wet with sweat and it's not really that hot.

If I do go back to KY it will likely be in November. Maybe I can swing by and you could give me the nickel tour. I'll keep you advised Thanks, again.

[Entwhistle57]

My local course just recently went public so, as a junior on weekdays, I get 9.00 a round with no annual fee.

[cdriver]

If I do go back to KY it will likely be in November. Maybe I can swing by and you could give me the nickel tour. I'll keep you advised

Just let me know your coming and we'll go tee 'em up.

[flap]

Best deal in America Bethpage state park 8 courses and you can play the Black for 44 dollars.The Red for 40 and the other 3 for 30 something .I aint seen nothing better.

[flap]

oops my bad 5 courses.Bad fingers!!!

[cdriver]

Best deal in America Bethpage state park 8 courses and you can play the Black for 44 dollars.The Red for 40 and the other 3 for 30 something .I aint seen nothing better.

When they held the Open there, the commentators went on and on about how hard it was to get on those course. That people spent the night in their cars to get a tee time the next morning. Is that true???

[iacas]

When they held the Open there, the commentators went on and on about how hard it was to get on those course. That people spent the night in their cars to get a tee time the next morning. Is that true???

Yeah. Those that don't (or can't) call ahead to reserve a time spend the night in their car.

You can get on anywhere (excluding private clubs) if you plan far enough ahead and/or are willing to pay enough.

[flap]

You know what?If you dont mind playing in the heat of the afternoon you can get on as a walkon if your a single Tuesday thru Thursday.

[Jeepthrills]

I live in the suburbs north of Detroit and the number of courses is unbelievable. Within a 15 minute drive of my office there are at least 15 country clubs ranging from world class like Oakland Hills to nice upscale private clubs. Increase that radius to 30 minutes and it doubles. There are at least twice as many public courses in the same area. I walk nine every Sunday at one of the county parks and pay only $14. The courses are well maintained and they continue to reinvest in the place. At the same time, you can easily pay up to $100 to play the high end publics. There are a ton of courses that charge between $40 and $60 for 18 with a cart on the weekends.

My wifes parents are members at a course in Western Michigan. It is $350 for the first person and $150 for each additional. This gives you unlimited play with an optional $5 per nine cart fee. We put our names on the waiting list this year. It will likely be 4-5 years before we get in. Hopefully by then I will have a schedule that allows for me to get over there (3 hour drive) enough to pay for itself.

[cdriver]

I belong to Paradise Valley in Fayetteville Arkansas and they are owned by the Lindsey Corporation. Lindsey builds and manages apartment complexes and golf courses all over this part of the country. If you are a member at either Paradise or Lost Springs (the two 18 hole CC tracks here), you can play either one for free but if you go to the secondary course, you have to pay the cart fee if you ride. You can play any of about 5 or 6 9 hole layouts that surround a lot of the apartment complexes for just the cart fee. Some of them are par 35 to 33, while others are just par 3 courses. There are also courses in most of the major cities in the south-central US that Lindsey owns and I can golf free on any of them too. It is a pretty good deal for $190 per month. For that, I also get unlimited cart usage and unlimited range balls on my home course. It is probably the best deal going for golf in our area.

We have 5 or 6 public courses that are well maintained and not too expensive ( under $40 with cart even during peak times). One of those is one the Arkansas Golf Trail and is listed in the top 10 public courses in the state. Another boasts the highest slope rating in the state (147). The real name of it is Big Sugar, but all my buddies call it Big Torture. It is built in some very treacherous mountainous terrain just to our north. Lots of natural hazards including bluffs, chasms, sand, water, timber, etc and the greens are bikini waxed.