Private courses are for.........

[scopek]

Making general comments about country clubs or their members is a waste of time. It largely depends on where you live- in some parts of the country there are so many quality public options there's no need for a private club. In other parts, the public options may be terrible and full of hackers and joining a priavte club is the only way to enjoy the game for a somewhat 'serious' player. I have been a member at several and had the privelage of playing at some very nice clubs throughout my life and almost never have I come across any 'snobbish' attitude that some anti-CC folks tend to think is prevalent.

I've had the same experience. I do not belong to a CC, but my in laws do. So, I've also been fortunate enough to play at some nice courses by virtue of my father-in-law. I've never seen a "snobbish" attitude where I've been.  It might be my background or the fact that I'm lucky enough to live near some good public courses, but I'm still far more comfortable at a public course. That might change in time, but for now I'll just join the in laws for the CC experience.

[ay33660]

None of these really apply for me either... But I chose the bottom one....

I joined my country club, (Mill Creek Country Club) not to be pampered, or to only play with "high class" people. I joined for two reasons, one is to play a nice course for a reasonable rate whenever I want to play, and the other reason is so I can play golf without having to wait on people every hole.... Unfortunately, here in the Seattle area, most of the nice courses are either private, or really expensive to play, and there are a lot of really crappy overpriced courses. Back when I lived on the central coast of CA I wasn't a member of any country club because there were plenty of really nice public courses that I could play at for ~ $50/$60 a round... Loved it down there... I think the nice courses around Seattle are so much more expensive because they have such a short golf season compared to playing year round in CA...

Understand totally.

A lot of the poster from the southern US just do not understand the lack of public golf courses in the Pacific Northwest where the golf season is only 8 months max.

I googled your club and it looks really nice.

I recognized the name cause I think you have a reciprocal with my club, The Vancouver Golf Club.

[k-troop]

Diving into this incredibly stupid thread for the first time. I've been a member at a club before, and long for the day when I can again. I currently can't because being an Army officer I move every two years. Private clubs are great because they are clubs. They're your home course. You know everyone there. You know the pro, bartender, and the bag room guys. You can get a tee time on the weekends. You can walk on whenever you want. You know the course. I wouldn't join a club unless I enjoy playing the course, so of course you love the golf course as well. It has nothing to do with snobbishness, unless loving golf makes you a snob. Oh yeah, and your wife can take the kids to the pool and then meet you for lunch after the round. So I guess only "private club guys" love their families.

[Ho Chi Chi Vinh]

I would love to belong to a private club...just cannot afford it

[Aguirre]

I don't think you can pigeonhole a club member that easily.  Many of the private club members I know do it strictly for business.  Others have families and they make use of the pool and other amenities regularly.  Lots of avid golfers love that you can get a match anytime you want, and to play in club events.  That to me is the most appealing.  Some others do it for some kind of lame prestige, like overextending themselves on a house and wasting money on new cars.

I haven't joined because I like to play with my buddies, who don't seem to have any intention of joining a club anywhere.  Living in a city, the closest good courses are all private clubs, so this ensures that I have 20-60 minute drive times to get to the munis, which kind of stinks.  But I prefer to do that and be able to play with friends (who are not going to pay the $100 guest fees regularly, despite their success) and my parents (who belong to multiple clubs in Myrtle, but don't bother with one up north in the summer).

[dnaygs]

I just joined a private club and hope to play my first round there this weekend.  I'm used to 6 hour rounds at public courses, so I'm hoping this will be an improvement.  I'm mostly joining because it is close to my house, they don't have tee times, and it is the cheapest club in the area to join (although still expensive by my standards).

[dzclarkcpa]

Private club member here, currently because its my only truly valid way to play a good course, but have been a member of a private club when I had quality public courses available in the past. Been private member for about 15 years now at 3 different clubs and a semi-private member for 5 or so year prior.

Why, simple, due to job and family demands, I often cannot get out for the time it takes to play 18 holes. By being a member, I can go out and play as many or as FEW holes as I want and not feel like I am wasting money. I play more golf and spend more money than if I were not a member, but it works for me.

I have not read every comment, but I think there is an impression of what a "country" or "private" club looks like. I had that opinion until I actually joined up. There are those guys that you want to stay away from, but those people exist everywhere in life. By and large, what I have are just a bunch of really good people. In fact, its the same exact type people you are going to run into on a public track.

My kids (ask me about my 5 month old daughter, I dare you, because I won't shut up) love riding in the golf cart on a weekend afternoon or after work. There have been times where we are the only people on the 9 we are playing. Try that at a public track. Nothing like going in after work and seeing the "old farts" finishing up for the day and asking about the course....they love it.

I think people read to much into the "private" aspect and honestly, would probably be a little disappointed that its not more "different" than its public course brothers.

[mcanadiens]

I'm light years away from being able to join a club. The key reason I'd want to was slammed home on Saturday when I couldn't finish a round after 5 hours on the course. The munis I play are generally conditioned ok. I meet friendly people, but It's a mob-scene on nice weekend days.

[kpaulhus]

Private club member here, currently because its my only truly valid way to play a good course, but have been a member of a private club when I had quality public courses available in the past. Been private member for about 15 years now at 3 different clubs and a semi-private member for 5 or so year prior.

Why, simple, due to job and family demands, I often cannot get out for the time it takes to play 18 holes. By being a member, I can go out and play as many or as FEW holes as I want and not feel like I am wasting money. I play more golf and spend more money than if I were not a member, but it works for me.

I have not read every comment, but I think there is an impression of what a "country" or "private" club looks like. I had that opinion until I actually joined up. There are those guys that you want to stay away from, but those people exist everywhere in life. By and large, what I have are just a bunch of really good people. In fact, its the same exact type people you are going to run into on a public track.

My kids (ask me about my 5 month old daughter, I dare you, because I won't shut up) love riding in the golf cart on a weekend afternoon or after work. There have been times where we are the only people on the 9 we are playing. Try that at a public track. Nothing like going in after work and seeing the "old farts" finishing up for the day and asking about the course....they love it.

I think people read to much into the "private" aspect and honestly, would probably be a little disappointed that its not more "different" than its public course brothers.

This is what I got when I was a member of a semi private club. Some *******s here and there, but generally a good group of guys that would always be there to play/gamble on Tuesday after work, friday night then drinks at the bar, and all weekend.

[Strandly]

I like the idea of unlimited range access and playing anytime I want but I've noticed I get bored very fast if I play the same course a couple times in a row (or even twice in a 3 round span).  If I was a member of a club I'd feel like I had to play there all the time to get my moneys worth, which I'm sure wouldn't be fun and would defeat the purpose.  Anyway, I like my situation right now being in a bigger city like Denver and having dozens of courses on golfnow to choose from.  I never get bored and can almost always find a reasonably priced round somewhere.

[phan52]

I belong to a private club and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's pricey but the benefits are many. I like having a very good range with grass and I like that I can show up at any time and get a game. I like that I can expect the condition of the course to be be consistently good, as we have a significant greens budget. I can carry my own bag after 3:00 and can always play as many or as few holes as I want (carts or caddies before that). The staff knows me well and I have found a good group of people with whom I enjoy playing, although I will play with just about anybody when looking for a game. I know the cast of characters and know who to avoid.

The best courses in the Philly area are all private and there is little access to them without being networked in the private club world. The Golf Association of Philadelphia is a big part of it and it has a significant schedule of tournaments where you can sign up and play some great tracks. When we were shut down a few years ago because of a reconstruction, many other private clubs in the region opened their doors for us to play at no cost. While I missed my course, I was on tour for 3-4 months and never lacked for a place to play. Of course, we reciprocate in the same manner to other clubs when they have major work being done to their course.

[Golfingdad]

I belong to a private club and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's pricey but the benefits are many. I like having a very good range with grass and I like that I can show up at any time and get a game. I like that I can expect the condition of the course to be be consistently good, as we have a significant greens budget. I can carry my own bag after 3:00 and can always play as many or as few holes as I want (carts or caddies before that). The staff knows me well and I have found a good group of people with whom I enjoy playing, although I will play with just about anybody when looking for a game.

These are all of the reasons why I would want to join a club.  Mainly the bold line, though.  The only requirement for me would be that it would have to be close to my house, and there are not currently any clubs really close by.  Everything is at least a 15 minute drive away.

The cost is obviously a downside, however, I'm thinking it's possible that in a few years it wouldn't be.  If my kids got really into the game and wanted to play often, then my wife would be interested as well.  She likes to play but doesn't too often because of the time and the kids, etc.  If I played once a week at one of the local public courses and the family played with me twice a month, even if we played one of the cheaper par 72 courses out there, it would still be over $500 in greens fees (10 rounds x $50 per).  Add in range time, and figure that a few of those rounds would happen at much pricier courses, then it's perfectly plausible to assume something close to 7, 7, or 8 hundred dollars to play.  Right in that range is what the monthly dues are for the clubs around here.

The food minimums would be nothing - we already spend more than that going out to eat somewhere, might as well be at the club.

So scrape up an extra few grand for the initiation (13-ish around here currently), and I figure its not necessarily that expensive after all.  Course, I'm making a few generous assumptions in my favor there, but I guy can dream, can't he???

[Archie Bunker]

If you want and are able to play a lot of golf during the season, a private club is the only way to go. I live close by our town public course, but rarely go there due to the slow, slow play and need for an advance tee time. Instead, I take the short drive to my private club, where I can hit balls, play a few holes, and not have to stand around and watch people play golf. Golf takes long enough as it is, and nothing seems more wasteful of time than standing by your ball for five our ten minutes at every tee and fairway shot.

[Lefty-Golfer]

it is obviously pricey - everytime I figure my price per round I just delete and pretend I don't know - but if you can swing it and you are a serious golfer there is not a better present you can give to yourself!!

I have been a member of my club for 8 years and not one timie have i regretted it!!

At one point in my life I thought i would get bored of the same course as that has been mentioned in this thread but I have not found that. Like an old guy at my club told me one day, being a member is like having a relationship. You can always take a trip and play the field but it is great to come home to the old girl  where everything is comfortable and she is always glad to see you...LOL this from an 80 year old!!!

[Archie Bunker]

At one point in my life I thought i would get bored of the same course as that has been mentioned in this thread but I have not found that. Like an old guy at my club told me one day, being a member is like having a relationship. You can always take a trip and play the field but it is great to come home to the old girl  where everything is comfortable and she is always glad to see you...LOL this from an 80 year old!!!

I too thought that it would be boring to play the same course over and over again. It all depends - if your course is boring, uninteresting and non-challenging, you might very well get bored with it. My course was rated as one of Americas' 50 toughest golf courses by Golf Digest, so there is no way I'm going to get bored with it any time soon - even after 20+ years!

[chasm]

Viewed from the other side of the pond, this is an interesting and quite surprising thread. Surprising in that so many Americans who play golf regularly seem not to be members of a club. Over here in the UK I'd say the vast majority of those who play the game regularly - by which I mean one or more times a week, weather permitting - will join a club. They'll do so for any number of reasons, but probably the most important is that it's cheaper than the alternative. My own club, for example, is not one of the cheapest in the area. But annual membership costs £720 (around $1100) and there are no additional fees to play the course, though there are small entry fees for the competitions. Visitors are welcome, green fees are £44 per round. So the arithmetic is simple. If I played the course 20 times as a visitor I'd have already spent significantly more than it costs to be a member for a year. And since I play twice a week, it's a no-brainer. Contrary to the idea that joining is only for rich people, you'd have to be rich to choose not to join, if you play a lot. I don't find playing the same course regularly to be boring, it's a Harry Colt course and pretty challenging for the ordinary player. And we have reciprocal deals with a number of other clubs locally, so I can play their courses now and again at reduced rates. Clubs vary, of course. There are still some with a reputation for snobbery, and there are certainly plenty that ordinary working people couldn't possibly afford to join. But in most of the UK (I'll make an exception of London and the South East) there are plenty of clubs to go round, so in general, fees are affordable. I'm interested that the American experience seems, on the evidence of this thread, to be so different.

[David in FL]

Viewed from the other side of the pond, this is an interesting and quite surprising thread. Surprising in that so many Americans who play golf regularly seem not to be members of a club. Over here in the UK I'd say the vast majority of those who play the game regularly - by which I mean one or more times a week, weather permitting - will join a club. They'll do so for any number of reasons, but probably the most important is that it's cheaper than the alternative. My own club, for example, is not one of the cheapest in the area. But annual membership costs £720 (around $1100) and there are no additional fees to play the course, though there are small entry fees for the competitions. Visitors are welcome, green fees are £44 per round. So the arithmetic is simple. If I played the course 20 times as a visitor I'd have already spent significantly more than it costs to be a member for a year. And since I play twice a week, it's a no-brainer. Contrary to the idea that joining is only for rich people, you'd have to be rich to choose not to join, if you play a lot. I don't find playing the same course regularly to be boring, it's a Harry Colt course and pretty challenging for the ordinary player. And we have reciprocal deals with a number of other clubs locally, so I can play their courses now and again at reduced rates. Clubs vary, of course. There are still some with a reputation for snobbery, and there are certainly plenty that ordinary working people couldn't possibly afford to join. But in most of the UK (I'll make an exception of London and the South East) there are plenty of clubs to go round, so in general, fees are affordable. I'm interested that the American experience seems, on the evidence of this thread, to be so different.

When people talk about "private" courses over here, they're generally referring to exclusive clubs/courses that do not allow outside play. Where only members and their guests are allowed. Most even limit the number of times an individual guest may be invited each year. Because of the exclusivity, the cost of such a club is generally much more than playing ala carte golf elsewhere. A completely different animal than a daily fee course that offers a discounted "membership" to attract those that play enough to make it mutually beneficial to both the course and the avid golfer.

[mcanadiens]

A lot of the public courses where I live have membership-type plans for a lot less than private courses. For example, I pay the City of Dayton (OH) $450 per year to play for $5 per round. Seeing as I played 50 rounds last year, that's a total of $700 or $14 per round.

Dayton has six courses. None are fancy, but they are all playable. As I mentioned above, the crowds and pace of play issues are often the biggest problem.