Ok, I have read every post on here and so far refused to post, but I do have a few points. Let me give you my background as well I currently work in the Golf Industry (and no I do not work at Dicks sporting goods or golf galaxy as "pro") I am currently registered in the PGA program to become a teaching professional. With that said here are my thoughts.
1. Cargo Shorts- could care less.....Golf is a business and if "johnny" wants to wear cargo shorts when he plays and has the 60 bucks to pay the fee...I could care less. Khaki's are khaki's unless they are mesh shorts....
2. There is a reason that people in this world don't get along. Typical country club member likes the drinks and special treatment he gets from the cart staff and wants everyone to know how much money he makes and doesn't care about anyone else but himself and his few buddys that play in their weekly game. My opinion: Not generally a guy who I give two Sh*ts about. Now I have worked at both types of courses private and public and there are exceptions in all situations. I had members at some of the private clubs who I absolutely loved and would do anything in the world for and others who I wanted to piss on because of their lack of respect and thinking they owned the world. As for the course, our course was very very nice and it wasnt becuase the members took care of it, it was because we had the funds to care of it because our initioniation fees were outrageous.
3. Public courses (which i prefer the people at) are the places where golf was meant to be played. A lot of great players don't need fancy memberships. Just some clubs and course. There are great players at crappy courses and there is a lot of players that can't play for their lives and pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a nice club and pay the club pro for lessons....I love guys like that. The best golfers are never at the best clubs...unless they are touring pros. Great players come from all types of clubs and yes contrary to popular belief people who play public courses do know the rules of golf.
4. For you CC members out there, enjoy your fancy club with no public play now because you will not have in the next two years. You will either be closed, considered a "semi-private" with public play, or asked to pay to "development fee" in order to keep your club afloat in this economy, or closed.....