golferelle

Thanks all for the info. It was very helpful, I used some of the pro/con responses in my article. I've found 15 membership courses in the Phoenix area that offer limited tee times to the public. I've tried two so far and will let you in on them, please leave a tee time for me! Sun City Golf Club and Palmbrook Golf Club. Both are nice, Palmbrook is REALLY nice. Range balls are included, the prices are right. Look them up on Golf Now, Phoenix NW area. So far, the private club courses are lacking in drinks carts, water fountains, and bathrooms. Other than that, they are a real pleasure to visit. For the ladies, they seem more woman-friendly (aside from the lack of facilities on the course). Red tees are well positioned rather than an afterthought. Palmbrook has ball washers at the ladies tees as well as the whites. And although I'm a public player I fix divots, don't get drunk and crash my cart, and don't hit into other groups or tear up the grass (see 3 wiggle comment above), although I do sometimes see those issues on the muni courses too.

In the spring this year my husband and I played with two friends in a best ball charity tournament. On a par 5, our second hit landed us between 60 and 70 yards off the green. I hit a pitching wedge and it went up high, came down just outside the green and rolled...and rolled... right into the cup for an eagle. My Texas Wedge is the best part of my game. I putt from 15+ yards off the green often, and typically will hit the flag or catch the edge of the hole with a TW shot at least once a game. Sometimes it even goes in! The ground is hard and dry here, it doesn't work when the grass is thick or wet.

Thank you for the responses about country club memberships, lots of different viewpoints!

Hope it's okay to resurrect an old thread. I played the last two weeks at local private country clubs that have opened their golf courses to the public and have the same question as the original poster. As a country club member how do you feel if your course has been opened to the public? (Or even if you're not a club member how do you think you would feel?) What are the advantages and disadvantages to your club and to your use of the club? I'm working on a related article and have been mulling this over, all thoughts appreciated!

I almost hit someone - I don't usually hit far enough to reach the group ahead. A few months ago we waited for the group ahead to finish putting and leave the green. They were off the green headed towards their carts when I hit. I didn't think I would hit that far, but my ball made it up to their carts and rolled under (the ball was on the ground and slow by that time). I yelled fore as soon as I thought it might get there. One of the players came rampaging back across from the other side of the green shaking his putter and cursing at me. He screamed that he would kill me the next time I hit into them. One of his fellow players stopped by a few holes later and apologized - said the nutter didn't usually play with them and was generally being obnoxious. Kind of scary though. I reported it to the pro shop.

In Arizona the ground is hard and dry - the Texas wedge works for me even 25 yards off the green. Over 90 percent of my long putts land on the green rather than falling short or shooting completely over. I have hit the flag and/or gone in many times. May not be pretty but I can't chip worth a darn.

Precept, the bubble-gum bright pink ones. The guys laugh but they are easy to find when hitting near the driving range, and there's never any question of which ball is mine.