anyone else dislike playing at public clubs?

The flip side of the private course bashing thread. Who else besides me prefers not to play public courses? I am lucky enough to have a membership at a private course. My company also has a company membership at an even nicer course that is public. I can play all the golf I want cart included at the premium public track at no cost. (Typically this course is $80 per player) I'd still take the private course any day of the week. At the private course the pace of play is much better, the practice facilities are much better and there is a dedicated group of guys that are always around so you can always find a game.

Me to. I prefer not to have to mingle with the unkept peasants. Unless of course she is an 18 year old babe driving the refreshment cart and wearing shorts. I also would prefer if the commoners would have the courtesy to stay off the roads so my driver would not have to make my ride herky jerky by dodging them on the way to the course.

Peasants and commoners should play in the fields and leave the course to us private club types.

My mother ruined over 15 years of my life telling me that golf was only for rich people. As a young kid I said I wanted to play after watching Palmer, Nicklaus etc on TV and did not pick it up then until I was in my late 20's

Don't get mad at me I am using exageration to make my point.

It goes both ways. Yes, I hate to play public courses at 8 am on Saturdays. Or holidays. But I love going out to public courses at noon or a bit later on a Tuesday. Zip around in under 3 hours as a 4some. Just have to know when to get out and play. I don't particularly like that most private clubs close on Monday's though...I often work Saturday and Sunday such that Monday ends up being my weekend. But yes, for those with the money enough to join a private club, they are almost always better than the public option.

You can't even get a decent Manhattan. And the staff has the nerve to look you in the eye!

In all seriousness, if I could justify the cost and if there was a good private option within a few miles of my house, I'd love to join a private club. In my experience playing as a guest a several clubs, the pace of play tends to be significantly better than at public courses in the area, and some of the other services (locker room, bag storage, etc.) would be nice. However, in general, the quality of the courses, unless you're talking about an Oakland Hills or other high end club (i.e., way out of my price/status range), goes to the public courses. And I can totally do without a lot of the other non-golf stuff (food minimums, etc.) that are involved in many clubs.

Half a Dozen of one and Six of the other...

I do not belong to a private course even though I live on one and could be a member. I have been invited to play at more than a handful other private courses. The fairways aren't always greener on the other side no matter what side of the bunker you stand. Yes, private courses are very nice and well kept, pace of play isn't always faster than public though they are more organized at sending groups out. The practice areas are usualy nicer as well.

Public courses are great during the week like the above poster stated. They can be just as nice as private courses, sure you run into the occasional green that has some ball marks on them, no big deal I fix mine and a couple more. For the most part they are cheaper than private courses with no mandatory food/beverage expenses.

I have ran into "that guy" on both courses Mr. Pompous Prescott Worthington the third who's arrogance is so thick it could choke a gnat, and Mr. Sleevless Tank Top & Jorts guy who has his golf cart parked on the green.

With this said I feel both are great and both have their dark sides as well. I enjoy playing a mix of both through the golf season.

I would say a lot of it has to do with where you live. I have lived in several cities etc and there are major differences. In Virginia, I found the private courses locally were very superficial and stuffy. I played the public tracks there in Charlottesville, mainly UVa's course which was a good track but at times difficult to get a tee time etc. Pace was not good either. But I hated the private tracks there. In Chicago there was an incredible mix. There were clubs that were so hoity toity I could vomit. But there were a few on the South Side I really enjoyed and almost joined one and would have if I wasn't relocating. I played public tracks around Chicago and there were some awesome courses as well as some awesome private tracks. I had the best of both worlds in a way because one of my buddies was a club pro at a public course and he knew all of the pros at the private tracks so he would arrange a game every Monday somewhere at a really good private track. We would just give the watch dog Marshall a $20 and play 36 at places like Medinah, Olympia Fields, Skokie (my favorite), etc. That was fun.

Now where I live in Southern-Ohio, the public courses are PACKED and tee times are a pita and you can expect 5 hour rounds on the weekend. So I play at a private club that is what we refer to as the "Club in the Country" instead of a Country Club. It is low key, no one is arrogant, just 140 members and we fly around the course. no tee time is ever necessary, you just walk to the first tee and go. We play most of our rounds in under 3:15 and it is not expensive. I spend about $1400 with the food minimum etc. impossible to beat playing at Public Courses if you play more than once per week as they are all $40 per round.

I don't mind Muni's as long as the pace is up.

But I love my own private club primarily due to the rules we have. If it's slow you can play holes 1-6, then cross over to 12, then 14, then 17/18. They don't mind and never had a problem with it.

I think we are lucky to have a lot of great muni's and semi's where I live - and as long as it's flowing I enjoy public golf. Besides - playing every round at your home course gets boring. I have golfing friends who don't belong to private courses who I like to play with.

Most public courses don't even have valet parking and I don't want my Bentley to get dinged.

I don't like public courses. There's a lot of guys that play those courses that know how to keep pace, but for the most part they are full of guys just there to hack it around and not give a damn about whether they ruin the day of anyone playing in front of or behind them. Almost every altercation or near altercation i've ever had on a golf course has come on a public one. Guys who curse at you because your ball came within 30yds of them, guys who flat out refuse to let you through and then purposely play slower, guys who will shamelessly play 2-3 balls because they didn't like the first one. Unraked traps, unrepaired ball marks on greens....no one cares. The marshalls are useless and the starters are usually jerks. Once they have your money they don't care if your round takes 7 hours.

There is no etiquette at public courses, you're not worried about seeing the guy in the clubhouse after, you're not worried about a note in your locker because everyone knows in this economy, at a public course you could take a dump on the green and not get thrown off the course.

I would say of the 85 rounds i played this year, the 10 slowest were at public courses

[quote name='Jon Robert' timestamp='1356274328' post='6107673']
Me to. I prefer not to have to mingle with the unkept peasants. Unless of course she is an 18 year old babe driving the refreshment cart and wearing shorts. I also would prefer if the commoners would have the courtesy to stay off the roads so my driver would not have to make my ride herky jerky by dodging them on the way to the course.

Peasants and commoners should play in the fields and leave the course to us private club types.

My mother ruined over 15 years of my life telling me that golf was only for rich people. As a young kid I said I wanted to play after watching Palmer, Nicklaus etc on TV and did not pick it up then until I was in my late 20's

Don't get mad at me I am using exageration to make my point.
[/quote]

Great post! That's the vibe that usually comes from the public course hate.

Public courses here are always packed and the pace is very slow. Those two reasons have driven me to play at a private.

I would not say I hate Public courses, but with sub 4 hr rounds and the fact I know all the members, means I like the private course play better. When I do play public it tends to be higher end, so not that bad, but pace is way over 4 which drives me crazy.

[quote name='Jon Robert' timestamp='1356274328' post='6107673']
Me to. I prefer not to have to mingle with the unkept peasants. Unless of course she is an 18 year old babe driving the refreshment cart and wearing shorts. I also would prefer if the commoners would have the courtesy to stay off the roads so my driver would not have to make my ride herky jerky by dodging them on the way to the course.

Peasants and commoners should play in the fields and leave the course to us private club types.

My mother ruined over 15 years of my life telling me that golf was only for rich people. As a young kid I said I wanted to play after watching Palmer, Nicklaus etc on TV and did not pick it up then until I was in my late 20's

Don't get mad at me I am using exageration to make my point.
[/quote]

Keep in mind for a serous golfer Private is cheaper than public. The tipping point at my club is at about 100 rounds you save money over playing at a mid priced public course (with way better course conditions etc). I play at a 'golfers' club where most of the members joined not because they want to avoid the unwashed masses, but because they love to golf and this is the best way to do it. Of course if you are playing 100 rounds a year, you have the lifestyle that supports it.

i have played in a few public courses in the USA and many in my country and have generally enjoyed them all except when the course is in poor shape..

i really don't mind the slow pace and have accepted that as a rule rather than an exception on these courses but will normally try to avoid the really busy days which is usually saturdays here..

what i find interesting in the public courses i played in the USA though--LA and NY area-- is i find a lot of golf balls in the rough...not so here..

i figure golfers in the US tend to easily abandon their balls hit in the rough to speed up play...balls are expensive here so we look harder!

i once found close to 20 balls in the rough when i played 18-holes at Griffith Park on LA on a twilight rate!!

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1356277496' post='6107839']
I would say a lot of it has to do with where you live. I have lived in several cities etc and there are major differences. In Virginia, I found the private courses locally were very superficial and stuffy. I played the public tracks there in Charlottesville, mainly UVa's course which was a good track but at times difficult to get a tee time etc. Pace was not good either. But I hated the private tracks there. In Chicago there was an incredible mix. There were clubs that were so hoity toity I could vomit. But there were a few on the South Side I really enjoyed and almost joined one and would have if I wasn't relocating. I played public tracks around Chicago and there were some awesome courses as well as some awesome private tracks. I had the best of both worlds in a way because one of my buddies was a club pro at a public course and he knew all of the pros at the private tracks so he would arrange a game every Monday somewhere at a really good private track. We would just give the watch dog Marshall a $20 and play 36 at places like Medinah, Olympia Fields, Skokie (my favorite), etc. That was fun.

Now where I live in Southern-Ohio, the public courses are PACKED and tee times are a pita and you can expect 5 hour rounds on the weekend. So I play at a private club that is what we refer to as the "Club in the Country" instead of a Country Club. It is low key, no one is arrogant, just 140 members and we fly around the course. no tee time is ever necessary, you just walk to the first tee and go. We play most of our rounds in under 3:15 and it is not expensive. I spend about $1400 with the food minimum etc. impossible to beat playing at Public Courses if you play more than once per week as they are all $40 per round.
[/quote]

Curious, is your club in good shape financially? Our course is semi-private, with a few more members than what you have, and we are struggling to keep the course in decent condition, maintain equipment, etc.. And that's with a fair amount of public play.

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1356298077' post='6108877']
I don't like public courses. There's a lot of guys that play those courses that know how to keep pace, but for the most part they are full of guys just there to hack it around and not give a damn about whether they ruin the day of anyone playing in front of or behind them. Almost every altercation or near altercation i've ever had on a golf course has come on a public one. Guys who curse at you because your ball came within 30yds of them, guys who flat out refuse to let you through and then purposely play slower, guys who will shamelessly play 2-3 balls because they didn't like the first one. Unraked traps, unrepaired ball marks on greens....no one cares. The marshalls are useless and the starters are usually jerks. Once they have your money they don't care if your round takes 7 hours.

There is no etiquette at public courses, you're not worried about seeing the guy in the clubhouse after, you're not worried about a note in your locker because everyone knows in this economy, at a public course you could take a dump on the green and not get thrown off the course.

I would say of the 85 rounds i played this year, the 10 slowest were at public courses
[/quote]

This x 10!!!

It all depends on the owner of the public course.

At our local spot, the owner doesn't mind telling a schlub to never come back if he is tearing up the course.
We do a pretty decent job as a community of regulars to gently ask guys to take a little more care with the course.

In our situation, we play league golf on Thursdays, and our course is pretty open.

Now, if you're trying to get a good round in at our North Park course (city owned), it's a complete nightmare.

If a course is cheap to play, be prepared for waits and having to stop play to allow a guy to whack at a ball from your fairway onto an area two fairways over. Then, wait for him to hit it again, as he inevitably chunks the shot.

I agree with the volume statement. I'm beginning to find out that I play enough golf to justify the private club membership.

I find it interesting that some people start bashing a person because he or she prefers a private course. All of the Bentley and butler talk doesn't make sense. Private doesn't automatically mean Billionaire. Like public courses, private clubs have a wide range as well for cost.

I belong to a private club that has a great golf course with great conditions but everyone is a 9-5 working man (the majority) Now I'm not saying they are working at McDonalds but they aren't Fortune 500 either. They want to sit down and drink some beers and grab a burger. Pace of play (4hr rounds MAX), conditions, and people are all big reasons why I joined.

I worked at a public 27 hole course and watched hacks tee off for 30 years. That being said, I joined a private club as soon as I had enough money.

[b] anyone else dislike playing at public clubs?[/b]


Nope!

I've been a member of a private course for 11 years then left, joined a public course that has 36 holes. It all depends on how you look it it, I've had many many slow rounds, the private course where the old timers won't let you play through etc.etc same as some public clubs. My gripe with the course i left was the amount of weekend tournaments they had.So i felt i would try a public 36 hole course for a year and see how that worked?. Well after being 3 years removed, i felt i made the right choice for me...

I live in the San Francisco Bay area and work 50-60 hours a week so there is really no choice for me but to play on the weekends. The public courses I might play: Harding, Crystal Springs, Presidio, Metropolitian, Poplar, Tilden all have INSANE waits. Last time I played tilden we quit after 9 because the first took 3.5 hours with the ranger actively slowing play down. At that point it became pretty clear I didn't have time for this and should probably go private. Don't think I've played an entire 18 in more than 3.5 hours since, even while walking in a rainstorm.

I hate the i paid my fee here and i will play as slow as i can plus be rude and destructive.

[quote name='J13' timestamp='1356445917' post='6114973']
I find it interesting that some people start bashing a person because he or she prefers a private course. All of the Bentley and butler talk doesn't make sense. Private doesn't automatically mean Billionaire. Like public courses, private clubs have a wide range as well for cost.

I belong to a private club that has a great golf course with great conditions but everyone is a 9-5 working man (the majority) Now I'm not saying they are working at McDonalds but they aren't Fortune 500 either. They want to sit down and drink some beers and grab a burger. Pace of play (4hr rounds MAX), conditions, and people are all big reasons why I joined.
[/quote]

It's a bad combination of ignorance and jealousy. I can assure everyone here that I am by no means wealthy. Far FAR from it. I belong to a private club for one reason alone.......[u][b]I am a golf addict[/b][/u]. I play with other members who are the same way. If you really want to play a ton.....I'm talking 4 or more days a week and practice your bottom off the only way to go is some sort of membership at a quality course....more than likely a private one.

[quote name='SurfDuffer' timestamp='1356649657' post='6125781']
[quote name='J13' timestamp='1356445917' post='6114973']
I find it interesting that some people start bashing a person because he or she prefers a private course. All of the Bentley and butler talk doesn't make sense. Private doesn't automatically mean Billionaire. Like public courses, private clubs have a wide range as well for cost.

I belong to a private club that has a great golf course with great conditions but everyone is a 9-5 working man (the majority) Now I'm not saying they are working at McDonalds but they aren't Fortune 500 either. They want to sit down and drink some beers and grab a burger. Pace of play (4hr rounds MAX), conditions, and people are all big reasons why I joined.
[/quote]

It's a bad combination of ignorance and jealousy. I can assure everyone here that I am by no means wealthy. Far FAR from it. I belong to a private club for one reason alone.......[u][b]I am a golf addict[/b][/u]. I play with other members who are the same way. If you really want to play a ton.....I'm talking 4 or more days a week and practice your bottom off the only way to go is some sort of membership at a quality course....more than likely a private one.
[/quote]

If your playing more then twice a week plus practice it's a no brainer to join a club otherwise most nice public courses will run you broke.

First go around at public courses, you should know after that round how it will be the rest of the time should you ever play there again.

I do not belong to a private, because I do not want to drive 10-15 minutes to get to my course, so until I find a house I like near or on a private course, I won't join.

I have had slow rounds at both public and private, I think it has all to do with the time you play. The only benefit, is I know which courses to play at what times, to get done at a reasonable time. I also know which courses have GOOD marshalls and will stick around those, as they keep pace of play up, and have no problems making sure my group can play through.

Sure, the private courses will have better greens, better facilities etc. etc. but sometimes, playing those public courses bring me back to where I started. Not all of us have been lucky to grow up belonging to a course. Lastly, I like having the option to play wherever I feel, and not have to feel almost obligated to play my country club. I'm lucky enough to know the regulars that play at private courses and will ask me to join anytime I want.

Depending on where you live, amount of time playing a year, and cost, you should weigh your options on a private vs public. And if you have buddies that like playing all over.

I guess to answer your question, I'm indifferent. I've had just as many good experiences and bad experiences at both.

I've done both. Upscale public and blue-collar private.

[b][u]Private[/u][/b]
Pros: I loved the fact that you could show up at pretty much any time and walk your way through 18 holes in 3 hours. Most people were very friendly. Greens were super slick and always very smooth. Staff always treated members like kings/queens. Very quiet atmosphere, especially in the evenings when I like to play a few holes and practice.

Cons: Being a new member I always felt I had to look over my shoulder for fear of breaking some small rule. I never did anything wrong but I was always worried of what other people might think of me. *Some* older members were a little cold. Hard to get into the weekend groups because everybody has their set "groups." While I got to meet lots of other members, I still missed out playing for a few bucks more often than not.

[b]Upscale Public[/b]
Pros: Condition was on par with most private courses. More diverse/greater mix of people as well. There's always a large group of "regulars" who are there most days. Less rules/regulations.

Cons: Rounds could either be 3 hours or 5 hours. Never knew what you were going to get. Definitely plenty of people that don't belong on a golf course from a dress/attitude perspective, and more hotheads.

Having seen both sides, its naive to think that any type of course, public or private, is better than the other. They both have their legitimate positives and negatives. But it all comes down to personal fit. Joe the Mechanic might enjoy the public muni. Jerry the hedge fund manager might enjoy the super exclusive <90 member club. John the office manager might prefer the upscale public club. Like everything else in life, there is not a one size fits all for golf courses. Everybody places different values on different things, so there's no point in arguing about which is better. Right now I work way too much to make a private membership worth it, so when I get out once every few weeks I go to different upscale public courses. But in the future I might reevaluate my course needs depending on the time I have.

[quote name='2bGood' timestamp='1356389086' post='6113303']
[quote name='Jon Robert' timestamp='1356274328' post='6107673']
Me to. I prefer not to have to mingle with the unkept peasants. Unless of course she is an 18 year old babe driving the refreshment cart and wearing shorts. I also would prefer if the commoners would have the courtesy to stay off the roads so my driver would not have to make my ride herky jerky by dodging them on the way to the course.

Peasants and commoners should play in the fields and leave the course to us private club types.

My mother ruined over 15 years of my life telling me that golf was only for rich people. As a young kid I said I wanted to play after watching Palmer, Nicklaus etc on TV and did not pick it up then until I was in my late 20's

Don't get mad at me I am using exageration to make my point.
[/quote]

[b]Keep in mind for a serous golfer Private is cheaper than public. The tipping point at my club is at about 100 rounds you save money over playing at a mid priced public course (with way better course conditions etc)[/b]. I play at a 'golfers' club where most of the members joined not because they want to avoid the unwashed masses, but because they love to golf and this is the best way to do it. Of course if you are playing 100 rounds a year, you have the lifestyle that supports it.
[/quote]

Thanks to GolfNow and depending on where you live, this may not always be the case. I know it's not in my area. I live on a private country club course that I am not a member of that would cost me around $3200 a year to play. But this year I almost never payed more than $20 for a round of golf. Lots of $9 to $15 rounds too.

[quote name='SurfDuffer' timestamp='1356436743' post='6114747']
[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1356298077' post='6108877']
I don't like public courses. There's a lot of guys that play those courses that know how to keep pace, but for the most part they are full of guys just there to hack it around and not give a damn about whether they ruin the day of anyone playing in front of or behind them. Almost every altercation or near altercation i've ever had on a golf course has come on a public one. Guys who curse at you because your ball came within 30yds of them, guys who flat out refuse to let you through and then purposely play slower, guys who will shamelessly play 2-3 balls because they didn't like the first one. Unraked traps, unrepaired ball marks on greens....no one cares. The marshalls are useless and the starters are usually jerks. Once they have your money they don't care if your round takes 7 hours.

There is no etiquette at public courses, you're not worried about seeing the guy in the clubhouse after, you're not worried about a note in your locker because everyone knows in this economy, at a public course you could take a dump on the green and not get thrown off the course.

I would say of the 85 rounds i played this year, the 10 slowest were at public courses
[/quote]

This x 10!!!
[/quote]

Wow, X 10...

Are you saying you played 850 rounds this year and the 100 slowest were at public courses?

[quote name='J13' timestamp='1356445917' post='6114973']
If your playing more then twice a week plus practice it's a no brainer to join a club otherwise most nice public courses will run you broke.
[/quote] And if you golf as a family. I play multiple times per week. On a public course, that's all the entire family could afford. By joining a club, the entire family plays for a single, reasonable, price. When you don't have time to get in nine or 18, go out for a few. Hit four bags of balls. As soon as two people play twice a week, a lot of clubs are cheaper than paying a GOOD and well kept public track.

Another important part is you can choose whether to play with anyone. On days I am working with my son or sons, I don't need the added hassle of playing with a stranger, and the stranger doesn't need the hassle of playing with us. Sometimes at the club people will ask if they can join us, so on the days that I am anticipating a teaching round, I warn them that I am going to be doing a little teaching on the way so they are welcome to join or tee off ahead if they want. That choice does not exist at a public course, most of the time.