Call me crazy but...what was your excuse to go private?

[matthilaman]

Junior membership promos are in full force at my local private course so now is the time for me to join this spring. Aside from the usual, convenience, fast pace of play, amenities, course conditions, was there a factor that tipped you over the edge?

 

To be honest, aside from me being giddy like a school girl to finally play this course, several of my bosses and big bosses are members there. I'm quickly realizing that hard work and who you know is the quickest way to move up the corporate ladder.

 

This post was really only made to give myself some validation. All dumb or unreasonable excuses are welcomed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...**runs to the jewelers to buy a ring and keep the GF off my back for the next year**

[Golfrnut]

1. Closest to my house(10 min drive time)
2. Lack of crowds
3. People, for the most part, more respectful of the course
4. Love bent greens
5. Course overall in much better condition that others around
6. If I want to hit a bucket at the range and then play just a couple holes before dark I can without forking out green fees
7. Also have access to the lake, where I can fish, and it's absolutely loaded with bass as they are for the most part left alone

Probably the biggest one, I joined when they were running 50% off memberships, and I got spoiled rotten The fees went up after a year and I just couldn't say no to not renewing.

[Truman]

If you're joining because of the price of golf, you likely will not be happy. If you are joining to meet and make good friends who you can socialize and vacation with, then you will enjoy yourself.

[Guia]

I went private because of 6 hour rounds on public courses.

[Wigeon]

Client entertainment, discounted cost and proximity to home and office

[crazy8golfer]

Been Private twice, will never go back. I just can't do the butt kissing thing !!!!!!

[Bonneville85308]

Just about every pubic course in my area has weeknight leagues almost every night that completely clog up the course. If you can even get out at all, your best hope is for 7-9 holes in 2 hours behind a bunch of beer-chuggers.

By joining a club, I could walk 18 holes after work in 2.5 hours. Sold!

[swizbeatz]

Open tee times, good condition, good value. Most members know how to use the search function.

[MadGolfer76]

All the insufferable "niceness" I was surrounded by each day.

[T-MAC]

I belonged to a private club in Chicago, mainly for the conditions and pace of play, but also because I lived there (on the golf course) and most of my golf buddies were members. Always had great matches going on over the weekends and the club had great food and a terrific gym as well. Had a lot of dinners at our club over the years and met a lot of good people who became great friends.
In Hilton Head I've belonged to a couple of private clubs over the years, mainly to get away from the tourist/vacationers on all the public courses, but also because most of the private tracks here are kept in fantastic shape, plus they have reciprocal programs with the majority of the other private clubs in the area so I can play them all while only belonging to 1 club.

[Sean2]

Practice facility. We have a bunker complex. A pitching range. A nine hole short course, two practice greens, as well as a large grass driving range. I work on my short game incessantly. No other place I could do that. Plus, no food or drink minimum BS.

[Phreddy]

Pace of play and ease of tee times for sure. Course condition yes. Proximity to home. I like to simply show up at 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening and play. The course is empty. I can play multiple balls and I can play 6, 9 or 12 holes. Whatever the light allows. The range has it's place, but for me there is no substitute for actually playing to improve.

Phred

[matthilaman]

[quote name='swizbeatz' timestamp='1422581825' post='10845413']
Open tee times, good condition, good value. Most members know how to use the search function.
[/quote]

Search? Is that like an Ask Jeeves?

All joking aside, the rates i'd be locked into are very reasonable. 85% off initiation fee and 50% off annual dues till im 40? Can't argue with that. Its a golf only club, and they've been very open in regards to extra fees that may occur. They have weekend morning groups with avid golfers..something I haven't been able to find publicly. What really caught my interest was that they cap the club to 450 members so its never busy.

I've read the other threads, but I didn't see anyone mention a reason that wasn't social or golf related/not a good reason to join.

[billh17]

My reasons mirror Sean...plus closness to home,and it is walkable...not a mountain goat layout

[bazinky]

I had waffled about going private for a long time, but the ability to play a morning weekend round at decent pace was what finally drove me private. Keeps the family happy!

[golfingron]

Reasons I Joined:
-Pace of play always under 4hrs
-No tee times required
-Outstanding conditions
-Close to work and house
-Price was comparable to public when considering rounds played and my wife plays

Reasons I have stayed:
-Weekly money games
-Tournaments
-Chances to play other local and national private clubs
-Get out of the car and my cart and bag are waiting for me
-Tee off before 8AM and play a 3hr round as a foursome on the weekend

[allparz]

No tee times
Don't have to show up with a game - games are made based on who shows up
40 other members with single digit handicaps - competition is fierce
can play with 5 or 6 if it's not busy
If you show up at 7:30 as a twosome you can play in 3hrs - other wise less than 4hrs
Post round camaraderie - lunch - drinks - banter
Emergency extra 9's on the weekends
Club Tournaments
Tournament Conditions everyday
Best Greens in the State
Course stays open until there is snow on the ground or it's frozen solid
Start on the 5th or 6th hole or 15th -- whichever is open and your not jumping in front of other groups

[joey2aces]

Very rarely will you get behind "that guy".
And if you do have a "that guy" you have a birds eye view of the tee sheet so you are never behind them again.
Play when I want, not when I am told.
No random scrambles that tear up the course, especially the greens and leaves you high and dry if you want to play on a Monday.
League nights 1 night a week instead of some local courses here have them daily, on both sides. So unless you tee off around 1 you are SOL.
Business networking. Like I told my wife, I will probably not play as much golf to 'pay' for the membership but I will most likely be able to justify spending the money from the connections I make.
Member guest, club champ etc.
I also look forward to the home/home series with fellow WRXers and finally be able to join the Polo Swap thread.

[E401k]

Reason:
Play more golf, like many said pace of play is epicly better!

Most importantly for me I dont feel obligated to play 18 holes like I do at a public. I will routinely show up with a finite amount of time to play...Say 2 hours, I'll hit a few putts and shoot off and play. sometimes i run into someone and slow down to their pace or some times i bounce around from hole 6 to 12 to hole 17. I don' t have the sense of obligation to the round that i do when i play public. Over the course of the year I would guess these holes add up to 7-10 cumulative rounds a year.

excuse:

I can play mid day without a tee time or a group always someone looking for a partner

[highergr0und]

For me, initially it was about the money. As a junior member, I could play and practice all I wanted for under $200 a month. F&B was only like 100 or 150 a quarter and the Sunday brunch was good. I could basically go once a month with the wife and kid and hit the minimums.

But beyond the money, it totally spoiled me to the fact I don't even enjoy the game as much since I've moved and don't have the club any more. Bucket after bucket of practice hitting wedges to groove the swing has turned back into one $10 bucket trying to work through the whole bag. With the club, I could play by myself around 5:30 am after the pro told me which gate they left unlocked, but without the club I can't get a tee time before lunch without a foursome and a five hour round. I could pop by basically whenever and knock out a few holes if I only had an hour. I could walk every round instead of being forced to take a cart. Oh, and the pace.... even when busy it was under 4 hours, even when they allowed 5-somes and 6-somes. Money games were there if you're into it. And finally, pools.... multiple pools to where the wife would lay out while I played.

The downsides of the club were just a few...... One is you play the same course (or courses) all the time. We had two courses in two different locations that were totally different, so I was alright with that. If you wanted a normal tee time on the weekends, it was pretty kind of hard to get since the senior members always seemed to find their way onto the sheets before you were technically allowed. Some of the members were jerks.

The last two years have been brutal. Maybe 5 rounds total, actually zero last summer. I have struck a deal with the wife that we're joining a club once the kids are out of daycare.

[ClarkGrswld4]

money games and competition