Free Golf at private Clubs when you travel

[IsleOfMan]

My home membership isn't a full ONE membership, it's Young Executive which is limited to the three courses in my home cluster and does not include cart fees. My Signature Gold membership is completely separate... I use the two together to essentially have ONE without unlimited cart use at my home courses, but I'm contemplating dropping the home course membership all together and just using Signature Gold.

[Miker20890]

I'm coming up on a year with ClubCorp Travel and it's something I've extracted a HUGE amount of value out of. Even in the colder months when I wasn't golfing as much, even when traveling, I got well more than my money's worth out of the dining privileges. Even based purely on the intended travel-only I get much more than my money's worth. I now own a second home back in KY, so I know have the account addressed there instead of my parents', and continue to use the benefits in my home area making this an even more incredible value, including weekly dinners at the nearby social clubs.

 

It's getting to the point that I'm considering dropping my home club membership (also ClubCorp, but not a full ONE membership). With plenty of courses within a 45-min drive (including my current home courses all within 5-20 min drive), my home membership price increasing, and on-course events (corporate scrambles, travel groups, etc) increasingly limiting member play, the convenience of playing my home courses 3-4 times a week vs. traveling a bit wider seems to be diminishing. I'm thinking I'll be just as happy playing one of my home courses once or twice a week and one of the much nicer courses elsewhere in the Atlanta area on the weekend.

 

Currently, in an average warm month, I'm paying $50 for the membership, ~$15 each for 4-8 4-course meals, and ~$20 each for 1-4 rounds of golf... so total around $200/month in addition to ~$150/month at my home club after F&B min and range fees, plus a lot of $5 twilight cart fees, so total around $400/month. By dropping my home membership I'll be paying the same $50 for the membership and ~$15 each for the meals, but golf use would increase to ~8-10 rounds/month... so somewhere between $300-$350/month, i.e. a moderate savings and notable hit to convenience but a big boost in the variety and quality of courses played, plus much more of the total is tied to actual use and, in turn, will drop to more like $150/month in the colder months. I haven't made a decision yet, but I'm leaning towards going this route.

 

Are you playing the same local courses all the time? I would think the employees would start to recognize you and question that you're a traveler. Just curious because you definitely have a good idea.

[IsleOfMan]

I haven't played the same courses outside my home club more than once a month, and there are 26 to choose from within an hour drive (and 5 within 30 min including my current home courses), so I doubt it would be an issue. I can't imagine any one course seeing me once a month would raise any eyebrows or even develop recognition. It wouldn't be any different than someone working in a different state but traveling to their home office regularly.

 

I do, however, frequent the two local dinner/social/business clubs to make full use of the dining privileges, and have become familiar enough to be recognized by some of the wait staff... there hasn't been any issue on that end either.

[Luke.Sutton]

Another cheaper option than joining the local golf club is to join the local dining club. A couple of my buddies did that at the UT club in Austin and for $100-150/mo they get to play 2 rounds a month at any of the local Club Corps for a cart fee and unlimited when they travel. It’s the ONE program from the dining club. Plus it’s lefit and you don’t have to lie about where you live.

[IsleOfMan]

That's not a bad idea at all, I'll definitely give that a look next time I'm at one of the dining clubs. I'd assume it doesn't include the two 4-course meals per month at the home dining club but probably does at the others when traveling. I do think those memberships get 1/2 off at the home dining club too though.

 

EDIT: Actually, this isn't a bad deal for anyone over 40 or in a market with expensive golf memberships but inexpensive dining memberships... but for me it would be pretty much a wash compared to the Young Exec membership at my home courses combined with Signature Gold Travel... and still ~$100/month more expensive than just skirting the travel restriction on Signature Gold alone.

[baddomes]

I'm coming up on a year with ClubCorp Travel and it's something I've extracted a HUGE amount of value out of. Even in the colder months when I wasn't golfing as much, even when traveling, I got well more than my money's worth out of the dining privileges. Even based purely on the intended travel-only I get much more than my money's worth. I now own a second home back in KY, so I know have the account addressed there instead of my parents', and continue to use the benefits in my home area making this an even more incredible value, including weekly dinners at the nearby social clubs.

 

It's getting to the point that I'm considering dropping my home club membership (also ClubCorp, but not a full ONE membership). With plenty of courses within a 45-min drive (including my current home courses all within 5-20 min drive), my home membership price increasing, and on-course events (corporate scrambles, travel groups, etc) increasingly limiting member play, the convenience of playing my home courses 3-4 times a week vs. traveling a bit wider seems to be diminishing. I'm thinking I'll be just as happy playing one of my home courses once or twice a week and one of the much nicer courses elsewhere in the Atlanta area on the weekend.

 

Currently, in an average warm month, I'm paying $50 for the membership, ~$15 each for 4-8 4-course meals, and ~$20 each for 1-4 rounds of golf... so total around $200/month in addition to ~$150/month at my home club after F&B min and range fees, plus a lot of $5 twilight cart fees, so total around $400/month. By dropping my home membership I'll be paying the same $50 for the membership and ~$15 each for the meals, but golf use would increase to ~8-10 rounds/month... so somewhere between $300-$350/month, i.e. a moderate savings and notable hit to convenience but a big boost in the variety and quality of courses played, plus much more of the total is tied to actual use and, in turn, will drop to more like $150/month in the colder months. I haven't made a decision yet, but I'm leaning towards going this route.

 

That's great you're extracting so much value out of it, considering you're breaking the rules. Glad to hear it's working out for you.

 

Owns two houses, can't afford a local ONE membership.

[IsleOfMan]

When I changed the address on my membership I asked what the residency requirement was for the membership and was told that any residential address with a lease or deed in my name was all that's required but it's not something they check. So I'm in compliance with the rules. I'll admit that I was not before but that's no longer the case.

 

Also, it's not that I can't afford a local ONE membership. Even before coming across Signature Gold Travel, the YEX membership I have now was already a much better value than ONE. Adding Signature Gold for $50/month would have been worth it even if just for travel given my work travel patterns, but jumping up to ONE is a substantial (2.5x) price increase at my home club which is already the most affordable in the area and just not a compelling value proposition. I'm still weighing if Signature Gold alone is the right way to go but, at least in my situation, I can use it in the manner I have been and still be in compliance with the program. Not everyone can do so but it's worth exploring options and finding the best value.

[baddomes]

When I changed the address on my membership I asked what the residency requirement was for the membership and was told that any residential address with a lease or deed in my name was all that's required but it's not something they check. So I'm in compliance with the rules. I'll admit that I was not before but that's no longer the case.

 

Also, it's not that I can't afford a local ONE membership. Even before coming across Signature Gold Travel, the YEX membership I have now was already a much better value than ONE. Adding Signature Gold for $50/month would have been worth it even if just for travel given my work travel patterns, but jumping up to ONE is a substantial (2.5x) price increase at my home club which is already the most affordable in the area and just not a compelling value proposition. I'm still weighing if Signature Gold alone is the right way to go but, at least in my situation, I can use it in the manner I have been and still be in compliance with the program. Not everyone can do so but it's worth exploring options and finding the best value.

 

I'll tell you what, call ClubCorp and tell them you have deeds in your name on two properties, one in the Dallas area and one in KY. If they say no problem you can still use the Dallas area clubs with your ClubCorp Travel membership, then I'll be the first one to admit I'm wrong. We'll see if you're still "in compliance with the program".

 

Or tell them what your office address is.

 

Seriously, I'm a ClubCorp Travel member, so I want you to do this so I can start using clubs in my home market as well. Please report back.

 

CLUBCORP TRAVEL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ClubCorp Travel is a non-transferable membership program that provides ClubCorp Travel Members with the traveling benefits listed below on a space-available basis at participating clubs within the ClubCorp network that are located outside of a one hundred (100) mile radius of the ClubCorp Travel Member’s place(s) of residence and business.

[IsleOfMan]

I've done my due diligence in setting up my membership. If it's indeed a grey area, it's one I'm ok with, but I asked the residence requirements when I made the account change. If you want to confirm how it might apply to your situation, I'd encourage you to do so. Beyond that, I'm not sure I want to poke the bear.

[Ballin']

I've done my due diligence in setting up my membership. If it's indeed a grey area, it's one I'm ok with, but I asked the residence requirements when I made the account change. If you want to confirm how it might apply to your situation, I'd encourage you to do so. Beyond that, I'm not sure I want to poke the bear.

 

What has your experience been when trying to get a weekend tee time before noon? Is it a hard rule or can you call the day before and get on if they have open tee times in the am?

[IsleOfMan]

Hard rule. The ClubLine will not book anything before noon on Sat/Sun and sometimes they extend it to Mon on holiday weekends. The only way I've got around it was to book the earliest available and show up early, but that was only an hour or so early and it wasn't very busy.

[Miker20890]

My year ends in July.

 

Will clubcorp renew at the same rate and will it be month to month or a full year? Thanks.

 

Honestly, I'm waiting to see the answer to this in June before making the decision whether to drop my home club membership.

 

So did ClubCorp auto renew your membership or anything? My one year is coming up in May.

[IsleOfMan]

It did auto-renew at the same price, no changes what so ever. Given how rainy last summer was, I wasn't playing as much so I dropped my local membership and have pretty much only been using the Signature Gold for travel golf, travel dining, and local dining.

[ButterCutter2]

there's a whole other thread on clubcorp travel on golfwrx. also, is it truly "free" golf? free golf would be if your private club membership elsewhere got you onto these tracks for a cart fee, and then you ditched the cart fee to carry your own bag.