Local/National Membership Advice for (San Francisco +CO)

[foreright1]

Hello Friends,

I was hoping for some advice on a potential scenario and wanted to hear your feedback, thoughts, opinions, etc. I currently reside in San Francisco and will be living here for the foreseeable future.

 

1) Would you rather be a downtown member at the Olympic Club (meaning not a full golf member but still full access to the club and facilities, you have to pay for your green fees each time you play, and can't really bring friends out on the Lake Course) and also a National member at Ballyneal...

 

OR

2) Be a full golf member at the Cal Club?

 

Cheers!

[burnsniper]

How about Olympic Golf Membership as an option? Also, do you really plan to go to Ballyneal a lot? The names Olympic and/or Cal Club will get you on a lot of places.

[foreright1]

> @burnsniper said:

> How about Olympic Golf Membership as an option? Also, do you really plan to go to Ballyneal a lot? The names Olympic and/or Cal Club will get you on a lot of places.

 

I feel like to be paying that much money for a full golf membership, I would rather just go Cal Club. To me, Olympic is more of a machine (a lot of members), and the courses are always crowded.

 

To answer your question about how many times I will visit Ballyneal, that is fair. I would aim to visit Ballyneal 5 times a year? I do fly standby for free so that would help with those associated costs.

[burnsniper]

In that case, I would vote Cal Club and use the clubs reputation/member connections to get you on like minded clubs wherever you want to travel. I do this all the time and often only play the top clubs where I travel. For example, the only course in California I have ever played is Riviera.

[foreright1]

Thanks @burnsniper. @carrera, you seem pretty dialed into this area from what I have read. Would love to hear your thoughts as well!

[Malvern]

OP, comment from a foreigner who has played both Olympic and Cal Club (X3).

Cal Club is one of my favourite places in the world to play...........they get golfers, wonderful course, seem to do everything right off it, wish it wasn't 16 hours away.

I can't comment on other aspects but if its great golf and a beer afterwards you are after, Cal Club ticks all boxes.

 

[carrera]

OP, I would go Cal Club for sure given that choice. Unless you had a non-golf reason to join Olympic (basketball or other sport, for example).

[foreright1]

Thanks @Malvern & @carrera. I am also leaning that way as well. I think the big draw for me for the first scenario, is the price difference vs. Cal club. Cal club is around 100k initiation and still around 1k or a little more per month. Where as I can get into Olympic club downtown for just under 4k initiation and Ballyneal would be closer to 20k. Ballyneal would be 3k annually, adding in food, rental car lets just say 8-10k all in. O club would be 3k annually, plus green fees + food, lets also say 8-10k all in.

[duffer987]

TBH if costs are that big of a consideration for you, it's likely not a question worth asking, or at least the wrong question.

You've highlighted above the well known problems with Olympic, but because it costs less you're cool with it? Really for a fulltime Bay Area resident and golfer, it should be a nobrainer: Cal Club.

[foreright1]

> @duffer987 said:

> TBH if costs are that big of a consideration for you, it's likely not a question worth asking, or at least the wrong question.

> You've highlighted above the well known problems with Olympic, but because it costs less you're cool with it? Really for a fulltime Bay Area resident and golfer, it should be a nobrainer: Cal Club.

 

IMO you should evaluate the cost difference between the options. So yea, I would be more than "cool" being a downtown member vs. full golf member at O club given the known issues (4k initiation vs. 50k). The "restrictions" would be minor to me. Additionally, I am not saying that costs are the main driver in this particular scenario, but it would be naive to leave the associated costs out of the equation.

I think we all agree here that Cal Club is the route to go, I just think when evaluating the price difference, it brings up an interesting case (Maybe I am the only one thinking this way? lol).

[ryu123]

Haven’t played the Olympic Club, but did play the California Golf Club of San Francisco a few years ago (post-renovation & after it dealt with the worms).

 

The course is very good. Its vibe & friendliness of its members outstanding.

[raynorfan1]

To me, it has less to do with cost than two fundamentally different membership experiences. Only you can decide which is right for you, but I suspect given that you're considering it, the Olympic Club / Ballyneal split is the right choice.

 

If you want to be a part of a *club* - get to know other members, play in events, have a regular game - Cal Club is the choice. If you just want a great place to play golf with a group that you bring with you, the Olympic / Ballyneal option is probably better. Personally, I would prefer full golf at Olympic, but that's because I feel like I'd get a lot out of the Downtown facilities.

[golfsnake]

Cal. not even close...

[ButterCutter2]

it depends on what you're looking for. 1 scenario would be olympic + not ballyneal but a dormie network club as a nat'l member, and then utilize the emerging golf social networks (like thousandgreens) to get yourself onto great courses in norcal and across the country. sure, joining calclub would get you access to many of these tracks through TG / the head pro, but you'd be paying out of pocket for those guest rounds or signing them back to your club, on top of your dues. if the olympic club dues are so much lower, then it's alot easier to stomach paying guest fees elsewhere. long story short, being a member of a prestigious & powerful club is great for when you travel if cost isn't an issue. also reason i say dormie network (victorial natl, hidden creek, bally hack) is b/c that gets you a nat'l membership at essentially 7 clubs instead of just the very remote ballyneal. out of curiosity, have you considered Lake Merced or Meadow Club? where do those price out? i know meadow club's the superior track but its also way up in marin county if i'm not mistaken whereas LMGC is right on the other side of the highway from cal club (though not nearly as good a track). i played lake merced last fall through the aformentioned thousandgreens.com and was extremely satisfied for the $100 accompanied guest fee. seems like a very solid club.

[carrera]

Meadow Club has a waiting list and is in the same zip code as Cal Club in terms of price. It just would not be convenient to get to if you didn't live in Marin County.