Private club help Denver

rkrech · March 29, 2017

I've been considering joining a club. I really enjoy the pace of play, tournaments, and family benefits.

But, I live in Broomfield and my options are limited. I'm married and have an 18 month old. My rounds per year have obviously gone down in the last 2 years due to the kiddo. Any club I join would have to have some family benefits. Pool, summer camps, etc...

I've been mulling over 3 different clubs.

Club #1 It's the closet to my house. It has a very family friendly environment. I have friends that are members and have played the course a bunch. The clubhouse remodel is great. BUT.....I really think the course is very average. It's short, kinda boring, and lacks any wow factor. If it was above average I would have already joined.

Club #2 Once again I have played the course a bunch. It's a very nice Donald Ross design. The clubhouse and men's locker room are awesome. Very family friendly. BUT.....it's 40 minutes from my house. Traffic can be a nightmare getting to and from the course. They also have a waitlist.

club #3 Top 50 course. They have accomodations to make weekend getaways. I've never played the course but I hear it's fantastic. Pretty relaxed environment. BUT....2+ hours from the house. No pool or other family options. I obviously wouldn't be able to sneak out for a quick 9. If the course is as great as everyone says maybe it would be worth it.

I know OMNI is a close semi private option. But, I have friends that are members and they sometimes struggle to get tee times. Also, I've played my fair share of 5 hour rounds there. Kinda kills any desire for me.

So my questions to you guys. Especially guys with families.

1. Is it worth it to join a club that you don't love the course?

2. Is 40 minutes too far?

3. Is joining a premier club(Ballyneal) worth the limited opportunity to utilize the club.

4. Any other options jump out at you?

Thanks for any input.

SlamMan · March 29, 2017

If I was looking at clubs I personally would need to get a lot of use out of it to justify the price so that would eliminate anything further than about 15 min away.

The head teaching pro at the Ranch is highly regarded if that's a factor.

rkrech · March 30, 2017

That's a big part of my dilemma. Having the club near so I could go practice or play a quick nine seems important. Just don't love the course.

I've been working with Ed Oldham over the last year. He's an outstanding instructor.

TheKrushh · March 31, 2017

I've been considering joining a club. I really enjoy the pace of play, tournaments, and family benefits.

But, I live in Broomfield and my options are limited. I'm married and have an 18 month old. My rounds per year have obviously gone down in the last 2 years due to the kiddo. Any club I join would have to have some family benefits. Pool, summer camps, etc...

I've been mulling over 3 different clubs.

The Ranch. It's the closet to my house. It has a very family friendly environment. I have friends that are members and have played the course a bunch. The clubhouse remodel is great. BUT.....I really think the course is very average. It's short, kinda boring, and lacks any wow factor. If it was above average I would have already joined.

Lakewood. Once again I have played the course a bunch. It's a very nice Donald Ross design. The clubhouse and men's locker room are awesome. Very family friendly. BUT.....it's 40 minutes from my house. Traffic can be a nightmare getting to and from the course. They also have a waitlist.

Ballyneal. Top 50 course. They have accomodations to make weekend getaways. I've never played the course but I hear it's fantastic. Pretty relaxed environment. BUT....2+ hours from the house. No pool or other family options. I obviously wouldn't be able to sneak out for a quick 9. If the course is as great as everyone says maybe it would be worth it.

I know OMNI is a close semi private option. But, I have friends that are members and they sometimes struggle to get tee times. Also, I've played my fair share of 5 hour rounds there. Kinda kills any desire for me.

So my questions to you guys. Especially guys with families.

1. Is it worth it to join a club that you don't love the course?
2. Is 40 minutes too far?
3. Is joining a premier club(Ballyneal) worth the limited opportunity to utilize the club.
4. Any other options jump out at you?

Thanks for any input.

1. This one is hard for me to get around.

2. Depends on what you do everyday. If you have a work commute, it's probably going to be a factor. I have friends who work from home that are at CGC and drive 30-40 to get there and although they though it would be a big problem going in, it wasn't.

3. I would think this option would be good if you have the means to do two memberships, it doesn't sound like it accomplishes many of your original goals.

4. I'd like to know as well. It seems like a lot of the really good private options go in to pretty heavy initiations. Denver doesn't seem to have a lot of great private options from 5-30K. It seems like everything jumps from being a member at a public course to the 60K+ group.

What works better for your family? Sometimes jumping out for an unplanned 9 after work is great and sometimes the planned "gone all saturday morning" is easier to deal with. This may have some impact too.

rkrech · March 31, 2017

CGC would be a no brainer. Unfortunately it's out of my price range.

You're absolutely right that Colorado is lacking in great private options in that $5-30k range.

One_Putt_Blunder · March 31, 2017

Everything I have seen about Ballyneal looks fantastic. I dont think I'd want to commute 2 hours each way to get there to play as a primary club though. I have no idea what your budget or the dues/initiation are, but is it possible budget wise to do two of the 3. Either the club closest to your home and Ballyneal or Lakewood and Ballyneal if that is cheaper? You could do Ballyneal a couple times a month as a change of pace, plus I would imagine you would get some great reciprocals if you travel.

rkrech · April 1, 2017

Unfortunately probably no chance of maintaining two clubs memberships at this point. With a family I doubt I would get enough usage from both to even consider it. I wouldn't join a club because it makes financial sense. I know it will be more expensive than just playing public and paying guest fees at friends clubs. But, I've gotta remain somewhat financially conservative :)

heffe78 · April 1, 2017

"So my questions to you guys. Especially guys with families.

1. Is it worth it to join a club that you don't love the course?

2. Is 40 minutes too far?

3. Is joining a premier club(Ballyneal) worth the limited opportunity to utilize the club.

4. Any other options jump out at you?"

OP - like all things in life where a budget is involved (money or time) there will be trade offs. I'm fortunate enough to have grown up at a 100% private club, have since joined and have spent a number of years on the Board and other committees with the majority of my time working on Membership initiatives. Everything you mention has bee on our radar. He are my thoughts and questions...

Re: 1 - where on the "don't love the course" spectrum are we talking? Do you hate every foot of every hole, dislike a a couple quirky holes, or is it just under watered and not as green as you like and lacking overall fit & finish? I've played and looked at a lot of courses and I think most people hVe played courses where they may not like all 18 holes, but from doing our market surveys and member surveys as you indicate although it is a GOLF club, the course is but one factor that gets balanced with others. Ie if the course is average but the wife has things to do, your kids love it, you have friends their... that might be enough for me. Also what are you looking for in a club? Is it purely about the course? What about comeraderie and having friends? Is it about getting out to play fairly frequently?

Re: 2 - for me 40mins is boardline. Anything more than that and I have to think your frequency of play with suffer. I'm 10-15 away from my place (almost 5mins on weekend mornings) and that's a big deal when juggling a tee time with my buds but still have tom to rip home after to pick up Jr to get to soccer. To me 4 hours on the course with a 30 minute commute each way is still a 5 hour round as it's time away from family and time away from doing other things (unless y Love sitting in your car!)

Re: 3 - based on my responses above and the restrictions you've laid out ( can't buy 2 memberships) id say no. If you're looking at a 2hr drive then you're limited to weekends or vacation time to go. Also can you do that by yourself or would family be in tow? Golf is a lifestyle but that sounds like a real lifestyle choice - ie: line having a place in the mountains for skiing you pack up on Friday after work, head out to the resort for the weekend, come back Sunday, repeat often.

Re: 4 - not from Denver so I don't know but based on my experience I urge you to do your homework & due diligence no matter what club you join. And I'm talking like as if you are buying a house you get the mechanical and foundation inspected when looking at clubs ask to read the bylaws, land use policies, ownership structures etc. as these can all be game-changers down the road. Plenty of stories of clubs having leased land vs ownership, some members don't do their homework and then are upset to discover 10 years later that leases are not renewed, or in the case of clubs owned by individuals or ownership groups deciding to turn an 18 holer into a 9er and built houses on the other 9, is the club owned by one person who can do whatever they want or is it a group, or is and equity club owned by the shareholders (my preference).

Sorry for the rant but I've seen a lot and it's never a simple decision but I hope I've given you some things to consider.

rkrech · April 1, 2017

Heffe,

Thanks you for the detailed response. Many of the questions are along the lines of my own thought process. But good to see my mind is in the right spot.

As far as the "don't love the course" spectrum question. It's a very well maintained course. Having played it a fair amount. I would say the membership is very friendly and the staff is great. The food is adequate. But, golf is absolutely my #1 priority. Without going into great detail. I would say there are public options closer that IMO offer a far better golf course. The pace of play and other amenities are obviously not as good. The course is short. Well maintained but not aesthetic, practice facilities are adequate but far from great.

Carl Spackler2 · April 1, 2017

Colorado National has some good information on their website. Otherwise North Denver has a good variety of public golf courses. I really enjoy Legacy Ridge, Heritage, Broadlands, Riverdale, or Fossil Trace.

farmer · April 1, 2017

For me, the 40 minutes would be a deal breaker. If you want to arrive a little early, hit a few balls, putt a little, it's going to be at least an hour, more likely hour and a half. You play 18, want to have a beverage with your guys, there's another half hour, then 40-60 minutes home. That's going to be 6-6 1/2 hour type round. No quick, casual after work rounds. As Heffe said, check the financials, assessment policy, minimums, future remodel plans, and debt structure.

forecast6236 · May 18, 2017

Did the member for a day deal at Pinehurst, BlackBear/Blackstone and Meridian recently. Haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. Plusses and minuses to each... and even the "cheaper" clubs in town aren't cheap especially considering you're paying while snow's on the ground a few months of the year.

TheKrushh · May 22, 2017

Did the member for a day deal at Pinehurst, BlackBear/Blackstone and Meridian recently. Haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. Plusses and minuses to each... and even the "cheaper" clubs in town aren't cheap especially considering you're paying while snow's on the ground a few months of the year.

Seems like everyone I talk to has been pretty happy at Meridian, BBB, and Bear Creek. Haven't heard much about the other ones or played any of them for that matter so I'm not a terrible lot of help. I'll be curious to see where you end up.

forecast6236 · May 23, 2017

Did the member for a day deal at Pinehurst, BlackBear/Blackstone and Meridian recently. Haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. Plusses and minuses to each... and even the "cheaper" clubs in town aren't cheap especially considering you're paying while snow's on the ground a few months of the year.

Seems like everyone I talk to has been pretty happy at Meridian, BBB, and Bear Creek. Haven't heard much about the other ones or played any of them for that matter so I'm not a terrible lot of help. I'll be curious to see where you end up.

If I were choosing tomorrow I'd go with Meridian. Work and live near the tech center so the location is great. They're also just about the golf there, it isn't a country club. I think I've got 2 more years to get in under the "junior" rate.

Chomper · June 26, 2017

If Bear Creek is an option, and you want a golf club, I would look hard at that spot. I think, for a young guy, it would be perfect.

irvtrain · June 26, 2017

Not sure your age but Rolling Hills will probably be your best bet if you can do the junior. I looked into it last year and it was $35,000 initiation. I don't think they're going to do any redesigns or clubhouses any time soon, so no assessments. Unlike Lakewood which is going to lengthen some holes and move greens which will hurt the original Ross design as well.

If you're willing to drive, Ravenna seems like a good deal. I think $10,000 initiation for juniors.

I've played Ballyneal, awesome course, walking only which makes it tough to play more than 36 in a day. From my perspective when I considered joining, was I would need to go out there 1-2 times per week and spend the day out there, including doing work in between rounds etc. They're only open from April to October or something like that too. However, if you can commit to it and spend the day out there once a week or so, it would be totally worth it. They have good food and the course is fun. I like they don't have tee markers and suggest you use any tee box you're feeling for that hole that day.

Other courses you can consider is Boulder Country Club..don't know initiation and same with Lake Valley. Fox Hill in Longmont, I've heard is a great track. Never played and don't know initiation.

Something else to consider, the public courses north of Denver usually are wide open during the week and are pretty good test and may offer yearlies. Saddleback comes to mind here.