Membership, Men’s League, or Mix up courses?

[BallerNate]

Didn’t see a thread with this topic, so figured I’d start one. I had taken 10 yrs away from golf before picking up the sticks again at the end of June, and have gotten bitten by the golfing bug Big Time! Got my Handicap down from the max of 54 to 6.0 and tried to squeeze in as many rounds as I possibly could before the snow started falling!
 

Going into next season, I’m debating between getting a Membership, joining a Men’s League, or mixing up different courses. Just wanted to see what everyone’s preferences are and experiences with each? I played 30 rounds between the end of June to the end of November and played at 15 different courses to get a feel for as many courses as possible in the area, and accelerate my improvement by testing myself with different layouts, conditions etc. Any feedback and thoughts would be appreciated...thanks!

[MPAndreassi]

I took the last two years off then started playing again in August. I joined a club mid September and it’s the best decision I’ve made. The private courses in the area have a huge influx of new members so it’s not like being the only new kid in school. Granted I knew quite a few members here, which is why I chose here, but it’s nice to see that it’s not quite as cliquey as it was before. My issue with the public courses was getting tee times. In my area it was almost impossible to get a tee time same day or even a couple of days ahead of time. I like to go out and play a handful of holes almost every day. 3, 6, 9 whatever it may be. That’s not an option the public route. 

Edited December 31, 2020 by MPAndreassi

[dubbelbogey]

I'm purely a public course player and getting to a large variety of courses is of prime importance to me.  True, getting tee times this year takes more planning, but not impossible if I do think ahead a bit. I think I'd enjoy golf a lot less if I wasn't wandering between a lot of different courses. 

 

As a nice side benefit, I think the variety helps my overall playing skills in that I have to adapt to a wide variety of courses. 

 

I've not played a men's league in many years. It's definitely fun, but is not my cup of tea at the moment.

 

 

 

 

[jordan2240]

I like playing different courses.  There is one in the area that I tend to play more than others, and it is always in great shape, but I wouldn't want to play it exclusively.  Of course, you can join a club and still play other courses from time-to-time.  I also play in a golf league (9 holes) at the aforementioned course, and enjoy it as well.  Basically, it's not an either/or decision.  You could actually do all 3 of what you are considering, but if I had to narrow it to one, it would be to play different courses.  Like dubbel said above, I think it is more challenging as well - but perhaps being challenged isn't a consideration.

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, MPAndreassi said:

I took the last two years off then started playing again in August. I joined a club mid September and it’s the best decision I’ve made. The private courses in the area have a huge influx of new members so it’s not like being the only new kid in school. Granted I knew quite a few members here, which is why I chose here, but it’s nice to see that it’s not quite as cliquey as it was before. My issue with the public courses was getting tee times. In my area it was almost impossible to get a tee time same day or even a couple of days ahead of time. I like to go out and play a handful of holes almost every day. 3, 6, 9 whatever it may be. That’s not an option the public route. 

So you joined that course because of preferred access to Tee times and not having to pay for 18 and only playing 3-9 or whatever you have time for? Will you still play other courses, or just stick with the one you have your membership at?

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, dubbelbogey said:

I'm purely a public course player and getting to a large variety of courses is of prime importance to me.  True, getting tee times this year takes more planning, but not impossible if I do think ahead a bit. I think I'd enjoy golf a lot less if I wasn't wandering between a lot of different courses. 

 

As a nice side benefit, I think the variety helps my overall playing skills in that I have to adapt to a wide variety of courses. 

 

I've not played a men's league in many years. It's definitely fun, but is not my cup of tea at the moment.

 

 

 

 

How many different courses do you play at? Have you ever had a membership anywhere, or you’ve always liked playing lots of different courses?

[MPAndreassi]

8 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

So you joined that course because of preferred access to Tee times and not having to pay for 18 and only playing 3-9 or whatever you have time for? Will you still play other courses, or just stick with the one you have your membership at?

Exactly that. I like to go out and spend an hour or hour and a half out on the course hitting a couple of balls or from spots I’m not normally in. I find this better practice for me than sitting on the range and beating balls. 
 

Fortunately, I used to work in the golf industry and I have a number of friends at area courses that I go and play with at other places. Maybe twice a month. The bulk of my time is at my home course. I live in the Philly area and to be honest, there’s not a ton of variety in course layout here. Everything is old, tree lined and difficult 😂

 

For next year, I’m considering looking into a men’s league with some guys from my club at one of the local public courses. It’s 9 holes and in the evenings. They have a team format. Four individual matches and a team total. It’s not expensive and it’s a good way to add in a second course. It’s relaxed and a lot of fun. I played in it a few years ago before I took a break. 

Edited December 31, 2020 by MPAndreassi

[BallerNate]

47 minutes ago, jordan2240 said:

I like playing different courses.  There is one in the area that I tend to play more than others, and it is always in great shape, but I wouldn't want to play it exclusively.  Of course, you can join a club and still play other courses from time-to-time.  I also play in a golf league (9 holes) at the aforementioned course, and enjoy it as well.  Basically, it's not an either/or decision.  You could actually do all 3 of what you are considering, but if I had to narrow it to one, it would be to play different courses.  Like dubbel said above, I think it is more challenging as well - but perhaps being challenged isn't a consideration.

Makes sense. I would say that I’d probably play other courses a lot less if I had a membership, mostly because of the financial aspect. If I already paid annual dues, I probably wouldn’t want to spend a lot of extra $ going to other courses. I think that would be the biggest drawback for me because I also enjoy playing different courses and challenging myself with different layouts and course designs is a big part of that for sure! Getting a membership just seems like a cost-effective way of being able to get lots of rounds in, but I would be concerned about getting bored or stagnant with only playing one course...

[BallerNate]

10 minutes ago, MPAndreassi said:

Exactly that. I like to go out and spend an hour or hour and a half out on the course hitting a couple of balls or from spots I’m not normally in. I find this better practice for me than sitting on the range and beating balls. 
 

Fortunately, I used to work in the golf industry and I have a number of friends at area courses that I go and play with at other places. Maybe twice a month. The bulk of my time is at my home course. I live in the Philly area and to be honest, there’s not a ton of variety in course layout here. Everything is old, tree lined and difficult 😂

 

For next year, I’m considering looking into a men’s league with some guys from my club at one of the local public courses. It’s 9 holes and in the evenings. They have a team format. Four individual matches and a team total. It’s not expensive and it’s a good way to add in a second course. It’s relaxed and a lot of fun. I played in it a few years ago before I took a break. 

Yeah, I’m the same way...much prefer going out and playing to improve vs range sessions. That’s a big reason why I’m considering a membership too...to be able to get lots of rounds in and not have to pay $50-60 minimum per round. The big drawback for me would be that once I spend the money on an annual membership, I would be less likely to want to spend money at other courses even though I like mixing it up and playing different layouts etc.

[MPAndreassi]

1 minute ago, BallerNate said:

Yeah, I’m the same way...much prefer going out and playing to improve vs range sessions. That’s a big reason why I’m considering a membership too...to be able to get lots of rounds in and not have to pay $50-60 minimum per round. The big drawback for me would be that once I spend the money on an annual membership, I would be less likely to want to spend money at other courses even though I like mixing it up and playing different layouts etc.

I played 45 9/18 hole rounds between the middle of September and the middle of November when handicap posting closed for the season here. I never would have gotten close to that without my membership. The club I joined is strictly golf as well, so it’s very reasonable price wise. There’s a bar with a limited food menu so we don’t have a ton of overhead. 

[jordan2240]

16 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Makes sense. I would say that I’d probably play other courses a lot less if I had a membership, mostly because of the financial aspect. If I already paid annual dues, I probably wouldn’t want to spend a lot of extra $ going to other courses. I think that would be the biggest drawback for me because I also enjoy playing different courses and challenging myself with different layouts and course designs is a big part of that for sure! Getting a membership just seems like a cost-effective way of being able to get lots of rounds in, but I would be concerned about getting bored or stagnant with only playing one course...

True, a membership can be very cost effective.  Perhaps your best course of action would be to join for a year, and see if you like it.  You already know what it's like without a membership, so should be a fairly easy compare to make.  At worst, you might find yourself getting bored with playing the same course, but you'll still get in plenty of golf, which is the main objective anyway.  Another suggestion is that you might be able to defray some of the costs of playing a different course every so often by walking vice riding, if that's an option for you.  Don't know where you are, but in my area near Harrisburg PA, there are plenty of courses that charge in the $20-30 range to walk on weekdays, so it isn't a huge expense for most.

[jordan2240]

Also, if you plan on playing every day, or nearly every day, a membership would likely be much easier than trying to get a tee time at a different course all the time.  I know a number of people who have memberships at a course and pretty much a standing daily tee time.  I typically play only 2 or 3 times a week, so a membership would probably not work well for me.

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by jordan2240

[BallerNate]

18 minutes ago, MPAndreassi said:

I played 45 9/18 hole rounds between the middle of September and the middle of November when handicap posting closed for the season here. I never would have gotten close to that without my membership. The club I joined is strictly golf as well, so it’s very reasonable price wise. There’s a bar with a limited food menu so we don’t have a ton of overhead. 

Wow, that’s amazing!! Yeah, I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere near that number of rounds even if I had a membership, but would be nice to have the option for sure!

[BallerNate]

17 minutes ago, jordan2240 said:

True, a membership can be very cost effective.  Perhaps your best course of action would be to join for a year, and see if you like it.  You already know what it's like without a membership, so should be a fairly easy compare to make.  At worst, you might find yourself getting bored with playing the same course, but you'll still get in plenty of golf, which is the main objective anyway.  Another suggestion is that you might be able to defray some of the costs of playing a different course every so often by walking vice riding, if that's an option for you.  Don't know where you are, but in my area near Harrisburg PA, there are plenty of courses that charge in the $20-30 range to walk on weekdays, so it isn't a huge expense for most.

 

13 minutes ago, jordan2240 said:

Also, if you plan on playing every day, or nearly every day, a membership would likely be much easier than trying to get a tee time at a different course all the time.  I know a number of people who have memberships at a course and pretty much a standing daily tee time.  I typically play only 2 or 3 times a week, so a membership would probably not work well for me.

 

I’m just north of Toronto (45mins away) and golf is pretty expensive here. I actually prefer walking, but it still costs around $45-50 to walk Monday-Thursday. If I lived closer to the city though, that number would jump to $75-90 minimum, so I’m not complaining! $25 will only get you 9 Holes walking here.

 

My schedule is similar to yours though, that I can usually only get out 2 times per week, and a very occasional 3rd time, so I guess that’s something to factor in to the cost equation too.

[ChipNRun]

44 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

I’m just north of Toronto (45mins away) and golf is pretty expensive here.

 

BN,

I'm a retired business professor. In my Strategy class I sometimes used the Islington Golf Club case, put out by Ivey Business School in London, ONT. Islington is in Toronto area and was built by Stanley Thompson in the 1920s.

 

By chance, have you ever played the course?

-------------------------

As for your situation, do you have any semi-private courses in the area? On occasion, semi-privates might have an annual fee membership rather than a $20,000 initiation fee plus monthly dues. Some have reciprocal play relationships with other semi-privates that might save you some $$.

 

I belong to a semi-private. Initially we had a couple's membership where we had unlimited play - cart included - and range balls for $3,000. Only restriction was can't play before noon on Sat-Sun-holidays.

 

I started playing in the local amateur circuit. After second season of circuit, I realized I had 24 rounds for the year but only 10 were at home course. ($300 a round at home course!!) Plus my wife was playing much less.

 

So, I went with a senior's pass for $450. This gave me range balls, and I could play M-F for $19 a round.

 

First, you have to find a couple of "season schedule" scenarios you would like. Then, you just have to "run the numbers" and see which one is most cost-effective.

 

If you decide to forego a full membership, and pay by the round, here's one way to handle things: Get a debit card and dedicate it to golf consumables: greens fees, range balls, food. Put $1,500 on it, and that should last you two or three months (?). That way, you have the money set aside, and you can track purchases if you want.

 

Let us know what you decide. I suspect the best scenario will vary by geographic area. 

[MtlJeff]

A lot of this will depend on your area, how expensive are private courses vs how available are tee times at public ones

 

For me it's a no brainer, private courses aren't super expensive and public courses have 5hr rounds and only undesirable tee times available on short notice. 

 

Hard to beat the convenience of private, plus typically the rounds will be faster, you'll see better etiquette etc...

[BallerNate]

8 hours ago, ChipNRun said:

 

BN,

I'm a retired business professor. In my Strategy class I sometimes used the Islington Golf Club case, put out by Ivey Business School in London, ONT. Islington is in Toronto area and was built by Stanley Thompson in the 1920s.

 

By chance, have you ever played the course?

-------------------------

As for your situation, do you have any semi-private courses in the area? On occasion, semi-privates might have an annual fee membership rather than a $20,000 initiation fee plus monthly dues. Some have reciprocal play relationships with other semi-privates that might save you some $$.

 

I belong to a semi-private. Initially we had a couple's membership where we had unlimited play - cart included - and range balls for $3,000. Only restriction was can't play before noon on Sat-Sun-holidays.

 

I started playing in the local amateur circuit. After second season of circuit, I realized I had 24 rounds for the year but only 10 were at home course. ($300 a round at home course!!) Plus my wife was playing much less.

 

So, I went with a senior's pass for $450. This gave me range balls, and I could play M-F for $19 a round.

 

First, you have to find a couple of "season schedule" scenarios you would like. Then, you just have to "run the numbers" and see which one is most cost-effective.

 

If you decide to forego a full membership, and pay by the round, here's one way to handle things: Get a debit card and dedicate it to golf consumables: greens fees, range balls, food. Put $1,500 on it, and that should last you two or three months (?). That way, you have the money set aside, and you can track purchases if you want.

 

Let us know what you decide. I suspect the best scenario will vary by geographic area. 

Great, thanks for the info @ChipNRun! No, I’ve never played at Islington...heard it’s beautiful though! I actually live in Barrie, so I play north of the city as much as possible since it’s much cheaper than playing in the city. Used to live in Toronto though and played mostly the City of Toronto courses at that time due to cost.
 

I’ve never actually played at a Private or Semi-Private course, strictly at Public courses, so I’ll definitely do some research on those options. I do have a separate credit card for golf though, and keep track of my expenses, which is part of why I’m looking at all the different options for next season. I played 30 rounds from June 29th to November 29th (22 full 18 Hole & 8 of 9 Hole) and spent $835. So looking at next season of playing the full season starting whenever the snow thaws, I’m just looking at what will be most cost effective and enjoyable.
 

I’m leaning towards still playing lots of different courses for the year and potentially doing a Men’s League for this upcoming season before committing to a Membership just to see which course is really my favourite and would want to do the Membership at, but we’ll see. I bought a package at the top course here in Barrie, Tangle Creek, that will get me there at least 10 times, and am doing research on all the Leagues and Membership options, so formulating a plan over the next few weeks.

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, MtlJeff said:

A lot of this will depend on your area, how expensive are private courses vs how available are tee times at public ones

 

For me it's a no brainer, private courses aren't super expensive and public courses have 5hr rounds and only undesirable tee times available on short notice. 

 

Hard to beat the convenience of private, plus typically the rounds will be faster, you'll see better etiquette etc...

Thanks for your thoughts @MtlJeff...I’ve never actually played at any Private courses or looked into that option. I’ve driven by a few on my way to Public courses and they look beautiful though, Lol! Will check out the Private option...always just assumed those were much more expensive than Public.

[dubbelbogey]

11 hours ago, BallerNate said:

How many different courses do you play at? Have you ever had a membership anywhere, or you’ve always liked playing lots of different courses?

I've never had a private membership, so cannot make a direct comparison like other folks here have done. Here in Colorado, we have a pretty wide selection of public courses. This past season I played over 20 different courses.

 

I hope to retire relatively soon and get a discount pass at the public course closest to home for those times where I want to sneak in 9 holes during a weekday.

 

 

[scomac2002]

There's another option, but it only works if you have a lot of free time on your hands and flexibility.  I have worked at a semi-private course for 10 years now as a starter/marshal in exchange for golf.  It's just a small 9 hole course, but it suits my purposes.  I played in 3 different leagues this past season in order to ensure that I got a decent tee time as the course was typically booked solid often up to a week in advance.

 

I like the camaraderie of league play.  You get to know all the members and you're not playing with the same people over and over again as would be the case with a regular group.  You also don't run the risk of being paired up with an incompatible group or individual if playing as a single or twosome.

 

The one thing that I do miss is the variety of playing other courses.  I only had one round where I played at a different course this past season.  With my wife just retiring and having moved in the past 18 months the old gig isn't going to be as appealing anymore so I will be on the lookout for something new.  Having said that, the work for play model is certainly cheap if you can find the right situation.

[sheppy335]

I play multiple courses in my area, i am in a men's league. I play about 10 different courses close to my house, i will admit alot are ones my daughter plays for the golf team at school. This way she gets to see them and not be surprised, she takes notes on the holes. 

As for a Men's league they can be a blast if in the right one, you have to choose recreational or competitive. I was originally in a rec one but they threw me out, said i didnt show up enough but never missed. So i joined a competitive one and love it, you are trying to be the best but it is full of great golfers so it pushes you to play well but they are all cool. Normally we get food after the round and have a couple beers. It runs from April till end of October which is awesome. 

[BallerNate]

11 minutes ago, dubbelbogey said:

I've never had a private membership, so cannot make a direct comparison like other folks here have done. Here in Colorado, we have a pretty wide selection of public courses. This past season I played over 20 different courses.

 

I hope to retire relatively soon and get a discount pass at the public course closest to home for those times where I want to sneak in 9 holes during a weekday.

 

 

Nice...Colorado’s beautiful! Would love to Golf there some time, must be some incredible courses there!! Looking forward to retirement someday in about 25 years when I can golf everyday...one of my dreams for sure!!

[Roody]

OP, I'm still trying to wrap my head around your "Got my Handicap down from the max of 54 to 6.0" comment. That's quite an improvement!

 

Anyways, to answer your question I'd vote private club membership. My wife and I joined our first private club back in late summer of '18. We absolutely love it. I never thought I would have any interest in any of the social aspects that a private club offers, but to be honest it's been great. 

 

Before we joined my wife maybe played a total of 3-5 rounds on average per year. She's averaging 50-60 rounds the past two seasons. I played roughly 110 rounds this season, so between her and I there's no question we got our money's worth. We get to play a well-maintained course, pace of play is far better than most public courses in my area, we have a decent men's league, and there are plenty of tournaments and fun events. 

But the rub is this: if you're trying to justify a private membership with the logic of trying to get your cost per round down to a certain number, then private membership may not be the way to go. The value is found in the entire package. Things like I already mentioned - pace of play, course conditions, member events, having a regular group of like-minded players to play with, restaurant, pool, club storage, unlimited range, etc etc. I could keep going, but you get the idea. 

[BallerNate]

15 minutes ago, scomac2002 said:

There's another option, but it only works if you have a lot of free time on your hands and flexibility.  I have worked at a semi-private course for 10 years now as a starter/marshal in exchange for golf.  It's just a small 9 hole course, but it suits my purposes.  I played in 3 different leagues this past season in order to ensure that I got a decent tee time as the course was typically booked solid often up to a week in advance.

 

I like the camaraderie of league play.  You get to know all the members and you're not playing with the same people over and over again as would be the case with a regular group.  You also don't run the risk of being paired up with an incompatible group or individual if playing as a single or twosome.

 

The one thing that I do miss is the variety of playing other courses.  I only had one round where I played at a different course this past season.  With my wife just retiring and having moved in the past 18 months the old gig isn't going to be as appealing anymore so I will be on the lookout for something new.  Having said that, the work for play model is certainly cheap if you can find the right situation.

Interesting...wouldn’t have thought of the starter/marshall option. Joining a league is pretty appealing to me for sure though...doing research on them now. Probably leaning towards the combination of joining a Men’s league and playing other courses before locking in a commitment to an Annual Membership, but see the value in it for sure.

[BallerNate]

5 minutes ago, Roody said:

OP, I'm still trying to wrap my head around your "Got my Handicap down from the max of 54 to 6.0" comment. That's quite an improvement!

 

Anyways, to answer your question I'd vote private club membership. My wife and I joined our first private club back in late summer of '18. We absolutely love it. I never thought I would have any interest in any of the social aspects that a private club offers, but to be honest it's been great. 

 

Before we joined my wife maybe played a total of 3-5 rounds on average per year. She's averaging 50-60 rounds the past two seasons. I played roughly 110 rounds this season, so between her and I there's no question we got our money's worth. We get to play a well-maintained course, pace of play is far better than most public courses in my area, we have a decent men's league, and there are plenty of tournaments and fun events. 

But the rub is this: if you're trying to justify a private membership with the logic of trying to get your cost per round down to a certain number, then private membership may not be the way to go. The value is found in the entire package. Things like I already mentioned - pace of play, course conditions, member events, having a regular group of like-minded players to play with, restaurant, pool, club storage, unlimited range, etc etc. I could keep going, but you get the idea. 

Haha...yeah, I’m really excited about my progress and got bitten by the bug for sure! I played for a couple of seasons before not playing for 10 years (work reasons & young kids), but I also have a competitive sports background (I played College Basketball). As a competitor, I just want to be great at everything I do, and golf is obviously very difficult to be great at! So just practiced my butt off learning how to be good at Golf, and am making good progress! My low rounds this year were 69 and 71, although of course there have been rounds in the 80’s due to course conditions and freezing temperatures during October/November also!

 

Your Private course sounds amazing!! I’ve never played at a Private course, and haven’t looked at the Private Membership options...just always assumed they were much more expensive than Public courses. I’ll look into them for sure though now.

[BallerNate]

26 minutes ago, sheppy335 said:

I play multiple courses in my area, i am in a men's league. I play about 10 different courses close to my house, i will admit alot are ones my daughter plays for the golf team at school. This way she gets to see them and not be surprised, she takes notes on the holes. 

As for a Men's league they can be a blast if in the right one, you have to choose recreational or competitive. I was originally in a rec one but they threw me out, said i didnt show up enough but never missed. So i joined a competitive one and love it, you are trying to be the best but it is full of great golfers so it pushes you to play well but they are all cool. Normally we get food after the round and have a couple beers. It runs from April till end of October which is awesome. 

Awesome...you must be very proud of your daughter! My daughter is 6 and she is taking a big interest in golf more so than my son, so I might have a daughter on a golf team someday too!

 

Great to hear your experiences with Men’s Leagues...I’m definitely leaning towards trying one too and combining that with playing other courses this season before committing to one for an Annual Membership, but we’ll see!

[BallerNate]

1 hour ago, Roody said:

OP, I'm still trying to wrap my head around your "Got my Handicap down from the max of 54 to 6.0" comment. That's quite an improvement!

 

Anyways, to answer your question I'd vote private club membership. My wife and I joined our first private club back in late summer of '18. We absolutely love it. I never thought I would have any interest in any of the social aspects that a private club offers, but to be honest it's been great. 

 

Before we joined my wife maybe played a total of 3-5 rounds on average per year. She's averaging 50-60 rounds the past two seasons. I played roughly 110 rounds this season, so between her and I there's no question we got our money's worth. We get to play a well-maintained course, pace of play is far better than most public courses in my area, we have a decent men's league, and there are plenty of tournaments and fun events. 

But the rub is this: if you're trying to justify a private membership with the logic of trying to get your cost per round down to a certain number, then private membership may not be the way to go. The value is found in the entire package. Things like I already mentioned - pace of play, course conditions, member events, having a regular group of like-minded players to play with, restaurant, pool, club storage, unlimited range, etc etc. I could keep going, but you get the idea. 

Thinking about it more though, I guess I was never really a 54 Handicap, just wrote that because I didn’t keep track of that my first couple of years playing. My first round coming back was the end of June, and the first couple of rounds were obviously a disaster...but started breaking 100 within a couple of weeks, so it was probably more like going from a 28-30 Handicap down to 6.0 within 5 months, which I’m still pretty happy with!

[Dannys1208]

1 hour ago, BallerNate said:

Thinking about it more though, I guess I was never really a 54 Handicap, just wrote that because I didn’t keep track of that my first couple of years playing. My first round coming back was the end of June, and the first couple of rounds were obviously a disaster...but started breaking 100 within a couple of weeks, so it was probably more like going from a 28-30 Handicap down to 6.0 within 5 months, which I’m still pretty happy with!

Impressive! I was also very curious about the 54 to 6 and no one was asking. With a 69 and 71 it seems pretty hard to even be a 6. Should be around scratch in no time! 

[Roody]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Your Private course sounds amazing!! I’ve never played at a Private course, and haven’t looked at the Private Membership options...just always assumed they were much more expensive than Public courses. I’ll look into them for sure though now.

 

Luckily, in the area of NY where I live there are roughly 70-75 golf courses within an hour to an hour and a half drive. If you expand the radius to 2 hours, I bet the number grows to 120 easily. Point being, the competition for private club business is somewhat aggressive. 

The high-end clubs in the area like Oak Hill don't have to lower their bar for entry, but the mid-level private clubs have been offering a lot of great deals for new members in the past 5 years. And we've had a couple that were private turn semi-private within the last 10 years. 

Just before I joined the current club I am at, I did join a different private club. But I did it under a limited membership of sorts. I was allowed to play M-F any time, but if I wanted a riding cart it was extra. And I could play weekends, but even to walk it was an extra fee, and I did not get first dibs on tee times. It was a nice, inexpensive way to try out a private club without an initiation fee. 

[BallerNate]

26 minutes ago, Dannys1208 said:

Impressive! I was also very curious about the 54 to 6 and no one was asking. With a 69 and 71 it seems pretty hard to even be a 6. Should be around scratch in no time! 

Thanks, much appreciated! Yeah, in my last 10 rounds, half were between 69-74, so my goal is definitely to be a scratch guy by the end of next season! Chipping is my biggest area of weakness, so going to attack that 120 and in area over the off-season!