How to tell if you are playing a public course...

[golfjam]

When you tee off 45min later than your actual tee time.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Oh Lord, if I had a beer every 3 holes it would be about a 7-hole round.

On one of my UK trips I was to meet up with a member at one of the clubs I was visiting. I got there early, played a morning round and then we met in the clubhouse at noon. We introduced ourselves and he asked "Have you had lunch?" which of course I had not.

I said I'd have the same as him which turned out to be pasta and a glass of wine. A rather large glass of something red. Ninety minutes later we adjourn to the course and any chance I had of taking money from this guy on his home course was out the window. I was lucky to get the club on the ball for the front nine, although I was able to put up a token fight by about the 10th hole or so once some of that wine wore off.

So nowadays my drinking is strictly [i]apres[/i] golf!

[grizzlyblades]

1. when they tee it up on the fairway.
2. you hear hoot and hollering on each green.
3. the putter you forgot on the previous hole is now gone.
4. "for a good time call 1-800-tee-time" craved into the bench with a knife.
5. bunker rakes are all broken.
6. you can't find a water cooler because someone stole each one from the designated hole.

[fore]

[quote name='StevenF' timestamp='1337704531' post='4958524']
When the garbage cans are overflowing with empty beer cans.
[/quote]

One of the old fellows (that taught me much about how to play) used to collect the refundable bottles and cans as we walked the course, and cram them into his bag. He said he usually collected enough to get his season pass each year.

It would be great to be able to golf with him again.

[ruascott]

Man.....these sound like some real dog tracks in the ghetto or something......none of these apply at the mid range or even cheaper publics that I've played.

[Golfer1659]

My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........take it you pretentious snobs. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....

[Vindog]

[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........[b]take it you pretentious snobs[/b]. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]

Hypocritical much? This post reeks of pretentious snobbery.

[Golfer1659]

[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1337715202' post='4959518']
[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........[b]take it you pretentious snobs[/b]. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]

Hypocritical much? This post reeks of pretentious snobbery.
[/quote]

Just stiring the pot........Do you belong to a country club?

[Vindog]

[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337716884' post='4959688']
[quote name='Vindog' timestamp='1337715202' post='4959518']
[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........[b]take it you pretentious snobs[/b]. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]

Hypocritical much? This post reeks of pretentious snobbery.
[/quote]

Just stiring the pot........Do you belong to a country club?
[/quote]

Hell no. what do you think I am..a 1%er? haha

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

You don't have to belong to a private club to recognize a pretentious tosser when you see one.

[svs]

[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........take it you pretentious snobs. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]


Where I grew up until recently my public home course was Pebble Beach. Do I win?

(I guess this makes me that .1%)

[hogans71]

[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........take it you pretentious snobs. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]

Wow- maybe decaf tomorrow..

So anyone who belongs to a private club is a snob?

Ok...

[Desert Golf]

[quote name='svs' timestamp='1337721730' post='4960164']
[quote name='Golfer1659' timestamp='1337713952' post='4959396']
My home PUBLIC course is nicer and more enjoyable then 99% of your private courses, Bethpage Black.........take it you pretentious snobs. I loved a a kid playing junior golf I was the public course kid who came to your club and just smoked you!! Reason I got recruited for Divison 1 in college.....
[/quote]


Where I grew up until recently my public home course was Pebble Beach. Do I win?

(I guess this makes me that .1%)
[/quote]


Yep, you win. We also have some very nice public courses in the Palm Springs area where they have played the Humana/Bob Hope Classic: PGA West, Silverrock (aka LaQuinta muni), and Classic Club. These tracks are better than most private courses.

[golfnut-2X]

[quote name='Desert Golf' timestamp='1337516544' post='4945302']
[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1337499698' post='4945008']
when guys put their shoes on in the parking lot.
[/quote]


LOL...guilty as charged. When I do get the rare invite to a private course I make sure that I drive to the course wearing my golf shoes. Don't want to break the parking lot etiquette rules. Compared to the things I did in my younger days in parking lots across southern california, changing my shoes pales in comparison
[/quote]

Golf shoes below in a bag changer to bring to locker room. Leave out your shoes and with a tip your dress shoes get cleaned while you play. Never do this outdoors. Same goes for your golf gear. Have it neatly packed in carrying cases to be discreet. Change in locker room. Hang clothes. When done then shower off a change back to regualr clothes and throw the others in the gym bag. All this in the locker room. Not much rocket science.

[golfnut-2X]

[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1337494114' post='4944894']
I will start.

You know you are playing at a public course when you see hacks rolling their push carts across the green.

You know you are at a public course when you hear a conversation between two old guys that goes like this:
Guy 1: "Wow, I just love the way she plays golf"
Guy 2: "Surely", I just love the way her butt looks when she walks."

Yes... these both happened today.
[/quote]


played a few dog tracks for th UKGS local PHL tours. Couple are on some nice private courses but most are on dog tracks.


* do bag drop with automatic kid setting up your car and cleaning them when complete

* greens rolling 7 yes 7 with big sloping greens to run water off

* greens mixed with bent and patchs of poina and bear stops

* everyone changes in parking lot (mentioned)

* NO ONE FIXES TEE DIVOT, APPROACH DIVIT, CHIP/PITCH DIVOTS, AND BALL MARKS PLUS ONE OTHER FOR GOOD LUCK - HARD TO BELIEVE THEY HAVE REGULARS

* TROLLIE FOR PULL CARTS - IN FAIRNESS MY CLUB DOESN'T ALLOW THEM - EITHER WALL OR RIDE BUT FOR THE TOURNAMENTS IT DOES HELP TO SHUTTLE THE 7 YR OLDS FROM HOLE TO GREEN BETWEEN HOLES SINCE SOME AERNT WALKING COURSES AND MAKE THEM WALK TEE TO GREEN.

* GAS CARTS THAT GO SOOOO SLOOOW WITH NO WINDSHIELD TO COVER WIND / BUGS

* RESTAUARANT FOR QUICK DINNER CONSISTS OF LEFT OVER HOT DOGS / CHIPS FROM EARLIER

[Mr ouimet]

[quote name='Ondeck25' timestamp='1337517294' post='4945340']
When the guy sporting the jean shorts and cut off sleeve T-shirt parks his cart on the green. Took this pic yesterday.
[attachment=1171670:547079_402986793058116_100000403977088_1277542_1681586159_n.jpg]
[/quote]
This is the funniest thing I have ever seen! LOL

[TheMackDaddy]

To those replying that this happens at a public course... I gorgot to mention the man who said this is a pedophile and the woman was around 50-60 years old. No joke.[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1337494114' post='4944894']
I will start.

You know you are playing at a public course when you see hacks rolling their push carts across the green.

You know you are at a public course when you hear a conversation between two old guys that goes like this:
Guy 1: "Wow, I just love the way she plays golf"
Guy 2: "Surely", I just love the way her butt looks when she walks."

Yes... these both happened today.
[/quote]

[Dr. Shankenstein]

[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1337499698' post='4945008']
when guys put their shoes on in the parking lot.
[/quote]

Guilty!

[jdhallissey]

Ok changing shoes--- I have changed them in the parking lot of some of the finest private clubs in the country and nobody has ever said a word. Medinah was one of them.

How about changing out of your flip flops while walking down the first at torrey pines LOLOL Yes I hit my first tee shot there in flip flops because the starter said hey there is a 3 some right there run and join them or you are not getting out for another 3 hours LOLOL. So I hit the first shot in flip flops were the guys on the balcony all cheered haha good times.

[dlygrisse]

True story

A muni I used to play had the worst etiquette ever by the greens staff. During the middle of a typical 5 hour round they would continue to mow greens, run leaf blowers, and make you wait and back the course up. On one hole in the middle of the day this old guy running the fairway mower was mowing the entire fairway while we were waiting to tee off. My buddy says I think he is out of range.....he hits his first solid drive of the day the ball one hops the back of the mower....doesn;t hurt anyone just scares the old fart running the mower. He stops the mower, picks up the guys ball and throws it in a lake...gets back on the mower and proceeds to keep mowing.

I also like the guy who always seemed to turn on the sprinkler system right as you were walking past one, every time I played there I swear I would get soaked with reclaimed waste water from the pond.

Squeezing in tee times between corporate after work leagues....6 hours later you are trying to finish 17 in the dark. This after waiting 30 minutes to tee off on the back because the league was running behind and they squeezed more people in.

A foursome and a threesome decide to join up in front of you on a par 3, .....20 minutes later you are still standing on the tee and you call the pro shop ask for a marshal, he tells them to spit up, they turn around and try to start a fight because we called the marshal.

You see a guy wearing Wranglers, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots while playing, I had no issue with the attire except the boots left deep heel prints on the greens.

Shirts are optional equipment.

Neighborhood kids running on the course stealing your balls, the next time you play they try to sell them back to you on the same hole through the fence they jumped the week before.


I have played about 50% of my golf on muni's, 45% on public privately owned and about 5% on private in my life....you just have to set your expectations prior to teeing off.

[Tim Delgado]

[quote name='sigmapete1' timestamp='1337691872' post='4957292']
You know you are at a private course when:

1) Everyone there thinks its the best course in the area but in reality is not any better than some munis.
2) Most of the membership has no clue what they would shoot if they followed the rules.
3) The greenskeeper thinks that fast greens and long rough is the only way to measure the quality of conditions.
4) The kids of the members are more delusional about their game and more pretentious than their parents.

I'm sure I missed some, but this is a short list of the reasons I haven't gone private. Of course I am lucky that the county courses where I live are some of the nicest in the state.
[/quote]



You must play an entirely different type of private course than I do.

I am very jealous of my friends that are members of the best private courses in my area (Houston).

While I am fortunate to play these courses often, it would be GREAT to be a member.

I think you are kidding yourself if you really thing golf at a public course (other than the very high-end public tracks that are effectively private-by-price) is anywhere CLOSE to as nice as playing perfect greens that members actually take care of, receiving great service, and not seeing trash all over the place.

I'll take the private course every time and twice on Sunday!

Tim

[avrag]

[quote name='golfnut-2X' timestamp='1337741595' post='4962272']
[quote name='Desert Golf' timestamp='1337516544' post='4945302']
[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1337499698' post='4945008']
when guys put their shoes on in the parking lot.
[/quote]


LOL...guilty as charged. When I do get the rare invite to a private course I make sure that I drive to the course wearing my golf shoes. Don't want to break the parking lot etiquette rules. Compared to the things I did in my younger days in parking lots across southern california, changing my shoes pales in comparison
[/quote]

Golf shoes below in a bag changer to bring to locker room. Leave out your shoes and with a tip your dress shoes get cleaned while you play. Never do this outdoors. Same goes for your golf gear. Have it neatly packed in carrying cases to be discreet. Change in locker room. Hang clothes. When done then shower off a change back to regualr clothes and throw the others in the gym bag. All this in the locker room. Not much rocket science.
[/quote]

For the life of me, I cannot see what is wrong with changing shoes in the parking lot.
And there are two things a real gentleman always, always, does himself, unless he employs a butler, and that's ironing his own shirts and cleaning his own shoes.
But that's probably just another one of those transatlantic cultural divides, like spitting in public.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

There are people who desire being waited upon by servants. They want to play golf in an environment not that much different from how a "well to do gentleman" might have lived at any time in the last century or two. Fortunately, there are plenty of private clubs that cater to this sort of membership.

And there are people who find that sort of thing very uncomfortable. People who want to play a good golf course in the company of like-minded golfers but are basically there for the golf and fellowship, not to be waited upon hand and foot. Fortunately, there are also private clubs that cater to this sort of membership.

It's a class thing. The socioeconomic class I grew up in has more in more in common with the guy cleaning shoes for tips in the locker room than with the guy whose shoes are being cleaned. I have to say it feels extremely odd to be on the opposite end of that relationship on the rare occasions I visit such a club. But golf is a wide, wide world and there's room for just about every type or class of golfers somewhere.

[Kadin 25]

[quote name='Mr ouimet' timestamp='1337742150' post='4962322']
[quote name='Ondeck25' timestamp='1337517294' post='4945340']
When the guy sporting the jean shorts and cut off sleeve T-shirt parks his cart on the green. Took this pic yesterday.
[attachment=1171670:547079_402986793058116_100000403977088_1277542_1681586159_n.jpg]
[/quote]
This is the funniest thing I have ever seen! LOL
[/quote]

Maybe we should should give him credit for keeping his shirt on?

[Cajun83]

I also cannot see the issue with changing shoes in the parking lot. lol Guess I'm just a mouth breather. lol

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

My guess is the "changing shoes in the parking lot" meme is related to the concept among country-club types of the "trunk slammer". The idea being that a Good Member is not just there for the golf. A trunk slammer is someone who:

Can't be bothered to come in and socialized for 30-40 minutes while changing clothes before and after the round

Goes straight from the car park to the golf course, plays, then leaves in the same way

Never shows up to banquets, business meetings, holiday events, weekday evening dinners and the like

In other words, someone who does not fully participate in the aspects of the club having nothing to do with golf. I do belong to a private club and I'm pretty close to being a trunk slammer myself. Now I like hanging around the grill room after the round or eating lunch while I'm there to play golf but have no interest in driving 20 miles to the club on days I'm not playing golf. And that doesn't go down well with certain of the members. Fortunately, we trunk slammers make up a huge portion of the membership so nobody (usually) makes a big deal about it. At some clubs that would get you invited to not continue being a member.

[Desert Golf]

[quote name='golfnut-2X' timestamp='1337741595' post='4962272']
[quote name='Desert Golf' timestamp='1337516544' post='4945302']
[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1337499698' post='4945008']
when guys put their shoes on in the parking lot.
[/quote]


LOL...guilty as charged. When I do get the rare invite to a private course I make sure that I drive to the course wearing my golf shoes. Don't want to break the parking lot etiquette rules. Compared to the things I did in my younger days in parking lots across southern california, changing my shoes pales in comparison
[/quote]

Golf shoes below in a bag changer to bring to locker room. Leave out your shoes and with a tip your dress shoes get cleaned while you play. Never do this outdoors. Same goes for your golf gear. Have it neatly packed in carrying cases to be discreet. Change in locker room. Hang clothes. When done then shower off a change back to regualr clothes and throw the others in the gym bag. All this in the locker room. Not much rocket science.
[/quote]


Way too complicated dude. Open trunk, take off street shoes, put on golf shoes, close trunk...done.

[sigmapete1]

[quote name='Tim Delgado' timestamp='1337750707' post='4962954']
[quote name='sigmapete1' timestamp='1337691872' post='4957292']
You know you are at a private course when:

1) Everyone there thinks its the best course in the area but in reality is not any better than some munis.
2) Most of the membership has no clue what they would shoot if they followed the rules.
3) The greenskeeper thinks that fast greens and long rough is the only way to measure the quality of conditions.
4) The kids of the members are more delusional about their game and more pretentious than their parents.

I'm sure I missed some, but this is a short list of the reasons I haven't gone private. Of course I am lucky that the county courses where I live are some of the nicest in the state.
[/quote]



You must play an entirely different type of private course than I do.

I am very jealous of my friends that are members of the best private courses in my area (Houston).

While I am fortunate to play these courses often, it would be GREAT to be a member.

I think you are kidding yourself if you really thing golf at a public course (other than the very high-end public tracks that are effectively private-by-price) is anywhere CLOSE to as nice as playing perfect greens that members actually take care of, receiving great service, and not seeing trash all over the place.

I'll take the private course every time and twice on Sunday!

Tim
[/quote]


Just comparing some of the private courses in my area that I have played to the public courses. I wasn't impressed with the private place. Yeah they have a lot more amenities off the course but their golf facilities were comparable (if not inferior to) the county courses.

Now there are a few super high end places, there's a Trump course for example not far from me, that I have not played. I'll admit, they are probably better. But most of the private places around here are not anything special.

I guess my point is that unless you go real high end, it doesn't seem worth it to me.

[sigmapete1]

[quote name='golfnut-2X' timestamp='1337741595' post='4962272']
[quote name='Desert Golf' timestamp='1337516544' post='4945302']
[quote name='orangebang' timestamp='1337499698' post='4945008']
when guys put their shoes on in the parking lot.
[/quote]


LOL...guilty as charged. When I do get the rare invite to a private course I make sure that I drive to the course wearing my golf shoes. Don't want to break the parking lot etiquette rules. Compared to the things I did in my younger days in parking lots across southern california, changing my shoes pales in comparison
[/quote]

Golf shoes below in a bag changer to bring to locker room. Leave out your shoes and with a tip your dress shoes get cleaned while you play. Never do this outdoors. Same goes for your golf gear. Have it neatly packed in carrying cases to be discreet. Change in locker room. Hang clothes. When done then shower off a change back to regualr clothes and throw the others in the gym bag. All this in the locker room. Not much rocket science.
[/quote]

No wonder so many people want to play 2.5 hour rounds. They spend so much time with this stuff!

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

I think that is highly location dependent, [i]sigmapete1[/i]. In my neck of the woods the private ranges from what you might ball "high end" down to maybe a notch or two nicer than the $15 public courses. And the public courses range from those $15 goat tracks up to places every bit as nice as any of the privates.

Now in fact, most of the nicer non-private course were once private and turned public because our area is seriously overbuilt with private courses given the number of potential members around here. There's one place where I used to be a member, the owner went bankrupt after running off most of the membership by raising the monthly dues from $200 to $400 and announcing he was taking the club High End. Never happened, it was somewhere between "Pretty Good" and "High End" for maybe 4-5 months before he went belly-up. Now you can play there for under $40/round with cart on weekdays and the course is maintained in approximately the same condition as when I used to be one of those $200/month members.