Do you have a golf country club membership?

[kuslamb]

Member at course that I grew up playing. Dad and older brother are also members. When my wife and I moved back to town, I had filled out paperwork and sent in a check for the initiation before we had figured out where we were going to live.

Course has a great practice facility (full range (8 targets, ranging from 115 yards to 300+ yards), junior range (5 targets), short-game range (5 targets ranging from 50 yards to 125 yards), huge putting clock, chipping facility (2 greens, fairway, intermediate rough, rough, 2 bunkers, in-door hitting facility (4 bays that open to the outside, 2 launch monitors).

Tons of new equipment to try (Drivers + shafts with manufacturer adapters installed, iron sets, a oversized bag of approximately 60 sand wedges from various manufacturers in various loft/bounce combinations, approximately 30 putters to try from various manufacturers). I am currently working through Titleist's iron offerings and deciding which to buy.

Last night, hit range (AP1's and AP2's trial), wife and 2 year old met me at about 5:45, we played 7 holes (AP2's went along for the ride) in about 1 hour, had dinner outside at swimming pool. We didn't see more than 5 people on the course and they were always a fairway away.

Thursday and Friday after lunch, Saturday and Sunday mornings there are always games available.

I absolutely understand those sentiments regarding the relative expense of country club membership, but to my family, it is well worth it. The previous city in which my family lived, I did the muni tour and found it fine, but primarily missed the ease at which I am now (and was accustomed to prior to college) able to practice and play. It is also really nice to have your clubs stored, walk up and go to locker to throw your a pair of your shoes on, go back through pro-shop, shoot it for a minute whomever is working, hop on cart and hit for a bit, drive to the first tee and go off about it.

[twgolf]

[quote name='mcadenhead' timestamp='1344459189' post='5432206']
[quote name='twgolf' timestamp='1344456930' post='5431924']
This is my first year belonging to a private country club. I joined mainly because I got tired of the 5-6 hour rounds at the local public tracks. Now in the afternoon on the weekends I can get my round in just over 2hrs and at the absolute worst 3hrs. There is only 3-4 public courses where close to where I live, but there are five private clubs.

Plus my club has three different restaurants, and a pool for my kids. $1600 a year for a family membership for unlimited golf and use of all the facilities.

The club pro is great and there is always some sort of game you can get in on during the weekends. Last weekend was a full handicap stableford tournament with the top ten in points advancing to the afternoon finals. The afternoon finals was full handicap shoot out with one golfer eliminated on each hole. They also have a similar big break competition going on as well, but I didn't get it that one.
[/quote]

Where in Indiana are you? This sounds like a great deal for a private club.
[/quote]

Christiana Creek in Elkhart, IN. The course belongs to the Elks Lodge so you have to join the Elks first.

[Blues Golfer]

At one point 15 years ago I quit playing golf completely, because playing was expensive, took 5 hours and more, and courses were in poor shape even when you paid good money.

I'd play now and then, but the delays on the course were insane. When I came back to the game, it was occasionaly better, but usually not.

So I finally joined a private club, though I had reservations about the cost. Now, I doubt I'd play if I were not a member of a club.

Course is in awesome condition, we have a genius taking care of it.
4 hours is long, 3 plus is the norm.
Course is interesting every time you play. It's not a course that becomes repetitive.
Practice anytime, including on the course if you want to play two balls or work on stuff.
One price, all the golf you and your two kids can play, no matter how many holes you play on any given day.
Competitions that are fun and serious, but not too serious.
Easy to find someone to compete with that is good competition, usually nearly even.
Practice facility when you need it, and you don't have idiots hitting 40 yard wedges to a practice green that you are putting on.
The 19th hole where you know mostly everyone, and the bartender knows how you like your martini.

Can I really afford it? I don't care. I could be dead tomorrow. If I can't play golf, I'd rather be.

[sheppy335]

I belong to a club paid for membership with discounted rates not the one fee for all the golf. I only play there occasionally cause they don't offer early tee times that i like plus on weekend morning they require a cart and i prefer to walk.

[BigBlueHack]

I just joined a CC. Being 28 has its advantages. The initiation and monthly dues are very erasonable. My wife want's to get my son involved with swimming and I play golf a lot. So we figured the monthly dues were worth that, not to mention the networking available.

[ochowie]

[quote name='somaplr' timestamp='1344475704' post='5433744']
[quote name='Carolina Golfer 2' timestamp='1344459198' post='5432208']
[quote name='somaplr' timestamp='1344455298' post='5431748']
Club Member

Fast play, can walk right on without a tee time, beautiful in shape manicured fairways, players who replace divots, even tee boxes, great place to take clients golfing for business, wifeyy loves the pool, comraderie between members, no jean shorts, has its own workout facility (full with squat rack and dumbells up to 120lbs), walking on the course at 6pm and getting 18 in after the office....etc
[/quote]
Ahhh...having crown up in Dayton, I can only imagine the club. Is it named after an old fashioned piece of machinery
[/quote]

You mean like a cash register? Maybe
[/quote]

I could have sworn you were talking about CCN based on the workout room comment since they also have a pretty decent one. Anyway, I'm a member there, let me know if you want to get a game going at some point. Would be fun to meet up with a fellow WRXer.

[bobbyp]

I have been a club member on and off for past 10 years. First club was 5 blocks from my house. Olympic size pool, tennis and unlimited golf for family for $400/mo. Club became semi-private due to economy. I joined another club this year now that kids are grown. Outstanding conditions. 3 championship courses. Held PGA Professional tournament last year and numerous Nike and LPGA events over the years. Each facility has its own clubhouse and practice facilities. Walking allowed. Pool and tennis. Joined because I can afford it at this point in my life and just a short drive from work. $550/mo. Oh, and has some history. Ben Hogan was the pro back in the 1940's. We just had a 100 year birthday bash celebrating the Hawk last week.

[golfdad907]

[quote name='Another Steelers Fan' timestamp='1344455318' post='5431752']
Don't belong to a club. Don't want to pay $____ per month to play at the same course over and over.

I play at a variety of public courses.
[/quote]

I lived in a gated community complete with ridiculously large clubhouse, etc.

For the initiation and monthly dues (not to mention half the members were snobbish hacks), I'd rather play a variety of courses, and here in DFW there are a lot of great tracks to choose from.

[highergr0und]

I miss club golf. Short rounds, being able to play pretty much whenever, playing a few holes here and there, unlimited range etc.....

I just moved outside of Nashville and am probably a few years away for being able to get back into the club life. I'm building a house and doing grad school so I probably won't have a lot of time for playing. Playing packed local courses just isn't that fun

Of course, if it's between finances and golf, save the money. The club is supposed to be disposable income.

[Deyj28]

I used to be a member at a club, but now I travel too much for work

[jho786]

This year I made the switch from a semi-private to a fully private country club that was running a membership special. Deal is you paid no dues until June 1 and then you could buy the bond at 50% off. If not you just had to be a member for a year.

It is a nice deal but with all the extras like carts and dining minimums the total price doesn't justify what you get. The course is in very good condition but they need to remove hundreds if not thousands of trees. It's nice having the pool but the lack of a full range and not being able to walk until 3PM is a turn off. It just made me re-consider my golf and I have decided that after my membership expires I will be using golfnow and taking lessons.

[Pinmaster]

Annual Pass at a nice golf only local track... $285/mo includes cart, range, and locker use. It has a nice practice area and lesson facility. The course is in excellent shape most/all of the time. In addition, there is not too much of a crowd on any day since it is one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) public courses in the area.

I would have to travel more than I would like and pay 2-3 times in fees to join the private club that I would join across town.

[KPH808]

Just a weekday membership. On the weekends I always play different tracks anyways. I usually play every Wednesday and try to get out there on a Friday here or there.

[esketores]

Second year. Was public player for more than 40 years. Still play the occasional round on the public course. We have a slew of them.
I work for a living. Just a regular Joe. But where I live the economy took its toll and the owner of the club came up with some creative membership packages which brought a lot of new blood into the club. Me. And a number of others who in normal times would have NEVER been members.
I'm glad I joined. I've a place to practice. There is a game everyday that ends in "Y". Which means on the weekends (the only time I get to play) I can throw some money out and see if I'm good enough to get a return. To finally play using my handicap has made the game fun.

[mikey96]

Semi prive - my parents pay so no big deal

[mmack067]

Don't know what I'd do without a membership. I love it for the ability to practice whenever I want, play whenever I want and the course is very close to my office. Personally, the biggest bonus is being able to practice after work and then go out and play 3, 6, 12, 14 holes etc.

[mwmgolfx]

I had a membership at a semi-private until it was sold. But seriously questioned value after that, since though I lived on the course, I worked out of town and could only play on weekends. Cost was not worth it - $400 per month + cart fees,+ 125 month food/beverage for food often unedible and seriously overpriced (burger $12-15). and I couldn't eat (I don't drink so buying liquor was not an option).

Playing 4-6 times per month wasn't worth it. So I bought a playing discount card at World Woods - now rounds in the winter are $40 and $25 in the summer. Use Golfnow and various other deals where I work.

Like idea of being able to play quickly and practice whenever. And having pro arrange recip's at other places when I travel. But when can't see paying over 125 per round when I can play the same course for 40-60 as an outside guest almost whenever I want to. Something about that grates on me.

[bremnerdc]

I'm a member of a private club, I like it because I can pretty much play anytime and I can use their really nice practice facilites and driving range anytime I feel like it. The greens and fairways are great, everything is immaculately maintained.... Also since it's private you don't get the huge backups and slow players like you'll often find on public courses where your rounds can take 5+ hours...

[Shambles]

I'm old.

It makes better economic sense for me to be a member as my club does not charge members any green fees. We do pay monthlies but that cost is much less than the number of rounds I play. My club is also out of the city so I don't worry about tee times and rarely end up behind slow flights.


Shambles

[Snufles]

Only playing one course would bore me to the point of quitting and I would miss some of my favourite golf holes.


Besides different weather calls for different types of courses.

[Shambles]

[quote name='Snufles' timestamp='1345333275' post='5495946']
Only playing one course would bore me to the point of quitting and I would miss some of my favourite golf holes.


Besides different weather calls for different types of courses.
[/quote]

I used to think that way. Reality has a way of changing things. There is just so much to learn about Golf and how to play it and a familiar fairway helps much in seeing ypour progress. Of course the quality of the course design can add to the eperience. Bottom line for me, however, is that I need a grassy field to hit a golf ball in from point to point.


Shambles

[dpark]

Played muni golf for years, but when I had the chance to join a club for a reasonable price, I jumped at it. There is no way to justify the cost of a club membership, you just have to decide if you want to play a course in good condition and at a reasonable pace of play with relatively unlimited access.

I can play 9 holes over a long lunch hour (90 min) and can play any number of holes after work (as many as I feel like playing). You can't do that at a muni. But it does come with a cost. Worth it to me.

[postfold]

Semi-private. It's not cheap and the amenities for the money paid are hardly worth it ... but it's my favorite course in the area by far, it's convenient and I like the people that play and work there. It's frustrating to not be able to play when I'd like -- there have been a number of outings this year on weekends and there are leagues during the week in the evening.

[2ball]

[quote name='cmusic' timestamp='1344456154' post='5431812']
I'm a member at a semi-private club. The course is open to the public on most days but closed when a member's only event is being held. As a member I get unlimited play anytime with or without a cart, first choice of tee times on the weekends over the public, and inclusion into member only events. Not a bad deal for just under $1000 a year.
[/quote]

You! .... Are the steeg?!?!?!?

[Sir Larry Wildman]

CC member. Like most of the posters above have noted, I enjoy having the ability to practice and play whenever I want, how much I want, etc. It just makes it incredibly easy to stop by on the way home from work and hit the range or play a few holes. If I want to test out a specific club or shaft my pro will get it in just for me. And it's the small things like shining your dress shoes, keeping your spikes and shoelaces fresh, all the amenities in the locker room, and people knowing your name.

I don't buy the argument of "playing one course all the time is boring". I've been at my club for 5 years. We have two courses designed by Tom Doak. I've never gotten tired of it once. I think a great course maintains its challenge and beauty round after round. Furthermore, I have the ability to play just about any course in southeastern PA and southern NJ with just a call from my pro. The only two exceptions are Merion and Pine Valley. And after being a member of my club, it's impossible not to get invited to play those two places often.

Playing high school and college golf, I played public courses all the time, in practice and tournaments. And I did not grow up belonging to a country club. I HATE ranges with mats; it totally ruins the lie on my forged clubs. I find the staff to be much less nice and MUCH less knowledgeable about the game at public courses. And generally, with the exception of one or two public courses, I find them to be horribly maintained. (I live in the greater Phila area.) If I'm not playing in a tournament, I don't want to be rushed off the range by a starter either. I don't want to play 5+ hour rounds. I don't want to be paired up with strangers. I don't want to ride a cart. I honestly wouldn't play it I didn't belong to a club. And I am obsessed with the game.

[RecreationalHacker]

Do not currently belong to a private club. The primary reason is that I don't play enough to really come close to getting my money's worth. The second reason is that my kids are expensive with respect to their activities and school tuition costs. And the third reason is that I currently enjoy playing different courses each week.

Don't have much interest in a semi-private club. I just don't see enough benefit for the frequency of play. Being able to schedule tee times an extra week in advance is not enough incentive.

With all that said, I may consider joining a club in the distant future when my kids are out of the house and I'm done with tuition expenses. The club would need to be private with other amenities like a pool or fitness center and be a good opportunity to "get out of the house" and socialize...as well as play golf. Since I'm not independently wealthy, the club would have to have fees that are affordable to working class professionals. There is one near my house that fits the bill.

[nchabazam]

I'm a member. I'm in the Boston area, so it's really either membership or crappy public courses. I also happen to love the course I'm a member at, and really don't get tired of it. My parents are also members of a course down in West Palm Beach that I play a lot in the winter, which is also hugely fun to play on a regular basis.

I've played tons of private courses I'd have no interest in playing on a regular basis, but fortunately the 3 I see regularly are all lots of fun. Add in the ability to play whenever you want, play sub 4 hour rounds (even sub 2 hours sometimes if you get it at the right time), practice on the course, at the range, etc... friendly staff, good community, it's just a no brainer.

I would golf very rarely if I weren't a member at a club. Crappy greens and 5+ hour rounds just kill me.

[zargaro]

I have a (7 month) summer membership at a semi-private club. I paid $500.00 which includes unlimited range, fitness center, tennis, pool etc.. I figured I was visiting the local range 3-times a week @ $10.00 for a large bucket, so this was a better deal.

[Pingguy58]

I belonged to a private club for 4 years. It was a very nice club, got in with no initiation. The monthly with F/B was just south of $500 which really wasn't bad because I was playing 4 to 5 rounds a week. Well, it didn't sound bad in the beginning until I got my first monthly and the bill was just south of $1K. Carts, lunches/dinners and equipment really adds up every month. You take a few guests each month and there's another $150.00.
After a few years I got tired of playing the course although it was a great golf course, I just started playing other courses. On top of that I was a member of two Amateur Tours and I was doing a lot of traveling to play. My wife figured out that I was spending a lot of money on golf, like enough money that over two years I could have bought her a very nice car and I belonged to a "middle class" Country Club.
It was nice, lot's of perks, I really liked the fact that I could just stop by, if the tee was backed up then I would just drive out to the 2nd or 5th hole and start there, not a problem. Play was fast at the club, rarely did I play a round over 4 hrs and 15 minutes, most of the time it was under 4 hours except for tournaments.
I quit 3 yrs ago, I joined a Muni course for $2K, I walk most of the time but once in a while I take a cart $10. It frees me up to play a variety of courses and my wife isn't bitchen' about my out of state tournament play.
If I had a lot of money I probably would belong to a nice club but I'm a working middle class guy and I need to watch what I spend on golf.
The best advice I can give is that if you are retired and you want to work a couple of days at a local course you can do that and usually play for free, I retire this coming year and that's exactly what I plan on doing.

[Willie Malay]

Used to but in this economy I'm not going to be tied down to one. Enjoying playing different courses now.