Champions golf club

LHgolfer · April 3, 2013

Anyone a member?

I checked into their Jr membership and it doesn't sound too bad, it's about what I pay for clubcorp. I want to hear the good and bad of the place if anyone has any insight.

What type of condition does it stay in all year, how are the members, any daily games, etc?

msd3075 · April 25, 2013

[quote name='LHgolfer' timestamp='1365036487' post='6755811']
Anyone a member?

I checked into their Jr membership and it doesn't sound too bad, it's about what I pay for clubcorp. I want to hear the good and bad of the place if anyone has any insight.

What type of condition does it stay in all year, how are the members, any daily games, etc?
[/quote]

I grew up playing at Champions and am currently a member.

One thing you have to know about Champions is that it is a golf club and not a country club. Don't expect all the "amenities" that other places might have (tennis courts, spas, gyms, etc). There wouldn't even be a swimming pool on the grounds if they didn't need it to meet fire code back in the day. The one and only focus is on golf. The club is also run as a dictatorship; Jack Burke does what he wants, and if you don't like it he'll gladly show you the door.

The club's members have one of lowest (if not the lowest) handicap average in the country. Out of the 900 of so members, about 2/3rd are single-digit, a 1/3 are below a 5, and about 30-40 are scratch or better. Don't hold me to those numbers since I'm going off the top of my head, but I know I'm in the ball park. Just to join the club, you have to be a 13 or better.

There are two 18-hole courses; the Cypress Creek course (Cypress) and the Jack Rabbit course (Jack):
- Cypress is the course that has held all the famous tournaments (US Open, Ryder Cup, US Amateur, Tour Championship, etc.) and is the original 18 that was built when the club was founded in the 1950's. By today's standards, it's a long course but not overly long, has huge greens, and plays fair. There are no gimmicky holes that force you into a certain shot; each hole gives you choices. It's the type of course that you can shoot a low score if your game is on but can also jump up and bite you if you are off that day. It definitely has a old-school feel to it compared to some of the newer courses in town, but to me that is part of its charm.
- Jack Rabbit is a tighter course that has more of a neighborhood feel to it. There are only a couple holes where you don't have houses going up the side of the hole. It has a greater mix of hole types than Cypress (some shorter, almost driveable par 4's, shorter par 3's) as well a smaller, more undulating greens. Personally, I seem to have more fun playing on Jack Rabbit than I do Cypress just because of the variety of holes. The course was completely re-done about a decade ago and feels a lot "newer" than Cypress.

As for conditions, Champions has never strived to have that Augusta-like perfectly green look. I once got a 30 minute lecture from Jack Burke on the subject (thanks to whomever it was he talked to before me that pissed him off). Don't get me wrong, the condition are always great, but their intent is to make a nice, clean, fair course, not to make something meant for a postcard photo. That being said, the last couple years have been tough with the drought conditions, and the greens on Cypress have definitely suffered. I wouldn't let it be anything that would steer you away from Champions since almost every other course in the area has had similar issues.

As for games, there is always something going on at the club. There is a scratch game that always plays in the afternoon on the weekends. Almost everyone you will meet is a member because they are a golfer at heart; you rarely get the country-club type that is just there because it's the place to be.

To me, their junior membership in one of the best in town when it comes to what you get for the price. If I remember correctly, it's a $5,000 initiation fee. There are also two different plans for monthly dues; you can either pay half dues (about $250/month), or you can pay full dues and have that extra half go toward the initiation fee difference you have to pay when you turn 35 and upgrade to a full membership. With the quality of the courses, the golf-focused membership, and the history behind the club, I don't think it can be beat for the price.