Whats your golf community look like?

[shinton0984]

So I haven't really seen a thread were people talk about what their golf community looks like, if I missed it I apologize. I'm kind of just curious what everyone else's looks like. So this may be a little long but I will describe mine as I feel like I have a unique community. I live in Sioux Falls, SD a community with its surrounding area I would say has a pop of 250K. We have a variety of courses(14 to be exact) within a 15-20 min drive from the center of Sioux Falls, these range from public par 3's to a couple private courses.  As far as being able to get your hands on equipment I would say its pretty easy to test your main brands(Callaway, tm, ping, etc.), as we have a Dick's sporting goods and another regional golf shop also a place called Golf addiction which houses 4 or 5 simulators and a bar. Fittings for these really only consist of what your static stats look like( height vs. wrist to floor, hitting off a lie board and matching shaft stiffness to swing speed), no real in depth fitting to be had unless you drive a few hours. For most this improves what you can find right OTR. We have a mixed bag of golfers that range from kiddos in the first tee program all the way to Seniors getting out and playing. Overall the on course etiquette is pretty good on most courses. So I'm sure many places look like this so far but this is where I will say we start to get unique.  We have a company here called Great Life Golf and Fitness, we pay a monthly fee and have access to many courses within and hour drive. Also it comes with a fitness membership and its cheap! Right now I pay 59.99 a month for my self and wife to have access to golf and fitness locations and I have access to 24 golf courses and all I have to do is call and make a tee time. No extra fees unless I want to take a cart. Great life actually owns a handful of these course and have made upgraded renovation to the club houses and course a few with fitness centers in the club house. They also operate many fitness locations throughout the town. Along with these awesome benefits they have also bought a bowling all and converted 5 or 6 lanes into 4 golf sims, being a member gets you discounts on several other family type activities throughout the city. Now are any of these courses going to be on the top 100 public courses....no but there are a variety that fit all levels of golf. Many different style of course from links to tree lined fairways and other courses that have plenty of elevation changes a pretty good mix of style and difficulty. Heck one of these course has hosted a Symetra Tour(women's equivalent to web.com tour) event the last 3 years and has been the largest paying event on their tour. This Fall one of our private course will be hosting a champions tour event in September. So in all golf really thrives and is growing in our area as it seems to buck the trend I hear about else where.

[revkev]

Sounds like you're proud of your community in general. You should be. Good for you!

 

I live just outside of St Petersburg, FL. We once had over 400 consecutive days of sunshine. There are five or six courses that have hosted PGA or LPGA events here, the former winter home of the PGA tour, the course where Walter Hagen was the head pro, a club that hosts the most prestigious Amateur event in the South.

 

We have touring pros that live in our area and a variety of fitters who worked on tour - take your pick. Any kind of course you can imagine (even hilly - Innisbrook - you'd never know you were in a Florida except in the summer). Any price you'd like to pay.

 

You get the picture.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[shinton0984]

REV

Yes very proud of my community, the only problem is the short season. Like this year we still have snow on the ground and have gotten snow in the beginning of May. Typically we don't see snow until November or so but have gotten it in September. So kind of a crap shoot some years we get 9 months of golf others only 6 months....quite a few guys like myself will be on the course till the snow fly, makes for some cold golf days but we get in what we can.

[Kenny B]

So I haven't really seen a thread were people talk about what their golf community looks like, if I missed it I apologize. I'm kind of just curious what everyone else's looks like. So this may be a little long but I will describe mine as I feel like I have a unique community. I live in Sioux Falls, SD a community with its surrounding area I would say has a pop of 250K. We have a variety of courses(14 to be exact) within a 15-20 min drive from the center of Sioux Falls, these range from public par 3's to a couple private courses.  As far as being able to get your hands on equipment I would say its pretty easy to test your main brands(Callaway, tm, ping, etc.), as we have a Dick's sporting goods and another regional golf shop also a place called Golf addiction which houses 4 or 5 simulators and a bar. Fittings for these really only consist of what your static stats look like( height vs. wrist to floor, hitting off a lie board and matching shaft stiffness to swing speed), no real in depth fitting to be had unless you drive a few hours. For most this improves what you can find right OTR. We have a mixed bag of golfers that range from kiddos in the first tee program all the way to Seniors getting out and playing. Overall the on course etiquette is pretty good on most courses. So I'm sure many places look like this so far but this is where I will say we start to get unique.  We have a company here called Great Life Golf and Fitness, we pay a monthly fee and have access to many courses within and hour drive. Also it comes with a fitness membership and its cheap! Right now I pay 59.99 a month for my self and wife to have access to golf and fitness locations and I have access to 24 golf courses and all I have to do is call and make a tee time. No extra fees unless I want to take a cart. Great life actually owns a handful of these course and have made upgraded renovation to the club houses and course a few with fitness centers in the club house. They also operate many fitness locations throughout the town. Along with these awesome benefits they have also bought a bowling all and converted 5 or 6 lanes into 4 golf sims, being a member gets you discounts on several other family type activities throughout the city. Now are any of these courses going to be on the top 100 public courses....no but there are a variety that fit all levels of golf. Many different style of course from links to tree lined fairways and other courses that have plenty of elevation changes a pretty good mix of style and difficulty. Heck one of these course has hosted a Symetra Tour(women's equivalent to web.com tour) event the last 3 years and has been the largest paying event on their tour. This Fall one of our private course will be hosting a champions tour event in September. So in all golf really thrives and is growing in our area as it seems to buck the trend I hear about else where.

I'm impressed!!  It sounds like you have great opportunities to play golf... except in the winter!  I know; I lived in North Dakota for one year.  Most years we can play all year.  Last year, we had snow from Jan 1- Mar 1 but that's very unusual. 

 

By comparison...  my community is slightly bigger, about 350K pop.  We only have 10 courses counting all full courses, par 3's, executive, and we have one private CC.  Memberships run from $500-2500 a year, not counting the private club.  The private club was used on the Web.Com Tour many years ago, but the members complained that they had to give up their playing privileges for a whole week so they declined to renew the tour slot.  There are a few courses that are an hour's drive away that are nice, including one that is a U.S. Open local qualifying course.  

 

We have one golf store, not all that big; carries most major OEMs but not all brands.  It does have an outside driving range with heaters on some bays and misters during the summer when it gets over 100*.  No full fitting capabilities; that's about a 3-hour drive away.  No golf sims, but I have heard that one may be coming soon.

 

Overall, I would say that we have some of the best weather all year long in the Pacific Northwest, if you don't mind playing in wind.  A lot of people come here from the western side of the state to get out of the rain, and from Spokane, N. Idaho, and Canada when they still have snow on the ground in the spring.  Given our population size, we could probably use another course or two.  The last golf course in the area was built over 20 years ago.  There was talk about building another one 10 years ago, but when the housing market crashed and golf courses started going bankrupt, nobody wanted to take a gamble.  I wonder if someone has re-thought that now??

[Kenny B]

I live just outside of St Petersburg, FL. We once had over 400 consecutive days of sunshine. 

 

Was that back in the 1950's??  

 

It certainly hasn't been during the time I have been coming to Florida.  

[robertson153]

I live in a very rural town, like 14k total population in the whole county. Only one course in my county, (that I am a member of BTW) semiprivate. There are about 20 courses that are within a 30 minute drive. I like the small town atmosphere, everyone knows everyone. It's about 1 1/2 hours to Louisville and the same to Nashville (closest places to actually get fitted). My course stays open all year with an outdoor driving range and putting/pitching green. We only have about 200 members, so you pretty much see the same people every time you play. With it being such a small place, you really can't be a d!ck because it's not like you won't see those people again. But I love it and wouldn't change it for the world.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[revkev]

Was that back in the 1950's??

 

It certainly hasn't been during the time I have been coming to Florida.

The state knows when you are coming Kenny

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[shinton0984]

robertson153

I've been in your neck of the woods before(Clarksville TN I would assume not to far away from you but unfortunately not for golf) neat part of the country though.

[robertson153]

robertson153

I've been in your neck of the woods before(Clarksville TN I would assume not to far away from you but unfortunately not for golf) neat part of the country though.

Yeah not to far, maybe 2 hours or less. Same kind of terrain, but that place is a huge city compared to my town. I'm talking about 3 yes I said 3 total redlights. 1 Mexican restaurant (that I know the owner and workers by name and they know mine) a Pizza Hut, subway, Dairy Queen, McDonald's, and a KFC. That's it!!! Kind of slim pickins around lunch.

 

 

Blake