Level of play: private vs. public

[Wedgie]

I got a great deal so I joined a club for the first time in my life about 3 weeks ago. I've gotta say the skill level at the club is so much better than on the public courses I played all the time. Going into this I guess I figured the level of play would be the same. Boy was I wrong.

 

Is this par for the course so to speak and what others have witnessed? Don't want to be a snob but it is so much more enjoyable playing with higher level players and it would be hard to go back to public courses.

 

 

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[pulledabill]

I joined for the thr first time as well. Semi privste though. Ive found during the week the play is generally higher, but the weekends not as much. Also next to retirement community so weekdays can be iffy at times

[GB13]

At a private course you will have less of the "once a year hacker crowd". The private course will have more serious golfers that all can probably play around bogey golf or better. You will have great players at both courses. It is much more enjoyable playing with people who can play at least bogey golf.

[Kenny B]

It depends on the public course and the time of day that you play, at least in my area.  We only have one private club and they have some very good players, as well as some hacks; just more well-mannered hacks and less of them.  We have one semi-private club, and in my mind it's no different than the better muni courses like where I play.

 

The more skilled players at my course tend to play in the mornings.  As the day goes on, the skill level goes down.  The twilight rate brings out the less skilled and rowdy crowd.  The weekends are bad days to play late.  Once, my wife and I got paired with another couple.  When she got up to the tee, she informed us that this was her first time on a golf course.

[THEZIPR23]

The average is definitely better at private clubs. The top end may be the same but the true “hacks” don,t generally play at private clubs.

 

 

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[GB13]

The more skilled players at my course tend to play in the mornings. As the day goes on, the skill level goes down. The twilight rate brings out the less skilled and rowdy crowd. The weekends are bad days to play late. Once, my wife and I got paired with another couple. When she got up to the tee, she informed us that this was her first time on a golf course.

Interesting, at my course the twilight brings out the better players. They rate is $15 for all you can play and the better players will come out and play 36 or more holes. They come out and play and practice. All of the worse players play at noon, because they don't know about the twilight special.

[HardcoreLooper]

It really depends upon the club. The club I looped at as a kid was very exclusive, it had a small membership, and it there were not a ton of single-digit handicappers. Fewer than 20, probably.

 

I belonged to a club about 10 years ago, and it seemed like half the membership was under a 10.

[revkev]

Great topic

 

The average player at my club is far beyond the average at the muni I used to play. But there was this Friday afternoon game at the muni that was crazy good.

 

There were mini tour players in it.

 

So it could go either way, average to the club, better to the muni.

 

 

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[THEZIPR23]

Great topic

 

The average player at my club is far beyond the average at the muni I used to play. But there was this Friday afternoon game at the muni that was crazy good.

 

There were mini tour players in it.

 

So it could go either way, average to the club, better to the muni.

 

 

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Some of the best matches I've seen or played in were exactly like this. A couple of mini tour guys and a lot of very good amateurs Friday afternoon at whatever public course in the area. If you shot 68 you would lose money. Great times.

 

 

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[SteddyGolf]

Golf 🏌️‍♀️ is or can be very expensive. Although there certainly are quit a few examples of really good players who have come from humble beginnings the vast majority started playing golf at an early age supported by an affluent household. PVT Clubs are often made up mostly of individuals of this type. I think if you look at the socioeconomic demographics of your average PVT club member compared to your local municipal course golfer you will find the average PVT club player started playing golf at an earlier age, had lessons and financially was able to play/practice on a regular basis.

 

When I was growing up I went to high school with the PVT club kids. I was on scholarship to play basketball, football and baseball but outside of school athletics my family definitely couldn't keep up with the Jones's. My class mates were great kids but they had different interests outside of school and the means to support those interests. They were not sitting behind the Minimart drinking a 40 if you get my drift.

 

So without practical experience I would say the average PVT club player is most likely better than us Muni hacks

 

 

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[Big money]

Private hands down.And funny enough, I find more snobs at public than I do the private courses

[Rgoonen]

Private clubs are always a great opportunity because you get to play there multiple times for a while and you basically try to master that course and all of its weird quirks and features. Back when I was a member at Orange Tree GC my high school would play at Bay Hill and I was able to knock my score down from mid 80s to mid 70s strictly because I was able to play the course with more memory. “Hacks” don't generally want to play expensive courses unless they get invited out with friends to play a once in a life time course. Good stuff getting a membership.

 

 

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[revkev]

If you pick the right club the course is going to be far more difficult than a public course as well. They are able to keep the greens faster and firmer - the rough higher - at a private club also

 

 

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[Shankster]

Yeah. I can't wait to join a club when I move. Mostly for the practice facility and a league. There is no way I'd join the leagues here. Plus the better taken care of greens will be nice.

[chemclub]

If you pick the right club the course is going to be far more difficult than a public course as well. They are able to keep the greens faster and firmer - the rough higher - at a private club also

 

 

This is my issue with joining the club that is literally 2 min drive from my house—the course really isn't in great shape! 

 

The public courses in my area are fantastic! Fast greens, bent grass fairways, excellent/challenging layouts. The private club is a farmers field with 18 greens on it, slowest greens in the area, no bent grass fairways.

 

Sigh, but all my playing buddies are joining up there so I will probably give it a try at some point. I do think the level of player there is better than at the publics in my area. I always shoot my lowest rounds of the year there too 

[deejaid]

I've recently joined a private club and the level of play is generally better than the local public courses. Where it is really noticeable is people's short game. Guys and gals both are better out of the bunkers and around the green in general. I believe it is due to the nice short game practice area we have and the easy accessibility to a pro. Plus, like others have said, if you make the commitment to join a club, you'll need to get out and use it more so it is worth the expense.

 

I've only played a few time since joining in mid June, but I've been getting to the range 4-5 times a week, so my short game has improved greatly as I've been working at it much more.

 

 

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[bens197]

But take them away from their private sanctuary and they can't break 80.

 

Private clubs often have a larger population of better golfers at their course, not necessarily better golfers.

 

 

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[Mr. 82]

I'm sort of a hybrid golfer with regards to private club memberships and better golfers. My Dad has been a member of a private club for many years, and I've played at his course when visiting many times, as well as several member guest tournaments. The level of play at his course to me isn't noticeably better, but is that because I am comparing it to my game? When my Dad and his friends were still competitive, I would always beat them, and they playe 3-4 times a week at their course, and knew it like the back of their hand. Then again, I was a 7 handicap back then, and could manufacture a round in the low-80's on even bad days.

 

My Tuesday evening scramble is played at the best private club in town, which is 5 minutes from my house, and the mix of members to non-members in the scramble is borderline 50/50. I'm near the top of the leaderboard in our scramble for the year, so based on who is in our league, I don't see these members being any better than a bloke like me who is actually a "member" at the local city muni course.

 

I am actually considering joining this club, because the dynamics of golf are changing here this month with Seminole closing, and since it is the highest volume course in town, all of those golfers must go somewhere else, if they are going to continue to play. I'm going to closely monitor the volume of play at my home course to see if the tee sheet becomes much more crowded. If so, I may join the private club, but we'll see.

 

Honestly, for me the main purpose in joining any private club would be to get involved in weekly matches with other members, and club tournaments and things like that. I currently have a Saturday morning group that I play with, but it's purely for fun, as there is no money on the line, and since I'm just playing with some guys that struggle to break 90, there isn't a running bet going or anything like that. Perhaps at the private club I would have a serious handicap, with legitimate net events against other members where I know there won't be much if any sandbagging taking place. But whether or not the level of golf is any better at this private club, versus the local muni here is hard to gauge. Granted, there have been times at the muni where I'll see the weekend hacks teeing off, or when I play after work during the week I'll spot the guy hitting it sideways, which you won't see at the private club.

 

Bottom line, enjoy the priviledge of your private club membership. The added benefit of being able to show up to my private club and play 18 holes without having to fight the masses would also be a valuable thing to have available to me. But even that isn't that big of a deal here locally, as even yesterday I went out to the 9-hole muni and pretty much have the whole course to myself. So that isn't driving my incentive to go private.

 

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[RoverRick]

I play at a private course and the quality of golfers is quite high. However, certain times of the day seem to attract better golfers than others. From 7 to 10 there are several groups of good golfers that play regularly. It has sorta worked itself out that the faster playing groups (those that don't have to spend lots of time looking for balls and hitting 2 or 3 chips to get on the green) play before the slower groups. From 10-12 there are several groups of slower, not as good golfers. Then from 12:30-2 there are either the early groups going around again or the better players who were not able to play that morning going off. Then again from 2:30 to 5 is the not as good groups.  After 5 it is a mixed bag.

 

No one has really sat down and said, "You will play at this time because...." but it has worked out that way. Why would you want to tee off in front of a group that you know plays fast and will be waiting on you every hole.

 

I made the tee times for tomorrow and looked to see what groups had already made them. I picked 7:40-7:48-7:56 because the group that had 8:04 is much slower than we are.

[ole gray]

My course is public and has more hackers than horses.   We get a lot of students playing golf who attend UGA (Georgia).  

[txgolfjunkie]

I think private has a tighter range of playing ability. Most guys probably shoot mid 80s with a handful of scratch golfers and a couple more that are in the 90s. Public will have a range of a guy who shoots 67 but in the group behind him is a guy who shoots 135. Best golfer I've played with was on a public course but you'll find those with proper etiquette on a private course.

 

 

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[EthanSterlingPrice]

I don't know that there's a big difference here in my area. I've gotten to play a private course here in the area through some people I know and Im also at my home course which is public and there's a lot more talent at my public course than there is at the private. My area leans a lot more towards blue collar workers who golf and can't do the private club fees. Nothing against them, it was a great course and I enjoyed it but I think if you averaged out I'd bet on the talent being 50/50 over your golfers overall.

 

 

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[Charli]

Yeah it's a huge difference in level of play where I live. Also huge diffference in etiquette and overall friendliness. Ask a group to play through in a public club it's like you stole their first born.

[silver & black]

Yeah it's a huge difference in level of play where I live. Also huge diffference in etiquette and overall friendliness. Ask a group to play through in a public club it's like you stole their first born.

I've had the opportunity to play a few of the private courses in my area, including Firestone. I've found that it's pretty much the same mix no matter private or public.

 

Jerks are jerks..... no matter how much money or "prestige" is involved... or not.

[NiftyNiblick]

It would be easy to understand that all of the occasional players would be on the public courses.

 

It reminds me of handicaps. They say that the average handicap has moved down from 17 to 16.

But I would ask, what percentage of typical recreational players have official USGA handicaps?

 

The ones that do are almost certainly better players than most of the ones who don't.  We can't tell he big picture from handicaps, but three figure scores abound on the public courses--without official handicaps. At least if the scoring is done legitimately.

 

But what really interests me is this "muni' thing.  We have a plethora of public courses in my area, and not one of them is a muni.  Is this a regional anomaly?

[GB13]

It would be easy to understand that all of the occasional players would be on the public courses.

 

It reminds me of handicaps. They say that the average handicap has moved down from 17 to 16.

But I would ask, what percentage of typical recreational players have official USGA handicaps?

 

The ones that do are almost certainly better players than most of the ones who don't. We can't tell he big picture from handicaps, but three figure scores abound on the public courses--without official handicaps. At least if the scoring is done legitimately.

 

But what really interests me is this "muni' thing. We have a plethora of public courses in my area, and not one of them is a muni. Is this a regional anomaly?

I have played at least 30 different public courses in my area and only one of them was a muni. Most of the courses in my area are owned by "golf groups". Most are Wilson Golf Group and Privately owned courses. The one muni was arguably the best course though. So, it isn't a regional anomaly.

[silver & black]

Most of the courses in my area are public. My city has a muni.... which we tax payers got sold a bill of goods on. When it was built in the early/mid 90's, it was touted as a "golf course for the citizens of Massillon". What a crock of s**t! It has been nothing but a disaster since it was opened in 95'.

 

It started as an 18 hole course, with PGA tournament aspirations. Then, someone got the bright idea of making it 27 holes... which ruined the PGA level course that it was. Top that off with the "high brows" of Massillon immediately making sure that none of us working class cretins could play on the course that we were/are paying for, and you have a golf course that is still there, but only the affluent can afford to play it.

 

I've heard that it is going back to 18 holes because someone wants to build more houses... like I give a s**t. The last time I checked (last month) it was almost $70.00 to play 18 holes of golf on the course built for "the citizens of Massillon". KISS MY ASS!

[Trout Bum 1]

I think the lev l of play is comparable at both, what is different is the attitude and etiquette, I like to play both but private is just better for many reasons beyond skill level.

[Kor.A.Door]

I don't think the level of play is any different. The difference is the amount of golfers that play the course each day.

[PMookie]

You definitely have more “serious” golfers at a club as I would think most are trying to get their money's worth in rounds of play. At a public course, you get those folks where one buddy has a set of clubs, and four guys who've never played go out to “play golf”! Doesn't happen at a private... I know our private club in-town has about 5-6 guys that played top-notch golf in college and spent time on mini-tours, but my public course doesn't have that. We have some guys that are scratch to 2 hcp, but no plus handicaps. The club even has a former All-American for LSU who played the LPGA for 4 years. No woman at our public course even close to that!!!!

 

 

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