Where do you play (public vs private)?

[Gavwlee]

I recently signed up then cancelled my private club membership after 6 months when I realized members didn't care to repair divots, rake bunkers, destroy practice areas, and monopolize tee times (just in case they decided to play)...all to say, not a good experience. And the pace of play was not any better than any public course (5 - 6.5 hours when stuck behind the wrong group, thinking they're playing on tour).

With that rant aside, where do you all play? Public vs Private? Same home course all the time? Rotation of courses in and around your neighborhood? With a club/consistent group of folks?

[cnosil]

I play a variety of courses within about an hour of my house but mostly semi-private with a regular group that has dwindled over the years.  The problems you described seem to exist at all types of courses. 

[CarlH]

I play a private country club.  While I can have complaints about my course, the pace of play, availability to play, and course conditions are superior to the alternatives that exist in my area.  I primarily play at this course, but occasionally play the other local courses for a change of scenery and experiences.  I do travel and will play the local courses in the areas we visit.

[BostonSal]

There was a short, executive length public course in Middleton, Massachusetts

that I loved to play at least once or twice a season,

even though I belong to a club,

simply because it was maintained at private club levels and was so pretty and so much fun to play.

And I could walk it easily with a bag trolley.

Then it closed.  Bummer.

 

Club members play at green fee courses all the time.

If you invite friends to play and socialize at your own club,  that's on your dime--their money is no good there--

so it gets expensive to do it often.

If you meet at a nearby green fee course that's nice to play, you can do it more often.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

Edited September 9, 2021 by BostonSal

[Tom the Golf Nut]

40 minutes ago, CarlH said:

I play a private country club.  While I can have complaints about my course, the pace of play, availability to play, and course conditions are superior to the alternatives that exist in my area.  I primarily play at this course, but occasionally play the other local courses for a change of scenery and experiences.  I do travel and will play the local courses in the areas we visit.

Exactly the same for me.

[Chip Strokes]

i play a rotation of local public courses. 

i won’t join a club until my wife, kid(s) and i can get my money’s worth from a family membership. that’s still a few years away. 

in the meantime i’ll play as many courses as i can get on to and happily be a guest at my dad’s club as often as i can. 

[Lacassem]

Variety is the spice of life. 

I like to get to as many different courses as I can. Have a few connections for some semi-private clubs around. Mostly public courses, I enjoy bang for my buck and there is plenty of that here in central Massachusetts.

[russtopherb]

I play munis and semi-privates. 

I've played a few public courses that were in pristine condition and got in 18 holes in less than 4 hours. I've played a few semi privates where I was fixing ball marks on every green and was waiting on nearly every hole.

Every course is different, and sometimes they're even different on a day to day basis. 

[bens197]

Pretty much all over. I grew up playing county municipal courses and executives. As I got older I took jobs at private clubs for the golf. 
 

Next season we are joining a private club and until then, mostly public. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

I play public, but I buy a season pass to a course about 25 min from home. The pass works out so that after about 22 rounds it's paid for. This is the only way I can afford to play as much golf as I want. I try to play plenty of other courses through the area, just certain ones are really tough to get tee times at. 

Also my course usually isn't first on anyone's list, I know I can get early tee times and play quickly in the mornings.

[CRW]

3 hours ago, CarlH said:

I play a private country club.  While I can have complaints about my course, the pace of play, availability to play, and course conditions are superior to the alternatives that exist in my area.  I primarily play at this course, but occasionally play the other local courses for a change of scenery and experiences.  I do travel and will play the local courses in the areas we visit.

Same for me as well.  

I have a son that's a competitive golfer/HS golfer that's been playing since he was 6.  It was worth it to get a membership somewhere for as much as we play.  We also play most of our rounds as 9 hole rounds after work/school so we almost never end up waiting.  Typically we can get 9 holes played in under 1.5 hrs. and 18 in under 3 hrs.  It also helps that my club has 4 separate 18 hole courses on site.  I'm sure I'll lose it when my son goes off to college because my wife will find other ways for us to spend those funds.  

[Gavwlee]

2 hours ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

I play public, but I buy a season pass to a course about 25 min from home. The pass works out so that after about 22 rounds it's paid for. This is the only way I can afford to play as much golf as I want. I try to play plenty of other courses through the area, just certain ones are really tough to get tee times at. 

Also my course usually isn't first on anyone's list, I know I can get early tee times and play quickly in the mornings.

There are a few courses in my area that offer season passes. I might have to check that out. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

28 minutes ago, Gavwlee said:

There are a few courses in my area that offer season passes. I might have to check that out. 

It's good if you don't mind playing one course for about 70% of your rounds. There are a few other courses that are better condition but their memberships are a few thousand. If I'm spending that for public, I should look a joining a club

[Kenny B]

5 hours ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

I play public, but I buy a season pass to a course about 25 min from home. The pass works out so that after about 22 rounds it's paid for. This is the only way I can afford to play as much golf as I want. I try to play plenty of other courses through the area, just certain ones are really tough to get tee times at. 

Also my course usually isn't first on anyone's list, I know I can get early tee times and play quickly in the mornings.

Same for me, but it's for both my wife and I so nearly double the price.  It's an "upscale" muni, according to their website...  Most all of our rounds are at this course.  My wife travels around the area with her Ladies Club playing different courses.  I occasionally play an another public course in town for free with some guys that have a corporate membership.

However, we travel in the Pacific Northwest to play, and we travel someplace warm in the winter for a 2-week golf getaway.  Headed to Palm Springs in January.

[CarlH]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

 

 Headed to Palm Springs in January.

And, we know how cheap those courses are, even using GolfNow or other apps!  

[tommc23]

With how my life has been going the last year I haven’t had the time to golf like I normally do so I only play a local muni. There’s a private club in my town which has referral membership courses so I’ve been debating joining there but haven’t pulled the trigger yet. So for now it’s just local munis

[Ben_Howell34]

I play all over town and enjoy playing when I travel. Never been a member anywhere. I really enjoy the variety and don’t play enough to justify a membership. Although I think being a member of a club would be fun, especially with tournaments/games they might do. 

[den748]

21 hours ago, DiscipleofPenick said:

I play public, but I buy a season

This is my situation as well.  It's a course that is 8 min from my house and since I work from home I can get 9 in on many mornings or immediately after work.  It also makes me feel better if I can only get out and play like 3 holes after 7pm or something.  I don't feel like I wasted my money on a round. 

That's not to say that I don't go off and play other courses as well but that is my primary place to play.

[chisag]

... 185 courses in the Phoenix area. Add Tuscon and it gets near 300. So I am caught between joining a private club or playing all over the place because there are some stellar courses here. Not a problem in summer, early fall or late spring but the rest of the year with the best weather can be very crowded with snowbirds and tourists getting away from the snow and cold. 

[MmmmmmBuddy]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:47 AM, CarlH said:

I play a private country club.  While I can have complaints about my course, the pace of play, availability to play, and course conditions are superior to the alternatives that exist in my area.  I primarily play at this course, but occasionally play the other local courses for a change of scenery and experiences.  I do travel and will play the local courses in the areas we visit.

If I lived where you do Carl, I would have a difficult time playing anywhere else... 

 

side note..  One of my guys won the SOGC last week.