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Joining a club in Atlanta: Windermere (Canongate) or Trophy of Apalachee

MaryC

MaryC

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I'm getting close to making a decision on my new home club now that I've settled in my new home of Suwanee.

Yesterday I played Trophy Club of Apalachee in Dacula: http://www.trophyclubapalachee.com/

It was a nice little track with only one hole I would call "funky" but given you have to cross the ravine somehow, I'm OK with it.

I have an appointment this week to go up to see Windermere in Cummings and play a round: http://www.canongategolf.com/Windermere-Golf-Club/Windermere-Golf-Club-842.html

Both of these are running some incredible deals on membership right now with multiple course play (Apalachee gets me also Bradshaw Farms and Trophy Club of Atlanta as well as Atlanta Golfers Club membership privileges at Alfred Tup, Bobby Jones, Browns Mill, and North Fulton. Windermere gets me Old Atlanta as my other club and discounted play anywhere on Canongate clubs)

I'm wondering if anyone in the Atlanta area has any thoughts on these two courses and/or dealings with Canongate (Windermere) or American Golf (Trophy Club of Apalachee)

(Note: and yes KellyBo, I broke Dr's orders and went ahead and played. No pain in the wrist this AM)
 
MaryC, I have never played The Trophy Club or any of the partners you listed for them, however I have played something like 8/9 of the Cannongate courses and have enjoyed everyone of them. If I lived closer than an hour to any of the courses I would undoubtely join Cannongate, I like the courses that much.
 
Have played Trophy Club many times and have friend who is a member. He enjoys it. I have heard Windermere is great also. Latest I heard on Bradshaw farms was it was not in great shape but that was back in early fall. Shoot me a PM or give me a call Mary. I am actually looking for club as well.

TapAhoy!
 
I love the Canongate courses in our area. I'm sure Chewie can vouch for the ones in the Atlanta area since he is a Canongate member. If you join Canongate, then you can come down and play Healy Point and River Forest with us. They are great courses. I especially love River Forest in Forsyth.

Be careful with that wrist!!!
 
I play Browns Mill from time to tome. Great wide open tract and they keep the greens in great shape. It is busy on weekends taking nearly 5 hours. Virtually no on during week. Tup Homes is just not any good the last time I played it. Horrible shape all around. Bobby Jones is played mostly for it name same. It was just average. North Fulton or Chastain as it is sometimes call is a good course. Long and hilly butter gets backed up a bit.
TapAhoy!
 
I've played Trophy Club of Apalachee and liked it fairly well, although I think I shot my career low score there that day. I know as recently as last fall, I was getting deal emails from them though, so unless you know otherwise, you'll probably have to deal with some one timers like myself out there. I was supposed to play Trophy Club of Atlanta once, and couldn't wait out the frost delay, but from what I could see it looked nice.

I've driven past the entrance to Windermere several times, but have never gone in there. My only word of caution about that location is that Ga-20 can be a beast traffic wise as it's one of the few connection points between I-985 and Ga400. From the one Canongate course I've played which I didn't care for the layout of, but was in good condition (Traditions of Braselton), it seems like they are not as likely to have as many non-members out there.
 
Those look like beautiful courses Mary, enjoy playing them.
 
Thanks guys! I'm leaning towards Windermere right now as it is fully private but I'm hearing some grumblings about the lottery system to get tee times on weekends.

Anyone here that is member at Canongate clubs have issues w their lottery system? Sounds to me that they have an issue with overbooking and not sure I want to spend the extra money for Canongate to then not be able to play at my convenience


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adwillingham said:
I've played Trophy Club of Apalachee and liked it fairly well, although I think I shot my career low score there that day. I know as recently as last fall, I was getting deal emails from them though, so unless you know otherwise, you'll probably have to deal with some one timers like myself out there. I was supposed to play Trophy Club of Atlanta once, and couldn't wait out the frost delay, but from what I could see it looked nice.

I've driven past the entrance to Windermere several times, but have never gone in there. My only word of caution about that location is that Ga-20 can be a beast traffic wise as it's one of the few connection points between I-985 and Ga400. From the one Canongate course I've played which I didn't care for the layout of, but was in good condition (Traditions of Braselton), it seems like they are not as likely to have as many non-members out there.
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I live in Suwanee and Windermere is up in Cumming, basically up Buford Dam Highway for me and no where near GA-20. It's a DLIII course that gets high marks in the area and talking with my instructor last night, he thinks would be a good fit for me from a course standpoint and the type of club it is. But then, he also was happy I played Trophy of Apalachee so well because it has some of the toughest greens in the area.

SeeMore and I are going to chat tonight about these two clubs and I have an appointment at Windermere next week to check out the facilities and play a round. Windermere also means I get membership at Old Atlanta too, but it's greens and fairways are in wretched condition from what I understand because the greenskeeper there wasn't taking good care of the course and has been fired.

BUT, still looking for any advice on Canongate in particular. I've heard some grumbling on a few review sites about the lottery for the weekend tee time slots at the clubs.
 
Please keep us posted on anything you hear about the tee time system. I have been considering Canongate also, but have not yet talked to anyone about getting tee times.

FWIW, I don't really like the course at Windermere. They do keep it in great shape, but there are some seriously goofy holes out there. Not your typical DLIII layout.
 
Good luck with your choice. I've played Windermere several times while on business and enjoyed the course, always in nice shape with good greens. Personally it didn't feel tricked up to me, just intimidating on several holes - which is fine. Bear's Best was another nearby track that I've enjoyed.

As for the lottery system, I used to belong to a ClubCorp course that employeed this system. Not sure how your possible club views the lottery but at my old club it was designed to get the slow groups out of the early start times. For the five years I belonged to the club I was always in the first, second or third group off, the slower players would never get an early time.
 
NoLine said:
Good luck with your choice. I've played Windermere several times while on business and enjoyed the course, always in nice shape with good greens. Personally it didn't feel tricked up to me, just intimidating on several holes - which is fine. Bear's Best was another nearby track that I've enjoyed.

As for the lottery system, I used to belong to a ClubCorp course that employeed this system. Not sure how your possible club views the lottery but at my old club it was designed to get the slow groups out of the early start times. For the five years I belonged to the club I was always in the first, second or third group off, the slower players would never get an early time.
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Toured Windermere on Thursday evening. Really enjoyed look of the club and the club is definitely golf-centric.

Asked about the lottery system and discovered the lottery WAS put in place to keep the slow players out of the front of the rotation and is only used for weekend mornings before noon tee times. Before lottery rounds on weekend were 5-6hrs. Now average 4.5. Since I hate playing mornings on weekends, this won't effect me.

I'm checking out an Affinity club on Wednesday and next weekend playing a round at Windermere. After that I'll make my mind up and join a club.



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MaryC said:
Toured Windermere on Thursday evening. Really enjoyed look of the club and the club is definitely golf-centric.

Asked about the lottery system and discovered the lottery WAS put in place to keep the slow players out of the front of the rotation and is only used for weekend mornings before noon tee times. Before lottery rounds on weekend were 5-6hrs. Now average 4.5. Since I hate playing mornings on weekends, this won't effect me.

I'm checking out an Affinity club on Wednesday and next weekend playing a round at Windermere. After that I'll make my mind up and join a club.



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How does that work? How do they know who the slow players are to keep them out of the rotation?
 
Thainer said:
In a club atmosphere, everyone should know everything about the members they deal with.
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Yeah, but we are talking about a collection of multiple clubs here.....and a lottery isn't really a lottery if its rigged. I'm curious how this is implemented.
 
Rusty said:
How does that work? How do they know who the slow players are to keep them out of the rotation?
Click to expand...

Thainer said:
In a club atmosphere, everyone should know everything about the members they deal with.
Click to expand...

Rusty said:
Yeah, but we are talking about a collection of multiple clubs here.....and a lottery isn't really a lottery if its rigged. I'm curious how this is implemented.
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The way it was explained to me is the more you play at the course the better chance you have of getting a good tee time on the weekend. Also, you should know this policy is ONLY at Windermere and Old Atlanta, the two clubs that are part of the same cluster.

The theory is that if you are playing the course often, chances are you are serious about your game and play ready golf, are familiar with the trouble spots on the course, etc. vs the "weekend warrior" who only plays one or two weekends. The woman who gave me a tour of the facilities showed me some data they compiled in the last year since they started the lottery system. Showing the average time based on folks being started and then finishing. The average round in the early AM tee times (6:30 - 9am) before the lottery were 5 hrs, 25 min. After the lottery, it is 4hr 15 min. The 9 -11 tee time was 6hrs before and after 4hrs 45 min. Afternoon tee time (post 1pm) pace of play has sped up too. Down to 4hrs 25min instead of 5hrs 50 mins. Twilight pace (3pm or later) stayed the same 4hrs 20 min.

I'm not bothered by a club penalizing you if you are a slow player or not a regular at the club by not giving you the choice weekend tee times. I think they have a right to reward those of us (and I say that because, because no matter which club I join, I'm going to be playing multiple rounds a week, along with being on the range, using the restaurant) who frequent the club with this perk.

Maybe "lottery" isn't the right word to use on their part but it is no different to me than when THP rewards folks with extra chances to win a prize during a give away by liking the announcement post on Facebook or re-tweeting on Twitter, or commenting on the main News page on the website.
 
I'm a Canongate member and my cluster is Mirror Lake - Chapel Hills - The Frog. We went to the lottery system for weekend morning tee timesat the start of the year and have had no problems with the regular Sunday group that I play with. We had a 10:00am tee time previously and now we play between 9:46 and 10:20 depending on the week.

It was explained to our membership that the lottery system was going in place to provide a chance of access to all members to the early tee times on Sat and Sun. Previously there were several groups that "hogged" the best early tee times as the golf club staff would write those groups in to the same slots first thing Tuesday morning before other members could call in to get a tee time.

You'll enjoy Canongate. I've been a member for several years, best golf value around with 23 clubs in the Metro Atlanta area. I've played around 14 of the different courses now, maybe one day I'll play them all!
 
Canongate has some great course, but every time I've played at one of their clubs it has been extremely slow. Hamilton Mill is famous for 6 hour rounds and one Sat. morning there are usually 6-10 groups backed up on the first tee (they pack them in tight). If you are in Suwannee you might also want to consider Bears Best which is an awesome course that does offer simi-private membership. Another course to look at would be Reunion (off of Thompson Mill Rd) near Chateau Elan. There dues have come down to $169/month and they are waiving the initiation fee right now.

Good Luck.
 
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