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joining a club or staying public

cg13

cg13

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I have been debating joining a private club during the off season. Reason being i spend a ton of money playing the public/municpal courses here - and on the busier days Sat/Sun it just gets ridiculous trying to get out - tee times book up - slow play - etc etc.

The ranges at the public courses i play closest to me are just terrible so if i want to practice its usually off of a mat which i do not like ( i can hit off a mat at golftec anytime i want).

I spent enough money on public courses - to pay for the monthly dues at most clubs around here.

Im 34 - so this is the last year i can join a club at junior member prices.

Long and hard: I think im going to go here tomorrow and see what they can offer. There was a full page ad in todays paper so i think they will negotiate a good deal. My brother in law has been a member since they opened here, and i played it 3 times last year.

The facilities are top notch. The range is great - the putting green/ short game area is worlds above the only other outdoor option i have for ap ublic place.

The course has everything you need to challenge a member; Water, Trees, Mutliple long tee boxes. It was ranked #2 top private club in Central Ohio in 2009.

There is a nice bar and restaurant.

Its only about 15 min drive for me - which is a little drive - but my next best option is 25 mins away.

I can do this now - and join the private club... or buy some of those anytime passes for the muni's. I think all the money i spent on driving range practice and greens fees - should sway me to pay the money for the club.

Plus at the club i get a great short game area ( seperate chipping green with multiple holes, sand, options) (two large putting greens ) (seperate driving range)

Here is the club - http://www.pinnaclegc.com/

My sister and her husband just bought a house there - its relatively new - and his brother was a founding member. Going to meet them today for the Buckeye/Wisconsin game - hope to talk to them see if he has any pull hehe.

Thoughts advice one way or the other?

Also I want to get in on some tournament play - and they have several great tournaments obviously that will help challenge my game as i progress.
 
Someone else asked this question some time ago; perhaps someone can direct you to that discussion.

However, it sounds like you have made up your mind. For what it's worth, I think club membership is a great option if you can afford it.
 
Looks like you got your mind made up. You won't get a variety of courses, but to me playing in club events outweighs the variety argument 8 days a week.


From the iPhone.
 
Sound like if you wouldn't be paying more than your currently paying in fees as the local public courses and they have the tourney's you're looking to get into plus the practice facilities you want its no-brainer. only downside would u get bored playing the same course most of the time
 
I don't know- that club is gorgeous. I think I'd go that route if I could swing it. It looks beautiful.
 
I think you just answered your own question. The Private club is the better route TBH. More exclusiveness, meet great people, tournaments, facilities, etc. In the long run you're probably going to spend more on Munis anyways.

Trust me, if playing the same course over and over is the concern, it won't bother you at all. I love it.
 
If it fits your budget, I would go with the private club. Sounds like it fills all your needs. Sounds like your local muni needs some new management if they can't handle tee times, slow play etc.
 
Being from Ohio, I have heard of this club. I can tell you that the talk is that it is a TOP NOTCH outfit. Well worth the $$$. The magazine Golf Styles gave it a marvelous review several months back (can't remember what issue, but I'm sure they have it online somewhere (golfstylesonline.com) . With the amenities that your are looking for I really don't see how you could go wrong with at least taking a good hard look at it. IMO.
 
Sounds like the club is what you want. Good practice facilities are a plus. My husband and I joined a club right before I started playing and I like how we were able to meet people and make friends also.
 
It's a decision that's up to you. Base it on your needs. I've never been interested in joining a private club - it's just not my style. Then too most around here cost a lot more (both for initiation and annual fees) than I've ever paid for a season of public golf. All I've ever known about also have a minimum required monthly dining fee, something that I really don't want. My wife and I go out a fair amount, but we don't want to be tied to a particular restaurant just because we have that requirement.

Then too I have multiple good practice facilities available at several nearby public courses, so that aspect doesn't matter to me.
 
I think one of the big pluses is the practice facility. You have a place you can go to just a few minutes from you house just to practice if you only have an hour or so, or if you just want to play a few holes. And, just because you join a club doesn't mean you can't play anywhere else from time to time. In addition, you have a place you can hang out, make new friends, and the like. Looks like a great place CG.
 
Pinnacle, nice! Too rich for my blood :D


If you got the cash , do it. The muni's around here stink imo.
 
I echo the other comments that say do it if it works for your budget. There is a really nice golf club near me that I would join for the practice facilities alone, but it does not work for our budget.

The ability to play and practice whenever you want is a huge plus.
 
I have also considered joiing a private club. Reason being...I live in Northern Indiana, where we have some of the highest unemployment right now due to the RV industry tanking. The best local public course ran a special to get a 2 year membership for $400 (normal price was normally $700/year) and so all those Country Club players came over to save money. Many of the private courses are struggling now around here, though there is one or two I would still consider joining. My local course went from having 400 members to having 1200 members, which means weekends are REDONKULOUS. Plan on 5-6 hours for 18 holes. As many members as there are they are still able to keep the course in GREAT condition and it is still the best local course around here. However, I get tired of waiting around for such long rounds on the weekends sometimes and I just want to get out for a nice round of golf at my own pace. A few friends of mine are still members at the couple of country clubs that can still afford to maintain their place really well, and they have discounted junior memberships now (i'm under 29 so I still qualify for that for a few years) so I could get in there for roughly $600 a year, but then I have the $30/month food minimum. I don't mind spending the extra money each year, but I don't know if I'd rather use that money just to be able to play a private club on weekends (weekdays arent too bad at the public course) or use that money to go travel somewhere to play a really nice course somewhere a couple times a year for a great experience. Joiing the CC would reduce the number of times I could travel to play a much nicer course.
 
While im just going to state the stated. Go the club route money being equal the intangables in being a member will make the golf experience more enjoyable. I just joined a club that i played regularly. Saved money in ways i didnt consider pluss the perks of ownership were an added bonus.
 
My question is: why has it taken so long to reach this point? If you are truely interested in becoming a better golfer, having nice practice facilities is a huge plus. Also, meeting people at a CC is easier than at a muni. Finding new people to play against, especially if they are better than you, is another great way to work on your game. I used to play against a friend all the time for $1 a hole knowing full well I would prolly lose $5-$10. It definitely sounds like a great idea to join. "Do it!" (said in best Ben Stiller imitation possible)
 
If you can afford it, then I guess I would only have one question...

Do you want to play the same course, over and over and over?
 
It seems you've convinced yourself on the amenities, as for playing the same course over and over again, as long as it's well maintained and a nice layout, it won't bother you. I joined a club last year which was a far better course than our munis and I will be joining again this year. The quality of the course will quickly make you forget you're playing the same course all the time.
 
Honestly I've put a lot of thought into clubs around here. The most appealing thing is never having to wait long(if at all) for a tee time & the unlimited range time.

The thing that really holds me up is the cost, by the time you pay the dues, required dining, etc the investment is way greater than I'd spend playing muni's in the 7-8months a year once a week + range trips inbetween rounds. I calculated everything up once, I figure it would take me playing 100 rounds a year on the 2-3 courses I play to even come close to just the membership cost at some of the cheaper clubs around here. Even more by the time you calculate in the requierd dining portion.
 
The nice thing for the consumer right now Is most are waiving initiation fees. And there isn't required dining. That's why I'm kinda forced to jump on it now- too good a deal to wait a year. Just wish I could get on at scioto- I live a stones throw from clubhouse.


Tapping and talking since 2010.
 
I have been a private club member for a year now and have really found only one downside. I still have a lot of glofing buddies who aren't members, some for geographic reasons some for financial, which means they can only play at my club once a month and at a rate that is twice the cost of the public courses in the area and I end up paying to play with them at their courses. On the plus side my family and I have met a lot of great new people, get to play a top notch course whenever we want and the private club benefits that others have highlighted cannot be underestimated.

The only other advice is to make sure the private club is convenient. I have friends that made the mistake of joining clubs too far from their homes and then not using them as much as they would've liked becuase of the drive.
 
Another point is that as a member of a private course often times your pro can get you on other private courses around the country/world. Great when traveling or escaping the snow
 
Drumdog said:
If you can afford it, then I guess I would only have one question...

Do you want to play the same course, over and over and over?
Click to expand...

thats one of the cons - but its a well maintained course and was in great condition when i played everytime last year.

bumpnrun said:
The only other advice is to make sure the private club is convenient. I have friends that made the mistake of joining clubs too far from their homes and then not using them as much as they would've liked becuase of the drive.
Click to expand...

yea that is another con: its about a 15-20 min drive for me depending on traffic. Not too bad - but i usually drive that far to golf/practice anyways. and we might buy a house there eventually. which would be closer
 
If you like the course and can afford it, I say go for it. Living 15-20 minutes away is not a good thing though.
 
I made the decision to join a private club 4 years ago (2011 will be my 5th year), never have I regretted the decision. I was concerned about playing the same course all the time. In fact, the opposite has occurred: only once since joining have I played one of the courses that used to be in my rota of nearby public courses. I am never bored playing the same course. For me, the biggest positives are 1) less time on the course (my club has a strict 4 hour pace of play policy), 2) unlimited access to practice facilities (I hate to know how many $10 buckets of range balls I go through in a year), 3) easy access to the first tee (no more phoning around to see if there is an opening available), 4) club storage and 5) men's locker room services (locker, showers, etc). When I first joined, I only knew 2 members (the guys who sponsored me). I played in the new member Tuesday league (still take part in this, it's a good way to help others who are new) and sought out others of similar golfing abilities. It can take some effort for the first while to get yourself known.
 
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