Ignorance is Bliss - Help Avoiding Bitterness

[dduarte85]

Getting personal here... but something that has been pulling at me and just curious if I am crazy or has anyone else gone through this stage.

I play my every day golf at a decent public course in Massachusetts, it has a fun design but conditions vary from hole to hole. Culturally it struggles with the same stuff that every public track: people don't replace / fix divots or ball marks, rake bunkers, etc.

5 years ago I would have been pumped to play a course like this.

However, as I passed 30 and my career changed I found myself exposed to new social circles where invitations to Top 100 World Courses came. Ever since the last couple of years of golf I have found myself super bitter at the game , the privilege of golf, and bouncing between average and high end golf.

First world problems, I know.

 

[GraniteRoost]

First, a perspective check. You've got two aces in the last month, and social circles that yield invites to these elite courses, which puts you (far) ahead of most regarding access. Presumably also enough disposable time and income to play to a single digit cap.

Outcomes based - get creative. Buy a Links Card and be willing to drive for good prices at good courses near you during non-peak times. I can play Green Mountain National for $50 with cart during the week and Sunday after ~3pm, its an hour from me, and conditions rival private anywhere unless you are being super picky. Phenomenal after work round during the week. Same for Woodstock CC, 30 min from me offer deals through Links Card and GolfNow.com. A private course near me offers community days once or twice a month. I've played 60% of my golf on very nice courses without breaking the bank, and the other 40% are all about reps and adaptability and I love my local muni's for what they offer. It is tougher no doubt near Boston or a big city than here in the mountains where there are more resort courses looking to fill tee times during the week.

If it's Kittansett or bust, you're setup for disappointment :angel:

 

[DG_1234]

Getting personal here... but something that has been pulling at me and just curious if I am crazy or has anyone else gone through this stage.

I play my every day golf at a decent public course in Massachusetts, it has a fun design but conditions vary from hole to hole. Culturally it struggles with the same stuff that every public track: people don't replace / fix divots or ball marks, rake bunkers, etc.

5 years ago I would have been pumped to play a course like this.

However, as I passed 30 and my career changed I found myself exposed to new social circles where invitations to Top 100 World Courses came. Ever since the last couple of years of golf I have found myself super bitter at the game , the privilege of golf, and bouncing between average and high end golf.

First world problems, I know.

Is your point that you now prefer high end , expensive courses and feel "super bitter" when playing an average condition course ?
If this is the case then I guess you should should join the best private club you can afford and play your golf there.

 

[dduarte85]

First, a perspective check. You've got two aces in the last month, and social circles that yield invites to these elite courses, which puts you (far) ahead of most regarding access. Presumably also enough disposable time and income to play to a single digit cap.

Outcomes based - get creative. Buy a Links Card and be willing to drive for good prices at good courses near you during non-peak times. I can play Green Mountain National for $50 with cart during the week and Sunday after ~3pm, its an hour from me, and conditions rival private anywhere unless you are being super picky. Phenomenal after work round during the week. Same for Woodstock CC, 30 min from me offer deals through Links Card and GolfNow.com. A private course near me offers community days once or twice a month. I've played 60% of my golf on very nice courses without breaking the bank, and the other 40% are all about reps and adaptability and I love my local muni's for what they offer. It is tougher no doubt near Boston or a big city than here in the mountains where there are more resort courses looking to fill tee times during the week.

If it's Kittansett or bust, you're setup for disappointment :angel:

I guess that’s kind of the issue: a touch of exposure can spoil it. Some guys never see those courses so they don’t know what they’re missing out on, I suppose is my point.

I’m a teacher so time is on my side... I get to play 100 rounds a summer. Income, well... yeah, I’m a teacher. I’ve played in matches where my friend fronted the cash and took all the winnings when I’d carry the team. It’s a fun relationship.

I regret signing up for the season membership. I would have preferred to stick those funds in a separate account and bleed it down playing different courses.

Champagne taste buds / Budweiser budget... I’m a dreamer. Maybe not Kittansett but sheit that’s a nice track!


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[dduarte85]

Is your point that you now prefer high end , expensive courses and feel "super bitter" when playing an average condition course ?
If this is the case then I guess you should should join the best private club you can afford and play your golf there.

Unfortunately there isn’t a single course near me where I can join for under 10,000 for a 5 month season.

Golf in Massachusetts has a serious issue with access. There’s a huge canyon between levels of courses.


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[arydolphin]

Unfortunately there isn’t a single course near me where I can join for under 10,000 for a 5 month season.

Golf in Massachusetts has a serious issue with access. There’s a huge canyon between levels of courses.


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Are you saying the initiation is >10k or the annual dues?

 

[Smiter]

Maybe reach out to member Sean here? He plays a nice private club every day and his rates are very reasonable. Maybe he’s on the other side of town or way out in the suburbs, but I gathered that he was in the Boston area.

Now I have no idea what his initiation was there and it is (IIRC) a nine hole course, but his monthly dues amount to me taking my kids out for two rounds at a crappy local course.

I’ve only seen the course from Google Earth but it looks as nice as most of the high end public courses in my area (most of which are former country clubs), but it’s definitely not a Muirfield Village or Firestone North or South level Course.

I also seem to recall him saying it has a very nice practice facility.

 

[dduarte85]

Are you saying the initiation is >10k or the annual dues?

Annual dues... Vesper is the cheapest club near me and at 34 I’d be looking at 2,000 initiation and about 8500 per year with that number going up every year until I’m 40 where a full membership is roughly 11,000 with equity and food etc

KERNWOOD is a 25,000 initiation and 9000 for a single , 11000 for a family.


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[Smiter]

Quick add on, he stopped and stayed near here on a trip to Chicago to visit his sister a couple weeks back. We ended up playing a couple rounds together.

He’s one helluva a good guy so I’d look him up to play a round regardless even if he’s on the other side of town, lol.

He’s welcome to tee it up with me anytime he’s passing through!

 

[dduarte85]

Maybe reach out to member Sean here? He plays a nice private club every day and his rates are very reasonable. Maybe he’s on the other side of town or way out in the suburbs, but I gathered that he was in the Boston area.

Now I have no idea what his initiation was there and it is (IIRC) a nine hole course, but his monthly dues amount to me taking my kids out for two rounds at a crappy local course.

I’ve only seen the course from Google Earth but it looks as nice as most of the high end public courses in my area (most of which are former country clubs), but it’s definitely not a Muirfield Village or Firestone North or South level Course.

I also seem to recall him saying it has a very nice practice facility.

I’ll have to ask him. My rounds will be falling hardcore with a baby on the way but I’m going to use the decline in golf as a method to strategize and save some coin so I can join a club that wife and son can use as well. At least that’s the plan, likely a pipe dream.


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[Smiter]

I’ll have to ask him. My rounds will be falling hardcore with a baby on the way but I’m going to use the decline in golf as a method to strategize and save some coin so I can join a club that wife and son can use as well. At least that’s the plan, likely a pipe dream.


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Kids entering equation, oh wow. Game changer sir! Lol.

Get in the line with the rest of us 15-20 round a year schlupps.

Congrats and good luck!

 

[arydolphin]

Annual dues... Vesper is the cheapest club near me and at 34 I’d be looking at 2,000 initiation and about 8500 per year with that number going up every year until I’m 40 where a full membership is roughly 11,000 with equity and food etc

KERNWOOD is a 25,000 initiation and 9000 for a single , 11000 for a family.


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I'm going to assume that you are northwest of the city considering that you play Butter Brook and you're also talking about Vesper as an option. If you were further south, I'd tell you to look at Thorny Lea. You're not going to get a pool or kids club or all of that other nonsense, but you'd get a good golf course with a strong playing membership, and the dues are well under 10k per year (they list everything on their website).

To your general point: I play >95% of my golf on public tracks around here, but I'm also a member of a group that hosts events at private courses around the country. So I've had the opportunity to play some really nice places through that. It's fun to see what the private side is like, but it just doesn't make sense for me financially at this time. It's like a really nice restaurant (ex: O Ya in Boston), it was awesome to eat there once but it's not going to be my steady diet. So I'm sort of in the same boat as you, esp. up here in Massachusetts where it seems like the top 10-20 courses in the state are all private. But in the end, golf is what you want it to be, and you can make the most out of it no matter where you play.

 

[dduarte85]

I'm going to assume that you are northwest of the city considering that you play Butter Brook and you're also talking about Vesper as an option. If you were further south, I'd tell you to look at Thorny Lea. You're not going to get a pool or kids club or all of that other nonsense, but you'd get a good golf course with a strong playing membership, and the dues are well under 10k per year (they list everything on their website).

To your general point: I play >95% of my golf on public tracks around here, but I'm also a member of a group that hosts events at private courses around the country. So I've had the opportunity to play some really nice places through that. It's fun to see what the private side is like, but it just doesn't make sense for me financially at this time. It's like a really nice restaurant (ex: O Ya in Boston), it was awesome to eat there once but it's not going to be my steady diet. So I'm sort of in the same boat as you, esp. up here in Massachusetts where it seems like the top 10-20 courses in the state are all private. But in the end, golf is what you want it to be, and you can make the most out of it no matter where you play.

My friend is a member at Vesper but also plays on The Tour, so he’s always playing events at places like Wiano or Myopia. I may do that instead, just fork over high rates to play less golf but more quality.

I’ll admit: I sound like a yuggggge baby.



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[arydolphin]

My friend is a member at Vesper but also plays on The Tour, so he’s always playing events at places like Wiano or Myopia. I may do that instead, just fork over high rates to play less golf but more quality.

I’ll admit: I sound like a yuggggge baby.



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Here's another one like The Tour, but only private tracks: https://neat.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/neat19/schedule/index.htm

 

[dduarte85]

Here's another one like The Tour, but only private tracks: https://neat.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/neat19/schedule/index.htm

I’m 100% in next season.


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[mski]

Embrace your public track roots.

 

[DG_1234]

Unfortunately there isn’t a single course near me where I can join for under 10,000 for a 5 month season.

Golf in Massachusetts has a serious issue with access. There’s a huge canyon between levels of courses.


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For decades I've played a mix of average municipals, exclusive private country clubs, and resort destination courses. Honestly I do not enjoy a round at one type or level of course more than the other.
From a pure golf perspective, the municipal courses are often great old well designed layouts of holes. That the average public course may suffer from lack of maintenance I think sometimes makes them more interesting and fun to play than an immaculately groomed private course.
If you cannot afford to join a private country then I suggest you consider trying to find the positive attributes of the courses you do play. Golf is too awesome (and life is too short) to be "super bitter" about the game or the courses.

 

[pilot25]

Unfortunately there isn’t a single course near me where I can join for under 10,000 for a 5 month season.

Golf in Massachusetts has a serious issue with access. There’s a huge canyon between levels of courses.


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I think this is the same in a lot of places. I'm in the MD/VA/DC area and the "crappy" member only clubs are just as expensive.

When I was in my early 20s my parents retired to a nice CC in Florida. For 20 years I visited every summer and played freely at ridiculously nice club. The practice range used PRO V1s for the range balls stamped with PRACTICE on them. Back in reality I would play public courses up in the Mid-Atlantic area but eventually found I could never do a muni again. I was spoiled. So I opted not to play and practice more. Saved for the nicer public courses, so to speak. However, it wasn't so much the course as the people who frequented them. People who pay more for golf are more serious. They play with proper etiquette and leave the course as they found it as best they can. Any muni or public course could be a lot nicer if people weren't complete jerks. CCs aren't immune but maybe 2% of their members don't fix ball marks, fill divots with sand, keep carts off areas they aren't supposed to be, etc. I played today at a descent public course and can't count how many ball marks were left unfixed on one of the par 3s. It was shameful. There was no one one the course so I spent 20 minutes fixing marks and I still didn't get all of them.

I don't think the problem is the courses aren't as nice because of money but because of the people who frequent the facilities. Sadly Kramer on Seinfeld was right about public courses and it isn't the course. Its the caliber of people.

I just keep pressing on because I know I'll never be able to afford a CC so I have fun with what I can afford.

 

[ArmyGolf]

I understand the sentiment that as you naturally progress into nicer courses the courses from your roots start to look borderline unplayable. I've kind of gone back and forth a few times and now I'm at the point where I actually enjoy a burned out mess of a course with a decent layout, but the other pitfalls of muni golf (slow play, party atmosphere, ball thieving etc) just kill me.

 

[DG_1234]

ball thieving .

Ball thieving ?

 

[oumagic]

Ignorance is Bliss - Help Avoiding Bitterness

Ball thieving ?

It is a real thing where I play too. I have had numerous times where I know some Richard picked up my ball in the desert or rough. They assume that it is a lost ball rather than leave it for the guys coming to find it. At one course I play, you better be in the grass because the desert is likely to take it and put it in someone else’s pocket


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[pilot25]

It is a real thing where I play too. I have had numerous times where I know some Richard picked up my ball in the desert or rough. They assume that it is a lost ball rather than leave it for the guys coming to find it. At one course I play, you better be in the grass because the desert is likely to take it and put it in someone else’s pocket


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What's a "Richard?"

 

[campilobaxter]

Full name of someone called "Dick".

 

[aljaklaw]

I understand the sentiment that as you naturally progress into nicer courses the courses from your roots start to look borderline unplayable. I've kind of gone back and forth a few times and now I'm at the point where I actually enjoy a burned out mess of a course with a decent layout, but the other pitfalls of muni golf (slow play, party atmosphere, ball thieving etc) just kill me.

Ball thieving ?

hate that ****, I've seen people sorint across fairways to pick up obviously-in-play balls

 

[dduarte85]

hate that ****, I've seen people sorint across fairways to pick up obviously-in-play balls

It’s why I play yellow balls with three purple dots... at least I can reduce my chances of some lazy Richard picking up my ball. I’ve had a ball swiped from the middle of my own fairway and I actually witnessed the entire thing from my tee box.


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