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Would You Join A Resort Course?

JB

JB

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Had an interesting conversation with a family member yesterday about membership and resort courses. Many of the nicer resort courses offer memberships to locals and treat it as a country club. They have a MGA, leagues, tournaments and more. However they also have to remember that the course is a resort and the good comes with the bad.

So would you join a resort course?
 
it's funny you bring this up. Was playing the other night with a guy who lived and was a member at Reunion.
 
I think it depends on the costs and the other options around, if the cost is right (assuming facilities are fantastic) and there isn't much for competition then I would.

Also practice facility has to be top notch but that goes for any course I'm looking at joining.
 
I've heard of certain resort courses that have multiple courses and one of them is always reserved for members each day. I would consider joining something like that. I was thinking about that while we were at La Costa for #TheKing. I don't know that I'd want to be a member of a place like that where every single day there are hundreds of tourists taking over my club. Close off 1 of those courses (alternate daily) each day and I'd consider it.
 
Yes if I really enjoyed the course. If I lived in Pawleys Island I would love to join True Blue and Caledonia. You will have to deal with a bunch of play but I would think that at nicer resort courses they have the money and people to keep the course in better shape. No one wants to come play a resort course that is in bad shape. Word gets out and business drops.
 
JB said:
Had an interesting conversation with a family member yesterday about membership and resort courses. Many of the nicer resort courses offer memberships to locals and treat it as a country club. They have a MGA, leagues, tournaments and more. However they also have to remember that the course is a resort and the good comes with the bad.

So would you join a resort course?
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I've never really lived in a resort-y type area so it's hard to say. I want to say yes because some of them are amazing, but the course traffic would probably drive me nuts.
 
Doubtful simply due to cost but it would be enjoyable me thinks.
 
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Puttin4Bird said:
I've heard of certain resort courses that have multiple courses and one of them is always reserved for members each day. I would consider joining something like that. I was thinking about that while we were at La Costa for #TheKing. I don't know that I'd want to be a member of a place like that where every single day there are hundreds of tourists taking over my club. Close off 1 of those courses (alternate daily) each day and I'd consider it.
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What if instead of closing a course off, they blocked tee times off each day or week for you?
 
I think it would depend on how the membership and course access was set up. If there was a day or block of tee times I would be more inclined to join. I appreciate a good twilight 9 as well, so I would want to do my research to make sure that isn't going to take 3 hours.
 
This is a tricky question.

While most resort courses are amazing, they also come with resort golfers. These golfers are often times your 2 rounds a year folks. Unfortunately, many of these golfers are extremely slow. Get a course full of them and you are looking at 5 hour rounds quite often.

Also, resort courses tend to have a lot of events that take all the tee times.

So at face value, no, I wouldn't simply because they impending slow play. We can "What if this / that all day", but the perfect situation would be tough to come by.
 
Puttin4Bird said:
I've heard of certain resort courses that have multiple courses and one of them is always reserved for members each day. I would consider joining something like that. I was thinking about that while we were at La Costa for #TheKing. I don't know that I'd want to be a member of a place like that where every single day there are hundreds of tourists taking over my club. Close off 1 of those courses (alternate daily) each day and I'd consider it.
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JB said:
What if instead of closing a course off, they blocked tee times off each day or week for you?
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There are a couple courses in Myrtle that I wouldn't even consider joining with the lunacy that goes on. The Sea Trail trio come to mind very quickly. Even if they blocked one for members each day, the crazy that goes on there is a bit exhausting.

Now, I know it's not pure resort, but I'd be willing to tolerate True Blue and the activity there in order to be a member. Not sure it's the same concept, but I think their practice facility is adequate enough to satiate my golfing needs if the course got too busy with public play.
 
I think I would lean towards no. Part of the appeal joining a course to me has always been having access to a course that isn't as busy or crowded as public or resort courses, so unless this resort could offer me that, then no thanks.
 
If booking tee times when I wanted to play was even remotely difficult I wouldn't do it, but if the course blocked off times or a course each day I would consider it.
Resort golfers are typically slow and ignorant to course conditions (generalising) so it would have to be priced well too.
 
ArmyGolf said:
If booking tee times when I wanted to play was even remotely difficult I wouldn't do it, but if the course blocked off times or a course each day I would consider it.
Resort golfers are typically slow and ignorant to course conditions (generalising) so it would have to be priced well too.
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In this instance, the resorts do block off times daily.
I hear that about conditions, but if you look through some of the finest courses in the country are resorts and host many high end events, so perhaps cost keeps a lot of hackers off or they are good about rules. I mean think about Pebble Beach, Bay Hill, Doral, PGA National and the list goes on and on.
 
Maybe if members had dibs on tee time blocks, otherwise it would just be like playing a muni (traffic wise)
 
I've met many guys who are members at Pinehurst Resort and they love it. Now that's a bit different animal as the Resort has 8 courses (a 9th soon to come, I believe) so access is not a problem, yet they get all the benefits of membership such as a private lounge and locker room away from the resort guest. If I lived down there, I absolutely would join.
 
I'd do it if there was a block of tee times for members set aside each day. One thing about a lot of resort courses is the conditions and practice areas tend to be awesome.
 
JB said:
What if instead of closing a course off, they blocked tee times off each day or week for you?
Click to expand...

I would not join if that were the case. I don't want to be limited by times or days only. If there was a course available all day and I could go out when I chose, then I would join one.

At my last course, they closed down 2 and sometimes 3 days a week for outings. I didn't stay a member very long because of that.
 
Yup as long as I enjoy the course and the food and can play when I want to.
 
Sighman23 said:
I would not join if that were the case. I don't want to be limited by times or days only. If there was a course available all day and I could go out when I chose, then I would join one.

At my last course, they closed down 2 and sometimes 3 days a week for outings. I didn't stay a member very long because of that.
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Well to be fair, you would not be limited to play only those times. Just that those times are there for only the members if they want it.
 
JB said:
In this instance, the resorts do block off times daily.
I hear that about conditions, but if you look through some of the finest courses in the country are resorts and host many high end events, so perhaps cost keeps a lot of hackers off or they are good about rules. I mean think about Pebble Beach, Bay Hill, Doral, PGA National and the list goes on and on.
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True enough. I was just thinking mainly locally where I've been lucky enough to play some Private tracks they are PERFECT. All divots are sand filled, greens have zero unrepaired ball marks, traps are always raked etc.
No public or resort courses in my area come even close to those conditions.

I've also always marvelled at how the private tracks monitor and enforce pace of play, something a resort course can't do because they can't offer consequences.
 
I work as a ranger at a resort course. Actually, we have 6 courses so getting a good tee time is not as bad as you would think. In addition, we have strict times the golfers must meet at various holes on the courses. So, slow play is handled quite well with few problems. But it can be expensive.
 
I wouldn't hesitate to join one if I liked the course and got decent access to practice facilities and instruction.
 
Isn't PGA National this way, you can be a member there?

I don't want to say No but I'm having a harder time seeing the benefit of doing it. Maybe better facilities??? I guess I lean no - if I want to be a member of a club the first priority is access to the course and facilities, and that would be an issue at a resort facility.
 
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