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vuduchile

Who belongs to a private club?

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Do you play enough golf to make it worthwhile?   Aside from a year in Atlanta, I've only lived in colder weather states since I started playing golf so a club membership never made great financial sense.  But now I wanna start playing 2-3 times per week again.

There's a nice club here that's on a membership drive.  $1350 lump sum for the rest of this year. No initiation fee.  Full family membership.   If we re-up next year, we'll get the same deal.  The course is nice, challenging and in great shape.  There's also a pool for the wife and kids.  $140 annual cart fee.  

$1500 would get me and 1 son 12-15 rounds of golf at the nicer public courses around here.  The club seems like a no-brainer.  

Will I get bored playing the same course all the time?

 

 

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I do it because I like to play on a nice course and I like to play my rounds in under 4 hours. If you're going to pay the money for a private membership you likely know what you are doing and the odds of getting behind a bunch of slow focks is very unlikely. There have been multiple instances in the past where I was playing on a public course and quit my round on the 2nd tee box because I knew it as going to be a long day and I don't like to wait. 

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17 minutes ago, BiffTannen said:

I do it because I like to play on a nice course and I like to play my rounds in under 4 hours. If you're going to pay the money for a private membership you likely know what you are doing and the odds of getting behind a bunch of slow focks is very unlikely. There have been multiple instances in the past where I was playing on a public course and quit my round on the 2nd tee box because I knew it as going to be a long day and I don't like to wait. 

Definitely cuts down on the time needed to finish a round.  No tee times at this place.  Just show up and play.

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5 minutes ago, The Elevator Killer said:

No. It’s a Christian men’s  club. We have wonderful robes and sometimes we light something on fire. There’s  even a wizard. He’s grand. 

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3 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

No. It’s a Christian men’s  club. We have wonderful robes and sometimes we light something on fire. There’s  even a wizard. He’s grand. 

Sounds like Eyes Wide Shut to me. 

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33 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

Do you play enough golf to make it worthwhile?   Aside from a year in Atlanta, I've only lived in colder weather states since I started playing golf so a club membership never made great financial sense.  But now I wanna start playing 2-3 times per week again.

There's a nice club here that's on a membership drive.  $1350 lump sum for the rest of this year. No initiation fee.  Full family membership.   If we re-up next year, we'll get the same deal.  The course is nice, challenging and in great shape.  There's also a pool for the wife and kids.  $140 annual cart fee.  

$1500 would get me and 1 son 12-15 rounds of golf at the nicer public courses around here.  The club seems like a no-brainer.  

Will I get bored playing the same course all the time?

I'm in a bowling league where a few of the guys belong to a local course and not only golf there recreationally, but also participate in a league.  I asked them if they got bored with the same course and they said "not really".  They said the pin location is different, the weather is different, and no two days are really the same.  Plus, it's all about who you're there with.  I think if you go and meet up with others, and/or go with your son, you'll find that you'll have a good time whenever you go.

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i did the last 2 years, not this year for a bunch of reasons.  $1850 in 2018 and $1900 in 2019, 9 hole course.

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Signed up and played 18 with my oldest son on Sat.  Played another 18 with wife and both sons on Sun.  Cooled off poolside after both rounds.

No tee times needed.  Just show up and play.  Course is in great condition, very scenic, set along a river with lots of hills.  Greens are focking tough, and slippery.  We barely saw anyone else either day.  Great situation for the kids to take their time to learn the game without being pushed.  

Usually we would take a couple weeks of summer vacation.  We're not doing that this year, so this was a good alternative.  Love it so far. 

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On 6/26/2020 at 2:50 PM, edjr said:

i did the last 2 years, not this year for a bunch of reasons.  $1850 in 2018 and $1900 in 2019, 9 hole course.

Why did you stop?

 

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2 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

Signed up and played 18 with my oldest son on Sat.  Played another 18 with wife and both sons on Sun.  Cooled off poolside after both rounds.

No tee times needed.  Just show up and play.  Course is in great condition, very scenic, set along a river with lots of hills.  Greens are focking tough, and slippery.  We barely saw anyone else either day.  Great situation for the kids to take their time to learn the game without being pushed.  

Usually we would take a couple weeks of summer vacation.  We're not doing that this year, so this was a good alternative.  Love it so far. 

For that price, I would do it. Definitely will be worth it if you can get out 2-3 times per week. The people that I know who have not gotten their money's worth only played once in a while. I have quite a few friends that are members at different courses and they love it. I just have them ask me to play there periodically and I save money. :lol:

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joined a  local public course first time in my life this year. 1875 full membership. Best greens around. Locked up 7am Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season and play at least 3 times during the week. Have already gotten my moneys worth easily. Plus they keep our handicaps and have all kinds of member tourneys every weekend.  Good times, will be renewing. 

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9 minutes ago, Patriotsfatboy1 said:

For that price, I would do it. Definitely will be worth it if you can get out 2-3 times per week. The people that I know who have not gotten their money's worth only played once in a while. I have quite a few friends that are members at different courses and they love it. I just have them ask me to play there periodically and I save money. :lol:

That works too.  A friend of mine is the head groundskeeper at a local private club here. He invites me to play in the evenings a lot.  Summers are great here in Southern MI.  It doesn't get dark until after 9pm.  

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10 minutes ago, drobeski said:

joined a  local public course first time in my life this year. 1875 full membership. Best greens around. Locked up 7am Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season and play at least 3 times during the week. Have already gotten my moneys worth easily. Plus they keep our handicaps and have all kinds of member tourneys every weekend.  Good times, will he renewing. 

That sounds like a solid deal.  Man, I remember when golf was exploding in the 90's.  $125  daily fee courses were popping up all over the place.  Now it seems like they're all doing membership drives.  It's great for the serious golfer.   

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41 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

Signed up and played 18 with my oldest son on Sat.  Played another 18 with wife and both sons on Sun.  Cooled off poolside after both rounds.

No tee times needed.  Just show up and play.  Course is in great condition, very scenic, set along a river with lots of hills.  Greens are focking tough, and slippery.  We barely saw anyone else either day.  Great situation for the kids to take their time to learn the game without being pushed.  

Usually we would take a couple weeks of summer vacation.  We're not doing that this year, so this was a good alternative.  Love it so far. 

Aren't you in Michigan?  What club? What about a minimum spend per month on top of the membership?  Lots of times clubs require that.

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Is the Mickey Mouse club private?

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14 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

Aren't you in Michigan?  What club? What about a minimum spend per month on top of the membership?  Lots of times clubs require that.

Yes. Michigan.  $60/month food/beverage minimum.   We spend more than that eating out at other places now, so this is a wash.  

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1 hour ago, vuduchile said:

Signed up and played 18 with my oldest son on Sat.  Played another 18 with wife and both sons on Sun.  Cooled off poolside after both rounds.

No tee times needed.  Just show up and play.  Course is in great condition, very scenic, set along a river with lots of hills.  Greens are focking tough, and slippery.  We barely saw anyone else either day.  Great situation for the kids to take their time to learn the game without being pushed.  

Usually we would take a couple weeks of summer vacation.  We're not doing that this year, so this was a good alternative.  Love it so far. 

I am not a golfer, but my father and brother are.  My father has been a member of his club for 45-50 years.  My wife and I were married on site and we have had misc family events there.  

I think you are getting a very nice deal.  

 

My father had a group of friends (maybe 6-10) who each had memberships at different clubs and they would rotate their foursomes at each other's clubs every week.

My brother is a member of the Olympic club.  We have enjoyed quite a few father's day events there.

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On 6/26/2020 at 2:18 PM, Hardcore troubadour said:

No. It’s a Christian men’s  club. We have wonderful robes and sometimes we light something on fire. There’s  even a wizard. He’s grand. 

You too?

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On 6/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, vuduchile said:

Do you play enough golf to make it worthwhile?   Aside from a year in Atlanta, I've only lived in colder weather states since I started playing golf so a club membership never made great financial sense.  But now I wanna start playing 2-3 times per week again.

There's a nice club here that's on a membership drive.  $1350 lump sum for the rest of this year. No initiation fee.  Full family membership.   If we re-up next year, we'll get the same deal.  The course is nice, challenging and in great shape.  There's also a pool for the wife and kids.  $140 annual cart fee.  

$1500 would get me and 1 son 12-15 rounds of golf at the nicer public courses around here.  The club seems like a no-brainer.  

Will I get bored playing the same course all the time?

 

 

Sounds like a really good deal. They usually get us for 4-5k a year.

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2 hours ago, Mike Honcho said:

Any club that would have me as a member, isn't private enough.

I wouldn't be a part of any club that would have me as a member.  :dunno:

Or Jews.  🤔

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Belonged to a club for 5 years, dropped membership in 2019....... $2,000 initiation, $490 monthly dues.

1st few years were great. Even at a club, weekends are crazy busy. But it's fantastic having a course to yourself - midweek, late afternoons... But after a while, it started to become a grind. Playing the same track, over and over and over and over became boring AF. It's one thing if you live in BFE, and options are limited. But I live here, the Metroplex is blessed with fantastic courses all over the place.

Then you realize the $490 just gets you in the door. 2 MGA events a month, each $70 a pop, beer/food - by the time you look up you're staring at quite a bill... I woke up one day and realized I was shelling out $600-$700 a month and not enjoying it - it wasn't for me. 

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13 minutes ago, Cruzer said:

Belonged to a club for 5 years, dropped membership in 2019....... $2,000 initiation, $490 monthly dues.

1st few years were great. Even at a club, weekends are crazy busy. But it's fantastic having a course to yourself - midweek, late afternoons... But after a while, it started to become a grind. Playing the same track, over and over and over and over became boring AF. It's one thing if you live in BFE, and options are limited. But I live here, the Metroplex is blessed with fantastic courses all over the place.

Then you realize the $490 just gets you in the door. 2 MGA events a month, each $70 a pop, beer/food - by the time you look up you're staring at quite a bill... I woke up one day and realized I was shelling out $600-$700 a month and not enjoying it - it wasn't for me. 

You're single with no kids right?  

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Just now, vuduchile said:

You're single with no kids right?  

Yes sir. 

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2 hours ago, Bier Meister said:

I am not a golfer, but my father and brother are.  My father has been a member of his club for 45-50 years.  My wife and I were married on site and we have had misc family events there.  

I think you are getting a very nice deal.  

 

My father had a group of friends (maybe 6-10) who each had memberships at different clubs and they would rotate their foursomes at each other's clubs every week.

My brother is a member of the Olympic club.  We have enjoyed quite a few father's day events there.

The Olympic Club is big time isn't it?

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Jelly of the Month club.  I was given it as a Christmas gift from my boss.

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1 minute ago, Cruzer said:

Yes sir. 

I considered all the stuff you mentioned, but my situation is a little different.  I'd stopped playing frequently when my kids were born because of the time commitment.  Now that they can swing the club a little, we can go together and still have quality family time.  

I get invited to my friend's course a lot, so I can play there to mix it up.  And his course is much different.  Very exclusive, no carts, gotta use a caddie, etc. 

This club also has a really nice pool.  My wife has been bugging for a pool, but I don't want to put one in.  We had one when we lived in Plano and I spent more time cleaning it than  swimming in it. 

I am wondering if the dues will stay at this level when the world goes back to normal.  I have to re-up in Dec. when the chances of actually playing golf will be about 4 months out.  We'll see how I feel then.  

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29 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

The Olympic Club is big time isn't it?

It is.

16 minutes ago, vuduchile said:

I considered all the stuff you mentioned, but my situation is a little different.  I'd stopped playing frequently when my kids were born because of the time commitment.  Now that they can swing the club a little, we can go together and still have quality family time.  

I get invited to my friend's course a lot, so I can play there to mix it up.  And his course is much different.  Very exclusive, no carts, gotta use a caddie, etc. 

This club also has a really nice pool.  My wife has been bugging for a pool, but I don't want to put one in.  We had one when we lived in Plano and I spent more time cleaning it than  swimming in it. 

I am wondering if the dues will stay at this level when the world goes back to normal.  I have to re-up in Dec. when the chances of actually playing golf will be about 4 months out.  We'll see how I feel then.  

Growing up, and even now those of us who didn't golf would hang out at the pool. Father and brother would come back, get some pool time and we would all go out for dinner.  It is only 10-15 miles from where we are (I am closer to it than my parents).

Fun tangent.... I would later become very well acquainted with chef who created our reception dinner 25 years ago when I moved to Colorado to cook.  He was the Exec at Cordillera when the Kobe cuddles happened.

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7 hours ago, vuduchile said:

I considered all the stuff you mentioned, but my situation is a little different.  I'd stopped playing frequently when my kids were born because of the time commitment.  Now that they can swing the club a little, we can go together and still have quality family time.  

I get invited to my friend's course a lot, so I can play there to mix it up.  And his course is much different.  Very exclusive, no carts, gotta use a caddie, etc. 

This club also has a really nice pool.  My wife has been bugging for a pool, but I don't want to put one in.  We had one when we lived in Plano and I spent more time cleaning it than  swimming in it. 

I am wondering if the dues will stay at this level when the world goes back to normal.  I have to re-up in Dec. when the chances of actually playing golf will be about 4 months out.  We'll see how I feel then.  

For sure, totally different circumstances... For a family? Great investment, the family will love it.

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Membership for our course per year is about $800. That’s the going rate for most of the courses around here. Some are worth it, some are not. Our course is pretty well maintained and I’ve already got 25-30 rounds under my belt this season so I’ll definitely get my money’s worth.

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