[Thumperfive]

I'm not sure if private courses are really all that better than the public courses in my area... they seem to be just as tough and it's nice to see new players getting into the game without having to buy memberships and all that.

not that private courses don't have their bonuses... but are they all that?

:dunno:

 

[fitz-uk]

I suppose it depends on the local area.

The only real public course near me is a bit of a tip. People can just turn up and play wearing jeans or normal t-shirts, add a total lack of etiquette and you have one long horrid round ahead of you. The course itself is quite good, but after constant abuse by players with no idea (not replacing divots, repairing pitch marks etc) its a pointless waste of a green fee.

Having said that, if you can find a good public course then they can be good value for money.

What is the average price for greenfees where you are?

Public course greenfee (weekend) £25 - £30

Private membership (for me this year) £850 pa, so £70 pcm and at the moment I play 3 times per week (no more greenfees once I am a member) so my average round cost is something like £6!

I must get on the course more!

 

[acricketer]

As fitz-uk says, it depends on the area in the UK. My club in West London is great - you can walk on any time, even on weekends. This is a big advantage and on the whole private courses are better kept than public courses.

Speed of play is faster and the course doesn't get the same amount of wear and tear as public courses.

 

[sroh]

I'd go private if I could afford it

Out here in CA, pace of play is a big issue, with 5 hour rounds common at public courses (unfortunately, I can only play on weekends).

As for cost, there is a good No. CA Golf Assoc home course that charges $55. Otherwise, good public courses here cost $100+.

But private courses charge $100K+ plus $350 monthly fees. There is no way I can justify that.

 

[green lea]

here our public course, that im a member of, is much nicer than the private course. we do get some slow golfers or some bad etiquette golfers but they usually get yelled at by the old ladies and they shape up.

 

[lllscssf]

I'm not sure if private courses are really all that better than the public courses in my area... they seem to be just as tough and it's nice to see new players getting into the game without having to buy memberships and all that.

not that private courses don't have their bonuses... but are they all that?

:dunno:

I have played at many private courses, includint ones in the heart of san francisco., they rae much nicer and tougher to play. I raelly enjot playing the public courses due to the amount of new players and and the atmosphere is much more welcoming

 

[Thumperfive]

those prices seem outrageous, tho... do you really get that much more bang for your buck?

 

[sroh]

those prices seem outrageous, tho... do you really get that much more bang for your buck?

You got that right. Outrageous. To me, it's not close to being worth it.

But there are a lot of people here with ungodly amounts of money. For them, private club membership costs are like you and me paying fees to join a gym.

This is the one negative of living in CA.

 

[ma_wilson]

Private clubs are not worth the amount of 'green' you have to pay per year to play them. I am just as happy playing my local city courses and being able to still eat when I am done. If I had all the money to do it, I am not sure that I would even then. Maybe i am p-laying the wrong private course, but the ones that I have had the chance to play were not any better than the public.

 

[arcelt]

It's a matter of how much you are willing to pay. I don't have the $$$ to spend on private fees, though I have gone as a guest a couple of times to private courses and they were less crowded, better maintained, and just more fun to play than public courses. I'm a pretty casual every-other-weekend sort of golfer; if I were more dedicated, I would look for some way to come up with the fees to play at the private clubs.

 

[JTingly]

I personally like public, because just as you guys said i can witness other people and examine their techinques. But, i still like the golf privates (and i could afford them too!) ^_^

 

[Thumperfive]

there's also a more... friendly attitude at times on the public courses - not as much snobbery, if you get my drift.

 

[JTingly]

Lol yessaaa, oh by the way did i tell you guys i have a private golf course nearby my neighborhoodd. And its real niceee

 

[custom cluber]

I have done ground maintnence on both public and private courses, My take is the same as some others have said it is a more upity attitude on private courses but the respect is eqaul to player and course. As for public courses I play them the most and notice a consistent level of no respect for fellow golfers. ediquite, and course management. but all in all I try to make the experiance mine and ignore the ignorant, They don't have private roads in america and you know how many baboons are on those,LOL

 

[Surtees]

i normally play public but yes sometime some of the players on course lack some of the required quailtys need in this great game.

 

[custom cluber]

I don't want to say that they never will get it but some just clearly have no respect for the course or other golfers. Like the classic first time out golfer that thinks it is required that you find every lost ball! Of course on private clubs there are always those who think they are some sort of gift to the world and look down upon most others. Truthfuly I have seen it both ways on both types of courses. Oh well all for fun! C/C

 

[Surtees]

yeah the key is to just enjoy your own game. I took my daughter to the local par 3 short course yesterday and there was a group of 7 playing like really I've never seen that before and the took about 6 holes of holding about four groups up to let us through. It did the daughter some good practise though because while we were waiting i just kept give her balls to hit she enjoyed that.

 

[custom cluber]

Wow seven people, No more than four on any course I've ever played, unless its an outing! But yeah for getting the daughter out, I take my nine year old quite often and he does well. he never gets upset about bad shots, of course neither do I so I guess I'm teaching him right. He has tourette's syndrome and has alot of body ticks but it never affects his game or enthusiasim. FORE! C/C

 

[archiebrown]

I have never tried playing on private golf courses because they're expensive. We usually play on public golf courses whenever I have my San Diego golf vacation. I have to say I enjoyed it more because you got to be able to meet new friends and it makes you enjoy nature.

 

[broken tee]

I'm with CC on his point of view