# Private vs Public Courses



## Thumperfive (Apr 17, 2006)

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 (Apr 28, 2006)

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 (May 15, 2006)

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 (May 11, 2006)

*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 (Apr 20, 2006)

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 (May 1, 2006)

Thumperfive said:


> 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 (Apr 17, 2006)

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


----------



## sroh (May 11, 2006)

Thumperfive said:


> 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 (May 16, 2006)

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 (May 16, 2006)

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 (May 17, 2006)

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 (Apr 17, 2006)

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


----------



## JTingly (May 17, 2006)

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 (Jun 22, 2009)

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 (Sep 11, 2007)

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 (Jun 22, 2009)

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 (Sep 11, 2007)

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 (Jun 22, 2009)

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 (Aug 12, 2010)

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 (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm with CC on his point of view


----------



## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

I have no memberships to private clubs, but I have been asked to play with friends on their courses that are not open to the general public. The difference I see is the fairways for the most part are more divot friendly, and the greens are a step or two better. People wise, there is an attitude to be sure, but that's no big deal to me. I can dress just as good, and definitely play better than most of them. 

Something to take note of is, given the chance, don't be afraid to walk into the pro shop of a private club, and ask to play. Sometimes they will let a non member out, and if allowed to purchase a tee time, a little gratuity to the counter guy might be in order. There are more than few private courses that are hurting due to the present economy down turn. they are incline to not turn down a dollar. I can usually get on the that private course in Newport Beach CA (Country Club) just by asking. Only thing that keeps me out of asking to play at private course is a gate with a guard. 

I am a public course player 99% of the time. I am a cargo shorts with a collared shirt kind of guy for the most part, but I can keep up with the higher quality dress codes if need be. How I dress does not change how well I might play on any given day. Some of the public courses I play at rival any of the private ones I have played on. I can even have fun on a worn out muni too. All I really look forward to are greens that allow the ball to roll true. Some of the best greens I've putted on have been on some less expensive, out of the way places. As for some of the people who are "etiquette challenged" I might meet on any course I play, I don't really mind them either. They too have a place on golf courses,if for no other reason than help keep the green fees low. More golfers equal lower fees. If a person gets too bad, I just beg out of the group, and go on my way. Sometimes I will even take the time to "clean up" after them so that they might get the message. That said, I do meet many more nice people than I do the bad ones.


----------



## .x.Bethan.x. (Nov 21, 2006)

Where I live, the private courses are much better than the municiples (public). 

The greens are always in a much, much better condition on private courses. Usually, the public courses aren't looked after as well because the people who play on them aren't as good golfers and know less about the rules. They're also usually much muddier and less green than private ones. That might be expected though, as private courses pay more experienced talented green keepers to make sure the course is in a good condition so that the members (who all pay quite a fair amount of money to be members) are happy with the course they're paying to play.


----------



## dadamson (Aug 2, 2010)

Too true FrogsHair! I have layed on both and the greens seem to be what makes the most difference to me. A cared for green will make all the difference to your short game. Anything up to the green can be an adventure but the green must be taken care of for me to come back.

Playing on a variation of greens can confuse your putting force.


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

dadamson said:


> Too true FrogsHair! I have layed on both and the greens seem to be what makes the most difference to me. A cared for green will make all the difference to your short game. Anything up to the green can be an adventure but the green must be taken care of for me to come back.
> 
> Playing on a variation of greens can confuse your putting force.


I agree totally I can put up with rough and a bit patchy fairway (we have water restriction in my part of the world) but as long as the greens a good and consistant I will return to the course.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Private courses do not have the traffic pressure that public courses have. I worked on a private course as a teenager
and now as an old fart I play public courses and the same type of problems still exist 
1 don't rake the traps
2 don't repair ball marks
3 this I hate most of all; sliding the feet on the green. has the appearance of dragging things across the green some don't pick up their feet when they walk.
4 can't put trash in the container
5 some still drive into you, I now send the ball back to them

Just my opinion


----------

