What do you LOVE about your golf club?

[Eric Smith]

What do you LOVE about your golf club?

I can't help but smile when thinking about the day I had today at the golf course.

Alarm clock went off at 3:45am
45 minutes later I hit the road
Stop for a huge cup of joe
Jam out for 2 hours on the drive to Knoxville
Meet GCAer Patrick Hodgden there
We putt a bit, the greens are phenomenal btw Ryan Blair!
We shoot the shit
Tee off at 8:10 as a twosome (second group out)
9:45 we each slam a long neck at the turn
11:30 we're back in the clubhouse eating lunch
12:00 we shake hands, I hit the road for home and Patrick hits the shower before making the 8 hr drive to Chicago

Now that was what happened.  But there's more and this is why I've started the thread. The rest of the story is the Club and what it brought to my day.

This is what I love about my club:

1. Golf professionals who care about you and your guests.  They start conversations with you and your guests. Chris and Sean make everyone feel welcome as soon as you walk in the golf shop.

2. A Superintendent who cares about you and your guests.  Our man is the best.  Ryan took time to talk to us on the putting green even though he was plenty busy getting the gc ready for our Invitational this weekend.  He has the gc is in tip top condition.

3. Members who make the first tee time, walk, play as a foursome and never look back.  We played at a brisk pace I thought, but we never got anywhere near them after the third hole.  I appreciate those guys.  And they were each likely 20 yrs older than me!  Awesome stuff.

4. Getting a big ole hug from the waitress in the restaurant at the turn.  Charlene and I have known each other for 20 years and she is as warm and personable as Aunt Betty.  She and April made my guest and I laugh a plenty, listened to our stories with sincere interest and sent us back out on the course laughing some more, along with ice cold long necks in hand.

5. Ice cold long necks on the 10th tee.  I'm a big fan of the ice cold long neck on 10.  We both stripe it.  Here's Patrick's drive.

 Ryan had his guy come measure Patrick's drive. (just kidding.)

6. A 288 yard P4, reachable P5, a stout 3 shot P5 finish.  We had a spirited match and though I couldn't catch Patrick in the end (he was pretty darn strong today), it wasn't because I didn't have the opportunity.  I love the finish at Holston Hills.  I love everything about my club.

What do you love about yours?  Let's hear it.

[Mac Plumart]

GREAT topic!!!

I love that I can leave my house and be teeing off in 15 minutes, this is especially great for the after work 9 in the summer!

I love the way my family and I are treated at the club.

I love the challenge and variety of the course off the tee.

[Cliff Hamm]

i've never understood why someone would want to drink alcohol while playing a sport.  Afterward a different story

[Daryl David]

What I love most about my clubs (yes, I am a club-o-holic), is that none of them utilize tee times.  Just as Cliff doesn't understand how alcohol can be consumed while playing a sport, I don't get having to have an "appointment" to play.

[Cliff Hamm]

Daryl..you are fortunate indeed. Some of us though play public golf.  The worst part of which is the time to play and having to have tee times in advance.

[Daryl David]

Daryl..you are fortunate indeed. Some of us though play public golf.  The worst part of which is the time to play and having to have tee times in advance.

Luckily it is my only vice or I would be bankrupt by now.  Seriously, it shows how much fast play means to some people.  If you think about it, private club fees are a premium you pay for not dealing with the disease that is killing the sport in our country.

[Sean Leary]

What I love most about my clubs (yes, I am a club-o-holic), is that none of them utilize tee times.  Just as Cliff doesn't understand how alcohol can be consumed while playing a sport, I don't get having to have an "appointment" to play.

You should join one that has tee times, just to see what it is like....

I agree with you 100%, particularly for my main club (which of course you belong to as well). My national club does have tee times, which I don't love, but since I am traveling there to play golf, and nothing else. I can deal with it.

[Eric Smith]

Geesh - I know it's a free country and everything but the idea behind the thread was about what you love about your club, not what you don't like or understand about mine or me.  But please continue, maybe we'll learn something.

[jonathan_becker]

Eric,

Great timing.  I just had the best day at my little club which is within walking distance.

5:30 pm - hit 10 warm up balls and stretch a little.

5:40 pm - my normal playing companion has a kidney stone right now so I tee off alone on #1 carrying by own bag.  

7:02 pm - tap in for par on #9 and I played outstanding.

7:05 pm - go home

I'm very fortunate in that I can go play golf on a course that's never really busy (except MGA events twice a month) and play as fast or as slow as I want.  Twice last week as a 3some we walked 18 in 3 hours no problem.

[Tony Petersen]

Well, playing out of Costa Mesa Golf & CC here in Orange County, there's soooo much to love.... 5-6 hour rounds, beat up range balls, mats, tank tops and frayed denim. Huntley would have a heart attack in the "lounge" as everyone wears a hat. Guess it's that blue collar ideal, eh?

... but what I really like about Costa Mesa is the dew on the grass in the early a.m. Only 15 minutes from the house, 36 holes, some incredible greens (w/ illegal pins and all...) and the maintenance is pretty damn spiffy for a muni. But yeah, sometimes I miss playing out of Desert Mountain

[Bart Bradley]

I love the severe and challenging greens.

I love the numerous exposed, natural and beautiful mountain streams.

I love the hand squeezed lemonade at the turn.

I love the family atmosphere...where my son gets greeted with the same warmth and interest as I do.

I love the hard working, kind, ethical, and friendly golf staff.

I love the summer temperatures...generally in the 70s even in July and August.

I love the fall foliage.

I love to take my guests and see them have a fun, special day.

I love the HEATH BALL...vanilla ice cream, rolled in crushed Heath Bar and covered with hot fudge.

I love that, as soon as we arrive on the property, my whole family relaxes and tension leaves them.

I love the porch where I have spent time with my best friends in the world.

I love that I could keep typing for another 10 mins...but I'll spare you guys.

Bart

[Eric Smith]

I love the severe and challenging greens.

I love the numerous exposed, natural and beautiful mountain streams.

I love the hand squeezed lemonade at the turn.

I love the family atmosphere...where my son gets greeted with the same warmth and interest as I do.

I love the hard working, kind, ethical, and friendly golf staff.

I love the summer temperatures...generally in the 70s even in July and August.

I love the fall foliage.

I love to take my guests and see them have a fun, special day.

I love the HEATH BALL...vanilla ice cream, rolled in crushed Heath Bar and covered with hot fudge.

I love that, as soon as we arrive on the property, my whole family relaxes and tension leaves them.

I love the porch where I have spent time with my best friends in the world.

I love that I could keep typing for another 10 mins...but I'll spare you guys.

Bart

Very nice Bart.  Sounds like a great place to be.

[Alex Miller]

I love that anyone can play it.

I love that I showed up at 7:20 this morning, was on the tee at 7:25, played nine with my buddy and was back at my dorm at 9:30.

I love that on most days I could show up early, be off in a half hour and play a U.S. Open track.

I love that I can see the ocean from almost every hole, and I love that it's sunny 80% of the time.

I love that it's a muni, but one of the best in the country. And I love that I get the resident rate  (Hopefully you've guessed my club by now!)

[Mac Plumart]

Alex...I'm guessing Oakmont!   

Bart...I want to join your club!!   

[Kevin Lynch]

I guess I read this as what do you like about your CLUB, not your COURSE.  Since I’m just a public course player, my course isn’t the greatest, but I do like the variety of shots, and usually use every club in the bag.

But the reason I play there is the Men’s Club, which puts on a great variety of events.  From what I am told by my private course friends, they wish their club had as good a set-up.

My club has weekly tournaments (post your score Tues-Sun) within each handicap class, which is fairly common.

We also have monthly tournaments, which are 2 or 4-man team events, and come in a variety of formats.  We play 4-man Scramble (keeping combined team handicaps even), Best 2 Ball of 4, Two Man Best-Ball Events, Scotch Doubles, etc.  They even develop unique events like a 2-man BASH (5 Holes Best Ball, 4 Holes Alt Shot, 5 Holes Scramble. 4 Holes High Ball).  The High-Ball is a nightmare, especially when your partner has a kick-in Birdie Putt (irrelevant) after you pop one OB.  You need to play with a true friend to get through that stretch of holes.

On top of all these are the Majors, which include 2 Match Play Elimination Events, as well as the Traditional 36 Hole Stroke Play Championships.  The Match Play events are my favorites, as the first is contested within each Class, while the second is across all Classes.  I prefer the former (which features close matches within 1-2 handicap strokes), while the latter may find me giving 18 strokes.


I enjoy these events, because no one is trying to get rich off the prizes.  Sure, you may win some Gift Certificates, but no one is trying to subsidize their income or getting overly upset.  We sit in the parking lot after rounds, share our stories of what “could’ve been” over beers, and razz the other members coming up 17.  Like the difference between a HOUSE and a HOME, these experiences make the difference between a COURSE and a CLUB.

[Jason Hines]

I love that after being gone all week for work, I can take my 4 and 3 year old boys out on the course on a Saturday afternoon.
I love that those boys are signed up for lessons next month.

[David Royer]

I love the quiet of the early morning round.  I'm always amazed to watch and listen to the birds this time of year as we walk the freshly dewed fairways.

[Dave Falkner]

I love that there are no tee times

I love that I can show up any day and have a game within a 1/2hr

I love that they cut down about 75 trees last winter

I love going out on sunday afternoons with my wife and daughter

[Jud_T]

I love the trailer-for-a-clubhouse and what it says about the membership's priorities.

[Tim Martin]

I love the quiet of the early morning round.  I'm always amazed to watch and listen to the birds this time of year as we walk the freshly dewed fairways.

Dave- Although I`m not an overly emotional sort I just started to weep after reading your post.

[jonathan_becker]

Eric,

After going back and reading your initial post again, I love my course for the conveinence and the speed of play only.  I play and for the most part I'm outta there.  The CLUB itself really has no effect on me anymore.

It's a place that I've played 600-700 times and the actual club seemed so much better when I was a kid.  I knew all the members, we had some characters that worked in the shop, and there were tons of great juniors to play and mingle with.   Now that I've returned to town after being gone for a few years, I don't know a lot of the people.  Plus, the club went from 400 to 200 members . Ouch!!

Even though my club is stuggling, through private donation, they remodeled the entire upstairs and it does look pretty good.  I guess I can now look forward to spending my food minimum each month.  

Holston sounds sweet.  

[Anthony Gray]

  That I'm no longer there.


  Anthony

[Mike Demetriou]

Jud, I love the Trailer too!

Gotta love the chairs overlooking the 9th (and sometimes the 1st tees).

And though I thought it was weird at first, I love that they have music playing on the Driving Range.

But the best thing has to be the staff. They can easily make or break a club...

[Eric Smith]

I love the trailer-for-a-clubhouse and what it says about the membership's priorities.

Jud,

There's a lot to love about your club that's for sure!  It is golf nirvana.

[Tim Leahy]

I love that anyone can play it.

I love that I showed up at 7:20 this morning, was on the tee at 7:25, played nine with my buddy and was back at my dorm at 9:30.

I love that on most days I could show up early, be off in a half hour and play a U.S. Open track.

I love that I can see the ocean from almost every hole, and I love that it's sunny 80% of the time.

I love that it's a muni, but one of the best in the country. And I love that I get the resident rate  (Hopefully you've guessed my club by now!)

I loved the resident rate at Torrey Pines when I had it for two years.
What I dindn't love was the 3 hour wait on the singles list for the weekends or holidays!