Which Club would you want to be a member of where the golf is great?

[Tony_Muldoon]

After all this site is Golf CLUB Atlas and all we ever discuss is ...bunkers and courses.

Here’s a pertinent quote from another contemporary thread.

I love Rye because it’s so much fun, but I wouldn’t want to play it every week of my life.

I love Royal St Georges (& played one of my best rounds in the last 5 years), but I wouldn’t want to play it every week of my life.

But if I lived in the area, I’d join Royal Cinque Ports, because I could play & enjoy that course & club every week for the rest of my life.

I’m biased but I agree with Andrew.


So the question is, if one were fortunate enough to be invited to join, which CLUB would you want to be a member of where the golf courses are all great?  I’m thinking of areas where the LOCAL courses provide tough competition.  If you live in Belfast it depends on exactly where, as to whether it’s quicker to get to RCD or Portrush but I don’t see them as direct competitors here.  But in Monterey would it be more fun to be a member of MPCC than CP?

What's the best CLUB in these areas?

Long Island
Philadelphia
Monterey
San Francisco
Melbourne
West Lancashire (what’s the proper description?)
Ayrshire
East Lothian
Fife
Dublin
AN Other area

And as we’ve had enough list threads, please say why?

[Sean_A]

After all this site is Golf CLUB Atlas and all we ever discuss is ...bunkers and courses.

Here’s a pertinent quote from another contemporary thread.

I love Rye because it’s so much fun, but I wouldn’t want to play it every week of my life.

I love Royal St Georges (& played one of my best rounds in the last 5 years), but I wouldn’t want to play it every week of my life.

But if I lived in the area, I’d join Royal Cinque Ports, because I could play & enjoy that course & club every week for the rest of my life.

I’m biased but I agree with Andrew.


So the question is, if one were fortunate enough to be invited to join, which CLUB would you want to be a member of where the golf courses are all great?  I’m thinking of areas where the LOCAL courses provide tough competition.  If you live in Belfast it depends on exactly where, as to whether it’s quicker to get to RCD or Portrush but I don’t see them as direct competitors here.  But in Monterey would it be more fun to be a member of MPCC than CP?

What's the best CLUB in these areas?

Long Island
Philadelphia
Monterey
San Francisco
Melbourne
West Lancashire (what’s the proper description?)
Ayrshire
East Lothian
Fife
Dublin
AN Other area

And as we’ve had enough list threads, please say why?

Tony

Yours is a very tough question because I don't know that much about the clubs/memberships of courses I really enjoy.  

Certainly in Kent/southeast England Deal would be my first choice because I know a handful of folks there and know they are keen to play and enjoy life. Plus the course is reaonably flat and an easy walk.  The question of its greatness is beside the point.  The curse is plenty good enough to keep one interested for many a year.  

Around London I would lean toward Woking or Swinley, but I fear it would mainly be a situation of bringing your game to the club rather than getting a game at the club - not conducive to happiness unless (and I sincerely doubt this is the case with Swinley) there are ample comps and matches to get involved with.  I don't know about Woking so perhaps Sunningdale may creap in as first choice. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have two lovely courses which can handle visitor play.  

My first thought for East Lothian is North Berwick, but I am not sure I could deal with the crush of vistors in the summer months.  However, I can't imagine being a member of a club up there that didn't have access to the West Links.  Although the courses are far less attractive than North Berwick, Gullane could be the one.  I don't know anything about the membership, but three courses is very fine and I like the modest house.    

For me, the rest of Scotland would be about Dornoch.  I like the club and its relaxed attitude.  

In England, Brancaster is another club I suspect I would like to join.  Huntercombe would also be seriously considered.

Bottom line, the only club I would join in a heartbeat is Deal.  Any other such decision would require more research on my part.

Ciao

[Simon Holt]

In East Lothian I am a member of 3 clubs.  The one I would never ever give up my membership of is Tantallon as the atmosphere is exactly what I am after.

Belhaven Best served on tap, great bacon and egg roll to finish the round.

TV in the corner that is never used beacuse people huddle round big tables and share stories of their round and rounds past.

I tee'd off at 8am this morning in the club medal.  I was in the club by 1040 waiting for the bar to Open at 11am.  I have just popped home to tick a few things off the list then I will be back along in an hour and no doubt be kicked out around 10pm after all the other golfers have come in.  I love seeing the looks on people faces when they come in the bar- you can call 95% of good and bad stories from that look!

[Gary Slatter]

In Fife, the best deal is to join St Andrews Golf Club (just left of 18th OC, closer to the 1st tee than the New Club).  This will cost 200 pounds the first year and 100 thereafter. Of course you have to pay for your links ticket, another 165 pounds per year and it gives you unlimited play on the Old, the New and the other courses managed by the Links Trust including the Castle.   You also get discounts at Kingsbarns and other local tracks, and the opportunity to play endless home and homes against many clubs, including the R&A. The parking pass is worth the price of membership.

Once a member you can work with the membership to play just about anywhere by merely joining the boys around the first table on the left.

Your wife can't join but she can join St Regulus next door and also get a Links ticket.  To get the Links ticket you must pay a council tax (live in St Andrews) and register to vote (determined by residency not citizenship).

I forgot to mention that the Old Course has special tee times reserved for local club members - I was only a member for two years and never quite figured out the system but trust me, the great guys at the first table on the left know how it works.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

This site should be Golf Course Atlas. Why isn't it? 

I thought this was a place to buy golf clubs online.

Getting to your question, a Club is more than a course. The members are more important than the course. Why join a Club with a great course if the membership,for whatever reason, is not your cup of tea?

[Phil_the_Author]

So the question is, if one were fortunate enough to be invited to join, which CLUB would you want to be a member of where the golf courses are all great?

San Francisco Golf Club... GREAT course and GREAT membership and a place dedicated to golf...

[John Moore II]

If I were to have my pick, I'd do a little sampling of clubs that had multiple courses. That way, I could play a different course each day or the week or whenever one might start to bore me. Certainly in North Carolina, I'd think about joining Pinehurst Country Club in a second. After that I am not sure, I am sort of a country dude, so a lot of the 'club' stuff just doesn't work with me.

[J_ Crisham]

For me it would be MPCC.  You have year round golf with very nice amenities. The fact that you have 2 of the best courses in the world to chose from on a daily basis would seal the deal. The year round factor pushes this club past Winged Foot where you may get 6 months  of golf in a season if lucky. Would strongly consider a national membership here if it would ever be available and the the other half would allow it .
                                                                      Jack

[Mark Chaplin]

Simon - Bar opening at 11? What is wrong with 8am at least at Deal we can get a brandy with our toast!! 

[Mark Pearce]

East Lothian - HCEG.  Despite all the rubbish it's a great club and a great course.
Fife - Elie.  Absolutely fantastic club at the heart (more than geographically) of the village.
Kent - RCP.  Mark Chaplin's a member.

[Anthony Gray]

  The obvious answer is Cruden Bay. Very playable and doesn't beet up the average golfer. One unique aspect to the club is that only members are used as caddies. I would enjoy the opertunity to caddy for visitors.

  Anthony

[Jaeger Kovich]

London.. I pick Queenwood. I know the golf in the heathlands is tip-top, but you can play all of the courses anyways if you are a member here. The club where 50% of the members are international is crowded if there are 10 groups in a day, is now the home for a US Open winner, and the most amazing facilities I have ever seen. Fastest greens in London, solid DMK routing, and a gorges, extremely private, pure golf setting

[Mark Pearce]

......The club where 50% of the members are international is crowded if there are 10 groups in a day, is now the home for a US Open winner, and the most amazing facilities I have ever seen. Fastest greens in London, solid DMK routing, and a gorges, extremely private, pure golf setting

Many reasons there that it would be at the bottom of my list.

[Dan Herrmann]

Heck - tie between Merion and Lancaster. 

I've been treated like family at both clubs, they both have great golf, and they're just plain fun.  Plus, they both have 2nd courses.  And one of the coolest things I've ever seen was a group of kids playing Merion East #18 at about 8pm in the setting sun just having kid-like fun.  Those are the kids that will advance the game long after we're gone, and their club is allowing it to happen.

I've played much "lesser" private clubs where there was a snooty factor that I just didn't see at Merion or Lancaster.

[Mark Chaplin]

Jaeger - I guess you'd be playing alone.

Anthony - A fellow member got a letter from the club admonishing him for being seen caddying at Royal St Georges. It was considered unbecoming of a member even though he was caddying in the Curtis Cup!

TCC (Brookline) - any club that permits an 8 ball 16 player four hole post lunch bash is pretty cool.
Inverness Club - chipping to the famous 18th green after midnight, by floodlights, using hickory and avoiding the sprinklers also classes the club as special.

[RSLivingston_III]

R&A

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Tony I think this is an even more subjective question than trying to rank courses. There is a lot more to a club than the course if one is a Member. I mean using Kent as an example. One would say say RSG or maybe Rye if one had never done more than play the courses. Yet, Deal and Littlestone will pop up in the discussion when other variables come into play as Sean pointed out.

[Pat Burke]

Southern California
I'd pick....ummm, errrrrr...ahhhhhhhh

Guess I'd pick moving.
If I had to pick, the Palms

[Mark_F]

What's the best CLUB in these areas?

Long Island
Philadelphia
Monterey
San Francisco
Melbourne
West Lancashire (what’s the proper description?)
Ayrshire
East Lothian
Fife
Dublin
And as we’ve had enough list threads, please say why?

In Melbourne, Peninsula Golf and Country Club is a great place to be a member of.  Two good courses, similar yet different, great practice facilities, perfect clubhouse and welcoming members.
 

[Mac Plumart]

If we are taking the entire club into account, Black Diamond Ranch has to be in the disucssion.  For golf, you've got the Quarry, the Ranch, and the Highlands.  You've got scenic golf, straightforward golf, and a quick nine holer. 

But the real kicker is the quality of people.  Amazingly welcoming, passionate about golf, and simply put a place were I felt comfortable at all times despite the fact I was interacting with complete strangers.

Perhaps the golf at BDR isn't your style (as we all like different styles) but the people are amazing!

[PCCraig]

Too many to list

[Jamie Barber]

I'm not really into the whole club thing; I prefer to play than to dine. However, something about Brancaster really appealed to me, not that they'd allow the likes of me

[Dale_McCallon]

I don't know how much play would be affected by public/resort play, but I know they allow memberships at Pine Needles/Mid Pines.  My times there I have been welcomed and I enjoyed what little post round activity I usually take place in.  And, the thought of having these 2 courses at my discretion would be sweet.

[Anthony Gray]

Anthony - A fellow member got a letter from the club admonishing him for being seen caddying at Royal St Georges. It was considered unbecoming of a member even though he was caddying in the Curtis Cup!

 

  Mark,

  That is what I like about Cruden Bay. It is a humble and friendly place. Where caddies are equal with the players.

  Anthony

[Greg Tallman]

Grandfather - simply a special place with great atmosphere and wonderful golf. Heck I could play the short course for an entire summer and stay entertained and challenged.

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