The David Fay thread got me thinking

[Dan Byrnes]

It seems that a letter to a club in the UK is the way to go about getting an opportunity to play the courses there.  In the US It seems that we rely on our club pro if we have a membership to make a call.  I know some pros are less comfortable calling than others.  I have generally been successful with this method, althoughmy club isn't a marque club by any stretch.

However my question is how successful would a nice penned letter go over as a request to play a club in the US?  I realize it's not going to get me the ability to play Cypress or Augusta but perhaps it could be successful at an Eastward Ho or a Oyster Harbour or a maybe a Fenway or simiar (a few  on my list, haven't asked my pro to call them though)

Any experiences with letter writing in the US requesting the ability to play a private club?

Thanks

Dan

[Tom_Doak]

Dan:

When I was 19 and 20 years old, I got invited to play at Pine Valley, Merion, Seminole, LACC, and SFGC [among others] by writing a letter to the green chairman at each club.  Of course, I made a fairly convincing case for being a student of golf course architecture. 

[Mac Plumart]

Yes, Dan, it works.  I have done that many times and, as Tom alludes to, I believe if your love of golf and architecture comes through...you will get the nod.

These clubs are not mythical creations that only the elite can access.  They are golf clubs, made up of people, who most of the time simply love golf and cherish their clubs course and history.  If you do as well, they, most likely, will welcome you.

That is what I believe anyway.

[Andy Stamm]

I tried it once at a very well regarded course, but one that I understood to be very friendly towards visitors (at least those where another club's pro makes a call). I didn't really mind not being invited, but I'd have appreciated a response (although I do understand it's much easier not to write to turn down someone with no relationship to the club).

[Mac Plumart]

Andy...

Did you follow up with a call?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dan,

Properly written letters can be successful in gaining access.

Each club views them in their own context.

There are no universals.

[Sam Morrow]

I think a well written and sincere letter can go miles.

[Mark Saltzman]

I think a well written and sincere letter can go miles.

Agreed.  And doing it a long while in advance is helpful.  And including a Letter of Introduction for your head pro is a plus.

[Andy Stamm]

Andy...

Did you follow up with a call?

I didn't. I thought about it for a few reasons including that around when I would have been in that town I had been away from home (and my mail) and was afraid that maybe I'd missed an invitation. I really didn't know what was appropriate, and I figured that I'd talk to someone other than who had received the letter. Perhaps I should have. I did have a specific time frame, which is probably a bigger imposition, but I had total flexibility about day of the week and time. Of course, I mentioned all this in the letter. And I wrote well in advance.

[Sean_A]

I have about a 33% success rate with letters.  Mind you, as golf is very much the secondary reason for being in The States I always request specific days for access or maybe access during a short period of time - say one of three days. I am never over on golf junket.  Additionally, I always ask if a mate can come along as well.  It is completely reasonable that a club could find it difficult to accommodate such a targeted request.  Luckily, two chaps on this site helped me out with one club on separate occasions, one of which was completely out of the blue.  One club was outrageously generous with allowing me to play and use the facilities.  Its always worth writing a letter and I would certainly do so rather than prevailing on a chap I could only call an acquaintance to garner me access.  If you keep the attitude of expecting a no or no reply, and that there are other places to play, access isn't an issue in the least.

Ciao 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Nice thread!  It also shows there is a place for good manners in our game.

[JMEvensky]

Dan,

Properly written letters can be successful in gaining access.

Each club views them in their own context.

There are no universals.

Sometimes it's just a matter of who opens the letter.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dan,

Properly written letters can be successful in gaining access.

Each club views them in their own context.

There are no universals.

Sometimes it's just a matter of who opens the letter.

That's why you address them to a specific person and mark them P&C.

[Mac Plumart]

Pat...

Perhaps he is making a broader point though.  Not only does it matter who opens the letter, but what mood they are in that day, how nice they are feeling, if they are in a hurry, etc.

If you write the letter to the correct person, it gets past their secretary or the like, they get it in their hands, and they are in the correct mood...perhaps then you've got a 50/50 shot.

Regardless, I think it is always classy to write a nice letter, follow up with a well thought out and polite call, and then send a follow note regardless of whether you got access or not.  Always stay classy and respectful.  You reap what you sow.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mac,

I'm fairly familiar with the process, and comfortable with the results of my efforts

[Mac Plumart]

Mac,

I'm fairly familiar with the process, and comfortable with the results of my efforts

 ?

[Scott Warren]

Mac,

Always stay classy and respectful.

Words to live by.

[JC Jones]

I've written one letter to a club to try and play it.  I never got an answer but I never followed up with it either because I got the chance to play the course a couple months later due to the generosity of a friend.  I figured I got my "once in a lifetime" play and there was no sense in hounding the pro or the greens chairman for a second go around.

I do know of many people who have written letters and I agree with those posters above who say that a well written letter, addressed to the right person, can be very successful.

[Tim Bert]

Here's my lifetime record:
1 for 1 on well thought out letter addressed generically to a club and written "to whom it may concern"

0 for 1 on well thought out letters addressed to a specific person at a club

1 for 1 on poorly thought out, spur of the moment phone calls made on Super Bowl Sunday.

0 for 0 on well thought out phone calls.

Total:
2 out of 3 but in each of those three instances the reaction was the opposite of what I expected!