I personally would love to play match play more, but just have a really hard time finding anyone else to do the same.
Kalen,
I am probably most disappointed in your post as you are the target market in this type of model. Public golfer who loves golf and needs a new group of friends.
With 500 members, you will find partners, and the price point will drop to a level where you can play the golf that you want to play without having to fall in love 24/7 with your club.
The realities of this stage of life for me is I get an occasional hall pass from
The Boss. When I do get the last minute free pass, I head to New Haven Connecticut to play Yale Golf Club. Despite the name and the endowment behind the name, it is probably the MOST democratic club (not a political statement - see Bill Buckley) that I know of . I have played with NBA players, professional golfers and baseball players, guys with their last names on buildings at Yale and guys who literally clean out rat cages at the research labs at Yale Medical Center. The course and the staff drive the "vibe" of the place and you would feel perfectly comfortable at Yale Golf Course after two rounds of match play.
Other notes for the Match Club model:
* Bob Crosby was not on the call today but he is equally part of this concept. I have had a dinner with Bob at a Dixie Cup and I need to play a round of golf with that guy. Perhaps at Mike Young's Long Shadow which should be a candidate for this model.
* If this model ever works out, I would love to have Sean Arble do a "Winter Tour" profile, but he is NOT our target market !!
* I would love to hear from Mike Young as I think he understands golf better than most.
* The USGA should adjust their handicap system. Rather that worry about a "course handicap" (basically how many strokes over par a player should score) they should have "player rating" which is based on how you play against other players. My guess is JC jones and I would be in VERY different brackets.
* See Gib's old post which was 2 economic cycles ago:
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=18088.0;wap2