Question:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was. thanks paul
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was.
It is essentially a private course at which members pay an annual membership fee, but which also accepts greens fees. There are any number of variations on this. A local semi-private course here, for example, only allows you to play three times a year as a non-member. Bruce Bruce E. Newman * Fredericton, NB, Canada http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=newmanb info at benewman dot bizland dot com * http://go.to/bruce_newman
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was.
My course is semi-private. They have a cap of 375 members — once they reach that number, they’ll turn private. Until then, they allow public play between 11am and 1pm, for $120. It’s a form of marketing — I think it convinces some people that VNCC is a $120-a-round course and therefore worth the initial fee to join and the monthly dues. By limiting the public play, they can ratchet up the public fees (supply and demand) and make everything think the course is worth $120 per round. I wouldn’t pay half that, personally (I play so much that it works out to about $30/round for me as a member). I think of a semi-private course as one that has members and takes public play — and that typically reserves some tee times for members and restricts the public to other, less desireable tee times. They don’t necessarily have to be trying to become private though — semi- private is probably the best method for the ownership of the course to maximize revenue (from guaranteed monthly dues plus daily fees). Doug — ___, Doug Massey, ASIC Digital Logic Designer o IBM Microelectronics Division, Burlington, Vermont | | Phone: (802)769-7095 t/l: 446-7095 fax: x6752 | / | . My homepage: http://doug.obscurestuff.com (|)
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was. It is essentially a private course at which members pay an annual membership fee, but which also accepts greens fees. There are any number of variations on this. A local semi-private course here, for example, only allows you to play three times a year as a non-member.
I play at several courses that call themselves semi-private. Most are actually public courses that sell special memberships with extra privileges (locker room, unlimited golf, preferred tee times, social events, etc.). So are those courses semi-private or semi-public?
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was. thanks paul
My home course is Semi-Private. A yearly family membership is $135 a month. A junior membership is $90 a month. These dues buy you unlimited golf (Cart fees $12 extra), locker room, $20 grill credit per month, pool privileges, etc… Anyone can play golf there ($24 to walk, $34 to ride). So basically if you play golf there 5 times a month it would pay to become a member. Of course we have "public courses" around here where you can buy yearly passes for around $695 for unlimited golf. So the difference is really semantics.
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was.
It depends. As Bruce Newman pointed out, there are lots of variations on the semi-private theme, and no real limitations to how a course can structure their public/private arrangement. I know that ’round these parts, most "semi-private" courses are, in fact, public. But they sell memberships, which gives their members earlier access to phone in for tee times and certain other privileges, such as the ability to play in the club championship, certain member discounts, etc. Me? I live by the Groucho Marx rule: I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member. Randy
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was.
In the US they are basically public courses. They also sell memberships so people can pay monthly dues to cover their green fees, but a semi-private course plays like a public course, not like a private course. There is lots of privacy in a private course, and really none in a semi-private course. I think that’s just a euphemism to make the members feel better :-)
Response:
Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was. In the US they are basically public courses. They also sell memberships so people can pay monthly dues to cover their green fees, but a semi-private course plays like a public course, not like a private course. There is lots of privacy in a private course, and really none in a semi-private course. I think that’s just a euphemism to make the members feel better :-)
Actually, that doesn’t really fit what my own course is. We’re semi-private, meaning we have members. Members are required to buy stock, which to me is what makes a course semi-private, and pay yearly dues as well as a yearly food/beverage assessment. We also allow some public play. However, the public is supposed to be limited to 3x per year, not including outings and events. Members have preferential tee times, can play in club tournaments and events, and play basically unlimited golf w/ no greens fees. We also have reciprocal play agreements with area courses where members can play those courses for only the cost of a power cart. Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
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We also allow some public play. However, the public is supposed to be limited to 3x per year, not including outings and events. Members have preferential tee times…
There is actually a course around here that accepts memberships that can only play during *non* peak hours.
Response:
We also allow some public play. However, the public is supposed to be limited to 3x per year, not including outings and events. Members have preferential tee times… There is actually a course around here that accepts memberships that can only play during *non* peak hours.
Interesting idea. I can imagine a number of retired people, etc. for whom such memberships would be quite appropriate. Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
Response:
Interesting idea. I can imagine a number of retired people, etc. for whom such memberships would be quite appropriate. Many private clubs in Australia have 5-day, 6-day and 7-day memberships. I thought it was common everywhere? 5-day members can only play Monday to Friday, 6-day members can’t play Saturdays. Our definition of "private" is that only members or their guests can play. Guests are normally limited in number in some way … for instance at my son’s club (Spring Valley in Melbourne) due to popularity, guests can now only play on certain days. Guests can’t generally play in the club competitions on the weekends or at other popular times. There is also a limit of once per month for any indivudual guest. My club is "semi-private". Legally it is "Incorporated" (like a "cooperative"), meaning that the incorporated body owns the course, runs the club and employs the greens staff. There is no "share" arrangement. Members can stand for committee positions, vote in general meetings, vote for constitutional change etc. (BTW, there is a provision in the incorporated documents and the constitution that in the event of a dissolution, the assets *cannot* be distributed to the members … they must go to a community purpose, or another golf club etc.) However, the course is open to the public to play most of the time. The only exceptions are competition times on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The downside of being semi-private in this way is that a few green-fee players think it is municipal and often don’t respect the course, or the members and staff, as much. But hey, it’s cheap! — Cheers Colin Wilson RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=wilsonc Trentham Golf Club: http://www.trenthamgolf.com
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There is actually a course around here that accepts memberships that can only play during *non* peak hours. Interesting idea. I can imagine a number of retired people, etc. for whom such memberships would be quite appropriate.
Yup, and the memberships are inexpensive. But anyway I’ve been thinking of all courses that allow memberships as semi-private, but it’s probably not true. The situation at your course sounds more like it. For me, the huge benefit of a private course is exactly that – privacy. There are plenty of times you can go out there and have maybe 10 people on the entire course, and sometimes there is literally no one out there. The problem with the term semi-private is that any golf course can use that label if they want. Your club sounds like there is actually a benefit to membership (other than simply saving a few bucks because you play there so much per month, and maybe having a members only tournament).
Response:
Semiprivate golf courses have stalls but no doors.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it a public course that trying to become private? Even though I’m not a member can I go play there like any other public course? Wasn’t sure what the difference was. In the US they are basically public courses. They also sell memberships so people can pay monthly dues to cover their green fees, but a semi-private course plays like a public course, not like a private course. There is lots of privacy in a private course, and really none in a semi-private course. I think that’s just a euphemism to make the members feel better :-) Actually, that doesn’t really fit what my own course is. We’re semi-private, meaning we have members. Members are required to buy stock, which to me is what makes a course semi-private, and pay yearly dues as well as a yearly food/beverage assessment. We also allow some public play. However, the public is supposed to be limited to 3x per year, not including outings and events. Members have preferential tee times, can play in club tournaments and events, and play basically unlimited golf w/ no greens fees. We also have reciprocal play agreements with area courses where members can play those courses for only the cost of a power cart. Mike — Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!
Response:
Yeah, it’s wierd…up here in Michigan, they’ll sell a membership to just about any schmoe. Desi
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There is actually a course around here that accepts memberships that can only play during *non* peak hours. Interesting idea. I can imagine a number of retired people, etc. for whom such memberships would be quite appropriate. Yup, and the memberships are inexpensive. But anyway I’ve been thinking of all courses that allow memberships as semi-private, but it’s probably not true. The situation at your course sounds more like it. For me, the huge benefit of a private course is exactly that – privacy. There are plenty of times you can go out there and have maybe 10 people on the entire course, and sometimes there is literally no one out there. The problem with the term semi-private is that any golf course can use that label if they want. Your club sounds like there is actually a benefit to membership (other than simply saving a few bucks because you play there so much per month, and maybe having a members only tournament).