How do private courses work??

[beefstuf]

You guys are hilarious! Last time i checked i was allowed to voice my own opinion. But no, you guys need to turn it into a slug fest and start insulting me for the those opinions i express!

I have played Royal. It is overrated. It is not worth $50. Thankfully i was invited and didn't have to pay. I would be outraged if I did. It is truly a course built for senior citizens!

I do not want to join the slugfest, but please tell me 3 things:

1) How is a 216 yard par 3 with an elevated tee and green that is about 20 feet wide by 30 feet with major slopes and no bunkers an old man's course.

2) How is a 430 yard par 4 with a gully that splits the fairway at 200yards leaving you a 200yd draw tyo a small green an old man's hole,

3) Lastly how can you reach a par three that is 216 yards if you are such a mentally weak individual. The way you speak on this forum exlains that you are an ill tempered, child.

I come here cause I enjoy the positive feedback and opinions of other golfers.

Grow Up

[mberube]

Obviously this guy is a troll.

Replying to his posts is what he thrives for. Just ignore him completely and he will eventually go away or will be moderated by Dan or someone else.

Mike

[Kilroy]

He was warned. He'll change his style or be gone soon.

[BC MIST]

The Royal Ottawa is a joke course. If you pay $100 + to play there you are getting ripped off. Its an old mans course, built for senior citizens!

Having played the Royal Ottawa in the Tunis, City & District Championship and "A" field days, many times over too many years, it is very difficult to post a good score there, unless you bring your A+++ game. Looking at the field scores after a tournament will quickly confirm this. In fact, go to the OVGA website and look at the scores for last year's Alexander of Tunis tournament and count the number of golfers who broke par. You only need one hand to do this. If those scores mean that "Its an old mans course, built for senior citizens!", then how would you describe a Stonebridge?

The greens at the Royal are very small, very fast(usually 12+ or so on the stimp), and seldom do you get a flat lie in the fairway. It is a course that demands shotmaking skill, not just distance. Their turf, sand and green conditions are second to none locally, and that includes Hunt, Rivermead, Rideau View, Camelot and Eagle Creek.

Powerdriver: There are golfers and people who play golf.

[DewDuster]

I'll clear up a few facts about the Hunt and the arrangement with other private courses.

1. Guest fees

They are $85 plus GST when playing with a member. For non-sponsored guests (see point below about playing at other clubs) it is $140 and I would guess it gets charged back directly to your home club. This has been the rate for the past couple of years. I think the Royal is in the same ballpark, can't be sure because my buddies pick up the tab when I play there and vice-versa.

2. Reciprocal play

There's actually 2 types of access. Reciprocal clubs you play for free a la Clublink, the Hunt has arrangements with Summit in Toronto and Summerlea in Montreal.

As El Tigre accurately described the other is access to private clubs via your pro. If you belong to a "top tier" club, your pro can arrange for you to play other private clubs but you have to pay the non-sponsored fee. I had our pro arrange a tee time for me at Capilano in Vancouver and I'm pretty sure I could play any other top courses in Canada (St. George's, Royal Montreal, Shaunnessy etc.). It's not cheap but gives you access to courses you normally would not be able to play.

3. Private club difference

There are a number of benefits of joining a private club. The obvious ones revolve around the golfing - condition, course, practice facilities, location, pace of play etc. As a guest, you'll get a feel for this. I've played almost everywhere in Ottawa and the only public courses that measure up condition-wise to the Hunt, Royal Ottawa are Eagle Creek and Marshes. I'm not crazy about the Marshes, but really like Eagle.

Lots of other intangible benefits that I won't get into here.

4. Worth it?

Certainly worth it to pay the guest fee and play as it is a nice round of golf, whether it's at the Hunt or Royal. To the guy who called the Royal an old man's course it's highly probable you've never actually played there.

Worth it to join? Well obviously I think so and have been fortunate enough to be able to join the Hunt, but like everything, your mileage and financial priorities may vary.

And sorry, I've already extended an offer to take someone else as a guest.

[jeffc]

I have heard that if you are a member of a private course, you can often play other private courses that are out-of-town without knowing a member there. The process involves having your course's pro contact the other course's pro. Example: you're a member at Ottawa Hunt, and you'd like to play St. George's in Toronto when you're in town. Your pro at Ottawa Hunt can set it up for you.

Does anyone know if this is generally true, or just an urban myth?

this kind of thing does exist. my dad is a member at a private club in cambridge and we were able to play the hunt last year as his head pro set it up for us. The cost was over 3 bills for 2 of us and we played by ourselves, no need for a member.

If you were going to his course, you have to be invited by a member and play with that member as well.