Toss up: Clublink or Hunt Club?

[nokids]

I got some good news this morning. My name is next on the list to join the Ottawa Hunt Club AIG program. I almost fainted with joy!

I have until May 1st to resign my Clublink membership so it's decision time. The most important factor for me is which club would provide the best environment and tools necessary for me to develop into a better golfer.

I'm very happy with Clublink, and I don't know much about the Hunt Club besides what I've heard and read, so I need some help from the gallery.



Location: Hunt Club is 3 km's down the street from me while Clublink courses are about 25 km's away.

Course Difficulty: How challenging is Hunt Club compared to Kanata and Eagle Creek?

Course Conditions: I've heard Hunt Club is like heaven. Does Eagle Creek compare? Is Hunt Club noisy because it's in the city?

Reciprocal play: Hunt Club has Summerlea and Beaconsfield near Montreal, Westin Islington in TO, Thornhill and Calgary courses. Clublink has 4 in Ottawa, 3 in Montreal, Muskokas, dozens in Toronto including Glenn Abbey.

Tournaments: I'm waiting to hear from Hunt Club if I'm eligible as an AIG member to play in tournaments or Men's Night. With Clublink I am eligible.

Driving range: Hunt Club range is open as early as 6:30 am until darkness. Clublink is about the same.

Lessons: I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Hunt Club has 'better' or more qualified instructors? However, Clublink has a program called walk the line, in which you pay $500-ish for the entire season and there is a pro watching over you every day. If I stay with Clublink I will sign up for it this year.

Price: Hunt Club would cost me $600 less than Clublink for the next 7 years until I turn 40. At that point, Hunt Club will cost $1,000 more than Clublink and my $7k residual initiation fee will have to be paid in full.

Guests: Hunt Club guest fees are $100 while Clublink is between $60 and $90. I can bring 3 guests at both clubs.

Restrictions: Hunt Club has mid-day restrictions during the week which don't bother me, it's the Sat morning restriction that stings. Clublink has basically no restrictions even if I book at other courses.

Prestige: Not an important factor for me but Hunt Club wins easily.

It's going to be a tough choice. I guess it would help if I actually played a round at the Hunt. If any members of the Hunt want to play a round or share their thoughts on the Hunt Club, pm me please.

[Ruskie]

Oh, oh, pick Hunt, pick Hunt. I've always wanted to play that course

Seriously, though, 27 holes vs. 80 holes available locally... for me that would be the deciding factor. Then again, if Dennis stays with CL, you'll have access to both

[jeffc]

If it were me, I'd pick the Hunt. I really like the course, and the location can't be beat, its 10 min from my house. I like the idea of being a member at one course and while I like the club link courses in Ottawa I don't love any of them. Getting to Kanata, EC or HP is a PITA from my location. Of course I am dreaming as I will likely not belong to any of the above.

[Ginker]

Hunt.. My fav. course around. Love the course, atmosphere etc.

[Swerve]

Wow, thats a tough one. Initially I would say that the proximity factor makes Hunt Club the hands down choice, but saturday morning restrictions would kill me - thats when I play most of my golf. I would imagine that, if not now then eventually, you will be in a similar position so that would weigh heavily as well. I am a member and play most of my golf at one course so I am ok with that (but it is substantially cheaper so I afford myself the luxury of playing other courses when I feel like it).

Ultimately, if you have a car, I would say stay with Club Link - the variety is too much to give up. Putting aside the usual game improvement techniques, playing different courses is amazing for your game. Myself included, you usually find that most members will shoot at least a few (and sometimes substantially more) strokes above their average when taken off the friendly confines of their home course.

[Shivas Irons]

Course Difficulty: How challenging is Hunt Club compared to Kanata and Eagle Creek?

IMO the Hunt is more difficult than both.

Course Conditions: I've heard Hunt Club is like heaven. Does Eagle Creek compare?

Conditions are normally excellent, but Eagle Creek does compare.

Is Hunt Club noisy because it's in the city?

No, not in the least.

Driving range: Hunt Club range is open as early as 6:30 am until darkness. Clublink is about the same.

The range is probably he weakest part of the Hunt. I'm not a big fan of those distance limiting balls, but there just isn't much room there.

Lessons: I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Hunt Club has 'better' or more qualified instructors?

I would disagree with this, but nonetheless, to me Hunt Club wins hands down

[Paulio]

Hunt Club. And I'll buy you a beer or two after the invite.

[infinity13]

Hey Pablo, something to consider in your decision:

My vote Hunt club following reasons:

For me having played neither clublink courses or hunt club, the pure convinience and exclusivity of a hunt club invite would sway me that way. Think of how easy it will be to practice/play during week nights with only a 3km trek to hunt club vs 25km to clublink.

If you turn down the hunt club invite does that mean you are less likely to get one in the future (I have no idea)

You have experienced club link, and i assume that if you revoke your clublink membership and go with hunt club you can always go back to club link if you dislike the hunt club experience..?

[habsfan]

last time i played i was very impressed with the conditions but that was it, it was 5.5 hr round, the membership was quite old, and the track was just back and forth, it will definitely improve your short game thats for sure, that course is probably the toughest in ottawa from 100 yards in.

[jeffc]

I played it on a Friday morning and I couldn't believe the number of grounds crew out doing work. While its been a few years since I played EC, the conditions to me had gone downhill - though that was pre club link. HP however was always in excellend condition.

[GoingLow]

Tough Juan Pablo.......I would stay with Clublink if I was you, the Hunt is nice but not as nice as Eagle Creek......the fact that there are so many tracks in TO - so many options locally - and Hunt is an old boys club for sure.......the course is nice but not overly challenging very traditional- tree lined fairways etc.....

[nokids]

Hey Pablo, something to consider in your decision:

My vote Hunt club following reasons:

For me having played neither clublink courses or hunt club, the pure convinience and exclusivity of a hunt club invite would sway me that way. Think of how easy it will be to practice/play during week nights with only a 3km trek to hunt club vs 25km to clublink.

You have experienced club link, and i assume that if you revoke your clublink membership and go with hunt club you can always go back to club link if you dislike the hunt club experience..?

We think alike Travis! It's a gorgeous club, close to home, if I don't like it, go back to Clublink. And with the money I'm saving I could still play Eagle Creek and Loch March a half dozen times to change it up.

[infinity13]

Smart minds think alike!! [and fools seldom differ]

Also if you turn down your Hunt Club invite does that mean its harder to get one in the future?

[nokids]

Also if you turn down your Hunt Club invite does that mean its harder to get one in the future?

It's not an invite, it's a waiting list. After 2 years my name came up. Now I have to send in my application. If I don't send my application, I go to the back of the line of the waiting list.

[mjf]

My 2 cents... Go with Hunt Club. As others have mentioned, the proximity will allow you to play and/or practice every day. I guess the only thing that would sway me the other way is if you've already got a good group of guys that you play with at the Clublink courses and think it might be harder to have that same type of camaraderie and break into the "old boys club".

Note that I've never actually set foot on the property at Hunt Club. I'm just assuming it's gotta be a pretty nice course.

[threeunder]

I actually worked at hunt club last year.. Must say the service/conditions/practice facilities are top notch, but the course is definitely no eagle creek.. if proximity weren't an issue I would pick club link in a second, but it's hard to argue a half hour drive vs 5 minutes!

[habsfan]

I actually worked at hunt club last year.. Must say the service/conditions/practice facilities are top notch, but the course is definitely no eagle creek.. if proximity weren't an issue I would pick club link in a second, but it's hard to argue a half hour drive vs 5 minutes!

it would be hard if you had a gun to your head and had to pick between the 2, Pablo the biggest thing you need to consider is the social aspect, yeah it will be fun at first and i'll definitely be looking for a round, but your gonna have one hell of a time getting games together on weekends at $100 a pop. You've yet to discover all of clublink, weekend skins games, you have a better chace of making the interclub team at HP then HC, there's the clublink interclub, HP as a year long matchplay, the opening closing tourney's are a blast, and men's night with all those crazy french ***s is always a riot. Follow your heart my friend.

[nokids]

You guys are not making this easy on me. Make up your minds!

[Break68]

Golflinks would be my choice. Lots of courses, all in great shape.
I have played Kanata as a guest and it was in amazing shape and tough. I am sure the other CL courses are really great as well.
I have never played Hunt Club but it doesn't look like it is anywhere near the quality of CL courses.
I don't think I would want to play with the older crowd at Huntclub.

[jeffc]

Golflinks would be my choice. Lots of courses, all in great shape.
I have played Kanata as a guest and it was in amazing shape and tough. I am sure the other CL courses are really great as well.
I have never played Hunt Club but it doesn't look like it is anywhere near the quality of CL courses.
I don't think I would want to play with the older crowd at Huntclub.

Are you serious?

[Break68]

jeffc, just my opinion, you don't have to like it.
Like I said I have never played it.

[jeffc]

HC is in better condition than any clublink course I have played. You suggest otherwise but you've never played it?????

[habsfan]

HC is in better condition than any clublink course I have played. You suggest otherwise but you've never played it?????

thats all that course as going its in amazing shape but a boring layout, how many holes you remember? Your standards are pretty high Jeff its not in that much better shape then EC, all three Muskoka tracks laugh at HC amongst many others.

[NoBack]

Hunt Club for sure!

[jeffc]

thats all that course as going its in amazing shape but a boring layout, how many holes you remember? Your standards are pretty high Jeff its not in that much better shape then EC, all three Muskoka tracks laugh at HC amongst many others.

I happen to like the layout - and I've never been a big fan of EC and I'm in the minority I know on that one. As for Muskoka - since when did that come into the conversation? Conditioning and location. EC is way out there and a long way from Pablo. And EC has some pretty nasty black flies in the summer.

[Break68]

HC is in better condition than any clublink course I have played. You suggest otherwise but you've never played it?????

you are rather uptight.

[Fallys0820]

I would choose Hunt Club. Like many others, I have never played the course, but I did walk it for two days when the ladies came for the Bell Canadian Open. In my opinion, it's miles ahead of Eagle Creek, and Greyhawk. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed playing both Clublink courses, but I was seriously impressed with Hunt Club. Hunt Club is a course I would love to play and test my game, but if I had the choice as you do, I would choose Hunt Club hands down.

The other issue would be the social aspect. If you already have a game at CL courses, maybe that will sway you. You sound like you're a "young-ish" guy , and maybe there are some professional networking opportunities at HC for you? I don't know what work you're in, but that's something to consider as well.

Either way, you'll find benefits to both, but getting in early to HC will be much cheaper for you in the long run with respect to initiation fees.

Scott
aka Fally

[jeffc]

you are rather uptight.

dude you don't even know me so easy with the personal attacks. Let's keep it to golf.

[spackler]

you are rather uptight.

There is no need for this kind of comment, please keep the discussion civil.

[Gapwedge]

Does the Hunt keep their clubhouse open all year for dinners / events / etc? Greyhawk clubhouse / proshop is essentially closed over the winter - very minimal staffing.