Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr
The cost of anything is tied into quality and location and what people are willing to pay. People are willing to pay more to play these courses so they charge more.
What I'm surprised at here is that there are no annual membership clubs like we have up north. The Villages tells us that we a all "members" at the country clubs, but exactly what does that membership entitle us to?
The Villages "championship courses", which by the way is a term that they use for standard golf courses that have less than three par three holes per nine, are all daily fee course. They do not fit the definition of country club that I know. Every country club that I know of has a membership that entitles members to play unlimited golf and engage in whatever other activities that the club might have. Country clubs, in my experience are private clubs where members of the general public cannot simply walk up and pay a green fee.
I have no problem with them charging whatever they want and having a successful business. I am a bit put out however by their terminology.
|
Actually there are many courses outside the Villages that have not only membership fees, but also charge per each time played(see Del Webb communities as an example)...my club in Maine was a Country Club and besides my paying a yearly fee(with no greens fees when I played)they allowed outside folks to play for an 18 hole fee...
In my experience a country club has a clubhouse and various ammenities whereas a golf course has a starters shack at the least and may have a small pro shop...the number of par threes has nothing to do with whether or not a course is a country club/championship course or otherwise....what distinguishes our exec's from country clubs mostly is a lack of handicapping, ghin related to par and a USGA rating...that and the fact that the CC's are kept up to a slightly higher standard....