Country Club - Early Weekend Tee Times

[bazinky]

My course tee times start at 7am. Lean operating $$ and minimal crew. Howevet, over the last year, I have become very close to all the management and workers. I get to the course (2 minutes from my house) around 6:30 and the crew let me go off the back. I walk 9 in 50 minutes. The greens arent cut nor the fairways, no pins. But I work on my iron play and target the green center.

 

I do this everyday during the week. On weekends, I get a tee time or they allow me to join any group of 3 or less.

 

I suggest being a good member, get to know all and treat them well. You never know what they will allow once they really get to know you.

 

If you're willing to walk, I'd be pretty surprised if most Supers and Pros wouldn't be willing to make similar accommodations once you get friendly with them. Frame it as a request and a BIG favor, and you can probably work something out.

[golfandfishing]

Did you join a club with the intention of playing alone, first out every time you play?

[medicoreMAgolfer]

Member of a traditional equity club. In summer, first foursome tee time is 7:30, but they let singles and pairs out at 7:00am. Love this, as my playing partner and I can walk in 2:45, just have to navigate the grounds crews a bit. There is one guy who grabs a cart at 7:00 and he just flies around the course by himself. The other equity club in town has 8:00am start. Both have some houses bordering, but in both cases clubs predated the houses

 

There are two muni courses in town that used to have 6:00am first tee, but two years ago, they added 5:30 tee times. The 5:30-7:00 window is only open to "members". My understanding is that it's been a big hit. Neither of these courses border any houses

 

Also, a member at a 9 hole college course (open to alumni and staff). No daily fee, no tee times, and they are open from dawn to dusk (unless there is frost). In the summer, I can tee off around 5am and be done by 6:10 or so (place is super walkable). I can't give up that place due to the super early play

[rcain1us]

I'm the 2nd group out Sat and Sun at 7:20 for April, May it goes to 6:20

[chriswsurprenant]

We're 6:30 as well here in New Orleans. It's almost certainly a cost / maintenance issue, and it's unlikely to change. If it's a deal-breaker, you'll have to find somewhere else to play.

[gbut]

joins private club so he can play early

finds out later 1st tee time 8am

posts topic on golfwrx seeking sympathy

 

sound about right?

Yep pretty much. ha

[North Butte]

I joined a semi-private club once a few years after I took up the game. They were advertising and recruiting heavily with a special rate of $100/month for all the golf you wanted to play. Pretty nice course, seldom crowded so I took them up on it.

 

Apparently about 25 people took them up on the offer and 20 of us were walkers. It had never occurred to them (it seemed) that someone might join and then walk every round for free instead of paying a $15 cart fee. So six weeks after I joined I get a letter, no more walking allowed.

 

I thought about and decided even with the 15 bucks a round it was still an OK deal because I liked the course. So the next Saturday I showed up and told the guy behind the counter I would just pay the 15 bucks and still walk. He took the money, I played my round. Sunday morning the general manager was waiting when I showed up to sign in. No walking allowed. He said if he let me pay and walk then other people would want to walk but they wouldn't want to pay. Or something baloney like that. Also, he said having walkers out there "Makes it look like a muni course".

 

Whatever. Thank goodness I hadn't paid an initiation fee like at a real private course. You just never know...

[gbut]

All:

 

Thanks for so many replies. It seems to me that about 75% of the clubs have earlier than 8am times. I just got unlucky.

The main problem with 8am is you have more people wanting that first spot since its not spread out. So odds are against you landing that time.

 

At my club we have a group of 15ish guys that always have the first times and have for years. So my main fear is getting stuck behind them. They gamble so i am sure its not speedy.

 

My buddy and I do walk and are quick players so may have a case but since we are new I am sure they just ignore the request.

Maybe I will just Tee off and wait for them to detain me like that guy on the United flight a few weeks ago. ha

[fawley]

My private club opens for play at 8am weekdays, 7am weekends and holidays, and is closed on Mondays. When I was playing at public courses, I used to try to be out early (often 6am-ish tee times). Ideally I'd like the club to open earlier. An 8am start during the week is too late for me to get a quick nine in before work, and with two young kids, I'd prefer to start earlier on the weekends so I could finish and get home mid to late morning.

 

That said, I understand why the opening times are what they are. The upsides to playing there (excellent conditioning, great course, good group of members, no tee times, fast pace of play, tournaments, family stuff etc) far outnumber the things I'd prefer were different (course opening time, caddy required to walk, expensive).

[justasgood]

All:

 

Thanks for so many replies. It seems to me that about 75% of the clubs have earlier than 8am times. I just got unlucky.

The main problem with 8am is you have more people wanting that first spot since its not spread out. So odds are against you landing that time.

 

At my club we have a group of 15ish guys that always have the first times and have for years. So my main fear is getting stuck behind them. They gamble so i am sure its not speedy.

 

My buddy and I do walk and are quick players so may have a case but since we are new I am sure they just ignore the request.

Maybe I will just Tee off and wait for them to detain me like that guy on the United flight a few weeks ago. ha

 

You should get to know that group and explain your situation. I am sure that as long as you don't hold them up, they won't mind you going out in front.

[AndrewS]

Private club member. We go at 730am from memorial day to labor day. 8am otherwise.

 

I haven't ever heard of private clubs starting super early. That is usually something that public courses do as they are on a revenue per tee time model. Private clubs could care less how many rounds are played from a revenue standpoint.

 

True to a point. However a private club should also be looking out for the wishes of its members. At the club I worked at when I was still a pro we were in the shop 30 minutes before sunrise. As soon as it was light enough to tee off we had people going. The first three greens were mowed before sunup and we did hold carts off for the first hour so it was less likely for the first groups to catch the mowers.

 

In the dead of summer we'd have people teeing off at 5:50 some mornings. I'm surprised that this 7:30-8:00 first off seems to be the norm. It's an interesting discussion and I appreciate it.

 

This is my experience from working in both a shop and on the greens crew as well. Greens crew showed up when it was still dark out and quickly had 3 reel mowers out there. Stayed in front of the golfers easily. It was even faster when we'd run the "triplex" riding greens mower (though the results were usually much better with the smaller walking mowers).

[carrera]

At my club in the Bay Area, the first times on weekends are at 6:30. But there are no single games during the first couple of hours...you show up and get a game with other members.

[gbut]

Ideally I will just meet some of the guys in that first group that have a game going on. Meeting people is more important than probably anything.

In the event that I dont get invited into that group for whatever reason I talked to the head Pro. He seemed somewhat open to letting my buddy and I off early if we are walking but he could have just been blowing smoke. Ill just wait it out and see how it goes. Thanks again All...

[North Butte]

I'd think if you're needing to finish early, playing a 15-ish player dogfight game starting at 8:00am is probably going to be somewhere in the 11:30 or a bit later finishing. Personally, I think that sounds fun but it means being at the course a couple hours later than you would playing at 7:00am and hurrying to get done.

[crcraig]

When you compare your club to others, you need to take into account the relative sunrise times. For example, at my club in eastern MA the first weekend time in the summer is 7am. In June/July, that's almost 2 hours after sunrise. But for you in Tulsa, 2 hours after sunrise is just after 8am, so it's really the same thing. It's just that my club is very far east in its time zone, and your club is at least somewhat west in its zone.

 

You've got to give the maintenance crew time to do their work.

[tjcordero]

I'm pretty lucky that there are no tee times required for my club. You can tee off as early as light allows. I usually run into the maintenance crew when starting early but usually am able to play around them.

[gotaholen1]

I would be friendly with the club pro. My guess is that eventually once you have built some equity, he would have no problem letting you off a little early. You might have to play with a few greens that aren't cut yet, but you would still be off early.

 

I have a group of 12-16 that play over the weekend. We all kick in money at the end of the year and give a gift to our pro and assistant pro. Just treat them well and they will help you in any way they can.

[McMoo]

We start at 6:30 beginning in May. The grounds crew is out cutting and rolling the greens in the dark and is usually a few holes ahead of the first group.