Writing Letters to Club Pro’s

[PrincipalsNose]

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

[david.c.w]

4 minutes ago, PrincipalsNose said:

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

 

Don't do this.

[buckI]

My club pro has contacted other club pros but never done it directly.

[PrincipalsNose]

26 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

 

Don't do this.

I feel a letter is better than a generic email 

[mshills]

9 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

I feel a letter is better than a generic email 

Better how? More personalized solicitation? More effective?

 

Either way, not recommended. Plenty of places to play golf, and no need to do this. It is nothing more than soliciting, and will get as much traction as the bot trying to sell billing automation software to the GM. 

[jjthomp2]

11 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

I know a guy who does this. True story, he didn't have much success at one club he had been writing to so he started sending Christmas cards to the owner of a very private club. After about 3 years he gets a call from the owner and says "Okay, I'll let you come up and play"

The guy gets to the club, checks in and the owner comes out to greet him. The owner goes, "I'm Jewish please stop sending me Christmas cards." Funny story, I could never do it personally but kudos to the guy. I think he's played probably 80-85 of the top 100 courses in the country. He usually mails a personalized bottle of bourbon along with his letters.  

[david.c.w]

11 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

I feel a letter is better than a generic email 

 

Poor form for a random person to ask to play a private club, be it email, letter, or stripper-gram.  Pro's can do this as a professional courtesy.  If a pro has a good relationship with another pro this can work.

 

If I was a pro and got a letter from PrincipalsNose to play the answer is no.  If I then get a call from a pro asking if PrincipalsNose can play, the answer is hell no.

 

Private clubs are private so that PrincipalsNose cant play unless he joins the club, is a guest of a member, or the pro allows it.  This is the point of private clubs.

 

 

 

 

[knock it close]

Used to work for sand hills, that's the only place I've heard of it working, it does not anymore. 

[mshills]

I’m not sure how someone would perceive this as other than unbelievably rude.

 

No different than getting a letter from a complete stranger asking to come hang at your house for half a day. Impolite and weird. 

[Primo1868]

13 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

Well didn't expect this to head in the direction its heading, but, here is my anecdotal evidence. 

 

Around my area, I have and will continue to contact the PGA professional/DOG of a private club via email inquiring about unaccompanied play. 80% of the time I get an email back asking for an introduction from my pro (I belong to a "semi-private club" whatever that means - its public). If they request an introduction from my PGA professional, I kindly ask them to make a call on my behalf to communicate that I am a member in good standing and that usually gets me out unaccompanied. 20% of the time I can get in without needing introduction from my club pro. The success I have had with clubs that allow me to play without introductions by pros are all mid to low tier in the area. YMMV. 

 

I don't think its disrespectful at all to the club professional or membership to ask. For the clubs I have been allowed to play (whether from contact between pro's or not) I always follow up with a thank you email. Most of the time I can "go back" to the club I visited if I email again without issues. 

[PJE]

1 hour ago, david.c.w said:

cant play unless he joins the club, is a guest of a member, or the pro allows it.  This is the point of private clubs.

Agreed on the bad form. Why would random people not affiliated with a member be allowed to play? And, I don't think the members would like it too much if the pro allowed randoms to play?  I mean members joined, they or someone paid an initiation fee and they pay dues, so it seems proper members have exclusive access.

I'm a public course guy but, if I spent the bucks on joining a club, it doesn't seem equitable that a non member somehow gets to play. 

I've played some private clubs but that's because I was a guest of a member and one time I played with my friend, who was an assistant pro at the club. (That was a late afternoon round in the summer. The club was deserted.)

[Boise59]

14 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

43 year member of the PGA and worked clubs for 23 of those years. A letter would not be offensive in the least, a personal phone call at an opportune time (never on the weekends) might work.

 

All they can say is no. That being said, the whole atmosphere since COVID has been very non-welcoming. Before it was reasonably easy to get on all but the most "elite" clubs, but now it has gotten very restrictive.

[PJE]

52 minutes ago, Primo1868 said:

Around my area, I have and will continue to contact the PGA professional/DOG of a private club via email inquiring about unaccompanied play. 80% of the time I get an email back asking for an introduction from my pro (I belong to a "semi-private club" whatever that means - its public). If they request an introduction from my PGA professional, I kindly ask them to make a call on my behalf to communicate that I am a member in good standing and that usually gets me out unaccompanied. 20% of the time I can get in without needing introduction from my club pro. The success I have had with clubs that allow me to play without introductions by pros are all mid to low tier in the area. YMMV. 

 

I don't think its disrespectful at all to the club professional or membership to ask. For the clubs I have been allowed to play (whether from contact between pro's or not) I always follow up with a thank you email. Most of the time I can "go back" to the club I visited if I email again without issues. 

I think this is a different situation than what people are reacting to in the original post.  There are lots of clubs with a reciprocal playing privilige policy. 

[Jgolfer99]

Outside of a local reciprocal policy, this strategy although not rude in anyway, would more than likely be frowned upon at most clubs today and result in zero success.  That is simply the reality in todays private club environment.  

[Primo1868]

13 minutes ago, PJE said:

I think this is a different situation than what people are reacting to in the original post.  There are lots of clubs with a reciprocal playing privilige policy. 

I will caveat that although most clubs I do email fall in a 1hr drive from my house, I have done this for clubs in other locations (Pittsburg PA, for example) where my dad lives and have been successful without a pro making first contact. Albeit they are always lower tier clubs. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Primo1868
grammar

[david.c.w]

From a compliance perspective, most clubs fall under a 501(c)(7) classification.  Allowing people to utilize the club who just ask or show up can jeopardize that classification.  While one can argue that a pro calling is similar, it is likely more defensible to an auditor as being a normal course of business.

[mshills]

1 hour ago, PJE said:

Agreed on the bad form. Why would random people not affiliated with a member be allowed to play? And, I don't think the members would like it too much if the pro allowed randoms to play?  I mean members joined, they or someone paid an initiation fee and they pay dues, so it seems proper members have exclusive access.

I'm a public course guy but, if I spent the bucks on joining a club, it doesn't seem equitable that a non member somehow gets to play. 

I've played some private clubs but that's because I was a guest of a member and one time I played with my friend, who was an assistant pro at the club. (That was a late afternoon round in the summer. The club was deserted.)

It’s more than that IMO. My analogy about someone’s home was meant as a parallel for a member-owned club. You don’t write a letter to a complete stranger that effectively says “…you have nice things, would you allow me to come spend an afternoon at your house?” any more than you should do it to a member-owned club. That club belongs to someone else. If one of those folks asks you to play as a guest, awesome, exactly like I love accepting invites to, and hosting, dinner parties and BBQs.

 

 The out of nowhere ask is just solicitation in my mind. 
 

Reciprocal play is a totally different situation than what was outlined here. 

[DArnie]

3 hours ago, david.c.w said:

 

Poor form for a random person to ask to play a private club, be it email, letter, or stripper-gram.  Pro's can do this as a professional courtesy.  If a pro has a good relationship with another pro this can work.

 

If I was a pro and got a letter from PrincipalsNose to play the answer is no.  If I then get a call from a pro asking if PrincipalsNose can play, the answer is hell no.

 

Private clubs are private so that PrincipalsNose cant play unless he joins the club, is a guest of a member, or the pro allows it.  This is the point of private clubs.

 

 

 

 

I'm the Professional at a club. Most of time, the Pro usually has very little leeway in these matters. The Board makes the rules and the Pro is expected to abide by them. You can put the Pro in a bad situation by calling and saying that I have friends coming this weekend from out of town and want to play but I can't be there, can they play? Even though they know the rules, the answer is no and some members and guests can get downright ugly but that is the rule. I had a GM of another club call the other day and still couldn't let them on.

The same would be if someone out of the blue asks by either email or letter , no difference. I know different clubs have different rules.

[miss0033]

A few years ago I wrote a letter to the GM at Bulls Bay asking if they were willing to see if there was a member who would be willing to host me.  I have really enjoyed the Mike Strantz courses I have been able to play and was hoping to play Bulls Bay and was fully flexible with schedule/time.  I included a photo and little "about me" thing in there and a "why" statement, haha.  The GM never followed up with me personally, however I was contacted a couple weeks later by a member who said they were willing to host me.  I made travel arrangements to get down there but unfortunately he backed out about 2 weeks before I was scheduled to play stating that he had an injury and would be unable to play/host me.  Never said anything else to me after that.  I followed up with him a few weeks later but never heard anything back.  I didn't want to press them or annoy someone so I just left it alone, made the trip and just played Stono Ferry instead.  I was a little disappointed, but ultimately am not out anything (other than a short trip I wouldn't have taken otherwise).

 

That is my only experience in trying to do that, and while it almost worked out for me it ultimately didn't.  Your mileage may vary.  I didn't think I was crossing any lines.  I figured the worst that could happen is I would be told no, or just ignored, but it wasn't going to happen either if I didn't ask.  It's not like they can call and ban me from my local public courses for doing that... I am not going to continually write letters or call a club though and be a nuisance.  I figure maybe after 5-6 years have passed I will try again.

 

If you have a specific course you are looking to play, I don't think it would hurt.  But if it is some prestigious club (NGLA, Shinnecock, etc.) I wouldn't bother.  

[Primo1868]

1 hour ago, PJE said:

I think this is a different situation than what people are reacting to in the original post.  There are lots of clubs with a reciprocal playing privilige policy. 

Also, the private clubs that I email do not have a standing reciprocal playing policy with the club I belong to, if that adds anymore insight. 

 

I still don't think I'm going anything rude. If they don't want me to play, they just tell me no.

[Avidswampthing66]

4 hours ago, david.c.w said:

got a letter from PrincipalsNose to play the answer is no.

This cracks me up.  Princepalsnose??!!  😅

[Pepperturbo]

17 hours ago, PrincipalsNose said:

Has anyone ever written letters (or heard of this) to head pro’s at private clubs and being successful in getting a round? 

The pros I know won't acknowledge this tactic.  Normally, pvt club charters don't allow rounds to non-members.  The only time that is looked at is with potential new members, and those rounds are typically with a designated member. 

 

If you want to play a pvt course, you need a club pro that knows you, to write the letter for you.  If I aim to play a pvt course, I have one of my club pro friends make a call requesting professional courtesy, or write an email.  That way, the recipient club pro sees I am not some goofball, but maybe a future member.  Snail mail takes too long.

[Bonneville85308]

...

Edited October 27, 2023 by Bonneville85308

[graveydellic]

Sand Hills was notable for accepting written letters to play, however I am sure those days are long gone considering their waitlist and place in the rankings.  

[ND2005]

37 minutes ago, graveydellic said:

Sand Hills was notable for accepting written letters to play, however I am sure those days are long gone considering their waitlist and place in the rankings.  

Tara Iti 

[knock it close]

1 hour ago, graveydellic said:

Sand Hills was notable for accepting written letters to play, however I am sure those days are long gone considering their waitlist and place in the rankings.  

Ya they are, atleast that's what I heard, it worked for my buddy back in 2014 I believe, I don't know if it stopped before covid but I believe its stopped now. 

[Chanceman]

29 minutes ago, knock it close said:

Ya they are, atleast that's what I heard, it worked for my buddy back in 2014 I believe, I don't know if it stopped before covid but I believe its stopped now. 

Sand Hills allowed me to play there in 2019 after writing them a letter.

[phent123]

Tara Iti is no longer is allowing unaccompanied guests (I know members there who told me). Same thing at Sand Hills. Both places did allow one time unaccompanied play with politely written letters but due to the high demand, they stopped accepting the letters. You will need a member sponsor to play both courses now. 

[PrincipalsNose]

6 hours ago, DArnie said:

I'm the Professional at a club. Most of time, the Pro usually has very little leeway in these matters. The Board makes the rules and the Pro is expected to abide by them. You can put the Pro in a bad situation by calling and saying that I have friends coming this weekend from out of town and want to play but I can't be there, can they play? Even though they know the rules, the answer is no and some members and guests can get downright ugly but that is the rule. I had a GM of another club call the other day and still couldn't let them on.

The same would be if someone out of the blue asks by either email or letter , no difference. I know different clubs have different rules.

I wouldn’t say it’s offensive like some people are suggesting. But it may be a no. Which is totally okay. 

[PrincipalsNose]

5 hours ago, miss0033 said:

A few years ago I wrote a letter to the GM at Bulls Bay asking if they were willing to see if there was a member who would be willing to host me.  I have really enjoyed the Mike Strantz courses I have been able to play and was hoping to play Bulls Bay and was fully flexible with schedule/time.  I included a photo and little "about me" thing in there and a "why" statement, haha.  The GM never followed up with me personally, however I was contacted a couple weeks later by a member who said they were willing to host me.  I made travel arrangements to get down there but unfortunately he backed out about 2 weeks before I was scheduled to play stating that he had an injury and would be unable to play/host me.  Never said anything else to me after that.  I followed up with him a few weeks later but never heard anything back.  I didn't want to press them or annoy someone so I just left it alone, made the trip and just played Stono Ferry instead.  I was a little disappointed, but ultimately am not out anything (other than a short trip I wouldn't have taken otherwise).

 

That is my only experience in trying to do that, and while it almost worked out for me it ultimately didn't.  Your mileage may vary.  I didn't think I was crossing any lines.  I figured the worst that could happen is I would be told no, or just ignored, but it wasn't going to happen either if I didn't ask.  It's not like they can call and ban me from my local public courses for doing that... I am not going to continually write letters or call a club though and be a nuisance.  I figure maybe after 5-6 years have passed I will try again.

 

If you have a specific course you are looking to play, I don't think it would hurt.  But if it is some prestigious club (NGLA, Shinnecock, etc.) I wouldn't bother.  

I think it depends how many letters you write too. Keep it to 1 and move on. Persistent letters is obnoxious and unnecessary.