using practice greens
 

i was just wondering what your thoughts are on using a golf courses practice green when not playing a round or paying for a round and you dont have a membership. just going and walking in and practicing your short game

I do it all the time. As long as there is no rule against it or a sign posted saying the practice green is for members only, I don't see a problem with it.

I don't have a problem with it, although a course or club does have the right to ask you to not do so (as it's private property).

Incidentally, I usually don't bother using practice greens BEFORE I play a round at the course. Most practice greens I've used in the past had completely different speeds from the course's greens and didn't give much indication as to how fast the greens on the course actually were.

I've seen some courses that have a sign near the practice green that states that you must have a receipt for that day's round or a membership to use it.

In general, out of courtesy I would probably not just walk onto a course's practice green to use it if I wasn't playing the course that day. There are days that I go to the driving range and just use the practice green there without buying a bucket.

I do that a lot as well. Sometimes I'll head over and if I don't feel like spending money to hit the range, I'll just putt for a while.

Each situation is different. I have a "range membership" and pay an annual fee to use the course's practice facility (unlimited balls at the practice range and use of the putting green). At another course (convenently located near my work), I play (therefore pay) there very frequently and if the green is farely empty, I will use the putting green (when not playing). I would not be upset of offended if I was asked to pay a fee or not to use a facility if that is all I did there. People have to remember that this is part of a courses' inventory and in many cases is a component of their revenue stream. It cost money to maintain the putting green.

i do this sometimes but usually only when im paying for a round also the range near my house also has a chip and putt so i pay for a bucket or play chip and putt and then practice on the practice green for a while before or after

I'm a member so I can use it any time. But really I never use it unless I'm playing or I payed for balls. We very loosely enforce that you must have paid for a round or range balls to use it, but really people do it anyway. I don't really have a problem with it, because these guys are just trying to practice like I am. I have respect for someone who would want to practice on the short game area. Means they care and don't just want to go out and whack balls all day and then concede when they reach the green as see sometimes.

If it's somewhere where I don't have a membership, I'd walk up to the clubhouse and ask. Worst case they'll say no, but most likely just charge you a few bucks or nothing at all. Whenever I think a fee may be a little silly, I always try to keep in mind that they are running a business. The course/practice area is their goods. Giving it away for free in most cases doesn't do them any good. Keeping up a golf course is an expensive undertaking. Just my 2¢ though...

Nothing really wrong with it.

What kills me is that we have 2 greens pretty close to each other....1 that says "no chipping" in signs next to it which obviously is a putting green while the other one has bunkers around it which is obviously for greenside chipping/pitching practice and you have fools standing around putting on it while the putting green has plenty of space. I'm not sure how confident everyone else is, but I'm not crazy about hitting pitches at holes on a green with people standing there with their backs to you putting.....

I do it on one of the city courses when I don't feel like driving to my club. My 3,600 property tax bill makes me feel incredibly unguilty about doing it too.

Touché

Wow! Only $3,600 property tax? I have more than double that and I moved from a county in NJ that's more than 5 times that!!!

I think they're high, but you'd have to see my house I guess. Here's a pic I snapped a few weeks ago.

http://www.christiandevotions.us/upl...ack-718559.jpg

honestly, I'd never play a course with that kind of rule. I practice more often than I play, and My practice routine is always chipping and short game, irons, woods, drivers, then putting for an extensive period of time.

I do it at my muni home course. I play 90% of my rounds there. I don't think I'd be comfortable doing it at a semi-private unless I had some sort of membership or at least played there regularly. If I'm worried I'll just buy a small bucket of balls or a hotdog.

I personally never do anything where I'm not at least playing. My home course does have the rule about the practice area being for paying players, members and paying range players only.

Regardless of what the rule is, the practice areas are something they have to pay employees to maintain, so minimally, I will buy a small bucket of range balls, and usually a drink when I'm done.

DL

That's it?! Don't come to Maryland - place where wallets go to die !

True dat.