This afternoon my wife and I took an up close look at the offering of Southview Country Club in West St. Paul, MN. We have been seeking a course to call ours and it has not been an easy process. We are fortunate that despite Minnesota having a golf "season" instead of year round golf to have many fine golf courses in our area. As we began our search it became very clear to us that not all courses are equal (private or public) and that not all courses are welcoming.
Initially we began evaluating all courses; however, it quickly became evident that most public courses simply do not offer enough value relative to their price and that you are sharing the course with far more people than we would like. Many of the public courses had good programs to facilitate golf and tee times for season pass holders who were able to plan ahead a week or two, but none of them provided a suitable solution for helping me get a round in tonight. We narrowed our search down to private clubs and the fun really began.
Some of the private clubs I reached out to were just not interested in working with a perspective member, others were simply out of our budget and some offered very complicated fee structures. Our priorities included the following (in no particular order)...
- Quality of course
- condition
- playability for both of our skill sets
- course maturity
- Friendlyness / helpfulness of staff
- Age of membership (not specifically the average membership age but how actively they are persuing younger members)
- Club ammenities
- Club atmosphere
- Inviting existing membership
- Availability of the golf course for members
Overall Southview did a great job. Over a weeks time I spoke with three individuals from the staff. Each were friendly and helpful and seemed genuinely happy to be representing their club. Additionally, unlike other clubs I contacted each person at Southview was consistent with the information they shared. In the process of asking questions some questions and information over lapped and at many clubs I received a different explanation of policies or fees from one person to another and in many cases further confusing me.
Southview seemed like a friendly place to call home; though not lavish it was nice and functional much in the same way we think of ourselves. It became apparent very quickly that the club represented its membership with regards to their policies and the clubhouse. The dining areas were comfortable and the bar inviting. It is a little early in the year to have taken a look at the full golf course; however, after our meeting and tour we took a few minutes to walk down a couple cart paths to get a look at the course. The course appeared as though it will be in excellent condition as Spring rolls through. The course was filled with bunkers, mature trees and rolling hills. I am not entirely sure how well either of us will play on this course but I do believe that we will both very much enjoy it.
Whatever decision we make visiting Southview Country Club was a good experience and will weigh heavily on our decision.