Public, private and resort courses

Courses fall into three broad groups, and the difference is about access rather than quality.

Public and municipal

Anyone can book. Municipal courses are council owned, inexpensive and often busy, especially at weekends. Daily-fee courses are privately owned but open to all, usually better conditioned and priced accordingly. Both are the natural home for a beginner.

Private clubs

Members and their guests only. You join by application, pay a joining fee and annual dues, and get a settled community, competitions and an easier tee sheet. Some private clubs allow visitor play on quiet weekdays if you call the pro shop.

Resort courses

Attached to a hotel, open to guests and usually to the public at a higher green fee. Conditioning and scenery are the selling point, pace of play is relaxed, and the price often includes a cart.

Practical advice

Call the pro shop rather than relying on a website. Ask about twilight rates, which can halve the price, and about dress code, which private clubs still enforce. If you are new, a municipal course on a weekday afternoon is the least intimidating round you will play.