re: Houston Area Country Clubs

quote:

---

Riverbend - not sure on costs but I’ve heard it’s more serious golfers and less family oriented as it’s neighbor sugar creek

---

Riverbend is hard to beat if you are only in it for the golf .

If you are in Sugarland and have kids, they do have a pool that no one uses

From my Lifestyle Correspondent candidate:

quote:

---

Champions going to $50k later this year. No equity.

Riverbend is $15k with equity.

Both Champions and Riverbend are effectively $1000/mo rounded up in dues and fees.

---

quote:

---

I get lessons at Sugar Creek but haven't played the course yet...have heard good things about it. Also heard good things about RiverBend:

---

I was a member at Riverbend for 15 years before moving. Dead on about it being a golf first club. Its been 10 years since I was out there and it was only getting better when I left. A great cross section of golfers, with full well run tournaments and weekly set blocks of tee times for smaller (Wednesday and Friday at Noon and Saturday at 8am) gambling groups that you could jump in last minute and lose/win $100. I miss the hell out of the Hanie Group.

The non-golf stuff was decent but not a huge selling point. At the time, they had a newer but small workout facility, a large pool area that was somewhat dated and underused (a plus imo), and a solid tennis program. The new mens locker room was outstanding including a great bar with a lot of good 30-50 year old golfers that liked to hang out after a round for cards. Restaurant food was a little above average but underutilized and not a big social scene by any stretch.

quote:

---

I miss the hell out of the Hanie Group.

---

I believe that I used to play in the Bubb's group at Riverbend. I always played with a guy last name Melcher who had the most beautiful wife.

I loved Old Orchard GC, great 27 holes and the best sausage wraps at the turn.

I played every Wednesday evening at First Colony in their 9 hole scramble. I use to cut the corner over the water plant to the green on #2 off the tee.

Melcher was a pilot for Abercrombie family. I'm not joking about his wife, she was better than anything in playboy and very nice.

He was a plus 2 at the time at Riverbend.

Never made any of those trips. Shortly after that I joined Fort Bend CC so I could have my own cart and never had to make a tee time.

Fort Bends Winter and Summer Carnival golf tournaments were legendary for gambling and Calcutta's.

The best players in South Texas played in them.

I’m a member at Sugar Creek, joined a year ago and have enjoyed so far. I’ve got a 2 year old and and 2 month old so golf is limited at the moment but we enjoy the club and tons of young families out on lawn on Friday nights.

I love having the 27 holes because I can always walk on one of the 9 with zero issues, especially because I have to be opportunistic with my limited free time. My wife plays tennis.

They’ve just kicked off a multi year capital improvements program. Full membership is $12k and monthly dues in line with River Bend. The club is looking to increase initiation fees in the coming years as they spruce the place up.

I forgot about the driving range off of Lexington... I predate 1995 as well... I've been in Sugar Land since I was in 7th grade in 1976. I remember the last Dulles football game at the old Kempner Field vs Galveston before moving to Mercer, which looked so lonely out there by itself back in 1977. Now if you aren't looking, it's easy to miss the stadium lights from 59.

I seem to remember there was always talk that the course on SH6 was just temporary and you're right, it looked temporary. The land became too valuable to keep as a golf course just the same as Old Orchard. I was shocked and disappointed when it was announced that Old Orchard was shutting down.

Did Fishel also own the small shop on Dulles by Riverbend? He might have has a shop in Pasadena or League City too?

Didn't Swedes also have a bowling shop?

Yeah, $15k and $1k/mo for Riverbend (stated by two others) is way too high. My buddies joined 2 years ago as juniors for $800 initiation and $400 a month.