Clubhouse
The clubhouse is the central building of a golf facility with the club office, restaurant, changing rooms and pro shop.
The clubhouse is the hub of course life. This is where you check in before the round, pay your green fee, ask about tee times and get the current course rules posted. It also houses changing rooms with showers, lockers for bags and usually a restaurant or a terrace with a view of the eighteenth green. The pro shop with equipment and the offices of the club office and the head greenkeeper are often in the same building. In rain or a thunderstorm the clubhouse is the place to retreat to, and in the event of a suspension of play it is the gathering point.
In practice, your visit to the course revolves around the clubhouse. An example: you arrive half an hour before your tee time, check in at the club office, get a coffee onto the terrace and read the daily information — for example about mown fairways or temporary course rules. After the round, the day classically ends at the nineteenth hole, that is, in the restaurant while going over the round with your playing partners. Tournaments also start and end here: registration, scorecard submission and the prize giving all run through the clubhouse.
Typical misconception: the clubhouse is only for members. At almost all facilities, visiting players are welcome in the restaurant, on the terrace and in the club office; only certain areas such as members' rooms may be reserved. The second point is the dress code: traditional clubs expect appropriate clothing in the clubhouse as well; street shoes or dirty golf shoes are often unwelcome indoors. A look at the website or a quick call to the club office clarifies which rules apply at the facility in question.
FAQ
Am I allowed to use the clubhouse as a visiting player?
At almost all facilities, yes. The club office, restaurant and terrace are open to visiting players; only certain areas such as members' rooms may be reserved. You check in there before the round, pay your green fee and are just as welcome afterwards while going over your round.
What do I need to take care of in the clubhouse before the round?
Check in at the club office, pay or show your green fee ticket and confirm your tee time. Read the daily information on the notice board — it contains, for example, temporary course rules or maintenance work. Plan around half an hour before your tee time for this.
Is there a dress code in the clubhouse?
Many traditional clubs expect appropriate clothing in the clubhouse as well. Street shoes or dirty golf shoes are often unwelcome indoors, and some clubs prefer long trousers or polo shirts. You can find out which rules apply on the facility's website or with a quick word at the club office.