1) Just Ask: Never Hurt To Ask The Greenskeeper or Golf Course Owner
One thing my mother always told me to do is " It never hurts to ask." What is the worst that could happen? They say NO, or they permit you, and you have the time of your life. In my experience ask the groundskeeper who cares for the grass. They will usually allow you access during off times. If you go into the clubhouse, the front desk team can usually put you in contact with who you need to talk to for permission. Approach it in a manner that you will only fish at off hours, so you're not in the way of golfers and business. You may not get the answer you want. Do not be afraid to leave your name and number with them if they change their mind.
2) Pay To Play: Carry A Fishing Pole In Your Golf Bag
One of the easiest ways to get on the golf course is pay to play. While you are playing a round of golf, bring a rod and reel in your golf bag to throw around the pond hazards. The main problem with this is you will have limited time to cast and play. At busier golf courses you will have groups following you and people will get mad if your fishing and suppose to golfing. Not the ideal scenario, but if you can land a lunker between shots, it will be one your buddies will talk about for a while.
3) Neighborhood Golf Course Community: Ask The Home Owner Who Lives On The Golf Course Pond
Many golf courses in larger cities are built with neighborhoods around them. I grew up in one of these neighborhoods. We would walk the greens at dusk and fish the water hazards. One thing I remember is people would knock on our door and ask if they could fish the pond behind our house. My father would always say "if you do not leave trash, you're more welcome to it." All it takes is a little courage to talk to the homeowner and next thing you know you will be fishing that golf course pond.
4) Get A Job At Golf Course
Another option if you are very desperate to fish a secret golf course pond is getting a job at the golf course. After you have completed a long day of work, you should be able to walk to the course and fish the ponds. This is not a very feasible way to fish, especially if you already have a job or career. I have known people to get part-time jobs to get a crack at fishing some of the best ponds around.
5) Volunteer Your Time And Services
Another very reasonable means for gaining access is asking to volunteer your time and services. Many golf courses will find good use of your time. This not only allows for you to get access to the course but lets your earn volunteer hours. Many golf courses will let you wash carts, pick up golf balls after hours or caddy for a day by volunteering. Once you have a foot in the door, it will be 100 times easier to get access to the fishing holes to land your next monster bass.
6) Sneak Out At Night
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND, but these are some of the best memories I have growing up. Sneaking out on a golf course under the mask of night may be your only option. Growing up, we would sneak out at night to fish the ponds and go frog gigging. We can not tell you to trespass, but when you know the pigs are lurking in a pond, you will do what it takes to catch them.
Golf course pond fishing can be some of the most accessible yet most rewarding types of bass fishing. The chance to fish ponds that generally are not touched by the public can yield some of the largest largemouth bass you will ever catch! If you have any questions or comments, we want to hear them and answer them. Feel free to leave us a comment below or email us at info@hfdepot.com. Send us your biggest bass pictures to be featured on all of our social media pages. If you have another tip that can help people gain access to golf course ponds, we would love to hear them and share with our readers. Get out there and go golf course pond fishing today for your next lunker.
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