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Procedures and rules at courses regarding warmup and practice areas...

My current favorite place to play is a $10/9 hole course that surprisingly has a putting green and range. Unforunately, this partucular course is a little farther away than I would like to travel just for practice.

For the regular courses, what are the SOPs with regard to putting greens and chipping areas? Can I just show up (as a non-member) and practice putting and chipping? Do I have to pay for a round of golf first if I want to use their facilities? Is this type of behavior frowned upon? If not a round of golf, is there a smaller fee for utilizing their practice areas?

My experience is that clubs (not muni's) usually don't allow practice unless you intend to play (I live in Tx)...all the muni's I've been to will sell you range balls and let you use the putting green even if you don't play but I'm not sure about putting practice if you don't buy range balls. I used to go to Lyons Municipal in Austin all the time and use their practice facilities without playing or buying range balls (poor college student) and noone ever said a thing. Out here in West Tx most of the small, isolated towns have a nine-hole track and will let you use their practice facilities at will...quite neighborly.

Shade

I think if you checked with the clubhouse first and asked them about using the pratice area, most probably wouldn't charge you much, if anything. Not good manners to just show up and do it...might get asked to leave or pay a greens fee.

I've usually found that most places will let me practice if I ask first. I usually try to dress the part, so I fit in with the clietele, and I rarely have problems.