Is a Country Club Worth it>?

[mike295]

I have been looking around at some of the local clubs. just wondering if they are worth it? I am talking about next year

[Mrd19abhs]

I think it all depends on the deal you get and how much golf your planning on playing. I was playing two to three times a week and hittime the range @least twice a week before I joined my CC. Now when i joined i got a great deal(free carts for a year, free locker, free bag storage, free handicap) and i pay 232 month which is approx what i was spending when i was playing different public courses and hitting the range. Now that i joined the lub i still play two to three times a week but never hit the range cause it closes before i get off work and im now back in school so cant go before work, but there is a 24/7 gym @ my club that I began to use so all in all for me I think its worth it and I shall stay a member @least until my freebiees run out next year.

[meenman]

It all depends on what you are into and what you can afford.

Do I get my money's worth? Some wouldnt consider it worth it, but I dont mind paying a little extra to know I can have a weekend morning tee time every week and a place to go if I feel like ducking out of work a bit early.

With double tee times on weekend mornings I am never guaranteed anything shorter than a 4 hour round, but it does guarantee it will never be over 4:15. Honestly I've used the pool maybe twice and played tennis about the same amount of times over the past couple years - but it's always there if I want it.

[newtogolf]

It's a very personal decision because it depends on the cost, club and what you're looking for. I lived on a golf course for a while when I didn't play (I know, what a waste) but it was nice to have access to the other amenities, and there were alot of good people there to socialize with outside of golf. I'd have paid to belong to it if I had to because it was a club my entire family could enjoy.

At this point I'm considering joining one, but the demographics of the membership is more important to me than the golf course. I don't tolerate elitists very well, after all I do have some cargo shorts in my wardrobe.

[Mrd19abhs]

I don't tolerate elitists very well, after all I do have some cargo shorts in my wardrobe.

Please no cargo shorts discussion. That is becoming the most annoying topic ever.

[O.B. Right]

First of all, do you want to join a Golf Club or a Country Club? Golf clubs are usually public or semi-private courses where you can pay an annual or monthly fee for unlimited golf. There are typically no other amenities and no other expenses. Whether or not to join is simply a function of annual cost/non-member greens fees. If you can play at least that many times, join!

I don't know about joining a country club where you have other things to consider like what other amenities are there? what other fees (like food minimums, initial joining fee, etc)? Is there a prestige or social factor? I'm too poor to really worry about anything other than the monthly fee at my local muni - which is defintely worth it to me.

[alomar123]

For me the only two reasons there are to join a club are:

1. It saves you money.

2. The course is one of the best around and the only way to play it is to be a member.

[senorchipotle]

if you're over 50 join a country club, if not find a golf club.

[jho786]

If you play a lot of golf than the benefit of being a member becomes more of how much you enjoy your golf than how much it costs. Like OB said you have to know if it's a golf club or country club. Country clubs have other things to do besides golf too. I was a member of a place that called itself a C.C. but it wasn't anything close to it. I just joined because for the $$ it was a no brainer and I got a lot better. This year I joined a golf club that has 2 courses (one private the other semi). The private member's course is unlike anything you'll find in NJ. It definitely could host a PGA or Nationwide event and had held many NJ state amateur tourneys as well. I feel like I am going to play a tournament course every time I show up and the staff is very professional and calls Mr. They allow walking at any time and it is a pleasure to walk the course.

My advice is to call up the membership director and tell them you are interested for the 2011 golf season. They might just let you play for the rest of this year for no additional cost or a small down payment toward the total dues for 2011. If you have family how much would it cost for them to play/ enjoy the other amenities at the club? Are there member tournaments? Is there a practice range? Can you make tee times or is it show up and get set up in a group? These are a few things you need to know before paying. Good luck!!

[mike295]

Thanks thats all really good stuff to consider. I really guess i am looking for something where I can play a morning round, eat some lunch and then go out and play an afternoon round. Or after work go out and hit 9 or so.

[Mrd19abhs]

Also look and see if the club has assesments or not cause that could be a big added cost to what you orginally thought you would pay for the year. Also if you are planning on playing then eating lunch see how much the food actually cost and then see if the club has a f&b; min, if so see if you plan to actually eat there enought to meet their mins. If your not you could be just paying more money than needed.

[Ryno314]

Im not a GC or CC member but my former roomie is a General Manager of a local course and he says make sure its not a First In First Out GC or CC. If the worst happens and you get laid off or just kick playing golf you could be on the hook for dues until your name comes up on the exiting list. Thanks for some other insight on GC and CC. I was looking at them too but but can justify the cost yet. That dang cart fee everytime pushes my cost up for those after work 9's that i would play if i were a member.

For the GC and CC member do you find yourself playing more than a when you used to daily fee?

[mike295]

One of the ones I was looking at had no ignition fee, no deposit, no assessments and no monthly mins.

[ghalfaire]

I doubt you can justify belonging to a CC based on cost. I belong to a seasonal country club (April to October) and while it is a CC we mostly play golf. We do have tennis courts, a recreational center for kids, and restaurant and Bar. But where I spend summers the only nearby public course is an executive course, albeit a really nice one, or you can drive 25 miles (one way) to a great public course. So I got tired of the drive and finally forked over the $ to join about 10 years ago. We don't have minimums but there are annual dues and there was one assessment in the 10 years (second one in club history) so I was just a little unlucky with my timing. I have learned to like the service and miss it at my winter home where I don't belong to a club. It is great to have all you gear stored for you at the club, clubs are ready and out when you need them, unlike the stereotypes the members are welcoming of new members and pretty much just regular folks that saved/made some $ in their lives. All of this and the course is a good one that you can play often and not get bored. The club is located at altitude in the pine forest so we don't suffer the searing heat I lived with in the deserts for so many summers. From a pure economic view I could have done better by driving 50 miles and joining the men's club. However I believe my money was well spent and don't regret having joined this club.

[drglew]

I would agree with the majority of other posts that joining a CC, or even an annual membership at a public course is rarely a cost savings ; you're paying for convenience, ease of access, ease of meeting new playing partners, probability you can get a weekend tee time, probability you can get a weekend round completed in 4 hours instead of 5-1/2, etc.

Other things to consider:

-Age: many CC's have discounted rates for younger members (less than 30 or 35);
-Marital Status: if you're married and your spouse already is annoyed by the amount of time you spend playing golf, there's almost NO way she will go for a membership; so if you're single and can swing the dough, it's almost the best time to join; once you're a member (especially if you've invested an initiation fee), it's a whole lot less likely a future spouse would make you drop it
-Kids: many CC's actually have great kids programs so they can learn the game; and if you're already a member, you won't worry about the cost if you want to go and play even just a few twilight holes with your kid(s) after work/school; you'd probably never do that if you had to pay a greens fee at a public course

Ironically, i'm a "social member" of our nearby CC -- might have considered full "golf membership" but i don't like the course; my family uses the pool, tennis, and other facilities regularly and have made great new friends; i'm also an annual passholder at a nice public course; a whole lot cheaper than upgrading my CC membership status, and i get to play a course i like a lot more!

[GaijinGolfer]

If you can afford it, a country club is well worth it. At the very least you wont have to deal with nearly as much of the riff-raff as you do at a public course or a muni.

[bigoak]

You get what you pay for and you pay for what you get. If you need connections, a well established club may afford you connections with people who could help you or point you in the right direction. The guy in the sleeveless shirt and sneakers and a cooler full of beer may also help you but not so much.

[DaSportsGuy]

It depends on what you're looking for. I'm a member of a public course and really the only thing I don't like about it is it's open to the public at a rather cheap price so you get a lot of dbags messing around. I've got a spot to store my clubs, and a really nice big locker that I keep my golf attire and shoes in. I just go play, enter my score, take a shower, and head home. Never have to take anything home because they have a washer and dryer there.