Opinion on pros and cons of private club membership

[ay33660]

Some exclusive private clubs are doing well.  Being a member is a status symbol, a door into socializing with who is who in the community.   I can believe there would be a waiting list to get into despite lofty initiation fee.   We entertained joining a country club, visited a few facility, etc., last year.   At the end, getting stuck with initiation fee + monthly payment didn't work for us as we plan to move around after I quit my job.  I also didn't like "socializing" aspects of a country club.   We are only in it for golf and didn't want to get bothered with different committees, donation drives, being pressured to volunteer, parties for members, ....    But others join for that aspect of the membership, not so much for golf!    We ended up renewing our public golf membership.

No offense to the rich professional folks who post here.   Rubbing shoulders with doctors, lawyers, well to do business people, and misc millionaires isn't for me.  I am from a humble beginning and gets lost when surrounded by aforementioned folks.

My club is certainly not an exclusive club.

I am like you and I don't do the social stuff. I mean I will have lunch and dinner with the regular foursome but that is about it.

I am there to golf only and yes they are some rich business owners but the vast majority are hard working professionals.

You will find Bentley's and Ferrari's in the parking lot but you will also find Honda's, Toyota's etc too.

[Fourputt]

Some exclusive private clubs are doing well.  Being a member is a status symbol, a door into socializing with who is who in the community.   I can believe there would be a waiting list to get into despite lofty initiation fee.   We entertained joining a country club, visited a few facility, etc., last year.   At the end, getting stuck with initiation fee + monthly payment didn't work for us as we plan to move around after I quit my job.  I also didn't like "socializing" aspects of a country club.   We are only in it for golf and didn't want to get bothered with different committees, donation drives, being pressured to volunteer, parties for members, ....    But others join for that aspect of the membership, not so much for golf!    We ended up renewing our public golf membership.

No offense to the rich professional folks who post here.   Rubbing shoulders with doctors, lawyers, well to do business people, and misc millionaires isn't for me.  I am from a humble beginning and gets lost when surrounded by aforementioned folks.

Yep.  I paid for an annual membership at the local public course.  Paid the dues for a senior couple - $337 including cart.  The only additional charge for each 18 hole round is $2 trail fee and $1 capital improvement fee.  I play regularly with the owner of the local Taco John's restaurant... that's about as highbrow as the clientele gets.

[newtogolf]

I agree with you. No way that works anywhere but very wealthy areas. And I mean really wealthy. Only 10% of american families have a household income above 100k and only 2.5% have one above 250k. I am 36 years old and live in pretty populated area. Most of my friends have great jobs - doctors, lawyers, business, etc - we all fall in the that 10% and 1-2 of us fall in that 2.5% (barely). But if any of them tried to spend 50k on golf their wives would divorce them and I dont think they could do it even if they were allowed. I think none of us would even pay a 5k initiation fee. That 2008 economical bust scared us. We are trying to put away savings for what comes next - a bigger house downpayment, etc. We have to spend our money on bigger houses, better cars, kids, etc. to keep up with the jonses - that is where our money goes. Additionally, since we live in warmer climates all of our neighborhoods have clubhouses, pools, parks, tennis etc. A private club membership is only good for golf. We dont need the amenities. I pay just under $1000 a year for unlimited walking and driving range at a public course. Honestly if it were more than that I probably wouldn't. Most of the people I am friends with my age won't even pay that because we work long hours, have kids, travel, etc and would rather just pay the daily fee when they get out. I dont think country clubs are something for my generation. There is too much other stuff we want to spend our money on (ipads, etc.). I don't even see the appeal of the private course in my area. The only reason I would join one is if I have millions just doing nothing in the bank. They just are not worth it when you have decent public courses at a fraction of the cost.

Demographics drive business, it always comes down to supply and demand.  You can't build an country club in an area where the average salary is $50,000 and expect to charge $25,000 initiation fees or $15,000 annual due.  Most country clubs I've considered and joined offer significant discounts on annual dues and initiation fees for the under 35 and over 65.  Most clubs also offer different plans single, family, weekday only, etc. which greatly reduces the cost of the full blown membership.

You also have to consider what other amenities come with the membership, if the club has a pool, gym, tennis, driving range, practice greens, restaurant, discounts on golf apparel and equipment you might find it easier to cost justify such a membership.

[ghalfaire]

No offense to the rich professional folks who post here.   Rubbing shoulders with doctors, lawyers, well to do business people, and misc millionaires isn't for me.  I am from a humble beginning and gets lost when surrounded by aforementioned folks.

I actually do take some offence to this.  I too grew up in modest or poor conditions with cow on my boots and working in the fields & pastures. I managed to get an education (GI bill as my folks certainly didn't have the $) and while not a billionaire I did do OK.  I certainly do not  believe I am better than anyone just because I ended up financially OK.  So I call bull on your comment.

[rkim291968]

Good for you, ghalfaire.  Well done.  It's not easy to go from humble beginning to succeed.

[Fourputt]

Good for you, ghalfaire.  Well done.  It's not easy to go from humble beginning to succeed.

My wife and I both came from near the bottom of the food chain - she the daughter of a dry land wheat farmer and me from a father who never understood his responsibilities as a husband and father - he ran out on us when I was 10 and we lived with my grandmother for 4 years while my mother earned less than $40 a week working in a bank.

We came out okay - we could certainly afford even a  $50,000 club fee, but have no interest in that, and honestly can't even understand the mindset that would want to.  For one thing, I don't want to feel obligated to play my golf all in one place just so I can feel that I got my money's worth.  I've known a few country clubbers over the years, and most of the time, we just don't speak the same language.  I'm not saying that it's universal, but the prevailing view of the affluent on life is simply different from ours (despite the fact that we have achieved a nice degree of financial security), and usually uncomfortable for me.

[inthehole]

Cons:   $$ and being tied down to 1 club.

Pros:  Guessing, as I'm a golfnow bottomfeeder - never set foot inside a private club ... comaraderie & less crowded.

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Good for you, ghalfaire.  Well done.  It's not easy to go from humble beginning to succeed.

My wife and I both came from near the bottom of the food chain - she the daughter of a dry land wheat farmer and me from a father who never understood his responsibilities as a husband and father - he ran out on us when I was 10 and we lived with my grandmother for 4 years while my mother earned less than $40 a week working in a bank.

We came out okay - we could certainly afford even a  $50,000 club fee, but have no interest in that, and honestly can't even understand the mindset that would want to.  For one thing, I don't want to feel obligated to play my golf all in one place just so I can feel that I got my money's worth.  I've known a few country clubbers over the years, and most of the time, we just don't speak the same language.  I'm not saying that it's universal, but the prevailing view of the affluent on life is simply different from ours (despite the fact that we have achieved a nice degree of financial security), and usually uncomfortable for me.

The bold is what I was referring to before a poster took offense.  I don't feel comfortable either.   It's not their fault. It's more on me.   B/c much of our past experience is so different, other than golf, there isn't much common things for me to socialize with them.   I experienced real hunger, grew up in poor neighborhood, ran into fights, had abusive family members, and faced other hardships.  Those things shaped everything that is me today and I get lost when I am put in a social setting with people from vastly different background.   Private golf clubs are full of members whom I can't really relate to, try I may.   So, that played into my ultimately not joining a country club.   I may one day if all the planets align but not today.

[Aguirre]

I think pretty much everything has been covered.  I love the idea of all the events.  As it stands, I only play competitive golf in my own foursome, and at a few charity scrambles throughout the year.

None of the people I know who belong to clubs are of the snobbish type.  Certainly my parent's aren't.  But I do understand that feeling.

I was thinking about joining a very nice club close to me and downtown Pittsburgh a couple years ago.  I had several friends and business acquaintances who were members.  They were all unfamiliar with the current deals and membership options and they gave me a number of a guy to call.  This was after I checked their website, which was extremely vague.  They wanted me to fill out a membership application first, before sharing any detailed information.  Okay, I guess.  This would have included everything under the sun including a credit check.  And then I had to make an appointment to meet the guy and talk things out.  I mean, **** all that.  Give me a price first.

I know, it's a private club.  But I've never been into exclusivity and I find the whole thing to be some kind of soft modern caste system.  I never bothered to apply and don't regret it.  I get to play plenty of nice clubs in Pittsburgh every year, often for free.  In the meantime, I have a 'membership' at a public course and they never ask me for my social security number or to provide references.

[jsgolfer]

I've been a member at a private club for about 20 years, We pay something like $4,000 a year in monthly dues, plus a very small food minimum.  My wife and I play unlimited golf, and between us we average between 120 and 150 rounds per year, which works out to the ballpark of $30 per round.  In the metropolitan Washington DC area, there's no way t beat that value at public facilities. Additional advantages are: Availability - we'd love to have more members for the health of the club, but right now there's not a big competition for weekend tee times, and the weekdays are generally wide-open.  If we play on a Sunday morning, and feel like going back out for 9 more, its no problem at all. Friends - We've developed a great group of friends at the club.  I can go out at just about any time of day and play with someone I know and like.  I have a steady group of about 25 guys I play with, we use up to 3 tee times every weekend morning.  We travel with a number of different couples for vacations. Interclub - We play in a men's handicap interclub league the includes 20 private clubs in northern Virginia.  The members include Washington Golf, which has had sitting presidents as members, and the Trump National club, which I think will be hosting a Senior PGA in a few years.  Jsgolfer, another member here at TST, is a member at the club I'm playing at on Sunday for a match. Reciprocity - On rare occasions when travelling, I've asked to play at a nearby private club, and I've needed to be a club member elsewhere to be invited in.  A call from my home pro has made that possible.

I'm with Dave, we joined for the convenience, it is a luxury and it is not a bargain. Now I play 150 rounds a year and my fiancé plays 100 rounds, but the cost is high, we pay 7,000 a year including food minimum and course maintenance fee. However, the opportunity to play when and how much I want and only need a tee time on weekend mornings and far away is worth the money. I play with great guys and I also play the inter club matches, have a group I play with on the weekends, twilight league on ztuesday and couples on Friday. We have met many great friends, take trips with them, not always golf. I too have received reciprocal rates at other courses, have played all of the other private courses in the area. We love it and wouldn't not be a member of a Country a Club.

[bwdial]

Golf is having a tough time right now.   The Y Generation are not interested in golf.   In fact they're leaving the game at 30% more than the previous year.  Many private clubs are going to feel the pinch and will be required to increase their dues and/or make serious annual assessments to the members.   My advice to you is enjoy the game at the public level and accept the fact that you may have to spend 5 hours in the beautiful sunshine instead of 4 hours at a private club.  Last year in the US there were 11 new courses built.......there were 167 that closed.   If you google the "Oldsmobile/Golf" concept you'll read that by the year 2050 golf could be a thing of the past.   Scary.  I attend a USGA Workshop every year and I don't like what I hear.

Full Golf Membership (Individual)

Full Golf Membership, play seven days a week for a cart fee only.

Initiation Fee: $100*

Monthly Dues: $159

Above is the posted fee structure for a semi-private club here in the metro Atlanta area.  I was in a conversation the other day with a couple of guys, and one of them said that this particular club was running a deal where they are waiving the initiation fee altogether and signing people up for $30 a month.  That allows you to play several courses in the area as well, and pay only for the cart.  Sadly, this seems to fall in line with what you are saying.

[JP golf]

The bold is what I was referring to before a poster took offense.  I don't feel comfortable either.   It's not their fault. It's more on me.   B/c much of our past experience is so different, other than golf, there isn't much common things for me to socialize with them.   I experienced real hunger, grew up in poor neighborhood, ran into fights, had abusive family members, and faced other hardships.  Those things shaped everything that is me today and I get lost when I am put in a social setting with people from vastly different background.   Private golf clubs are full of members whom I can't really relate to, try I may.   So, that played into my ultimately not joining a country club.   I may one day if all the planets align but not today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I don't think you join a country club solely to play golf.  You join it for social and professional networking where golf, tennis and pool are  added benefits.

Well said and very true! - Reminds me of college frats to a degree - I used to have really strong feelings about this and hated that culture for what I perceived it to be... Why pay for friends, right?

My perception has completely changed over the years.  For a long time I was jealous of those that were born into money or had financial advantages that I didn't have coming up.  I felt like they came off standoffish, entitled, preppy, and had everything handed to them.  I refused to join a frat in college because I felt like it was paying for friendship (and I was already friends with many of them anyway).  I felt the same about country clubs and honestly disliked golf as a young man in high school because I didn't feel that I fit in...  Lucky for me, my baseball coach got me to play for the high school golf team (free golf- He was the coach and our team sucked and needed players lol), and the local head pro asked me if I wanted to work at the course (more free golf)... Didn't know when I was 15 that golf would be one reason I went to college - I didn't know that it would lead to a job - didn't know that having the right references and connections would land me career opportunities etc... all through golf (and that at 15, I was reluctant to call myself a golfer - No I was a baseball player that happened to play golf)...

It's funny looking back at how ignorant and misguided my assumptions were...  It's almost like I didn't want to be part of "that" group because I would be perceived as having everything handed to me...   As a teenager, when your close friends think you are not being loyal or that you are being "fake" because you put yourself in a position around people that you are different from....  It's hard to not get stuck in the same routine. I almost was embarrassed to say I played on the golf team for a while or that I worked at the golf course because of the perception and stereotype held by many of my close friends and the people I grew up with. Those friends would have my back for anything in any situation and they didn't play golf - they thought all golfers had everything handed to them and they didn't have to work for anything, (What JP, you think your better than us?)... Sports exposed me to so many people and kept me out of so much trouble - It's funny to think that if I hadn't played golf, If I hadn't met those people at the golf course - I might not have went to college, or chose to major in Sport Management, or be in a career field that I love.

As I got into my career, I began to understand more that being around successful people, you learn what makes them successful - You build relationships with people - You become a resource for them as they do for you..... You network!

They say "it's not what you know but who you know"...  but it's really who knows you... -Life's about building relationships right?

[FaldosEgo]

I'm in the process of joining a cc right now. It's a cheaper one with dues of 169 per month. They let me play the course for free when I went to check it out and I basically had it all to myself. I'm looking forward to playing a few holes after work and 18 on weekends hopefully.

[logo]

I'm with Dave, we joined for the convenience, it is a luxury and it is not a bargain. Now I play 150 rounds a year and my fiancé plays 100 rounds, but the cost is high, we pay 7,000 a year including food minimum and course maintenance fee. However, the opportunity to play when and how much I want and only need a tee time on weekend mornings and far away is worth the money. I play with great guys and I also play the inter club matches, have a group I play with on the weekends, twilight league on ztuesday and couples on Friday.

We have met many great friends, take trips with them, not always golf.

I too have received reciprocal rates at other courses, have played all of the other private courses in the area.

We love it and wouldn't not be a member of a Country a Club.

that sounds awesome. The thing that gets me is the initiation fees. I just cant imagine putting 20-50k+ just to sign up. I guess if I had a bunch of friends that were doing it maybe I would but I think my wife would rather I put that initiation fee towards kids college or whatever. I dont mind the other fees so much. Having said that one of the bigger country clubs right by my house is 40k to join but 15k to people under 40yrs of age (or maybe it was 15k off I cant remember). Seems like they want that younger blood. There are two other country clubs around me too but they do not have a deal like that. I cant even find out the prices unless I send them my taxes and all sorts of stuff.

[sjduffers]

I'm with Dave, we joined for the convenience, it is a luxury and it is not a bargain. Now I play 150 rounds a year and my fiancé plays 100 rounds, but the cost is high, we pay 7,000 a year including food minimum and course maintenance fee.

250 rounds a year for $7000? That's less than $30 per round. In other words, it's real cheap (I mean inexpensive), as around here (Bay Area in CA), that's what it costs to walk 18 on a muni course. I am not sure what you would have to complain about...  For me, it would be a no-brainer.

[jsgolfer]

that sounds awesome. The thing that gets me is the initiation fees. I just cant imagine putting 20-50k+ just to sign up. I guess if I had a bunch of friends that were doing it maybe I would but I think my wife would rather I put that initiation fee towards kids college or whatever. I dont mind the other fees so much. Having said that one of the bigger country clubs right by my house is 40k to join but 15k to people under 40yrs of age (or maybe it was 15k off I cant remember). Seems like they want that younger blood. There are two other country clubs around me too but they do not have a deal like that. I cant even find out the prices unless I send them my taxes and all sorts of stuff.

We just had a membership drive where it was 12k for anyone under 35 and 20k for over 35.  We paid 30k two years ago.  I figure if you're going to be a member for 20+ years, the initiation fee turns out to be only 1000-1500 a month.  We are paying our fee over 4 years.  We put $9,000 down and pay a little over 5000 per year for 4 years.  We have two payments left.

The Club is really nothing but an extended family.

[BuckeyeNut]

I'd like to make a couple points..........

First:

The term semi-private is a misnomer.  Any given course either allows public play or it doesn't!  Even if public play is allowed albeit during restricted times...it's still a public course!  (rant off)

Second:

There are affordable membership options available all around the country in every major city.   Those that say there aren't, they haven't really looked.  I don't care if it's in LA or wherever....if you are a dedicated golfer, you can find a place to call home to enjoy unlimited golf on a modest budget.

[jsgolfer]

250 rounds a year for $7000? That's less than $30 per round. In other words, it's real cheap (I mean inexpensive), as around here (Bay Area in CA), that's what it costs to walk 18 on a muni course. I am not sure what you would have to complain about...  For me, it would be a no-brainer.

I'm not complaining at all, my fiance and I love it.  Most people don't play as much as we do, although most of the guys I play with are all over 100 rounds a year.  Was just trying to make the point that it is a luxury, not really a bargain unless you play as much as we do and don't mind paying the initiation fee.