w0lverine

No, not at all. I just like to talk about country clubs A) because I grew up on one and B) I just think they get a bad rap sometimes and I like to provide opinion and share real life thoughts, stories, questions, ideas about them.

I was at the country club of Orlando today and I saw something I would like to share. We have a magnificent terrace outside our dining room. It faces the the back nine with probably 6 holes in view making it a hotspot of the club. There were some wives eating on the terrace with there kids. There husbands were on some of the holes seen from the terrace. The restaurant staff noticing the kids eagerness took some carts and brought them out to be with there fathers while the wives sat on the terrace drinking wine. the kids were running around all over having great times with there fathers. It was great to see. The point is--there were other groups out there who were not affiliated with the families but they didn't care as a matter of fact they partook in the playing and the course almost became a playground. Things like this are what make the private club enterprise so homely. Everyone was happy and I captured a moment I won't forget.

I just went down to play Lexington country club in Fort Myers. The course is completely green. Unbelievable considering they did 63,000 rounds last year. Amenities are nice. Typical friendly middle of the road country club in south florida. Check it out

Can somebody please explain to me what the no tee time system is? in detail?

Also to be included in your questions should be: How many people are on your resignation list? How long is it taking them to get out or off it? What is the financial stability of the club? How many rounds a golf to you do a day/week? Do you offer bundled memberships? Can you walk a round? what are tee time policies and preferences? there are others, I just wanted to add to your list.

hello fellow floridian. I played in fortmyers for 8 years and the thunderstorms were always a gamble. Some coureses tried to be slick with the rain checks but for the most part you could get covered for the rain. They would ask you what hole you made it too and compensate based on that

semi-private are nice too I must say. You can still join mens leagues you can still reciprocate, you can still receive somewhat private style call privileges. And best of all your dudes can stay low because you have so much public play to help the money come in.

I might be a little biased since I live in south florida. down here we play 365 days. I guess the price of these clubs down here reflect the playability of the courses. You have to admit it sounds nice to play whenever you want. That also keeps the traffic down on public/semi private courses. Many people come down here seasonally (money is necessary) for our winter while enjoying there summer when they return. That also could be an option, there are many great investment (seasonal properties)

That is a perfect example of a gem. They are all over the place. It would be nice if you could share your golfing news on my forum (country club talk) so others can understand where the good things are. The idea is to share personal stories about your love for golf and your home course

Have you ever been to south florida to play golf? Are you ready to retire or close?

Obviously you have to be a millionaire to join most of the clubs I have worked at but the fact is there is a market for those who can afford. In south florida the memberships are very expensive but many other places you can join for under 10,000 and still be at a greatly maintained facility. Shop wisely. Also many mens leagues in areas with lots of country clubs can reciprocate to other local clubs. I worked at a club in Bonita Springs. I would play with the mens group and honestly I played over 40 courses for free!! All in the time frame of 5 months now that answers the concerns of being stuck playing the same course till you can play it blindfolded. Face it everyone wants to play multiple courses and there are establishments that handle those concerns. Its all about making the member happy.

I think most of the posts are great for perspective but some important points are forgotten. yes, country clubs are expensive but they are an investment. your 50,000 dollar membership equals a piece of stock in the club. That being said in two years the value might be double, I've seen it!! Many clubs start to offer discounts for next generation members which even strengthens the choice. The reason people join country clubs is the same reason they send their kids to private school. They have the money too, for one, and they want the best. The environment is great to raise children for those you are younger members. Very little trouble, the pros are endless and of course there are some cons but I bet they are much surpassed. I am at a club now in Orlando that is by invitation only now I know that sounds a little pretentious and waspy but let me say this. wouldn't you want to invite your friends to fish where the fishing is good? Moreover, I've seen people form great business relations and start their own companies. I know some members who networked with each other and now they just create boutique banks and sell them to bigger banks making millions together and traveling about. All because they joined the club and met the clientele. Its like joining an investment syndicate and with power comes opportunities, hookups. you can tap into everyone elses connections. Whether you like it or not making more money helps your retirement be more fruitful and the ability to tap into the talent pool with other successful people is very nice to think about. I haven't forgot about golf either I wanted to bring in some other aspects of clubs that I think is why they still have a stronghold in some areas. If you have time just take a look at south florida, specifically naples and palm beach gardens it will give you different opinions. please respond and share.

They live or die by the economy. that is to say financially but the standards and legacies of country clubs go back forever. There is way more good than bad. The point is the desire to join a club and play unlimited golf will always be in demand. We just need a republican president to help stimulate that market. That is my opinion!! tell me what you think

Well Gary this is what I think. When we get a republican president back in the white house the country club lifestyle will rebound. They too are volatile like the economy which is interesting how much each private country club runs like its own government. The point is country clubs are an American standard and many people like you and myself would love to retire with golf in mind. Just like the real estate market we will return to par.

that is a great way to live the golf life. I kind of like that, like a drifter with no roots in the ground. It goes with the laid back lifestyle of golf itself. I find that most clubs without a significant membership fee will not have that great of a course and the amenities (restaurant, pool) will not be that great. It might be cheaper, which I like, but usually the course conditions actually can hurt your game depending on your playing level.

Yeah only in the summer with the torrential downpoors. You can do it straight up but you might not like what it does to your 150 dollar outfit. Especially ladies!!

I like private clubs because the amenities are so much nicer. More money gets pumped in at the private clubs which means It filters out in the golf course and the amentities

I'm tired of hearing people who are close to me or are golf friends of mine upset because they joined the wrong club. It seems to be all to often and it is because people don't know all the facts that are important. The truth is a private country club is a volatile setting. It lives or die by the economy, membership fees, assessments, HOA's, and many other things. I have spent many hours calling clubs and studying the not so prevalent topics that clubs may not tell you before you sign that check and receive your share. Simply understand that you wouldn't by a house without doing some good background checks and speaking to a middleman or consultant. Well the same goes for picking a country club. And, the country club plus the house to retire too is way more money!! If anyone is involved in either a nice country club or a bad one both advices could be shared in this group. We will learn from each other

I am currently living in Orlando. I am open to anything in southwest florida. I'm a little young yet to retire but I like to study it early so I can feel confident about decisions come that special time. I think I like the bundled communities where I would be an equity member. Those are very interesting points. Actually they provided me with that nice information (in south Florida). You are absolutely right about the 18 to 20 hours off the course and now I will consider that piece of wisdom

I'm still just in the preliminary part of Investigation. I've been searching and gathering a lot of information from different sites. I've also been learning about different memberships, assessment fees, bundled vs non bundled communities, resignation lists (which is something new to me), and many other things. the golf membership consultants checked back in with me and provided even more information beyond what I would have thought to know. Still, I would like to speak to people who belong to country clubs or are beginning to retire to Country clubs. I still seek advice

Not from what I've gathered. Plus travel costs to go back and forth to all these clubs cost a good amount of money. I will now start asking that question. Are you retiring to a golf area? Or have already.

Shot a 76 at Rio Pinar country Club. First time playing it. Found a deal for 20 dollars on golf now and figured i'd try it. I must say it is the best deal for your buck in central florida.

I found that there is more than 360 golf clubs south of the Sarasota, Palm Beach county lines. I cannot figure out a method to narrow them down. When I call different clubs they all tell me there the best. I need opinions that are unbiased , a consultation if you will. I checked out the golf membership consultants and they were helpful and free. Please give me some advice. I can also share some local knowledge of clubs for small talk