Gentlemen, indeed there are country clubs in Westchester that cost the ridiculous amounts you've mentioned in some of the comments, e.g., $75K - $200K+ initiation fee plus $1-2K per month playing privilege costs as well as extra for the pool and tennis and minimums for food, but most of the posts indicate that that includes every club in the county. There are several excellent clubs with fine courses that have initiation fees or even returnable deposits of $12K to $25K and golf costs in the neighborhood of $500 to $1,000 per month (12 months a year though). Even this is high by most standards, but the idea that you can't join a club in Westchester with less than $300K to $400K just to start with is plain wrong. And I'm not talking about the few lousy clubs in the county either. And the proper way to find out about a particular club is to go to the club's website and fill out whatever form they may have there telling them that you're interested. Golf club memberships have dropped dramatically in the last 20 years right along with the number of avid golfers in the country. 25 years ago there were 20-25 Million regular golfers (more than 20 rounds per year) in the U.S.. That number has dropped dramatically to less than 20 Million. Some estimates put the number closer to 15 Million avid golfers. Many many courses and clubs have closed permanently. Others have had to use creative financing to stay afloat and many now use management companies to run their clubs and keep a close eye on the money. Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains is closed (I've heard though that there were some financial mistakes made by the membership, but I never imagined that lovely golf course would ever sit vacant and poorly mown and otherwise maintained in my lifetime. Dutchess Golf and Country Club in Poughkeepsie, a magnificent golf course is either gone or about to be. The list is extensive. The point is that prices aren't what they once were and there are deals made out there, even in Westchester because many clubs need members. Right now it's a buyers market. And at most clubs if you have the money and they need members, they will find you a sponsor. Don't give up before you try.
