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Why join a club?


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Here in Canada and in Toronto specifically there is a plethora of golf available. In the city to join a club starts @ around $10,000 and climbs to $80,000. Annual dues $4,500 to $7,000(?) for what is ostensibly a 5 month season May-September.

 

Now there obviously are business reasons and for some social aspects. If retired and play 4+ times/wk yep it makes sense. If you want the competition and play in the events too I see the importance to some, but I'm wrestling with the thought to join, but really wonder why. I play mostly late afternoon (trial membership), often on my own and while a great course and fun to play, does not have the cachet of a high end club (needs a new clubhouse & in an area consumed by courses).

 

Add to that competition amongst daily fee public courses, golfnow and other discounts I am battling the urge to join or just play 50 rounds spending 50-$100 on different comparable courses and being cost neutral.

 

Why clubs are attractive now is many are offering memberships at greatly reduced initiations from what once was a sellers market and those that charged $50,000 are now $10,000-$20,000, the kids are gone and with these higher

 

Any thoughts.

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It depends where you live. For you, it sounds like it wouldn't make sense. Where I live, there are only 3 courses, 2 of which are private. I have to drive almost an hour to play any courses via GolfNow.

So if I want to play and practice more often, and do it locally, joining a club makes sense. It's about 200 month for a family membership. If you practice and play enough, it pays for itself.

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Little bit of background that might help: I joined a club 3 years ago (at age 25). I'm a tax CPA and I'm somewhat limited to when I can play (usually just can't play February-April). I live and work right by the club, and the other options for golf (outside of clubs) in town are both of lower quality and rounds have gotten really expensive. I'm a decent player who really thought (thinks) that I could really improve if I played/practiced more and thought joining would convince me to do so, as well as provide with good networking opportunities.

First 18 months I was a member - played by myself some and with 3-5 other people I knew that were members there. Wife and I would eat there occasionally. Wanted more of my existing friends to join to make it more fun. I was throwing money away, though. When you depend on so few people to play with, it isn't worth it.

Last 18 months - I now have a handful of regular games I play in, I play in a lot of the tournaments at the club and I have 30-40+ people I know up there and play with. When I go - I know I'll run into somebody I know, or have played with before, and that makes using the club 1000% more fun and 1000% more worth joining.

Like everything else, you get out of it what you put into it.

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I joined my club specifically because I got tired of constantly fighting the 1 week windows at the local public courses. Then it was the various conditions at the courses and then getting paired with strangers all the time... Once I joined I found that I really enjoy the events they put on as a break from the weekly rounds. The fact that I typically know the people I'm playing with and the fact that I can make tee times 2 to 3 weeks in advance is a big plus. Financially, it was a wash. I find that paying my monthly dues + cart fees equated to what I would pay to play each weekend. I can walk for free during twighlight. It gets HOT in Florida, and the course isn't really conducive to walking, so I take advantage of that in Spring and early Fall... Good luck!

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Montreal its dirt cheap to join private clubs, even nice ones. If you're under 40 its not hard to find a nice club for no initiation and sub 3000$ annual fees.

So its opposite really, it doesn't make sense not to join one

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You can't look at joining a club and try to justify the cost per round. Most decent private clubs cost too much to get your money's worth that way (especially if you live in the Northeast like I do, limited golf season). I'm considering joining a club in 2016, and after researching and waggling on this decision for the last few years, I've come to the conclusion that the benefits are:

- Pace of play is overall better than most public courses (and if you run into a trouble group, you usually have some recourse with a private club. Whereas on public courses, not so much)
- Hopefully you'll get to know a bunch of new golfers, and get in with a regular group every week
- Course is better maintained

The downsides are:

- You'll be playing the majority of your golf at one course, so you better love that course
- Many of the courses will nickel and dime you in fees, tips for the staff, monthly minimums, etc. Then you take a couple buddies out for drinks and food a few times at your club and roll up a bar tab. It all adds up fast. If you're not careful, the bill could get out of control.

So you have to decide if some of these extras are valuable to you. Are they worth the extra money you'll be paying? That decision is different for each person.

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My thoughts, based on your username in particular... My GF used to have a membership at a private course, and we were looking at getting one again. One of the big advantages is pace of play. Many of the local courses have horrendously long rounds. Doesn't seem to matter much when you go out there, unless you're in the first couple of groups in the morning (or can sneak out on the back 9 before the masses hit them). Afternoons/evenings are just as bad. But according to her, the course she used to play at was rigorous in making sure the rounds were kept in the 4 to 4:30 hour range at most. They schedule less tightly, and marshals will make sure people keep up.

Living here in Edmonton, it's hard to justify a membership, though...

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I joined and quit 2 different clubs the last two years. Thoughts: the club must have more than 18 holes, or else any and every outing will block you off the course. It must be close enough that drive time is not a deterrent. More than 30 minutes is too far, that is an hour round trip. Otherwise you'll play less and your game suffers. You must like the club golfers and their personal quirks. Some people you just don't want to spend 4 -5 hours with, including apres' golf. Don't think the club excludes the public, as many clubs open their doors regularly to the public for financial or philanthropic reasons. Financially for you, it will be more expensive than public or semi private golf. Is the extra cost worth the better experience?

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Convenience..... I practice whenever I want hitting as many balls as I want. I don't have a ton of free time, but usually can get off in the afternoon without a problem and play 18 in 2 hours or less. 2 years in I'm still not tired of the course. Once and awhile I mix it up with different tees, or take all woods out of the bag and see how I score. I joined because I don't have time for a 4 hour round very often, and I can sneak out during non peak times.

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was a member in phx area for 2 yrs at a course...when i got tired of playing it, i played elsewhere (150 rnds a yr)....but eventually i got tired of all those rounds at the same course, and didnt re-up...i think it was the lack of mental challenge...i noticed when i got on a different course i was focused a lot more...of course, phx has a ton of courses within an hour's drive, so that helped...lol

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[quote name='just plain bill' timestamp='1441819418' post='12288248']
was a member in phx area for 2 yrs at a course...when i got tired of playing it, i played elsewhere (150 rnds a yr)....but eventually i got tired of all those rounds at the same course, and didnt re-up...i think it was the lack of mental challenge...i noticed when i got on a different course i was focused a lot more...of course, phx has a ton of courses within an hour's drive, so that helped...lol
[/quote]
But 12 months of golf and I thought PHX is expensive. 150 at a bargain price of $75/rd is $11,000+/yr. What are the dues?

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[quote name='Under2hours' timestamp='1441978609' post='12298710']
[quote name='just plain bill' timestamp='1441819418' post='12288248']
was a member in phx area for 2 yrs at a course...when i got tired of playing it, i played elsewhere (150 rnds a yr)....but eventually i got tired of all those rounds at the same course, and didnt re-up...i think it was the lack of mental challenge...i noticed when i got on a different course i was focused a lot more...of course, phx has a ton of courses within an hour's drive, so that helped...lol
[/quote]
But 12 months of golf and I thought PHX is expensive. 150 at a bargain price of $75/rd is $11,000+/yr. What are the dues?
[/quote]
I just joined a private club in AZ -
Honestly, you will not recoup your money, if that is important to you.
But I joined for a few reasons (re-hashing a thread response from earlier in the year) -
Pace of play is much better than public.
Unlimited range balls, whenever I want, and great practice facilities.
Terrific course - better than most in the state, public or private.
Figure you spend food money, drinks at other places, I call that a wash.
But I think that the benefits outweigh the costs. Yes, it is one course, but I love the course and it isn't terribly far from my home.

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[quote name='Under2hours' timestamp='1441978609' post='12298710']
[quote name='just plain bill' timestamp='1441819418' post='12288248']
was a member in phx area for 2 yrs at a course...when i got tired of playing it, i played elsewhere (150 rnds a yr)....but eventually i got tired of all those rounds at the same course, and didnt re-up...i think it was the lack of mental challenge...i noticed when i got on a different course i was focused a lot more...of course, phx has a ton of courses within an hour's drive, so that helped...lol
[/quote]
But 12 months of golf and I thought PHX is expensive. 150 at a bargain price of $75/rd is $11,000+/yr. What are the dues?
[/quote]

$75 is a bargain in peak time during peak season...I lived there and averaged about $35 a round over the entirety of a year.

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I live in Toronto also, if you look around, private clubs range from no initiation to six figures and annuals are $4000 and up plus your food and beverage. Most private clubs open in late April and close end of mid-end of November.

There are a few high end courses that dropped their initiation, I heard Beacon Hall, usually ranks in the top 10 in the country, dropped their initiation from $80K to $30. BUT their annuals are around $8K-$10K.

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[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1442252317' post='12312104']
Considering your username, and when you play, you'd probably love a private club. Afternoons, even weekend ones, private courses are often half to completely empty.
[/quote]
And that is what I've done as I have a 1 year trial. Granted I think the club has a very low membership and usage. Others may not. Conversely I'd be playing twilight and very low green fees on public courses too.

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There are really 3 choices that exist: private club, season pass at a public, daily fee public.

Private club

Pros: unlimited range/practice facility, availability of tee times, encourages you to play more often, ability to drop in for just a few holes. Generally you encounter players with better skills and golf etiquette.

Cons: same course all the time, carts often cost extra and can add up, risk of losing initiation fee if club goes Chap-11 or you want to drop out, risk of increasing dues & assessments, very much higher average cost per round. You can be paying for things that you don't use – tennis, pool, health club, kids areas, restaurant. You're locked in if course conditions get bad (not likely at a private).

Notes: Private clubs are going bankrupt frequently in the current golf business slump. You could lose your initiation fees. Initiation fees are dropping & your buy-in may look high in coming years as new members get in cheaper. Dues goes up as clubs lose members.


Season Pass

Pros: No initiation fee – can drop at any time, unlimited range/practice facility, encourages you to play more often, ability to drop in for just a few holes

Cons: same course all the time, carts often cost extra and can add up, compete with general public for tee times, usually much slower pace of play than private, cost per round can be higher unless you play a lot.

Notes: Passes should include carts, unless you're a walker. Cart fees can add up big – they can be close to half of a discounted greens fee. Avoid courses that close frequently for outings. You'll likely encounter players with low skills & golf etiquette. You're locked in if course conditions get bad.


Daily Fee

Pros: By far the best value for the dollar - especially given the trend toward online discounting, Choice of multiple courses for variety If course conditions get bad, you can play elsewhere, no initiation fee allows you to decide to renew or not with no penalty. No member assessments.

Cons: You'll likely encounter players with low skills & golf etiquette. Pace of play will be slow at busy times. Don't expect much in the way of customer service.

Notes: Shopping online discount sites for deals can significantly cut costs. Weekday play, vs. weekend, can be very economical. Daily fee gives you the most flexible & economical golf.


My opinion:

The people that I play with is the most important factor in my enjoyment of the game. When I was a member of private clubs, I quickly found a good regular group of players & could show up and find an enjoyable game. Slow play was nonexistent with 3.5 hour rounds. I was treated well by the staff. I Practiced a lot & made use of excellent practice areas. Club dining was not much of a benefit & sometimes an unwelcome extra cost. (I prefer my club to be in the golf business, not the restaurant business – it's easy to find a good restaurant elsewhere.)

I've also spent time as a daily fee or season pass golfer. Daily fee was by far the most economical & I easily found regular groups to play with, much as I've done at private clubs. A season pass, while not the lowest cost per round, encouraged my to play & practice more & play less than 18 holes if the course was close to home. Unless I was playing with my regular group, ending up with (or behind) unskilled, slow, etiquette-chalenged, or nut-case players was always a risk.

In short, there's no single answer to the best option. Consider what amenities that you will use, how often you will play, who you will play with, and how much cost matters.

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