Private course membership

So how many of you guys are members of a private courses? i am 29 and do ok for myself so a private membership is something i've wanted to treat myself with for a while now but just keep getting cold feet. I play usually once or twice a week and i will play year round if the course is open(Im in NJ). What are somethings that i may not be thinking on with private course life? both good or bad. I have only really played one private course every (with a friend that was a member at the course). I really enjoyed the customer service and the way i didn't have to deal with the general public. The club Im looking at is Trump Philadelphia. and from my understanding im looking about 7K for my first year. Just trying to get feed back from guys who do the private clubs because i really cant make up my mind if i should do it or not!

Thanks,

Nick

For years, I didn't join a club because I couldn't justify the expense, and there are still plenty of clubs where that is still true. But this year I joined a small club 15 minutes from home, little over 2k a year for the first year of an introductory membership, no initiation, no food/beverage minimum.

I love it. Initially I thought the course was too short/easy, but as the course has dried out and the greens have firmed up I have come to appreciate it. It is eminently walkable, and many times I've had it all to myself. I'm getting to know the staff and have played with a couple of other members. Food is great but only open a few days a week. I can play 9 holes in 2 hours, door to door, don't have to worry about tee times. Or (like today) I can spend the day -- play 18, have some lunch, hit a few balls, putt for a while, play a few more holes, have a beer and watch golf in the grille room.

It's a club that falls into the category that my dad called "good enough for who it's for." But I can't express how much I enjoy having a place to go play golf where I don't have to deal with a different version of rush hour traffic. The way I look at it, you have to match expenses to income. If you can afford it, try it.

I've played the majority of my golf at one muni for 18 years and another for 11 and this year, I joined a truly beautiful private course and I'm like a kid in a candy store! The conditions are immaculate (I have yet to find a single piece of clover and every tee box is a pool table), everyone's like family, we regularly have the course to ourselves, the staff are there to serve, everything's on your account including gratuity so you leave your wallet in the glove box. I wish I had joined years ago.

Just make the jump OP. 7k is pricey but if it was truly a hardship for you, ya likely wouldn't have started this thread. I highly doubt that you'll regret it.

I've been a member at a private course in the south suburbs of Chicago for 4 years and love every minute of it. It has become my home away from home. I guess my advice is that make sure it is affordable for your income level. Just know that whatever your monthly minimums are, basically double that and this is what you will probably pay monthly. Know what the other yearly or monthly payments will be, such as food minimums, locker room fees, range fees, pool fees, cart fees, men's golf association fees, tournament fees, and assessment fees. As others have stated, I wish that I would have gone private years ago, as I enjoy every minute that I spend at my home club.

I can play 9 holes in 2 hours, door to door, don't have to worry about tee times. Or (like today) I can spend the day -- play 18, have some lunch, hit a few balls, putt for a while, play a few more holes, have a beer and watch golf in the grille room.

See...this sounds so amazing to me.

If there was an affordable club in San Diego, I would join it in a heartbeat but I don't think there is a worthwhile club under $10,000/year once it is all said and done.

First off, i wouldn’t join trump.

The course is cool, but it’s not walkable and there is no social atmosphere at all.

There are better options especially for your age....Woodcrest, little mill, or tavi.

Shoot me a pm if you have any questions. I’m a member at Woodcrest and have played every course in SJ with the exception of the valley.

For years, I didn't join a club because I couldn't justify the expense, and there are still plenty of clubs where that is still true. But this year I joined a small club 15 minutes from home, little over 2k a year for the first year of an introductory membership, no initiation, no food/beverage minimum.

 

I love it. Initially I thought the course was too short/easy, but as the course has dried out and the greens have firmed up I have come to appreciate it. It is eminently walkable, and many times I've had it all to myself. I'm getting to know the staff and have played with a couple of other members. Food is great but only open a few days a week. I can play 9 holes in 2 hours, door to door, don't have to worry about tee times. Or (like today) I can spend the day -- play 18, have some lunch, hit a few balls, putt for a while, play a few more holes, have a beer and watch golf in the grille room.

 

It's a club that falls into the category that my dad called "good enough for who it's for." But I can't express how much I enjoy having a place to go play golf where I don't have to deal with a different version of rush hour traffic. The way I look at it, you have to match expenses to income. If you can afford it, try it.

howell - What club did you join this year? I'm in the pittsburgh area as well and was just curious which course you're talking about here. Thanks

Hillcrest, in Lower Burrell. Turns out there are several "affordable" clubs in the area looking for members.

Joined a club last fall and just getting comfortable this spring (Michigan). I’m loving just about everything about it and no regrets so far. Service, quality of everything, and there’s just something special about a private club atmosphere.

I did a ton of research and calculating to figure out my realistic expenses and it’s more than I expected. I’m getting a good deal as a junior: ~1/2 dues, deferred equity, prorated initiation. It’s just a little difficult to anticipate actual cost over the first year. Nothing feels “nickel and dimey.†It can all be justified, it just adds up. Locker, pro shop buy in, guest fees (discounts if bought at the beginning of season), tournament fees, cart or trail fees, etc.

I can tell from your question that you’ll be glad you did, but sounds like the choice of course is pretty crucial.

As I was reading thru this thread, my wife read me a passage from a book that had been quoted in a post on Facebook. I'm sorry, but I don't know the source.

"The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the best version of ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves. We become like our friends."

It occurs to me that this is the principal reason for joining a club. I've never been able to justify it based on cost. Frankly, clubs are uber-expensive. But, a good club can be a focal point for a cluster of friends who share common aspirations and values. My local club is a place where I can just hang out. I can hit balls on the range and have lunch and play a few holes and watch a little golf on TV...or not. I usually bump into someone I know. We talk about nothing in particular. I like it. Actually, of all it's features, the course itself is the weakest part.

We are close enough in age that my experience might be similar to yours. I joined a pretty prestigious club in the SF bay area about 5 years ago (when I was 30). Everyone looked at me like I didn't belong because I was by far the youngest member that played 3+ days a week. I always played by myself and tried to be nice but it never really worked out for me. I left and played at a muni (that I live on) and it has a more "club" type atmosphere than any club I've been to. If you can play the course and talk to people see what they think, find someone similar in age and see what they think.

I am fully aware that maybe I came off as a jerk too so that can not be ruled out.

I joined a club when I was 25 and was a member for 20 years. I left it because I was too busy with my kids and was only playing 8-10 rounds a year and my club was more of a golf club at the time without a good junior program.

I loved those years at the club. I would touch my clubs 4-6 days a week then practicing or playing 9 after work and at least 18 most weekend days. I met a great group of guys, there was a good regular group of guys on the weekends and several multi day member member events a year. I could show up on a weekend morning without a game and always get out with a good game. The course was in better shape than local high end public courses. Now that I am starting to play again I really miss it.

It is more expensive than playing public golf but I did play much more. I used to figure about 10k per year including spend in the restaurant, having a group of guests a month, playing in a member guest etc. It really was a pleasure thing to me not a financial decision.

I am playing public golf now and don’t have a group of friends that play where I am. Probably half of my 10 rounds this have been solo which is kind of a pain if you are sandwiched between groups. I also miss hav8ng a great practice facility.

I will belong to a club again at some point soon. I need to figure out where we will wind up over the next few years before making a decision.

First off, i wouldn't join trump.

 

The course is cool, but it's not walkable and there is no social atmosphere at all.

 

There are better options especially for your age....Woodcrest, little mill, or tavi.

 

Shoot me a pm if you have any questions. I'm a member at Woodcrest and have played every course in SJ with the exception of the valley.

I've only played Trump once, but I was going to post something similar. If you're going to join a private club in SJ area, this wouldn't be the first place I would look. No knock against the course, it just wouldn't be one that I would want to play every day and the social aspect of it seems lacking. I would guess they have very few members in your age category too. Unless it is very close to your house or work, I'd check out some other options

I didn't join a private club until my 40's. I wish I had done so earlier. Also, in your late 20's / early 30's would be good to find a club that has (kidless) guys in your age group. I would press membership folks on that - will go a long way in getting you out there even more. My group of "older" buddies (40's) love playing with the younger crew, but our lives (i.e., kids) and their lives (i.e., no kids) don't make for good tee time alignment!

I can play 9 holes in 2 hours, door to door, don't have to worry about tee times. Or (like today) I can spend the day -- play 18, have some lunch, hit a few balls, putt for a while, play a few more holes, have a beer and watch golf in the grille room.

 

See...this sounds so amazing to me.

 

If there was an affordable club in San Diego, I would join it in a heartbeat but I don't think there is a worthwhile club under $10,000/year once it is all said and done.

Completely agree. One that has facilities and amenities for people with families

Non existent in SD unless you want to pay a mortgage

Thanks for all the feed back guys! Im still so torn on what i want do, I am going to go tour Trump and a few other clubs before i make a decision but i just fear that for 7K i dont know if im gonna get my moneys worth out of it. For the SJ guys im in Mullica Hill but my family business(which i am at 5-6 days a week) is in Deptford. That's what made Trump ideal. I'm like 10-15 mins from work for weeknight practice or 9 and i'm only 30-35 mins from home to the course on any other days. The club i mentioned playing before was hidden creek in Egg Harbor. If it wasn't almost an hour from home id defiantly join there but with retail hours at my store i would honestly only make the course once a week at most and would have to battle shore traffic all summer long which to me is not worth 7K.

FWIW, proximity and cost were the overriding factors in my decision. I'm not really worried about the social aspect; I want to get better, which means playing more, and the public courses either take too long to get to, or take too long to play, or both. And cost is relative. I'll have to figure it out at the end of the season, but I'd guess I'll wind up with a cost around $40/round. Which is a bit more than the public courses I would normally play, but if I don't have time to play them . . .

My advice on a private club having quit one to join another and was just currently looking at another change.

Proximity and convenience is the most important items for getting your monies worth. I recommend also taking a close look at the rules. We were looking at one club that had a vertical style membership which allowed your parents to be members as well as your kids and another that we crossed off because their guest policy was 2 guest at a time to the pool and only once a month. So my mother-in-law could only accompany her grandkids to the pool a few times a year. They also had golf guest rules of 3 times a year for the same guest. I like to bring clients golfing but don't want to limit my best client to only 3 times a year. Every club is going to have a downside sometime its facilities, outside events, course access and so on. All of that said I think a private course is perfect. I went out with 2 buddies yesterday with a 3pm tee time and we played 27 holes in 4 hours.

Thanks for all the feed back guys! Im still so torn on what i want do, I am going to go tour Trump and a few other clubs before i make a decision but i just fear that for 7K i dont know if im gonna get my moneys worth out of it. For the SJ guys im in Mullica Hill but my family business(which i am at 5-6 days a week) is in Deptford. That's what made Trump ideal. I'm like 10-15 mins from work for weeknight practice or 9 and i'm only 30-35 mins from home to the course on any other days. The club i mentioned playing before was hidden creek in Egg Harbor. If it wasn't almost an hour from home id defiantly join there but with retail hours at my store i would honestly only make the course once a week at most and would have to battle shore traffic all summer long which to me is not worth 7K.

Proximity IMO is very important and it sounds like that is the best choice for your situation, which all of us are different. So enjoy the Trump course and let us know how it goes.

Thanks for all the feed back guys! Im still so torn on what i want do, I am going to go tour Trump and a few other clubs before i make a decision but i just fear that for 7K i dont know if im gonna get my moneys worth out of it. For the SJ guys im in Mullica Hill but my family business(which i am at 5-6 days a week) is in Deptford. That's what made Trump ideal. I'm like 10-15 mins from work for weeknight practice or 9 and i'm only 30-35 mins from home to the course on any other days. The club i mentioned playing before was hidden creek in Egg Harbor. If it wasn't almost an hour from home id defiantly join there but with retail hours at my store i would honestly only make the course once a week at most and would have to battle shore traffic all summer long which to me is not worth 7K.

I always loved Mullica HIll, but it's been so long since I've been in the area, I forget what other options you have down there that are truly private. I always loved Tavistock, but that isn't super close to Deptford and even further from your home.

Here is another thought - if Trump looks closest and there isn't an initiation fee - do it for year and see if you like it. If you find you like it - great, if not, you got a year of golf and now you know more about what you want and don't want. Challenge becomes when you have an initiation fee...

Hidden Creek. 'Nuff said. Core & Crenshaw...and no Trump. :nyam:

It's a public course, but Scotland Run is only about 20 mins from Mullica HIll. And at your age, $3,500 gets you 7 day access to Atlantic City CC, Scotland Run GC & Ballamor GC. It doesn't seem what you're looking for, but seemed worth throwing it out there.

Woodcrest (in Cherry Hill) is always a solid option. I play at Merchantville (also in Cherry Hill). You have some options outside of Trump in the area.

If you do join trump, invite me out for a round ?‍♂️

Initiation at Trump is $150 X your age. My biggest beef with Trump was the $200/Mo food and drink min. I asked the woman, who wouldn’t stop calling me, why they are hiding an additional $1200 in dues in my food and drink membership instead of just charging $100/Mo like most clubs. She didn’t really like that.

It’s a cool course, I still gave it a good amount of thought. I will tell you Tavistock has a waiting list now. Like someone said the under 35 deal at Scotland run is a really nice deal. You could also get good value out of Running Deers membership. You’d get Valleybrook and Riverwinds as well which is as close to Deptford as it gets.

I’m at Little Mill if ya had any questions about there. Might be just too far for what you’re looking for.

My suggestions:

- as posted several times above, join somewhere close to your home. Being close to work is nice, but on weekends and for the drive after golf, it is proximity to home that is most important.

- join somewhere that you will feel comfortable among the membership. You'll want to like the folks you see in the bar/grill, and play with in member tournaments, and you'll want to feel comfortable when you bring a guest that they will not feel like you joined either a group of a-holes or a club that is 2x your age.

- make sure that the initiation and monthly fees (including food/drinks/tournament fees, other incidentals) is something you can afford comfortably. The economics of private club membership often doesn't pencil out, but if it is not a big % of your disposable income then you won't worry about it that much.

- like the course, and be satisfied with the practice facilities. No need to join a course you hate, or a club with crappy practice facilities if that is important to you.

- don't become an equity member without knowing exactly what you might be facing financially in terms of future assessments or dues increases. Plenty of folks on this board have long histories with private clubs ( I am at 35+ years) so we can help with that.

- see my first post about proximity, and read it again!

Good luck...in today's market you should be able to find a club that checks most or all of the boxes above.

A club has a much different feel than a course. What I feel is more comrade and typically more respect for the course and the people.

Ive been a member at 2 different private clubs for 22 years. I would love to tell you that they are top 100 courses in immaculate condition but they are not. The club I belonged to first is where I still live today. They have a pool. We hung out there with the kids and met and made lots of great friends. As far as golf, i played maybe once a week but could run up and chip and put or hit a few balls after work. In the summer I could play a few holes after dinner and drag my son out there with me. Thats what being member did for me. It was a family thing.

When the kids grew up I went to a different club. better course, better players, more groups to play with. Still more social than anything. Far from being the snobby hoy paloy you might think. just a bunch of people that have the game of golf in common. hard to beat that!

Don't do the math - it is never economical to join a club. Join for other reasons mentioned by club members in this thread - because you can easily afford it, social aspects, connections/contacts, etc.

Don't do the math - it is never economical to join a club. Join for other reasons mentioned by club members in this thread - because you can easily afford it, social aspects, connections/contacts, etc.

Join a club when:

• Golf is your primary hobby
  
• You can EASILY afford it without any stress over the bill
  
• You don't have a regular foursome and prefer to play with different people
  
• The public courses in your area are weak/crowded/expensive
  

Choose a club where:

• The location is convenient to visit morning, noon or night
  
• You would be a "typical" member and not an outlier in any big way
  
• You have met and can see eye-to-eye with the pro, the board, etc.
  

Don't do the math - it is never economical to join a club. Join for other reasons mentioned by club members in this thread - because you can easily afford it, social aspects, connections/contacts, etc.

my rounds came out to less than $40 per in 2017 at my private club...

That's great for you. I can tell you there's no private clubs in the Central Ohio area (except possibly one that is not a good golf course) where that could happen. And, at the $7k price stated by the OP, he'd have to play 175 rounds in the first year to get the cost down to that per round (not that he is necessarily trying to do so). Point being, I don't think that is close to the norm.