Minneapolis Private Clubs

[ft3man]

I am newer to the MSP area and live close to Downtown Minneapolis... I am hoping to find a great spot to join around the Metro... I am fine driving a little bit for the right spot. Looking for reasonable initiation for a 35 year old. Thoughts? Recommendations? Help!!

[YoungJedi]

Windsong

Tpc

Hazeltine

Medina cc

Wayzata cc

White bear yacht club

Dellwood

Minneapolis Gc

Town and country

[finleysg]

I think Golden Valley CC is worth checking out. Tillinghast design. Minikahda is a gem, and it's right in the city, but I don't know if they give a break to younger members.

[dhrib72]

Minnesota Valley

[Gripit_Swiftit]

I am a member at Olympic Hills and we recently had a complete remodel of the golf course, club house, and pretty much every possible other part of the club. I'm 32 and we have had at least 20-30 members under the age of 40 join in the last year. We have a great group of younger members which makes finding games easy and fun.

 

If you are serious about joining shoot me a message and i'll get you all of the info you want and set up a prospective round.

 

 

Golden Valley, Minikhada, and Minneapolis are all struggling after the winter kill they experienced with their greens.

[mp.14]

White bear yacht club is the most reasonably priced and is easily the best course near the cities ( second to spring hill for a fraction of the cost ). contact me for more info, i am on the membership committee at wbyc.

[rebby]

If you're interested in checking out TPC, let me know and I can get that ball rolling for you as well. Lots of really good options and, by the looks of it, we have enough members on the board to get you into the best club for you. FWIW, I've been a member at TPC for the past few years and absolutely love it.

[simp21]

Anyone know what the rates are out at North Oaks? Or know how they are doing as a club?

[rebby]

Anyone know what the rates are out at North Oaks? Or know how they are doing as a club?

 

I have a couple of friends who are members out there. They're pretty happy with it. Certainly worth looking into.

[Zingo20]

North Oaks rates depend on age, over or under 40. Just recently they were barely under 300 members and the initiation was very reasonable. I was told last summer that once over 300 golfing members again the pricing will increase substantially. They are currently remodeling the entire bar and patio area. It's a fantastic facility.

[LaLumley]

Had never heard of Olympic Hills until now... looks fantastic.

[uwbadgers2006]

My wife and I are planning on visiting Bearpath here over the next month. Has anyone heard anything recently about the state of the club and its membership? She's not really a golfer so the added amenities that they have are a big draw for us compared to other clubs.

[ac1909]

Dusting off this thread as I am new to Minneapolis and looking at joining a club after the pandemic fully subsides. This likely means checking out some options this year and pulling the trigger in 2021.

I am on the younger side (41) and appreciate classic architecture. I plan to golf 3+ times a week and have a wife and baby who will use the pool and nothing more. My wife is in a grad program at the U so there's a chance we might move on after 4 years. This eliminates exorbitant initiation fees. What recommendations might this group have?

We have zero tolerance for stuffy blue-blood old-school country club snobbery and want a nice family environment with a solid core of younger folks. This club will be my main social scene since I know nobody in the area and need an outlet to make friends. We need an easy-going welcoming atmosphere and not somewhere to be judged or worry about perceptions. We are Chicago transplants and would have joined something like Beverly or Olympia Fields if we stayed there.

I've seen comments on various forums about the clubs within the metro area and would like to hear current takes. We live in the Seward neighborhood and ideally want a club within a 20 minute commute (30 minutes tops to include WBYC). So far, I have the following on my radar - T&C, MGC, Golden Valley, Olympic Hills, WBYC, and Minikahda.

I have the following questions:

Are there any other clubs I should look at?Any clubs I mentioned that might not fit what I'm looking for? (I'm guessing Minikahda might not be our vibe based on a phone inquiry I made but would like to confirm)Any clubs to target as undervalued or avoid due to struggles coming out of the pandemic?Any advice on proximity vs. quality when choosing a club in the area? I'm 5 minutes from T&C and it's really tempting to have that convenience in a club.Any information would be helpful. I'm amazed at how informative this thread has been and am excited to join this great golfing community!

 

[Slice_and_Dice]

I've heard great things about T&C's membership and course. Might add Edina CC to that list based simply on location and lots of young families. If you don't mind me asking, any detail you can add on the Minikahda inquiry - wait list, vibe, etc?

I've heard WBYC has some type of summer trial that may be worth looking into

[ac1909]

Thanks for the response and the Edina suggestion. I’ll definitely add them to my list.

If T&C had a robust practice facility it would probably be case closed. Good to know the membership is well regarded.

As for Minikahda, I called and gave them the same story I gave when I called every other club - “I’m new in town and am exploring options for a club. We are excited to join the community but don’t know anybody in the area. Is there anyway I please might be able to connect with a few of your members to learn more about the club?” Every other club was ready to bend over backwards to introduce me and connect me with members, set up a prospective round, etc. but Minikahda said “Oh we don’t do that here. We only accept new members that are referred by our current membership”. As someone who values diversity it surprised me to hear that response. Perhaps it wasn’t the ideal approach to cold call them but I usually discover a lot of good info on those calls and her response didn’t feel right.

WBYC does have a summer trial but it’s a big $ commitment and then you are put forward for membership in the fall. Given the current limitations in social interaction and potential second wave of the pandemic this winter I’d rather hold off until 2021.

[Klap0001]

Edina has a pretty hefty initiation fee imo. Midland hills cc by 280 and 35w could be worth a look. It’s pretty reasonably priced. It’s a Seth Reynor design so could be interesting if you’re into golf course architecture.

[ac1909]

My neighbor is a member at Midland Hills. I haven’t played it yet but hope to before they shut down August 1 for a restoration project. Sounds like they will reopen late spring 2021.

I believe they are golf only so not a family environment for me (wife and baby want a pool) but they are very reasonable fees and folks seem to really like the course.

[awalk21]

You should certainly check out MGC - Going to open July 1 with new bent grass on all tees, fairways, and greens. Classic architecture, fun course to play over and over again, no goofy holes. Has a good food / beverage program (and getting better), as well as a pool for the family.

Send me a DM if you're interested in joining and I can get you more information.

[jshel]

Happy to provide any information. Feel free to DM if you have specific questions.

[henniga]

I was in a very similar situation 2 years ago. New to town and looking for a club. I joined Midland Hills and it has been great. It certainly isn't the best club in town but for me it works perfectly. It truly is a club where you don't know if the guy next to you is a multi-millionaire or can barely afford his dues. Very laid back without the snobs. If you like the architecture, it is a 1919 Seth Raynor and later this year Jim Urbina is doing a $2.3 million renovation without any assessment. The idea is to get the course back as close to the original design as possible. We are closing August 1 and hope to be open in May. Practice facility is good. Restaurant is good and reasonably priced. The club management is great. Downside for you is no pool.

[Guest]

[Guest]

Hey rebby, about how much is it per year at TPC? I reached out today and am talking with Jim Buffo next week.

[Guest]

Any luck/update here? I'm in a similar spot as you. I'm 35, my wife and I just moved back as she is from here. We have very similar priorities to you in a club, although plan to be here for the long haul so the initiation not as big of a hindrance. Top contenders seem to be Bear Path, Oak Ridge (just redid the course), or possibly Interlachen although big initiation. Have also heard it can be a bit packed to get tee times on weekends? Anyone else have any thoughts?

[Schley]

I hear White Bear YC is the one. Hope Shelman can chime in again.

[ft3man]

Windsong Farm... Best choice in the cities by far...