Memberships or not?

[Bogeygolfer55]

Trying to decide on becoming a member again or not. Lately I have enjoyed using my golf apps to find deals and play a variety of courses. Anyone else feel this way.

[jvincent]

It really comes down to whether you prefer to play different courses or if you prefer to play with a group (the membership) that you like to play with frequently. The underlying assumption is that you enjoy the course you are a member at.

I play over 90% of my rounds at my home course. The rest are either travel or the very occasional away game. Good bunch of guys at my club and the course never leaves me bored.

[tw422]

I too have thought about joining a real country club (I've been a member at smaller, semi private/private clubs). However, a recent round with a great guy helped me to solidify my decision not to. I played at local LA muni with a former member of a prominent LA private club. Great guy and really spoke highly of the club experience. However, and this has been repeated on this forum many times, he said:

1) You better like playing the same place because the less you play at your home club the more your "per round" cost goes up. Specifically if your dues and minimums are $1000 mo and you play 2x a month that was $500 a round. Are you ok with that? How many rounds could you play at other courses for that $1000/mo? Also, do you want to play the same place all of the time? It's fun at first but after 1, 3, 5 yrs will it be the same?

2) Club life was great - met new friends, used it for business (helped his business grow exponentially) and was great for his family. Like anything, he got out of it what he put into it.

3) As he got older and his kids aged out of the house and him and his wife split up (same with his group of friends at the club) they decided it was time to leave. Didn't make sense financially and he was a different point in his life and career where it didn't make sense.

I guess it all depends on the "why" do you want to join a club? Everyone will have different reasons (exclusivity, camaraderie, good conditioning, pace of play, amenities, etc..) but they only have to matter to you in order to justify you yourself why you are doing it.

Based on my discussion with him and looking at the why's of why I would want to join a club I'm happy to continue playing at my $50-60 muni courses.

[J_L_35]

Special Anniversary Membership at a course right near my house had a DEAL OF A LIFETIME which I couldn't pass up...….$175 for THREE YEARS of unlimited golf, walking is free or $18 cart fee for 18-holes.

Still two more years to go but I will certainly have a decision to make in 2022 to step up and join a club in the $1,000-$1,500 range

[Roody]

If getting your cost per round down to a justifiable number is one of your top priorities, then my advice to you would be to not join a private club.

My wife and I joined our private club for several reasons:

No tee timesCourse is maintained at a higher level than most public coursesPace of playSocial eventsThe restaurant is fantasticRegular club events/tournamentsMeeting other like-minded golfers. I almost have too many options of people to play a round with now. In other words, if you don't see or get the value out of the other things a private club offers, it's probably not the right choice.

[CHall1525]

I joined our local CC (albeit not a high end/expensive one) for the pace of play and availability of pool for the wife. A good group of buddies joined at the same time so can usually get a group playing and no tee times or crammed course is great. Usually finish in 3 hours or so with my regular playing partner, 3.5 hrs with a normal paced 4some. Still play a local public course from time to time to mix it up, but better have a 4 some and plan to play pretty slow as its always packed.

[RichieHunt]

I’ve switched off and on between memberships and no memberships. Currently I’m a member at a private club and I enjoy it. Overall it costs me a little more than if I was using a golf app to find a tee time. But, the experience is worth it to me. Particularly at this club where they may have a pace of play problem in the opposite direction…everybody is scared to death of being labeled as a slow player that they play extremely fast to the point where it can be a nuisance. 

 

It’s a nice problem to have.

 

So with the membership I get entirely faster pace of play, better greens, a good practice facility and if I make a tee time and either don’t feel like playing or get caught up in doing something and need to delay my tee time…no problem. I can also entertain family, friends and potential clients there.

 

I tend to believe that the best way to go is to either join a private club or using a golf app and playing public golf. Joining a club that is not exclusive isn’t worth it. You end up playing the same course for less money, but get none of the amenities that a membership has to offer. That’s unless you’re at a course that just doesn’t get much play and it’s an awesome course. Then I could see that being worth the membership.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[3GoodPutts]

Been a member at 2 different private clubs over the last 15 years. Gave up my membership after the first one went public. Gave up my membership on the second one because the clubhouse and restaurant was falling apart for months with no plan on when they were going to be updated.

Been playing in a regular group on weekend mornings and couldn't be happier. It's a public course and the conditions and layout is better than the two private courses I was a member at. Also works out to be a little cheaper.

I found out (the hard way) some private clubs are no better than a local muni. Obviously some private clubs are a great experience, but I can't find those in my price range.

[charli]

Yeah I prefer my Club and the group of 30 or so guys

[ArtMBgolf]

You could join a private club for just 1 year, if it's not a initiation club.

[az2au]

Honestly, I would never play golf if I didn't belong to a club. My life between work (which involves a ton of international travel), a wife that leads a global consulting practice and travels as much or more internationally as I do and two kids doesn't allow me to know when I'll be able to play a whole lot. I need the flexibility of being able to decide last minute. Also, a four hour round might as well be 24 hours because there's no chance I have time for that 99% of the time I get to play. Per round cost is irrelevant to me. Getting to actually play when I have the time is.

[Bogeygolfer55]

No offense but I don't think most of us can say money is irrelevant.

[Roody]

Then I don't think a private club membership is the choice for you. Like I said, you will never be able to justify the cost per round average. It's never going to work out better than getting a season pass at a public course, or hunting and pecking for value deals on the golf tee time apps. And it's not supposed to.

[vallygolf]

The intent with the money comments is not that it is irrelevant, just that time is a MORE precious commodity than money for some. If money is more important than time then private may not be your friend. I recently resigned my private membership because although I would have been willing to double my dues for a more flexible tee sheet, the course was too busy for my time.

[dlow206]

I joined a local club for convenience, because its the closest course to me, and because its much less busy than the public courses. With my family obligations and work schedule, my goal is try to play as efficiently as possible from a time perspective. I also like that I can book a tee time to play on my own and don't have to get paired up with others in cases where I don't want to.

[GooseHook]

It's the best choice for me, because of convenience, my age, and the quality of golf. I'm in my early 30's and the dues structure at local clubs present a decent value.

I like that I can actually get a weekend tee time, and on weekdays I really don't need one. I like that I can practice all I want, for free, on a well groomed range and practice area. If you can even get a time in the Baltimore/DC area, expect a 5-hour round in the summer and fees anywhere from $50-90. Most of those places will charge for range balls too.

[LeoLeo99]

I'm not so sure about that. I thinking of joining a club when I retire but I'm not sure the cost to join. Last time I was a member of a private club is was $1200 per year for unlimited golf and no initiation. Figure I'll spend $3000 to $4000 on greens fees and practice balls per year after I retire so I'm thinking that's right in line with a lower end private club. And without work friends, I could use another outlet for socializing and daily/regular basis.

[TimK1]

I can tell you I joined a club for one reason, the practice facilities. I spend so much time on the driving range that it didn't make sense to go up to my local range close by and buy buckets of balls. I probably hit at least two hundred balls four to five days a week.

Chipping area was also a factor. I only play nine holes a few nights a week after six. I mostly play local and state tournamnets for my real rounds. I really use my club as a practice facility. It is cheaper overall for me to have a membership then to try and practice at public facilities.

[Drwoods2017]

I joined a club that gave me access to a bunch of different clubs so basically I have the best of both worlds. We also have a home club that's two minutes away from our house for events and dinner. I think an underrated part of most clubs are the practice facilities. The time I get on the range/short game area really makes it worth my while. Not to mention my club hosts a PGA tour event so we get special access to that. Like someone else said the discount for under 35 at most places makes it super affordable. Just have to find a club that works for you especially since a lot of online tee time places are very limited on when and what they can offer.

[bhj83]

I moved to a nice semi-private club neighborhood last August. Prior to moving it was about 10 mins from my house and I was already a member. It's a no brainer for me to have a membership because it's relatively cheap and I often have an hour or two of free time so I'll head to the range or just go out and play as many holes as I can get in. It results in me playing more golf because if I had to pay every time I headed out for a few holes it would get expensive and I'd end up doing it far less. I think the membership thing really depends on your life at the moment. If you can go out a lot and play a few holes, it would make sense. If you only play 18 hole rounds, then maybe you would be better off playing different courses. I've been a member at the same course off and on for 3 years and I've never really gotten tired of it. You just have to find a layout that you really enjoy. I also do go out and play some other courses occasionally to mix some variety in.

[az2au]

Exactly. I wasn't saying money itself was irrelevant either. I was saying cost per round is. If I go a couple of months without playing then so be it but my overall golf budget would be the same regardless. I'm not kidding when I say that I wouldn't get a chance to play at all otherwise. If I were in the same situation as @vallygolf I would do the same. A busy tee sheet at a private club would basically be me setting money on fire. That's not irrelevant at all.

[Lancj1]

Might differ in the UK however I am a member of a club for one reason only - to maintain a handicap. To do this I play in a few club comps each year, and the reason for it is so that 3 or four times a year I can have a round at one of the local Open/Euro Tour venues. Living near Liverpool I can be at Hoylake, Birkdale, Hillside etc within 30 mins. They specify a handicap required to play.

Whilst I am a perfectly well adjusted individual with family, friends and career etc I love to play golf alone. Its meditation if you like, and I play my best then. My handicap would be significantly lower if I could replicate my solo form. The reasons people often state for club membership - new friends, social events, camaraderie etc - one way to ruin my day is to ask on the first if I want to join your group :)

So I guess I am saying there is a lot more to your choice. What are you comfortable with. Its your hobby, its for enjoyment, you aren't going to make the Tour!

[Schley]

Everyone's situation is different.As our situations are different, our priorities are different.Our lives evolve over time and as a result our priorities do as well.Will golf be a priority in your life in the years ahead as you move from different stages (jobs, salary, married, kids, etc)?Club memberships are a very good place to spend your recreation time and dollars for a single guy/business network in a golf club, or as a family at a CC.In short, it matters not what my particular situation is as I'm very unique and won't bore anyone with the details. However, when one projects their future priorities, if golf is towards the top and you can afford it then a membership really becomes a nice hub of your recreation/family time.

[Bogeygolfer55]

Thanks for info guys. For the record just joined a local club,final reason my wife just started playing this year and club had option of walking or riding.

[dcmidnight]

Do not join a private club if your sole intent is to somehow match up the numbers in a spreadsheet and say, see, I'm paying X per round now and I was paying Y before, what a deal! Just do not do that, you will never come out ahead.

All the other reasons mentioned here are reasons I joined a club and I have no regrets. For me its also about being able to walk on during a weekday afternoon with virtually no one else out there and walk nine holes in a little over an hour. You cant quantify things like that in a spreadsheet.

 

[mci711]

What are everyones thoughts on joining a privately owned club VS joining a member equity club? My wife and I are looking at clubs and one we really like is privately owned but we are also looking at a couple equity owned clubs. The equity owned clubs are a little bit more expensive and the ones we were looking at were full clubs (pool, tennis, others) while the non equity is just golf (my preference).

What are the big + and - of the two?

[dcmidnight]

Dont necessarily compare equity/non equity - I would caution anyone, do NOT pay for things you arent going to or dont want to use.

Ever.

If its a minor difference now - consider the future. When they do an assessment to resurface the tennis courts, build a bigger pool deck, upgrade all the equipment in the gym you dont use etc. i joined a golf only club as well because we didnt need a gym or a big tennis facility.

[raynorfan1]

I would disagree with this sentiment. The golf course is the biggest suck of cost in most Country Clubs. If you can find a place that has other attractions (like tennis) that bring non-golf members in...you should think about the degree to which the tennis players are subsidizing the golfers. If there are amenities that are expensive to maintain, used by few members, and do not attract net new members, that's worth questioning.

[Kyle M]

I’m fortunate enough to belong to a club in my area with what I think is the best course in the area. It’s an awesome golf club, tremendous people, etc. I could never justify on a cost per round basis, nor do I try to. There are so many intangibles that in my opinion, more than make up the cost of membership.

[cristphoto]

To me joining a private club is about a lifestyle - not a "cost per round" mentality. Besides high-quality conditions and faster pace of play there is a family like aspect. Getting to know most other members is nice. I (or my wife) can take my grandkids to the pool or tennis and have a nice lunch after. I'm not really a tennis player (lifetime of golf and two meniscus operations has taken its toll) but this pickle ball thing is catchy. We have indoor and outdoor tennis courts and in the winter two nights a week one of the indoor courts is used for pickle ball. I feel my health has improved since I can walk (unless very hot days) most rounds. There is a gym too which my wife and I both use. We also have an indoor simulator which allows me to keep swinging throughout the winter. Also food and service is noticeably better than public facilities.