What benefits do you find of joining a golf club?

[Q22Golf]

Like others - I have not joined because of the economics. The annual price comes out to playing like 1.2x per week, which in Indiana is very hard when December to February is usually unplayable due to snow and cold weather. 

That said I had the opportunity for a discounted membership this year and LOVE it! Like some, advanced tee times, unlimited range balls, unlimited free rounds, discount to the pro shop, and more. This also made it more justifiable to play more 9 hole rounds!

[David Staller]

I have been a member of a private club w/ access to 2 36-hole facilities for 2 years.  The best things are the ability to play multiple courses, behavior tends to be better, and speed of play is definitely faster.

[Duxman130]

"Why is divorce so expensive? Because it's worth it."

That applies to joining a club - yes it's expensive, and yes it's worth it.

As a member, I play more often and use the practice areas more frequently. Joining lowered my handicap and I've met a nice group of members when I joined. 

It's nice never having to worry about making a tee time after work. On summer weeknights, I can jump on my course at 5pm and easily get in 9+ holes. 

But there are lots of expenses such as member/guest tournaments, minimum food amounts, and everything else that shows up on the monthly statement - did I really order that many drinks last month?

 

[mgatesjr]

I have been a member of private clubs in the past and have been a member at a public course in my hometown for the past 2 years.  The primary reason I joined was because my regular group all decided to join, and I either had to join or make new friends (I like the ones I have).

I like it because it means I get to practice whenever I can squeeze it in, and as long as I play 4+ times per month the value is there.  

Secondary to the other items was quality of course (high), facilities, and ability to reserve advance tee times.

Having been a member at private and public courses I will say that the private club experience is better - the staff at our current club treats us great, but it isn't the same as being at a private club.  The course covers their greens for ~1 month every winter, and closes several weekends in the summer for VSGA events, which can be frustrating.  At a public course you don't get the same amenities as you do at many private clubs - my former club had a pool, tennis courts, restaurant, and the public course is essentially just a really nice golf course.

[Jojorilla]

Practice. Ease of use and access to facilities to work on game. Scheduling and ability to play whenever. Costs very from club to club, but the more you play the the costs are advantageous then playing random courses. 

[JeremyD]

I have not joined, because it isn't worth it financially. I may play every 1 to 2 weeks, and I don't know where I'd play. The closest 2 places (within 2 miles) to my house have a significant monthly and initiation fee to join with a golf option. I'd rather take my chances paying the daily fee. I do miss club events, or night leagues however.

[John Marchetto]

I joined a club because. 
 

1) tired of 5 hour rounds  Now I play in 3 1/2 and have the rest of my day  

2) convenience / availability of scheduling tee times 

3) members tend to take care of the course & golf etiquette 

4) cost... you can never justify the total cost as $$ per round. But, you only go around once in this life. 
 

[archship]

I joined Wild Wing Golf, which includes Avocet (a former South Carolina golf course of the year) and the Hummingbird 9.  They are part of the 20-some Founders Club courses here in Myrtle Beach. My monthly dues are around $125, which is about what one would pay for just 1-2 rounds on Avocet in peak season. However, I play 2-4 times per week year-round and am on track for about 150 rounds for only $1500 total for the year which averages to about $10 per round! I also get to play the other Founders courses at a very steep discount (around $30-50 instead of $65-120)! Guests can play with me for those rates as well.  I tend to walk (Avocet in the afternoons or the Hummingbird 9 anytime), which saves even more by not having to pay for a cart. There are other discounts for food and merchandise, which I rarely use, but are nice to have.  I am a teacher and honestly couldn’t afford to play as much as I do without a membership. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by archship

[Hacker60521]

I joined a country club about ten years ago and it’s been great for our family. There are obvious benefits on the golf side. Our membership is limited to 250 and now have a four year waiting list so we must be doing something right. I don’t schedule tee times, I’m usually able to just walk in after warming up, and my walking rounds finish around 4 hours. Of course the amenities at a private club are way better than public, but it comes with a cost. I’ve seen a few special assessments come through for various improvements but all are worth it to keeping the club up to a high standard. But don’t kid yourself, joining a private CC isn’t a good investment per we. But it certainly makes life a lot easier! There are also a number of CCs all within 15-30 min so I do a lot of member member rounds to play different courses.
 

Looking beyond golf, we have great food, pool, tennis, etc. I also like the fact that we’re good neighbors to the community and are the home course for the high school girls golf team. While our kids were a bit older so we couldn’t take advantage of the summer camps, junior golf and tennis, etc. It’s still a lot of fun for us. 

[Hacker60521]

16 minutes ago, Duxman130 said:

 

But there are lots of expenses such as member/guest tournaments, minimum food amounts, and everything else that shows up on the monthly statement - did I really order that many drinks last month?

 

@Duxman130 I always get busted when the hot dog and beverages at the turn show up on the statement. “It wasn’t beer, that was a Gatorade. They must have keyed it in wrong”. Hahah

[rpwildrick]

Hey there! I have a couple reasons:

1) in my experience pace of play tends to be better. Not that everyone is a single digit handicap (including myself :)) but everyone plays golf more regularly and knows course etiquette.

2) I can’t say this for all clubs, but I think most limit membership so it’s never too crowded and you can actually get tee times on the weekend. It may not always be a prime time, but if you want to get out you can certainly get out.

3) the events! A good club will have events through the year, I love the events at my club. It’s enough to get the competitive juices flowing while also creating some good relationships and camaraderie with the other members.

4) price. I know a lot of people will have this down as a drawback, but if you find the right club at the right price that checks all the boxes you want I think price can be a big positive! I’m in a great position at mine, it’s $300 a month for a full membership with an extra $50 to add on my wife. For me, if I want to golf once a week at the public courses near me it would probably cost me around $260 a month just for that. But if you add in the cost of any practice I want to do, or extra golf I want to play then I think it all balances out! 
 

I would say do you homework on clubs in your area, think about things like food and beverage minimums (preferably find a club without that), and ask for feedback about the membership. A club with great members is a lot of fun and something I wouldn’t trade! Good luck!

[leftygolf]

I haven’t joined my local but want to so bad. Closest course to me just the cost is the issue. I’ll be taking subscriptions to my FeetFinder account in order to fund becoming a member. Thanks, in advance. 

[Skitticus]

Where I live there is a public golf course in every direction within a 15-minute drive. However, I did choose to become a member at one of them because they have a few simulators and offer a member only winter league. I like to play different courses as much as possible so the benefit in terms of money isn't there for me but at least I can "play" during the winter. Additionally, if you are at a particular course frequently you will almost certainly build some relationships which I don't think is a bad thing. 

[No3whackin]

I had a membership at a semi-private club near Charlotte that featured four courses spread out over about a 30 minute drive.  One was a good test, which is the one I played the most.  The other three were decent, and I played them sparingly.  Tee times weren’t much of a problem, and I could walk the course regularly.  Course conditions were always hit or miss, and the practice facilities were basic at best.

We moved to SC and joined a private club that is associated with our neighborhood, and features seven courses in total.  All are unique and with exceptional conditions.  Some practice facilities are good, others are outstanding.  Tee times aren’t much of a problem, though they got a bit tougher during and post Covid - lots of folks moved here.

The initiation fees and dues aren’t cheap by any stretch.  However, for what we get out of it with the golf, amenities, friends, food, experiences and the area in general, it’s worth every penny to our family.

[KG0716]

I joined because it was costing my family more money to go play every weekend versus paying monthly at the club we joined. My wife and two daughters both play and with the price increase form COVID it actually is quite a price saving. On top of that it has really gotten my kids to get into the game more giving them more availability to go daily and hit, or practice.

Also a perk I love is Tee Times are not on top of each other like the public courses near me. I can play and not have to wait 10 minutes at every tee box or have people on top of me. All that mixed with the atmosphere, pools, etc really has made my family feel it was a great decision.

[LarryG]

Meeting & playing with like minded people. The elevated service.The consistency of course & amenity conditioning. No tee times. Great practice areas. The great competitions. The quality of staff. Unlimited range time & quality balls.

[Hacker Milt]

I belong to a club.

1.  Pace of play is much better than our local public courses.  
2.  Our normal group is usually 8 to 16 players so I play with a variety of different guys each day.

3. Condition of the course is better than most local public courses.

[Imchas4u]

I have been a member of a club for 27 years, I joined after getting tired of 5-6 hour rounds. I have stayed a member for many reasons.

The club I joined is actually three clubs all different locations so we can play 3 different courses, although I mainly play the one closest to me the most and like it the best.

Unlimited range time, great practice area, and putting green.

Availability of tee times, and rounds normally under 4 hours.

Great tournaments all season long, 2-man, match play both singles and 2-man, the great thing about the 3 courses is a few of the tournaments are 2-days and we play 1 day at 1 course and 1 day at another, also this enables us to have larger fields.

Organized tournaments

I have not yet grown tired of playing the same course and I do still play other courses in the area from time to time with friends/colleagues.

Great group of guys, always easy to find a game.

 

 

 

 

[Dead Solid Bogey]

Was really surprised that having the ability to play at many private clubs through the reciprocality avenue has not  been mentioned as an added benefit of private club membership. 

[Maineiac]

I’ve made very important friendships because of my club membership. And we have great games and tournaments that make the game even more enjoyable. And I have access to a really fabulous coach and wonderful practice facilities that I would not otherwise. And the food’s pretty good too!

[evomo23]

After reading some replies first my Feelings on this are mostly confirmed on the negative side is the cost, the monthly dues and everything else, also the thought of feeling locked into playing your club because you pay for it, I also agree on the fact that I like the freedom of playing different courses. On the other side the access to playing whenever you want and the thought you can leave whenever you want or have to and not think...man I just lost a 100 bucks, practice facility usually better and you pretty much no membership will remain close to the same

[Slight shank]

I am joining a low end club really soon. Tee times is the main reason. The course is pretty nice. Range is nothing special. Course is a half hour from my house but that’s ok. Most of them are or farther. I figure once a week I will break even. I’m getting back into walking the course so it should benefit me I think

[rpwelsh11]

We joined a private club 3 years ago and while I agree that it can be expensive, and out of some people's budget range, if you can afford it and love to play golf, I would recommend it.  

Here are the main benefits that we've seen:

1. Ability to make great friendships

2. Easier access to tee-times

3. Ability to play faster

4. Opportunity to play more often

5. Better practice facilities/equipment (balls) than most

[mharr]

On 7/10/2023 at 9:14 AM, Jim Shaw said:

I am wondering, what were the reasons you have joined or not joined a golf club. 

After being a public course golfer for 40 years, my wife and I moved from Ohio to a 55+ community in western South Carolina (near Augusta, GA).  This would be considered more as a semi-private, as they do take public play, but is run as a private member club.  And I could not love this place more.  

• We have two 18 hole courses, each we significant elevation changes, 6900yds/140+ slope from back tees (but all here play much shorter tees because almost all greens are elevated and course plays 400-600 yds longer than stated on the card.  Definitely NOT retirement courses, but are pretty challenging.  I rarely play other area courses, as these are challenging enough to keep my interest here.
• The community of golfers here are great.  I have not met a single person that I would not call a friend.  We have very active golfing community, with over 60 leagues that play here, and the primary Men's Golf Assoc has 217 members, the Women's Golf Assoc has over 100 members.
• The club tournaments are a good mix of fun events and competitive events.
• This club does a great job where women play well and are treated well.  No men get upset when following women groups, they keep pace.  (There is one woman here that plays every Sat and Sun, and if not first one out, the first group always lets her go ahead. She will play 18 holes in less than 2 hours.). There are a number of mixed events, both for couples or true mixed.
• Our other amenities are very good, from boating and water sports (we are on a 71,000 acre lake), rec center with indoor/outdoor pools, tennis and pickle ball courts, fitness center, bocce courts and bowling alley. There are 3 very good restaurants here, though since we are in a rural area, staffing for the restaurants is a problem.
• Member charging everything is big plus!
• Of course, now that I have retired, I am playing more, so I am paying a lot less being a member here.  It's $3100 for annual membership, and I'm playing 170-190 rounds per year, so it works out to $17-$20 per round! 

We are so very glad we found this place, and I often think back if I should have made more of an effort earlier to join private club back home.  But like many have said, I enjoyed playing varied courses, really didn't find an affordable club near enough to home and work to be able to go there regular enough.  But I feel I underestimated the community of a private club, and the extra amenities that would make it more enjoyable for my wife and I, and our kids when they were younger.

Edited August 4, 2023 by mharr

[gingerbeast87]

I've been given a golden opportunity with one of my local clubs. They are offering an annual membership after doing 120 hours of marshall duties, one the first 20 are done I can start playing under a membership. I can't afford to pay for a club membership so this is really good in my mind!!

[Julius]

On 7/10/2023 at 3:14 PM, Jim Shaw said:

I am wondering, what were the reasons you have joined or not joined a golf club. 

 

On 7/10/2023 at 3:14 PM, Jim Shaw said:

I am wondering, what were the reasons you have joined or not joined a golf club. 

hi Jim - I joined the club where I am because, if i play it say 20 times in the year, the membership is completely amortized, so if I play it more than that, which I should, then I get my money's worth.  now where i am a member is not very expensive - about $1,500 or so, that is not expensive at all by US standards. I was also a member of other clubs that were say more like $-45K per year, and still joined them as they were the closest clubs to me AND they had other aspects - such as a swimming pool, that I wanted to access or my wife to access.   I have toyed with the idea of NOT paying the dues for a year and just play the other clubs on a rotational basis, but the club where i am a member is also closest to me and my friends go there as well.  IF there was a club relatively close by that had better service than this one, I would likely switch as I don't like the service levels where I am, but at the same time you don't pay a lot either. Fees in Europe are not as steep as in the US typically and golfers are less in numbers it seems.  This club has the best practice facilities and a good golf school but I don't use them very often. 

[mtaxter]

I now belong to my third private club. The first locaI club I  joined in 2011 and it was at the tail of the recession. They had eliminated the initiation fee. I was still working but my wife was finished. We were able to play a sufficient number of rounds and could afford the other stuff like food minimums and misc costs. No caddies required but they had them if you wanted one. We met nice people in our social sphere and made good connections.The golf course was very good and never got boring. 4 hour rounds vs. 5 plus at my local muni. No tee time; just walk up and always out in 30 minutes or less. We did not have a broad reciprocal program. I moved after three years.

The second club I joined was inside a residential community with a Greg Norman course. Initiation in 2005 was a refundable $15,000. We bought a lot at that time and sat on it for 9 years. Dues were discounted because we lived in the NY metro area. In 2014 we moved there and I retired. It was managed by Troon and had a great reciprocal program so we could play all over the country including several courses within 50 miles. It was a very good track and we played plenty of golf to justify the costs. No caddie program. We left in 2019 and received 65% of our initiation back because the buyers joined as golfers. 

We now live in another fully developed residential/golf community. It is high end with a sizable initiation fee and is very private. Fazio course with devil greens. Never boring. Weak reciprocal program that I am personally working to improve but we also play other clubs in interclub matches. Great membership/residents. Very good food. Practice facility. Plus tennis/pickleball/swimming. 4 hour rounds. No tee time worries with a limited 300 - 325 playing membership.

If you can afford this type of stuff there is no better way to enjoy golf. 

[bus3110]

I debated for a while and finally ended up joining a club this year and I cannot say enough good things. The initiation fee wasn't terrible and was my only hesitation however once past that the monthly fee is less than what I would normally spend in two weeks of playing golf around the area. The benefits I have found are:

Amazing Practice Facilities

Ability to make a tee time at moment's notice same day (have finished work early numerous times and made a twilight time and am able to play as many holes as I can get in)

Rounds take significantly less time playing most in under 3 hours with 4somes and have played some by myself in just over 2 hours. This is true on weekends as well when public courses around here a round normally takes 5 hours

The course is always in amazing condition

Events and tournaments are a lot of fun and a great way to meet people

Other amenities are nice to have

 

There are definitely cons mainly if you get bored playing the same course but I can't recommend it enough. 

 

[chisag]

... What an interesting topic with a myriad of replies. Like most things in life, there are positives and negatives and at the very top of that list is location. Having lived my entire golfing life in the Chicago suburbs and now Phoenix, these two golf Mecca locations have plenty of Private Clubs but they are extremely expensive. I read many responses from small cities and even better, some more rural areas where a CC would seem to be a no brainer. I would absolutely love to join a CC if I could find one that fit my needs. 

Positives:
Golf and everything that entails so no further explanation needed

Negatives:
Very expensive to join and maintain a membership in Phoenix
I don't drink alcohol and try to only eat organic food so a food/beverage monthly minimum would be money thrown away
The CC's where I have played have am attitude of entitlement that does not mesh with my laid back hippie approach to life
I want to walk fall/winter/spring and ride in summer when the heat exceeds 100* daily and need a course where that works
Don't need or want a pool, tennis courts or other amenities that are really nice for families, but I won't use them 


... So if I could find a CC that catered to golf, had an eclectic and friendly membership, no drink/food minimums, was walkable and enjoyable to do so and had at least two 18 hole courses I would join and pay a high premium to do so. So far I just haven't found one. I play approx 250 rounds a year, although this record breaking heat wave will reduce that by 25 or more rounds this year, but my cost is around $8k a year. Considering winter golf in Phoenix can run $150 to $250 a round $8k is a bargain. Aguila my winter muni, hosts many quality tournaments including boys and girls high school state championships, Phoenix Open qualifiers and AGA Stage Championship so it is a quality course. Raven, my summer semi private course is even nicer with an $80 monthly fee and $39 a round after 3pm which is my preferred playing time. In winter Raven charges $180-$200 a round so it is a summer bargain. 

... All that said, I will always be looking for an opportunity to join a private club and will be willing to give up some of my negatives, but not all of them. 

[roland49]

Years ago I was a member of a golf club, it was les than a mile from my (then) home and fairly inexpensive. Advantages, golf league play, many golf events, large group og golf buddies. 

Since moving to Myrtle Beach, SC, I did not join a club,  (price was an issue), but mainly because there are so many courses in the area I did not want to limit myself to just one. Still have many golf buddies, through the two groups with which I regularly play.