Last Updated on May 8, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
As a golf professional who was also a former membership director, I’ve seen people make bad golf membership decisions in the past. Joining a country club goes well beyond the initiation fee costs or how nice the locker room may be. I’ll dive into 9 questions you should ask yourself before joining. If you can confidently answer these questions, you’ll enjoy being a member of a private golf club. If you are on the fence, pay those daily golf fees until you feel more confident. One thing is for certain: right now is the time to determine if a golf membership is worth it, not after you pay for one!
How Much Do You Love Golf?
Golf is fun. It’s also somewhat addicting and it’s easy to catch the golf bug.
Golf will get you outside, help you enjoy nature and even exercise a bit. However, if you are going to pay for a golf membership, you should really love the game. You’ll want to consider yourself an avid golfer.
For avid golfers, everything from the practice facilities to access to tee times to tournaments makes the membership worthwhile. If you are an occasional golfer or would just as likely spend an afternoon on the boat, the membership may not be worth it.
You’ll start looking at the monthly dues and wondering why you pay so much for a sport you like but don’t love.
How Long Are You Going To Live In The Area?
Throwing down an $80,000 initiation fee and then moving away is a bit difficult. Membership costs almost always include some kind of initiation fee. At most clubs you won’t get this back should you choose to move.
Make sure you have at least a few years to enjoy the club with your full membership before moving away.
One of the things we see impacting how much new members use a country club membership is their proximity to the club. The closer you are, the easier it is to run up to the golf course and use it.
How Much Extra Money Do You Have Each Month?
At this point, you have probably calculated that you have enough money to join a golf club. You can afford the initiation and even the monthly dues. However, all country club members will tell you that the fees are never what you think they will be.
You’ll love being at the club and start stopping in for a drink. You’ll need a few shirts to represent the long. You’ll find that taking a golf lesson could really help your game.
Your kids will LOVE the summer camp.
You can see where we are going with this. The fees are almost never what you think. Make sure that in addition to the joining fee and the dues, you have some extra money to use the club and enjoy it. If you don’t, it’s not worth it to join at the moment.
How Much Can You Live with Knowing you are Paying for Something you Can’t Always Use?
Country club memberships cost a lot of money. The annual dues are between $5000 and $25000 a year at most clubs, depending on the membership options. If you do the math, the number of rounds you need to play to make this a “good deal” is quite a few. Therefore, you must wrap your mind around the fact that you will be paying for unlimited access to something you can’t always use.
You may go away on vacation, hurt your elbow, or run into a stretch of rainy weather, but you’ll still be paying.
At a public golf course, this isn’t the case. See how you feel about this concept before you join.
How Good Are The Public Courses In Your Area?
Here is a big one that some golf enthusiasts forget to consider. Sometimes, the public courses in the area are just as good as the private courses. Yes, you won’t have exclusive access, and the round of golf can be a little slower. However, there are some places where the green fees are priced fairly, and the quality of the golf course makes the cost of membership completely ridiculous.
In addition, you also have to consider the variety of courses you are currently playing. Some golf memberships only allow you access to one home course. For some golfers, that is plenty. For others, it gets boring.
How do you feel about playing the game course week in and week out. I’ve always found that golfers who join clubs with at least two courses enjoy their membership much more.
How Much Time Do You Have For Golf?
This is an interesting question because it can be viewed in two ways.
First, playing golf at a public golf course typically takes 5 to 6 hours.
At a typical private club, you should play in less than 4 and, at the most, 4.5.
If you are short on time, you’ll get in more rounds at a country club. However, if you are short on time, you’ll also pay a lot more per round because you aren’t playing golf all that much. Carefully consider the time concept here and whether or not having a home club could mean that you get out for more golf and make the additional cost worth your while.
Can You Find A Club That Is A Match For Your Personality?
Every private country club has its own culture. Even if you choose to infrequently interact with fellow members, you are still going to be around them. Whether it’s the club competitions or the social activities, you’ll be around many people at a club.
Some will become new friends in life, and others will become real annoyances. When you check out a golf membership that you are interested in, pay close attention to the type of membership it is, what the people are like, and what you can learn about the club’s culture.
The main reason you join may be your golf game. However, in the long run, you want to comfortably spend a lot of time at the club. That’s easier when you like the people.
What are the Family or Guest Privileges?
Joining a golf club often becomes a family decision. One of the best things about a modern golf membership is that there are benefits incorporated for everyone in the family.
This can be everything from tennis courts, junior golf clinics, and a swimming pool. Try to look at all of the things you can get out of a membership in addition to the golf.
Sometimes, you’ll have options to play other courses or discounts at national golf courses.
The key is to take advantage of these extra perks not just for cost savings but for enjoyment as well.
Evaluating what the whole family can get out of membership should help make the decision much more clear.
Final Thoughts
When I was working in the golf industry, I never thought I could justify the cost of a golf membership. Not just for the pure cost but because of playing the same course repeatedly. That was something that just didn’t work for me long term. However, after finding a club with more than one course, I’ve been very happy as a golf member. These questions should help guide you to the correct decision and ensure that you enjoy your golf rounds and not worry too much about the total costs you are paying.
