Last Updated on January 30, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
Country club membership costs are hard to judge. I compare it to buying a house. You know how much the house is going to cost, but do you know how much it’s REALLY going to cost? If you have purchased a home, you know exactly what I mean.
As a former membership director and PGA Professional, I dealt with the sales side of golf memberships quite often. I’m going to give you all the information you need to properly budget and understand how much a country club membership costs.
How Much Does It Really Cost To Join A Country Club?
It’s not accurate or possible to give you a single number telling you what it costs to join a country club. Some can require you to cut a check for $1000; others could be $100,000. I’ll break down some of the fees you can expect to pay and why you always need to budget more than expected.
Initiation Fees
Country club initiation fees range from $0 to more than $550,000. The initiation is a one time fee that gets you in the door of the club. Some country clubs allow you to pay this fee over time, but most will expect it to be paid upfront when you join.
Also, don’t be surprised if the country club does a credit check before allowing you to go on a payment plan for the initiation fee.
The initiation fee often scares people away from a club because of the high upfront costs. However, what is really more important from an affordability standpoint are the dues. Dues keep coming at you month after month, whether you use the club or not!
Average Country Club Initiation Fee
With country clubs all being different it’s hard to give one average for all clubs. You could say it’s around $50,000 or $100,000 but some of these $500,000+ clubs are outliers, along with the $2000 initiation fee clubs.
| Country Club Type | Average Initiation Fee Range |
|---|---|
| Local or Community | $2,000 – $10,000 |
| Regional | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Prestigious Local | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| National Recognition | $50,000 – $100,000 |
| Top Elite Clubs | $100,000 – $500,000+ |
Club Dues
Club dues are the fees you pay to be part of a country club each month. Some clubs have dues as low as $400 a month, and others get closer to $2000 monthly. The dues allow you access to the facilities.
Club dues are what pay the bills at your country club. Your dues keep your staff paid and ensure the lights stay on. Dues can change from year to year and often go about 1 to 4% each year, something to be aware of when looking at overall affordability.
If you get behind in your dues payments, you will lose access to the club, even if your initiation fee is paid in full.
Capital Reserve Fee
Almost all country clubs have some time of capital reserve fee added to each of your monthly statements. The capital reserve fee can range from $25 to $250 a month. When the air conditioner goes, or the dining room bar needs replacement, money will come out of the capital reserve fee.
Service Fee
Some clubs are tipping clubs, so you may not see this service fee on your statement. In the event that a club is non-tipping, there is often a service fee collected that counts as your “tip” for all of your spending throughout the month.
The service fee is then split by the employees who are working at the club, and it is often used to make the club a more enjoyable place for employees to work.
Assessments
If a large renovation has been done to a club, you may see an additional assessment tacked onto your club bill. When we joined our country club, they were in the middle of completely renovating one of the clubhouses and one of the pools, this was a major project voted on years prior, and it is still part of our monthly fee.
Of course, the assessment is a bit frustrating in that it raises your monthly payment, but most of the time, it’s because you are getting an additional benefit to your club.
Additional Fees
Fees like locker room fees, bag storage, or guest fees will also get added to your monthly bill. Don’t forget to factor in golf cart fees. Most clubs charge around $24 to $30 for a single person to take a cart with 18 holes.
Club Spending
I think one of the most important (next to dues) factors when analyzing country club membership costs is the club spending that you plan to have as an individual.
Are you going to be able to walk through the golf shop without picking up a new shirt?
How many golf balls does it take you to get around the course?
Are you going to eat dinner at the club on Friday and Saturday nights every week?
Your club spending adds up quickly, and it’s a major factor in determining whether or not you can afford to join a country club. Expect at least a 20% increase in your total monthly payment to cover your additional spending, but this also comes down to how much you are comfortable paying out of pocket for the extras.
How much is a country club membership?
A country club membership ranges in price from around $8000 per year to well over $20,000 per year. Country club dues and fees tend to increase in cost every year. Most clubs offer discounts for junior memberships.
Costs vary widely depending on the type of club. Don’t expect to get a great “deal” on a membership. You just have to ensure you’ll use the membership, and that will justify the expense.
Average Country Club Membership Cost
This table shoes the average annual membership costs of a country club. Initiation fee would be separate from this paid at the time of joining.
| Cost Category | Average Annual Membership Cost |
|---|---|
| Lower End | $3,000 – $10,000 |
| Average | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Higher End | $25,000 – $60,000+ |
What Membership Type Is The Most Affordable?
Most country clubs offer more than one type of membership. The most common options are:
- Social or dining
- Sports or tennis, gym, swimming
- Junior golf (full golf privileges for younger people)
- Full golf
The social or dining membership is the most affordable, but you won’t be able to do as much at the club. Social and dining memberships allow you to use the facilities to eat and entertain friends, but that’s about it.
The problem with the social or dining membership is that all it does is provide access; everything else is an additional fee. For instance, if you are a sports member, you can play tennis or pickleball all you want, and it’s included in your dues.
This is why you see dues numbers start to go up after the social or dining category and as you move to full golf.
Full golf members get a lot of access for the money they spend, and quite a bit is included in their membership fees, but you have to use the club to make it worth the money.
Country Club Membership vs. Public Golf
I thought it would be interesting to compare country club membership vs. public golf, look at the total cost per round, the benefits, and the negatives, and then see which is most cost-effective. Of course, you will be comparing two different facilities, but it’s worth understanding what goes into the money you are paying.
The numbers are for an average private country club and an average public golf course.
| Private Country Club | Public Golf Course | |
| Initiation Fee | $10,000 | $0 |
| Monthly Dues and Fees | $1000 | $0 |
| Round of Golf | $0 | $80 |
| Cart Fee | $24 | $30 |
| Course Conditions | Premier | Average |
| Pace of Play | 3.5-4 | 4.5-5.5 |
| Swimming, Court Sports, Dining | Yes | Limited Dining |
| Tee Time Availability | Good | Average |
| Cost for 10 Rounds Per Month | $1240 (dues + cart) | $1100 (greens fees + cart) |
| Cost for 5 Rounds Per Month | $1120 (dues + cart) | $550 (greens fees + cart) |
| Cost for 3 Rounds Per Month | $1072 (dues + cart) | $330 (greens fees + cart) |
How Often Do I Have To Play Golf To Make Country Club Membership Worth It
As you can see from our chart above, the more you play golf, the easier it is to justify the cost of the golf membership. Looking at this, you will get ten rounds of golf per month at a premier golf course, at a faster pace of play, for about $100 more than playing public golf.
Of course, these fees are estimated, but as a membership director at clubs I’ve worked at in the past, I could determine exactly the number of rounds to make your golf membership worth it.
For most people, this number is around 8 or more rounds a month.
With 8 rounds played and the use of the facility for the gym, a little tennis, a swim in the pool, or a dinner with friends, you will find that your membership dues are well spent, and you get your money’s worth out of joining a country club.
Country club membership is truly only worth it when you use it.
Final Thoughts
If you have additional questions regarding how much do country clubs cost, please don’t hesitate to reach out. The experience of joining and enjoying a country club can be hard to put a number on, but in the end, this is a financial decision like any other and should be analyzed before going all in.
