Last Updated on August 10, 2023 by Britt Olizarowicz
Have you ever wondered why one country club is priced higher than another? Some clubs have a $2500 initiation fee, and others have a $250,000 initiation fee. As a golf professional and former membership director of a private country club, I always found it interesting to understand how country club pricing is established.
This article will help if you are:
- A member of a club looking for information on why your fees keep changing
- Thinking of joining a country club and what to understand country club pricing
- Simply interested in the business side of country clubs and how they work
The Components of Country Club Pricing (What You Need To Know)
Country club pricing will ultimately determine whether or not you can afford to be a golf club member.
There are four basic components of country club pricing that you must be aware of:
- Monthly dues (sometimes paid annually)
- Membership fees (locker room, tournaments, capital payments, assessments)
- Initiation costs (initial costs to get accepted)
- Monthly spending (cart fees, food, beverage, etc.)
Three out of four of these components you will have no control over. Monthly spending is up to you, but at most clubs, you will have some monthly spending costs simply by using the club.
Factors Influencing Membership Fees
Where do these membership fees and costs come from? When I was a membership director, one of my big projects every year was to figure out the costs of all the local clubs in our area.
Eventually, a smart club employee put together a sheet that all membership directors shared in the area. These fees really don’t need to be kept secret.
This sheet with all the club fees and information really helped compare and see why some clubs were charging more than others. Here are some of those reasons:
Location Factors
There are two location factors here to look at.
The first is how close the golf club or country club is to people who want to use it. For instance, in South Florida, as you move closer to the middle of the state, expect fewer people and a longer drive out to the club.
These clubs may have a harder time than one located near Palm Beach or Lauderdale, where there are many wealthy people in the city.
The second location factor is what the golf course has to offer. A course on the beach or in the mountains is considered quite appealing and can often charge higher fees because of it. This is not to say that some golf courses with no special geographic features are not incredible designs.
Facilities and Amenities Offered
A clubhouse with 19 pickleball courses, a championship swimming pool, 4 restaurants, and two courses has a lot to offer. This club may be able to charge a little more simply because they offer all these amenities.
However, this is not always an exact science.
A small golf club with a simple, understated clubhouse may charge extra simply because it’s small and exclusive.
I would say that the better the facilities and amenities, the more control the club has in raising prices. Through the years, you will probably see increases, and the club staff will justify them because of their amazing amenities.
Reputation, Club History, Prestige
When you hear country club names like Winged Food, Congressional, and Seminole mentioned, it’s hard not to think about reputation, history, and prestige.
There is no way around it, golf is kind of a snobby game sometimes, and if there is a long history and some impressive accolades, they will be reflected in the price.
For some people, especially those that can afford it, the reputation of the club is worth paying a little extra for.
Supply and Demand
You don’t have the upper hand if you want to join the only club in town.
I like to think of this a bit like the real estate market. When a home comes up in a desirable neighborhood, everybody wants it. When 20 homes come up in a desirable neighborhood, nobody needs them.
Memberships that are popular because of service or facilities, or prestige will always be able to charge more.
Understanding Initiation Costs
The monthly dues are where you spend the majority of your money if you decide to join a country club. However, this initial fee up front is typically sizeable, and it sort of proves that you belong at the club.
Most country clubs collect the initiation fee before you are even voted on as a new member of the club.
The initiation fee costs have a lot to do with supply and demand and the current status of the club. If you see country clubs raising their initiation fees, they are growing or planning a big project.
If you see initiation fees going down, they are hurting.
Take a look at any successful club that did well through the Covid golf boom. You will see that their initiation fees had to go up because they had too many golfers that were ready to join.
Expect initiation fees to change through the years, but for the most part, if you are joining a club with $50,000 or $100,000 in initiation fee costs, there is a very slim choice; they will offer a “$15,000 special”.
On the other hand, if you are joining a club with a $5,000 initiation fee and they are on the hunt for members, they may offer you some discounts.
Typically speaking, the higher the initiation costs of a country club, the more exclusive the club will be.
Monthly and Annual Due Pricing for Country Clubs
Your monthly dues keep the facilities maintained and the lights on. The dues pay for your staff, small upgrades or renovations, food supplies, maintenance, golf course conditions, water, and more.
Many country clubs saw a great increase in monthly and annual dues in the last few years because of inflation costs. The $12 hamburger offered at the grill may now cost closer to $10 to prepare. Pricing is going up, and dues are going up at the same time.
It is common for dues to go through a slight increase year after year. Eventually, some people get fed up with these increases and leave the club. When I was a membership director, each year that we raised the dues, we knew a good percentage of members would call it quits.
Never join a country club if the dues being charged are at the high end of your monthly budget; you won’t be able to keep up.
Country Club Pricing Structure (Two Clubs to Consider)
I found your pricing for two different country clubs so you can get an idea of what the average monthly dues, initiation fees, and overall costs are going to be like. This will help you see what these clubs offer and what you can expect to pay.
River Hills Country Club (Lake Wylie, SC)
River Hills Country Club was established in 1972 as a golf and lifestyle community. It has an 18-hole William Byrd golf course. In addition, there are tennis courts, a swimming pool, and dining options. Inside the gated residential community, you can find condos and single-family homes, and a ton of social activities.
Here is what you can expect from a cost perspective:
Full Membership Initiation Fee: $7,000
Down Payment: $2,800
Amount due at the end of year 1 & 2: $2,100.00
Monthly Dues: $503
Greens Fees (For Social and Sports Members Only)
18 Holes (Friday-Sunday) $77 (per person)
Weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) $61 (per person)
River Hills offers a junior membership that is about half the price of the full membership. They also have a sports and social membership that includes limited golf access. The full golf membership dues include unlimited golf without paying for greens fees.
All members have a $ 30-a-month service fee. Typically this is used at non-tipping clubs to help offset labor costs.
Heron Creek Golf and Country Club (North Port, Florida)
A little further south of River Hills Country Club, you will find Heron Creek Country Club. This club has 27 holes of golf and several different membership categories for golfers to choose from. You can also expect 5-lighted Har-Tru tennis courts with a pro shop, heated resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, saunas, live music, social events, and more.
Refundable Initiation Deposit: $10,000 or Non-refundable Initiation Fee: $3,000
Monthly Dues: Family – $680
Individual – $583
Executive Family (Age 21-54) – $492
Legacy Member (Age 76 and up) $559
Yearly Food & Beverage Minimum: Family – $500
Individual/Executive/Legacy – $350
Optional Annual Trail Fee: Family – $2,750 or Daily Member Cart Fee: $32 – 18 holes
The Heron Creek Golf and Country Club does a nice job of offering different levels of membership in the Platinum, Silver, and Bronze categories. This is a lifestyle community, so you do have the option of paying for that trail fee and using your own golf cart for truly unlimited play.
The refundable initiation deposit is also a unique feature that gives members the option. You will see the pricing here is a little higher than River Hills, but you get an extra 9 holes, and the weather is pretty nice in North Port, Florida, all year long.
Additional Considerations in Country Club Pricing
As you can see from our two examples, River Hills Country Club membership costs and Heron Creek Golf and Country Club costs that every club has its own unique way of structuring the membership.
Here are a few other considerations that can impact country club pricing:
Membership Categories
The membership category you choose will have a bit impact on pricing. Junior golf memberships have become very popular. Some golf clubs allow anyone under 50 to join as a junior member. If you want to feel young again, this is how to do it!
Seasonal Pricing
Summer or winter memberships are available in some areas. These are usually limited in what they offer, but they can be a great deal when deciding whether or not you want to be a country club member.
Membership Tiers/Upgrades and Privileges
If you have been a social member at a private country club for ten years and you suddenly get the golf bug, you may want to consider upgrading. The upgrading initiation fee costs are often discounted for current members. Talk to the membership director and staff to see if this applies.
Tips For Prospective Members Enquiring About Country Club Pricing
Now that you have a general idea of what to expect from country club pricing and how it works, here are a few of my best tips and words of wisdom as you go through the club joining process.
- Make sure you know your budget well and stick to this budget even after you see the club and all that it has to offer
- It should be very simple for the membership director to produce the pricing for you, don’t be fooled by hidden fees and amounts; ask to see all fees
- Ask for dues amounts from the past three years; it will give you an idea as to which way the club is trending and what you can expect in the years to come
- If you have concerns about total costs, express them
- Learn to evaluate one country club vs. another, look at amenities, environment, staff professionalism, golf course conditions, and more
- Finally, do some research, even if you love one golf club or country club, make sure you look into more than one option.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this complete guide on country club pricing has helped you know what to expect. Remember that each facility has its own way of doing things, so you can’t worry about asking too many questions on a country club tour.
Ensure you understand your fees not just for this year but the upcoming years and how they will impact you. Country club membership is worth it, but they are a big decision, and you won’t want to choose the wrong one.
