Last Updated on February 1, 2023 by Britt Olizarowicz
Playing golf at a country club is a rare treat for some. These country clubs can be hard to get into. They have high guest fees, and they generally have rather small memberships. If you are looking for an invite to a country club but don’t want to come right out and ask your friends, here are a few ways to get invited to a country club.
How To Get Invited To A Country Club For A Round of Golf
In some areas of the country, there are golf courses and country clubs that are known for their premium conditions and impressive facilities. If you want a chance to play these courses, here are a few things to know about how to get invited to a country club for a round of golf.
Play In A Charity Event
One of our favorite ways to play some of the best golf courses in your area is to play in a charity golf event. These charity events are for a good cause, and they can provide a really fun day of golf and socialization.
The charity events are conducted on a Monday, at most clubs. Most charity events include a meal. The only warning we will give you here is that many charity events have an alternative format. The format could mean you don’t play your own ball.
Therefore, if your goal was to play the private country club and record your score, you might struggle. One of the most popular tournament formats is a scramble.
However, scrambles only allow you to play a partial round with your own ball, keep that in mind.
Take A Tour of The Facilities
Some golf courses offer a tour if you are inquiring about membership. As part of this tour, you may be offered a round of golf. However, you will often have to talk to the membership director, and there could be fees involved with this round.
Some of the more exclusive clubs will ask for an interview to talk to you about the membership requirements. The interview is done before they let you out on the course and play.
This membership inquiry is a classic way to get into a private country club.
However, it won’t be something you will be able to do repeatedly. Country clubs keep a close record of all of their prospects.
You will not have the chance to continually take these tours and look for a way to play.
Make Friends With Current Members
The easiest way to get invited to a private country club is to be friends with some of the members. Many private country clubs have a group of members from a certain neighborhood, or a company in the area will have many of its employees join the club.
Additionally, country club members often join in groups.
If you can get in with this group and make a few friends, chances are you can get that invite to the club.
Reciprocate The Favor
Invite your friends that are members of a country club to play at your club. If you are not a member, instead invite them to play with you at one of the top public courses.
Show an interest in playing golf with them outside of just using their membership. This will often get you invited to their club at some point.
Country club members really like having guests out to play.
They enjoy showing off their course and letting friends see all that is involved with being a member. If you get this invitation back to the club, make sure to offer to pay your way.
Most of the time, the guest fees, with cart fees, are $100 or more. If you pay your own way, you may get even more invitations.
It’s important to keep in mind that most country clubs put a limit on how many times you can bring the same guest to play golf with you. This limit can be monthly or yearly.
If you start bringing your same friend each weekend, the club will catch on. At this point, they often ask them to consider membership.
Make Friends With The Staff
Yes, one of the perks of being a country club staff member is the chance to play golf there from time to time.
Of course, there are often restrictions. The restrictions can be times of the day, days of the week, and guests.
Many clubs will allow staff to bring a friend out a few times per year.
Be prepared to work around the schedule that the country club allows. At least its a chance to play!
How To Get Invited To A Country Club For Membership
In addition to wanting to get your chance to head out and play a new country club, you may want to become a member of this club. Membership is a bit more involved than a simple round of golf.
Those that sponsor you for membership take a little bit of responsibility in this process.
In other words, they aren’t going to sponsor you for membership if you are not entirely trustworthy and have the right goals for the club in your mind.
If you want to get invited to a country club for membership, you will need to be close friends with other members of the club. If you are currently a member of a different club, make sure to invite them to come to play your club.
This reciprocal type of invitation can really help.
In addition, see if there are any connections through the business world where you can meet members of that club. Make sure you are honest about your desire to become a member of their golf course.
For most current golf members, the fact that you are interested in joining is a compliment. Sometimes there will be waiting lists and nothing that can be done to speed up the process, and other times all it takes is a friendly ask.
Final Thoughts
There is great golf to be played everywhere, and you don’t always need to play at a private country club. However, if you have had your sights set on a certain club for some time, these five ways to get invited to a country club will help you in your journey and make sure that you also stay a stand-up citizen!
Lastly, being a great person can significantly improve your chances of getting an invite, let’s not forget that fact!
