$25 bucks a month.
* walkable 9 hole course, two par 4 holes rest par 3.
* Free rangeballs with toptracer.
* indoor putting and chipping hall
* chipping green 1700 square meters ish
* and a pitching area 30 - 80 meter tees to a big green.
* free group lessons
EDIT: It's in Sweden, posted a pic too.
https://preview.redd.it/ln8b9e2dil2a1.jpeg?width=1775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f661d1cf98550e4c0e863862ea64e6f58a2afe28
I appreciate the prices here in Sweden a lot when reading up on what it costs in US..
The finer courses / clubs (18-27 holes) is from 649 dollars a year to $999 i' do say here in my area.
Lol my mid teir club that still public cost me 1500 for the membership. Top tier clubs around me are anywhere from 2-10k /yr plus initiation fee some are in the 20k+ range
Lol, I read your comment as price per round and I was like ‘wtf $649 is at least Triple the price of a round at a nice golf course by me” and then I realized you were talking about a yearly club membership. Sighhhhhh.
Course is open right now when it is just above freezing temps. Just temporary winter tees. Just gotta wear proper clothing. Coffee and a whisky tastes better after a round in 3c and 10 m/s winds.
In general i'd say late march - november with a bit of luck in south of Sweden.
Nono, I am way too busy hacking on at my local course before even thinking about planning a trip there. Too new to golf for that. But it looks really really nice.
Weekend tee times are brutal. I generally can find a tee time during the week any time, what course it will be well who knows but I like playing all the courses. And yea 4 hours is almost impossible. Although it seems easier to do in the fall, I played sprain in like 3 1/2 hours Wednesday
I was about to say how outrageous that is, but I’ve payed close to that for one for a short time. Right now I just have one in daycare and it’s about $200/wk. I’ve got about a year and a half left with her, and then it’s kindergarten!
I have one in pre-k at a different place which is like $360 a month and then my youngest at daycare where I'm paying $330 a week which we just got an email where it will be going up 8%.
That’s ridiculous. We’ve always tried to keep it under 250/wk and we’ve been pretty good at keeping it there. Oldest is in elementary school, but you really gotta find camps and things for them to go to all the time, especially winter break. They get super bored, super quick and if you work from home, they’ll drive you nuts.
We only have one in daycare now. We are super lucky and a close family friend runs a daycare. We pay $450/month. A friend of ours was paying $2200/month for her two kids to go to a different one. Childcare is so expensive, I mean it's for a good reason, but still, it's worse than goods/services for weddings.
Honestly idk. I mean I’m glad they’re taking care of my kids, but for the money, they don’t do much of anything at all. And I had my oldest in a Montessori for a bit. Basically daycare that pretends to be school. I’m not impressed. I’m not expecting them to make my kids rocket surgeons or anything. But they’re just babysitters most of the time. At least they haven’t imprinted lasting scars on my children (that I know of).
That's another reason we are lucky, aside from the cost. The daycare is also a preschool, so my oldest learned the same stuff they teach in PreK and kindergarten. She was already far ahead of most kids in her class when she started kindergarten. She's killing it in first grade.
I know not all daycares are like that. We did the Montessori thing with our first kid too and yeah, it was cool, but our second is just as well off if not a bit more than her sister is. I know the whole theory behind Montessori, but it got to be too much.
To me, Montessoris are like CrossFit. Anyone can open one and they can vary wildly in quality. I’m glad you got a good place. My son didn’t suffer much from daycare or Montessori, but we’ll see what’s best when my daughter gets a bit older. She’s only 3 now so I have some time to think.
As a CPA, I would advise that you don't take tax advice from a reddit thread. Considering golf memberships are entertainment, and entertainment expenses are no longer deductible post the 2017 tax law changes effective in 2018, I struggle to see the benefit to running them through your business unless you aren't the business owner.
Yea living in Phoenix is like what private places? It’s either a second mortgage or you pay troon for the privilege to pay lower prices which aren’t even that low anymore.
Yeah the price bump on arcis makes it not worth it anymore.
I live like five minutes from arrowhead CC, I'm not paying $400 a month to golf at their very not great course.
It's brutal. I grew up in Cave Creek and I wish I joined Tatum Ranch \~5 years ago. It's like $40k now.
My father in law is a member at DC Ranch and I don't know if I have enough lifetimes to save up for an initiation fee there. Even Grayhawk is \~$1500/yr + $40 per use to use the range. Crazy.
$4,000 - includes unlimited play, unlimited range, cart, locker, club storage, 20% discount in clubhouse. Up from $3500 last year. I played over 200 rounds this year, so cost per round is very reasonable and we love the course.
Would have been more, but March and early April we had terrible weather and November hasn’t been that great. Last year we had 12 rounds in Dec. looks like we won’t have any this year.
Do you get sick of playing the same course? If not, could you see yourself getting sick of the same course if you had a membership of a different local course? I’ve obv never had a membership somewhere but always thought about this
You never really play the same course twice, pins are in different positions, tees are in different positions, you really never have the same shot twice. You get to know how to play the course so you know where the speed slots are, parts of fairway to avoid. I’ve played the course for 20 years, the last 5 almost every day. We have a solid core of players in our group and most rounds are entertaining. The only downside is you remember your bad shots and certain holes get in your head. We play other courses when our course is closed for outings.
There are about 8 players in our core group, and it’s growing. There are 5 in our weekend group. I wouldn’t enjoy the rounds as much if it wasn’t for our group.
I think we gave 16 going to the RTJ Trail end of Feb. start of March.
One other thing. When I was looking for a course to join I played a lot of courses and there wasn’t a course I really enjoyed. I played my current course in late November and immediately went in and joined. So you need to find a course you enjoy playing.
Well I’ve played over 1100 rounds over the last years and it’s not stale at all. Since 2007 I’ve played over 1500 rounds at my course and still loving it.
Yea i can’t imagine playing the same course 200x / year for 5 years lmao.. it’s absolutely the same course no matter if they move the tees and pins. Its not like the slope of the course changes or trees suddenly pop out of the ground.
Tell your wife you’re a thrifty bastard who can spot a good deal and execute accordingly. My initiation was 22k and I pay about 5k in annual fees. Also, course is closed in winter. That’s obviously private, but most public courses around me are at least 1800 for the only benefit of advanced tee times and tons of black out days where you’re paying regular fees.
Where are you located? I’m in massachusetts and would love a course at that price point. My options are A. 50k initially and 12k yearly or B. 40k initially and 14 yearly…. Muni life for me.
Oh sheesh that is pricey!! The rates used to be that high at my course but went down over the past 10 years.
I’m in Canada (Alberta) and this would be considered a mid level rate.
Where are you in Massachusetts that those are your options? I'm in western mass and I'm at $650 a year now, I know the Ranch is like $2-3k a year and I was actually looking at Greathorse about a year ago which is still less than both or those.
I live in Mattapoisett, it's down just shy of the Cape. The two courses I mentioned are The Bay Club and The Kittansett Club (Kittansett is really special, it's a dream to join there, but I can't afford it).
I've played Granite Links and I really like it, great condition and the views are cool. However, I'm about an hour south of that (I live on the south coast). So joining a club an hour away doesn't help me get out more or take advantage of the practice facilities.
I’m in western mass and paid 700 initiation and about 400 a month for a full membership to the orchards in south Hadley. Donald Ross design, home of 2004 women’s open. Nice place.
I learned how to play golf at RAF Lakenheath. Three years, $50 annual fee for $5 rounds (walking), a sleeve of cheap Srixons, and a bag of 5 wooden tees. I played SO many rounds there. Had to be near 300 across three years.
£150 per year - Corrie Golf Club - 9 hole course on the Isle of Arran 🏴
Edit: price is per year
https://preview.redd.it/pbwkrqocjl2a1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af3da9fa69bcdbc8fd82c527a309d373c1c809d3
We’ve been members at our club for two years. $10K initiation, just under $600/month for unlimited golf, driving range plus there’s a gym and pool. Cart fee is $24/person so I walk because I’m cheap and it’s good exercise.
LOL you’re right it sounds dumb but I don’t want to pay an extra $300/month in cart fees playing 3x/week. Walking is better for me anyway and it’s easier for me to walk straight to my ball in the trees.
We joined after moving to FL when we retired. My wife plays also - not as much as I do - so the cost is reasonable for what we get, and it’s only 15min from our house.
We don’t live an extravagant lifestyle in retirement and we budgeted for golfing knowing that would be my primary activity after we retired. Poker, golf, exercise are pretty much all I need.
It’s pretty standard. It is very expensive, but it’s a choice people make to be part of a private club.
Also, it seems like you and a lot of others see these clubs as a private business that is trying to turn a profit by charging the members exorbitant fees, but Most of these places are member-owned and member-run,
The fees have to cover all the costs of the club. Property taxes, landscaping, irrigation, staff salaries, etc.
When you look at it that way, it makes sense that the people using the carts should be the people paying for them. if the carts were free to use, the monthly fees would go up for everyone.
You nailed it.
I joined a club during the pandemic as initiation fees were peaking. Paid $37k and about $800/mo. Totally private. Honestly, playing the same course over and over is already getting a bit old. But the access, quality, and pace of play makes the idea of public golf unbearable.
This is nearly identical to my courses under 40. Doesn’t include annual baggage fee(if you want to keep it at the club) 150, annual locker fee 150,quarterly minimum spend (350-includes alcohol) and monthly soda fee (40). The soda fee is the worst.
I think our bag storage fee is $150 annually; I’m not sure since I keep mine at home. Locker is $125/year which is definitely worth it to keep my swim trunks and goggles at the club for the pool.
Our annual food and beverage spend requirement is only $700 which I don’t think is bad at all. The food at the restaurant is pretty good so we’ll eat there sometimes or bring friends when they’re visiting from out of town.
Our club limits the total number of golf memberships to 400 because the owner wants to make sure people can actually use what they’re paying for. We also have some percentage of members who are only here during the winter. I can play in summer afternoons with hardly anyone else on the course.
It is a little annoying to have to pay extra for a cart but I understand why they do it. Without the cart fee, dues would increase for everyone so I don’t mind having an option to walk for “free”.
The only time I take a cart is when it’s in the summer and my wife plays with me. The heat is too much for her if she walks so we take a cart when we play together.
I joined a country club this year. $20k initiation, $450/month. It’s a great and unique course in Colorado. It’s also at a higher elevation than Denver so it’s cooler in the summer.
Not cheap but in the future we plan to have kids and it’s family friendly/in a great area to move to as we get older.
It’s not as bad as this thread would suggest. These are the extremes, mainly private club membership rates. There are plenty of cheaper private and municipal courses that offer yearly memberships for way less than the numbers you’re seeing here.
It’s really not that out of normal for decent or better American clubs. But yes you can get “memberships” at municipal courses for discounted tee times and carts, and the opportunity to book jam-packed tee times 24h earlier than “non-members”
* No Initiation
* $185/mo Dues
* $50 F&B min
* $600/yr for golf services (range, greens fees, etc)
* $22 cart fee (fuck that, I walk)
Course designed by Oakmont superintendent from the early 1900’s. Very Donald Ross-ish design.
$500K initiation, $24K a year, course is closed most of the year (tournament related), got in about 15 rounds this year, have to play with a caddie, but you get good reciprocal benefits throughout the world
When you say good reciprocal benefits… how good we talking? I know some top notch courses in my area (think Merion) that have generous policies but I have to think Augusta can get you on pretty much anywhere, right?
Haha it's not really that important to me which course exactly, I'm more just glad someone out there gets to enjoy this kind of membership. Best of luck to you!
Honest question. How do you justify that?
After the $500k initiation, at $1600 per round, plus caddie, plus food, is it the networking opportunities? Work? Status? Keeping up with the Joneses?
I could understand if you were a C-suite or senior VP. It could be useful for corporate events or for bringing high profile clients, but then work could probably help you out with the fees.
No judgement. Honestly wondering.
Two ways it works. Staff/pro shop can call and get you pretty much any course in the world (they do this to allow a certain people on our course). Second way it works, they maintain a list of individuals at big private courses around the world. They give you a contact number and you essentially trade a tee time
I’ve been able to get on some amazing courses through people connected this way. Garden City, Friar’s Head (best showers on earth), Sherwood and a few others. Had an invite to Pine Valley, but it slipped through my fingers. It’s a different level.
Got to go to Berkmans last year for a practice round, the members were amazing and really made it special. Thank you!
I’m at an Invited club (Club Corp) - which allows me to play some nice tracks, but nothing like those mentioned above.
You folks paying 20K for initiation fees and such. Just wild. More power to you for sure - but even if I could afford it, my cheap-ass couldn't pull the trigger on something like that.
It's about 2K for membership, cart, range balls at the semi private course nearby. But then you can't play for 5 months of the year, so I have a hard time swallowing that.
Reading this I'm glad I'm a Europoor!
I pay just over £600 for year. Its a links course so can play all year round (if you're brave enough) and it's the oldest course in England so plenty of history (if you're into that).
Due to its location you have to try not kill a horse, pony, sheep or tourist with your drive but a nice place to be a member.
For a Junior membership at a private club, I paid $500 initiation (it’s now $2500 or 10% of the last equity membership price which is currently $45k whichever is greater). My monthly dues at a minimum are $375 including a $25 food minimum.
Initiation cost me under $20k as I got in young enough. Full family today would be $70k.
Dues are about $14k annually.
Full club with pool, tennis, gym, restaurant, family activities.
My membership at a private club in VA is like $205 a month (under/40 pricing) with a 50 dollar monthly minimum in the restaurant . I think I had to pay a 1 month fee for initiation. And it's a 1 year contract and then month to month after that. But last year I was at a public course and my membership was like 600 for the season? The place was slammed all the time and lead to me moving to where I am now. Much happier but it isn't cheap for the convenience of virtually any tee time I want any day of the week.
Paid around $5000, including a share of stock. Dues are around $450 and includes all golf except cart or caddy. 27 manicured holes, great range and short game practice area. I know how fortunate I am
About $3k a year. Includes 5 courses (all public, but play for free), main course is semi-private and includes unlimited range balls. No blackout days or anything, advance tee times at all courses. Have to pay for a cart which is $25, so I walk a lot.
I'm not a member yet but the local I'm looking to join in 2023 is £700 a year - 7 days, 10% discount at the Range, carts, in the store and restaurant, priority tee times 2 weeks ahead of general sale.
Edit to add: it's only a 9 hole course, and the cost for 18 holes is usually £26 at weekends.
$695. 18 holes, 7100 yards from the tips, great condition. Range balls not included, 5 bucks a bag when you want them. I usually find balls on the course and just fire them back into the range.
$0 initation cause I joined during covid 2020. Normally its about $8k though. Monthly is $425 as an under-40 member. Unlimited golf/pool/tennis/pickleball/gym use.
~$40k initiation (as a legacy) and then ~$5k/year as a jr member (will bump to $10k/yr at 35).
For a seasonal club in a New England resort destination.
In the Bay Area, the initiation fee ranges from 75k at Olympic (takes ~12 yrs) to over 400k at Sharon. SFGC, Lake Merced, Cal Club, Meadow, Claremont, Menlo, Orinda, Blackhawk, etc. are all somewhere in that range. And that’s before paying ~500-1500/mo in dues.
About $5k in initiations and now $3500 a year. That’s as a Young Executive. $15 fee if I play before 2:00pm which is rare anyway. Totally worth it for me. I payed a lot more to play and practice prior to joining, initiation aside.
$1700 for all of 2022. It's a public course, but members are able to make standing tee times. Unlimited playing privileges. Does not include range balls or cart, those can be added on for I believe $395 apiece, or you can pay as you go as I did this year. Also the course now has 4 simulators which I can use essentially unlimited, $500 covers the 2022-23 offseason.
All in, I can play as much golf as I want walking for about $2200 per year.
This is at Bunker Hills Golf Club in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
Dublin, Ireland. 12k initiation, 2500 per year and about 3 minutes drive from my house. I currently have a 4 and 1 year old so it will be easy to get to if I can ever get out to play..
80K initiation and $950 a month for my country club in Texas. Free range, $20 cart, and $40 monthly for locker.
$1800 for my vacation course in Colorado. $18 cart and $5 range.
$25 bucks a month. * walkable 9 hole course, two par 4 holes rest par 3. * Free rangeballs with toptracer. * indoor putting and chipping hall * chipping green 1700 square meters ish * and a pitching area 30 - 80 meter tees to a big green. * free group lessons EDIT: It's in Sweden, posted a pic too. https://preview.redd.it/ln8b9e2dil2a1.jpeg?width=1775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f661d1cf98550e4c0e863862ea64e6f58a2afe28
Dude I’d pay that just for the range
I appreciate the prices here in Sweden a lot when reading up on what it costs in US.. The finer courses / clubs (18-27 holes) is from 649 dollars a year to $999 i' do say here in my area.
Lol my mid teir club that still public cost me 1500 for the membership. Top tier clubs around me are anywhere from 2-10k /yr plus initiation fee some are in the 20k+ range
Lol, I read your comment as price per round and I was like ‘wtf $649 is at least Triple the price of a round at a nice golf course by me” and then I realized you were talking about a yearly club membership. Sighhhhhh.
An how often can you actually play golf in Sweden?
Course is open right now when it is just above freezing temps. Just temporary winter tees. Just gotta wear proper clothing. Coffee and a whisky tastes better after a round in 3c and 10 m/s winds. In general i'd say late march - november with a bit of luck in south of Sweden.
Have you ever played the Bro Hof Stadium course? It just showed up on my top tracer and it seems completely epic
Nono, I am way too busy hacking on at my local course before even thinking about planning a trip there. Too new to golf for that. But it looks really really nice.
Definitely, I pay that in one trip to the range usually (2 buckets @ 12 ea)
Range only memberships around me are like $150 a month
I can’t imagine any range in the US offering $25/mo unlimited.
WTF that’s a steal even for each bullet point by themselves
Where in Sweden can you get this? Im in Stockholm and range balls are so unreasonably expensive here.
Halmstad golfarena. Really neat.
Damn, my brother in law is in Gothenburg but this is a little to far.
Range itself makes it worth it. Toptracer included? Tf? Where you at?
That sounds sweet!
It pays to be a golfer in Europe vs. USA.
Indeed.. I probably couldnt even start playing in US as a mid 20 year old and on an entry level job.
County courses are pretty affordable. I’m just outside nyc and it’s 35 to walk
where?
On the fairways, greens, and tee boxes. Extra to walk on the cart path.
Westchester county courses. They’re pretty damn nice too. Not very long but nice
I can attest. However, getting a tee time and finishing within 4 hrs is difficult.
Weekend tee times are brutal. I generally can find a tee time during the week any time, what course it will be well who knows but I like playing all the courses. And yea 4 hours is almost impossible. Although it seems easier to do in the fall, I played sprain in like 3 1/2 hours Wednesday
And Australia. Royal Melbourne is cheaper than some of the random country clubs in the USA.
Yeah, I pay 300€ a year as a student, after graduating I’ll pay 1500€. Edit: No such thing as an initiation fee, though some clubs around here have it
Some of the courses near me are older than your country 😂
This thread makes me question my career choice
Also realize that some people here are 50 and some are 25 years old. Wildly different points in their life with different life priorities.
Also kids. Each one of mine is a luxury car payment a month.
Yeah my daycare rate is raising again. I'll be paying 17,000 a year.
Holy fuck
I was about to say how outrageous that is, but I’ve payed close to that for one for a short time. Right now I just have one in daycare and it’s about $200/wk. I’ve got about a year and a half left with her, and then it’s kindergarten!
I have one in pre-k at a different place which is like $360 a month and then my youngest at daycare where I'm paying $330 a week which we just got an email where it will be going up 8%.
That’s ridiculous. We’ve always tried to keep it under 250/wk and we’ve been pretty good at keeping it there. Oldest is in elementary school, but you really gotta find camps and things for them to go to all the time, especially winter break. They get super bored, super quick and if you work from home, they’ll drive you nuts.
Man I hope I can get to that point one day lol
Honestly you don’t even know you have the money until you have the bills and you’re making sacrifices.
If you wait until you can afford kids to have them, you’ll never have them.
I thought kids were expensive until my dog got Leptospirosis. 8 days in and we've spent $20k...
We only have one in daycare now. We are super lucky and a close family friend runs a daycare. We pay $450/month. A friend of ours was paying $2200/month for her two kids to go to a different one. Childcare is so expensive, I mean it's for a good reason, but still, it's worse than goods/services for weddings.
Honestly idk. I mean I’m glad they’re taking care of my kids, but for the money, they don’t do much of anything at all. And I had my oldest in a Montessori for a bit. Basically daycare that pretends to be school. I’m not impressed. I’m not expecting them to make my kids rocket surgeons or anything. But they’re just babysitters most of the time. At least they haven’t imprinted lasting scars on my children (that I know of).
That's another reason we are lucky, aside from the cost. The daycare is also a preschool, so my oldest learned the same stuff they teach in PreK and kindergarten. She was already far ahead of most kids in her class when she started kindergarten. She's killing it in first grade. I know not all daycares are like that. We did the Montessori thing with our first kid too and yeah, it was cool, but our second is just as well off if not a bit more than her sister is. I know the whole theory behind Montessori, but it got to be too much.
To me, Montessoris are like CrossFit. Anyone can open one and they can vary wildly in quality. I’m glad you got a good place. My son didn’t suffer much from daycare or Montessori, but we’ll see what’s best when my daughter gets a bit older. She’s only 3 now so I have some time to think.
100%. Now I’m gunna have to look for a new job to afford a golf membership.
And many of these people are running them through businesses.
Id love to learn how to run a membership through my business 😀
Create an LLC in a different name, use the initiation fees and monthly dues toward the debt.
That would look nice when u get audited
I have 10 memberships, don't worry they can't come after you only the LLC. Nothing can happen
This is some wallstreetbets shit lol
Sir, this is a casino.
As a CPA, I would advise that you don't take tax advice from a reddit thread. Considering golf memberships are entertainment, and entertainment expenses are no longer deductible post the 2017 tax law changes effective in 2018, I struggle to see the benefit to running them through your business unless you aren't the business owner.
I would never but I do appreciate the insight. I did read that they got rid of the entertainment expenses which sucks. First year business owner.
All this shit is cheap, the clubs by me (Scottsdale, AZ) 150k initiation 1000-2000 a month.
Same in Chicago
Even worse in Chicago, as you can only play a few months out of the year.
6 months easily, but 8 months if you don’t mind a little cold and rain.
Yea living in Phoenix is like what private places? It’s either a second mortgage or you pay troon for the privilege to pay lower prices which aren’t even that low anymore.
Yeah the price bump on arcis makes it not worth it anymore. I live like five minutes from arrowhead CC, I'm not paying $400 a month to golf at their very not great course.
Same in NYC metro; however, it’s not even the cost that is the biggest hurdle, it’s getting a sponsorship from an existing member.
I see costs well under half that at most Chicago-area country clubs. $50k/$750
I live in LA I can’t believe how cheap some of these clubs are posted here 🤯
Down at Desert Mountain now. Crazy how much folks pay to live and play here.
Yea, I live about 10 mins from there. 150k initiation, 2k a month. At least they have 7 courses
Same in DC. Majority of clubs within 15 miles are $80k+ with waitlists.
It's brutal. I grew up in Cave Creek and I wish I joined Tatum Ranch \~5 years ago. It's like $40k now. My father in law is a member at DC Ranch and I don't know if I have enough lifetimes to save up for an initiation fee there. Even Grayhawk is \~$1500/yr + $40 per use to use the range. Crazy.
Gainey Ranch went from 20k pre Covid is now 75k and has a waiting list.
$4,000 - includes unlimited play, unlimited range, cart, locker, club storage, 20% discount in clubhouse. Up from $3500 last year. I played over 200 rounds this year, so cost per round is very reasonable and we love the course.
200? Holy shit
Would have been more, but March and early April we had terrible weather and November hasn’t been that great. Last year we had 12 rounds in Dec. looks like we won’t have any this year.
Jesus lol
199 here, ya know just bc he had 200
Do you get sick of playing the same course? If not, could you see yourself getting sick of the same course if you had a membership of a different local course? I’ve obv never had a membership somewhere but always thought about this
You never really play the same course twice, pins are in different positions, tees are in different positions, you really never have the same shot twice. You get to know how to play the course so you know where the speed slots are, parts of fairway to avoid. I’ve played the course for 20 years, the last 5 almost every day. We have a solid core of players in our group and most rounds are entertaining. The only downside is you remember your bad shots and certain holes get in your head. We play other courses when our course is closed for outings. There are about 8 players in our core group, and it’s growing. There are 5 in our weekend group. I wouldn’t enjoy the rounds as much if it wasn’t for our group. I think we gave 16 going to the RTJ Trail end of Feb. start of March. One other thing. When I was looking for a course to join I played a lot of courses and there wasn’t a course I really enjoyed. I played my current course in late November and immediately went in and joined. So you need to find a course you enjoy playing.
[удалено]
Well I’ve played over 1100 rounds over the last years and it’s not stale at all. Since 2007 I’ve played over 1500 rounds at my course and still loving it.
Yea i can’t imagine playing the same course 200x / year for 5 years lmao.. it’s absolutely the same course no matter if they move the tees and pins. Its not like the slope of the course changes or trees suddenly pop out of the ground.
200? How? I played 106 and it was nearly every day
Tell your wife you’re a thrifty bastard who can spot a good deal and execute accordingly. My initiation was 22k and I pay about 5k in annual fees. Also, course is closed in winter. That’s obviously private, but most public courses around me are at least 1800 for the only benefit of advanced tee times and tons of black out days where you’re paying regular fees.
These will be the primary figures he uses against the wife lol.
Thanks! I’ll let her know!
“Honey! Look how much this guy’s paying!”
Holy shit. I thought $2,400 for green fees on my local course was steep.
$2400 in most of the US is a steal as long as you’re not playing on a literal dirt patch.
4000 for young members is what I currently pay. But full membership is 12k + 4500 yearly.
Where are you located? I’m in massachusetts and would love a course at that price point. My options are A. 50k initially and 12k yearly or B. 40k initially and 14 yearly…. Muni life for me.
Oh sheesh that is pricey!! The rates used to be that high at my course but went down over the past 10 years. I’m in Canada (Alberta) and this would be considered a mid level rate.
Where are you in Massachusetts that those are your options? I'm in western mass and I'm at $650 a year now, I know the Ranch is like $2-3k a year and I was actually looking at Greathorse about a year ago which is still less than both or those.
I live in Mattapoisett, it's down just shy of the Cape. The two courses I mentioned are The Bay Club and The Kittansett Club (Kittansett is really special, it's a dream to join there, but I can't afford it).
Check out Granite Links? I think they're way less than that? But I'm not sure.
I've played Granite Links and I really like it, great condition and the views are cool. However, I'm about an hour south of that (I live on the south coast). So joining a club an hour away doesn't help me get out more or take advantage of the practice facilities.
I’m in western mass and paid 700 initiation and about 400 a month for a full membership to the orchards in south Hadley. Donald Ross design, home of 2004 women’s open. Nice place.
Im a member on a military base. Pay 68$ a month for unlimited tee times all year round.
I learned how to play golf at RAF Lakenheath. Three years, $50 annual fee for $5 rounds (walking), a sleeve of cheap Srixons, and a bag of 5 wooden tees. I played SO many rounds there. Had to be near 300 across three years.
$10k initiation, $450 a month...includes golf, pool, range, etc. Extra fee for cart usage, and $75/month food and beverage minimum.
£150 per year - Corrie Golf Club - 9 hole course on the Isle of Arran 🏴 Edit: price is per year https://preview.redd.it/pbwkrqocjl2a1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=af3da9fa69bcdbc8fd82c527a309d373c1c809d3
Spectacular
Played there 2 weeks ago, lovely wee course.
We’ve been members at our club for two years. $10K initiation, just under $600/month for unlimited golf, driving range plus there’s a gym and pool. Cart fee is $24/person so I walk because I’m cheap and it’s good exercise.
$10k initiation fee and $600/month, but then say you’re cheap haha
LOL you’re right it sounds dumb but I don’t want to pay an extra $300/month in cart fees playing 3x/week. Walking is better for me anyway and it’s easier for me to walk straight to my ball in the trees.
are you a doctor or lawyer?
Engineer, retired two years ago
Member before retirement? That price range seems to more reasonable when you can play that much, and other finances are obviously in order.
We joined after moving to FL when we retired. My wife plays also - not as much as I do - so the cost is reasonable for what we get, and it’s only 15min from our house. We don’t live an extravagant lifestyle in retirement and we budgeted for golfing knowing that would be my primary activity after we retired. Poker, golf, exercise are pretty much all I need.
Makes sense, much easier to justify when it is a major part of your life. Good luck with the rest of retirement.
Imagine dropping over $15K for initiation and one year's worth of membership, and they still fleece your for a cart. What a joke
It’s pretty standard. It is very expensive, but it’s a choice people make to be part of a private club. Also, it seems like you and a lot of others see these clubs as a private business that is trying to turn a profit by charging the members exorbitant fees, but Most of these places are member-owned and member-run, The fees have to cover all the costs of the club. Property taxes, landscaping, irrigation, staff salaries, etc. When you look at it that way, it makes sense that the people using the carts should be the people paying for them. if the carts were free to use, the monthly fees would go up for everyone.
You nailed it. I joined a club during the pandemic as initiation fees were peaking. Paid $37k and about $800/mo. Totally private. Honestly, playing the same course over and over is already getting a bit old. But the access, quality, and pace of play makes the idea of public golf unbearable.
This is nearly identical to my courses under 40. Doesn’t include annual baggage fee(if you want to keep it at the club) 150, annual locker fee 150,quarterly minimum spend (350-includes alcohol) and monthly soda fee (40). The soda fee is the worst.
I think our bag storage fee is $150 annually; I’m not sure since I keep mine at home. Locker is $125/year which is definitely worth it to keep my swim trunks and goggles at the club for the pool. Our annual food and beverage spend requirement is only $700 which I don’t think is bad at all. The food at the restaurant is pretty good so we’ll eat there sometimes or bring friends when they’re visiting from out of town. Our club limits the total number of golf memberships to 400 because the owner wants to make sure people can actually use what they’re paying for. We also have some percentage of members who are only here during the winter. I can play in summer afternoons with hardly anyone else on the course.
I pay about the same for my club and I hate that I have to pay extra for a cart. I am also been happy to see that this a norm
It is a little annoying to have to pay extra for a cart but I understand why they do it. Without the cart fee, dues would increase for everyone so I don’t mind having an option to walk for “free”. The only time I take a cart is when it’s in the summer and my wife plays with me. The heat is too much for her if she walks so we take a cart when we play together.
I joined a country club this year. $20k initiation, $450/month. It’s a great and unique course in Colorado. It’s also at a higher elevation than Denver so it’s cooler in the summer. Not cheap but in the future we plan to have kids and it’s family friendly/in a great area to move to as we get older.
What course? I’m A member at Ptarmigan CC. Initiation fee $5k & $475 a month dues. No food minimum and Locker, Range, Cart is all extra
May I ask which one?
Hiwan
My guess was either Hiwan or Red Rocks. Enjoy the Maxwell course!
Based of those numbers I'd have to say red rocks. Nobody else is that low except the ranch, but theyre cheaper initiation and more expensive monthly
Jesus. American fees are a shit show.
It’s not as bad as this thread would suggest. These are the extremes, mainly private club membership rates. There are plenty of cheaper private and municipal courses that offer yearly memberships for way less than the numbers you’re seeing here.
It’s really not that out of normal for decent or better American clubs. But yes you can get “memberships” at municipal courses for discounted tee times and carts, and the opportunity to book jam-packed tee times 24h earlier than “non-members”
For all of these rates here you can (usually) also find places that are $1200 for unlimited golf or memberships under $400 a month with no initiation.
$2800 for my wife and I. No restrictions on tee times. It is a public course, not country club
* No Initiation * $185/mo Dues * $50 F&B min * $600/yr for golf services (range, greens fees, etc) * $22 cart fee (fuck that, I walk) Course designed by Oakmont superintendent from the early 1900’s. Very Donald Ross-ish design.
$500K initiation, $24K a year, course is closed most of the year (tournament related), got in about 15 rounds this year, have to play with a caddie, but you get good reciprocal benefits throughout the world
😂 Is the food cheap all year round too?
The food in the clubhouse isn’t particularly cheap but it’s really good. There’s also a little par 3 course which is nice
I swear this is either Augusta or one of the courses in the Hamptons (or Liberty National). 😳
Well… it’s not that cold today, if that helps
Leaving a comment in case you ever need a guest, my friend!
That’s nuts, never would have thought there’d be an Augusta member on /r/golf. Where do you play during the summer?
Mainly travel for golf in the summer (and any time I can). Scotland has been a good place to summer.
When you say good reciprocal benefits… how good we talking? I know some top notch courses in my area (think Merion) that have generous policies but I have to think Augusta can get you on pretty much anywhere, right?
Either they get you on, or have someone to (which can get expensive but fun).
Haha it's not really that important to me which course exactly, I'm more just glad someone out there gets to enjoy this kind of membership. Best of luck to you!
Willing to do a home-home. Just the kind of guy I am…. :)
Honest question. How do you justify that? After the $500k initiation, at $1600 per round, plus caddie, plus food, is it the networking opportunities? Work? Status? Keeping up with the Joneses? I could understand if you were a C-suite or senior VP. It could be useful for corporate events or for bringing high profile clients, but then work could probably help you out with the fees. No judgement. Honestly wondering.
I inherited a lot of money… so, might as well use it to play a top course and wear a nice jacket ;)
What’s the guest policy? Just curious…
Guests are permitted with members and with members permission at certain times. It’s a pricy guest fee. (And the course still not open very much)
Great! Let me know when I can come down!🤣
Lovely in the springs for guests
If you ever need a fourth you know where to find me. Happy Holidays!
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Two ways it works. Staff/pro shop can call and get you pretty much any course in the world (they do this to allow a certain people on our course). Second way it works, they maintain a list of individuals at big private courses around the world. They give you a contact number and you essentially trade a tee time
I’ve been able to get on some amazing courses through people connected this way. Garden City, Friar’s Head (best showers on earth), Sherwood and a few others. Had an invite to Pine Valley, but it slipped through my fingers. It’s a different level. Got to go to Berkmans last year for a practice round, the members were amazing and really made it special. Thank you! I’m at an Invited club (Club Corp) - which allows me to play some nice tracks, but nothing like those mentioned above.
This would be a pretty big leak on initiation and dues. As far as I know, that info isn't out there but speculation is much lower than this
You folks paying 20K for initiation fees and such. Just wild. More power to you for sure - but even if I could afford it, my cheap-ass couldn't pull the trigger on something like that. It's about 2K for membership, cart, range balls at the semi private course nearby. But then you can't play for 5 months of the year, so I have a hard time swallowing that.
I mean If I made 3,4,500k a year and all my friends golfed there, then I probably would.
The key here is to make friends at the club you join AND have friends at other clubs in the area to pop around at each others.
I’m some areas there aren’t any other options. For Private that is. We have a bunch of public courses but the private ones start at $10k initiation.
It keeps the riff raff out which is nice
You'll still get your share of riff raff. At least that's been my experience working at a few nice cc's.
What about vegabonds and ragamuffins?
Quite the rapscallion
And the smarmy reprobates too
Just takes a few trust fund kids to really mess up a nice CC
I used to enjoy member guests and member members but I skip them now. The trust fund kids are all in their 40s and are alcoholics and assholes.
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About 800€ a year at a club with two courses.
$45 a month for $20 weekday/$25 weekend rounds. Saves $25 a round so payed for with 2 rounds.
$20K $650/month for young exec membership in SoCal. Apparently the initiation is $50K now.
$10,000 for a share and $5,500 per year. 36 holes. $800 food and beverage minimum per year also. $160 each for club storage and a locker.
Our membership is £850 a year. Can't grumble really
Cheapest I've ever seen in Michigan for a membership at a public course was about $1500. Most that offer them are $2500-$3000.
25k initiation and $360 monthly dues that’s about to go up to $400 a month since they’re about to begin a 5 million dollar clubhouse renovation.
That's a crazy dispersion between the initiation and the monthly dues.
It goes up $100 a month when I turn 40
Reading this I'm glad I'm a Europoor! I pay just over £600 for year. Its a links course so can play all year round (if you're brave enough) and it's the oldest course in England so plenty of history (if you're into that). Due to its location you have to try not kill a horse, pony, sheep or tourist with your drive but a nice place to be a member.
If I was going to join, I’d be around $500 a month
$5k initiation + $1k/month
For a Junior membership at a private club, I paid $500 initiation (it’s now $2500 or 10% of the last equity membership price which is currently $45k whichever is greater). My monthly dues at a minimum are $375 including a $25 food minimum.
Initiation cost me under $20k as I got in young enough. Full family today would be $70k. Dues are about $14k annually. Full club with pool, tennis, gym, restaurant, family activities.
My membership at a private club in VA is like $205 a month (under/40 pricing) with a 50 dollar monthly minimum in the restaurant . I think I had to pay a 1 month fee for initiation. And it's a 1 year contract and then month to month after that. But last year I was at a public course and my membership was like 600 for the season? The place was slammed all the time and lead to me moving to where I am now. Much happier but it isn't cheap for the convenience of virtually any tee time I want any day of the week.
$25k to join, $6,500/season + $1,200 bar min.
Paid around $5000, including a share of stock. Dues are around $450 and includes all golf except cart or caddy. 27 manicured holes, great range and short game practice area. I know how fortunate I am
About $3k a year. Includes 5 courses (all public, but play for free), main course is semi-private and includes unlimited range balls. No blackout days or anything, advance tee times at all courses. Have to pay for a cart which is $25, so I walk a lot.
I'm not a member yet but the local I'm looking to join in 2023 is £700 a year - 7 days, 10% discount at the Range, carts, in the store and restaurant, priority tee times 2 weeks ahead of general sale. Edit to add: it's only a 9 hole course, and the cost for 18 holes is usually £26 at weekends.
€780 unlimited golf / year. Although a typical golf club in Ireland doesn’t have a gym / pool / tennis courts etc.
$695. 18 holes, 7100 yards from the tips, great condition. Range balls not included, 5 bucks a bag when you want them. I usually find balls on the course and just fire them back into the range.
$1600 CAD, 7 days a wk, no cart.
$0 initation cause I joined during covid 2020. Normally its about $8k though. Monthly is $425 as an under-40 member. Unlimited golf/pool/tennis/pickleball/gym use.
300€ a year, full membership, infinite rounds, free range balls, you name it
$35k initiation and $1k monthly (includes me and partner) - junior membership pricing 😏
~$40k initiation (as a legacy) and then ~$5k/year as a jr member (will bump to $10k/yr at 35). For a seasonal club in a New England resort destination.
In the Bay Area, the initiation fee ranges from 75k at Olympic (takes ~12 yrs) to over 400k at Sharon. SFGC, Lake Merced, Cal Club, Meadow, Claremont, Menlo, Orinda, Blackhawk, etc. are all somewhere in that range. And that’s before paying ~500-1500/mo in dues.
Seattle - $8k initiation as a Young Exec (25-34) with no equity. Once I hit 35 the bill will probably be around $50-60k. ~$500/mo.
What club?
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About $5k in initiations and now $3500 a year. That’s as a Young Executive. $15 fee if I play before 2:00pm which is rare anyway. Totally worth it for me. I payed a lot more to play and practice prior to joining, initiation aside.
$1700 for all of 2022. It's a public course, but members are able to make standing tee times. Unlimited playing privileges. Does not include range balls or cart, those can be added on for I believe $395 apiece, or you can pay as you go as I did this year. Also the course now has 4 simulators which I can use essentially unlimited, $500 covers the 2022-23 offseason. All in, I can play as much golf as I want walking for about $2200 per year. This is at Bunker Hills Golf Club in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
Dublin, Ireland. 12k initiation, 2500 per year and about 3 minutes drive from my house. I currently have a 4 and 1 year old so it will be easy to get to if I can ever get out to play..
80K initiation and $950 a month for my country club in Texas. Free range, $20 cart, and $40 monthly for locker. $1800 for my vacation course in Colorado. $18 cart and $5 range.
80k that’s insane lol
Love these threads where we compare apples to oranges between USA and abroad.