Joining a Private Club - What Would You (Should I) Ask?

links_slayer

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We joined a public course this year and could not be more disappointed with the experience. Pro shop manager is a giant a-hole (club pro is super great), abysmal pace of play, no tee times available between 2pm and 6:30/6:45pm Mon-Thu due to leagues, course conditions are very meh, food/beverage options are a C+ at best - at least a half dozen better options on my way home or close enough. So we're kicking the tires on joining a private club. There are 2 or 3 in the immediate vicinity that are attractive to us and 2 or 3 that are not - but only due to the $$ involved. I've been telling myself it's stupid to throw this kind of money at a membership when I can only golf 6 months out of the year but I'm beyond frustrated with most of the public courses in our area and figured we're (likely) able to give it a shot for one year to see if we like the private club gig.

So....Here's a list of questions I intend to ask the membership coordinators/directors when we meet with them later this summer. Anything else I should ask?
  • Monthly dues for 2022?
  • Incentive for paying year in full?
  • Initiation Fee?
  • How are improvements funded? Periodic assessments? Capital fund?
  • Dues for year 2 and beyond? How often increased?
  • Multi-Year commitment required?
  • Quarterly food minimum?
  • Typical pace of play?
  • Need to make a tee time or just walk up?
  • Range included?
  • What are busiest days/times?
  • Earliest tee time?
  • Any restricted or closed days/times?
  • Weekday morning tee sheet stacked?
  • Okay to play just a few holes in the afternoon/evening?
  • Bring my own push cart?
  • Guest golf policy fees?
  • Guest dining policy?
  • Club-organized leagues?
  • Any member-organized regular games?
  • Golf Events?
  • Social Events?
 
You have covered the main issues very well. Be sure to ask for history and dollar amounts of mandatory assessments to members. Good luck!
 
That’s quite a comprehensive list. I think the questions about dues and possible assessments are important.
 
Great list. You have a short season to begin with. Hopefully costs are reflective of that and I'd wonder if:
Obligated to lock tee sheets and practice facilities to accommodate area HS or NCAA programs, conferences, regionals etc...
How many corporate events do they host, do they impact weekend tee sheets for members.
Is there incentive pricing for military or first responders if either applies to you or your family. Students, educators, health care, same question.
 
Is all or part of the initiation fee refundable upon termination of membership?

Gun club to which I belonged for a couple years had a minimal initiation fee, so that wasn't much an issue. The sail club we joined had a fairly substantial initiation fee, but a portion of it (50%?) was refundable upon termination of membership.

After having belonged to several types of clubs in my lifetime I have found you never really understand what you're joining until you've joined and have been there for a while. Thus I would be disinclined to join any club, of any kind, with a steep initiation fee unless all or part of it was refundable upon termination of membership.
 
Looks like you have it covered pretty thoroughly. If it's a semi-private club, I'd want to know how far in advance members can book tee times vs. the public. My club is semi-private and we can book 2 weeks in advance, public can only book 72 hours in advance.
 
I could/would never ask the questions you are about to of the membership director. Do you have a friend or friend of friend who is a member there....Engage with them. Then have a social meeting with the membership director and let him lead the conversation without feeling like it is 20 questions. Why this club? Via my website as I'm not informed on your area best in area is University Ridge.....
 
Cooperative relationships with other clubs?
Any current plans to improve that would interfere with course access?
Dress code?
 
I could/would never ask the questions you are about to of the membership director. Do you have a friend or friend of friend who is a member there....Engage with them. Then have a social meeting with the membership director and let him lead the conversation without feeling like it is 20 questions. Why this club? Via my website as I'm not informed on your area best in area is University Ridge.....
Why exactly? He's a paying customer and these clubs AIN'T cheap. If a club director is irritated by asking a list of questions, that to me is a great sign to NOT join that club.
 
If I was considering joining a club, public or private, my number one concern would be the golf course. If it isn’t a place where I’d like to play all my golf, it would be removed from my consideration. Doesn’t the quality of the layout matter to you at all? Have you played all of those you are considering? If you haven’t, is there any way for you to play it as a guest before you decide?
 
Depending on the course, you should prioritize asking how many THP members can you bring as guests?!?
 
Please check back with the answers. I would love to hear about other private courses in different areas.
 
Why exactly? He's a paying customer and these clubs AIN'T cheap. If a club director is irritated by asking a list of questions, that to me is a great sign to NOT join that club.
A private club is a different animal. It's best to do your homework prior to engaging.
 
Locker Fee
Bag storage Fee
Cart Fee
Own push cart fee
Practice area hours of operation
Plans for future major renovations in the near future
Ask for some free guest passes as a “signup bonus”

And of course, free round to take the course for a test drive
 
A private club is a different animal. It's best to do your homework prior to engaging.
Some private clubs are a different animal.

If I have to feel like the club director is my customer, as a member paying 10’s of thousands I want no part of it.
 
I would want to know how many member families there are? There are various thoughts on how many is too many members where you start having the same issues as playing public courses, i.e., pace of play & difficulty getting tee times.
 
Wow! Things must be really different between Wisky and where I live. Around here nobody would have those question about a "membership" to a public golf course! No monthly minimums, no assessments, just pay for your golf! Which might be unlimited with the cart fee, depending on the membership that you buy! The questions I referred to above would be apropos if you were joining a private club!

If this is how "public" golf is becoming, I'm glad it hasn't found it's way down here!
 
Is it Blackhawk?
 
thanks for the input so far.
Wow! Things must be really different between Wisky and where I live. Around here nobody would have those question about a "membership" to a public golf course! No monthly minimums, no assessments, just pay for your golf! Which might be unlimited with the cart fee, depending on the membership that you buy! The questions I referred to above would be apropos if you were joining a private club!

If this is how "public" golf is becoming, I'm glad it hasn't found it's way down here!

Uhhh, this is for a private course.
 
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Ask them to pull up the tee sheet when you are there! Look at the week ahead and what the times you like, look like.
Don’t join until you play it.
If you can, try to talk to a member and ask questions, they will give you the real scoop. In many cases, members aren’t concerned about if you join or not, they will give you the straight scoop.
Outside of that, your experience in joining a public course aren’t surprising, it’s a public course, you get what you get. Even worse, once they have your money, they really don’t care.
 
Coming from this angle , sounds like a sizeable financial commitment and comprehensively scrutinise each club . So much from what l can gather of this , not about the game and enjoyment of the game . Clearly there’s a fundamental difference in the structure and fiscal aspect of it....
Would rather play a game or two at other, for want of a better term, higher rated course ( it’s about that for me not the peripherals) and enjoy that experience, and try others .
 
Join where you A) have friends and B) really love the course. Without those things, it won’t matter what the answers are to your financial questions….


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