Country Club Membership vs. Public Golf

[Canes]

I'm considering a summer membership at a private course this year. I've never done it so I have a few concerns like course conditions (aerified greens) and possibly getting bored of the course after a month or two.

Full year memberships around here are way too expensive for me. Hoping I can make it happen closer to retirement age.

 

[JustAHack]

I buy the Gold Card at Tustin Ranch. I've been to Strawberry but (for me) the range is too uphill. I know a guy who teaches at Strawberry.

Yeah very hilly. And I practice from the top! It just depends on what you’re practicing.

I like the social aspect of country clubs even if the price nets out to the same as public. And anything to avoid weekends on public SoCal courses..




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[Matthew]

It is not a luxurious country club by any means. It is a public course with a challenging layout that is pretty well kept up. For the money, or lack there of, I am a big fan of it! haha

Which course? I lived in Moultrie for 30 of my 37 years


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[Sox_Fan]

Which course? I lived in Moultrie for 30 of my 37 years


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Glen Arven is the Country Club. I am a member at Country Oaks. Go to Moultrie to play every now and then.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Yeah very hilly. And I practice from the top! It just depends on what you’re practicing.

I like the social aspect of country clubs even if the price nets out to the same as public. And anything to avoid weekends on public SoCal courses..




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Don't get me wrong...not dissing SF by any means, I just hit from the standard range area. The folks are very nice there.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Glen Arven is the Country Club. I am a member at Country Oaks. Go to Moultrie to play every now and then.

Country Oaks looks very nice. No slouch from the blues. I need to move.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Country Oaks looks very nice. No slouch from the blues. I need to move.

Not the longest course out there, but narrow fairways and small undulating greens provide a lot of defense.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Not the longest course out there, but narrow fairways and small undulating greens provide a lot of defense.

My "Other" home course is PGA West Stadium. It's an exercise in "you don't have a clue about golf". Especially the #17 island green "Alcatraz" where Trevino made his famous hole in one. From 175 my brain explains why I will take a 10. LOL!

 

[SquirrelyDave]

Youch. If the numbers work out that makes sense.

I pay about $135 a month, and $200 a year for unlimited range balls. Cart is additional, but I walk almost all of my rounds.

 

[JustAHack]

My "Other" home course is PGA West Stadium. It's an exercise in "you don't have a clue about golf". Especially the #17 island green "Alcatraz" where Trevino made his famous hole in one. From 175 my brain explains why I will take a 10. LOL!

I played the Stadium course last summer and loved it. Then played the Arnold Palmer course that afternoon and had the best round of my life. 88 with two birdies from blues. Not bad in 110* heat!

I’ll be back out there in May with some colleagues on a “team building trip.” PGA West and BMW M School. Can’t wait!


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[Antihero]

Any folks out there considering joining a CC? My buddy joined one and says it's way cheaper than public golf. Keep in mind I'm in SoCal...home of everything expensive. But I did some math and found the following.

CC Initiation: $12,000....80/20 equity. So for sure you lose $2,400....but that is amortized over the number of years the CC is used.

Monthly Dues: $850 + $100 food / beverage.

CC Range Balls: Included. Now that's a big deal for me because I pay $80 per session for about 500 balls...6 times per month. So I already pay, say $480 / month for range outings. Plus I always feel like it's a waste of money to practice short shots. At a CC you can hit all you want.

Public round of Golf: Out here the cost is $80-$120...so say $100 per round. 8 rounds per month = $800....plus public golf 5-6 hour rounds.

So I spend $800 + $480 (golf and range) each month, or $1,280, plus maybe $30 for cart drinks, or another $240. Grand total $1,520.

CC would cost $850 + $19 for cart per round ($19 x 8 = $152) + $100 F&B = $1,102.

Seems like the CC membership is the better deal. Of course the initiation fee is tough to swallow.

I played public for a few months (only been playing about 11).

I have a local ClubCorp membership and feel it is worth the expense imo. Love that late afternoons are pretty wide open and practice rounds are low pressure.

I can play 4 local courses, 99 holes---and can book tee times 7 days in advance for non home courses and 8 days in advance at my home course.

Unlimited range is definitely a factor for me at least (need all the practice I can get!).

$$amount always relative to the local economy (I lived in NoCal for a year---very different world in terms of $$) so fully agree needs to make (relative) economic sense.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

I played the Stadium course last summer and loved it. Then played the Arnold Palmer course that afternoon and had the best round of my life. 88 with two birdies from blues. Not bad in 110* heat!

I’ll be back out there in May with some colleagues on a “team building trip.” PGA West and BMW M School. Can’t wait!


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Come ON OUT! Palmer course is really nice....have you ever played the Mountain Course?

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

I played public for a few months (only been playing about 11).

I have a local ClubCorp membership and feel it is worth the expense imo. Love that late afternoons are pretty wide open and practice rounds are low pressure.

I can play 4 local courses, 99 holes---and can book tee times 7 days in advance for non home courses and 8 days in advance at my home course.

Unlimited range is definitely a factor for me at least (need all the practice I can get!).

$$amount always relative to the local economy (I lived in NoCal for a year---very different world in terms of $$) so fully agree needs to make (relative) economic sense.

I think we find in SoCal that the courses are over-crowded and the round times invoke snoring. Even on $150 round courses there can be 2 foursomes waiting to tee off, when we're pulling up.

 

[IceyShanks]

The initiation would be a tough pill to swallow, but the monthly cost would be worth for sure, maybe they run specials from time to time with reduced initiation?

 

[krispyk]

Well one good thing about this thread. My wife will never complain about my golf expenses here ever again after I read the OP original post to her. My course membership is $457.00 this year for unlimited walking which I only walk so not sure what the cart fee is if you go that route. Range balls are $1.00 for small basket (about 25 balls) and is the only distribution option meaning you want more you put in another dollar.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

The initiation would be a tough pill to swallow, but the monthly cost would be worth for sure, maybe they run specials from time to time with reduced initiation?

You'd be surprised at how much one can barter the initiation fee. What CC's really want is the dues.

 

[woody_74]

Youch. If the numbers work out that makes sense.

I pay about $135 a month, and $200 a year for unlimited range balls. Cart is additional, but I walk almost all of my rounds.

This is what I pay except the range balls, which are included. I pay the fee because of the pool and new fitness club they are going to put in. I can take my kids and not worry about being rushed. A lot of times we might be the only ones on the course. Winter is hard to pay the bill but in the summer we will be there almost every day. Cart is extra but the front 9 is easy to walk. If I’m pressed for time I’ll get a cart just for the back 9.


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[JustAHack]

Come ON OUT! Palmer course is really nice....have you ever played the Mountain Course?

I haven’t, just spent the one day there. How does it compare?

I’d love to spend a lot more time at PGA West. Amazing place all around.


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[GolfLivesMatter]

I haven’t, just spent the one day there. How does it compare?

I’d love to spend a lot more time at PGA West. Amazing place all around.


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They're all good. Palmer course is the Stadium course's nice brother because Stadium from the Blue's (forget the black's) is an outing that is fun with buddies because everyone blows-up big-time, and for different reasons. Mentally exhausting. But lots a laugh's about who hit the worst shot. LOL!

 

[JustAHack]

They're all good. Palmer course is the Stadium course's nice brother because Stadium from the Blue's (forget the black's) is an outing that is fun with buddies because everyone blows-up big-time, and for different reasons. Mentally exhausting. But lots a laugh's about who hit the worst shot. LOL!

For sure. Pete Dye sure does love water hazards and undulated fairways. I lost a couple balls trying to stick Alcatraz but stayed out of Mariana’s Trench. That shot 30ft up to the green is really imposing!


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[Shankosaurus]

I joined a private club 2 years ago on a promotional rate, and I don't regret it at all.

My dues went up to about $500 a month but I decided to stay in. I really like the course, a Donald Ross layout, but to me, the best feature is being able to play without booking a tee time and being able to finish in 4 hours, even on a crowded weekend. In SoCal, I have to believe that would be a major advantage.

I do pay an extra $400, but that includes unlimited range time, a locker and club storage. There is also a workout facility available.

You have to play enough to make it worth it. I do sub in some public course leagues, and it makes me realize how spoiled I am playing at a country club.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[2BFAST]

My god, I def couldn't afford to live in CA. That is crazy.

My dues are $300 per month, no minimums, no initiation.

Cart rentals are pretty much $1.00 a hole ($9 for 9 holes, $18.00 for 18 holes)

Guest green fees are $40.00 for 18, $20.00 for 9, plus cart fee above.

1/2 to 3/4 of the members have their own cart, cart storage is $500.00 for gas, $550.00 for electric.

$5.00 per bag for range balls, $140.00 for unlimited for the year (April - November)

I thought the same thing as in playing the same course all the time would get old. But honestly, its a beautiful place with bent grass fairways and greens so I don't miss playing munis. You don't have to worry about riff raff, slow play, jammed up tee boxes, trash. Divots and pitch marks get repaired CORRECTLY. The range is great and we also have three great short game areas.

Even if I don't get to play so many times a year to make up the difference, its worth it to me.

 

[smgoldstein]

Another positive aspect of joining a club is the social life. Depends of course what other amenities there are and if they are kid friendly etc.

 

[dsw1519]

I joined a private club last year. It is expensive but worth it. The best part for me is being able to play pretty much anytime I want and the course is only slightly crowded on the weekends in the mornings. I prefer to play after lunch, so it works out for me. It is so nice to play on a course where you don't have people stacked behind or in front of you. Anytime I play a public or semi private course I realize how much I like the private club. The social aspect is good too.

 

[fistfullofbeer]

I think its a combination of available options and money. I am a member of a Private CC but it was not exactly by choice. I live in a slightly isolated area where if I want to 'over town' I need to take a ferry. The only public course locally went through multiple ownership changes and was pretty much non-functional over a period of 5-6 years. The good thing for me was that the CC dues are very affordable and they offer what is called a 'junior executive' membership to members under 40. Funny enough, they just bumped it up to 45 so its even better for me (turned 38 last Dec).

The fact that I live within 2 minutes of the golf course by golf cart makes it even better. I bought my own cart and store it in my garage. It makes for great summers when there is light till 9 PM and I can actually head out and play are round any time in the evening. Plus being in the PNW a lot of the members here have summer homes in AZ, CA, etc. that they move to so the course is wide open in the winter. That is if you are brave enough to play in the wet weather .. . Its similar in the summer if you are willing to tee it off after 5 PM. There is no wait, or need to make reservations ahead of time. Anyway, So I have several advantages with this membership which makes it pretty much a no brainer for me.

Would I recommend a CC to anyone? Yes, if you are comfortable with the dues then I feel it could be well worth the investment assuming you golf 2-3 times a week. If you are golfing once a week (or even less), it may end up feeling like you are not breaking even.