We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Golf Membership: What Does It Mean To You?

The course I'm a member at is one of the nicer courses in the area and a great rate. The staff and facilities are very nice and make me and my family feel welcomed.

It means I save money on golf by the end of the year.
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
But you can quit after 7 or 9 or 11 or 16 holes at any golf course, can't you?

I've never understood that being pitched as an advantage of belonging to a private club.

If paying an 18-hole public green fee then quitting after 12 holes is so awful, how about paying dues at a private club for a whole month then only play golf once or not at all?
Click to expand...

If you’re a walker, then it doesn’t matter one bit since it was essentially a free round.
 
It means I can play whenever I want to and never have to reach for my wallet to play unless playing in a tournament. Always walk so paying the membership fee once a year is all I pay and it ends up costing me about $2.50 per round. Without the membership to walk, I believe it around $18 per round so I would not play nearly as much forking that out each time. I have also become friends with all that work in the clubhouse and on the grounds crew so that is a nice added bonus as well.
 
Fast rounds!!!
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
But you can quit after 7 or 9 or 11 or 16 holes at any golf course, can't you?

I've never understood that being pitched as an advantage of belonging to a private club.

If paying an 18-hole public green fee then quitting after 12 holes is so awful, how about paying dues at a private club for a whole month then only play golf once or not at all?
Click to expand...

It depends upon your perspective. Possibly playing less than 18 holes or less than 9 holes is an advantage to me.
 
I have bounced back and forth between being a member and not at a local public course that I have been playing with a regular group for probably going on 10 years. If I do the math, my cost per round if I take a membership is slightly more than if I paid greens fees. But on the other hand I don't have to reach for my wallet every time I go, nor would I have to feel bad if I decided to walk off after 9 or 12 holes. In recent years I've done their "frequent player" program which got me a 20% discount on every round. Last year I tracked it on a spreadsheet, my cost per round was $53. If I had taken a membership it would have been close to $80 per round.
The funny thing is I have to drive by the course on my way home from work, but in all honesty in the years I was a member I maybe stopped in a half dozen evenings. By the time I was done an honest day's work throwing the bag on my back was the last thing on my mind.
I had a friend who was trying to talk me into joining the local country club; financially it wouldn't have made sense on a cost per round but it would certainly be a "status" thing. If I could expense it, it would be a great business advantage to take customers out for either a round or lunch. Ultimately I think there's a sweet spot for everybody - membership just doesn't do anything for me at this point in my life.
 
Bernoulli said:
It depends upon your perspective. Possibly playing less than 18 holes or less than 9 holes is an advantage to me.
Click to expand...
I agree. Playing as many or as few holes as you want is a major advantage. This is just one of those intangible benefits that you can’t put a price to
 
wubears71 said:
I agree. Playing as many or as few holes as you want is a major advantage. This is just one of those intangible benefits that you can’t put a price to
Click to expand...
While in the end I pay for it in dues, the ability to hop over and play a handful of holes is one important thing to me.
 
JB said:
While in the end I pay for it in dues, the ability to hop over and play a handful of holes is one important thing to me.
Click to expand...
Me too. I have an alternate 9 hole route that I can play when I want to mix it up. That is near impossible to do at any public course around me now due to number of rounds played per day.
 
wubears71 said:
Me too. I have an alternate 9 hole route that I can play when I want to mix it up. That is near impossible to do at any public course around me now due to number of rounds played per day.
Click to expand...

I can play a 3, 5 or 6 hole route at my course that will finish at or near the clubhouse.
 
It really means to me that I am dedicating myself to getting better at a game I love to play since I can play as often as I want.
This is the first time I have ever had my own membership at a club.
 
I jumped out and joined some friends after work today. I do that a lot. I can always get out and play during the week be it nine or when it gets dark late eighteen. I have some many friends at the club always easy to get out. Sometimes go to the range then find some open holes. Regular weekend game with friends and with the groups around the same tee times a little skins game. My wife also golfs and we always play Friday afternoons and then stay for drinks and dinner. The last few years the food was not great. New owners and they have made the restaurant great by paying for an executive chef and staffing. We also now have live music every Wednesday and Saturday. We love going there and it really is a big part of our social life. Just love belonging to this club and I really like the atmosphere and the membership. Been there a long time and have enjoyed every minute of it.
 
The membership provides a nice sense of belonging, as opposed to the public player. You have some standing on the property and can enjoy a nice regular group or two. Seeing familiar faces at the course and making more lasting connections is also very enjoyable. Also way easier to enjoy benefits like jumping on a launch monitor, getting some club work done, or grabbing a quick lesson.
If you can squeeze out some cost savings by the end of the year, even better.
 
I had a choice of joining a private club or joining a 3 course membership at public courses. The cost was similar as far as golf was concerned but the added bar and restaurant costs at the private club were substantial. My use of these services would be limited since I live 40 minutes away.

As was stated by others, the people and their attitudes would most likely be different than mine, making for difficulty fitting in. I do know people who are members but my wife does not know anyone.

I chose the 3 course option because I get different courses to play for the price of 1. One of the 3 courses used to be a private club, so it is always in good shape. The other two are in good shape for our area standards. If there is an outing at one course there is always room at one of the other course. $$$ was what came down to it for me.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
My club is a public course. I choose to be a member because it's close and reasonably priced. Also supporting it continues it's existence. Always someone trying to get the city council to sell it so it's not on the city books. Even though the last 5 years it has made money.
And this year we have the highest membership than we ever have had. Now I can't just show up and get fitted in. Have get a tee time at least 2 days ahead on weekdays. And a week in advance on weekends.
 
Quick, easy access to as much as golf as I’d like to play, fellowship/friends & getting a game just about whenever you’d want one are all big pluses to having a membership.
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
It’s actually a round you paid for in advance, whether you use it or not, with your dues.
Click to expand...

Then I guess it’s not so bad paying for 1.25 public rounds, when you put it that way.
 
Not currently a member. Have been a member at three courses thru the years. Initially when I was young I was a member and played near every day. When I was raising my kids I joined a club almost specifically so they could learn the game in a more relaxed setting. Initially when I retired I joined a club again in CT but soon moved to FL and was playing all around.
 
For me it’s cheap golf and a pool for the kids. It’s a public course and relatively challenging. I pass it to and from work so it’s fairly convenient. I play the majority of my rounds on Friday’s so I don’t have to deal with the weekend crowd.
 
I am a member currently. It’s a bargain and it’s a pretty good course to boot. Not a private club so it’s just about rates. Now if I get this promotion at work I may be joining the Country Club. Why? Pace of play and amenities for weekend golf. I’ve played weekend golf twice since I took up the game. To be honest it sucks! The Country Club maintains the same pace of play.
 
I happened to be chatting with a guy the other day who plays at our local municipal course. I've played there a good few times over the years and it's a challenging and interesting course but not usually in very good condition. And all week long but especially at weekends they get a LOT of play.

Anyway, he mentioned that he buys a yearly subscription. Because he's over 55 or 60 (whatever the senior cutoff is) the entire year costs him slightly more than my country club dues per month. I have to admit I was momentarily a little envious.

Fact of the matter is, playing 150+ times a year there would get tedious because of the crowding and (lack of) conditioning. But oh my goodness, that's almost like free golf compared to life on the private side of the game!
 
I am a member of a club and I love it. I can go there and play a few holes, we have a great practice facility, there are a bunch of like minded guys there and club events to play in. For me it is way better than playing public golf. I was a member at a club for close to 20 years then not a member for 8 or 9. I definitely missed it.

I don’t mid playing the same club all the time. To me the benefits totally outweigh playing the same course. It doesn’t hurt that I am a member at a great track.

In my neck of the woods you can’t do the math to have a private club make sense financially. It is always a luxury item.
 
I'm not a member anywhere, but it is something I want eventually. At least that's a dream of mine LOL
 
For me it means being a part of somewhere that cares. If they care enough to have a solid membership, likely they will care about the quality of the course. So I joined my club knowing the courses will be maintained.

One of the biggest reasons to join a club for me, actually the main reason, is people.
A private club means there is a consistent group of people playing.
I don’t have any friends that I grew up with that play. I’ve never been part of any regular guys trips. So joining a club meant that I can make friendships in the game, and build some relationships with people around the game.

As much fun as I have had playing, sitting on the veranda having dinner and drinks with the group after league night, has been so incredibly fun, and that alone makes my membership worth it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top