Country Clubs and Private Golf Courses
There is an alluring appeal to being a 'Member' of something or having 'exclusive' access to something average Joe can not have. Much of the golfing community chooses to belong to country clubs and private golf courses, and they do so for a variety of reasons. Without question there are some fantastic Country Club golf courses across the country, let's examine the pros and cons of membership at a private golf course.
To begin, more than half of the top 100 golf courses in the U.S. are Country Clubs and require a private membership. Augusta, Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Muirfield Village, Oak Tree; all are private clubs with staggering fees and dues. The truth is that many Private clubs have some of the most fantastic locations, golf courses, and tracts of land available. Most of us will consider the variety of Country Club golf courses available in our home cities. Typically a private golf course will offer a membership with some initial fee for joining and some monthly dues for access to the course. Though there may be some great deals out there, on average a golfer will pay more per round of golf being a member at a private golf club. Another downside to private golf course membership is that a golfer may be compelled to play all or most of their golf on one course, missing out on the tremendous variety of beautiful golf courses out there.
On the upside, most private golf courses offer an elite level of service as well as a broad range of amenities. A typical country club golf course will be supplemented with a large clubhouse with luxurious appointments like locker rooms, spas, formal and casual dining, fitness equipment, banquet rooms or halls, and full service golf 'Pro Shops.' In addition to the private golf course and clubhouse, many country clubs also offer private tennis courts and swimming pools. This is a great way for a family to spend an entire day at the club enjoying multiple activities.
Though a bit less apparent, one fantastic benefit of playing at a private golf course is that you often have the course to yourself. A country club golf course will normally have about half or two thirds of the traffic a public golf course will have. If you play your golf during the week, it's not uncommon to buzz around the course in less than four hours and have no problem walking right on to the first tee. On the weekends, there are less conflicts reserving the tee times you want. Also not as well known is the fact that private golf courses hold frequent tournaments for members, which provides a great way to enjoy friendly competition, meet new people, and even network for your business or professional career.
Another point that can be considered positive or negative is that the country club golf course membership is frequently composed of prominent and successful members of the community. If you are uncomfortable being around certain circles of people then you may want to consult members and faculty about the membership composition. On the flip side, someone searching for advancement or networking opportunities may want exactly that environment. In fact, there is one story out there about a young stock broker that sold everything he owned to pay for a membership at one of the most elite clubs in Florida. Risking everything on his networking ability, he was rewarded by successfully landing many multi-millionaire members as new clients!
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