How much do memberships cost at private golf courses ?
What would a membership cost say at the Inverness golf course in Toledo,Ohio or Muirfield in Columbus,Ohio. I’ve heard there is a waiting list and then a vote by the members to allow you to join. Are these clubs that private? I’ve also heard to play 18 holes with cart would run you over $200.00. True or False?
Sounds reasonable. The cost of a club membership should run a few thousand dollars. The golf is a large attraction for the guys and some ladies. But, the dinning room and swimming pool are draws, as well. It is chance to integrate business and pleasure. Some clubs are very private and many others enforce their rules. That is what the fees get you. I guess that is the idea.
Inverness and Muirfield are top rate courses, and pretty tight with membership information. And there really is no correlation between quality of course and cost of membership.
Augusta (home of the Masters) for instance, is supposed to cost only $10,000 or so to join. But the catch is, you can’t join. You have to be invited, and that just doesn’t happen very often. And Augusta isn’t alone. A lot of private clubs are invitation only, and the process usually consists of being nominated for membership, then voted upon. Quite often it takes several tries to be affirmed. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always loved Groucho Marx’ quote: “I refuse to belong to any club that would have me as a member.”
Other private clubs can cost well over $100,000 to join plus thousands per month in dues and then an assessment at the end of the year (the club figures how much money each member must pay to balance the budget). Sometimes those assessments can be thousands, too.
As for $200 with a cart, well, that won’t even get you nine holes at Pebble Beach.
Similar to the Groucho quote : “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia is hosting the 2011 PGA. 2 18 hole courses, swim, tennis, health club – state of the art facilities. Initiation fee – $80,000. Monthly dues $300 to $400. Cart fees but no green fees. 2 year waiting list with a lengthy interview and approval process. Other neighborhood clubs are much more reasonable on initiation fees, but almost all run 250 to 350 per month in dues.
I just joined a golf course that is private and is 4000 a year for a family at the 17th new golf course in America. That is expensive but if your looking for a top notch golf course as good as pebble beach or Kapalua then the price will be much higher. No, you can just join, but you have to dress really nice and have proper edicatte. You may also want to buy a rule book. Carts shouldn’t be more than 30 dollars.
$4K is REALLY inexpensive compared to many clubs…
Out in the SF Bay area, the least expensive initiation is around $15K for a private club, and then it goes upwards of $100K. Super exclusive clubs (Cypress Point for example) really don’t have ‘waiting lists”, rather it might take five years for your nomination to be considered. Rumor is that Bill Gates had to wait five years to get into Augusta because he was quoted as saying that he wanted to be invited to join.
Lefty’s first design is a course in the Phoenix area that is reported to cost $200K to join. No tee times, just show up and whoever is there (usually between five and ten PGA tour pros in the mornings) gets set up as a foursome. Real casual atmosphere, just golf, nothing else.