What opinions do you guys have regarding private golf clubs? I understand that a lot of folks may join them for the prestige factor, but are they worth it in any case? Are there any tax advantages or deductions for businesses? What about this Club Corp program I've heard about that includes access to a large catalog of member courses. Anyone heard of that?

I look forward to joining one someday. My parents belong to one in a small town. They have access to a nice course and all the balls they can hit on grass (though they don't) for $300/mo. There are clubs in the Houston area for the same price, which is less that I spend at the public course. The reasons keeping me from joining are a) they all require a drive, and the public course is a few minutes from me, and b) my mentor is at the public course every day.

I might consider joining one but the cheapest near me is $1500/year and, so far, I have not played enough to justify the cost yet although I do play and like the course.

Well, I guess are you talking about a "private" course whre you have to be a member to play or just being a member of a course? My course isn't private but there are small perks to joining annually. But there are a couple truly private courses nearby that you can't play without joining...mostly they're full of 'old money' and the families keep renewing...I'm not too ken on joining them because of the cost but I can see the attraction to having that 'country club' lifestyle where there are dinners and receptions, etc. Maybe when I'm older I'll do someting like that.

part of my problem with joining anywhere is always that I like to play lots of places...so when I join somewhere I feel obligated to play there mostly so to make the most of my investment...

Scott,

You're correct. I was not getting whether or not everyone was talking about private golf and country clubs or annual discount rates at courses open to the public.

The advantage to a private club is:
* you don't have to reserve tee times light years in advance
* most often the condition and maintenance of the course is up a few notches.
* if you don't pre arrange a game you can usually get one with someone you know.
* the facilities, i.e. clubhouse, restaurant, pro shop, locker room, etc. are quite a bit nicer.
* service is stepped up as clubs are taken from your car or the club storage and put on a cart.
* employees all know your name and how to take care of you.
* there are weekly tournaments and social activities set up by a director or club manager.
* usually the members are required to understand the etiquette and rules of the game.
* you can play a round in under 4 or 41/2 hours.
* the group in front of you actually repairs ball marks and divots.

If you find a private club that has a membership made up of people like you, there are many benefits to being a member.
The drawback is the out front money. But, it's usually set up so you can make a profit, or get your investment returned if you turn in your membership. Cost of private golf and country club membership can run from around $25,000 to over $1 million.

You can get this kind of service and conditons in a public course, but it's usually a resort course and the green fees are a few hundred dollars or more.

I like private golf and country club memberships.

Member of Public Course..private courses (clubs) in my area are much more expensive, cheapest "private club". is about $25,000; we are very upscale here in CT

Best thing to do is check out the price of joining a private club, add in annual dues, and don't forget the monthly required amount you HAVE to spend in the club restaurant, most likely another $100 a month. Then figure out how much you would spend on X number of rounds of golf at public course. How much does it cost to play golf all year at the private course and compare it to the cost to play at a public course.

As Scott mentioned, if you like to play different courses and not the same one every time out, I doubt joining a private club would be for you. As Bill stated, there are advantages to being a member of a private club, but I don't think it's for everyone, no matter whether they can afford it or not.

Fred, join one of those clubs

in a few days or so, you can win that small sum of money back playing golf with Scott, Don and Chris at GGR.

Ah!, but the green fees you pay to the public course, you can color gone. With the private course you can have your money returned or make a profit.

Having a membership doesn't stop a person from playing other courses.

BTW, I do agree, having a membership in a private club is not for everyone. But if it's an affordable club with a cool group of people, it can be a very rewarding experience.

Also, when I play, I play as often on public courses as I do private.

Wouldn't that depend on whether you can SELL your membership in the private club at some later date? And if the annual membership is more than you spend now for all the golf you play at a public course, you can never spend less at a private course than at the public courses. Unless I'm missing something here, the annual membership fees are also GONE and can never be recovered. One question on private memberships. Are all private memberships something YOU can re-sell at a later date if you want too? If so, then re-selling your membership could get you some of you money back, but only if the club is full, and new memberships are not easy to come by I would think.
For me, joining a private club will never be an option, I can play a round a week, every week of the year, and it would cost me about $1200 for the whole year. One other thing to consider around here at least, it the fact that not all private clubs are OPEN ALL year round. Some are closed for the winter months, so you'd have to figure in the cost of playing at a public course for 3 or 4 months every year. Jake, who most of you remember, joined a private club, and that's what he's faced with every winter. When you add that cost to the cost of membership in his club, it's gets a lot harder to justify the cost of joining the club.

A course near me, which is semi-private and plans to be private once enough members exist to sustain the course USED to pay 80% of the initial buy-in back if you left. I do not know if they still do but I don't know that you can "sell" your membership fee to someone else. But it's a good question. If you can recoup your initial layout or most of it, it might be an ok deal.

But I think generally the people doing this are not doing it because it's cost effective...they're doing it for the intangibles, like exclusivity, playing with others who can afford the luxury, ego/bragging rights, etc.

If money is the main issue, no one would purchase a car. They'd ride the bus and save thousands. The amount of money lost on a couple years ownership of most cars would pay for a golf membership. So why purchase a car?? For the convenience and ease of getting from here to there. Why purchase a private membership? For the convenience. How the buy back or sell is structured depends on what club you buy into. Some will give back a percentage of the initial fee if you leave, some will allow you to sell for what you want, some will sell for you at the going rate, some will give you a percentage of the going rate.
Don, as you know, we had a membership, in a club, in Cabo. And, BTW, I played golf everywhere, so belonging there didn't limit my golfing to one course. Purchased early and paid $50,000 for it. When we left Cabo last June, the going rate was $225,000. they reimbursed us 60%, which gave us $135,000. If we look at it strictly from a financial point of view, $85,000 profit pays for a lot of green fees at the local muni.

Scott, you're right, most people don't join private clubs for financial reasons. It's the ego, convenience and whatever else that motivates the reasons for joining a private club.

There is a local club that my wife and I are considering becoming members of. Some of the benefits include pool and gym facilities, as well as all the golf and social activities. They are offering really good incentives due to the economy, as well as the fact that they are trying to get an influx of young couples.

Knowing myself, I would get out more and play if I was paying for a membership. It's too easy to lose time for golf when it's really not a core priority (family, work, school, web businesses always come first). Also, spending the money for a nice dinner in the club once a month (or whatever) would also be a nice way to make sure we are getting out.

Although this particular club is private and somewhat exclusive, which really isn't important at this point in our lives, it does have all the amenities we are looking for.

I was king of hoping that I might be able to deduct a portion of the expenses related to joining the club, or the monthly dues, but I don't think that would fly. At least I'm hearing otherwise. I'm thinking I could find a way to expense the montly meal/club expenditure as part of M&E, especially if I'm promoting GolfGearReview.com while I'm there or I'm with business contacts.

But overall, it is that initial outlay that is the biggest concern.

Chris, see if you can tax d a corporate membership using GGR. If nothing else, as time goes by, (what a great title for a song) business contacts and opportunities you run into will make you more money than the cost of the membership. Plus your babe will grow up on the golf course instead of in the mall.

Great points Bill. I'll check with my accountant. I'm still classified as a sole proprietor, but we are talking about filing for at least an S-Corp this year. We'll see if this thing grows enough to warrant it. Maybe we can issue shares!! Haha..

Maybe..but not that one..I washed dishes there in the kitchen when I was 16 and thought that anyone stupid enough to chase a little white ball around for 4 hours would be a good "sucker" for high rates and high prices for the food I got for free. Used to have a lot of laughs with the cooks over golfers... funny how its not funny now..

Just got another invite to join - $1950 for unlimited rounds, course is great, redone about 4 years ago and is rather long and difficult.

Fred; I could see paying $1950 to join a club if it included unlimited rounds of golf. If you now pay $25 a round, it would take you 78 rounds to break even at that $1950 price. That's about 1-1/2 rounds per week, which would be easy to do. If you can get out to play twice a week, you'd be well ahead to join. Assuming there aren't any hidden costs involved.

Is that a price to join a club, or a price for pre paid green fees?

Our club, $1400 gets you unlimited greens fees on both courses, the par 3 and unlimited golf balls at both ranges. You have to pay for cart if you want one - and weekend days you can't walk for free till after 1pm but if you like walking, you can easily make back your money.

That could be a really good deal Scott. I can see how it would be easy to spend $500 a year just on range balls if you hit the range once a week. Especially if the course is close to home or work, so you're not driving too far to use it.

I have a question.
Are these yearly fees for private golf courses or are they courses that are open to the public?

I am new to golf and so I do not have a lot of experience but I have been playing as a guest at a private club. The membership is 22,000 and then the yearly dues are around 6,000. A little high I know. But especially for me it is very nice. They have a monthly informal game called Hit and Giggle and yes it is just as it sounds. It is mostly couples and it is more of a fun environment than a competitive one. very fun. Although you do earn points for par birdie and eagle. At the dinner afterward the club gives out prizes. It is a great place to network but the food is good and it is just a lot of fun. The public course I played at was not as nicely maintained and they did not have any events for women other than the womans club that meets on Tuesday mornings. So with my limited experience I enjoy the Country Club more.

Private clubs can be a nice way to develop a network of golfing friends when you are new to the game, and of course the social aspect...hubby and I were guests at a private club last week and it was very nice, but coming up with the dough for membership, yearly, and monthly min's just isn't gonna happen for us.

I would enjoy the quality of play and condition of the course at a private club but I have yet to find a club that caters to my kind of people. I'm not into all the prestige and just enjoy a laid back game without all the social cliques. Besides that when I hear you talk about $25,000 to join, all I can think is, "I didn't pay that for my car."