Should I Join a Country Club?

If you have the money, are country clubs worth it?  This is a debate I’ve had with many a golfer, and the answers are always different.  Should I become a “country club snob” where I can’t change into my golf shoes in the parking lot?  Or should I keep playing the same circuit of goat tracks that are conveniently near my house and cheap?

Before I get into this, I do want to say that I have been a country club member for a year in California, so I have seen both sides of this debate.  Nonetheless, here are my two cents.

The Pros:

• Playing time – It’s rarely crowded, and many times you can squeeze in 18 in less than three hours if needed.
• Usually great facilities – restaurants, showers, saunas, steamrooms, etc. The Restaurant is key here as it’s a place to bring your significant other so they feel “a part of the club too.”
• Bag storage – it gives you a place to keep your bag so you don’t need to lug it around.  Just make sure to take it with you if you’re going to be playing elsewhere.
• Storage lockers – Playing an unexpected 18? Good thing you have spare clothes in your locker.
• Member Pricing – yeah, you can get a big discounts on clubs, apparel, and balls when you’re a member at a club.  You’re not a real country club member without a new logo bag and the latest clubs to fill it.
• Unlimited range use – if your club has good practice facilities, you get to use them all you want.  Bad day at work?  Wife driving you nuts?  Come hit the range.
• Competitive Golf – Club Championships, Member Guests, and other events can be a ton of fun.  Plus, who doesn’t want to listen to you brag all day at work about how you “should’ve won the member member, but Bob is a damn cheater with that foot wedge on 14.”
• Members – Good way to meet new people, golf buddies, etc. Nothing sounds better than “Honey, I’m gonna go hang with some of the other guys/ladies from the club.” Cool factor = +10
• Easy Escape – It’s always a place you can run to to escape your kids, significant other, etc.
• Additional perks – swimming pools, game nights, special events, etc.  Huge plus if they have events for the ladies (if the male is the golfer).  That way you can push your significant other to those as if you care, but really, you want to play more golf and justify the expense.
• For couples, there are usually couples events which can be a lot of fun, but also a way you can have bragging rights over the couple you eat dinner with a few times a month.
• Great way to get your significant other into golf.  If your husband/wife doesn’t play, and hate when you play since it’s a four hour+ ordeal, it’s a great way to get them involved.

The Cons:

• Repetitive – You have to play the same course over and over if you spend a lot of time at the club, and depending on the number of courses the club has, it can get boring real fast.  The upside is you can lower your handicap if you know how to play the course. Some clubs are members of groups (ie: ClubCorp) where you can play other in-network courses (sometimes free, sometimes you pay), which can help alleviate the repetitiveness.
• Expensive – Between initiation fees, monthly dues, and food/beverage minimums, it can add up REAL quickly. Throw in a special assessment or two and it can get ugly quick.  But I guess if you join a private club, money shouldn’t be an issue, right?
• Members – Again, “Honey, I’m gonna go hang with some of the guys/ladies from the club.”  Need I say more?  Also, some memberships have a certain chemistry that just may not mix well with your personality.
• Politics – Yes, there’s a board at every club, and politics can become a pain, especially when it comes to course/facility upgrades, renovations, etc.
• Renovations – Sure, upgrades to your course are nice.  But if your club is doing a full reno and gets shut down for a year, you can’t play there.  But guess what?  You’re still paying to NOT play it, so that’s cool.
• Winter months – If you live somewhere where it gets cold, you still have to pay monthly dues and minimums in the winter time, even if you can’t play golf.  Better hope your club has simulators or other activities to keep you busy and worth the cost (which is the same as it costs you in June)!

There are plenty of others to add to both of these lists, but here are the usual topics that come up in discussion.  The way I see it, whether I’m a part of a club or not, I just want to play golf.  If you do decide to join a club, just make sure you do your research and make sure it’s the right investment for you (and your family).  Then invite us to play a few rounds with you.