Hello golfers, I live in Australia, where private, members-only courses aren’t very common. Even many of the top courses have public tee times.
I’m curious, how much do you pay for your country club membership?
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It varies to a wide range. Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD, just outside of Washington DC is a very prestigious, well-renowned country club. Its anchor for me would be the golf course, but for most, it’s the potential business and political connections. In the mid-1990s, in rough terms, you would have a membership payment of around $100,000. and a monthly dues fee of I think about $500-$1000. and a minimum requirement of $300-$500 for club purchases, ie. dinners, golf fees, bowling fees, you get the picture. Before any of this, you go through an extensive application and review process.
Then there was my old club, Gunpowder Golf Club. $10/month, which gave me preferred tee times, though the course was usually wide open due to all the gravel that dominated the trek.
The average country club membership cost can vary widely depending on the club’s location, facilities, and prestige. Generally, it can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands per year, often with initiation fees as well.
Australia is different for sure, since most courses are open to the public. I have a friend who joined a fancy club on the East Coast, and I think he pays something crazy like $20,000 a year, plus an initiation fee on top of that! But some clubs are more reasonable, especially if they’re not super exclusive.Maybe someone else from Australia can chime in about their experiences over there?
The initiation fee is $50,000, and the annual cost ranges from $15,000 to $20,000, contingent on factors such as food, beverages, etc.