Should We Join A Country Club?

[athletics]

My newly wed wife and I are considering joining a country club. Her parents and grandparents are long standing members, otherwise it wouldn't be a consideration at this point. We are fairly young to join a club like this, however there are advantages. They have a great golf course, good pool and brand new tennis facilities. We would get a great deal of usage out of it.

They currently offer a 40% discounted initiation fee for legacy members, which she would qualify us for. And we could split that over 10 years increments. No discount on the monthly fees, but they are doable and we could cut out our monthly gym fees and since I love golf and play as much as I can, it would be great to have a home course.

Does anyone have any experience and advice in this area? Are all memberships pretty similar, I am sure each club does things differently. What questions should I ask, what should I look out for?

 

[Bradford]

Yes - if you can afford the monthly dues and whatever amount they require you to spend each month at the club, I would definitely do it.

As you said, you not only get a home course for golf, you can also play tennis, swim and workout at the club as well. Plus, once you and your bride have kids, most clubs offer swim, golf and tennis lessons which you'll have to pay for elsewhere anyways.

It also gives you a nice place to have dinner or lunch with your wife, friends and business contacts.

Plus, as a newlywed, don't underestimate how much goodwill you'll engender from your in-laws for joining their club.

 

[longskate88]

My dad is a member at an inexpensive semi-private course here in San Diego, and I'm working there in the pro shop while in college. I might be able to answer some questions of yours. I would pay attention to monthly food $$ minimums, and be aware that most tounaments have an extra entry fee. Check to see if kids are allowed to play, if applicable, and at what times of day they're allowed to play. Also, unless you like playing alone, make sure there are other people you'll get along with who you can join to play. Some of the groups at our club are very clique-ish, and rumors spread fast about sandbagging, etc.

 

[globetrotter]

If I could afford it and one would have me, I'd join

 

[zalb916]

Is the initiation fee returned when you end your membership? This is not an uncommon practice and could make a difference if you think you think there is a possibility you may not be staying in the area long term. Are there minimum monthly food charges or other fees that aren't included in the monthly dues? Probably not huge concerns, but worth looking into.

If you will get a lot of use out of it and it fits within your budget, I think country clubs can be a very good use of your money. Many are flawed in terms of some weird social practices, such as excluding certain groups or being snobby. But they can also be very valuable to young families to meet new people and to provide great opportunities for your children to make friends and stay active.

 

[GQgeek]

From my perspective, I miss that sort of thing. Some day in the future I'll probably join one on my own. We were members of a raquet club when I was younger (that also had a pool, restaurant, bar, etc). We were also a member of a private ski club for a couple of years. They are great places and I definitely spent a lot of time at them. I was a member under my parents as a kid and I had a blast at them.

 

[mfadam]

Things to consider: how long is the season? Not sure if you're in NE or California, but that can make a big difference as some clubs pack it up for the winter kinda early. Also look out for the dreaded assessments - some places have regular assessments while others just have them for major capex. Some states tax dues, NY does. Food minimums are worth looking at. If you use the club a lot, usually not an issue. Make sure you adn your wife both would be happy hanging out socially. Clubs around NYC have pretty strong cultures and the last thing you want to be doing is trying to force things socially. I'd also try to get a sense of the club's financial health - the economy is sucking wind right now so country clubs will have a tougher time with membership growth. I'd try to get a sense of how healthy the membership is. If it's an old line club, probably not an issue but if it's a newer club that's still trying to round out membership numbers I'd be leery. Lastly I'd make sure you know you're going to be living in the same area for a long time. Much easier to justify initiation dues if you can amortize over many years. Also, meet and see if you like the pros/starter, etc - they can make your life a lot easier if you get along. Hope this is helpful...

 

[dopey]

Country Clubs are nice but make sure they exclude the right kind of people. Many clubs have relaxed their admissions requirements and will let in anyone, so you don't really get the same benefits by joining as you used to.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by dopey

Country Clubs are nice but make sure they exclude the right kind of people. Many clubs have relaxed their admissions requirements and will let in anyone, so you don't really get the same benefits by joining as you used to.

Mine let dwarves in. Horrors! I thought we were restricted.

 

[celery]

"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."
-Groucho Marx-

 

[grimslade]

First, make sure you understand the all-in costs. there's usually a food minimum on top of the dues, and some clubs have a la carte fees for using some of the facilities, which may not be obvious up front. There may also be a "bonding" requirement in addition to the initiation fee (which is generally returned if you leave the club).

It sounds like you'll use the course a lot, so if you can swing it, I'd do it.

 

[Concordia]

Originally Posted by dopey

Country Clubs are nice but make sure they exclude the right kind of people. Many clubs have relaxed their admissions requirements and will let in anyone, so you don't really get the same benefits by joining as you used to.


Good first step: make sure there's a height test at the door.

 

[dopey]

Originally Posted by Concordia

Good first step: make sure there's a height test at the door.
This is my point. They no longer exclude people like they used to. Since you can't protect yourself from all sorts of undesirables, what's the point of a country club? If not for the better golf, you might as well be riding the subway.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by Concordia

Good first step: make sure there's a height test at the door.

Everyone knows short people have inferior genes. It's only natural.

 

[blackplatano]

Originally Posted by dopey

Country Clubs are nice but make sure they exclude the right kind of people. Many clubs have relaxed their admissions requirements and will let in anyone, so you don't really get the same benefits by joining as you used to.

What kind of people are tipically excluded? The extreamly short, obese, disabled, etc?