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Ben Maroco
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Explainer: Golf Membership, Is It A Worthy Investment?
Updated: Oct 18, 2022
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Before 2020, US golf club membership was on the decline. A strain was placed on top golf clubs across the nation as a result of rising golf membership costs combined with reduced free time. In several cases, the situation deteriorated to the point where some best golf courses were shut down completely.
But there are a lot more factors to take into account than just cheap golf membership near me. Is it still worthwhile to join a golf club today? We examine the merits of joining a golf club, as well as some possible alternatives, to help you find what suits you best.
Summary
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1. Golf Membership Fees Near Me
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Depending on your locale and the golf membership category you're interested in, cheap golf membership near me costs can vary considerably. However, as a handy guideline, in 2018 the typical the reserve at moonlight basin golf membership cost was $1018.57.
You should be prepared to pay close to that amount if you wish to join as a full member with no playing limits. If you're keen on other cheap golf membership near me-tiers, you can anticipate paying slightly less but having some gameplay limitations.
It's also wise to review the requirements of top golf membership because some clubs offer bar tabs, access to training facilities, and other perks, and they come out as the most expensive golf membership.
Albeit, the most expensive golf membership will ask more for services like storage and additional amenities that you might find useful.
2. Benefits of Golf Membership
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Joining a golf club is worthwhile based on the price I pay. After all, compared to playing at other courses, I save £1 per round in my club. But there's more to consider than just the numbers.
In general, you won't get much use out of a golf club membership if you play only about twice monthly. On the contrary, joining a golf club will likely be far more cost-effective for you if you play at least once per week.
There are plenty of benefits to joining a golf club (which we'll discuss below) that help evaluate if paying the membership fees is worthwhile.
i. Regular competitive golf
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The competitive aspect of golf is one of the major attractions of joining a golf club. The casual golfer does not always have access to this.
Typically, golf clubs will offer two to three events each week that you can participate in as a member. Competition is the main attraction for me. I hardly ever play a game of golf just for fun; about 80% of the rounds I play are in contests of some kind.
Normally, there is a small entry fee of between £3 and £5 for each club competition though it does not imply that you can play for trophies. Based on the number of participants, some clubs reward the top three, which makes a great performance even sweeter.
You can also anticipate participating in board tournaments a few times every year. These events are considered "majors" by each golf club, which means that the rewards are often a little greater and that you can gain bragging rights by having your name inscribed on a wall in the clubhouse.
Regular competitions not only make your round of golf a little more meaningful and competitive, but they also help you get better at the game because you are playing under as much pressure.
ii. Access to team events
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As a golf club member, you may get the chance to try your hand at several team events if you're determined and fortunate enough to be selected. Team events are typically excellent ways to fit into a club and get to know a few of its members, in addition to offering fantastic opportunities to play competitive match play golf.
The majority of golf clubs will participate in a league with other clubs in the region, where clubs will play each other both at home and away all through the season. It is a fantastic opportunity to try out some new courses competitively and usually for the reserve at moonlight basin golf membership has them.
Most clubs will also participate in a variety of club knockout competitions that are not part of a league. For golfers of all ages and skill levels, there is always an option. Many of my favorite golf rounds have been played in our league's knockout tournaments, where occasionally other members have even shown up to watch and cheer us on!
iii. Official golf handicap
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You'll often have an official handicap if you compete frequently as a golf club member. This creates a wide range of new possibilities.
To begin with, the majority of excellent courses across the world require a handicap certificate as proof that you are at a minimum at a reasonable level to navigate the course. You'll be able to play the majority of them with an official handicap.
iv. Open golf tournaments
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When you earn a handicap, you can compete in tournaments held at golf clubs other than your home club. Most golf clubs in the US offer open contests that you can often enter either solo or with a group of friends.
These open tournies provide the opportunity to play the courses with the chance to win prizes for a small fraction of the standard green charge.
Tournaments are a terrific opportunity to cross off some of the courses you have wanted to take. Since clubs want to showcase their courses to prospective new members, the courses are typically in their best shape.
You can also participate in regional or national knockout tournaments if that isn't enough. They are available in numerous formats; however, they are played as doubles or singles.
These types of knockouts, which are typically supported by a major sponsor, provide you the chance to play more new courses and have a chance to win some respectable rewards.
v. Social Aspect
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The social component of joining a golf club is one of its other best features. When I was 13 years old, I joined my golf club as a junior and found myself quickly befriending other juniors there.
From my golf club, I've made connections for life. Golf clubs are fantastic venues to meet like-minded individuals because they're not just full of whiny old men, although I was a junior when I joined, so that's a little different story.
I've also got the chance to interact with many social groupings. I think it's unusual that at the age of 20, you may have a lot of "friends" who are 50+ and operating profitable businesses.
Through golf, I've made friends from various walks of life, including former service members, tradespeople, accountants, lawyers, and even a cruise liner captain!
vi. Professional networking
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In that respect, clubs provide a terrific way to connect. If you run a business, are a contractor, or a salesperson then you’re likely to encounter prospective new consumers. I know individuals who have had businesses where more than 80% of their clients came from a single golf club.
On the flip side, networking offers the chance to advance professionally at any time. I've also heard tales of people losing their jobs just to have a buddy or employer find out about it at the golf club and hire them later. The social opportunities golf clubs can provide are impossible to value.
3. Golf Club Membership Alternatives
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If you don't think about your options or are unaware of them, you'll never truly know if joining a golf club is the best choice for you. We'll go through all of your alternatives for playing golf without joining a club and explain why each one might be right for you.
i. Pay and play option
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Golfers who don't care about playing in tournaments but still want to routinely sample new courses might use Pay and Play. Paying as you go is the simplest option for joining a golf club. To play a round of golf, you often need to schedule timeslots with a golf club.
As we've already covered in the article, this option typically costs more each time you're playing, but if you don't play every week, you'll likely end up saving money over the year.
You can also discover some fairly excellent discounts if you understand where to look and aren't overly picky about the season or time you tee off.
a. Twilight golf – Some clubs offer twilight golfing tee times with lower fees for golfers who are ready to tee it up after a specific hour if you will not mind completing a round in the dusk.
b. Discounted playtime – Since many golf clubs are currently having financial difficulties, some of them have resorted to selling off tee times at drastically reduced prices via websites. Here, you can reserve a few tee times at the best golf courses for a fraction of the typical green fee.
c. Winter golf – Most clubs will give a reduced rate in the winter if you're not a fair-weather golfer. Some facilities also have exceptional stay-and-play packages, which can result in price reductions of above 50% from the peak summer season.
The majority of the best deals can be obtained during the winter months, in some of the best courses we have put together.
Another choice is to use 2-FORE-1 golf coupons that enable you to play on two courses for the rate of one. There are a few things to be aware of, though, if you choose the pay-to-play method.
You typically have no control over the golf clubs. Some clubs won't let guests play on Saturdays, Sundays, or other designated days, which is not practical if you work from Monday through Friday 9 to 5.
The times that are offered are also a constraint. Some clubs reserve the finest periods exclusively for member reservations and only make the remaining hours available to guests. Once more, if you don't care when you play, this can be OK; but, if you have a family or are time-constrained, it might not be the ideal choice.
You'll additionally require a few pals who share your views if you choose to choose this path. When touring golf courses, it's preferable if you have at minimum a 3 ball. The very last thing you'll want to happen is to pay over £50 for a round only to find yourself alone and stranded behind a 4 ball.
You'll discover that you can play a larger assortment of courses than the typical golf club member at pretty good value if you make the pay-and-play option work for you. Though, will have to figure out how to make more money to pay the extra charges.
ii. Golf society option
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Best for golfers searching for a more sociable experience but don't have many golfing pals. Golf societies are a fantastic alternative for folks who don't belong to a club, because, like golf clubs, you can benefit from the social side since they typically consist of the same group of players.
As most societies assign pairs at random for each round, you'll probably get to know some of the members over time if you join. Additionally, the majority of society reservations made via golf clubs include a modest breakfast preceding the round, and then you'll typically find that most stick around after the round for a few drinks in the clubhouse.
Again, this is a fantastic way to meet others with similar interests in a less formal setting. A fixture schedule is often set up at the beginning of the season by the chairman or leader of the society. Depending on how frequently they play, this will involve many rounds at several surrounding golf courses.
The advantage of this over pay-as-you-go golf is that dates are typically reserved well enough in advance and secured with golf clubs, so you don't stress about identifying a convenient day or time. You can merely play the rounds that suit you instead.
Because they are profitable, many golf clubs will aggressively promote societies, but you need to be aware that certain clubs won't allow society to book a spot on the course on one of the two weekend days.
Some clubs reserve ten to fifteen tee times on the weekends to avoid offending their elite members who pay the most expensive golf membership fees. Because of this, Fridays are a typical day for golf societies to meet. However, you will have the chance to play competitive golf all season long on a variety of different golf courses.
The green fee will typically be increased slightly by golf societies to help pay for the winners' rewards that day. Others may even have a season-long list of merits with greater rewards for the players who have been the most consistent throughout the season.
iii. Open competitions option
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It is ideal for golfers who want to compete in various courses. You are eligible to participate in open tournaments after obtaining a golf handicap. As was already said, open tournaments give golfers the chance to participate in a competitive round at various golf courses.
There is a myriad of open competitions offered, with the following being the most popular:
Individual, Junior, Ladies, Mixed, Pairs, Scratch, Seniors, and Team.
Still, you can always find one that fits any golfer. I have participated in several of these contests over the years and have always thought of them as fantastic opportunities to play the greens you've always wanted to play at a reasonable fee with the added perk of having a chance to win some goodies.
Some clubs may even allow you to play a practice round for free if you enter their more major open competitions. The admission costs are often lower than their average green fee, which is the nicest part. Usually, each golf club's website lists the open contests that are available there if you're interested.
iv. Flexible golf membership Near Me option
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This is ideal for players who require more flexibility than a standard golf club membership but still want the member experience. In recent years, as people's free time has shrunk much further, flexible golf memberships have gained popularity.
It's a great choice for people who want to join a golf club but are new to it or for people who do not have the resources or time to invest in full membership.
You only need to use 80 of your total 100 points at your designated home club, which is an additional advantage. Therefore, you are free to use 20 points at any of the courses in the U.S., implying that you receive the membership benefits and the ability to play other courses as part of the membership fee.
The additional member advantages you get differ based on the course, but broadly speaking, you'll receive:
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You can play on your home course every day of the week
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Come along with up to three members per round
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Make reservations online
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Have preferential booking
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Get official handicap
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Participate in selected club tournaments
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Get membership discounts
For individuals who want more than just to pay and go golf but don't have a regular group of pals that play, this is a terrific alternative because you may invite visitors and participate in club contests with fewer restrictions on reservations.
Bottomline
Golf club membership, solf society or pay and play? From a financial standpoint, it makes sense for you to become a member of a golf club if you play frequently (well over 3 times each month). You'll benefit from joining a golf club in some ways along with saving money on each session you play.
Perhaps club membership is not ideal for you if you don't play as frequently or can't commit to a couple of golf rounds per month. To maximize your golf playtime, there are several more options available.
But ultimately, for golf, it boils down to just what the golfer values most. Be it the competitive component, the social component, or different golf courses each time or every week, you will always have your package as long as you are ready to pay.