# Should We Join A Country Club?



## Reynolds (Jan 9, 2008)

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?


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## jbmcb (Sep 7, 2005)

What I do when faced with questions like this is run the numbers 

Real cost = Total Cost / Amount of use

So if I buy a ski lift ticket for $20 and get in 40 runs, that's $0.50 per run. I like skiing enough that it's worth it to me. You should figure out how much you're actually going to use the club, figure out how much each visit is going to cost, then see if that seems worth it to you.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

^+1 and compare that to your next alternative.

For example, where I live if I was not a member of a club I would play at a course which is $55-$120 and $65-$130 depending on the time of year, time of day, weekday vs. weekend, and whether I make a reservation or not. I plan to play 40 times on the weekend and 80 times during the week in the year. I only have a reservation on the weekends. That lets me be a bit more flexible with work during the week. I think I am going to run out there this afternoon even.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

I grew up a member at a country club in Memphis. We didn't use it all that much and my dad says he wishes he hadn't joined. I thought about joining a club last year but ultimately decided against it after doing a cost/use analysis. If you are joining the club just because her family belongs and you might play some golf then I wouldn't do it. If you play golf 2 or 3 times a week then its definitely not a bad idea. A lot of it also depends on how close you live to the club. If you live more then 15 minutes from it, then that severely reduces the amount of time you will spend there. Just speaking from experience, but there is no right or wrong answer. It is purely case by case.


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

Sometimes a club is worth joining to have a place to go, if you don't have a pool and a tennis court in your back yard. If that's the main motivation, though, be sure that you like the members enough to watch them drink all afternoon.


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## BertieW (Jan 17, 2006)

Only if they keep the riffraff out.


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

You mention nothing of your wealth or income vis a vis current expenses and that's none of our business. Does your current or expected "lifestyle" and/or profession Require such a membership? Social/business advantages or would you rather build your wealth?

Suggest you read The Millionaire Next Door by fellow Atlantan (Athenian?) Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Also by Stanley, The Millionaire Mind. Might affect your priorities at this point.

Charm'n'cajole the in-laws into gifting the house, club membership and the grand-young'un's private schools. Also if possible; the boat, horses, vacation homes, Maybach, bespoke this'n'that, jewelry, wine, saffron, European subterranean fungi, overpriced raiment from Phipps/Lenox, etc.-all the wasting assets.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

jamgood said:


> You mention nothing of your wealth or income vis a vis current expenses and that's none of our business. Does your current or expected "lifestyle" and/or profession Require such a membership? Social/business advantages or would you rather build your wealth?
> 
> Suggest you read The Millionaire Next Door by fellow Atlantan (Athenian?) Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko. Also by Stanley, The Millionaire Mind. Might affect your priorities at this point.
> 
> Charm'n'cajole the in-laws into gifting the house, club membership and the grand-young'un's private schools. Also if possible, the boat, horses, vacation homes, Maybach, bespoke this'n'that, jewelry, wine, saffron, European subterranean fungi, overpriced raiment from Phipps/Lenox, etc.-all the wasting assets.


Millionaire Next Door and Millionaire Mind should be required reading for high school seniors. It changed my perceptions of how the wealthy get rich and stay rich. Not to be the party pooper of the thread, but the authors conclude that joining country clubs is one of the things you should avoid. If you play a lot of golf or tennis and have kids that will use the pool a lot in the summer, it can still be a good decision. That is a lot of "ifs" isnt it though?


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## Reynolds (Jan 9, 2008)

jamgood said:


> You mention nothing of your wealth or income vis a vis current expenses and that's none of our business. Does your current or expected "lifestyle" and/or profession Require such a membership? Social/business advantages or would you rather build your wealth?


Thanks for your response and questions. We will shortly analyze all the costs and go from there. As of now we know the numbers in general, but they will become more clear soon. Neither of us feel like we absolutely have to join right away and our approach is know everything up front so when a decision has to be made it is an informed one.

As for our current financial situation, we are fine there and our first priorities are to save and invest wisely, we as a couple have zero debt as well. If a membership can fit within our budget without 'feeling' it too much, then we will consider that too.


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## Reynolds (Jan 9, 2008)

nolan50410 said:


> If you play a lot of golf or tennis and have kids that will use the pool a lot in the summer, it can still be a good decision. That is a lot of "ifs" isnt it though?


A lot of golf - yes
A lot of tennis - yes
Kids to use the pool - no, give us a few years (I hope) of being married


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## S. Able (Mar 26, 2007)

*Clubs*


 I did a lot of golf/country club shopping over the last year before settling on a club that I very much enjoy. I am certainly on the younger side of the membership spectrum (30 years old), but am not the youngest non-legacy member. I am an extraordinarily avid golfer and feel like I come out well ahead on the whole cost benefit analysis. Money that I spend on monthly dues would be spent on golf notwithstanding the membership. 

 As far as fee structures go, legacy memberships are fairly common and can be a great value. Most clubs allow younger members to spread initiation fees over a number of years. Ten years strikes me as a fairly lengthy period of time, but I don't know how large the club's initiation fee is. Seven years seems to be the standard in my area. Some clubs that provide these installment programs will let you off of the hook for the unpaid portion of the initiation fee if you are forced to move out of the area for work. Not all clubs discount the monthly dues of junior members, but some will knock off a quarter or a third until you hit 35. I have never seen a club give junior members a discount on assessments. Some clubs define themselves as "equity" clubs. These clubs will refund a portion of your initiation fee if you cancel your membership. I have noticed that the "equity" clubs tend to have much greater initiation fees. I personally prefer lower, nonrefundable initiation fees (the spread between the two is better put into the market). Most clubs are nonprofit corporations owned and managed by the individual members. 

 The ultimate selection of my club largely turned on the following factors: 

1. A very good, lengthy, demanding golf course that I enjoy. 
2. Price point. 
3. Location.
4. A young membership.


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## PennGlock (Mar 14, 2006)

My advice would be to wait until a later point in your life. Have some kids, advance in your career, and you'll start having a lot more in common with the average member and enjoying the benefits more. That legacy membership will always be waiting for you. 

In the mean time, I'd encourage you and the lady to make the most of your relative freedom. Some weekend jaunts to various parts of the country, and try to get to Europe once or twice a year, or somewhere more exotic yet. Create some memories by spending your spare cash on things a little more adventurous than a CC membership.


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## Reynolds (Jan 9, 2008)

S. Able said:


> I did a lot of golf/country club shopping over the last year before settling on a club that I very much enjoy. I am certainly on the younger side of the membership spectrum (30 years old), but am not the youngest non-legacy member. I am an extraordinarily avid golfer and feel like I come out well ahead on the whole cost benefit analysis. Money that I spend on monthly dues would be spent on golf notwithstanding the membership.
> 
> As far as fee structures go, legacy memberships are fairly common and can be a great value. Most clubs allow younger members to spread initiation fees over a number of years. Ten years strikes me as a fairly lengthy period of time, but I don't know how large the club's initiation fee is. Seven years seems to be the standard in my area. Some clubs that provide these installment programs will let you off of the hook for the unpaid portion of the initiation fee if you are forced to move out of the area for work. Not all clubs discount the monthly dues of junior members, but some will knock off a quarter or a third until you hit 35. I have never seen a club give junior members a discount on assessments. Some clubs define themselves as "equity" clubs. These clubs will refund a portion of your initiation fee if you cancel your membership. I have noticed that the "equity" clubs tend to have much greater initiation fees. I personally prefer lower, nonrefundable initiation fees (the spread between the two is better put into the market). Most clubs are nonprofit corporations owned and managed by the individual members.
> 
> ...


All good points S. Able.

1. The golf course great. I live in a section of Atlanta where certain courses are very old. This club dates back to 1912 and since Bobby Jones grew up playing at East Lake just 3 miles away from this course, the golf history alone is fantastic.

2. Price point - we will be talking to them in detail about this. I roughly know the numbers and the legacy discount really makes them attractive.

3. The location is a bit off my daily route, but only 15 minutes away and one day we would like to live in that area or close to it.

4. I am curious to find out about the membership. Hopefully I will know by later this week.

How would you describe the younger members where you are? Are they married, have children, is their profession medical/legal/business? Are they outgoing and friendly?


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## CPal (Dec 28, 2003)

Reynolds - any update? Did you join? If so, what were the primary factors that helped make the decision?


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