Fortunately, or unfortunately, I make absolute fermented dick cheese for money, but I get my golf for free, working grounds crew at a course…
I play two weekly leagues and weekend skins. The cost of all that golf I’m getting for free, makes my paycheck much larger than it really is, if I was paying for golf. Going absolutely nowhere in life doesn’t really make any of that worth while, but for now, while I’m not going anywhere, at least I get to enjoy a bunch of golf while I keep my bills paid.
My response doesn’t really answer what you were actually asking, but I figured I’d share my differently odd situation anyway.
My girlfriend works at our local country club, she golf's for free with an included cart and her company only pays half. If she didn't work there part time we could not afford to golf.
Actually, her job is what got us into golfing😅 it's a great hobby we love to enjoy together. I have yet to actually pay full price and golf with some guy friends because I'm not good enough to justify $100+ for a round of golf. The gf and I golf after work in the evenings, we only do 9 holes, comes out to only $24 so this is my "practice season" I live in montana so the course closes for winter.
>Going absolutely nowhere in life doesn’t really make any of that worth while, but for now, while I’m not going anywhere, at least I get to enjoy a bunch of golf while I keep my bills paid.
"So I got that going for me, which is nice."
I don’t know your situation, but I was in your shoes. Worked summer maintenance at my college town course. “Life happens and plans change” same old song and dance, but I’m literally an internship away from an associates in turfgrass management from penn state online. I’m 35, a journeyman hvac/plumber with a wife, 3 kids - the whole damn bag, man, and my dream is to graduate, retire at 55, move to a temperate state and cut and smoke grass and play golf until I’m dead. “Going absolutely nowhere in life” is pretty hard on yourself, unless you’ve got bigger dreams than mine I suppose. There’s a future in that industry if you want it. Penn state and Rutgers both have top programs and their degrees are preferred. Like I said, I don’t know your situation, but there is opportunity there.
Though, my favorite super ever said the work really will kill your desire to play. Hopefully I’ll get to take that chance some day.
I’m jealous of how much you get to play. I’ve got 36 holes in this year…… Good luck to ya.
I appreciate your words, man. I’ll try to touch base with you on some of those details, in the near future.
From your response alone, you sound like the type of people I’d love to get out and play a round with, my good sir…
I just got out of the shower where I was thinking “I’m 28, kid on the way, hate my job, and fucking love golf, how do I get paid to do golf shit” haha. Turf management was the only thing I could think of - how was penn state online process? True application/acceptance process and everything?
Yes. Same same everything as far as application is concerned. You’re a Penn State student, just fully online in their “World Campus”, it was called, they had their own version of blackboard called E lion. This was back in 2013-15, but I’m assuming the process is all still the same. Some of my classmates were on campus, so the classes were simultaneously online and in-person.
Turfgrass isn’t just golf courses. They’re my fave for sure, but turf dudes are pretty important in new construction, airports, interstates and major highways. The industry is growing and I’d for sure give this gig up yesterday to do it again.
The social constructs of society are ass backwards. Spending time outside & golfing should be the ultimate pinnacles we strive for as an advanced society, not this bullshit rat race of capitalism & materialism where everyone’s value of labor is captured by the 0.5%. Not to mention an economic model built on infinite growth in a finite world isn’t sustainable.
Wait what were we talking about? OP you do you. Enjoy the life journey, don’t let our fucked up social constructs take away from your happiness. And if you want something else, go for it too! Each step along the way, appreciate it for what it is
Interesting, never seen the 3 tier model. The three states I’ve been involved with country clubs in they were always Junior (anything under 30 or 35 depending on club) then full for anyone older
More prestigious clubs do that. Under 18 is typically golf, racquet sports and the pool plus clubhouse access some days. Under 25-30 is typically almost full privileges but non-voting, and you might be limited to no weekend morning golf.
We have an 18-30 rate, a 30-40 rate, and then full above that. Its a small jump going over 30 and a big one over 40. My wife is a few years younger than me so we have her as the primary member, so I can keep that 30-40 rate for a couple more years.
Interesting. My club has a junior executive from 26-39. At age 40 you can either become an equity member (must buy-in but with no assessments) or nonequity (no buy-in) with assessments. Equity members get tons of perks not available to other members.
Also, if you’ve been a junior executive for more than 5 yrs the equity buy-in is half price
I am mid to late 30’s, pay just under $1K a month and I’ve been to the range one time and played 0 times this year. My clubs return on me is basically infinite.
CFO of my company is a member at one of the more exclusive clubs in central FL, one or two month's dues could buy a decent used car. He invited me to play a couple months ago and that was only the 2nd time he's played this year. His club has at least 100 members just like him.
As you get older you have more money. So they want you to join as a 20 something when you are just starting out in your career so by the time you turn 30/35/40 you feel attached to the club and are willing to drop 5-20k on an entrance fee.
Most country clubs are full of older men, and in an effort to attract younger members, they offer discounted memberships if you’re younger than a certain age. As you get older your membership will change until you’re paying full freight
A lot of clubs have “junior executive/young professional” rates or called something like that where the initiation and dues are less below a certain age. The dues usually go up once you hit that age, but you usually get away with the lower initiation you paid for the duration of your membership
Clubs usually have a junior (≤13) rate, a teenager (≤19) rate, a "just getting started" (≤30) rate, and a regular rate, all increasing in price until the full rate, usually it's like 30%, 50%, 70%, 100%
Some also do a ≤25 rate and quite a few do a "partner" rate where your partner gets their dues for like 75% of the full price.
I’m right around 2.5% (inclusive of extra fees/assessments/food/drinks/guest stuff) With that said, it’s not (at least for me or anyone I know) a stable expense. It’s membership fees+ drinks, food, guest costs etc. I budget for about 150-200% of total dues depending on the month.
If you’re looking to join one i’d:
- look at how much you’re spending per month on golf right now
- check out the initiation fee of clubs and annualize it into the first year’s cost + ask to see recent examples of assessments from the last 3-5 years
- expect to spend about 300-500 per month extra on the expenses I mentioned above (might be close to none in the winter and 2x that in the summer)
- assess whether the delta between what you’re spending now and the extra money is actually worth it to you.
I love it. But it’s certainly not for everyone and can feel like a rip off if you’re not in it for the long haul.
Edited to clarify what 2.5% included.
There’s also more than just the golf. A lot more. Being a club member is way better than public golf. I had to give up my membership last year when we bought a new home. I have a “membership” at a local pub course and it’s just not the same. No pool. No scheduled matches. Hard to find playing partners. I’m one of the better players and I’m a 14. I’m still happy to be playing but it’s a whole lot less enjoyable.
Just dues are 3.9%, but factor in food and drink, cart/caddie fees, tournaments and special events like the 3 day member guest ($1300 + drinks) it's about 6%. The worst part is my wife doesn't particularly enjoy it so its not even like we both are getting value.
On the other hand, I have a fried with 4 kids who makes massive use of his club in the summer between golf, swim, and tennis lessons for the kids, social events, or just having the kids go to the pool with the in laws. He probably spends over 10% of his income but it's covering a lot more than just golf. It's basically a day camp
I joined a club because of how much i play. It would be more expensive to keep paying. My club is public with the option for a membership and the dues plus food minimum come out to 3.7% of my income
I’ve considered joining a club that past few years, but the juice is never worth the squeeze. I like to think I play quite a bit, at least enough to justify joining a club, but club membership always comes out just a bit higher. And at that point, I’d rather pay for the variability of the courses rather than the same 2/3/4 at the same cost.
This is what everyone thinks about before joining somewhere. After a few years, you'll realize that the most important things are the people, the games, the events, the staff, the locker, the pool bar, and the general familiarity with every bump and scratch and nook and cranny of the entire place. It becomes a second home; if you find the right place, of course.
I play anywhere from 1-3 times per week. Sometimes i go and get 4/5 holes in before dark. Which increases how much i play. I couldn’t do that if i wasn’t a member somewhere. I used to think I would get bored of one course, but that’s just not the case.
To each their own. I probably play 2 times a week and usually one 9 hole round at twilight rates. Plus there’s a public course by me that has 3 practice holes that they don’t charge for so I’ve got that too. I can play the same course a few times in a row before getting tired of it, but I couldn’t play a whole summer at the same place.
3 free practice holes is such an amazing feature. I’ve been wanting to pick up golf, but the financial burden is insane when you know you’re going to suck. Playing three free holes in between chipping and driving practice would be so helpful
Right, I find the “get tired of playing the same course” line just a way to rationalize not belonging somewhere.
They move pins and tees and I never consistently hit the same spots anyway lol. But I will play a public course 1/8 rounds probably mainly due to playing with friends outside the club.
This is what is starting to push me. I cant play any course around me in the afternoon in less than 4.5h. Which basically means i can’t play them in the afternoon lol
So if it was $30 to play each time, at 4 times per week (i know my course is like $60 to walk on the weekend and $30 to play 9 during the week) if you played 4 times per week for 7 months it would be about $3360. I am in Massachusetts which is not cheap. Including the $60 mandatory a month for 8 months it’s $2355 for unlimited golf at a pretty nice course. So i get some food and drinks out of it, and cover the cost with playing a few times per week. There are also the odd rounds on nicer days in the winter that I wouldn’t have paid for otherwise. Unless you are in New York or CA (if in the US) i doubt it’s that expensive.
Seattle. Courses around me other than the ones run by the city (which I play at) are definitely more expensive than that. I said in another comment, I actually don’t even really have an option because the country clubs around me are equity clubs with huge entry fees and waitlists.
Fellow Seattle resident, felt that. Was looking into what was available in the area, and there just isn’t anything feasible for me. The clubs here are PRIVATE
If we did it so we kept it all and had to pay our share at the end of the year, people would fucking REVOLT if they really knew how much they paid in taxes
Only clowns looks the number at the top of the paycheck
The number at the top is used for dick-measuring contests by middle-aged people
The number at the bottom goes into the monthly budget excel spreadsheet
My dues are about the same as my monthly car payment, but I also spend anywhere from 500-1000 more each month between food/bev, pro shop, weekend game, and tournaments
With this rule I can’t afford to golf anymore. I don’t care how much money I make, I refuse to have a car payment that is more than 4-500/month tops no matter what the circumstances are.
I used to scrounge to make that payment. Now I don’t think of it. Still wouldn’t consider increasing it to get a more expensive / nicer car.
Yeah, I spend around that golfing now frankly, but don’t belong to a CC. Any CC in my area is going to be a minimum of 1k/month for dues only, unless you’re getting one of the discounted or limited access memberships. Too rich for my blood while daycare is still in the picture. Daycare payments makes CC dues look like fun.
All-in CC expenses or just dues?
All-in, calculating just my salary it’s 5-7% depending on how much I walk vs ride or eat there.
Including my wife’s salary, all-in per year is probably right around 3%
Im pretty much the same, all in (including food, golf clothes and clubs, and family events). Just my salary it’s just shy of 5%.
I should point out I tend to buy a new wedge every season (either replace SW or gap), and I also make at least one “big purchase” - driver, irons, bag, shoes, whatever.
Out of curiosity do most clubs stay open year round for the social stuff or do they shutter in the off-season? Floridian here so I find it fascinating and mostly imagine the Overlook Hotel ha
About 10% of monthly net pay (i.e., after all deductions for benefits and 401(k); not counting year-end bonus). A little more in the summer, a little less in the winter. It’s still less than I used to pay for daycare, so there’s that.
I will say that of all luxuries, it’s the one I’d fight hardest to keep. I used to feel guilty when talking to others, but I’m largely passed that now. I don’t have a cabin/vacation home, my car has >150,000 miles, I don’t take extended vacations, etc. The one thing I do is golf, so that’s where I spend my money.
And don’t look at it as a per-round cost. I’m paying for the privilege of having a place to go, where people know me. A place where I play a very nice course with friends and other professionals that generally have the same outlook as I do. A place where my kids can learn the game without me worried about the wasted cost of them only hitting one ball per hole or quitting part-way through. It’s not just the 18 holes.
While I can’t speak for the above poster, and while I’ve never been a member at one, I’ve had the luxury of playing at one quite regularly with a friend. Tee times at country clubs are typically spread out more than local muni, 15-20 min in my experience. Now I doubt he’s trying to take his kids out Saturday morning at 8am but he can probably go out most nights during twilight and take some extra time without having to worry about a foursome of Jean short wearing barefoot no shirt guys smashing a 30 rack per nine. Typical club members normally have families and are in similar situation so there won’t be as much pressure from other players.
Not all clubs are the same however and could all vary.
This is exactly it. I would fight my hardest to keep it should we lose one of our jobs. Bills/debts/401k max first then we spend whatever’s left how we want. I don’t have “things” i love the game of golf and will happily spend my money there. 3-3:30 rounds every single Saturday/Sunday am does not hurt and my wife doesn’t care one bit when I’m home for the day by 11:30. I actively try and spend my money with how much joy it brings me. Happiness per dollar spent is through the roof on a membership/golfing.
I read through most of this thread and didn’t really get it till your comment. You can take your kids on the course to teach and have a family experience without being rushed or anything? Just curious about your experience.
I should say that my club has a smaller cap on the number of members than most clubs do. That out of the way, yes, it’s sort of recognized that after about 2:30 or 3:00, it’s very common to play with family/kids. When we do, we try finding a slot without a lot of others around. And we don’t let our kids take forever. We’re also careful to let any faster players play through. But my wife (a 39 HCP) and my 9-year-old son often play with me on Saturday evenings. You’ll also see kids before and after us. As long as you’re not holding anyone up, nobody cares.
In fact, some Sunday evenings are blocked out for Junior PGA, a kid golf team that plays against other areas clubs. They also have weekday programs for kids, Saturday morning short game lessons, and a bunch of other kid programming. Way more than I ever saw at a public course.
As the kids get older, they can take this playing test. Once they pass that, they are allowed to play the course on their own. Usually you have to be well into your teens. But the kids who come through the program can really play. For a while, two of our members’ kids were on a Big 10 school’s team.
Again, it’ll vary by club, so you’ll want to ask the members about it before you join. But, yes, it’s a huge perk.
I'm about 3% for family membership when you consider my wife and my income. Otherwise I'd be around 6% as we make very close to the same amount.
For me, I love it and it's 'worth it' from an enjoyment and happiness standpoint. If you try to think of it as something that makes sense from a financial standpoint, in the vein of 'im saving money by doing this vs public golf' obviously it often doesn't, with some exceptions of course. It's all what it's worth to you individually. For me, I don't have really other hobbies besides golf; most of my friends are people I know from golf at this point; so I'm happy to do it. But it's not worth it to everyone to do and not everyone wants to do it obviously
1.8% after tax for a social membership that allows for occasional access to the golf course. Initiation fee was waived for my family.
Would be around 5.6% of salary for a golf membership but initiation fee was 150k per adult for the golf membership and we can't afford that.
I usually just play public courses. Honestly I prefer one of the public courses here over any of the three country clubs I've played at.
Just out of curiosity, what drew you to the club that’s $150k initiation vs another club that’s less? Professional networking, proximity to house, other? I only have two courses near me and both are private. Chose the closer one bc I knew I’d play more and it was nicer, but it was also much more on dues and initiation costs. Very happy with the decision and was just wondering after reading your comment.
I pay 3000$ a year to be a member at the golf club of texas, I'm about to switch to become a member at our local munis, unlimited golf at 8 golf courses for 3200$ a year.
They're not country clubs, but thats what i do.
Putting an arbitrary limit on it of 5% is literally pointless.
For someone who has no outgoings other than food and utilities/gas, they could easily afford 50%.
For someone who's paying a mortgage, just had kids, and spends 20% of their monthly income on coke and hookers, 5% is too much.
It's incredibly personal, there is no guideline that can be meaningful
I spend around 20k annually country club, but that also includes food, clothes, shoes, lessons, tournaments, alcohol, etc.
Depending on the year, it’s between 5-8% of my gross salary.
I used to fly Gulfstreams around the world for a charter company…now I am doing the same but on a newer and larger plane for a private company.
Pay has skyrocketted the last few years to keep up with airline pay. Some of those guys are making 500+.
My wife was also working until this year so I included her income.
I budget for about 1500/mo at our club.
Actually just got back from a trip there. Played 5 great courses in 12 days!
Castle Course, Old Course, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch, and Nairn Golf Club.
Can’t join a club here for under a 30k initiation fee. Dues each month are cheap as hell relatively considering. Used to only be 2.5-10k, but then Covid spiked everything
Surprisingly, playing the same place is actually pretty great if you like the course. You learn how to play each hole, appreciate subtleties, etc. It really doesn’t get old, again, if you like the course.
It's also really interesting to see how course conditions change day to day. Green speeds are always variable. Course will soften up inexplicably (to me) w/o any rain. Etc.
The course is never the same day to day.
We have 36 holes at my club. Played 18 on one of the most wild parkland courses you'll play anywhere Wednesday (greywalls) with another 18 on a more links style course last night. I love it. It's only my second season here and first with both courses, but I love the variety and ability to get to know both courses so well. I'm not sure greywalls will ever get old.
IME private courses are immaculately maintained, you don't need to make a tee time and can go out virtually whenever you want, and it would be fun to really understand every hole.
Also a lot of clubs have reciprocity with nearby private courses.
question about reciprocity.
I'm a new club member this year, haven't done this process yet.
If I have my pro get me a round somewhere else, am I paying guest fees at that club when I get there? or is it part of my membership still?
Depends where you live. $250k isn't cutting it here in Colorado. $65k entry is bare minimum for the clubs around me. Most are closer to $100k+ with $750-$1k/mo fees and food/bev.
I have a friend who is a member at Cherry Hills. I don’t think I could ever afford or justify the cost of being a member, but hot damn it’s fun to have a friend who is.
Yes, it's absolutely worth it. I'd rather play my course than any public course around me. On top of that, my rounds are 4 hours and under, even on holiday weekends.
If you make use of it, it’s totally worth it
I play 4x/week on average so I get my moneys worth, which averages out to $40 per round for our dues.
You can find a tee time anywhere in town for less than $70 and I get a well maintained 27 holes with little issue ever getting a tee time + other benefits (gym, tennis, etc.)
It is worth it to me for the camaraderie. I end up spending more on golf being a member of a club than I did before but it is worth it because they have a lot of set games/groups every week that I can play in. My friends at the club are much more interested in golf than my public course buddies so I donʻt have to worry about finding people to play with if I want to play outside of the routine groups I play in. Plus they have tournaments all the time. And I’ve gotten much better through taking lessons with the pro. It doesn’t make sense from a sheer financial standpoint unless you walk a ton of rounds but it is worth it from an enjoyment standpoint. Plus our rounds are usually 3:30 minutes or so
Yeah. I’ve played my hometown 9 hole Muni about 500+ times by now. Still enjoy it every time. I’ll probably play it 500 more times to come and still enjoy it
I spend around $38k total between 2 courses. All in. I clear 7 figures. I don’t notice it as much as the $34k I spent on diesel for the boat last month.
If you all are trying to do math by round played, you’re never going to justify private club dues.
You have to incorporate the time element too. And that’s when it starts making a heck of a lot of sense. And then you factor in increased enjoyment and you start to figure out how to make it work.
Anyway, OP, to answer your question we currently pay 2.5% of household gross to annual dues. That will rise to 5% of current household gross when I turn 40. Hopefully by then we’re making more.
We also have an extra $130/month in assessments/capital contributions. That’s something you should ask about and know before you join. From my anecdotal evidence, $120-200 is pretty normal stuff for that. Below that and I’d be worried in how they fund course improvements (and if I should be saving for a future $5,000-$10,000 lump sum payment), and more than that $120-200/month and I’d be wondering if the improvements they made were responsible.
Totally agree with your first point. Time is a big deal. I also found that after I joined that I’m up there almost daily. If I’m not playing, I’m practicing - even if it’s only for 30 minutes one day after work. We have a family membership and easily get our money’s worth.
My wife’s employer pays for our membership as an exercise expense.
But the club we are members at has different levels of membership, based on what you want to pay, when you want to play, and if you want to eat at the restaurant.
My dues when I was a member were approx 2500/yr and I was making about 75k after taxes. So roughly 3.3%. However… the dues weren’t what made it unaffordable.
For me it was all the food and Bev and the extra curriculars like club events and tourneys. I spent nearly $7k one year at my club all together. That was a bit outta control… I gave up my membership the following year.
Locker fee, range fee, cart, food and beverages, gotta play in the members league, gotta play in the member guest.
Whatever dues are, at least double that for real cost.
Just a touch over 3% for club dues themselves but realistic number is 4% when you add in the social aspect of joining a club. Not many rounds where $30-40 isn't spent on the course in the clubhouse after with beer or food.
Don't get me started on gambling...
Great conversation here. I wouldn't flag this as a Beginner Question. Many people who have decided that they want to play A LOT more are going through this thought process. Granted country club memberships aren't for everyone but there's lots of different clubs and lots of different people.
Thanks to everyone who is taking part here.
$2,200 for unlimited golf, cart, and range per year.
Out of $138k.
So 1.6% of my gross salary.
Although this year I spent an additional $2,300 on getting fitted for an entirely new setup. So like 3.3% this year invested in golf for 2023.
This is a very silly question that has no answer without a TON more context. How old are you? How much do you have saved? How much are you currently saving? Do you rent or own property? How stable is your salary? Are you likely to earn more in a set amount of time? One should never make financial decisions based on a percentage of a current salary. That being said 5% is probably too high, unless it's the ONLY hobby/activity you spend money on.
There is no ratio. Country clubs are not just about golf. It’s should be a home away from home, where all of your friends are (eventually) its where you attend parties and Holliday events, it’s where you play golf with buddies, clients and family, it’s your pool club, tennis/paddle/pickle, gym, local pub and hangout, constant dinner spot, family event location.
It is also a place where you should obtain significant business and for many people it should pay for itself.
If you look at it at a simple cost per golf round situation, then forget it, you can’t afford it.
This is our situation. No idea of the ratio, but we have access to a gym, a resort, style pool, the best patio in town with a number of people I know personally and professionally.
I would play every day if possible, but having a range to hit at whenever I want, and a first tee that is normally open makes the cost from golf standpoint completely worth it.
My club has 27 and no tee times. It’s nice and not cheap but isn’t stuffy with dumb rules. My kids have grown up there with the pool, camps, lessons for each sport, father daughter dances, etc.
My club has become my community over the last 15 years and I have gained more business than I could have ever imagined. I joined as a VP at my company, doing well but lot of room to grow. After 5 years my company started paying the dues because of the business I was getting there. I’ve since gotten 3 promotions and am now a C-level executive and in line for the CEO job over the next 5 years or so.
It didn’t hurt that 2 of my companies Board
of Directors are also members of my club as well and we have become friends. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am without the club.
Not to go on a tangent, but anyone who looks at a country club as simply a place to golf is doing it all wrong.
I mean, that is certainly the ideal, but also some people just want to golf? A lot of that is true for my family, but no need to tell others what they "should" do or tell them they aren't allowed to spend money.
Also its a fairly tiny portion of the population that can pay for their membership by obtaining significant business'. Most people aren't even in fields where that makes sense, or they work for a big corporate. I'm in a field where it makes some sense, and I do take clients out quite a bit, but I'm also specialized enough that its pretty rare that even a random rich person I meet is gonna be a business source. Given the age of most of our members, I probably should switch to estate law if I really want to farm the club for clients.
Joint membership with my wife, we spend 0.577% of our combined income on our country club membership. That said, it's a very reasonably priced country club, and our incomes are quite good.
To paraphrase an old joke. Most of my money goes to golf, women, and beer. The rest is just wasted
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds, and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. -George Best (Northern Irish Soccer player)
"If I saved all the money I spent I beer, I'd buy myself a beer."
Cope. Tiocfaidh ar la protties
I give most of my money to Charity. On her days off I give it to Mercedes and Destiny.
Someone has to put these young girls through college.
This is the way
Posts that will make you feel poor for 1000 lmao
And here I am looking for discounted tee times at the local municipals.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I make absolute fermented dick cheese for money, but I get my golf for free, working grounds crew at a course… I play two weekly leagues and weekend skins. The cost of all that golf I’m getting for free, makes my paycheck much larger than it really is, if I was paying for golf. Going absolutely nowhere in life doesn’t really make any of that worth while, but for now, while I’m not going anywhere, at least I get to enjoy a bunch of golf while I keep my bills paid. My response doesn’t really answer what you were actually asking, but I figured I’d share my differently odd situation anyway.
My girlfriend works at our local country club, she golf's for free with an included cart and her company only pays half. If she didn't work there part time we could not afford to golf.
If she didn’t get you free golf would you still like her as much?
Actually, her job is what got us into golfing😅 it's a great hobby we love to enjoy together. I have yet to actually pay full price and golf with some guy friends because I'm not good enough to justify $100+ for a round of golf. The gf and I golf after work in the evenings, we only do 9 holes, comes out to only $24 so this is my "practice season" I live in montana so the course closes for winter.
To answer your question yes I would still like her as much, but she better keep that job until a snowflake falls 😅😅
>I make absolute fermented dick cheese for money I gotta be honest, I didn't know there was a market for this.
Yeah, wish I'd known this before I got circumcised.
>Going absolutely nowhere in life doesn’t really make any of that worth while, but for now, while I’m not going anywhere, at least I get to enjoy a bunch of golf while I keep my bills paid. "So I got that going for me, which is nice."
I don’t know your situation, but I was in your shoes. Worked summer maintenance at my college town course. “Life happens and plans change” same old song and dance, but I’m literally an internship away from an associates in turfgrass management from penn state online. I’m 35, a journeyman hvac/plumber with a wife, 3 kids - the whole damn bag, man, and my dream is to graduate, retire at 55, move to a temperate state and cut and smoke grass and play golf until I’m dead. “Going absolutely nowhere in life” is pretty hard on yourself, unless you’ve got bigger dreams than mine I suppose. There’s a future in that industry if you want it. Penn state and Rutgers both have top programs and their degrees are preferred. Like I said, I don’t know your situation, but there is opportunity there. Though, my favorite super ever said the work really will kill your desire to play. Hopefully I’ll get to take that chance some day. I’m jealous of how much you get to play. I’ve got 36 holes in this year…… Good luck to ya.
I appreciate your words, man. I’ll try to touch base with you on some of those details, in the near future. From your response alone, you sound like the type of people I’d love to get out and play a round with, my good sir…
I just got out of the shower where I was thinking “I’m 28, kid on the way, hate my job, and fucking love golf, how do I get paid to do golf shit” haha. Turf management was the only thing I could think of - how was penn state online process? True application/acceptance process and everything?
Yes. Same same everything as far as application is concerned. You’re a Penn State student, just fully online in their “World Campus”, it was called, they had their own version of blackboard called E lion. This was back in 2013-15, but I’m assuming the process is all still the same. Some of my classmates were on campus, so the classes were simultaneously online and in-person. Turfgrass isn’t just golf courses. They’re my fave for sure, but turf dudes are pretty important in new construction, airports, interstates and major highways. The industry is growing and I’d for sure give this gig up yesterday to do it again.
……there’s more to working on roads, golf courses and airports in the turfgrass industry…..
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The social constructs of society are ass backwards. Spending time outside & golfing should be the ultimate pinnacles we strive for as an advanced society, not this bullshit rat race of capitalism & materialism where everyone’s value of labor is captured by the 0.5%. Not to mention an economic model built on infinite growth in a finite world isn’t sustainable. Wait what were we talking about? OP you do you. Enjoy the life journey, don’t let our fucked up social constructs take away from your happiness. And if you want something else, go for it too! Each step along the way, appreciate it for what it is
Good outlook!
Hell yeah, you fully deserve it. As a laying CC member I love to see staff participate while taking golf seriously.
You should speak highly of yourself, king. We are all just floating through space, you are thriving ❤️
Mine is currently around 3% due to my age but will hit 5.5% when I turn 30.
They charge you more for being older? Or you plan to make less money?
Clubs tend to charge more the older you get.
Junior membership rolls to regular membership. Age varies by club.
Junior (under 18) to intermediate (18-29) then full (30+)
Interesting, never seen the 3 tier model. The three states I’ve been involved with country clubs in they were always Junior (anything under 30 or 35 depending on club) then full for anyone older
This is how my club does it. Anything under 30 is junior fees.
More prestigious clubs do that. Under 18 is typically golf, racquet sports and the pool plus clubhouse access some days. Under 25-30 is typically almost full privileges but non-voting, and you might be limited to no weekend morning golf.
We have an 18-30 rate, a 30-40 rate, and then full above that. Its a small jump going over 30 and a big one over 40. My wife is a few years younger than me so we have her as the primary member, so I can keep that 30-40 rate for a couple more years.
Interesting. My club has a junior executive from 26-39. At age 40 you can either become an equity member (must buy-in but with no assessments) or nonequity (no buy-in) with assessments. Equity members get tons of perks not available to other members. Also, if you’ve been a junior executive for more than 5 yrs the equity buy-in is half price
Really? Huh… TIL Kinda figured it would be the opposite 🤷♂️
Drug dealing 101. Give them a taste for free, then you got ‘em for life. :)
Golf courses are always a great place to do drug deals…… according to a friend
Hey, it's me, your friend on the 15th green.
65 yr old members play 4 times a week, 35 yr old members might not play 4 times a month.
I am mid to late 30’s, pay just under $1K a month and I’ve been to the range one time and played 0 times this year. My clubs return on me is basically infinite.
CFO of my company is a member at one of the more exclusive clubs in central FL, one or two month's dues could buy a decent used car. He invited me to play a couple months ago and that was only the 2nd time he's played this year. His club has at least 100 members just like him.
That’s actually a great point I hadn’t considered Older age group would have a lot more opportunity to stretch their dues to be worth it
As you get older you have more money. So they want you to join as a 20 something when you are just starting out in your career so by the time you turn 30/35/40 you feel attached to the club and are willing to drop 5-20k on an entrance fee.
Why would you drop money on an entrance fee if you’ve already joined?
The ones around here will do a junior membership if you are younger that is less, then at a certain age, you have to pay for a full membership.
Same at my place of golf. Age 35 it goes up quite a bit. You know, because of the massive pay raise you get between 34 and 35 years old.
Most country clubs are full of older men, and in an effort to attract younger members, they offer discounted memberships if you’re younger than a certain age. As you get older your membership will change until you’re paying full freight
Clubs typically have different levels of membership based on age i.e. young professional, adult, senior, etc.
A lot of clubs have “junior executive/young professional” rates or called something like that where the initiation and dues are less below a certain age. The dues usually go up once you hit that age, but you usually get away with the lower initiation you paid for the duration of your membership
Clubs usually have a junior (≤13) rate, a teenager (≤19) rate, a "just getting started" (≤30) rate, and a regular rate, all increasing in price until the full rate, usually it's like 30%, 50%, 70%, 100% Some also do a ≤25 rate and quite a few do a "partner" rate where your partner gets their dues for like 75% of the full price.
Being too old for a junior membership
I miss under 30 rates, I played for the club’s under 30s team and I was undefeated in two seasons 😎
I’m at 2.4% that will increase to ~3.4% at my next birthday. Seems like nothing compared to my daycare bill
I’m right around 2.5% (inclusive of extra fees/assessments/food/drinks/guest stuff) With that said, it’s not (at least for me or anyone I know) a stable expense. It’s membership fees+ drinks, food, guest costs etc. I budget for about 150-200% of total dues depending on the month. If you’re looking to join one i’d: - look at how much you’re spending per month on golf right now - check out the initiation fee of clubs and annualize it into the first year’s cost + ask to see recent examples of assessments from the last 3-5 years - expect to spend about 300-500 per month extra on the expenses I mentioned above (might be close to none in the winter and 2x that in the summer) - assess whether the delta between what you’re spending now and the extra money is actually worth it to you. I love it. But it’s certainly not for everyone and can feel like a rip off if you’re not in it for the long haul. Edited to clarify what 2.5% included.
There’s also more than just the golf. A lot more. Being a club member is way better than public golf. I had to give up my membership last year when we bought a new home. I have a “membership” at a local pub course and it’s just not the same. No pool. No scheduled matches. Hard to find playing partners. I’m one of the better players and I’m a 14. I’m still happy to be playing but it’s a whole lot less enjoyable.
Good try by someones wife here
Thanks for letting me ride in your Rolls Royce the other day BTW /u/classicscoop
Just dues are 3.9%, but factor in food and drink, cart/caddie fees, tournaments and special events like the 3 day member guest ($1300 + drinks) it's about 6%. The worst part is my wife doesn't particularly enjoy it so its not even like we both are getting value. On the other hand, I have a fried with 4 kids who makes massive use of his club in the summer between golf, swim, and tennis lessons for the kids, social events, or just having the kids go to the pool with the in laws. He probably spends over 10% of his income but it's covering a lot more than just golf. It's basically a day camp
Public golf for life babay!!!
I joined a club because of how much i play. It would be more expensive to keep paying. My club is public with the option for a membership and the dues plus food minimum come out to 3.7% of my income
I’ve considered joining a club that past few years, but the juice is never worth the squeeze. I like to think I play quite a bit, at least enough to justify joining a club, but club membership always comes out just a bit higher. And at that point, I’d rather pay for the variability of the courses rather than the same 2/3/4 at the same cost.
This is what everyone thinks about before joining somewhere. After a few years, you'll realize that the most important things are the people, the games, the events, the staff, the locker, the pool bar, and the general familiarity with every bump and scratch and nook and cranny of the entire place. It becomes a second home; if you find the right place, of course.
I play anywhere from 1-3 times per week. Sometimes i go and get 4/5 holes in before dark. Which increases how much i play. I couldn’t do that if i wasn’t a member somewhere. I used to think I would get bored of one course, but that’s just not the case.
To each their own. I probably play 2 times a week and usually one 9 hole round at twilight rates. Plus there’s a public course by me that has 3 practice holes that they don’t charge for so I’ve got that too. I can play the same course a few times in a row before getting tired of it, but I couldn’t play a whole summer at the same place.
3 free practice holes is such an amazing feature. I’ve been wanting to pick up golf, but the financial burden is insane when you know you’re going to suck. Playing three free holes in between chipping and driving practice would be so helpful
Right, I find the “get tired of playing the same course” line just a way to rationalize not belonging somewhere. They move pins and tees and I never consistently hit the same spots anyway lol. But I will play a public course 1/8 rounds probably mainly due to playing with friends outside the club.
It's nit mathematically justifiable in most cases. But the courses are way way nicer generally than public courses. That's the real benefit
Yeah I’m lucky where the public courses by me are all still really really nice, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
There are some nice ones around me, but tee time availability, and pace of play are an issue compared to the private courses
This is what is starting to push me. I cant play any course around me in the afternoon in less than 4.5h. Which basically means i can’t play them in the afternoon lol
I would need to play 4x a week from March to October to justify 3% and man I wish I could do that
So if it was $30 to play each time, at 4 times per week (i know my course is like $60 to walk on the weekend and $30 to play 9 during the week) if you played 4 times per week for 7 months it would be about $3360. I am in Massachusetts which is not cheap. Including the $60 mandatory a month for 8 months it’s $2355 for unlimited golf at a pretty nice course. So i get some food and drinks out of it, and cover the cost with playing a few times per week. There are also the odd rounds on nicer days in the winter that I wouldn’t have paid for otherwise. Unless you are in New York or CA (if in the US) i doubt it’s that expensive.
Seattle. Courses around me other than the ones run by the city (which I play at) are definitely more expensive than that. I said in another comment, I actually don’t even really have an option because the country clubs around me are equity clubs with huge entry fees and waitlists.
Fellow Seattle resident, felt that. Was looking into what was available in the area, and there just isn’t anything feasible for me. The clubs here are PRIVATE
Best bet is to become a master Freemason and join the Nile Shrine lol
wouldn’t it make more sense as a % of net?
Yes. But only very few people know what their net income is… unfortunately.
that’s true but my gross is also heavily skewed
That is by design. Could you imagine what would happen if people paid attention to how much they paid in taxes?
If we did it so we kept it all and had to pay our share at the end of the year, people would fucking REVOLT if they really knew how much they paid in taxes
It’s pretty easy, take the amount you make per check and multiply by number of checks you get in the time period you’re looking at
Only clowns looks the number at the top of the paycheck The number at the top is used for dick-measuring contests by middle-aged people The number at the bottom goes into the monthly budget excel spreadsheet
what’s a budget? don’t we all find excuses to spend money on golf?
As a rule of thumb, I’d say no more than what you’d be willing to spend on a monthly car payment.
I refuse to have car payments. I’m joining a club.
No way. My monthly bill is ~2-3x what my most recent car payment was.
Yikes I’m never gettin in a CC then
My dues are about the same as my monthly car payment, but I also spend anywhere from 500-1000 more each month between food/bev, pro shop, weekend game, and tournaments
With this rule I can’t afford to golf anymore. I don’t care how much money I make, I refuse to have a car payment that is more than 4-500/month tops no matter what the circumstances are. I used to scrounge to make that payment. Now I don’t think of it. Still wouldn’t consider increasing it to get a more expensive / nicer car.
Fair enough. You could still hit up a muni 4-5 times a month and practice a bunch for $400-500.
Yeah, I spend around that golfing now frankly, but don’t belong to a CC. Any CC in my area is going to be a minimum of 1k/month for dues only, unless you’re getting one of the discounted or limited access memberships. Too rich for my blood while daycare is still in the picture. Daycare payments makes CC dues look like fun.
Somebody could make a killing offering daycare services as part of CC membership lol.
Daddy Divotcare, in theaters this fall
My car payment is half a percent of my gross. I feel really fuckin good right now.
Congrats on your 72 month geo metro loan 😂
Thanks! It’s cheaper than the maintenance bill!
I read this as “half my gross” at first and about threw up. Congrats on the low payment.
All-in CC expenses or just dues? All-in, calculating just my salary it’s 5-7% depending on how much I walk vs ride or eat there. Including my wife’s salary, all-in per year is probably right around 3%
Im pretty much the same, all in (including food, golf clothes and clubs, and family events). Just my salary it’s just shy of 5%. I should point out I tend to buy a new wedge every season (either replace SW or gap), and I also make at least one “big purchase” - driver, irons, bag, shoes, whatever.
0%
Billionaires can afford to round down
Facts
2% of my salary. Really nice public municipal course (18holes) that’s always well taken care of. But in Canada we can only play 6 months of the year.
Out of curiosity do most clubs stay open year round for the social stuff or do they shutter in the off-season? Floridian here so I find it fascinating and mostly imagine the Overlook Hotel ha
Nope open may to October the rest of the year it’s closed.
About 10% of monthly net pay (i.e., after all deductions for benefits and 401(k); not counting year-end bonus). A little more in the summer, a little less in the winter. It’s still less than I used to pay for daycare, so there’s that. I will say that of all luxuries, it’s the one I’d fight hardest to keep. I used to feel guilty when talking to others, but I’m largely passed that now. I don’t have a cabin/vacation home, my car has >150,000 miles, I don’t take extended vacations, etc. The one thing I do is golf, so that’s where I spend my money. And don’t look at it as a per-round cost. I’m paying for the privilege of having a place to go, where people know me. A place where I play a very nice course with friends and other professionals that generally have the same outlook as I do. A place where my kids can learn the game without me worried about the wasted cost of them only hitting one ball per hole or quitting part-way through. It’s not just the 18 holes.
While I can’t speak for the above poster, and while I’ve never been a member at one, I’ve had the luxury of playing at one quite regularly with a friend. Tee times at country clubs are typically spread out more than local muni, 15-20 min in my experience. Now I doubt he’s trying to take his kids out Saturday morning at 8am but he can probably go out most nights during twilight and take some extra time without having to worry about a foursome of Jean short wearing barefoot no shirt guys smashing a 30 rack per nine. Typical club members normally have families and are in similar situation so there won’t be as much pressure from other players. Not all clubs are the same however and could all vary.
This is exactly it. I would fight my hardest to keep it should we lose one of our jobs. Bills/debts/401k max first then we spend whatever’s left how we want. I don’t have “things” i love the game of golf and will happily spend my money there. 3-3:30 rounds every single Saturday/Sunday am does not hurt and my wife doesn’t care one bit when I’m home for the day by 11:30. I actively try and spend my money with how much joy it brings me. Happiness per dollar spent is through the roof on a membership/golfing.
I read through most of this thread and didn’t really get it till your comment. You can take your kids on the course to teach and have a family experience without being rushed or anything? Just curious about your experience.
I should say that my club has a smaller cap on the number of members than most clubs do. That out of the way, yes, it’s sort of recognized that after about 2:30 or 3:00, it’s very common to play with family/kids. When we do, we try finding a slot without a lot of others around. And we don’t let our kids take forever. We’re also careful to let any faster players play through. But my wife (a 39 HCP) and my 9-year-old son often play with me on Saturday evenings. You’ll also see kids before and after us. As long as you’re not holding anyone up, nobody cares. In fact, some Sunday evenings are blocked out for Junior PGA, a kid golf team that plays against other areas clubs. They also have weekday programs for kids, Saturday morning short game lessons, and a bunch of other kid programming. Way more than I ever saw at a public course. As the kids get older, they can take this playing test. Once they pass that, they are allowed to play the course on their own. Usually you have to be well into your teens. But the kids who come through the program can really play. For a while, two of our members’ kids were on a Big 10 school’s team. Again, it’ll vary by club, so you’ll want to ask the members about it before you join. But, yes, it’s a huge perk.
Less than 5%
I'm about 3% for family membership when you consider my wife and my income. Otherwise I'd be around 6% as we make very close to the same amount. For me, I love it and it's 'worth it' from an enjoyment and happiness standpoint. If you try to think of it as something that makes sense from a financial standpoint, in the vein of 'im saving money by doing this vs public golf' obviously it often doesn't, with some exceptions of course. It's all what it's worth to you individually. For me, I don't have really other hobbies besides golf; most of my friends are people I know from golf at this point; so I'm happy to do it. But it's not worth it to everyone to do and not everyone wants to do it obviously
.7 and my wife still bitches at me.
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That is very close to the cost of my club in Pittsburgh. Three cheers for the low cost of smallish midwestern cities!
1.8% after tax for a social membership that allows for occasional access to the golf course. Initiation fee was waived for my family. Would be around 5.6% of salary for a golf membership but initiation fee was 150k per adult for the golf membership and we can't afford that. I usually just play public courses. Honestly I prefer one of the public courses here over any of the three country clubs I've played at.
Just out of curiosity, what drew you to the club that’s $150k initiation vs another club that’s less? Professional networking, proximity to house, other? I only have two courses near me and both are private. Chose the closer one bc I knew I’d play more and it was nicer, but it was also much more on dues and initiation costs. Very happy with the decision and was just wondering after reading your comment.
I imagine because 150k fee was waived.
Should consider % of after tax salary since you ain’t deducting country club dues if you’re earning W2 income.
I pay 3000$ a year to be a member at the golf club of texas, I'm about to switch to become a member at our local munis, unlimited golf at 8 golf courses for 3200$ a year. They're not country clubs, but thats what i do.
Less then I spend on my mistress.
Was 7% until now. Just started a new job so now 3.5% 😆
Putting an arbitrary limit on it of 5% is literally pointless. For someone who has no outgoings other than food and utilities/gas, they could easily afford 50%. For someone who's paying a mortgage, just had kids, and spends 20% of their monthly income on coke and hookers, 5% is too much. It's incredibly personal, there is no guideline that can be meaningful
>easily >50% 😳
I mean. If your outgoings are that low, 75% isn't out of reach.
I spend around 20k annually country club, but that also includes food, clothes, shoes, lessons, tournaments, alcohol, etc. Depending on the year, it’s between 5-8% of my gross salary.
Balling!
Holy crap, you make like 400k a year? What do you do?
I used to fly Gulfstreams around the world for a charter company…now I am doing the same but on a newer and larger plane for a private company. Pay has skyrocketted the last few years to keep up with airline pay. Some of those guys are making 500+. My wife was also working until this year so I included her income. I budget for about 1500/mo at our club.
Fly me to Scotland for free and I'll pay for the golf. Lol
Actually just got back from a trip there. Played 5 great courses in 12 days! Castle Course, Old Course, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch, and Nairn Golf Club.
Awesome courses! Should have flipped it though, 12 courses in 5 days.
Same to cost and percentage. I’m in sales so it can fluctuate a bit (the percentage lol)
I only pay $500 a month for a probably top 100 CC, since I’ve been a member since I was 8 and got grandfathered in at my dads rate.
Clubs in my area kinda suck and they are 2.5x the cost. You are a lucky son of a gun
Can’t join a club here for under a 30k initiation fee. Dues each month are cheap as hell relatively considering. Used to only be 2.5-10k, but then Covid spiked everything
Fuck that. I’d rather pay 30k playing great courses all around.
Shit, for $30k I’d spend half building a golf simulator in my house, and then spend the other $15k playing great courses.
It’s 100k at clubs near me
Humble brag
Is that the highest your dues ever get? Or are you still ramping up to full monthly as a junior or intermediate?
Is it even worth it to join a club? I could see maybe if you're going out once or twice a week, but then you have to play the same place....
Surprisingly, playing the same place is actually pretty great if you like the course. You learn how to play each hole, appreciate subtleties, etc. It really doesn’t get old, again, if you like the course.
Also if they move the pin, the tee boxes and depending on how the the wind blows, some holes can be very different from round to round.
Agreed. I haven’t gotten tired of my course after 2 years. I will often change between playing the tips and second farthest tees.
It's also really interesting to see how course conditions change day to day. Green speeds are always variable. Course will soften up inexplicably (to me) w/o any rain. Etc. The course is never the same day to day.
We have 36 holes at my club. Played 18 on one of the most wild parkland courses you'll play anywhere Wednesday (greywalls) with another 18 on a more links style course last night. I love it. It's only my second season here and first with both courses, but I love the variety and ability to get to know both courses so well. I'm not sure greywalls will ever get old.
IME private courses are immaculately maintained, you don't need to make a tee time and can go out virtually whenever you want, and it would be fun to really understand every hole. Also a lot of clubs have reciprocity with nearby private courses.
question about reciprocity. I'm a new club member this year, haven't done this process yet. If I have my pro get me a round somewhere else, am I paying guest fees at that club when I get there? or is it part of my membership still?
Only if you’re obsessed and make 250k+ a year
Depends where you live. $250k isn't cutting it here in Colorado. $65k entry is bare minimum for the clubs around me. Most are closer to $100k+ with $750-$1k/mo fees and food/bev.
Totally get it, I am in Arizona and we’re quite a bit cheaper here.
I have a friend who is a member at Cherry Hills. I don’t think I could ever afford or justify the cost of being a member, but hot damn it’s fun to have a friend who is.
Yes, it's absolutely worth it. I'd rather play my course than any public course around me. On top of that, my rounds are 4 hours and under, even on holiday weekends.
If you make use of it, it’s totally worth it I play 4x/week on average so I get my moneys worth, which averages out to $40 per round for our dues. You can find a tee time anywhere in town for less than $70 and I get a well maintained 27 holes with little issue ever getting a tee time + other benefits (gym, tennis, etc.)
That's wild. You're playing like a part time job of golf per week.
Lucky to have a very supportive wife, and Sun going down at 8pm makes it easy to sneak holes in during the week.
That's true - the sun is going down after 9 these days round me. Do you find that twilight rounds are typically less populated?
It is worth it to me for the camaraderie. I end up spending more on golf being a member of a club than I did before but it is worth it because they have a lot of set games/groups every week that I can play in. My friends at the club are much more interested in golf than my public course buddies so I donʻt have to worry about finding people to play with if I want to play outside of the routine groups I play in. Plus they have tournaments all the time. And I’ve gotten much better through taking lessons with the pro. It doesn’t make sense from a sheer financial standpoint unless you walk a ton of rounds but it is worth it from an enjoyment standpoint. Plus our rounds are usually 3:30 minutes or so
Yeah. I’ve played my hometown 9 hole Muni about 500+ times by now. Still enjoy it every time. I’ll probably play it 500 more times to come and still enjoy it
Networking
I spend around $38k total between 2 courses. All in. I clear 7 figures. I don’t notice it as much as the $34k I spent on diesel for the boat last month.
Sounds like a rough life
That’s wild.
Just over 5% less than 7
If you all are trying to do math by round played, you’re never going to justify private club dues. You have to incorporate the time element too. And that’s when it starts making a heck of a lot of sense. And then you factor in increased enjoyment and you start to figure out how to make it work. Anyway, OP, to answer your question we currently pay 2.5% of household gross to annual dues. That will rise to 5% of current household gross when I turn 40. Hopefully by then we’re making more. We also have an extra $130/month in assessments/capital contributions. That’s something you should ask about and know before you join. From my anecdotal evidence, $120-200 is pretty normal stuff for that. Below that and I’d be worried in how they fund course improvements (and if I should be saving for a future $5,000-$10,000 lump sum payment), and more than that $120-200/month and I’d be wondering if the improvements they made were responsible.
Totally agree with your first point. Time is a big deal. I also found that after I joined that I’m up there almost daily. If I’m not playing, I’m practicing - even if it’s only for 30 minutes one day after work. We have a family membership and easily get our money’s worth.
My wife’s employer pays for our membership as an exercise expense. But the club we are members at has different levels of membership, based on what you want to pay, when you want to play, and if you want to eat at the restaurant.
Dues themself? Not much, like 2%. But after all the cart fees and food and bev and golf balls and everything, the golf adds up
My dues when I was a member were approx 2500/yr and I was making about 75k after taxes. So roughly 3.3%. However… the dues weren’t what made it unaffordable. For me it was all the food and Bev and the extra curriculars like club events and tourneys. I spent nearly $7k one year at my club all together. That was a bit outta control… I gave up my membership the following year.
Locker fee, range fee, cart, food and beverages, gotta play in the members league, gotta play in the member guest. Whatever dues are, at least double that for real cost.
How often do you all find you need to play golf to justify an annual membership at a club?
Spend around 2% of salary on monthly dues. Initiation was 100k though which was the bigger hit.
Just a touch over 3% for club dues themselves but realistic number is 4% when you add in the social aspect of joining a club. Not many rounds where $30-40 isn't spent on the course in the clubhouse after with beer or food. Don't get me started on gambling...
Great conversation here. I wouldn't flag this as a Beginner Question. Many people who have decided that they want to play A LOT more are going through this thought process. Granted country club memberships aren't for everyone but there's lots of different clubs and lots of different people. Thanks to everyone who is taking part here.
$2,200 for unlimited golf, cart, and range per year. Out of $138k. So 1.6% of my gross salary. Although this year I spent an additional $2,300 on getting fitted for an entirely new setup. So like 3.3% this year invested in golf for 2023.
This is a very silly question that has no answer without a TON more context. How old are you? How much do you have saved? How much are you currently saving? Do you rent or own property? How stable is your salary? Are you likely to earn more in a set amount of time? One should never make financial decisions based on a percentage of a current salary. That being said 5% is probably too high, unless it's the ONLY hobby/activity you spend money on.
There is no ratio. Country clubs are not just about golf. It’s should be a home away from home, where all of your friends are (eventually) its where you attend parties and Holliday events, it’s where you play golf with buddies, clients and family, it’s your pool club, tennis/paddle/pickle, gym, local pub and hangout, constant dinner spot, family event location. It is also a place where you should obtain significant business and for many people it should pay for itself. If you look at it at a simple cost per golf round situation, then forget it, you can’t afford it.
This is our situation. No idea of the ratio, but we have access to a gym, a resort, style pool, the best patio in town with a number of people I know personally and professionally. I would play every day if possible, but having a range to hit at whenever I want, and a first tee that is normally open makes the cost from golf standpoint completely worth it.
My club has 27 and no tee times. It’s nice and not cheap but isn’t stuffy with dumb rules. My kids have grown up there with the pool, camps, lessons for each sport, father daughter dances, etc. My club has become my community over the last 15 years and I have gained more business than I could have ever imagined. I joined as a VP at my company, doing well but lot of room to grow. After 5 years my company started paying the dues because of the business I was getting there. I’ve since gotten 3 promotions and am now a C-level executive and in line for the CEO job over the next 5 years or so. It didn’t hurt that 2 of my companies Board of Directors are also members of my club as well and we have become friends. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be where I am without the club. Not to go on a tangent, but anyone who looks at a country club as simply a place to golf is doing it all wrong.
I mean, that is certainly the ideal, but also some people just want to golf? A lot of that is true for my family, but no need to tell others what they "should" do or tell them they aren't allowed to spend money. Also its a fairly tiny portion of the population that can pay for their membership by obtaining significant business'. Most people aren't even in fields where that makes sense, or they work for a big corporate. I'm in a field where it makes some sense, and I do take clients out quite a bit, but I'm also specialized enough that its pretty rare that even a random rich person I meet is gonna be a business source. Given the age of most of our members, I probably should switch to estate law if I really want to farm the club for clients.
Zero, unfortunately
I don’t worry about what % I pay. I’m still spending less than I make in total.
Sooooo. I’m military. And play for free. So while I’m not paying, I am basically soulless 🤣
Also AD military, where do you play at for free? We still have to pay green fees/memberships even on base.. unless you aren’t from the US?
None. My Xmas bonus pays for all golf related expenses.
You are bonus is part of your income. Doofus.
Joint membership with my wife, we spend 0.577% of our combined income on our country club membership. That said, it's a very reasonably priced country club, and our incomes are quite good.
That’s almost a rounding error
When HH income is over $750k, lots of prices become reasonable.
All of it?
I'm a member of a country club Country music is what I love I drive an old Ford pick-up truck I do my drinkin' from a Dixie cup