The Doak system is just fine for evaluating golf COURSES, but you need to convert to the Lavin grading system to evaluating golf CLUBS. There is quite a difference, obviously. I've been a member of four different clubs over the years and have been lucky enough to play a lot of private clubs as well. I'll attempt to supply the factors for the ten-point system below:
The Golf Course: The golf course is a key factor in the enjoyment of a club. It needs to be interesting, enjoyable and capable of a demanding set-up. It need not have strong architectural bona fides, but it sure doesn't hurt! It should be a place that you would want to "play everyday" if need be. 0-3 points.
The Other Facilities: Food, beverage, tennis, pool and driving range are the main factors here. If any or all are offered, they should be of sufficient quality to warrant your own personal use/consumption and to offer it up freely to your family and invited guests. The absence of some of the above is in no way a potential hindrance to a good rating here. I'm a member of the Dunes Club and it has no tennis, no pool and just a net for warm up. The cheeseburgers, brats and hot dogs are cooked on a gas grill by the assistant pro. But the place is absolutely heaven, despite the lack of fancy food or the other amenities. 0-2 points.
The Employees: This is a key factor that is overlooked by many people who join private clubs. You want to be a member of a club where you are capable of establishing friendships with some employees. Doesn't mean that you'll become bff, but you want the type of people who do their job with eagerness and self-respect, the kind of self-respect that is not accompanied by fawning, sycophantic service. You want real men and women who work and play hard. Fun and inspired. 0-2 points.
The Members: This is the last three points on the scale. They have to be your kind of people. I prefer clubs that have a fair amount of diversity, but that's me. This means not only racial, ethnic and religious diversity, it means economic diversity as well. Obviously, it takes money to be a member of a private club, but that doesn't mean that everybody is a member of the lucky sperm club. I like clubs with contractors and CEO's, politicians and doctors, lawyers and insurance salesmen. I like it when some of the members caddied at the club as kids and where others grew up as junior members. I like it when there are members who have institutional knowledge that is not a mirror for standoffishness. Finally, it has to be a club full of guys that you want to play with regularly. The kind of place where you don't always play with the same handful of guys, but where you wind up playing with a whole bunch of guys over the course of a season. 0-3 points.
If one can join a club that has a Doak 5 and a Lavin 7, that just might be better than a Doak 10, because being a member at a place with a perfect golf course doesn't mean that you'll necessarily be a happy member.