I joined a club about 12 years ago when five of my golfing buds from school did at the same time. As clubs go, the investment was very cheap.
But when these same friends all decide to resign from the club after two years and go back to a local muni, I joined them. It was a combination of things to not renew for a third year, with travel time being more than 30 minutes to the club, and, quite frankly, my friends found the course too difficult and penal with many holes lined with evergreen trees that were not limbed up even a few feet.
But the club atmosphere was also not quite in phase with us. The straw that broke the camel's back came when one of my member friends called me late Saturday morning from the club, asking if I wanted to play with him. He knew I had a work obligation late the previous night, and I had not planned on playing until that afternoon (and I could avoid the darn mandatory weekend cart fee!). But I knew my friend wanted a game so I jumped in the car and was out with him on the first tee within an hour. Of course, on the first tee I asked him why he didn't join a group earlier. All were foursomes he saw as he stroked some putts and chips, except for one threesome. When he inquired if he could join the group, they said 'no'.