I don't get it. What's the value proposition if you can go play golf resorts like Bandon, Cabot, Pebble, SV, Kiawah, Pinehurst, Streamsong, Casa de Campo, etc which are better courses anyway? And what's the attraction of central Florida other than cheap land?
I would rather have someone like Mike Keiser put together some sort of a club for his resorts.
As has transpired in the Ski industry with the proliferation of annual passes to a consortium of different ski resort networks, i.e. Epic Pass (Vail Resorts), Mountain Collective and the Ikon Ski Pass, you're seeing the same occur with destination golf resorts and private golf clubs courtesy of companies such as Club Corp Travel, Dormie and now Flag. Were you to put the right mix of private/public clubs and resorts together under one membership, it could be a big win/win for the consumer and the clubs/resorts affiliated with said pass or membership. For example, if someone put a annual pass or membership together comprising of the courses referenced in your post, in which golf fees (greens fees, cart/caddie) were covered and included unlimited golf, use of the driving range, a day locker, etc. how awesome would that be? You could literally play multiple rounds at different destination courses each month if you timed it correctly.
For private clubs that are struggling to make ends meet or healthy privates simply looking to add to their coffers, this could potentially be a boon for their bottom line were they to hook-up with the right membership network. Granted, there are certain private clubs in the Top 100 - 200 in the U.S. that would ever allow this type of clientele on their premises. However, rest-assured there are many that would were the payoff substantial enough. Envision an annual membership that included access to a number of private clubs in the Top 100 and now it gets interesting, as the possibilities are endless. For example, you could plan a week vacation in Chicago and play Medinah, Olympia Fields, Ravisole, Butler National and Chicago Golf Club all in one fell swoop!
One thing I do know is that this concept isn't going away. To the contrary, it's only going to continue to grow in stature and perhaps become the defacto way of golf memberships going forward. I, for one, welcome the change and feel it will help grow the game by giving people access to courses they would never otherwise have the ability to play. I'm simply waiting for one of these companies to come up with a membership offering that includes access to enough good courses in and around my area and state, in addition to some Top 100 - 200 privates, publics and destination resorts throughout the U.S. and abroad. It's not a matter of if this will happen, but when?