How do National Memberships work in the US? I am familiar with non-resident memberships--we have one--where you pay lower initiation and dues, but there are no limits on how many times we play or bringing guests. It sounds as if National Memberships are different and that quite a few posters have one or more.
Thanks,
Ira
I'm no expert, but my guess is that it likely varies depending on each club's particular model. Urban clubs with robust local memberships that offer discounted national memberships are probably more likely to limit the privileges of national members. More remote clubs that are based on a a national membership model likely don't, or may not even bifurcate (does Sand Hills or Ballyneal have "local" members?). You may even see places that have regional models, where local may be within 60 miles, regional 61-150 miles, and national 151 or more.
I'm a national/non-resident member at my club, and my privileges aren't limited vis a vis local members. My understanding is that it's a much better deal for local members, who don't pay all that much more, but are able to use it a lot more often. I'm a five hour drive away. Also, our "local" members are often not residents of the area, but spend more than a specific amount of time in the area (like 30 consecutive days, or something like that), as many of them spend the summer in the area.
So I don't think there's an easy answer to your question. It really depends on the circumstances of each club, but you'll probably find many similarities among similarly situated clubs. Again, just guessing.