[Scott Warren]

I am interested to hear how those on here who belong to a club went about choosing which one to join, particularly those in areas with an embarrassment of riches.

The things I am hoping to hear include the below, but please run off on whichever tangents you wish.

What factors were most important to you?
What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

[Ben Jarvis]

Scott,

I wanted to join a Sandbelt Club and narrowed it down to Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath. I initially chose Kingston Heath, simply because there wasn't a waiting list for under 30's. During the application process, i pulled out and changed my mind, instead opting for Royal Melbourne (albeit RM has a waiting list).

To answer your questions..

1. What factors were most important to you?
- Royal Melbourne has two golf courses with minimal rounds played given it's membership numbers.
- The West Course is my favourite course and in my opinion, more enjoyable than any other Sandbelt course.
- The list of Reciprocal Clubs means a great golf trip to the U.K is to be had.

2. What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
- Prestige
- It is a "Royal" Club

3. How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
- Very high - as mentioned above, the West Course is the most enjoyable course i have played.
- The East Course is not a bad "second" course.

4. Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
- Not really, but i look forward to taking guests to play a golf course they would not otherwise have the opportunity to play.

5. If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
- It sounds silly, but Kingston Heath did not have a waiting list and thus, didn't suit me - i didn't have the time to play on a regular basis.
- I know more members at RM than KH.

6. How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?
- I reside approximately 90 minutes drive from Royal Melbourne. It's no hassle to drive 90 minutes to play there week in week out!

Scott, are you looking into joining a Club or do you already below to one?

I look forward to some other responses.

[Scott Warren]

Thanks for the reply, Ben.

I belong to two clubs. One in Sydney (Bonnie Doon) and one in the UK (Royal Cinque Ports - one of your RM recips!).

When I returned to Sydney from London late last year I ummed and ahhed about a number of the Sydney clubs, which each had their strengths and weaknesses. I was just discussing this process with a mate - particularly the aspect of different factors being important to different people. I thought it would be interesting to see how others made what is really quite a big decision.

[Kevin Pallier]

1. What factors were most important to you?
- Closesness to home. I have only ever been a member of one club (20+ years) and even though I moved to Sydney and spent a stint O/S - I remained a member.
- It takes me 10min to get there

2. What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
- Overall conditioning

3. How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
- I only cared about the quality of the greens. Thankfully for the large portion of my time as a member they have been great.

4. Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
- No

5. If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
- Greens. They have been historically the best in the region for all year play.
- Closeness to the ocean - whilst I dont play on a true "links" at least I get some of it's factors each and every week.

6. How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?
- When I was living in Sydney it was a 40-60min drive - that's about the max. for me on a week in week out basis.

[Ben Jarvis]

Scott, it will be interesting to see other opinions on this. I think there will be differing views - no right and no wrong.

I played Bonnie Doon last year (holes 9-18 only, in what was horrendous weather!) - it is reciprocal with 13th Beach - where i am the Golf Operations Manager. I see they are doing some considerable work over the next couple of years.

As for Royal Cinque Ports - this is definitely a course i will have to stop by in my travels...whenever that may be.

[Mark_F]

1. What factors were most important to you?

That they would actually have me.

2. What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?

They have excellent practice facilities.

3. How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?

Very.  I am too old and cranky to slum it at shitholes anymore.  Plus, after St Andrews Beach, I wouldn't have been satisfied with anything else but the top shelf.

4. Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?

No, because anyone should be happy to tee it up with me no matter where I am a member 

5. If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?

Two courses that are similar but very different, excellent facilities, great members, a Sandbelt card, it has its own unique identity and flavour, fabulous staff, great atmosphere, well-stocked Pro shop, well run with an excellent GM.

6. How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

Since my previous club was 1 1/4 hours away, it is a relief to have one only 30-40 minutes.   1 1/4 hours is too far to have as your only club. There is too much traffic on the roads these days for that sort of nonsense, and I don't like flying in helicopters.

[Sean_A]

I am interested to hear how those on here who belong to a club went about choosing which one to join, particularly those in areas with an embarrassment of riches.

The things I am hoping to hear include the below, but please run off on whichever tangents you wish.

What factors were most important to you?
What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

My club is one a handful of links I was closest to - this is important for dry winter golf as that is when I play the most.  The drive was important even though all the choices are fairly far away.  Considering the drive (aviding the M6), my club was the best I cold get into in which I knew people to sponsor me.  There were a few other contenders in Wales.  I crossed out P&K because they have a winter course not roiuted through the dunes.  I crossed off Southerdown because of its elevation and what that would mean in terms of weather.  I didn't know anybody at Porthcawl.   

The quality of the course was very important, although there were several others in the running just as good.

Because I live 90 miles away, yes, the idea of bringing guests is important.  It didn't factor into the decision because it was the same no matter which club I joined.  Indeed, I think my cllub may be the most strict in regulating guest appearances.

I chose my club because I had two sponsors, it is a fairly easy drive and the club was on sound financial ground. 

I am not happy to drive anywhere.

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

Ben - you are right RM has an impressive list of reciprocal clubs (30 I believe). I'm interested to note that you do not find the Royal status important to you when it is the cause of around 25 of your reciprocals. 

Groucho Marx once said he would not want to be a member of a club that would have him as a member.

Scott - the only advice I can give you is wait out. When you eventually become a member you will have three decades to cherish as a member.

[Steve Kline]

Ideally none of my answers below would be the case but life is what it is. I'll throw in some ideals too.

What factors were most important to you?
First and foremost is cost. My wife has some expensive medical issues and my son goes to a private school. I still play competitive amateur golf, which gets expensive. So, I wanted a club that I could easily afford. Unforunately there aren't many of those in Cincinnati. Virtually every club wants to be a complete country club. Most of the clubs are way out of my league on initiation fees (tens of thousands) and monthly dues ($450/mo or more). My current club had no initiation fee and my dues are $250/mo. The second factor is that I could walk whenever I want. many clubs in Cincinnati limit the times you can carry your own bag. I will not join a club that makes me ride in a cart. The third factor is location. My current club is about 3 minutes from my office and less than 15 minutes from my house. Another club that I grew up playing at and had a junior membership at for a while is virtually the same times from my office and home. However, it was twice as expenseive on a monthly basis. Ideally I would be at a club with a lot of good scratch players. I like having a competitive scratch game and playing with other guys still competing at the amateur level to keep my game sharp.

What factors might have been important to others but didn’t matter to you? I would also like these other factors to be important to me, but cost overruled all. These other factors include playability for beginners (that would be my wife and son), ease of walk, course conditioning, architecture, golf club not a country club. My current club is the worst for playability for beginners. The club I mentioned above is great but too expensive. My club is also the worst for ease of walk. I do it but my wife and son can’t. There are probably 5-10 members at my club that walk the course regularly. My ideal course conditioning is firm and fast. I don’t care if there are brown spots, weeds, or the greens aren’t super fast (although I do want them smooth). My current course is none of these things. Not many courses in Cincinnati are. At most clubs in Cincinnati the architecture is about the same. Two stand out for me – Camargo and Hyde Park. Both are way too expensive and I have no hope of ever getting into Camargo. There’s only golf club I no of in Cincinnati and it is an hour from my house.

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course? It wasn’t even on the list. Most good players in Cincinnati can’t believe I chose to be a member at my current course because they hate it. I don’t like it all the much either but I can play all the time.

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history? No. I can’t ever see that being a reason I would join somewhere.

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)? Cost obviously. But if the cost differential were smaller, say $50-75/mo then I would have chosen the one that was still close to home but better for beginners and more walkable. It also has one of the best practice facilities in Cincinnati.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your “home” club? 20 minutes tops

I’m strongly considering joining Pinehurst this summer. My parents have been members for more than 20 years and live there full time now. I go there 3-4 times a year. The monthly dues are only $360. So, I can be a member at my current club and Pinehurst for what it costs to be a member at many clubs in Cincinnati. I would rather do this than be a member at one of the best clubs in Cincinnati and not be a member at Pinehurst.

[Ross Tuddenham]

What factors were most important to you?

The time it would take to get to the course and whether public transport could get me there.  I opted for a muni, in fact the edinburgh leisure scheme.  This means you get use of 6 courses but I will base my answers on the course I chose the membership for and the closet to me.

Access times are also important, with a muni you can hop on for 6 holes late in the evening if you wish.  I do not always play 18 and some private clubs have a habit of closing the gates earlier than I would like.

What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?

Perfect conditioning and clubhouse facilities.  It would be nice to have a range, pro shop, pro and other leisure activities in the club but in general I would probably not have time to use them anyway.


How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?

If I really disliked playing a course but it ticked all the other boxes I would not join.  As long as I had fun playing the course I would not worry if it was a top ranked course for the area.

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?

No

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?

The time taken to reach the course from my house and cost.  The fact I chose a very cheap membership means there is more money left in the pot for rounds away from home.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

Not far, 20 minutes each way.  As I said I often like to play a few holes late on summer evening when time is tight.  So anymore than that and I would be travelling for the same amount of time as I was golfing.

[Ben Jarvis]

Mark C,

I thought the fact that 95% of reciprocals being royal was simply coincidental..

[Tim Martin]

The more I read about the UK model the more envious I am of the options from a pricing,services and access standpoint. This does not answer Scott`s question but it came to mind after reading his initial post.

[Tom_Doak]

What factors were most important to you?
     It's one of my favorite courses in the world.


What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
     It is very much a family club with lots of legacy members and people with summer cottages close by.


How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
     As high as could be.


Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
     Not so much status or history, but it is nice to take people to a course I really love.


If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
     There really weren't any other candidates here where I live, at the time I joined.  In fact, I might be living somewhere else if this particular course wasn't in the neighborhood or I wasn't able to join it.


How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?
     When I joined, I was happy to drive 50 minutes each way, but as my family has grown and my work has taken me away more, the drive has become harder and harder to justify.  I don't get there nearly as much as I would like to.  I would recommend to anyone deciding on a club that they double or triple the priority of this item over what they think it means to them at present, because it's the one part of the equation that's most likely to change.  

[Andy Stamm]

    What factors were most important to you?
Course quality and that it be a links course. Cost and ability to join sight unseen were also paramount.

    What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
Prestige. Family friendly.

    How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
Very. I wouldn't travel halfway round the world for a 'decent' course.

    Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
The ability to bring guests and have that be cost effective for them was important. The status of the club wasn't important here, other than neither they nor I were going to travel that far unless the course was special.

    If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
I actually chose the course that was the most expensive of the 3 that I was considering. I decided I wanted to go to Scotland, rather than England. And, my course was easier to get to, etc. than the other option in Scotland. Finally, I was more 'confident' that my club would be spot on than the English option, which would be a much, much better winter option. This last factor was important as I hadn't seen any of the 3 clubs when I joined.

     How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club?
Overseas, but a very important factor was having good, economical lodging VERY close to the club. I didn't want to have to walk more than a few minutes to get there each day.

[Melvyn Morrow]

How did I choice my club – now I would normally use my eyes and the select the right club, however many on this site seem to rely upon distance aids and electronic devices to select their clubs for them, probably with the same result. Proving yet again that the time honoured and tested way are best, just open your eyes and take a good long look, after all we make our main judgement within a second or so.

Being serious many thinks play a part from location type of course, club house and of course the other members. Then we must look at how you enjoy you game, play new course or repetitive play on the same one,  I love the call of the unknown its adds so much more to the game noting that I do not use distance aids, so not been a member of any club since the mid 1980’s, preferring to try a new course as and when time allowed.

If I was again to settle for one club it would need to have more facilities for non-players i.e. my wife family and  friends. I would love to be a member of Prestwick but alas my wife is not keen on the area – that club has all I would need in a golf club.

Melvyn

[mike_malone]

 The only consideration was the challenge around the greens.  Because I play quite a bit I wanted to avoid boredom. I was coming from a club in Vermont where the challenge around the greens , particularly the back, was fun. I found a course where the challenge is exhilarating from 360 degrees around the greens.

[Jud_T]

What factors were most important to you?
Hassle of getting in, a non-segregated mix of members, a golf club as opposed to a country club, no restrictions on when women, children or guests could play.

What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
Full dining and banquet facilities, nice locker rooms

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
high, but in hindsight not high enough

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
no

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?
my club was much more financially sound and had no restrictions on playing times for my family

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?
25-30 minutes from home.  in hindsight, this was a bit too far.  under 15 minutes from home and under 30 minutes from work is ideal if you really want to get the most use of the club.

[Michael Moore]

What factors were most important to you?
1. Highly competitive and organized stroke play action (plus skins and better ball) every weekend
2. Proximity
3. Cost
4. Extremely friendly and easy-to-play-with membership
5. Relatively fast pace of play
6. Can spray the driver
7. Prestige bestowed by a famous architect (Wayne Stiles)

What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?
A robust culture of drinking, playing cards, sports gambling, and yelling.

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?
Medium.

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?
Anyone can play my home course at any time.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?
Not very far. My club is fifteen minutes from both and I can barely stand that.

[Jerry Kluger]

My club closed a few years ago so I first tried public golf but that didn't work.  Weekend fees were at least $55 with no junior rate for my son, course conditions at the lower rates were borderline and the pace of play was very slow. 

The private club options in my area are limited when you have a limited budget with the vast majority charging a non-equity initiation fee of at least $50K.  This left me with only a couple of options that I could afford.  Two clubs were within 30 minutes of my home although they are a significantly longer drive from my office and they had a course which I felt was enjoyable to play.  Guests were not an issue to me but allowing my son access on the weekend as a junior was important.  What it came down to was that one was an easier walk and I enjoy walking and carrying my bag so that was the factor which actually was the final reason for choosing the club that I did.

[Bill Brightly]

My father joined when I was a teenager, so I got to play there at very low rates all through my 20's. I made many friends and it was a very good course, so taking advantage of a nice deal for juniors becoming Active A members was very easy.

[Jason Topp]

What factors were most important to you?

Location.  Quality of golf course.  Practice facilities.  Sufficient number of people at the club that I like to play with. 
What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?

Other features such as pool, tennis and clubhouse
How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?

Pretty high.  I would not want to spend the money to play anything other than an excellent course.  Too many good public courses exist for a fraction of the cost.
Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?

Not for me although I enjoy having guests at my club.  If one is involved in sales, I think it would be critical.  My broker belonged to a mediocre club for a long period of time and I had no interest in playing with him.  If he belonged to one of the best clubs in town, I would have jumped all over it.
If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?

The course is less crowded at my club and the practice facilities are vastly superior than the primary contender.  Location was much more convienient than second contender.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

15 minutes.  Distance from work and home are both important.

[Ken Moum]

What factors were most important to you?

When my wife got a job in Topeka, KS 14 years ago, she moved here about a year before I did, and in the interim I did some research on local courses.  When I discovered that there was a Ross in town, that was high on the list.  The "A" country club in town wasn't in our price range, so the fact that our club was the "B" club was a positive factor.

What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?

It was and is a mostly walking club and that was important as well.  No chance of joining a cartball course.

Non-discriminatory tee times and membership policies--if women or minorities were limited in any way, we'd probably have walked away.

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?

Very, but affordability could have trumped that.  In our case, the higher-priced CC isn't a course I would be willing to play on a regular basis, and the two public courses in town are a big step down in quality of design.

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?

No.

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?

As I said, the course was in our price range, and much better (IMHO) than the lower-priced courses.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

I am about 10 minutes from the three courses we could have joined, and would probably not have opted for a club that was 30 minutes away.

[Carl Johnson]

What factors were most important to you?  Proximity to home, good value, friends already members, good members course.  The "friends already members" was probably the key factor.  They encouraged me to join so I could play with them regularly at the club.

What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?  Social prestige ("status") of membership, fancy clubhouse, fine dining, existence of facilities beyond golf course, such as tennis courts, top flight pro tournament quality course.

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?  6 out of 10

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?  No.

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)? Proximity to home and good value, considering my only interest is in golf.

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?  No more than approx. 8 miles/15 minutes.

As a footnote, I joined my club 16 years ago and it is much better, attractive to me now in every respect now than it was then, except that it's still the same distance from my home (five miles, 10 minutes, and about the same from my office before I retired), since neither my home nor my club has moved in the last 16 years.  In short, I was somewhat lucky to make the right choice.

[Dan Byrnes]

This is an interesting topic for me.  I have lived in the same general area since I began playing golf.  My first club I choose mostly due to pricing and lack of initiation.  I just took up the game and this place wasn't really a good experience.  The second club I joined was due to a female friend trying to join my first club and was required to join as a family even though she was the only golfer, husband didn't play and had no kids.  She joined another club and I followed her to it.  This was a great experience with lots of friends, nice course(several times host of NYS Amatuer), and good pricing.  After getting married and living in a different town in the area I end up switching to the club in my new town.  Primarily a location decision.  Never loved it but it had it's good and bad points.  Last year the club went bust and has become a semi private.  I am a member but since 2/3 of the membership left and all of my friends I am trying to decide where to go next if anywhere.

The Albany NY area has a lot of private clubs, so I can choose from 8 or so within 20 minutes.  My answers or more along what is guiding my decision now as opposed to where I am presently a member.

What factors were most important to you?

Proximity, people, atmosphere, conditions, family amenities


What factors might have been important to others but didn't matter to you?

layout,

How high on the list of considerations was the quality of the course?

Pretty low, all the courses have their positive attributes and there is a lot of variety in the area

Was inviting guests a factor in relation to choosing a club of certain status/history?

a welcoming guest policy is important, but none of the courses have any status or history in the area.  Pretty much all are eager for members and I can gain access to any of them as far as I know

If you were tossing up between two or more clubs, what made you choose your club over the other(s)?

Atmosphere of the place and the people followed by cost or perhaps better stated value for the money

How far were you happy to drive from your home or office to get to your "home" club (not talking about destinations or country/national memberships)?

The range of place I would consider is 10 minutes to 20 minutes or less.  If I had to travel a half and hour plus in my area I am doubtful I would join a private club


Dan

[Scott Warren]

What I am finding interesting is how short a distance many people believe is acceptable.

I was expecting anything under 40mins to be a typical response, but it seems many don't want more than 15 mins drive.

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