The Top 25 Most Exclusive Golf And Country Clubs

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jim Dobson writes in Forbes :


Walking along Magnolia Lane headed to the stunning clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club, I was surrounded by perfectly groomed greens, massive magnolia trees and abundant yellow pansies creating the shape of the Founders Circle. The breathtaking beauty of the club is what contributes to its legendary position as one of the very best private golf clubs in the world. Members are properly dressed, and a few of them wear the coveted Green jackets indicating their prestige and rank. However, you will likely never get the chance to play at Augusta or any of the top private clubs in the world. You will also never be invited to join as a member or certainly afford the extravagant initiation fees.


How many of the Top 25 have you played?


https://www3.forbes.com/lifestyle/the-top-25-most-exclusive-golf-and-country-clubs-in-the-world-honored-with-platinum-status

[Kurt Everett]

Not a single one of them....
What's interesting is that I was commenting to a friend the other day as to how many people I've seen on social media playing
Oakmont lately.  Thought that was interesting.

[Bill Seitz]

I guess it's because it's Forbes that they assume people are interested in the cost of membership, but my I'd imagine there are clubs that cost a heck of a lot more to join, but are less exclusive in terms of who they allow in.  I mean, who cares what the membership costs at Augusta (or a bunch of the others)?  If you're the type of person they're going to allow to join, you can afford pretty much anything, and if you're not, it really doesn't matter how much you're willing to pay.  Cypress point could charge 10x it's current cost of membership and all of its members could afford it, and it could charge 1/10th of what it's currently asking and be just as exclusive. 

[Ronald Montesano]

Everything that is wrong with golf and humanity.

[Andrew Harvie]

Other than Shanqin Bay, none of these are actually the top 25 most exclusive golf courses to play. I've played 2

[Tim Martin]

I thought Indian Creek might be on this list.

[John Emerson]

I mean they didn’t even add Chicago golf.  These list make me cringe.  It’s click bait

[Blake Conant]

I made it four clicks before the ads raining down on me became too exhausting. How did anyone manage to get all the way through the list?

[Pete_Pittock]

I made it four clicks before the ads reigning down on me became too exhausting. How did anyone manage to get all the way through the list?

focus on course management and quite used to raining.


  (Five clubs, seven courses + three walk around spectating.)  Proof some are not as exclusive as others.

[Kurt Everett]

I made it four clicks before the ads reigning down on me became too exhausting. How did anyone manage to get all the way through the list?

Took quite a bit of perseverance...

[jeffwarne]

Ocean Reef just ahead of NGLA...
and Boca West..just behind NGLA


LOL


I wonder if a club can pay to NOT be on such a bizarre list-who advertises in such BS click bait publications?


I just saw a feature on Top 25 Northeast Clubhouses in 'Northeast Golfer" I was only aware it because they sent me an email trying to sell me a plaque, memorializing The Bridge's inclusion in the publication.
They pulled a random picture of the clubhouse off the internet and listed the Clubhouse architects as "Keith Evans and Bryce Swanson"
Keith was Rees's lead associate when the COURSE was built and Bryce is currently Rees' lead associate, but neither had diddly to do with the clubhouse designed by Roger Ferris.

[Adam Lawrence]

No Vidauban? No Nanea? No Laucala. Bit hit and miss.

HCEG is a very great club, but when you can book online, whither 'exclusivity'?

[Cal Seifert]

Definition of clickbait. when you have to click 25 times to 25 different pages just to see the whole list you know its true purpose.

[John Kavanaugh]

Kudos to the guy who programmed a Bot to make this list. This site would be far more interesting if we could replace some of the nots with bots.

[Niall C]

No Vidauban? No Nanea? No Laucala. Bit hit and miss.

HCEG is a very great club, but when you can book online, whither 'exclusivity'?

Just because you can play the course doesn't necessarily make the club less exclusive. As far as I know it is still a pretty tough place to become a member and I think you have to wait to be invited. Likewise the R&A. Anybody can play "their" course but not everyone gets to be a member of the club.

Niall

[David Kelly]

It's a worthless list. "Exclusive" Boca West has an advertisement in the either the current Links or New Jersey Golf magazine.

[Edward Glidewell]

It has Cherokee in Atlanta and not Peachtree -- Peachtree is much harder to get on (or get in) than Cherokee. Really silly list.

[Adam Lawrence]

No Vidauban? No Nanea? No Laucala. Bit hit and miss.

HCEG is a very great club, but when you can book online, whither 'exclusivity'?

Just because you can play the course doesn't necessarily make the club less exclusive. As far as I know it is still a pretty tough place to become a member and I think you have to wait to be invited. Likewise the R&A. Anybody can play "their" course but not everyone gets to be a member of the club.

Niall

Of course, but that's not what this magazine is talking about. Not too many readers of Forbes are interested in joining HCEG. They're talking about playing the course.

[Jim Adkisson]

Everything that is wrong with golf and humanity.

I always say that it's amazing how much money people will pay to not play golf with people like me....

[Greg Smith]

Played just one on this list, it was a miracle that happened.  But this list seems to be more about "club" structure and exclusivity.  Even then, how can they say they've actually got enough of an info line to rank these "club" qualities?  Actual, real exclusive clubs are famously close to the vest about their policies. 

[Donnie Beck]

Jim Dobson writes in Forbes :



How many of the Top 25 have you played?


https://www3.forbes.com/lifestyle/the-top-25-most-exclusive-golf-and-country-clubs-in-the-world-honored-with-platinum-status

8

[Tom_Doak]

Jim Dobson writes in Forbes :



How many of the Top 25 have you played?


https://www3.forbes.com/lifestyle/the-top-25-most-exclusive-golf-and-country-clubs-in-the-world-honored-with-platinum-status

8

Donnie:


I mis-read your post and thought Jim Dodson the golf writer had written it, and I couldn't believe that he would write such a poor list.


On checking, the list was written by Forbes' lifestyle contributing editor Jim Dobson, whoever he is.  Which makes much more sense.

[John Kavanaugh]

Everything that is wrong with golf and humanity.

I always say that it's amazing how much money people will pay to not play golf with people like me....

It's actually more like not wanting to play golf near people like you.

[MCirba]

I took all of the clickbait.


I feel dirty and need a shower.

[Tim Martin]

I took all of the clickbait.


I feel dirty and need a shower.

A perfect lead-in for a thread titled “The Top 25 Most Exclusive Golf and Country Clubs With The Best Showers”