Club member or pay as you go?

I belong to a Club. I am very lucky and fortunate to have found an amazing club that is halfway between my work and house. They also have a really great deal for members under 30. I think they are doing the best job out of all the clubs in my area with making golf accessible to a younger crowd.

Playing at the muni is fine with me. Do not experience, in most cases rounds around four hours and under. Of course being retired we get the best tee times and that makes a big difference. Refuse to play in the afternoons at public or semi private courses. Belonging to a nice country club in the low country of SC can set you back a pretty penny. High initiation plus monthly fees. Private clubs start around $32K and can run as high as $175K initial. Monthly dues can run $800 -$2000 a month and up.....guess it is all how you want to spend you golf dollars.....

I go the pay as I go route. I enjoy the ability to play many different courses without the feeling of being into a particular course financially. The thought has crossed my mind to join, mainly because of the ease tee times for members and the perks, but year after year I find myself playing new courses that I dont know i would have if I belonged somewhere.

Life makes each case different. Is there a decent 19th hole to relax after a round? How crowed is the course? Is it convenient? As I get closer to retirement, golf will more of a social experience and not just a game. I play with (much) younger co-workers now, so they scatter like roaches after a round to get back to their young children. Guys I know that are retired won't play on weekends. Probably as much a transition as not showing up for work....

Like Doug, I am a member of daily fee courses, but I am a member at two of them and play most of my rounds at these. This gives me a total of 54 holes of three different types of courses to play, ranging from one used for many years as a PGA Tour Monday qualifier course to a course with very good bones in my own neighborhood. I, too, approach 200 rounds a year, playing mainly four days a week, plus occasional charity events (scrambles) and other outings with other groups of golfers I have met over the years I've lived here. I have done the calculations and the memberships have proven more than worthwhile for me, compared to paying for each round I play.

I belong to two private clubs. My "home" course is open May 10 through mid October due to weather in the mountains. The second is a year round facility about an hour away. I also play frequently at daily fee public courses when friends don't want to make the trip up the mountain.

Member at PGA National for 1.5 yrs. We have 5 great courses to choose from. Don't think I would be a member at any other place around here because the cost is so high and we get so many courses for the money.

I love playing different courses so i dont get into a routine. never been a member anywhere but if i were, id look for a place with multiple courses.

I have been a club member since 2004 , I definitely get my value for money

I was a member of a course for many years. Now i pay and play as living in England means the weather can be a killer and paying for a membership you don't use for 3-4 months is not worth it.

I play too much not to have a membership.

Age of 12-51: Public; 51-57 Private. It took me a long time to join a private CC, but I am enjoying every minute of it. Is it worth the money - of course not - but what luxury things are. It is a treat to myself at this stage of my life... life is short!

Joined a private club 2 1/2 years ago, and really enjoying it. The nice part is, that I have access to several clubs, not just the one that is considered my home course. Should have done it years ago.

I’m a club member, and I play there once a week, but I do get out to other area courses, the reason I joined was for practice facility to hit balls and it’s a mile from my house, rather than driving across town to a public facility to practice.

Pay as I go. That's just what has seemed to fit my life the best.

I love having my membership, but i also love playing new courses, which luckily i get to do a little for work. Having the local membership definitely forces you to play at that club. Having the membership has its perks too.... to each his own

Club Member. Goswick Golf Club...An Open qualifying venue of beautiful Links in Northumberland, north east of England, but only 60 miles from Edinburgh or Newcastle. Much liked by our American cousin's who visit.

It is alleged that I spend a lot of time there. Would you consider 24/7 a lot

I've been a member of 2 different clubs here in Miami long ago, but the friends I play with tend to play a wide variety of courses and I wasn't getting my moneys worth. For about the past 10 years, I've just paid as I go. It keeps me from being able to play one of the private courses I belonged to, but I don't mind.

The best I can do is buy a "county card" that gets me a discount on all the county courses. I think we have 7-8.

There's something similar here in Miami / Ft. Lauderdale. It's called a Premier Card. For only $300, it includes a variety of pretty nice courses you get to play at enough of a discount that playing once a week for 6 weeks easily pays you back. Unfortunately, over time it evolved out of Dade County, (the Miami area), and is primarily in the Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach area now.

I have been a member of a private club for about 15 years, so I get to enjoy playing in my normal Saturday morning group. However, our Club is part of ClubCorp, so I am fortunate to get the best of both worlds in that the type of membership I have allows me to play courses all over the country for cart fee.