Three Things to Consider Before Joining a Golf Club

So you want to join a golf club in 2021?

You’re not alone. Thousands of golfers took up the game for the first time in 2020. Lapsed golfers started playing again. Heck, diehard golfers logged even more rounds than before.

When the fairway grass clippings settled last year, total rounds were up 14% across the U.S. despite the fact many courses were closed in March and April.

Here at Cherokee Valley, we had the honor of welcoming several new members, as well as hosting hundreds of new golfers.

And when it comes to those new members, you can bet they did their homework. They got to know us by playing the course, talking to other members and interacting with our team.

By the time they signed on the dotted line, so to speak, there were no surprises, only the prospect of good times and great golf ahead.

So whether you’re just starting to entertain the idea, or you’ve been researching for months, here are three things to consider before joining a golf club.

1. The Business Model

There are three basic golf course and club business models: public, semi-private and private.

2. The Culture

Think of your prospective golf club in terms of apparel. Are you likely to see fashion-forward brands like Travis Matthew, Southern Tide and Linksoul? Or more apt to see traditional brands like Foot Joy, Cutter and Buck and Peter Millar?

Or how about a mix of them all?

3. The Golf Course

You’ve probably heard the classic golf course tagline, “it’s the type of course you can play every day.” Finding a course you love to the point that you can do just that (even if it’s the goal, not the reality) is key when joining a golf club.

While you’re certainly free to play wherever, and whenever, you want, most golfers want to maximize their membership value by utilizing their home course as often as possible. And if they don’t thoroughly enjoy the layout, they might end up feeling trapped.

If a club doesn’t allow you to play at least a couple of times, be wary. Sure, they want to limit interference with existing members. But only “test driving” a course once isn’t nearly enough to get to know its nuances.

At Cherokee Valley, many of our members started out as daily fee guests who played the course several times before joining. They gained an understanding of the playability and strategy behind a P.B. Dye-designed track.

Now, they truly do look forward to playing the course every day (or as often as they can), and we love seeing the smiles on their faces when they walk off the 18^th green.