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Playing golf during one’s leisure time is both a pleasure and an indulgence, but taking out membership of a golf club is a way of life for many golfers. Whilst it can be expensive, as well as sometimes necessitating a long wait to be accepted into the fold, golf club memberships are sought after by those who truly take their sport seriously.
Joining a club has the effect of introducing the casual player into a world of exclusivity and excellence, of elevating the average golfer into membership of a sporting elite.
Golf is an unusual sport in that it isn’t played over a specified playing area. A typical golf course comprises eighteen holes, although some other courses are half this size and can be used either for a short game or simply played twice. Most courses will include the fairway, bunkers, some rough terrain and sundry obstacles – sometimes including water.
On the course golfers play rounds together, either as social events or sometimes by way of a relaxing environment at which business can be discussed or conducted. Although physical fitness bestows some advantage and is a must for serious pro golfers, many other golfers are mature in age and sometimes more relaxed about their physical condition.
Millions play golf as a pastime, enjoying the clubhouse facilities and the privileges and the status which come with membership of their home club as well perhaps as an opportunity to make new friends.
Golf as we know it today originated in Scotland in the fifteenth century. The oldest major tournament is the British Open, which began in 1860 in Ayrshire and is still one of the four major tournaments. Today top golfers also compete internationally for prize money at the US Open, the Masters and the PGA Championship.
Taking out full membership of a golf club is what differentiates the committed enthusiast from other golfers. Most clubs offer members the opportunity to play potentially unlimited golf, as well as sundry other amenities and benefits. Golf membership is by definition exclusive and can cost thousands of dollars, although there are other golf clubs with great courses which provide membership at more modest rates.
Many courses will offer discounted rates for new members, as well as other schemes through which current members can save money. Invariably the club member will have access to on-site facilities such as a restaurant or bar, at no extra cost.
At some country clubs and more elitist venues, house rules demand that members comport themselves in a particular way when on the premises, and a dress code may apply when eating or drinking. Other clubs are more relaxed about membership rules and conduct. Different golf courses have different stipulations.
Some private courses are easier to join than others. The more sought-after golf memberships often involve a long waiting list and a frankly haughty approach to acceptance, possibly requiring an endorsement from other members at the course. Other clubs may be more relaxed and offer membership upon receipt of a simple application, and of course receipt of the requisite fee.
Waiting lists for golf membership at many clubs can potentially be several years long. Depending upon the golf club in question, non-members are sometimes allowed to participate by paying green fees on a per round basis. Those holding club membership will usually have the cost of using the driving range incorporated in their membership subscription rather than having to pay green fees each and every time.
There are thought to be at least 40,000 private and public courses around the world, nearly half of which are located in North America. More golf courses are located in the United States of America than in the entirety of the European continent, in spite of the sport’s Scottish origins.
The temperate climate which predominates on both continents provides ideal conditions for golf courses, although many of Europe’s finest public and municipal courses are situated amidst sunnier climes in the most southerly reaches of the Iberian peninsular.
Many of the most prestigious golf courses are those with a strong sense of history and tradition. Conversely, others are ultra-modern with all the latest provisions and mod-cons. It is largely a matter of what you fancy. A disproportionately large number of them are located in close proximity to the sea.
Possibly the greatest of them all is the Augusta National in Georgia, which has been used for the annual US Masters tournament since 1934, although one club which comes close to competing is Pine Valley in New Jersey. In Scotland, the home of golf, there are, amongst others, St. Andrews, Muirfield and Royal Dornoch.
The Algarve in Portugal boasts some really great public courses, whilst outside of Europe and America there many excellent golf clubs in Australia as well as an increasing number around East Asia.
Here is a list of some of the most sought-after golf membership venues around the world. There are others, of course, and this list is by no means exhaustive:
Politicians, film stars, shock rockers and people more noted for their prowess in other sports are nonetheless frequently to be seen at the driving range, working on improving their golf handicap or just spending valuable leisure time away from the drudgery and grind of their exceedingly uninteresting day jobs.
Donald Trump’s passion for golf has never been a particularly well-kept secret, but “The Donald” was by no means the first US president to yearn for time at the range away from the Oval Office. His predecessor Barack Obama was himself a noted enthusiast, as was Dwight Eisenhower.
Billion dollar baby Alice Cooper claims to be something of an addict to the sport, more so now that he has left behind his similar fondness for alcoholic beverages. Singer Justin Timberlake even bought his own golf course to prevent the land from being developed into a housing estate.
Rafa Nadal craves the opportunity to slip away from the tennis courts from time to time and play rounds at his local home course. And former world champion pugilist Sugar Ray Leonard certainly packs a punch out on the fairway.
Actors Sean Connery and Bill Murray were other notable celebrity golf players.
Of course there is always a down side, and when it comes to golf membership that down side is inevitably the cost. Whilst membership of some clubs can be reasonably priced, at some of the more prestigious courses golf club membership can run into several thousands of dollars – and that is each and every year.
Undoubtedly there are perks and privileges to be had from golf membership, such as unlimited golf and food and drinks at exclusive bars. But quite often there is clearly a snob value involved too, with members paying simply for bragging rights and to be part of something elite.
Are golf memberships worth it? At the end of the day that rather depends on how much money you have and how much of it you are prepared to part with in order to belong to that exclusive club, with whatever trimmings arrive in its wake.