The average initiation and monthly fees for standard country clubs in America are $ 7,500 and $300 to $700, respectively. However, luxury country clubs can cost between $70,000 and $500,000 for initiating fees and $5,000 and $12,000 for monthly fees.
According to IBISWorld, a provider of trusted industry research on thousands of industries worldwide, there are about 8,776 golf course and country club businesses in the US as of 2023, a decline of -1.8% from 2022.
If you’re considering joining a golf course membership, you must know their initiation model before paying the fees. Many of the top country clubs in America are based on invitation only, and others are on a waitlist with the prerequisite of a certain number of recommendations from current members.
Also, it’s not common to see exclusive country clubs spell out the exact figures of their membership fees on their websites unless you contact them directly. However, I’ve been able to gather the top 100 country clubs in America based on the ranking of the Platinum Clubs of America. I have also done elaborate research, which involved contacting current members of these country clubs to determine their respective membership fees.
So, while these quoted fees may give you an idea of how much the membership costs, I still encourage you to contact the specific golf course directly for more precise information on their fees.
| Country Clubs | Location | Initiation fee | Annual membership fee | |
| 1. | Pine Valley Golf Club | New Jersey | $3,000 | Ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 |
| 2. | Ocean Reef Club | Key Largo, Fla. | $65,000 to $95,000 | $7,000 |
| 3. | The Vintage Club | Indian Wells, Calif. | $250,000 | $32,000 |
| 4. | Chevy Chase Club | Chevy Chase, Md. | $92,000 | $9,000 |
| 5. | Country Club of Virginia | Richmond, Va. | $75,000 | $12,000 |
| 6. | Monterey Peninsula Country Club | Pebble Beach, Calif. | $200,000 | $16,800. |
| 7. | Cherokee Town and Country Club | Atlanta, Ga. | $100,000 | $20,000 |
| 8. | John’s Island Club | Vero Beach, Fla. | $125,000 | $20,000 |
| 9. | Addison Reserve Country Club | Delray Beach, Fla. | $70,000 | $24,846 |
| 10. | Boca West Country Club | Boca Raton, Fla. | $90,000 | $18,040 |
| 11. | Houston Country Club | Houston, Tex. | $500 | $2371 |
| 12. | Indian Creek Country Club | Indian Creek Village, Fla. | $150,000 | $15,000 |
| 13. | Boca West Country Club | Boca Raton, Fla. | $90,00 | 15,370.55 |
| 14. | St. Louis Country Club | St. Louis, Mo | $50,000-$100,000 | $10,000-$15,000 |
| 15. | Medinah Country Club | Medinah, Ill. | $85,000 | $13,446 |
| 16. | The Los Angeles Country Club | Los Angeles, Calif. | $250,000 | $20,000-$30,000 |
| 17 | Desert Mountain Club | Scottsdale, Ariz. | $165,000 | $25,440 |
| 18 | Charlotte Country Club | Charlotte, N.C. | $80,000 | |
| 19 | Isleworth Golf & Country Club | Windermere, Fla. | $100,000 | $24,000 |
| 20 | Fishers Island Club | Fishers Island, N.Y. | $45,000 | $24,824 |
| 21 | Houston oaks Country Club | Houston, Tex. | $75,001-$100,000 | $5,001-$10,000 |
| 22 | Southern Hills Country Club | Tulsa, Okla. | $100,000 | $9,600-$12,000 |
| 23 | Lords Valley Country Club | Lords Valley, Pa. | $8,000 | $9,350 |
| 24 | Westchester Country Club | Rye, N.Y | $100,000 | $15,500 |
| 25 | Biltmore Forest Country Club | Asheville, N.C | $60,000 | $12,400 |
| 26 | Bellerive Country Club | St. Louis, Mo | $90,000 | $12,000 |
| 27 | Admirals Cove | Jupiter, Fla. | 121,500 to 195,000 | $7,972-$28,470 |
| 28 | Scioto Country Club | Columbus, Ohio | $70,000 | $12,000 |
| 29 | Oakland Hills Country Club | Bloomfield Hills, Mich | $70,000 | $9,600 |
| 30 | Lancaster Country Club | Lancaster, Pa | $8,000 – $33,000 | $1,584 – $2,040 |
| 31 | Lake Nona Golf & Country Club | Orlando, Fla | $75,000 – $50,000 | $15,000 |
| 32 | Frenchman’s Creek Beach & Country Club | Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | $175,000 | $29,689 |
| 33 | Carmel Country Club | Charlotte, N.C. | $80,000 | $10,320 |
| 34 | Bonita Bay Club | Naples, Fla | $70,000-$175,000 | $21,000-$10,890 |
| 35 | Cherry Hills Country Club | Cherry Hills Village, Colo. | $75,000 | $9,564 |
| 36 | The Riviera Country Club | Pacific Palisades, Calif | $250,000 | $25,000 |
| 37 | Bel-Air Country Club | Los Angeles, Calif. | $150,000 | $13,500 |
| 38 | Yellowstone Club | Big Sky, Mont. | $400,000 | $40,000 |
| 39 | The Oaks Club | Osprey, Fla | $65,000-$100,000 | $15,285 |
| 40 | The Country Club at Mirasol | Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | $75,000 | $15,000 |
| 41 | The Reserve Club | Indian Wells, Calif. | $75,001 – $100,000 | $15,001 |
| 42 | The Madison Club | La Quinta, Calif. | 500,000 | $70,000 |
| 43 | Country Club of York | York, Pa | $17,000 | $5,580 |
| 44 | The Club at Mediterra | Naples, Fla | $200,000 | $22,470 |
| 45 | Baltimore Country Club | Lutherville, Md | $40,000 | $2,500 |
| 46 | Eldorado Country Club | Indian Wells, Calif | $75,000 | $29,000 |
| 47 | Farmington Country Club | Charlottesville, Va | $50,000-$75,000 | $8,532 |
| 48 | Colleton River Club | Bluffton, S.C | $90,000 | $28,385 |
| 49 | Berkeley Hall Club | Bluffton, S.C | $80,000 | $17,850 |
| 50 | Kiawah Island Club | Kiawah Island, S.C. | $100,000-$150,000 | $20,000-$30,00 |
| 51 | Lost Tree Club | North Palm Beach, Fla. | $138,800-$208-800 | &18,000-$24,000 |
| 52 | Belle Meade Country Club | Nashville, Tenn | $40,000 | $6,408 |
| 53 | The Polo Club of Boca Raton | Boca Raton, Fla | $100,001-$150,001 | $32,016 |
| 54 | Broken Sound Club | Boca Raton, Fla. | $130,000 | $20,573 |
| 55 | Carolina Country Club | Raleigh, N.C | $55,000-$85,000 | $8,1000 |
| 56 | Lake Naomi Club | Pocono Pines, Pa | $5,500 | $2,940-$4,135 |
| 57 | Century Country Club | Purchase, N.Y. | $25,000 | $15,000 |
| 58 | The Club at Ibis | West Palm Beach, Fla | $40,000-$80,000 | $14,400-$24,000 |
| 59 | Country Club of Rochester | Rochester, N.Y | $45,000 | $7,100 |
| 60 | Interlachen Country Club | Edina, Minn | $110,000 | $70,00 |
| 61 | Shooting Star | Teton Village, Wyo. | $22,500 | $5,280 |
| 62 | St. Andrews Country Club | Boca Raton, Fla | $200,000 | $28,100 |
| 63 | Denver Country Club | Denver, Colo | $150,000-$300,00 | $20,000-$30,00 |
| 64 | Big Canyon Country Club | Newport Beach, Calif. | $195,000 | $17,5000 |
| 65 | Quail Hollow Club | Charlotte, N.C. | &100,000 | $9,600 |
| 66 | New Orleans Country Club | New Orleans, La. | $100,000 | $10,000 |
| 67 | Fisher Island Club | Fisher Island, Fla | $250,000 | $22,256 |
| 68 | Sherwood Country Club | Thousand Oaks, Calif | $125,000 | $26,400 |
| 69 | The Club at Carlton Woods | The Woodlands, Tex. | $75,000-$100,000 | $10,000-$15,000 |
| 70 | Sleepy Hollow Country Club | Scarborough, N.Y | $150,000 | $12,500 |
| 71 | Dallas Country Club | Dallas, Tex | $150,001 | $5,000-$10,000 |
| 72 | The Stanwich Club | Greenwich, Conn | $120,000 | $12,000 |
| 73 | The Everglades Club | Palm Beach, Fla | $15,000-$35,000 | $10,185 |
| 74 | The Club at Las Campanas | Santa Fe, N. Mex. | $45,000 | $10,140 |
| 75 | Saucon Valley Country Club | Bethlehem, Pa | $30,000 | $11,500 |
| 76 | Maroon Creek Club | Aspen, Colo | $250,000 | $38,6000 |
| 77 | Country Club of Orlando | Orlando, Fla | $10,000-$25,000 | $5,000-$10,000 |
| 78 | Frenchman’s Reserve | Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | $175,000 | $24,450 |
| 79 | Interlachen Country Club | Winter Park, Fla | $110,000 | $10,000 |
| 80 | The Country Club at Castle Pines | Castle Rock, Colo. | $39,000 | $5,940 |
| 81 | The Club at Quail Ridge | Boynton Beach, Fla. | $25,001-$50,000 | |
| 82 | Rolling Rock Club | Ligonier, Pa. | $70,000 | $12,000 |
| 83 | Fiddlesticks Country Club | Fort Myers, Fla. | $75,000-$100,000 | $15,000 |
| 84 | Roaring Fork Club | Basalt, Colo | $50,000-$150,000 | $23,000-$50,000 |
| 85 | Woodfield Country Club | Boca Raton, Fla | $50,000 | $12,000 |
| 86 | Canoe Brook Country Club | Summit, N.J | $150,000 | $18,5000 |
| 87 | Piping Rock Club | Locust Valley, N.Y. | $70,000 | &10,000 |
| 88 | Belle Haven Country Club | Alexandria, Va | $25,000-$50,000 | $5,000-$10,000 |
| 89 | Skokie Country Club | Glencoe, Ill | $85,000 | $8,540 |
| 90 | Inverness Club | Toledo, Ohio | $4,000 | 1,125 |
| 91 | Piping Rock Club | Locust Valley, N.Y. | $70,000 | &10,000 |
| 92 | Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club | Nichols Hills, Okla. | $50,000-$100,000 | $6,000-$12,000 |
| 93 | Huntingdon Valley Country Club | Huntingdon Valley, Pa | $20,000 | $7,900 |
| 94 | Pinehurst Country Club | Pinehurst, N.C. | $10,000 | $1932 |
| 95 | Myers Park Country Club | Charlotte, N.C | $95,000 | $12,000 |
| 96 | Philadelphia Country Club | Gladwyne, Pa | $5,000-$25,000 | $1,560-$1,860 |
| 97 | The Hideaway | La Quinta, Calif. | $120,000 | $28,290 |
| 98 | Grey Oaks Country Club | Naples, Fla | $100,000-$250,000 | &12,550-$23,285 |
| 99 | Mizner Country Club | Delray Beach, Fla. | $30,000-$90,000 | $24,000-$36,000 |
| 100 | Sawgrass Country Club | Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. | $50,000-$75,000 | $10,000 |
Is a Country Club membership worth it?
Paying for country club membership is worth it if you are a perpetual player because it would cost less than the regular daily fees. And, when you join these country clubs, you’re also paying for connections to some of the biggest business and social relationships. In that sense, we can call country clubs a good investment.
When I ask people why they don’t get memberships, I often get two common answers: They love playing different courses and the high initiation and monthly fees.
I’m currently at two clubs. The first cost me $10,000 for the initial buy-in and then $750 for monthly fees, while the minimum food and drink fee is around $1,200 per year.
This is a decent range because it’s an incredible course with fantastic practice facilities, multiple putting and chipping greens, an immaculate grass range, etc. The other club charged $2,500 for the initial buy-in and $5,000 in annual fees, but it’s not as enticing as the first club I belong to.
So you can still experience variety while on membership. However, whether it’s worth the investment depends on how often you play and how the networking on that course is. You also have to measure access to special amenities.
Wrapping up
From the chart above, you’ll realize that top-tier country clubs in America have at least $50,000 as an initiation fee, then $700 per month (with added fees for monthly feed and beverages).
But remember that many top-tier golf course memberships are based on invitation only. Even when you can afford the fees, some country clubs require a certain number of recommendations from current members, and there’s often a waitlist. But less expensive clubs typically have more members, and getting a tee time can be very hard.
Again, many of the highly rated country clubs in America don’t spell out their membership and initiation fees on their platforms. But you can get a more precise figure if you contact them directly.
