Best National Memberships 2023

[Kelmore01]

What do you guys think are the best national memberships in the Eastern side of the US?  Low country, or close to beach (does not have to be on it).  Looking for an architecturally significant/solid golf focused club/course that would allow for potential year round play when it is cold in KY.  Appreciate any insights or hidden gems.

[vallygolf]

Dormie

[jkody]

Is this theoretical or are you looking for a place you can actually join in a reasonable number of years?

[Kelmore01]

Actually join in next months to few years

[ND2005]

2 hours ago, vallygolf said:

Dormie

 

Good option especially since it seems like OP wants to focus on the (south)east. You've got Carolina, Southern VA, and for the winter months TX. 

 

Plus Vic National close to OP if he's based on Kentucky. 

[Dancin]

Agree that Dormie network is probably the only thing you are getting in without a multi year wait that ticks your requirements. Scan the auction sites as Dormie hands out memberships to charity auctions like candy and you can mostly eliminate the initiation charge by getting your membership that way.

[vallygolf]

On the topic of Dormie what are they getting now days for initiation and monthly? Also any ideas if you can show up and play or even as a member does it require staying onsite to book a tee time?

[ND2005]

55 minutes ago, vallygolf said:

On the topic of Dormie what are they getting now days for initiation and monthly? Also any ideas if you can show up and play or even as a member does it require staying onsite to book a tee time?

initiation 20K but many ways around that (including the charity route mentioned here). National dues 650ish/month 

 

Dormie Club is the only property that requires an on-site stay currently. Graybull will be stay and play only when it opens.  
 
Both DC and Graybull will be moving to an “all-inclusive” pricing model in 2024 where you play a flat rate per day which includes lodging, golf, all food and beverage (except super premium liquors and upscale bottles of wine). 
 
I suspect the other courses will move to stay and play in a year or two but that is not based on any real insider knowledge just gossip.

[Dancin]

Interesting on the all inclusive move. Usually unless you drink a ton of alcohol you are getting reamed in those deals. Curious what they are going to end up charging for that and how much of a discount the members will get vs the member's guests.

[ND2005]

6 minutes ago, Dancin said:

Interesting on the all inclusive move. Usually unless you drink a ton of alcohol you are getting reamed in those deals. Curious what they are going to end up charging for that and how much of a discount the members will get vs the member's guests.

the real interesting move is the members get no break. Same rate for all - members and guests. 

1100/day for a base level cabin

[Dancin]

1 hour ago, ND2005 said:

the real interesting move is the members get no break. Same rate for all - members and guests. 

1100/day for a base level cabin

$275 a night for a single bedroom in a cabin plus all meals and drinks is not bad at all. Very reasonable, plus you have to figure the members may shift some of that cost off on their guests too. Nice to see Dormie isn't gouging because they certainly could charge a lot more for their two best properties.

[ND2005]

25 minutes ago, Dancin said:

$275 a night for a single bedroom in a cabin plus all meals and drinks is not bad at all. Very reasonable, plus you have to figure the members may shift some of that cost off on their guests too. Nice to see Dormie isn't gouging because they certainly could charge a lot more for their two best properties.

1100 per person. Not per cabin

[Dancin]

That's insane! Extreme gouging. 🤮

[ND2005]

9 hours ago, Dancin said:

That's insane! Extreme gouging. 🤮

Eh. 
 
I just got back from Bandon and it was 400 per night lodging, 350 for your first round, 175 for a replay round. 
 
So comparably at Dormie - you’re getting all that plus all the meals and booze for only slightly more. 
 

(not saying Dormie is the same as Bandon - just that they are setting their price benchmarks comparably to other peak golf resorts)

 

Edit: That price includes golf on day of arrival and departure as well. So rephrasing it - is $2200 for a weekend trip with 5 rounds of golf, 2 nights lodging, 7 meals, and all alcohol, on a completely private course with a maximum 60 golfers onsite at any given time "extreme gouging"?

Edited August 23, 2023 by ND2005

[Dancin]

It's gouging because they are charging members the full rate. I can list multiple other private destination courses (ranked a lot higher) with the same setup and limited golfers on site that are dramatically cheaper for members and $300-400 cheaper for their guests (unless you drink a ton of alcohol)

[vallygolf]

As usual us light/non drinkers get screwed.

 

So you are saying a group of 4 staying two nights is 10k?  That includes the member who is already paying 7-8k/year for the priviledge. Remind me the point of membership?

Edited August 23, 2023 by vallygolf

[jibbs1082]

On 8/21/2023 at 8:02 PM, Kelmore01 said:

What do you guys think are the best national memberships in the Eastern side of the US?  Low country, or close to beach (does not have to be on it).  Looking for an architecturally significant/solid golf focused club/course that would allow for potential year round play when it is cold in KY.  Appreciate any insights or hidden gems.

 

Chechessee Creek Club (low country)

Succession (low country)

Old Memorial (Tampa)

 

Any of these (3) are no brainers IMO.

 

 

[monty09]

Old Barnell

Tree Farm

Congaree

 

 

[monty09]

16 hours ago, ND2005 said:

the real interesting move is the members get no break. Same rate for all - members and guests. 

1100/day for a base level cabin

 

 

brutal

[Kelmore01]

Anyone have info on Tree Farm and Okd Barnwell?

[monty09]

5 minutes ago, Kelmore01 said:

Anyone have info on Tree Farm and Okd Barnwell?

 

 

I think you can email OB and get info....    its pegged on your age.. I am under 40 and it was 15k 6500 dues i believe 

[StudentGolfer4]

Regardless of what we think of the cost associated with dormie network, I doubt the members really care. 
 

I know 10-15 guys that are members and none of them blink at the cost or price structure. All but 2-3 of those members only use the properties 3 times a year max. If you’re paying close to 8k (650x12) for single digit rounds a year the cost is an afterthought. And I can assure you none of these guys are charging their guest for any of the trip. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by StudentGolfer4

[Dancin]

I believe Old Barnwell and Tree Farm are already full and on waiting lists

[ND2005]

41 minutes ago, jibbs1082 said:

 

Chechessee Creek Club (low country)

Succession (low country)

Old Memorial (Tampa)

 

Any of these (3) are no brainers IMO.

 

 

love Chechessee 

[ND2005]

49 minutes ago, StudentGolfer4 said:

Regardless of what we think of the cost associated with dormie network, I doubt the members really care. 
 

I know 10-15 guys that are members and none of them blink at the cost or price structure. All but 2-3 of those members only use the properties 3 times a year max. If you’re paying close to 8k (650x12) for single digit rounds a year the cost is an afterthought. And I can assure you none of these guys are charging their guest for any of the trip. 

I mean along those lines most national memberships are a luxury for people to whom the cost is an afterthought. 
 
Unless you’re a snowbird who lives there part time or unless you travel an ungodly amount, the per round math makes less than zero sense. 
 
You’re just paying for access to a luxury item. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by ND2005

[monty09]

44 minutes ago, ND2005 said:

I mean along those lines most national memberships are a luxury for people to whom the cost is an afterthought. 
 
Unless you’re a snowbird who lives there part time or unless you travel an ungodly amount, the per round math makes less than zero sense. 
 
You’re just paying for access to a luxury item. 

 

 

dormie is a fairly corp model....   I think Dormie Club in Pinehurst is wonderful.......   Its not for everyone but they have a stay/play model that works for a particular golfer 

[me05501]

Seems like the Low Country courses would be slammed in the winter with people from the Northeast. I have a friend who's a national member at Yeaman's Hall. I'll see what I can find out about that next time we catch up. 

 

Seems like it would be more efficient to pre-plan a couple of annual winter trips to Sea Island, HHI, Kiawah or Amelia Island. 

 

In the "hidden gems" category you might look at Longboat Key Resort. We stayed there in February and I played one of the courses. I think they have 45 holes total across two sites. We've vacationed all over Florida and prefer the Sarasota area to a lot of other spots. There's a little more culture there and the food scene is great. The Club at Longboat Key is on the beach and very convenient to St. Armand's Circle. 

 

The Resort at Longboat Key Club | Sarasota Beachfront Resort (opalcollection.com)

[Kelmore01]

9 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Seems like the Low Country courses would be slammed in the winter with people from the Northeast. I have a friend who's a national member at Yeaman's Hall. I'll see what I can find out about that next time we catch up. 

 

Seems like it would be more efficient to pre-plan a couple of annual winter trips to Sea Island, HHI, Kiawah or Amelia Island. 

 

In the "hidden gems" category you might look at Longboat Key Resort. We stayed there in February and I played one of the courses. I think they have 45 holes total across two sites. We've vacationed all over Florida and prefer the Sarasota area to a lot of other spots. There's a little more culture there and the food scene is great. The Club at Longboat Key is on the beach and very convenient to St. Armand's Circle. 

 

The Resort at Longboat Key Club | Sarasota Beachfront Resort (opalcollection.com)

let me know about Yeamans… interested, but assumed it was on a long wait.  Yeah, lowcountry will be busy but I like the access vs having to book out trips and etc

 

appreciate it!

[monty09]

11 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Seems like the Low Country courses would be slammed in the winter with people from the Northeast. I have a friend who's a national member at Yeaman's Hall. I'll see what I can find out about that next time we catch up. 

 

Seems like it would be more efficient to pre-plan a couple of annual winter trips to Sea Island, HHI, Kiawah or Amelia Island. 

 

In the "hidden gems" category you might look at Longboat Key Resort. We stayed there in February and I played one of the courses. I think they have 45 holes total across two sites. We've vacationed all over Florida and prefer the Sarasota area to a lot of other spots. There's a little more culture there and the food scene is great. The Club at Longboat Key is on the beach and very convenient to St. Armand's Circle. 

 

The Resort at Longboat Key Club | Sarasota Beachfront Resort (opalcollection.com)

 

 

YH has so many levels of membership I lost track

[Dancin]

Being slammed in winter is a big issue at many Florida privates now that more people are working remotely. They heavily oversold memberships based on assuming only a certain percentage of the members would be around at different times during winter. That was fine in the past but now with remote work being allowed these clubs are discovering almost all their members are spending the whole winter in FL instead of just a month or two and members struggle to get tee times. TPC Treviso Bay in Naples is a big example of that. I think they have something like 600-700 members who are mostly spending the whole winter there now.