The Most Elite Of The Elite
There are country clubs, and then there are country clubs. From Augusta and St. Andrews to Trump Miami and Liberty National, these country clubs are the best of the best.
Augusta National Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $300,000
Augusta National Gold Club needs to introduction. Home of the Masters for nearly a century, few people ever even get the chance to play Augusta, let alone become a member. And those who do have to shell out $300,000 to get in, the fourth highest initiation fee in the world.
Do you know what's #1?
pocketwiley, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Baltusrol Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $150,000
You might be surprised how many of the world's most expensive and elite golf clubs are in New Jersey. Springfield's Baltusrol Golf Club charges a $150,000 initiation fee. I think watching the US Open is as close as I'll ever get to Baltusrol's iconic clubhouse.
Unknown Author, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bear’s Club - Initiation Fee: $90,000
You can get into Bear's Club for a mere $90,000 initiation fee. Bear's Club has only been in Jupiter, Florida since 1999, but with Jack Nicklaus designing the course, that's a bargain!
Boca West Country Club - Initiation Fee: $90,000
Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Floria, isn't just a country club—it's an entire residential community. The 72 pristine holes of golf are just a plus. Not bad for just $90,000.
Cherokee Town and Country Club - Initiation Fee: $200,000
If you're somebody in Atlanta, you want to be a part of the Cherokee Town and Country Club. The most exclusive club in the area, initiation fees are $200,000, making Cherokee the 11th most expensive club membership in the world.
Congressional Country Club - Initiation Fee: $180,000
You'd think the Congressional Country Club in Maryland would be where politicians would go to play—but not many politicians make enough to afford it.
It was founded by two congressmen in 1921, but nowadays their clientele tend to be from more lucrative fields than politics. DC Lobbyists, on the other hand...plenty of them on the links.
Carl Lindberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cypress Point Club - Initiation Fee: $250,000
Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, California might not be a staple on the PGA Tour anymore, but don't let that fool you: It's one of the greatest golf courses on Earth, with some holes hanging directly out over the Pacific Ocean.
And it'll just cost you $250,000 to become a member.
schnaars, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Golf de Morfontaine - Initiation Fee: $100,000
Golf De Morfontaine in Morfontaine, France is over a hundred years old, and it's still one of Europe's most iconic and popular courses. Memberships start at $100,000.
Kiawah Island Ocean Course - Initiation Fee: $150,000
The unique terrain on South Carolina's Kiawah Island makes the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort one of the most remarkable in the world. But you're not just getting golf for your $150,000—there's also the world class beach resort.
Les Bordes - Initiation Fee: $106,000
Just outside Paris in Sologne, France, Les Bordes is one of the most expensive clubs in Europe, with an initiation fee of $106,000—but how many of these elite clubs have an actual castle? Les Btor
Liberty National New Jersey - Initiation Fee: $450,000
Courses like Augusta and St. Andrews get too many tourists. At Liberty National New Jersey, it's only the most elite of the elite. Being invite-only ensures that—and so does the $450,000 initiation fee, the second-highest in the world.
Jim.henderson, Wikimedia Commons
Merion Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $70,000
Pennsylvania's Merion Golf Club's East Course was established in 1912, and it's been considered one of the best courses in America ever since. You can't miss the signature wicket baskets on every pin. But don't worry, you get a lot more than that for paying the $70,000 initiation fee.
Mark E. Wangerin., Wikimedia Commons
Oakmont Country Club - Initiation Fee: $200,000
As old as Merion is, Oakmont Country Club, founded in 1903, is Pennsylvania's oldest. That much history costs a lot, with an initiation fee of $200,000, the 10th most in the world.
Ocean Reef Club - Initiation Fee: $150,000
Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo is exactly what you're picturing. Founded in 1957, this unbelievably gorgeous club has world-class golf, dining, a marina for your yacht, and a private airport—all things you don't need if you can't afford the $150,000 initiation fee.
lorida Keys History Center-Monroe County Public L, Flickr
Old Head Golf Links - Initiation Fee: $30,000
The Old Head of Kinsale juts out majestically into the Atlantic Ocean in the south of Ireland, but even since 1999, the majestic views are reserved for members of the Old Head Golf Links, who pay a $30,000 initiation fee for the pleasure.
tiarescott, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pebble Beach Golf Links - Initiation Fee: $250,000
Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of America's most iconic courses, is actually open to the public to play. But if you want to be a member of the exclusive club, that'll cost you $250,000, the 7th-highest fee in the world.
Pinehurst Golf Resort - Initiation Fee: $45,000
Pinehurst No.2. is the jewel of Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina, but there are nine 18-hole courses for members who pay the $45,000 initiation fee.
Seminole Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $100,000
Even if you have the $100,000 initiation fee, you still probably won't get into Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. Members have included kings, presidents, and as of 2020, Tom Brady.
Shanqin Bay Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $100,000
One of the most exclusive clubs in China, the Shanqin Bay Golf Club charges a $100,000 fee, the highest in Asia.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $250,000
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club isn't in the rolling hills of Ireland—it's in Southampton, Long Island. Founded in 1891, it's believed to be the oldest incorporated club in the US. You could be a part of that history for $250,000.
Peetlesnumber1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sunningdale Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $98,000
When London's elite need out of the city, they can play a game at Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire, where membership initiation costs $98,000.
Wojciech Migda, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons
The Madison Club - Initiation Fee: $500,000
The Madison Club in La Quinta, California is the most expensive country club membership in the world. If you can pay the $500,000 initiation fee, you can rub shoulders with Apple CEO Tim Cook and a few Kardashians.
hotrock pictures, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews - Initiation Fee: $200,000
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews in Scotland is probably the most famous golf course in the entire world. $200,000 for initiation doesn't even sound that bad if it's St. Andrews.
Natlaff, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $40,000
One of the oldest and probably the finest golf club in Australia, Victoria's Royal Melbourne Golf Club charges a $40,000 initiation fee.
Travelstock by Powerhouse, Shutterstock
The Vintage Club - Initiation Fee: $300,000
Nestled in the mountains of Indian Wells, California, the Vintage Club has world class golf, tennis, food, spas, and real estate. The $300,000 membership fee pays for it all.
TPC At Sawgrass - Initiation Fee: $75,000
Since being built in as one of the first Tournament Players Clubs in 1980, TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida has remained one of the most beloved golf clubs in the United States ever since, and a membership at this world class resort will cost you $75,000.
Craig ONeal, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Trump National Doral Miami - Initiation Fee: $75,000
Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Florida, outside of Miami, is the most expensive of all of Donald Trump's golf clubs, with a $75,000 initiation fee.
Whisper Rock Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $130,000
The finest golf club in Arizona, Whisper Rock in Scottsdale has a $130,000 initiation fee.
Winged Foot Golf Club - Initiation Fee: $150,000
Located in Mamaroneck, New York, Winged Foot Golf Club was founded around the same time as Shinnecock Hills in 1892. You can still join today, for $150,000.
David W. Leindecker, Shutterstock
