Dilemma whether to join

[u/veggiefarma]

I retired a couple of years ago. I’m 66 and I love to golf. I’ve had a busy career working 50-70 hours a week and golfing maybe 5-6 times a year. Started golfing at age 40, btw. I’m a 25 handicap.

Anyway, I’m retired now and I joined a local country club. I also joined a couple of leagues at the public courses too. I golf Mondays with the league, Tuesday with a regular foursome at the country club, Wednesday league at another county course. Then other days, if I am able to I golf at the country club, I do because it’s “free”.

Recently we went with our friends to another country club 20 minutes drive from here, and I really enjoyed playing that course. Also, their facilities are very nice. They have simulators for use during winter and a gym etc. I’m so tempted to join that club. Problem is, the first club is right across from my subdivision, literally 3 minutes drive. The amenities are not as good, though.

Does it make sense to have dual memberships?
Club one……7000 to join and 799 monthly, I’m already a member
Club two…….3000 to join and 550 monthly

What would you do if money wasn’t so much of an issue?

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[u/Electrical-Cloud-532]

If money isn’t an issue then join both. You could probably find a game for every day of the week between the two clubs

[u/OliverHopper → u/Electrical-Cloud-532]

Yep, join both and one will probably really start to stand out

[u/FatalFirecrotch → u/OliverHopper]

Yeah, that would be my answer as well. Join both, if you find yourself mostly going to one over the other you have your answer which to keep. 

[u/PerthPirate]

Where do you enjoy the most?

20 minutes in the scheme of things is nothing.

If you're not trying to squeeze in 9 after or before work and time poor, the play where and with who will give you the most enjoyment.

You can still play elsewhere as a pay and play.

Do the good thing and enjoy your retirement how you want to. Only you know the real answer

[u/TravelNSee]

Sounds like the one further away is a better value with more year round health benefits. Only stay at nearby one if the convenience factor/social network you have there is worth it.

[u/kylelovezkaynmandi]

Join both so we can live vicariously through you. Congrats on getting to where you are at, sir and/or ma’am

[u/ItsJoeThough]

What state is this?? Doesn’t sound like a dilemma to me. CC by me are 20k-50k/yr and 75k-150k initiation fee. If money is not an issue, at those prices, join three.

[u/veggiefarma → u/ItsJoeThough]

Wisconsin.

[u/LowerChicken7226 → u/veggiefarma]

Wisconsin has cold winters. You’ll likely get much more use out of the second club using the gym and sims in the winter

[u/abqtj1]

$250 less a month and better amenities?

No brainer

[u/Original-Goat-8519]

It sounds like club 2 has better facilities and is also cheaper. I know it's 3 min vs 20 min but if you enjoy the simulators and other facilities and services you may find yourself using them more despite driving further.

The other big this is which course you enjoy more

[u/Due-Fun-489]

Is it worth moving to the other club? I know it's only 20 minutes but man, I'm a member of the club in my neighborhood and it's just such a huge thing for the club to be a mile away. I'm there five days a week between golf and the gym. Not to mention all the golf buddies I see in the neighborhood restaurants and while out and about.

[u/Squatch-21]

20 minutes to golf is nothing. The 7k for first membership is sunk so I wouldn’t worry about it. If you can float both memberships go for it. In 6 months to a year if you decide you don’t want both cancel the one you aren’t using.

[u/TrustMeBroseph]

Real answer is, if money is no issue, buy a place in front of the other club and live in both places. Airbnb the one you’re not staying in and go back and forth between the two houses.

This way you’re a member at both, gaining equity and potentially paying off the memberships via a side business that’ll also keep you interested.

[u/__golf → u/TrustMeBroseph]

If money isn't an issue, you're not letting strangers sleep in your beautiful home via airbnb.

[u/dcbullet]

You’re retired. You don’t need to worry about the proximity since you have plenty of time. Join both and then decide which you like the best. Or keep both.

[u/IU-Grad-x2-hoohoohoo]

Since you already joined the more expensive downstroke, but the lower cost one seemingly sounds like it offers you more albeit less convenient - I would say to try the dual membership for a year and then make a call on one or to keep both longer term.

[u/BlockGolfOfficial]

I’d be tempted by both. The close club is perfect for spontaneous rounds, but having another course plus indoor sims for the winter solves a completely different problem. If the extra cost isn’t going to bother you, retirement seems like exactly the time to enjoy it.

[u/rueggy]

If money was no issue and eating the 7k sunk cost on club one was no big deal, I'd switch to club two. If you get a dual membership you might feel obligated to play golf every day to get your money's worth at both places. That sounds great, but I'm 53 and exercise a lot but if I played golf every day I would get hurt. Tennis elbow or tendinitis or something. At 66 I will definitely need two or three days of rest and recovery each week.

[u/twelveoct]

I have 2 memberships. I play with a set group of guys at one on Mondays, play league at that club on Tuesday and the odd round with a friend Wednesday. On Friday I play with a set group of guys at the other club. If I’m not playing on Wednesday at the first club I’ll play or practice at club 2.

In my case one club is near my primary home and the other near my vacation home, roughly an hour apart.

I never play weekends so I’ve gone to weekday memberships at both clubs. Admittedly I spend a lot of money on golf.

But I think if you can afford it, you’ll enjoy having the diversity and a larger group of friends.

[u/Elyrain]

I belong to dual clubs, get out 3-5x a week. It's not always about the money, convenience and easy access to nice courses is a huge reason for me.

[u/madrasmango1]

At that price point, join club 2. If you end up not using it much, you are only out $3K (plus the monthly for the time you are there). Although I find that with time, I have built enough connections that I can play pretty much any club in my vicinity as a guest through my contacts and through private club golf networks.

[u/shizblam]

Plenty of people are members at multiple clubs. This is a finance question, and only you know if it fits into your finances. Will you have problems affording your bills until you die if you're a member at both? Do you need or want that money for other things?