You should be able to get in as a Jr. still at most clubs. If you are married and your wife is younger you can probably use her age, gives you more time before becoming a stockholder$$$$.
My suggestions: 1) stay in town. If you are going way out to the burbs and you don’t live there, IMHO it would have to be for some place great like Shadowhawk, and that ain't happening. 2) Find a club with a strong jr. program or make sure a healthy amount of members are in your age group. That will help you meet people and is great for networking. 3) Go use the facilities... play the course, have a few drinks in the locker room, check out the pool, ask for a newsletter so you can check out the social calendar. Look for a lot of activity that appeals to all the members, i.e. older, younger. If you have kids make sure it is a place you can take the family (at least every once in a while you will probably want to
). Eat the food! Make sure you like it, check out a Sunday Brunch if possible.
When you find a place that feels right you will know it. Most of the names mentioned on here are the ones to check out, so do so and join the one you feel most comfortable at, that is conveniently located (preferably from both home and office) and that has the course you like the best. Go in with an open mind and try not to let others shape your opinion before you check out a particular club, even though it can be hard.
Good luck, joining a club is a great experience, and for the most part it just keeps getting better the longer you are a member. Also remember that if you are young and have the resources to join somewhere, it probably means you are fairly successful, but still have a lot of earning years ahead. What I mean is that you aren’t peaking, so if you can’t swing HCC right now you may be able to in a few years as your career ascends. Don’t sweat it thinking you are making a lifelong decision, it’s not a marriage, although your membership may end up outlasting your marriage, esp. if you are out at the club all of the time.