Willofork CC Initiation and Dues

12,985 Views | 25 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by JustPanda
JustPanda
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Anyone know the price for a regular member or junior member? Imitation and monthly dues??
Just an Ag
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Initiation dues have bounced a round a lot lately. I am not sure what the rack rate is if you walked in off the street, but I would think it is negotiable down to about $2,000.

I believe monthly dues are $350, $10 MGA/Handicapping service/hole in one club, $80 month cart plan, plus taxes. They used to have a $15 per month range fee but maybe that's been done away with. Call it $500 per month.

Willow Fork isn't nice (but not bad, either), but it is in a good area and has a great and active membership. Truly a neighborhood club. It got off to a slow start in the 1990's due to the developer not investing in the course design and many things have been added over years by the membership. Many people like it the way it is because it is affordable and the right level of quality for the price. Trees are starting to frame the holes nicely and it keeps getting better every year. Better than muni, but less nice than most other private metro area clubs. It has great greens with a basic layout that stretches to 7,000 yards from the back of the box. The sprinkler system doesn't fully cover the rough so you have a mix of nice to hard pan lies, and you'll get frustrated at times with it. At times you aren't even guaranteed a decent lie on the teebox! Bunkers are in the process of being redone and that is going to really help. It's real golf, and you'll have a hard time finding better greens, but not real nice by metro country club standards.

Ag_07
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Just an Ag said:

I believe monthly dues are $350, $10 MGA/Handicapping service/hole in one club, $80 month cart plan, plus taxes. They used to have a $15 per month range fee but maybe that's been done away with. Call it $500 per month.



So WTF is the $350 fee for???

This is what has kept me from joining a club. The monthly fees aren't bad but by the time you tack on all that other crap it becomes cheaper to keep playing the munis.
BESCo91
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Just some more numbers for sake of comparison .....

Colorado Springs Country Club:

Initiation:
- $1954

Monthly Costs:
- Monthly Dues: $385
- Food/Bev Minimum: $42
- Range Fee: $10
- Hole-in-One Club: $10
- Total Monthly Output: $447

Cart Fee's (assuming you don't own your own):
- 9 holes: $9
- 18 holes: $18

What ya get:
- Unlimited golf
- Unlimited range/chip/putt
- Unlimited tennis
- Unlimited pool
- Unlimited gym
powerbelly
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Ag_07 said:

Just an Ag said:

I believe monthly dues are $350, $10 MGA/Handicapping service/hole in one club, $80 month cart plan, plus taxes. They used to have a $15 per month range fee but maybe that's been done away with. Call it $500 per month.



So WTF is the $350 fee for???

This is what has kept me from joining a club. The monthly fees aren't bad but by the time you tack on all that other crap it becomes cheaper to keep playing the munis.
You don't join a club because it is cheaper. You are paying to keep the riff raff out.
07fta07
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If you play enough it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
powerbelly
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07fta07 said:

If you play enough it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
Honestly, I have rarely seen a club that is cheaper even than 3/4 rounds per week at a muni. Especially when factoring in assessments and other charges that are not dues.
t - cam
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powerbelly51 said:

Ag_07 said:

Just an Ag said:

I believe monthly dues are $350, $10 MGA/Handicapping service/hole in one club, $80 month cart plan, plus taxes. They used to have a $15 per month range fee but maybe that's been done away with. Call it $500 per month.



So WTF is the $350 fee for???

This is what has kept me from joining a club. The monthly fees aren't bad but by the time you tack on all that other crap it becomes cheaper to keep playing the munis.
You don't join a club because it is cheaper. You are paying to keep the riff raff out.
Which doesn't happen at many clubs you can get in at that price. The clientele at a discount country club is not different than what you would get out of a $60+ a round golf course.

The economics never make sense though. Community involvement and social offerings would be the only non quantifiable benefit that could give you adequate value.
07fta07
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powerbelly51 said:

07fta07 said:

If you play enough it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
Honestly, I have rarely seen a club that is cheaper even than 3/4 rounds per week at a muni. Especially when factoring in assessments and other charges that are not dues.

I can't play 10-12 rounds per month at any halfway decent public course for $350 a month.
t - cam
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07fta07 said:

powerbelly51 said:

07fta07 said:

If you play enough it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
Honestly, I have rarely seen a club that is cheaper even than 3/4 rounds per week at a muni. Especially when factoring in assessments and other charges that are not dues.

I can't play 10-12 rounds per month at any halfway decent public course for $350 a month.

You pay 100-150 for a social/pool membership. The rest you consider your golf involvement. I am lucky to play twice a month so there isn't a golf membership on the planet that makes sense for me.
DadAG10
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Ag_07 said:




So WTF is the $350 fee for???


For a single male, if you don't play 8+ times a month it's probably better to stay at muni's.

If you can use it for business, you will have much nicer outings with clients than a muni.

If married, wife & kids can use as well. Pool access, tennis, and fitness center are a plus as well.

Many networking opportunities.

BESCo91
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Really, the main thing you get with a Club membership is great pace of play & flexibility.

At my local muni (great course) it would take near 5 hrs to play a round on the weekend.

At my Club it takes 3.5 hours on weekends.
During the week, I've played in under 3 hrs.
rosco511
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Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
BESCo91
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rosco511 said:

Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
Exactly.
t - cam
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BESCo91 said:

rosco511 said:

Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
Exactly.


You could play a 60+ dollar course a few times a month rif raf free for the most part and still save money on the golf.
DadAG10
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t - cam said:

BESCo91 said:

rosco511 said:

Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
Exactly.


You could play a 60+ dollar course a few times a month rif raf free for the most part and still save money on the golf.
Everyone understands that.

Few times does not equal playing 8+ times a month, 4 or 5 holes after work, plus 3-4 trips to driving range a week (unlimited balls), plus nice practice putting green in the evenings, ............

Some things in life worth counting every penny, golf is not one of those.
t - cam
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DadAG10 said:

t - cam said:

BESCo91 said:

rosco511 said:

Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
Exactly.


You could play a 60+ dollar course a few times a month rif raf free for the most part and still save money on the golf.
Everyone understands that.

Few times does not equal playing 8+ times a month, 4 or 5 holes after work, plus 3-4 trips to driving range a week (unlimited balls), plus nice practice putting green in the evenings, ............

Some things in life worth counting every penny, golf is not one of those.


If you can play 8 times a month it definitely makes sense. I actually agree a golf membership is worth it but it's more about the experience then the value. The money will rarely make sense for most younger professionals with families but if you use the pool and dining it's a fun experience and a great way to establish long term friendships.
White Liberals=The Worst
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t - cam said:

BESCo91 said:

rosco511 said:

Exactly. I have the flexibility to go out anytime I want on the weekends and can hit balls on the range and then can jump on the course and play and practkce some holes without having to play 18 and/or play a 5 hour round. Also, even at a lower priced club, you do keep a lot of riff raff out because most of the riff raff does not want to spend $350 a month to join a club.
Exactly.


You could play a 60+ dollar course a few times a month rif raf free for the most part and still save money on the golf.
I know some people who are throwing money away on their club memberships...they play maybe 1-2 times per month if that, and rarely use the facilities as a family...but I'd say most people I know use it enough for golf and/or for family activities that they are getting a great deal.

If a single dude who plays 4-6 rounds per month just looking at it from a golf perspective, chances are muni's and $60 courses are the better route. No initiation fee...chances are, you are spending less than what jr. membership monthly dues at a club with F&B, $15-20 per cart etc...and you get the flexibility of mixing it up and getting a change of scenery. If you play in the afternoons at the right courses, it is rare to play a round over 4 hrs from my experience.

Clubs are awesome, but typically hard to justify unless you either have a family that uses it, or you play a ton of golf, or you just p*ss money (obvi almost all of Texags falls into this category).
BESCo91
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Absolutely.

In order to make the Country Club math work, usage is the key.

For the sake of this discussion, I am placing NO value on gym, pool, tennis, range .... strictly a golf value discussion.

Let's say that an average round of 18 at a muni is $50 .... which is $2.77 per hole.
Let's say that an average CC monthly due is $425 all in.

At $2.77 per hole, a family/individual would have to play 153 holes (8.5 rounds) at a Club to make the math work.

Example:
- In the month of June - between me, my son, and my daughter - we will have played 248 holes (13.7 rounds).
- 248 holes x $2.77 per hole = $686.
- My all in monthly is $447.

Again, usage is the key to making a CC membership make sense.
For a single guy, it doesn't make sense.
For a guy that travels a lot (out of town a lot), it doesn't make sense.

Lastly, unless the Club is within a SHORT drive of your home, don't join.
High pain in the ass factor = lower usage = poor financial decision.
DadAG10
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No math equation is correct without all the variables.

What is the condition of those golf holes?

What is the time value of always playing under 4 hours versus playing over 4.5 hours?
BESCo91
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Oh, I know .... I was trying to leave all of that out of the equation.
To me, pace of pace, flexibility (Ex, play 4 holes after work), and quality of course are extremely valued.
PedroJack07
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Random if you want to go out and play Willow Fork sometime I'd be happy to host you. If you have any other questions send me an email rocha dot ryan at gmail dot com

The econs dont make any sense for me at all. But that's not really why I joined a club, for me it's worth it to have a place I can go play a few with my boys after work, join a game on a Friday or Saturday when I want to plus play in MGA events. There's a good group of people up there and they make a great effort to keep the dining/social aspect enjoyable.

The costs listed earlier are accurate. It's about $350/month. Junior initiation when I joined I think was $500. I think MGA is $75/year and that included handicap, there's a quarterly f&b minimum of $75. I honestly can't remember if we still have the $45/quarter range fee. Holes in one collect $5/member... there were three last month.

If you want a private club near Katy, Willow Fork is really good value.
JustPanda
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Thank you! I will send you an email. I'm in the same boat, but the wife and kids can use the pool etc, and it's right across from McMeans making it easy for the oldest to walk to the range.
Blahhead
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Quote:

For a guy that travels a lot (out of town a lot), it doesn't make sense.

If you sign up with a ClubCorp club, this isn't true.
White Liberals=The Worst
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PedroJack07 said:

Holes in one collect $5/member... there were three last month.

Not to derail...I know golf is a game of honesty and integrity, but I am assuming there would have to be a witness around to collect on a hole in one pot right? That would really suck to get one during a late afternoon solo round or something.
DadAG10
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Our club requires 2 members as witnesses.
JustPanda
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We just became members.

$250 initiation for junior membership (waived)
$149/month for social plus tennis.

We can choose to add golf later for $100/month.

Overall a great deal IMO for the kids and wife, and much closer than going all the way into LCC for the pool or dinner.

Whoop!
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