Country Club Membership
Okay, this isn't for everyone, and the club you aspire to may still be plenty expensive. But deals are out there like never before. If you've long wanted to belong to a private club but never joined because of the stiff initiation fee — they can run to $50,000 or more — or didn't know any members to sponsor you, now may be the time to strike. The private Glenwood Country Club in Old Bridge, N.J., recently advertised on local radio for new members to walk in and join without an initiation fee and no monthly spending minimums. Hundreds of other clubs across the country are offering similar inducements, delaying, discounting or waiving fees to bring in new members to replace those leaving in droves as their corporate memberships have been pulled or their own finances took a severe hit. An estimated 15% of private clubs report serious financial challenges and of those nine in 10 have tried luring members with deep discounts, according to the National Golf Foundation. There's no telling how long these bargains will last. When executives feel secure again they'll head back to the country club — and many of them have only suspended, not given up, their memberships.