The average golfer in America spends $3,000 a year on the game, according to a 2009 survey in Golf magazine. That may hold true for the public-course golfer in Westchester, where you can play Saxon Woods Golf Club for $35 with a County Parks Pass, but it doesn’t come close to the cost of belonging to a private club.
According to the MGA Foundation 2013 Cooperative Golf Club Survey of 42 clubs in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, one-time initiation fees range from $3,000 to $200,000, with $45,000 as the median. Annual dues vary from $4,000 to more than $21,000, with a median of $10,800. If your club is member-owned and there’s a shortfall in covering expenses or financing capital improvements, you can also expect an annual assessment, with the median club charging $1,800.
One big advantage of private-club membership is that you don’t pay greens fees (except for your guests), but you can expect to be charged around $50 for use of a golf cart or $75 for the services of a caddie. Locker fees, range balls, and club storage will add another $550 annually, and you’ll also probably have to spend a minimum amount (around $1,600) on food and beverages at the club.
