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Industry News & Trends

Where the Forbes 400 Belong: The Private Clubs of America’s Richest (2026)

The Forbes 400 could join any club in the country, yet the same short list keeps appearing. Here’s where America’s billionaires hold membership, checked against the 2026 list, and four lessons every club leader can borrow.

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Industry News & Trends

The 15 Most Exclusive Private Clubs in America (2026)

From Augusta National’s invitation-only fairways to the Union League of Philadelphia’s peer-voted city club ranking, these are the 15 most exclusive private clubs in America for 2026 — and the admissions playbook every club marketer can borrow from them.

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Industry News & Trends

Club Championship Season: Marketing Your Member Championship to Prospects, Not Just Members

The Walker Cup proves the amateur pipeline still sells. Your member championship is the same story, running on your own course, and almost none of it reaches the prospects your club needs next.

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Industry News & Trends

Platinum Clubs of America 2026: How the Designation Actually Works

0 Of all U.S. private clubs earn Platinum 0 Total Platinum Clubs (2025–2026) 0 Selection criteria evaluated 0 Program founded by John R. Sibbald Country Clubs 150 Golf Clubs 50 City Clubs 50 Yacht Clubs 30 Athletic Clubs 20 300 clubs total, representing the top five percent of U.S. private clubs, according to Platinum Clubs […]

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Industry News & Trends

NFL Player Golf Handicaps 2026: The Complete Ranked List

0 Lowest active NFL handicap (Brett Kern) 0 Josh Allen handicap (2026) 0 Travis Kelce handicap (2026) 0 NFL players in AT&T Pebble Pro-Am field history Ryan Succop +2.6 Brett Kern 0.4 Adam Thielen 0.6 Jake Elliott ~2 Josh Allen 3.5 Aaron Rodgers ~6 Patrick Mahomes ~8 Travis Kelce 10 Skill index inverted from handicap […]

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Industry News & Trends

Country Club Salaries 2026: What GMs and Superintendents Earn

The private club industry pays $17.4 billion in annual payroll — 53 cents of every revenue dollar. Before your board debates what the GM, membership director, or superintendent should earn, it needs to understand the payroll economics that set the ceiling and the floor. Here is what the public data actually shows, and where it stops.

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Industry News & Trends

Where America’s Billionaires Actually Golf: The Private Clubs of the Business Elite

The business elite don’t golf where money talks — they golf where money can’t get you in. Inside the invitation-only clubs that prove status outranks net worth.

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Industry News & Trends

The Membership Pricing Paradox: Why Raising Dues Can Actually Increase Demand

Why raising membership dues and initiation fees can actually increase demand at private clubs.

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Industry News & Trends

What Does It Cost to Join America’s Most Exclusive Private Clubs? (2026 Membership Fees)

From initiation fees to annual dues, here’s what verified research reveals about the real cost of membership at the Bohemian Club, Knickerbocker Club, Somerset Club, Augusta National, and more.

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Membership Growth & Sales Wellness & Lifestyle

The Wine Club Retention Playbook: What $3.9 Billion in DTC Sales Reveals About Membership Growth

Wine clubs now drive more revenue than tasting rooms — but average member tenure is falling, churn is accelerating, and 40% of wineries aren’t even tracking it. Here’s what the data from SVB, Sovos, and the Wine Market Council reveals about what separates high-retention operations from the rest.