Categories
Industry News & Trends

Platinum Clubs of America 2026: How the Designation Works

A peer-elected register, not a paid award: here’s how Platinum Clubs of America selects the nation’s top 300 private clubs for 2025-2026, who governs it, and what the badge actually certifies.

Categories
Membership Growth & Sales

How Country Club Initiation Fees Really Work in 2026: Equity, Non-Equity & Refundable Deposits

Two clubs can quote the same six-figure fee and offer completely different deals. A plain-English guide to equity vs. non-equity memberships, refundable deposits, transfer fees, and what really sets the number.

Categories
Industry News & Trends

The Mid-Year Marketing Audit: 7 Metrics Every Club Board Should Review Before Q3

June is the last practical moment to course-correct before Q3 planning locks in another year of assumptions. Here are the seven funnel metrics — from inquiry-to-tour through marketing ROI — that separate clubs running on data from those running on intuition.

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Industry News & Trends

A New YouTube Golf Tour Just Bought 27 Million Views of Free Distribution to Four Clubs

Pursell Farms, Casa de Campo, Cutalong, and Wynn just received the most valuable media buy in private club marketing this quarter — and not one of them paid for it. What Your Golf Tour’s $1 million YouTube finale means for member acquisition.

Categories
Member Retention & Engagement

Member Satisfaction Surveys Done Right: The Questions That Predict Retention and the Ones That Waste Everyone’s Time

The survey questions that actually predict member churn — and the ones that waste everyone’s time.

Categories
Club Marketing & Strategy

A Conversation With Zack Bates, Founder of Private Club Marketing

We sat down with Zack Bates to talk about how Private Club Marketing started, what he has learned working with 200+ clubs, and where the industry is headed.

Categories
Golf

The 12 Most Iconic Private Golf Clubs Opening for the Season This Spring

The 12 most iconic private golf clubs opening for spring season — history, rankings, and what makes each one legendary.

Categories
Industry News & Trends

How California Wealth Migration Is Reshaping Montana’s Private Clubs

The largest single migration of concentrated American wealth in a generation is flowing out of California — and a disproportionate share of it is rerouting through Montana’s private golf and ski clubs. Data, implications, and the operator playbook.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.