Priority golf memberships
 

Looking at your golf history, has anyone ever run their numbers to see if buying priority was worth it? Remember to deduct the price of trail fees as it is included in your priority fee. I discovered it COST us $316. extra! With rainouts, vacation, sick days and other things that kept me from golfing Championship courses...…..I guess we just didn't play enough! It is time to re-up Priority, but I am thinking of dropping it.
Just wondering how many of you actually see if it saves or costs you money.

$316 for the year?

Partial year?

All courses?

Some courses only?

Sometimes, it's other than just the money.

For those that play in a regular group, oftentimes they will not accept anyone without a priority membership, due to the prioritization...of assigning tee times.

On that reason alone...I have chosen to stay priority.

It's got nothing to do with money! Your analysis defies realistic expectations.

I ran some numbers a couple years ago. Since we are year around residents, I calculated how many rounds of golf I would need to play to break even monetarily. I did the calculation assuming I would play nearly the same number of rounds of championship golf every month of the year. I compared paying full resident fee versus priority fee plus the cost of the Priority membership. My numbers showed I needed 60 rounds of championship golf, spread evenly over the 12 months, to break even. My numbers may be off a little but they are close.

My group plays every Monday and Friday and requires priority membership to ensure getting tee times for the group. While I do not play championship golf every Monday and Friday, I do play in excess of 80 to 85 rounds of championship golf each year, which is way more than I need to make Priority worth it from a savings standpoint.

I ran some numbers last year i paid 840 I took all 12 championship courses played 1 once a week but only used 48 games a year.SO I played 4 times each year at each country club. I was losing money. But if I played 72 times a year I was saving about 500.00 over all. So my concensus is if you play all country clubs and play 1.5 or more times a week, you actually save money by buying the priority, but if you play less than that then it is not worth it in my opinion.

From Jan 1 to Apr 30 you save $17 on an 18 hole round. Trail fees are about 145. Priority for a single is $740. Play once a week, approx 17 rounds during peak season and that is a $289 savings. Add that with trail fees that is $434. So for the other 8 months you need to save $306 to break even.

If you check the figures, I don't think the yearly fee for priority membership has increased for years, but the cost per round of championship golf has certainly gone up. If you are full year residents, and play three time a week, I think it's a bargain. Just saying.....

"I have never been wrong in my life. I thought I was once, but I was mistaken."

When i went to sign up for priority about 10-11 years ago, the man said to my wife and i, if you and you wife do not play { 3} times a week or just me, you are wasting your money signing up for priority!!!

He was fired later that day.....

Same here, our group is all priority and we have about 5 foursomes....easier to get what we want, when we want. We had a couple drop their priority so they don't play with the group anymore and now get what's available. If someone has to drop out of our groups we will let the non-priority know and they can go and grab the open spot if available.

I pay for both my wife and I. She doesn't play except for about four times a year. I play two times a week. We are away from The Villages about eight weeks a year. I save between 200 and 300 each year. Plus when the grand-kids are here the love Orange Blossom pool. It's a bargain and has not increased for years.

Mrs. KC and I have averaged 100-125 rounds each the three full years we've been here; will be less this year due to my just now coming back from shoulder surgery in November; the priority membership pays off for us.

It is like a country club back home. You don't divide your country club membership by rounds of golf. You joined the club for lifestyle.

It is same here, priority of tee times is key of whether to get priority membership.

My wife and I play golf on a regular basis and for the past years have saved in excess of over $1K each and every year. What the OP did not also take into account is the trail fee for exec courses is included in a priority membership. Biggest thing for us we are able to play golf with other priority members and better tee times.
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