T100 National Membership

[Kcgolfer2018]

Looking for a national membership at the best T100 possible... let's assume geography price is a non factor (obviously, both are), but just wondering what's out there.  What is the best t100 that has an attainable national membership for someone without any membership connection?  

[nanerman]

I believe Lost Rail is still attainable, and is in at least a few T100 lists. 

[Cubsfan44]

4 hours ago, Kcgolfer2018 said:

Looking for a national membership at the best T100 possible... let's assume geography price is a non factor (obviously, both are), but just wondering what's out there.  What is the best t100 that has an attainable national membership for someone without any membership connection?  

Prairie Dunes

[Dancin]

7 hours ago, nanerman said:

I believe Lost Rail is still attainable, and is in at least a few T100 lists. 

That's the only one I know of that is actively taking members. I don't think PD is looking for people right now. I also know the process to become a member at PD is pretty intensive with multiple interviews with different people.

[TexasTurf]

9 hours ago, Kcgolfer2018 said:

Looking for a national membership at the best T100 possible... let's assume geography price is a non factor (obviously, both are), but just wondering what's out there.  What is the best t100 that has an attainable national membership for someone without any membership connection?  

Why? Sincerely why pay that much to be so restricted from "your" club. But I also vote Prairie Dunes. Just looked at your history - just find a good local club where you can have fun. You and your guests will have more fun at a local club than a sterile top 100. Plus these lists are stupid, you can find a 300 ranked course in phoenix that's better than the #50 course in the northeast. It's all about selling magazines. 

[nanerman]

Another one that could maybe make some T100 lists, and is likely still taking members, is Broomsedge. 

 

PD is super locked down from what I've heard. I'd expect anything that has been around for a while will be very difficult (Old Town Club, for example, has a national membership - but you'd probably need to know quite a few members). 

[Dancin]

Rock Creek Cattle Company is still taking members. Not exactly easy to get to and a short season though.

[me05501]

See what's offered at Reynolds Lake Oconee, if anything. 

 

I'd want to choose a place with a long/year-round season and easy access to a major airport. Otherwise your opportunities to get there are going to be few and far between. 

[LongNwrong27]

On 7/9/2025 at 12:49 PM, me05501 said:

See what's offered at Reynolds Lake Oconee, if anything. 

 

I'd want to choose a place with a long/year-round season and easy access to a major airport. Otherwise your opportunities to get there are going to be few and far between. 

Though these features are basically going to be correlated at least somewhat with price and demand. 
 

the more accessible it is , generally the more in demand the membership will be and higher costing it’ll be. Some of the attainable ones in the Midwest are bc they are hours from airports 

[me05501]

41 minutes ago, LongNwrong27 said:

Though these features are basically going to be correlated at least somewhat with price and demand. 
 

the more accessible it is , generally the more in demand the membership will be and higher costing it’ll be. Some of the attainable ones in the Midwest are bc they are hours from airports 

 

Yeah. To each his own, but that wouldn't be appealing to me at all. 

[BG5]

High Pointe Golf Club Traverse City

 

Its One of the best golf clubs in America filled with some of the most honest and high integrity people on the planet.

 

It’s Tom Doaks first course…. Walking only with caddies.  They don’t take just anyone but if you are a wonderful human with a high golf IQ then you will fit in fine.  It’s six figure down stroke but the course, members and stay are as good as it gets.  Pure golf 

[Husker4theSpurs]

Places I would personally consider due to proximity and attainability ... at least strongly consider.

Lost Rail - my home club ... $20k for national, $4350 dues/yr ... will likely take a few more at that price, then raise. 40 mins from OMA airport. If I had a direct to OMA I'd highly consider.

Kingsley Club - $50k ... not sure what wait list is like. Eventually will have 2 courses. 30 mins from TVC airport.

The Harvester - uncertain initiation, but likely $25-40k range. 45 mins from DSM airport.

 

Broomsedge - 2 hrs from CLT, 1 hr from CAE.

 

Kettle Forge - won't open for a few years but about 10 mins west of Erin Hills ... new golf club ... $50k.

Old Barnwell - second full course open in 1-2 years, likely opening up membership after a while. $40-50k initiation. 45 mins from Augusta airport ... 2 1/2 - 3 hrs from Atlanta and Charlotte ... 1 hr from CAE.

Since I'm on a roll with South Carolina - Camden CC ... $3k initiation, $250/mo for national. Limited facilities but damn solid for the money.

Mapleton - new golf club opening in Sept near Sioux Falls, SD. $30-40k initiation.

Windsong Farm - NW Minneapolis ... 2 courses ... golf club.

Win yourself a Dormie Network auction for $10k and see how you like it for the year.

[PeteNC]

Good Rec's above.

 

Pete Dye GC in WV is also very attainable.    

[StoutKing]

I honestly think you'd be buying at a high right now.  As more boomers exit the market a lot of quality will open up.  I also believe the economy will make buy-in much cheaper in the future.  I could be wrong though.

 

Not long ago I had multiple top 50 clubs begging to join.  Didn't make sense for me at the time.

[JJFJR33]

They may not be T100 but Broomsedge is a great option and will only get better. I hear Chechessee still taking members. 

 

Is Dismal River & Sutton Bay still accepting members? I think they get drowned out by the CapRock, Ballyneal & Sand Hills love but are solid options.

 

[Dancin]

Dismal River is still accepting members. While the Doak course is exponentially better than the Nicklaus one, I don't think either is at the level of being a worthy national club that is that hard to get to. Plus they are still recovering from losing the greens a couple years ago and have some dead spots this year.

[canonlbp430]

I’m not 100% sure but don’t think Sutton Bay would be. Dismal is in a perpetual spiral of ownership changes and bad conditioning so I wouldn’t consider it the level he is looking for. Broomsedge is remote but a great layout as others have said. How it develops will be interesting to see.

[JKreborn]

The California Golf Club of San Francisco.

 

 

Edited July 22 by JKreborn

[StoutKing]

nm

Edited July 24 by StoutKing

[StoutKing]

Skyfall - the new Hanse at Forest Dunes - is another one you may want to consider.

[act0fgod]

21 hours ago, JKreborn said:

The California Golf Club of San Francisco.

 

 

Did you see "for someone without any membership connection?"

[StoutKing]

32 minutes ago, act0fgod said:

Did you see "for someone without any membership connection?"

He is the connection ;)

[JKreborn]

On 7/22/2025 at 4:25 PM, act0fgod said:

Did you see "for someone without any membership connection?"

I did but did not think it through. You are correct it could be tough without any connection. My bad.

[benkodi]

On 7/17/2025 at 11:43 PM, Husker4theSpurs said:

Places I would personally consider due to proximity and attainability ... at least strongly consider.

Lost Rail - my home club ... $20k for national, $4350 dues/yr ... will likely take a few more at that price, then raise. 40 mins from OMA airport. If I had a direct to OMA I'd highly consider.

Kingsley Club - $50k ... not sure what wait list is like. Eventually will have 2 courses. 30 mins from TVC airport.

The Harvester - uncertain initiation, but likely $25-40k range. 45 mins from DSM airport.

 

Broomsedge - 2 hrs from CLT, 1 hr from CAE.

 

Kettle Forge - won't open for a few years but about 10 mins west of Erin Hills ... new golf club ... $50k.

Old Barnwell - second full course open in 1-2 years, likely opening up membership after a while. $40-50k initiation. 45 mins from Augusta airport ... 2 1/2 - 3 hrs from Atlanta and Charlotte ... 1 hr from CAE.

Since I'm on a roll with South Carolina - Camden CC ... $3k initiation, $250/mo for national. Limited facilities but damn solid for the money.

Mapleton - new golf club opening in Sept near Sioux Falls, SD. $30-40k initiation.

Windsong Farm - NW Minneapolis ... 2 courses ... golf club.

Win yourself a Dormie Network auction for $10k and see how you like it for the year.

Windsong now has a wait list. The second (North) course is really fun. Very quirky in the best possible way. 

[StoutKing]

On 7/7/2025 at 11:48 AM, Kcgolfer2018 said:

Looking for a national membership at the best T100 possible... let's assume geography price is a non factor (obviously, both are), but just wondering what's out there.  What is the best t100 that has an attainable national membership for someone without any membership connection?  

Another option is to take a trip to Royal Melbourne every year.  Honestly a much better golf course than any of those listed.  Add on some neighboring Sandbelt courses and it's a great trip.  Plus you come out ahead monetarily.

[StudentGolfer4]

On 7/21/2025 at 10:48 PM, StoutKing said:

Skyfall - the new Hanse at Forest Dunes - is another one you may want to consider.

No wait list but the 100k buy in was surprisingly high to me. They have an interesting model where they use resort profits to refund a certain percentage of the buy in for founding members. 

[StoutKing]

9 minutes ago, StudentGolfer4 said:

No wait list but the 100k buy in was surprisingly high to me. They have an interesting model where they use resort profits to refund a certain percentage of the buy in for founding members. 

That's higher than I thought for where it's located.  Bummer.

[JJFJR33]

15 hours ago, StoutKing said:

Another option is to take a trip to Royal Melbourne every year.  Honestly a much better golf course than any of those listed.  Add on some neighboring Sandbelt courses and it's a great trip.  Plus you come out ahead monetarily.

 As a semi-hijack, been trying to get out to Landman, Bandon & Prairie Club and tee times are so tough to grab. Instead late spring I went to SE England and did Rye, Littlestone, Deal, Princes & Sandwich and it was off the charts. Pretty sure this (and other locations in the UK / Ireland) as an offset to a National Membership is a cheat code for great golf.

[StoutKing]

53 minutes ago, JJFJR33 said:

 As a semi-hijack, been trying to get out to Landman, Bandon & Prairie Club and tee times are so tough to grab. Instead late spring I went to SE England and did Rye, Littlestone, Deal, Princes & Sandwich and it was off the charts. Pretty sure this (and other locations in the UK / Ireland) as an offset to a National Membership is a cheat code for great golf.

100%.  Instead of joining a top 100 national club, I've done trips to Scotland, Ireland, England and Australia with plenty of change to spare.  Like you, I definitely feel like I've come out ahead.  It's different if you want to tie yourself to one place, but I have no regrets.

[NDSwim]

10 hours ago, StoutKing said:

100%.  Instead of joining a top 100 national club, I've done trips to Scotland, Ireland, England and Australia with plenty of change to spare.  Like you, I definitely feel like I've come out ahead.  It's different if you want to tie yourself to one place, but I have no regrets.

Agree completely.  Even coming from

the west coast Europe isn’t much more expensive than Bandon, etc.  If I can get to a national multiple times a year with a torch, that’s a different story.  Did a national in Southern Cali….loved the course but still 5.5 hours away driving made it tough.