Some private clubs seeking to increase their pool of high-caliber members are saving the effort of seeking members by letting someone else do the work for them. Since 2004, Tour GCX has been offering golfers the chance to become members for a day at private clubs in the United States and abroad. While this allows golfers to sample several courses, it also helps clubs find members without having to put as much effort into searching for them.
“We’re exposing more qualified people to the clubs,” says Gary Rosenberg, chief marketing officer of Tour GCX.
Rosenberg is one of the founders of the program, along with David Kaufman, Jonathan Halpern and Kenny Dichter. The program accepts golfers who fit the criteria required by most private clubs: financial acumen, golf playing ability and personal character. Corporate entities are members as well. The application process is similar to that of a private club, Rosenberg says.
Members can choose from more than 45 clubs in a variety of locations, including New York City, Florida, Chicago, Spain and London. To help maintain the clubs’ exclusivity, Tour GCX doesn’t publicize the names of the clubs that are part of the program, but their portfolio includes two former PGA Championship sites and one past Ryder Cup site.
Individual memberships start at $2,450 annually. This covers cart and greens fees for Tour GCX members and their guests. The renewable membership runs until the end of the year or until pre-purchased, stored golf units are used up. While some members use the program as a way to shop clubs and ultimately decide to join one, other members stay on to enjoy the benefits.
“In the long term, if our members have a great experience at that club and it turns out it’s located in a place they’re going to be moving or will live there at a certain point, they might decide to hang their hat there and join the country club,” Rosenberg says.
Nearly 1,400 members are now in the program, which began with 50 founding members.
“The membership growth has been phenomenal,” Rosenberg says.
The program has been boosted by the recent signing of 2003 U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk, who will appear in Tour GCX promotional material.
“Any time you can associate yourself with a person who is consistently one of the best in the world in their field, you jump at the chance,” said Kaufman, president of Tour GCX, in a release.
Private clubs looking to have Tour GCX recruit prospective members for them can’t automatically join the roster. Like the members, they too must meet specific criteria. Clubs must be private and exclusive, but location is also key, Rosenberg says.
“If most of my members are based in New York City, it doesn’t make sense for me to work with a club in Syracuse, N.Y.,” he says. “We have to balance the supply side of the business.”