Business
Business

Fancy Atlanta country clubs: Guess how much they cost to join now

A 2015 study sampled 13 of the highest-rated private clubs in Atlanta. It found the average initiation fee for full membership is $50,000. That doesn't include dues and other fees. Those charges average $680 per month, the study found.
By Matt Kempner
Dec 10, 2015

Remember that saying: If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it?

A sampling of 13 of the highest rated private clubs (out of nearly 80 in metro Atlanta) found the average initiation fee for full membership is just over $50,000, according to consulting firm Global Golf Advisors.

Don’t forget to add in dues and other mandatory fees and charges that average $680 a month at those local clubs.

So why does one Johns Creek country club — where a Home Depot co-founder is a member — want more regular people? Find out in the latest Unofficial Business column on myAJC.com.

While your at it, check out why one daring grandpa sold his Georgia winery and golf resort, also on MyAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

Follow Matt Kempner on facebookFollow Matt Kempner on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Delta Air Lines' first A321neo arrived in Atlanta on March 25, 2022. (Courtesy of Delta Air Lines)

Credit: Special

Delta expects ‘limited’ impact from required Airbus modification

The manufacturer requested immediate modifications to thousands of planes globally after a JetBlue incident.

2h ago

Metro Atlanta retailers hopeful for strong holiday season after chaotic year

Some independent retailers in metro Atlanta are entering this holiday season feeling battered by what they call a chaotic year.

This metro Atlanta couple spearheaded a change in football helmets

Erin and Lee Hanson are the founders behind Guardian Sports, the company that makes the Guardian Caps worn by college football and NFL players.

The Latest

Unsold 2025 Gladiator pickup trucks sit on display outside a Jeep dealership Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Englewood, Colo. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Credit: AP

OPINION

December car sales are good but not magic

In the market for a luxury vehicle? You might reconsider Lincoln.

Beyond the odometer: What matters most in a used car

Featured

Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller

Metro Atlanta retailers hopeful for strong holiday season after chaotic year

Some independent retailers in metro Atlanta are entering this holiday season feeling battered by what they call a chaotic year.

$21B data center proposal aims to become one of Georgia’s largest

Trammell Crow Co. is planning a $21 billion technology campus for a 1,632-acre site along I-75 roughly 60 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

This metro Atlanta couple spearheaded a change in football helmets

Erin and Lee Hanson are the founders behind Guardian Sports, the company that makes the Guardian Caps worn by college football and NFL players.