Bunker down: It’s a 10-year wait for a shot at SA’s exclusive $6k a year club
As some of the world’s best golfers get ready to take the green for LIV Golf Adelaide, see what it costs to play at our exclusive clubs, including Kooyonga.
SA News
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Nearly 40,000 South Australians are hitting a golf ball and as the sport’s popularity is rising, so do the waitlists to play at some of Adelaide’s most exclusive clubs.
More people turned to golf during the coronavirus pandemic as courses were allowed to remain open, while the rise of LIV Golf has seen a surge in younger members.
All clubs have different membership categories, but it’s the category 1 seven-day membership in high demand, with some waiting up to 10 years and paying entrance fees of $16,000.
Glenelg Golf Club general manager Robert Vincekovic said prior to Covid they “didn’t really have a waitlist” but now people had to be prepared to wait between six to seven years.
“On the back of Covid (membership) definitely increased and there was a shift in the age group as well, which is fantastic,” Mr Vincekovic said.
“Our average age was 59 years, but since Covid the average age is 41.
“You can definitely tell around the club there’s a younger feeling and … there’s more people eating and drinking at the club, so it’s a lot more vibrant.”
South Australian golf club memberships grew by five per cent in 2022/23, according to Golf Australia, which also said nationally the sport has had four consecutive years of growth.
Mr Vincekovic said the first LIV Golf event held in Adelaide last year had helped continue momentum “so that people who weren’t interested in golf are now talking about it”.
“LIV may be at Grange, but all the rest of the clubs are benefiting with the amount of visitors coming to the state – we’ve been inundated with inquiries. If I had three golf courses I would have been able to fill them,” he said.
LIV Golf returns to Adelaide from Friday to Sunday at the Grange Golf Club, where general manager Barry Linke said membership wait times had grown to four years.
“We had a strong surge in memberships after the LIV event last year and they’ve continued to trickle in. Our turnover in recent years has also reduced since Covid,” Mr Linke said.
“A strong percentage of those on the waitlist would be under 30 and under 40 as well. We’ve certainly noticed its younger people joining.”
Kooyonga Golf Club is currently not accepting category 1 members due to wait times of up to 10 years, however it has had an influx of 25 juniors joining the club in the past 12 months.
The average age of those joining the club in the past 12 months has been 39, compared to the club’s average membership age of 56.
To join clubs, players must be prepared to pay one-off entrance fees which range from $8500 at Grange, $9820 at Glenelg, $11,988 at Royal Adelaide and $16,728 at Kooyonga.
Once you’re a member, annual fees range from $3972 to $6109 dependent on club, which all offer different benefits such as ball allocations, food levies, and even an 18-hole putting and chipping green under the lights at Kooyonga.
To join the clubs, many require the support of two current members, a proposer and a seconder, or a reference letter from your previous club.
GRANGE GOLF CLUB:
Category 1 (2023/24)
Entrance fee: $8500
Annual fee: $3972, includes $200 house levy, access to two 18-hole courses
Category 1 contemporary has entrance fee of $1700, with an annual subscription 15 per cent more than traditional category $4568
Wait time: about 4 years
GLENELG GOLF CLUB:
Category 1 (2024/25)
Entrance fee: $9820.15
Annual fee: $4927.85, includes $400 house credit, 50-ball bucket allocation
Wait time: 6-7 years for a provisional seven-day membership (Saturday time restrictions) then a further 2-3 years for a full membership.
ROYAL ADELAIDE GOLF CLUB:
Category 1 (2024/25)
Entrance fee: $11,988
Annual fee: $5800
Wait time: at least 7 years
KOOYONGA GOLF CLUB:
Category 1
Entrance fee: approx $16,728
Annual fee: $6109, includes $450 catering levy
Wait time: about 7-10 years – no new members currently being accepted – players first join as a category 2 member and pay a $14,219 entrance fee and an $4739 annual fee. Category 2 is currently only open to women to improve gender diversity, while men can join the club as a temporary pathway member for 12 months at a cost of $1950, which can be renewed, while they wait for an offer.
THE LINKS LADY BAY:
Seven-day membership (2023/24)
No entrance fee
Annual fee: $1490
No wait time
*Prices and wait times vary year to year. Fees were obtained through publicly available documents or from club general managers.
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