Personal Finance

Average Cost of Country Club Memberships in Singapore 2024

For many, the allure of a country club membership is worth its high price tag. To help consumers understand just how expensive it is to belong to one of these organisations, we've outlined the average cost of country clubs in Singapore. It is important to keep in mind that prices vary significantly by the club's offerings. Therefore, we've broken out the local clubs into two categories: golf clubs and other country clubs. We also detail the estimated cost components of memberships including the initial membership price, monthly subscription fees and transfer fees.

Table of Contents

Average Cost of Golf Club Memberships in Singapore

Aside from the obvious appeal to avid golf enthusiasts, golf club memberships are often viewed as status symbols or even investments. While prices have decreased in recent years, becoming a member at one of Singapore's Golf Clubs still costs tens of thousands of dollars.

What to Consider When Selecting a Golf Club Membership

When making your decision, keep in mind the following factors:

  • Membership fees: consider which club is best suited for your budget
  • Additional fees: in addition to membership fees, take into account the monthly subscription fees, dining fees and et cetera
  • Transfer fees: fees paid when a membership is sold
  • Facilities offered: consider the main purpose of joining a country club. Will you be coming alone, with friends, or with your family? Will you need family-friendly facilities that everyone can enjoy?
  • Membership type: keep in mind that most golf clubs charge different fees for different customer types, typically differentiating between foreigners and locals, individual and corporate, and some between female and male customers as well
  • Membership size: keep in mind that clubs with higher membership size might not be able to provide equal access to all their facilities
  • Location: selecting a club that is in close proximity to your home or office is key in ensuring you will actually make use of your membership

Average Golf Club Membership Sale Price

We estimate that the average price of a golf club membership (assuming customer type is a local individual) in Singapore in 2020 is about S$77,654, a S$10,231 increase from the year before. This amount represents the primary cost of belonging to a club and is typically paid upfront.

It is important to note that these rates vary drastically depending on the club size as well as the remaining land lease. For example, Sentosa Golf Club costs the most at S$320,000 for local individuals and has 2 18-hole courses, while Changi Golf Club costs just S$6,000 due to its smaller size (1 9-hole course).

Meanwhile, courses with land leases that expire in the next few years are also more affordable, like Keppel Club (S$17,000), which lease expires in 2021. Similarly, memberships with earlier expirations or simpler benefits are also cheaper, such as Orchard Country Club's Silver 2023 plan at S$5,000.

Average Price of Golf Club Membership in Singapore 2020

Average Golf Club Membership Monthly Subscription Fee

On top of the initial cost of joining a country club, golf clubs tend to charge a monthly membership fee. In Singapore, these fees range from S$1-200. According to our research, the average subscription fee of golf clubs in Singapore is S$155, a S$16 increase from the year before.. Members can save on these monthly costs by paying with a credit card that offers significant rewards on recurring payments.

Average Golf Club Monthly Subscription Fee Singapore 2020

Average Golf Club Membership Transfer Fee

Another important cost associated with owning a golf club membership is the organisation's transfer fee. This cost is borne by members that sell their memberships, and is therefore crucial to understanding the net value of your country club membership. We found that the average transfer fee is approximately S$19,759, a little over S$1,000 increase from the year before, with fees ranging from S$2,408to as much as S$42,800.

Average Golf Club Transfer Fee Singapore 2020

Average Cost of a Round of Golf at Singapore's Golf Clubs

To understand how much it costs to play each course as a non-member visitor, we gathered publicly available greens fees pricing from 8 courses in Singapore. The table below outlines the average cost by day and course length.

Average Greens Fees Singapore

Using data from 8 country clubs, we found that the average green fee for guests is S$171 on weekdays and S$262 on weekends.

Average Weekday Greens Fees Singapore 2020

Average Cost of Other Country Club Memberships in Singapore

In addition to golf clubs, Singapore has a number of other country clubs which are typically less expensive but still provide a wide variety of non-golf amenities. For example, many offer fitness centers, tennis courts and swimming pools.

Country ClubMembership Price
ArenaS$1,000
Aranda/UnionS$1,300
Raffles MarinaS$3,888
LegendsS$3,000
Japanese ClubS$4,800
DutchS$4,000
PoloS$5,500
SRCS$5,000
SRC LadiesS$6,500
BritishS$7,500
CSCS$6,000
RSYCS$7,300
RTCS$7,800
SSCS$11,000
SGCCS$11,000
One Degree MarinaS$10,500
Tower ClubS$11,000
SwissS$10,000
CricketS$20,000
AmericanS$128,000
AverageS$13,269
* Source: Tee-Up Golf (May 2020)

We found that the average membership price of these clubs is S$13,269. Additionally we estimate that the typical subscription fee at these clubs is about S$125 for a family and S$106 for an individual. By comparison, American and Swiss country clubs typically charge S$211 and S$260 for a family subscription, and S$170 and S$130 for an individual subscription, respectively Finally, these country clubs tend to average transfer fees of S$6,229.

FAQs

On average, a golf club membership in Singapore costs about S$77,654 in 2020. The lowest membership fee is at S$5,000 for OCC (silver 2023) and the most expensive membership is S$320,000 for Sentosa. While Sentosa's membership is very expensive, it is ranked as the best golf club in Singapore and has hosted the Singapore Open since 2005. A great way to get the most of our your golf club membership is to combine it with market-leading credit cards offering perks for avid golfers!

A transfer fee is a fee that a club member pays when selling their membership. The selling price will therefore be your annual membership fee plus the club's transfer fee. The average golf club transfer fee in Singapore is S$19,759, with the range starting at S$2,408 for OCC (silver) and reaching S$42,800 for Sentosa.

When deciding on which golf club to join, make sure to consider the club's membership fee and other associated expenses for your particular customer type (single or married, male or female, individual or family). You will also need to consider the monthly subscription fee and transfer fee. Other factors to consider are the facilities offered by the club in case you plan on coming with family, the club's location and its membership size.

No. As a matter of fact, there are several golf clubs in Singapore which allow walk-ins or at least have packages for non-members. These clubs include:

  • Changi Golf Club
  • Champions Golf
  • Sembawang Country Club
  • Marina Bay Golf Course
  • Keppel Club
Price typically ranges from S$35 to S$50 for 9 holes, and about S$100 for 18 holes. This is the pricing for weekdays only, since most clubs are closed to non-members on weekends.

Methodology

In order to estimate the average cost of joining a country club in Singapore we gathered pricing data from Tee-Up Golf and Singolf. We analysed the greens fees based on data from the club's websites. We also considered pricing data for local Singaporeans, rather than for corporations or foreigners. While certain locations may offer membership deals, the prices reported in this article help consumers get a better understanding of general pricing in the country.

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Zoryana Melesh

Zoryana is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion, who focuses on evaluating credit cards, savings and fixed deposits in Singapore. She holds a BA in Political Science and an MPA in International Finance and Economic Policy, both from Columbia University. Prior to joining ValueChampion, Zoryana worked in treasury management consulting.