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11 of the most expensive and exclusive golf clubs on the planet - including the one where Bill Gates is hiding during his divorce

11 of the most expensive and exclusive golf clubs on the planet - including the one where Bill Gates is hiding during his divorce

Tyler Lauletta

Shinnecock Hills.AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

Golf is a favorite sport of the rich and powerful.
Some of the best courses in the world are super exclusive, with memberships offered only by invite.
From California to Scotland, these are the most expensive and exclusive golf courses globally.

Golf is beloved by the rich and powerful, so it's no surprise that clubs around the world come with expensive and exclusive memberships.

At many courses, membership is invite-only, meaning you have to know somebody and be selected just for the right to pay the exorbitant membership fee.

But even with the hefty price tag, there's no shortage of celebrities, politicians, and general rich people who are ready and willing to put down whatever is necessary to secure a regular tee time at the nicest courses in the world.

Below are some of the most expensive and exclusive golf courses on the planet.

The Vintage Club - Indian Wells, California

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The Vintage Club has an initiation fee of $250,000 in addition to an annual membership fee of $32,000. Despite the high price tag, the club hasn't failed to attract its membership, most notably billionaire Bill Gates, who has reportedly been camped out at his property at the club since the news of his divorce broke.

National Golf Links of America - Southampton, New York

AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek

Given its location just outside of New York City, National Golf Links of America is a popular club for Wall Street's rich and powerful.

The links-style course features several holes that were inspired by iconic courses in the United Kingdom, such as Royal St. George and St. Andrews.

The invitation-only club comes with an initiation of $150,000, plus $10,000 in yearly dues, according to Forbes.

Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

If you think it's tough to get tickets to Augusta National for the weekend of the Masters, gaining actual membership to the club is even more challenging.

Augusta National is likely the most prestigious course in the country, if not the world, and takes its membership extremely seriously. Membership is strictly by invitation only, with an estimated 300 members or so at any given time.

Publicly campaigning to join the club, or even simply stating your interest, is considered uncouth among the green jacket community, as Bill Gates once found out — though the billionaire was eventually admitted as a member.

Estimates for the cost of membership at Augusta National cover quite a range, with Golf.com estimating a club initiation fee "in the range of $40,000" and Forbes estimating the cost to range from $250,000 to $500,000.

Regardless of what it costs to become a member at Augusta National, the chances are that if you are worried about the price, you're not getting an invite anyways.

Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, New Jersey

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Pine Valley is rated by Golf Digest as the best course in the US, ranking ahead of even Augusta National, which came in at No. 2 on their list.

There are no real estimates on what the initiation fees or yearly dues are at the club, but you can assume they are quite high.

For the first 108 years of its history, Pine Valley only allowed men to join as members, but that policy finally changed in 2021, as president Jim Davis announced that the club had unanimously voted to remove all gender-specific language from their bylaws. Before the change, women had only been allowed to play the course as guests on Sunday afternoons.

Seminole Golf Club - Juno Beach, Florida

AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

Seminole Golf Club sports some of the most high-profile membership in the world.

NFL stars Tom Brady and Larry Fitzgerald, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg all belong to the club, according to a Golf.com story from May 2020.

According to Golf.com, it's rumored that the great Jack Nicklaus was turned down as a member by the club.

Looking around the course, it's easy to see why the rich and famous are interested in the course. Golf Digest ranks Seminole Golf Club as the 11th best course in the country.

Chicago Golf Club - Wheaton, Illinois

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Chicago Golf Club is home to the oldest 18-hole golf course in North America and was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association in 1894.

Like many other clubs on this list, initiation fees are unknown, and membership is invite-only.

Los Angeles Country Club - Los Angeles, California

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According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Country Club has a reputation for turning down many potential members, regardless of their fame. Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner could not get a membership, even though the Playboy Mansion sits just off the course.

Groucho Marx's infamous line — "Why would I want to belong to a club that would have me as a member?" — stemmed from his failed bid to gain membership.

Los Angeles Country Club has not hosted a PGA Tour event since 1940 but is set to host the U.S. Open in 2023.

Nanea Golf Club - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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Nanea Golf Club opened in 2003 as the brainchild of Charles Schwab and George Roberts and quickly became the most exclusive club in Hawaii.

Membership is invite-only, so don't expect to land on the big island and secure a tee time. Initiation fees and yearly dues for the club are unknown.

Cypress Point Club - Pebble Beach, California

REUTERS/Michael Fiala

Cypress Point Club reportedly has around 250 members.

According to Forbes, membership fees are determined by yearly running costs, which are divided up between the members regardless of how often you use the club. If you're lucky enough to be a member, here's to hoping you get your money's worth.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club - Southampton, New York

Shinnecock Hills. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

There's little known about the membership and initiation fees at Shinnecock Hills. The club is invite-only, but members can bring guests to play with them, as long as they're will to pony up a greens fee of reportedly $350.

One quirk of Shinnecock Hills is that players must hire a caddie, as walking the course is mandatory.

Shinnecock Hills has hosted the U.S. Open five times in its history, most recently in 2018 when Brooks Koepka took home the trophy.

Muirfield - Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland

AP Photo/Scott Heppell

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus described Muirfield as "the best golf course in Britain."

Nicklaus was so inspired by the course that he brought it back home with him in a way, founding Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, to pay tribute to the course where he won his first Open Championship in 1966.

The original Muirfield has hosted the Open Championship 16 times, most recently in 2013 when Phil Mickelson raised the Claret Jug.