A golf membership will give you access to certain things non-members won't have. Your greens fees may be reduced or, more often, included in the membership. That means you can play as much as you want and not have to pay greens fees. Most golf memberships don't include the use of a cart, so you'll probably pay extra for that.

Having access to programs with your golf membership is another great perk. That might mean reduced fees for league play, free entry into tournaments, and access to the club's facilities for other events like meetings, dinners, and more.

There are a lot of golf courses that won't let you play unless you have membership with them. These are called private clubs and allow members and their guests only to play. That means without a golf membership to that club, you have to know someone who is a member in order to get on the course.

Even small, public courses offer golf memberships. This is a great way for them to generate more play as well as make some guaranteed money. They will offer up some of the other advantages that private clubs do in the form of free or reduced greens fees, etc.

Sometimes, golf memberships can be quite steep. For example, one of this author's local golf clubs sets membership fees at $700 per year for a single membership. The course is run by a Senior PGA pro and it is a beautiful place to play. When you consider the amount of golfing we do, we have paid for our membership in just a few weeks just by saving on greens fees since we don't pay to play as a member of the club.

When we speak of a golf membership, we can also refer to membership in a golfing organization. You have to be a pro to join the PGA, but amateurs can join amateur organizations. Most areas have regional golf organizations where you can buy a membership to become part of them. These associations often hold sanctioned tournaments and can really help get your name known at least locally as a good golfer.

If you're an avid golfer, you really should consider buying a membership in your local golf club. It can be a very good move and can save you tons and tons of money while allowing you to enjoy the game you love!