The military membership at Pine Lake Country Club in Orchard Lake, Mich., offers current U.S. military members, reservists, and honorably discharged veterans club membership discounts.
Many club facilities make an effort to honor military service members. Pine Lake Country Club in Orchard Lake, Mich., went beyond its annual golf tournament that raises money for the military and its Toys for Tots participation by offering members of the military direct club benefits.
The military membership, designated for current U.S. military members, reservists, and honorably discharged veterans, offers a 65% discount on the initiation fee, which is payable over four years. For the first year there is no food-and-beverage minimum, as well as no capital assessments for two years.
“We have members whose children are active in the service of our country and deployed overseas. We wanted to honor them and our military men and women,” says Chief Operating Officer Jim Farhat, CCM.
If military members are called to service, they can request a suspension of monthly dues and initiation-fee payments while deployed. If any of the service member’s family wishes to use the membership while they’re gone, fees are reduced by 50%.
As with all Pine Lake CC memberships, military members are subject to a vetting process, but the club “certainly hasn’t come across anyone who was not approved,” Farhat says.
Since beginning the membership program in 2015, the club has picked up seven military members, most of them friends and children of current members. Because the club cannot solicit for members, “marketing” for the membership category is by word of mouth, and current members are encouraged to reach out to anyone they know who would be interested.
But drumming up big membership numbers was not part of the program’s intention.
“We weren’t really looking to fill up our membership—we’re in pretty good shape,” says Farhat. “The military membership is an extra category the Board of Directors created, and I think it’s a wonderful gesture. The [new members] who have come in were appreciative, and we’re happy to have them here.”
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