The Perks of Reciprocity

By participating in the Private Club Network, members of Skyline CC enjoy reciprocal golf access at 175 participating clubs for a modest fee.

If you could give your members access to over 175 golf courses across the country without it costing your club much in the way of time, money, or staff management, would you?

And if you could, would you allow members from other private clubs to play your course and eat in your dining rooms, resulting in some modest ancillary profits for your club, so long as it didn’t interfere with your members’ experience?

Through its enrollment in The Private Club Network (PCN), a structured network of private clubs that extends reciprocal privileges to other participating clubs, Skyline Country Club, Tucson, Ariz., does just that.

And the feedback couldn’t be more positive.

According to Jesse Thorpe, CCM, Skyline’s General Manager, the reciprocity that members gain through the PCN is an added benefit for two primary reasons:

“For our members who travel, it gives them the opportunity to access golf courses in other parts of the country for a pre-determined fee,” says Thorpe. “From a management standpoint, we don’t have to do anything to set up their reservations.

“If we weren’t part of the network, if one of my members called me and wanted to play a specific club, I may know someone there, but I could be spending hours setting up a round for them,” Thorpe notes. “PCN is far more convenient for us and for them, plus members can access it from anywhere.”

All member tee-time requests are made to PCN’s member service center or through its online tee-time request tool. Tee-time requests are made in advance and are based on space availability, as determined by the host club.

“The network allows us to be the gatekeepers to our course,” says Thorpe. “We’ll get a call from someone representing the network who asks for our availability on a certain day. We’ll give them a tee time, and they’ll take it from there.”

What’s more, PCN has set up a simple set of predetermined fees so that members always know what to expect to pay, no matter where they play, cart included.

“Members get a standardized preferential rate through the Network; it’s either $25 or $50, depending on the season,” says Vache Hagopian, Managing Director for the PCN.

Visiting members pay all other normal customary charges, including food-and-beverage and pro-shop purchases.

“We’ve found that the guests who come in to play from other clubs are great neighbors who tend to spend, on average, about $120 on ancillary merchandise such as dinner or sportswear from the pro shop,” says Thorpe.

There are some rules that apply. No individual may play the golf course of another club in the network that is within a 100-mile radius of the individual’s home club; an individual will only be permitted privileges at the same club a maximum of three times per calendar year; and individuals must observe all guest policies when they visit other clubs.

“For members who travel and play golf, the ability to access so many different courses is really a great benefit,” says Thorpe. “It’s a simple plug-and-play solution for reciprocity at some of the country’s best private courses.”