Let me tell you how I finally snagged that Grand Elk membership without blowing my budget. Been eyeing it forever, right? That course, man… beautiful. But those yearly fees? Oof. Almost choked when I first saw the price tag online. Felt way outta my league.
Just happened to be scrolling through their site again last Thursday night – late, you know, when you’re just kinda zoning out. Saw this tiny banner way down at the bottom: “Member Value Packages Now Available”. Clicked it real quick, thinking it was probably just the regular stuff repackaged. Almost missed it honestly, the link was practically hidden!
Started filling out the stupid interest form. Name, email, phone… the usual junk. Honestly, half expected a sales dude to start blowing up my phone immediately. Hit submit and thought, “Well, that’s probably a dead end.”
Surprise! Got an email back the next morning – Friday. Not a sales call, but an actual email from someone in their “Member Experience” team, not sales. Guy named Mark. Said he could walk me through their new membership tiers. Sounded different, so I booked a quick 10-minute chat for that afternoon.
Jumped on the call with Mark. Dude was chill, no pressure. Instead of pushing the Platinum whatever, he immediately goes, “What are you actually looking to get out of joining? Just golf? Social stuff? Family?” Told him straight: I wanna play decent golf without remortgaging the house, maybe bring a guest sometimes.
Here’s where it got interesting:
- He points me towards their “Elk Trail” tier. Way lower base fee than the fancy ones plastered all over the main site.
- Explained it comes with weekday tee times included (Mon-Thurs only, gotta book online week before). Fine by me, weekends are chaos anyway.
- Free bucket of balls at the range every visit. Small thing, but adds up!
- Massive food & bev discount – like 25% off everything in the grill and pro shop. Didn’t expect that!
- Four complimentary guest passes per year. Perfect for buddies.
- No crazy mandatory food minimums or social fees like the higher tiers. Huge relief.
Mark literally said, “This one isn’t on the main brochure much, suits members like yourself who just want golf access and decent perks without the fluff.” Asked about the initiation fee – it was steep. Mark just goes, “Yeah, about that… let me check.” Put me on hold. Came back two minutes later: “Found a current incentive waiving that fee if you sign before end of month.” Boom. Gone. Just gone.
So, bottom line? Paid ZERO initiation fee. Got the Elk Trail tier. Signed the digital papers right then during the call. Mark emailed me the club app login details before we even hung up. Felt unreal.
Tried it out this past Tuesday. Booked online Sunday night easy peasy. Rolled up, name on the starter sheet. Got my free range balls right away. Played 18, decent pace. Grabbed a burger after – used my membership card on the app, discount applied smooth. Felt like I’d unlocked some hidden level.
Why am I telling you all this? Cause these deals exist! You gotta dig! Talk to the right person – not just the generic sales line. Ask directly: “What’s the best VALUE option for someone who just wants solid golf access?” Emphasize value. Be ready to jump if they offer a waiver or incentive. Worked for me!
