So lemme walk you through my deep dive into the Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club membership thing. Saw their shiny flyer at the grocery store bulletin board, right? Totally caught my eye while I was buying milk. Stuffed it in my pocket, forgot about it til laundry day.
Step one was figuring out what the heck they actually offered. Pulled the crumpled flyer outta my jeans pocket, smoothed it on the kitchen counter. Started reading. Golf access – obvious, right? But beaches too? Nice pools? “Exclusive member events”? Vague, but sounded fancy. Made me think about weekend getaways without driving 5 hours.
Fired up the laptop, hunted down their actual website. Digging past all the pretty beach pictures to find the membership section was a chore. Kept wanting to just show me sunset photos. Finally found it, a whole list of perks:
- Unlimited golf? Score. Booking tee times online seemed straightforward enough in the demo.
- Beach club access? Heck yeah. Loungers, towels, maybe less fighting for parking? Big plus.
- Pool privileges year-round? Gotta love Florida.
- Food and bev discounts? Always welcome. That signature cocktail on the menu looked pricey without it.
- Discounted stays at their villas? That was the real hook for me. Family visit potential right there.
- Special events priority? Tennis courts? Bonus stuff I might actually use.
Next, the dreaded cost part. Chugged some coffee before clicking “Membership Fees”. Gotta brace yourself, ya know? Initiation fee. Yeah, it stung. Monthly dues – ongoing sting. Did the math comparing what we spend now on occasional beach trips, green fees elsewhere, maybe a hotel splurge once or twice a year. Started looking almost… logical? Still winced though.
Took the plunge and called the membership office. Got this super enthusiastic guy named Gary on the phone. He practically gushed about the “top perks”. Asked him flat out: “Gary, is this worth it for someone who ain’t retired and just golfs okay?” He laughed, actually seemed honest. Said the beach & villa access hooks most younger members. Scheduled an in-person tour. Couldn’t resist.
The tour sealed it. Walked the course – immaculate greens. Saw the beach setup – no overcrowded chaos. Peeked at the villa – smelled clean and looked modern. The real kicker? Stopped by the clubhouse restaurant around lunch. Saw the board: Members eat lunch buffet half-off. Smelled the barbecue, saw the waffle station. My stomach basically voted yes right then. Gary even tossed in a guest pass for the following weekend. Smooth operator.
Signed the papers two days later. Wrote the initiation fee check, felt my wallet cry a little. Set up the monthly autopay, trying not to think about it. Got my shiny new member card and login details instantly.
First perk tested? Used that discount at the poolside grill last Saturday. Order piled high, bill suspiciously low. First win. Now eyeing villa availability for Thanksgiving. They’ve got me.
