Country Clubs in Atlanta? (Sandy Springs, Buckhead: condos, house, buy) - Georgia (GA) - City-Data Forum

MovingtoAtlanta! · 01-11-2011, 05:04 PM

Hello,
I am relocating to Atlanta with my wife and we would like to join a club for tennis and golf as we both play golf and tennis. We have friends who are members at Piedmont and Cherokee. We really like both so the question for us more is what about locations? We are focusing on homes or condos(St. Regis) in 30305 and we were wondering what club would be easier to get too? I am kind of afraid of the traffic for going to the golf course for Piedmont? Also in that part of Buckhead is there one club where most of the residents are members of has anybody noticed? I have one friend in that are who is a member at Cherokee and another at Piedmont. We have two sons five and one so we would like the club to have other children? I have been to both clubs multiple times to play golf and tennis so I am familiar but I would like some other opinions? Also my wife wants to know what club is most friendly for ladies?(I am trying to say do clubs in Atlanta put restrictions on when women can use the club, etc.?)

BringBackCobain · 01-11-2011, 05:32 PM

There is also Capital City Club in Brookhaven (north on Peachtree) and Ansley Country Club in Midtown (south on Peachtree). Most Buckhead people I know belong to Cherokee or Piedmont. I think Cherokee is better location-wise since the town club is in Buckhead and the country club in Sandy Springs, where as Piedmont is in Midtown and the golf course is by the Airport.

George Chong · 01-11-2011, 06:07 PM

IMHO, Cherokee has more activities for children and a bigger campus than Piedmont.

ATL Golfer · 01-12-2011, 04:42 PM

As a native Atlantan, no one I know of joins Piedmont. See if they can give you membership figures in terms of age. I think you will see a lot of older members.

I have friends at Ansley, Cherokee, and Capital City.

If you end up at the St Regis, Cherokee's Town Club, as I'm sure you are aware will be right down the street. However, golf will be a good 25 minute drive (w/o traffic). They have a great pool scene at the Town Club with an Adult pool as well as a family pool. Tennis facility is great as well with plenty of clay courts. I grew up playing these courses but haven't played them since the redesign a few years ago. Golf facility is top notch. I think you're looking at around $80k to join and depending on your age they may have a payment plan.

Capital City (Where I'd join personally b/c I have two childhood best friends as well as business associates there) would be your closest bet for golf. Would be about a 10 minute drive down Peachtree. Great PAR 70 course that just reopened after completing a redesign last year. You also have access to another golf facility up GA400 called Crabapple which would be about a 35 minute drive from the Regis. Membership I believe is currently 85k, but moving to 90k shortly. They have JR member payment plans if you're under 32 yrs of age (I think they allow you to split 65k over 4yrs). That said, I believe they are also considering or have adopted a new plan where they allow senior members under a certain age (say 40) to divide up their pmts as well. Not positive.

Ansley is the best value, but its facilities are not quite like the ones above. I think you can join this course for $35k right now (That could be a Jr rate which they consider 35 and under). Probably not more than 15 minutes from the St Regis. Great pool scene for the kids, just like the others. Their course in town (midtown) is 9 holes that you can play twice from different tee boxes on the second loop. They also have Settindown golf course up GA400 (about 35 minutes from the St Regis with no traffic). Great course, very challenging. Host to many Amateur and PGA qualifiers.

You really can't go wrong in my opinion with any of the above (except Piedmont).

I'd also check out Atlanta Country Club if you end up not living at the St Regis. Awesome course on the Chattahoochee. Membership is 80k there. They will break up pmts until the time you're 40 yrs of age. Not as pretentious as the other clubs, but every bit as nice.

BringBackCobain · 01-12-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

As a native Atlantan, no one I know of joins Piedmont. See if they can give you membership figures in terms of age. I think you will see a lot of older members.

That's true. Piedmont is the old money, old guard country club of Atlanta. I am also a native and the only person I know that belongs to Piedmont is my good friend from high school. His family is 5th-generation Buckheadites with a huge house off West Paces Ferry, and I get the impression from them that you would need to have had family living in Buckhead before 1950 to join Piedmont. That keeps out the yankees.

Also, to the OP, it seems pretty common with people living in Buckhead to have multiple country club memberships, such as Capital City and Peachtree or Piedmont and Ansley. Usually they have some justification for it, like that golf is better at one and the pool is better at the other, but I still don't get how they are ok with dropping that much money on country club memberships every year. Seems like such a waste.

Also, if you care about the snobbery factor, I would forget Piedmont. From what I hear, the Piedmont crowd is very uppity. For example, my friend's family was somewhat shunned since his parents didn't send him to one of the three Buckhead private schools.

MovingtoAtlanta! · 01-12-2011, 06:12 PM

Another thing we would like to throw in is we applied to all of the big private schools, but our top choices are Lovett and Pace Academy. We also like Woodward but it seems like everybody comes from so many places that it would be difficult for play dates and school activities. It seems that Lovett and Pace has mainly Buckhead families so it makes it easier for seeing friends. So from Lovett and Pace what club do you believe seems more popular for the families of Lovett and Pace to join? We have never thought of Capital City since we are not friends with anybody who is members therefore it would make it a bit harder to join.

ATL Golfer · 01-12-2011, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovingtoAtlanta!

Another thing we would like to throw in is we applied to all of the big private schools, but our top choices are Lovett and Pace Academy. We also like Woodward but it seems like everybody comes from so many places that it would be difficult for play dates and school activities. It seems that Lovett and Pace has mainly Buckhead families so it makes it easier for seeing friends. So from Lovett and Pace what club do you believe seems more popular for the families of Lovett and Pace to join? We have never thought of Capital City since we are not friends with anybody who is members therefore it would make it a bit harder to join.

Living in the St Regis or through work, it shouldn't take too long to find a sponsor for Capital City. But one piece of advice that I think is good, which it appears you are doing, is to join where your friends are.

I think you will find that families of Pace and Lovett are members everywhere.

chasedeez · 01-12-2011, 11:09 PM

country club of the south...

AnsleyPark · 01-13-2011, 10:21 AM

I believe that the buy in at Capital City is about $100k and the same at Cherokee (I imagine monthlies at each of these will run you $300 - $500 plus whatever you spend). Ansley, I believe, is about $65k with monthlies about $250 - $300).

ATL Golfer · 01-13-2011, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

I believe that the buy in at Capital City is about $100k and the same at Cherokee (I imagine monthlies at each of these will run you $300 - $500 plus whatever you spend). Ansley, I believe, is about $65k with monthlies about $250 - $300).

Ansley is about $500 as is CCC or Cherokee. This includes add-ons that are mostly necessary, ie locker, etc.