How Much Does Bethesda Country Club Membership Cost?

Last Updated on October 12, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Founded in 1947 in Maryland, United States of America, and designed later, in 1961, by Arthur Hills, Bethesda Country Club is a private golf club created with the aim of offering an unforgettable golf experience.

How Much Does a Bethesda Country Club Membership Cost?

Based on what we could find online the initiation fee for the higher-end membership categories at Bethesda is around $115,000, and the waiting list can be as long as ten years, according to the Bethesda Magazine. Like with any other club, the cost of a Bethesda Country Club membership depends on the type of membership you choose.

Also, according to the club’s official website, you need to be sponsored by a minimum of two current Bethesda Country Club members in order to become a member. It is recommended to contact their Membership Director to get more information.

Type of Membership

Social Membership

As a Social Member of Bethesda Club, you are allowed to use all the club’s facilities except for all golf options and the tennis facility.

Charter

You should be over 21 years old to be able to choose this type of membership at Bethesda, which offers you access to all the club’s facilities and voting privileges.

Tennis

This option offers access to all the club’s facilities, including the 18-hole golf course, putting, green, practice area, practice driving range, and the surrounding Bethesda areas.

Young Executive

This type of membership is dedicated to those who are younger than 39 years old, but older than 21 years old. This option includes social events, greens and range fees, dining facilities, one locker, clubhouse, one golf bag storage, pools, fitness center access, and a racket facility.

Legacy

You might also like our articles about the cost of membership at the Saucon Valley Country Club, Army Navy Country Club, or Old Ranch Country Club.

This option, of legacy member, is available for any member who is either the daughter, son, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law of an active Charter member. For a family membership, you will be subject to Board approval and you will have to pay 50% of the initiation fee.

Racket sports

This type of membership offers full access to the Club’s activities, social meetings, racket sports facility, dining and events, pools, swim and tennis programs, including a clubhouse.

Bethesda Country Club offers

Bethesda Country Club offers to its members and guests a wide range of facilities including its famous 18-hole championship golf course along with a short practice area, a practice during race, and a practice putting green. Also, they have ten tennis courts (two climate-controlled indoor decoturf hard courts, and eight outdoor clay courts), a spa, swimming pools, and a fitness center.

Among the dining options available on the site are the Folksy’s Cafe, The Club Grill and Lounge, The Pub, the poolside cabana that is open during the summer pool season, and The Family Grill.

What are the additional expenses?

Leagues, lessons, programs, and clinics for tennis, swimming, and golf are available, but these come at an extra cost. Clinics help you to improve your game and cost around $25 per clinic.

Throughout the year social events are usually held and in order to participate in these, you will have to pay a fee. For example, the fee for the PGA Junior League is $275 per junior, according to the club’s 2020 Golf Book. This includes bag tags, team jerseys, and hats.

If you want to join the Women’s Golf Association, you will have to contact one of the chairpersons directly or notify any member of the golf professional staff and pay a fee of around $80 per year.

Important things to consider

The golf course was entirely renovated in 1992 by the golf course architect, Arthur Hills. This project took four years and resulted in an enlarged lake, new bunkers, cart paths, tees, greens, practice areas, and tees.

A few years later, in 1997, the clubhouse of the private country club located in Montgomery was renovated and its size almost doubled.

Bethesda Country Club has some strict rules for its members, that even the golf membership committee, needs to follow. For instance, no member who is less than 18 years old is allowed to operate or rent a golf cart. Also, on the golf course, members are not allowed to wear jeans, halter tops, tee shirts, short shorts, cargo shorts, cut-off shorts, basketball shorts, swimming trunks and bathing suits, body suits, exercise and aerobic outfits, and sweatpants. There are allowed knee-length-style shorts and bermudas, and men have to wear a shirt with a collar.

On the course, bicycles, pets, or any other recreational vehicles are not permitted, at any time.