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Rankings

Six ways to sort the market. Every ranking is derived from sourced data rather than opinion, and the method behind each one is published on its page.

The most expensive clubs to join

Ranked by initiation fee, highest first. Every figure carries a source and a confidence score, and several of the best-known clubs publish nothing at all, so absence from this list is not evidence of a low fee.

  1. 1Glen Oaks Club · Old Westbury$250k
  2. 2Westchester Country Club · Rye$200k
  3. 2Century Country Club · Purchase$200k
  4. 4Greenwich Country Club · Greenwich$140k
  5. 5Spring Lake Bath and Tennis Club · Spring Lake$125k
  6. 5The Stanwich Club · Greenwich$125k
  7. 5Apawamis Club · Rye$125k
Full ranking →

The most affordable clubs to join

Ranked by initiation fee, lowest first. This is where most people can actually join something, and it is the half of the market nobody writes about.

  1. 1Netherwood Tennis Club · Plainfield$100
  2. 2Seven Bridges Field Club · Chappaqua$1k
  3. 3Westfield Tennis Club · Westfield$1k
  4. 4Knollwood Country Club · Elmsford$2k
  5. 5Westchester Hills Golf Club · White Plains$3k
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The prestige ranking

A composite of what it costs to get in, the scale of the operation, the club's age, and whether the course carries a named architect. The formula is published in full, and clubs with no cost data are excluded rather than guessed at.

  1. 1Westchester Country Club · Rye94.9
  2. 2Greenwich Country Club · Greenwich91.6
  3. 2Baltusrol Golf Club · Springfield91.6
  4. 4Century Country Club · Purchase91.5
  5. 5Apawamis Club · Rye90.5
Full ranking →

The biggest clubs by revenue

Total annual revenue from the club's most recent IRS Form 990. A measure of scale, not of quality.

  1. 1New York Athletic Club · New York$67M
  2. 2Westchester Country Club · Rye$47M
  3. 3Yale Club of New York City · New York$46M
  4. 4Harvard Club of New York City · New York$39M
  5. 5The University Club · New York$36M
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Clubs currently taking members

Ranked by the year-over-year jump in initiation-fee revenue in the latest public filing. A sharp rise usually means a club admitted materially more people than the year before.

  1. 1Topping Riding Club · Sagaponack+1214%
  2. 2Yale Club of New York City · New York+713%
  3. 3County Tennis Club of Westchester · Scarsdale+634%
  4. 4Northport Tennis Club · Northport+450%
  5. 5Bonnie Briar Country Club · Larchmont+171%
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Clubs most likely to assess members

Ranked by net assets, weakest first, among clubs showing a financial flag. Negative net worth or spending beyond revenue often precedes a special assessment.

  1. 1River Club of New York · New York$-8.4M
  2. 2Old Oaks Country Club · Purchase$-7.8M
  3. 3Glen Ridge Country Club · Glen Ridge$-6.9M
  4. 4Hampshire Club · Mamaroneck$-6.6M
  5. 5Harmonie Club · New York$-4.6M
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The best golf

Course pedigree, scored from national and state ranking lists, championships the club has hosted, the architect of record, and the size of the property. Clubs whose course we have not documented are left off rather than guessed at.

  1. 1Winged Foot Golf Club · Mamaroneck$9.6
  2. 2Shinnecock Hills Golf Club · Southampton$9.5
  3. 3National Golf Links of America · Southampton$9
  4. 4Baltusrol Golf Club · Springfield$8.8
  5. 5The Ridgewood Country Club · Paramus$8.1
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The best tennis

Scored from court count, surface, and indoor capacity. Grass and Har-Tru score above hard court; year-round indoor play counts for a lot in this climate.

  1. 1West Side Tennis Club · Forest Hills$10
  2. 1Orange Lawn Tennis Club · South Orange$10
  3. 1Westchester Country Club · Rye$10
  4. 4Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club · Rumson$9.6
  5. 4Meadow Club of Southampton · Southampton$9.6
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The best platform tennis

Scored from the number of paddle courts. Winter is the paddle season here and court count is the binding constraint on how much you actually play.

  1. 1Wee Burn Country Club · Darien$9.2
  2. 1Fox Meadow Tennis Club · Scarsdale$9.2
  3. 3Orange Lawn Tennis Club · South Orange$8.2
  4. 3Fairmount Country Club · Chatham Township$8.2
  5. 3New Canaan Field Club · New Canaan$8.2
  6. 3Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club · Ridgewood$8.2
  7. 3Canoe Brook Country Club · Summit$8.2
  8. 3Huntington Country Club · Huntington$8.2
  9. 3Short Hills Club · Short Hills$8.2
  10. 3Country Club of Darien · Darien$8.2
  11. 3Westchester Country Club · Rye$8.2
  12. 3Country Club of New Canaan · New Canaan$8.2
  13. 3Silver Spring Country Club · Ridgefield$8.2
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The best clubs for families

Scored from junior programming, whether there is a pool, and whether the club runs family, junior or young-member categories. Weighted toward what a household with children actually uses.

  1. 1North Jersey Country Club · Wayne$8.5
  2. 2Beacon Hill Club · Summit$8.5
  3. 3Raritan Valley Country Club · Bridgewater$8.3
  4. 4Westchester Hills Golf Club · White Plains$8.3
  5. 5Burning Tree Country Club · Greenwich$8.1
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The hardest clubs to get into

Sponsors and letters required, initiation fee, whether the club is currently closed to applications, and age. This measures difficulty of entry, not quality.

  1. 1Baltusrol Golf Club · Springfield$9.5
  2. 2Shinnecock Hills Golf Club · Southampton$8.9
  3. 2Maidstone Club · East Hampton$8.9
  4. 4Winged Foot Golf Club · Mamaroneck$8.4
  5. 5Tamarack Country Club · Greenwich$8.3
  6. 5Greenwich Country Club · Greenwich$8.3
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The clubs with the most going on

Ranked by breadth — the number of distinct sports and facilities the club runs. A useful counterweight to prestige if you want one membership to cover a whole family.

  1. 1Round Hill Club · Greenwich$10
  2. 2Canoe Brook Country Club · Summit$9.2
  3. 3Greenwich Country Club · Greenwich$9.2
  4. 4Apawamis Club · Rye$9.2
  5. 5Country Club of New Canaan · New Canaan$9.2
Full ranking →