Even if you have never played at Wentworth, in Surrey, England, you have likely seen it host the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship on television. The club has three 18-hole courses, one 9-hole course, tennis, and it serves a moneyed crowd.
What you may not have followed is the recent turmoil Wentworth has experienced. The club was sold in 2014 for £135 million to a group of Chinese investors. While that news didn’t shake the foundation, a letter that nearly 4,000 members received a few months later did. The letter explained that members would need to leave the club and then reapply for only 800 spots. Those lucky 800 would then need to fork over £100,000 to secure their place. A cherry on top is that annual dues double to £16,000.
This article by Audrey Gillan at the Guardian outlines the issues recently plaguing club membership. What would you do if you were forced out of your club? Would you re-apply to be one of the 800?
