Brookridge Golf & Fitness

OK, I am an admitted serial country club hopper. I’ve been a member of 5 country clubs since my mid-20’s and I have enjoyed them all. I decided to give up the country club life last year when I turned 35; my junior membership graduated to a Full Membership and my monthly bill skyrocketed to almost $ 1000 per month. When a country club exceeds their budget, they basically just add an additional charge to each members monthly bill to cover the loss. This is called an assessment and drives me insane because as a member you are obligated to pay the assessment along with your monthly dues. Most country clubs also have quarterly minimums that you must spend on food; if you don’t dine at the club enough, the minimum amount is just charged to your bill. I just wasn’t receiving a grand per month in value, so I grudgingly cancelled my membership and vowed to play public golf courses going forward…
That didn’t last long… Maybe a few months… Thankfully, I found the new Brookridge Golf Club in the Spring of 2010.
Brookridge was purchased by a new owner in 2010 and now the memberships are structured more like Lifetime Fitness or Prairie Life than a typical country club. The junior membership age limit is 40 and the monthly dues are around $ 300. There are no food minimums although the club does offer a pretty decent food and bar service if you ever wanted to dine or have a few drinks after golf. The 18 hole championship course is one of the better layouts in KC. Brookridge also offers a 9 hole course that is more than adequate for a quick 9 holes after work in the summer. The club also offers a nice olympic size pool with diving board. 300 bones a month for the entire family, this is a heckuva a deal!
It gets even better, most country clubs have large ball rooms that rarely get used. In my 10+ years of country club memberships, I have never attended a country club ball. Brookridge has converted the ball rooms to a 10,000 square foot fitness center with state of the art fitness equipment, weights, steam room, etc… Use of the fitness center is included with your golf membership.
So, for most young golfers like myself, Brookridge is an extremely good value. I just want to play golf, maybe swim in the heat of the summer and occasionally have a few drinks at the club bar. If you want the big social events and black tie balls, Brookridge may not be the place for you. I like to play 3 or 4 holes each night after work with my 8 year old son so Brookridge works out wonderfully for me.