Belonging to golf clubs makes a difference and, according to sociologists, what their members try is to feel that they are not like the others. The requirements to access these 12 centers include waiting lists, recommendations from other partners and, above all, a healthy checking account that allows paying amounts that amount to up to € 48.000 plus entry fees and annual payments. The Royal Family and the former presidents of the Government are honorary members of some.
It is an alternative to investing that can be very profitable. Not surprisingly, you satisfy a personal hobby and it can make your membership in these clubs. So that in a few years they can improve the shares acquired in these sports centers. It is constituted in an investment bet that in all cases are directed to the medium and long term, never to short periods.
People who prefer to practice any activity in a club instead of doing it on their own do so to separate themselves from the crowd and have the feeling that they are not like the others. This differentiation is left well marked by the clubs, selecting their members by charging high registration fees (above € 4.500) and subjecting them to rules of etiquette that, for most mortals, they cannot meet. In these environments it is difficult to get to play tennis if you are not dressed properly, it is usually forbidden to enter the dining room or lounges without a tie and jacket and it is difficult to be accepted among its members if you do not have a university degree or a business success.
Golf more than a sport
Clubs have flourished in Spain since the early XNUMXth century. In principle, they were peñas or reading and discussion societies where the arts and conversation were encouraged. By the middle of the century, under English influence, quite a few specialized in sports. Today, the equestrian, polo and golf clubs make the difference of status: to practice them you not only have to have money, but time.
For this reason, those who can register usually have the same profile: man, over 40 years old, businessman, executive or successful liberal professional that, in addition, he is usually hooked on this type of social life and, not content with belonging to a club, pays the fees of several: he can be enrolled in one sports club and another social one; or you have one in your place of residence and another where you spend the summer. In them, he often finds the framework to formalize financial alliances and establish new business contacts.
Alternatives available
The requirements to enter are common to almost everyone: pay a registration fee (non-refundable), a share (which can be sold when you leave the club) or even both, and then be presented by a couple of members and admitted by a board.
Lyceum of Barcelona. Number of partners: 1.106. Antiquity: 156 years. Main activities: it was established to finance the construction of the El Liceo theater. You can hear opera, participate in talks and admire the artistic treasures of its headquarters. Price: entry fee of € 4.500 and annuity of € 450. Social life: that of the restaurant, frequented by opera lovers. Dances at the beginning and end of the season and a Carnival party. Dress code: tie and jacket.
Madrid Casino. No. of partners: 1.900. Antiquity: 167 years. It was founded by the Duke of Osuna. Main activities: colloquia, conferences, exhibitions and travel organization. Since 1999, it has a sports space on the outskirts of Madrid. Price: Entry fee of € 7.500 and monthly payments of € 60 for both spouses. Social life: the Debutantes dance for which the protagonists spend more than two months rehearsing.
Membership in very elite clubs
Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. Number of partners: 9.600. Antiquity: 106 years. It was the initiative of some Spanish students who studied in England and, when they returned, they decided to promote equestrian sports. Facilities: social chalet, swimming pool, gym, aerobics, 39 tennis courts, nine paddle tennis courts, three hockey fields and an international equestrian field. Price: the entry fee is € 15.000 and monthly payments of € 75. There is a waiting list to enter. Social life: Bridge and dominoes unite ties between partners. Weddings, baptisms are held ...
Santa Maria Polo Club, Sotogrande. Number of partners: 60. Facilities: Social building, seven polo fields and school. They are building four new courts, a pool and 600 "Boxers”For the horses. Every day it is becoming more popular because there are possibilities to play with mounted teams without having to have your own horse. Social life: in summer there are many social activities to encourage coexistence with other English, Argentine and American fans who come to the club.
Puente Romano Tennis Club. No. of partners: Very restricted. There is currently a waiting list. This club was created, in principle, to serve two super-luxury hotels in Marbella. That is why it is difficult to enter as an associate. Price: € 1.500 per year. Admission requirements: although currently no new members can be made, the requirement is to be presented by two members, that it is a person who likes sport and that they be recognized as someone normal in their treatment, education and mood . Dress Code: Full white is not required, but suspenders are prohibited in tennis, but not in the gym.
With long-term profitability
Real Club Jolaseta. No. of partners: more than 6.000. Facilities: Ten tennis courts, six paddle tennis courts, three swimming pools (one Olympic), field hockey and one for roller hockey, an indoor sports complex, two frontons, a gym and a social building with a nursery. Division of honor: in hockey it is one of the most important clubs in the country. Although in principle the Jolaseta specialized in tennis, now paddle tennis and hockey are the sports preferred by the members. Price: buy a share for more than € 30.000 and pay an annual fee of less than € 300. Their strong point: they have the largest paddle tennis school for children in Europe.
Real Club Pineda of Seville. No. of partners: more than 6.000 partners. The admission quota is closed; Only a couple of new members enter each year. Price: € 38.000. Services such as the use of the gym with a monitor are charged separately. A curiosity: the ex-spouses continue to belong to the club, despite having divorced the original member. Another peculiarity, it has its own racetrack, something that is hardly ever found in other clubs.
Royal Tennis Club of Oviedo. No. of partners: 2.200 holders with their families. They do not admit more partners. Age: 53 years. Registration price: more than € 12.000 non-refundable. Peculiar enclave: in the center of Oviedo. Dress code: etiquette is only required at social parties that are organized. The lounges and restaurant are not accessible in sportswear. Members of honor: His Royal Highness Prince Felipe de Borbón, Sabino Fernández Campo ...
Royal Nautical Club of Palma de Mallorca. No. of partners: 1.840, of which only 500 have a boat. The membership fee is € 4.800 for registration and € 15 per month. All services are charged separately. Age: 54 years. A peculiarity: it has a choir and music theory classes are given. Its uniqueness: it is the club most visited by the Royal Family, which together with the former presidents of the Government and the members who have been with the club for more than 50 years, are its most honorary members.
Entry fee is 9.000 euros
Aeroclub of Santiago de Compostela. Number of partners: 2.200 owners, of which only about 200 people fly. The club was born as an aeronautical association in 1935, but today it is more of a golf club. People access it, above all, for this sport and for tennis. Price: the entrance fee is € 9.000 per family unit; and the monthly payments of € 72. Social activity: chess, social gatherings and dominoes are a very important part of the daily life of the club. Manuel Fraga, former president of the Xunta, often came to play his domino games here. Strong point: the sports schools for children and the parties they organize to foster personal relationships between members.
Royal Nautical Club of Barcelona. The pier has 175 berths for yachts up to 40 meters in length and a distinguished social venue. Facilities: gym and sauna, library, terrace with views of the city, meeting rooms, private parking and training rooms. Prices: from € 1.500 registration and a small monthly fee. Services are charged separately.
Dehesa Montenmedio. It has 25 bungalows with all kinds of luxuries. Facilities: capable of housing up to 1.500 horses, all of them housed in full comfort, in fixed boxes built in the same Dehesa. It also has a car park to park 400 trucks or trailers. Price: horse riding can go from € 1.000 to € 1.800.
Royal Nautical Club of Palma de Mallorca. No. of partners: 1.840, of which only 500 have a boat. The membership fee is € 4.800 for registration and € 15 per month. All services are charged separately. Age: 54 years. A peculiarity: it has a choir and music theory classes are given.