The 10 Most Exclusive Country Clubs in the Southeast (2027)

Direct Answer

The most exclusive country club in the Southeast is Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia — home of The Masters, invitation-only, with estimated initiation around $40,000 and dues under $30,000/year for its ~300-member roster. The best value is East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, the historic home of Bobby Jones and the permanent host of the PGA Tour's TOUR Championship, with member access far below the region's six-figure private-club norms.

This list is for buyers researching the Southeast's most exclusive clubs, from Georgia's championship venues to the Carolinas' Lowcountry and mountain retreats. The range spans Augusta's famously modest dues to multi-six-figure buy-ins. Every club below is real, currently operating, and ranked on exclusivity, course pedigree, history, and regional cachet.

1. Augusta National Golf Club 🏆 BEST OVERALL

In Augusta, Georgia, Augusta National (1932, Bobby Jones / Alister MacKenzie) hosts The Masters and is the most coveted membership in golf. It is strictly invitation-only — there is no application.

Credible estimates put initiation near $40,000 and dues under $30,000/year, astonishingly low for the cachet, funded by Masters revenue. The ~300-member roster has included Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. It ranks #1 for unmatched secrecy, history, and global prestige.

2. Ocean Forest Golf Club

On Sea Island, Georgia, Ocean Forest (1995, Rees Jones) is an ultra-private coastal club that hosted the 2001 Walker Cup, ranked among Georgia's best.

Initiation is reported in the six figures. The oceanfront setting, discreet membership, and championship-caliber course make it the most exclusive private club on the Georgia coast.

3. The Honors Course

In Ooltewah (Chattanooga), Tennessee, The Honors Course (1983, Pete Dye) was built to honor amateur golf and hosted the 1991 U.S. Amateur and 1994 Curtis Cup. It ranks among America's top modern courses.

Initiation is reported in the six figures. Its devotion to amateur golf, naturalist conditioning, and small membership give it a singular prestige in the Tennessee Valley.

4. Sage Valley Golf Club

In Graniteville, South Carolina (near Augusta), Sage Valley (2001, Tom Fazio) is an ultra-exclusive club often called an Augusta alternative, with immaculate conditioning and a national top-100 ranking.

Initiation is reported in the high six figures. The Augusta-adjacent location, lavish amenities, and tiny membership make it one of the most exclusive new clubs in the South.

5. East Lake Golf Club 💎 BEST VALUE

In Atlanta, Georgia, East Lake (1904, redesigned by Rees Jones) is the historic home of Bobby Jones and the permanent host of the PGA Tour's TOUR Championship.

Member access is the best value here — you can belong to a genuine Tour-host club steeped in Jones history without a six-figure initiation, and the club's foundation reinvests in its surrounding community. Deep history plus championship golf at relatively attainable economics.

6. Peachtree Golf Club

In Atlanta, Georgia, Peachtree (1948, Bobby Jones / Robert Trent Jones) was co-designed by Jones as his post-Augusta project and is among Atlanta's most exclusive old-line clubs.

Initiation is reported in the six figures. The Jones pedigree, classic Trent Jones design, and discreet Atlanta-society membership make it a quietly elite institution.

7. Old Town Club

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Old Town (1939, Perry Maxwell) is a revered classic course, beautifully restored by Coore & Crenshaw, ranked among the Southeast's best.

Initiation is reported in the mid-five to six figures. The Maxwell design and its renaissance under modern restoration make it a connoisseur's club in the Carolina Piedmont.

8. Wade Hampton Golf Club

In Cashiers, North Carolina, Wade Hampton (1987, Tom Fazio) is a high-altitude mountain club ranked among America's top 100, serving as a cool-weather summer retreat.

Initiation is reported in the six figures. The dramatic Blue Ridge mountain setting and exclusive seasonal membership make it one of the most coveted summer clubs in the South.

9. The Cliffs (Mountain Park) / Mountaintop Golf & Lake Club

In Cashiers, North Carolina, Mountaintop (2009, Tom Fazio) is an ultra-private mountain club with a Fazio course and luxury community amenities at elevation.

Initiation, often tied to real estate, is reported in the six to seven figures. The mountain-resort lifestyle and exclusive membership make it a premier seasonal club in the Carolina highlands.

10. Yeamans Hall Club

In Hanahan (Charleston), South Carolina, Yeamans Hall (1925, Seth Raynor) is a historic Lowcountry club with a beautifully restored Raynor course and cottages, ranked among the state's best.

Initiation is reported in the six figures. The Raynor design, old-Charleston charm, and discreet membership make it one of the most exclusive and characterful clubs in the Southeast.

The Southeast's Bobby Jones Legacy

No region is more shaped by a single figure than the Southeast is by Bobby Jones. The Atlanta-born amateur, who completed golf's only Grand Slam in 1930, co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and personally designed Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta with Robert Trent Jones as his post-competitive project.

East Lake Golf Club, where Jones learned and played as a boy, has been restored and now permanently hosts the PGA Tour's TOUR Championship. This concentration of Jones-connected clubs gives Georgia a depth of golf heritage rivaled only by the Northeast.

That legacy radiates outward into the region's prestige hierarchy. Augusta sits at the apex of American golf precisely because of its Jones-and-MacKenzie origins and The Masters it hosts. Clubs like Sage Valley near Augusta consciously position themselves in that tradition, offering Augusta-caliber conditioning and amenities to members seeking a similar experience.

For a buyer, understanding the Jones thread helps explain why Georgia's clubs carry such weight: they are custodians of the most romantic chapter in American golf history, and membership confers a connection to that story.

How to Choose

• Decide your setting. Georgia championship golf (Augusta, East Lake, Ocean Forest), Carolina mountains (Wade Hampton, Mountaintop), or Lowcountry (Yeamans Hall).
• Seasonality matters. Mountain clubs are summer retreats; coastal Georgia and South Carolina clubs play year-round.
• Heritage vs. modern. Augusta, Peachtree, and East Lake carry Bobby Jones history; Sage Valley and Wade Hampton are modern Fazio prestige.
• Budget realistically. East Lake's relatively attainable access contrasts with Sage Valley's high six figures.
• Confirm invitation reality. Augusta is impossible without an existing-member invitation; even Sage Valley is intensely private.
• Secure a sponsor. All are invitation-only and require established relationships.

Sea Island and the Rise of Coastal Georgia

Coastal Georgia has quietly become one of the most desirable golf destinations in the Southeast, anchored by Sea Island. The Sea Island resort, with its Seaside and Plantation courses, hosts the PGA Tour's RSM Classic and has become a magnet for touring professionals who relocate to the area for its practice facilities and lifestyle.

Adjacent to the resort, the private Ocean Forest Golf Club offers an ultra-exclusive membership that hosted the 2001 Walker Cup, giving the area both world-class public-access golf and a genuinely private elite club.

This concentration has elevated coastal Georgia's prestige in a way that parallels the pro migration to Florida's Jupiter corridor. A community of professional golfers and wealthy second-home owners has formed around Sea Island, supporting high-end real estate and reinforcing the exclusivity of clubs like Ocean Forest.

For a buyer drawn to the Southeast, coastal Georgia offers a compelling middle ground: the year-round playability and old-South charm of the Lowcountry, combined with a serious-golf culture and championship pedigree. It is a reminder that prestige in the Southeast is not confined to Augusta and Atlanta but extends to pockets of the coast that have cultivated their own elite golf communities.

FAQ

What is the most exclusive country club in the Southeast? Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia is the most exclusive, with invitation-only membership, hosting of The Masters, and a ~300-member roster. It cannot be joined by application.

Which Southeast club offers the best value? East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta offers the best value — membership in the historic home of Bobby Jones and the permanent TOUR Championship host without a six-figure initiation.

What is Sage Valley, and why is it called an Augusta alternative? Sage Valley in Graniteville, South Carolina is an ultra-exclusive Tom Fazio club near Augusta with Augusta-caliber conditioning and amenities, often described as an alternative for those seeking a similar experience.

Which Southeast clubs are summer mountain retreats? Wade Hampton and Mountaintop in Cashiers, North Carolina are high-altitude clubs that serve as cool-weather summer counterparts to members' Florida and coastal winter clubs.

Coast, Mountains, and the Two-Club Pattern

The Southeast's elite clubs divide neatly by geography and season, which shapes how members use them. The Lowcountry and coastal Georgia clubs — Yeamans Hall near Charleston, Ocean Forest on Sea Island — play year-round and trade on old-South charm and classic architecture. The Blue Ridge mountain clubs of western North Carolina — Wade Hampton and Mountaintop near Cashiers — are summer retreats, cool-weather counterparts where members escape the Florida and Lowcountry heat.

This creates a common two-club pattern: a wealthy Southerner might pair a coastal or Florida winter club with a Cashiers summer membership.

This seasonal complementarity is worth understanding before buying. A single membership in a mountain club like Wade Hampton may sit idle for half the year, which is why these clubs are typically a second membership rather than a primary one. Conversely, a year-round Lowcountry club can anchor a member's golf calendar without a complement.

Mapping your own seasonal travel against a club's playing calendar — and budgeting for the possibility of a paired second membership — is the practical key to choosing well in the Southeast.

How were these Southeast clubs ranked? This list weighs national and state course rankings, Masters, Walker Cup and U.S. Amateur history, the exclusivity of each membership, and regional social standing. Reported initiation figures, drawn from member accounts and outlets like Forbes and the Robb Report, are credible estimates rather than confirmed prices, since the most private Southeastern clubs decline to disclose them.

Prospective members should treat every figure here as a research starting point and confirm current terms directly with a sponsoring member or the club's membership office before making any commitment.

Bottom Line

In the Southeast, Augusta National Golf Club (BEST OVERALL, ~$40,000 initiation) is the most exclusive membership, defined by The Masters and total secrecy. For Bobby Jones history and Tour-host golf at the best value, East Lake Golf Club (BEST VALUE) is the standout. All require a member sponsor.

Sources

• Golf Digest — America's 100 Greatest and Best in State
• Golf Magazine / GOLF.com — Top 100 Courses
• The Masters / Augusta National (masters.com)
• PGA Tour — TOUR Championship and East Lake data
• USGA — Walker Cup and U.S. Amateur host records
• Golfweek — Best Courses in the Southeast
• Forbes / Robb Report — private club initiation reporting