In my last post about Golfing in Indonesia, I gave you a quick introduction of Indonesian golf courses. Here are further details regarding membership which I think will be useful for all you avid golfers out there.

Becoming a Golf Member

Majority of the golf courses offer you playing rights for a year once you sign up as a member. Others will give you the option of paying as you play. However, unless you are a member, you may not get to enjoy prime tee-off times. If you are here on the job, you may be able to use your company’s corporate club membership. With that, you may not have to make an individual payment during your visit to Indonesia. The cost of membership can range between $1,000 and $3,000 a year in golf courses around Jakarta, it can be more or less in other parts of Indonesia. At Handara Golf & Resort you can see the membership benefits by clicking here.

If you are looking to become a member of the more exclusive golf clubs you will need a joining fee to become a member and then you will need to pay a fee per month or per year. Expatriates departing the country often sell their memberships which are often advertised in the classifieds section of regional newspapers.

You may also be able to join an exclusive golf club as a life member. You will need to pay a joining fee and additional fees on a monthly or yearly basis as well. The sale price of such a membership can be pretty high, as much as $20,000 in some parts.

Depending on the golf course you are playing, the green fees can be anywhere from Rp 750,000 to 2,200,000 on weekdays and on weekends the fees can range between Rp 1,100,000 and 2,900,000. The weekend fees are usually also applicable on public holidays. Members will pay much less than these rates, with some private clubs featuring no greens fees for members.

There are certain things to take into consideration when selecting a membership, as follows:

• Find out if the club is run in a professional manner. If the people managing it are expatriates, that may be more helpful for you.
• To purchase membership, consider looking at second hand sale of memberships. You can buy your membership from an expatriate who is leaving the country which can save you a lot of money.
• Find out how accessible the club is. Sometimes traffic to certain areas such as Puncak and Bogor can make getting to the club very frustrating especially on the weekends.
• Find out the terms of membership. Ask whether the membership is for a year or for life and whether or not it is transferable.

Membership is a great way to get cost effective golf, especially if you live in the area and love to play as much golf as we do.

Next time I am going to write a bit about the caddies and other member benefits. In the meantime keep pulling out those shots.