即使是超级富豪也无法进入南佛罗里达州最顶级的乡村俱乐部。据当地房地产经纪人称,由于近年来加利福尼亚州、纽约以及其他富裕社区的高净值家庭大量涌入,博卡拉顿、迈阿密海滩、朱庇特和棕榈滩等地精英乡村俱乐部的会员资格需求激增。
那么,怎样才能从长达数年的等候者名单中脱颖而出呢?从历史上看,这通常意味着在等待空缺名额的同时,确保自己的高尔夫球技足以达到这些精英俱乐部的要求。但对于那些缺乏耐心的个人而言,还有另一条途径:利用新兴的豪华高尔夫社区,这些社区已开始在该地区的社交圈中占据主导地位。南佛罗里达州正涌现出更多这样的开发项目,以满足那些希望与其他风投人士和首席执行官社交,但又没有实力加入该地区传统俱乐部的超级富豪的需求。
道格拉斯·艾丽曼(Douglas Elliman)的当地房地产经纪人德文·凯(Devin Kay)告诉《财富》杂志:“新成员加入俱乐部的唯一途径就是有人去世或者费用上涨到有人不再愿意成为会员。对于迁到这里的人来说,这已成为一个巨大的问题。”
只有受邀人士才能进入优先名单,这对来自波士顿或芝加哥等遥远地方的新人来说可能是障碍。习惯于在高尔夫球场上完成交易的凯可以帮助解决这个问题。作为一名前职业高尔夫球手,凯还是迈阿密海滩著名的拉戈尔斯乡村俱乐部(La Gorce Country Club)和哈伦代尔海滩新开发的壳牌湾俱乐部(Shell Bay Club)的成员。
在谈到更传统的乡村俱乐部时,凯说:“加入这些俱乐部几乎已成为不可能的事。”他补充说,较新的高尔夫社区“现在变得非常受欢迎,因为它们给人们提供房产,让他们加入俱乐部。”
凯说,在更为传统的拉戈尔斯乡村俱乐部(南佛罗里达州最高档的乡村俱乐部之一),会员必须由其他五名现有会员推荐,入会费为100万美元(俱乐部不公开宣传会员价格),另外还有长达数年的等待者名单。
与凯同在道格拉斯·艾丽曼工作的前职业高尔夫球手加里·波勒(Gary Pohrer)说:"如果你现在想加入某个俱乐部,名单不会按照你申请加入的顺序排列,而是按照他们想让谁加入的顺序排列。除非你结识对的人,否则等待者名单是无限期的。”
与此同时,在壳牌湾俱乐部这样的新开发项目中购买房产(这里的公寓起价为200万美元),可以让业主立即获得折扣会员资格。高尔夫球手也可以直接支付140万美元入会(不过凯说,鉴于目前的限制,俱乐部目前只接受购买住宅的新会员)。对大多数美国人来说,花费超过一百万美元购买豪华公寓或高尔夫会员资格是绝无可能的,但在涌向南佛罗里达州的对冲基金经理和科技精英中,此类需求并不缺乏。
如果会员费看起来很高昂——大多数俱乐部的入会费高达数十万美元,再加上每年的会费和最低消费——这反映了超级富豪愿意支付的价格。由于需求旺盛,许多南佛罗里达州顶级俱乐部的会费自疫情以来都翻了两三倍。
凯指出,对于那些愿意在新开发项目中购买公寓的人来说,他们获得的会员权益不仅仅是加入高尔夫俱乐部。除了九洞和十八洞高尔夫球场外,壳牌湾俱乐部还拥有网球场和匹克球场、一个拥有48个泊位的私人游艇码头的游艇俱乐部以及一个水疗中心。居民可以租用私人直升机去巴哈马群岛钓鱼。这里集超级富豪所需的一切于一身。
凯表示,这些新社区解决了超级富豪的一大难题,至少在社区入住爆满之前是如此。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
即使是超级富豪也无法进入南佛罗里达州最顶级的乡村俱乐部。据当地房地产经纪人称,由于近年来加利福尼亚州、纽约以及其他富裕社区的高净值家庭大量涌入,博卡拉顿、迈阿密海滩、朱庇特和棕榈滩等地精英乡村俱乐部的会员资格需求激增。
那么,怎样才能从长达数年的等候者名单中脱颖而出呢?从历史上看,这通常意味着在等待空缺名额的同时,确保自己的高尔夫球技足以达到这些精英俱乐部的要求。但对于那些缺乏耐心的个人而言,还有另一条途径:利用新兴的豪华高尔夫社区,这些社区已开始在该地区的社交圈中占据主导地位。南佛罗里达州正涌现出更多这样的开发项目,以满足那些希望与其他风投人士和首席执行官社交,但又没有实力加入该地区传统俱乐部的超级富豪的需求。
道格拉斯·艾丽曼(Douglas Elliman)的当地房地产经纪人德文·凯(Devin Kay)告诉《财富》杂志:“新成员加入俱乐部的唯一途径就是有人去世或者费用上涨到有人不再愿意成为会员。对于迁到这里的人来说,这已成为一个巨大的问题。”
只有受邀人士才能进入优先名单,这对来自波士顿或芝加哥等遥远地方的新人来说可能是障碍。习惯于在高尔夫球场上完成交易的凯可以帮助解决这个问题。作为一名前职业高尔夫球手,凯还是迈阿密海滩著名的拉戈尔斯乡村俱乐部(La Gorce Country Club)和哈伦代尔海滩新开发的壳牌湾俱乐部(Shell Bay Club)的成员。
在谈到更传统的乡村俱乐部时,凯说:“加入这些俱乐部几乎已成为不可能的事。”他补充说,较新的高尔夫社区“现在变得非常受欢迎,因为它们给人们提供房产,让他们加入俱乐部。”
凯说,在更为传统的拉戈尔斯乡村俱乐部(南佛罗里达州最高档的乡村俱乐部之一),会员必须由其他五名现有会员推荐,入会费为100万美元(俱乐部不公开宣传会员价格),另外还有长达数年的等待者名单。
与凯同在道格拉斯·艾丽曼工作的前职业高尔夫球手加里·波勒(Gary Pohrer)说:"如果你现在想加入某个俱乐部,名单不会按照你申请加入的顺序排列,而是按照他们想让谁加入的顺序排列。除非你结识对的人,否则等待者名单是无限期的。”
与此同时,在壳牌湾俱乐部这样的新开发项目中购买房产(这里的公寓起价为200万美元),可以让业主立即获得折扣会员资格。高尔夫球手也可以直接支付140万美元入会(不过凯说,鉴于目前的限制,俱乐部目前只接受购买住宅的新会员)。对大多数美国人来说,花费超过一百万美元购买豪华公寓或高尔夫会员资格是绝无可能的,但在涌向南佛罗里达州的对冲基金经理和科技精英中,此类需求并不缺乏。
如果会员费看起来很高昂——大多数俱乐部的入会费高达数十万美元,再加上每年的会费和最低消费——这反映了超级富豪愿意支付的价格。由于需求旺盛,许多南佛罗里达州顶级俱乐部的会费自疫情以来都翻了两三倍。
凯指出,对于那些愿意在新开发项目中购买公寓的人来说,他们获得的会员权益不仅仅是加入高尔夫俱乐部。除了九洞和十八洞高尔夫球场外,壳牌湾俱乐部还拥有网球场和匹克球场、一个拥有48个泊位的私人游艇码头的游艇俱乐部以及一个水疗中心。居民可以租用私人直升机去巴哈马群岛钓鱼。这里集超级富豪所需的一切于一身。
凯表示,这些新社区解决了超级富豪的一大难题,至少在社区入住爆满之前是如此。(财富中文网)
译者:中慧言-王芳
Not even the ultrarich can get into South Florida’s most exclusive country clubs. Thanks to the influx of high-net-worth households moving from California, New York, and other wealthy enclaves in recent years, demand for memberships in elite country clubs in Boca Raton, Miami Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach has skyrocketed, area real estate agents say.
So what’s the key to getting off the years-long wait lists? Historically, it has entailed waiting for a slot to open while ensuring your golf stroke is good enough for these elite clubs. But for individuals feeling impatient, there is another way: tapping into a new wave of luxury golfing communities that are starting to dominate the area’s social scene. More of these developments are springing up in South Florida to meet the demand of ultrawealthy transplants who want to socialize with other VCs and CEOs but don’t yet have the clout to join the area’s more traditional clubs.
“The only way for new people to get in the club is if people pass away or the cost continues to increase so much that somebody doesn’t want to be a member anymore,” Devin Kay, a local real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, tells Fortune. “It’s become a gigantic problem for people moving down here.”
Admittance to the top spots is by invitation only, and that can be an obstacle for newcomers arriving from distant places like Boston or Chicago. Kay, who is used to closing deals on the green, can help with that. A former pro golfer, Kay is also a member of the storied La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach and the Shell Bay Club, a new development in Hallandale Beach.
“Joining has become next to impossible,” Kay says of the more traditional country clubs, adding that the newer golf communities “have become tremendously popular now because they give people real estate and get them into the club.”
At the more traditional La Gorce—one of the most exclusive country clubs in South Florida—members must be sponsored by five other current members, and there is a $1 million fee to join, says Kay (the clubs don’t publicly advertise their membership prices), plus a years-long wait list.
“If you try to join a club now, the list does not go by the order you requested to join. It goes by the order of who they want to get in,” says Gary Pohrer, a former pro golfer who works alongside Kay at Douglas Elliman. “The wait list is indefinite unless you meet the right people.”
Meanwhile, buying a property in a new development like Shell Bay, where condos start at $2 million, can get owners on the greens straightaway with a discounted membership. Golfers can also pay $1.4 million outright to join (though given the current cap, the club is only accepting new members who buy a residence at this time, Kay says). For most Americans, spending well over a million for a luxury condo or a golf membership is out of the question, but among the hedge fund managers and techies flocking to South Florida, there is no shortage of demand.
If the membership prices seem steep—most clubs cost in the hundreds of thousands to join, plus yearly dues and minimum spends—they reflect what the ultrawealthy are willing to pay. Many of the top South Florida clubs have doubled or tripled their fees since the pandemic, thanks to demand.
For those willing to purchase a condo in one of the new developments, Kay notes they get more for their membership than access to the golf club. In addition to a nine-hole and 18-hole golf course, Shell Bay boasts tennis and pickleball courts, a yacht club with a 48-slip private marina, and a spa. Residents can charter a private helicopter for a fishing trip in the Bahamas. It’s everything the ultrawealthy need all in one place.
The new communities solve one of the ultrarich’s biggest problems, says Kay. At least until they fill up, too.