Newnan Golfer Cancels Club Membership Over Rising Costs

In the past couple years, Jessica said golf was the center of her family’s life in Newnan — a source of exercise, stress relief and time together. But after months of rising costs, added fees and shrinking access, she decided to walk away.

Jessica, an advanced practice nurse whose name has been changed at her request, canceled her membership with The Clubs of Peachtree City and Newnan this month after concluding that the experience no longer justified the price.

Before the most recent cost increase was announced, she said she was already spending between $500 and $600 a month once required cart fees, food-and-beverage minimums and other charges were added to her base dues.

“It just got to the point where it didn’t make sense anymore,” she said. “We were paying more and getting less.”

Already paying hundreds more than the base rate

Jessica said her base golf dues had risen from $340 to $425 a month, an increase of roughly 30 percent. But the base rate, she said, told only part of the story.

Each round required $25 per person in cart fees, and members were required to meet a $30 monthly food-and-beverage minimum, even if they did not regularly dine at the club.

“When you add it all up, we were spending $500 to $600 a month,” she said. “That’s before this new increase even came into play.”

“I have two teenagers,” Jessica said. She said the cost of golf had climbed to more than what her family typically spends on groceries for about two weeks, making it increasingly difficult to justify.

Jessica said her household carefully budgeted for golf, but the rising costs were becoming unsustainable. Her husband is a professional carpenter, and golf had been one of the few shared activities the family could enjoy together.

Less access, fewer tee times

Along with rising costs, Jessica said access steadily declined.

As a Newnan-based member, she said her membership was limited to White Oak and Canongate. With this round of changes, her advance booking window dropped from 14 days to seven, and she said Peachtree City–based members were given priority tee times at Newnan courses, making it increasingly difficult to secure weekend or after-work rounds.

“We were being treated like second-tier members,” she said. “Even though we were paying hundreds of dollars a month, we had less access and fewer options.”

She said conditions at White Oak, one of the two courses available to her, had deteriorated sharply.

“White Oak was in deplorable condition,” she said. “You’re paying all this money, and the course just isn’t being maintained.”

A family decision, not an individual one

Golf had been a shared family activity across multiple households. Jessica’s daughter plans to play high school golf at White Oak, and several relatives were also members.

Her brother, a nurse, and her sister-in-law, a nurse practitioner, were both members, along with their daughter. They all played together every weekend. All ultimately canceled their memberships as well.

“It wasn’t just me,” Jessica said. “It was my whole family.”

No feedback requested, no attempt to keep members

Jessica said what surprised her most was the lack of response when she canceled.

“There was no exit interview, no survey, no one asking why we were leaving,” she said. “It really felt like they didn’t care.”

She believes the restructuring is intentionally designed to reduce the number of golfers while increasing revenue from those who remain.

“I think they’re trying to thin the herd,” she said. “They know some people will leave, and they’re okay with that.”

Earlier reporting documented growing backlash

Jessica’s decision follows weeks of coverage by The Citizen documenting member frustration across Fayette County and Newnan.

In a Dec. 1 feature, golfers described steep dues increases and restricted access as “corporate greed,” saying families were being priced out and long-standing golf groups were being split apart.

On Dec. 9, The Clubs of Peachtree City and Newnan — owned by Invited, formerly ClubCorp — released their first public statement, saying the restructuring was intended to improve access, reduce congestion and provide more membership options. The company declined an interview and did not directly answer follow-up questions about course upgrades, member departures or pricing strategy.

A letters-to-the-editor post published Dec. 13 included two letters from readers reacting to the controversy, including a direct exchange between a former member and Invited. The letters reflected how the issue has moved beyond pricing concerns into a broader, emotionally charged community debate.

Finding alternatives

After canceling, Jessica and her family joined the waitlist at SummerGrove Golf Club, where she said dues are about $240 a month. The waitlist, she said, is roughly six months long.

“SummerGrove is better maintained, it’s more affordable, and you know what you’re paying,” she said. “There aren’t all these extra surprises.”

She said leaving the club was not an easy decision, but one she feels confident about.

“Golf was supposed to be something we enjoyed,” she said. “It stopped being fun when it started feeling like we were being nickel-and-dimed at every turn.”

For Jessica, the choice came down to value. “At some point,” she said, “you have to decide when enough is enough.”