What is the most prestigious private club in South Florida in 2026?
Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach ranks #1 in the Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026 with a score of 82 out of 100. The Everglades Club in Palm Beach also scores 82 and ranks #2. Seminole is ranked No. 12 in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Courses for 2025–26 and No. 1 in Florida, hosted the 2021 Walker Cup, and admits members by invitation only. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What is the most exclusive country club in Miami?
Indian Creek Country Club in Indian Creek Village is the highest-ranked Miami-Dade club in the index, at #3 overall with a score of 78 (Tier A). Admission is by invitation, with two sponsors, recommendation letters, committee review and board approval, and owning a home on the island does not guarantee membership. Reported initiation ranges from $200,000 (Miami Herald, 2021) to about $1 million (2026 media reports), with annual dues reported at about $44,000. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What are the top private clubs in Palm Beach County?
Palm Beach County holds 16 of the 25 places in the index. Its highest-ranked clubs are Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach (#1, 82), The Everglades Club in Palm Beach (#2, 82), Gulf Stream Golf Club (#7, 71), Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta (#8, 68) and Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club in Boca Raton (#9, 67). The county averages 63.3 across its 16 clubs. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What are the top private clubs in Broward County?
Three Broward County clubs appear in the index: Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale (#13, 62, Tier B), Fort Lauderdale Country Club in Plantation (#24, 49, Tier C) and The Hillsboro Club in Hillsboro Beach (#25, 41, Tier C). Coral Ridge, the former home course of Robert Trent Jones Sr., admits members by invitation only. Fort Lauderdale Country Club, founded in 1926, is Broward's oldest private country club. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
How much does it cost to join a private country club in South Florida?
Most clubs do not publish fees. Among clubs with reported figures, initiation ranges from about $90,000 at Fort Lauderdale Country Club (2025) to $550,000 for a golf membership at The Club at Admirals Cove (2026–27) and about $550,000 for the total entry package at St. Andrews Country Club (September 2026). Riviera Country Club's separate offer of ten non-voting memberships at $2 million each is an outlier. Reported annual dues run from about $14,400 to about $53,400. All figures are reported or estimated, never club quotes. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
Does buying a home include membership at a South Florida country club?
It depends on the club. At Fisher Island Club, equity membership is available only to Fisher Island property owners. At St. Andrews Country Club and Frenchman's Creek Beach & Country Club, membership is reported as mandatory for owners. At Indian Creek, The Bear's Club and Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, membership is separate from homeownership, so buying a home does not secure admission. Confirm terms directly with each club's membership office before you buy. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What does La Gorce Country Club membership cost?
La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach had a reported initiation of $300,000 to $500,000 in 2021 Miami Herald coverage; current terms are not published and annual dues are not publicly disclosed. The club has said it is not accepting new applicants. It ranks #4 in the index with a score of 76 (Tier A). Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What is Riviera Country Club's $2 million membership?
The Real Deal reported in October 2026 that Riviera Country Club in Coral Gables is offering ten non-voting memberships at $2 million each, separate from its standard golf membership reported at $175,000. Social initiation was reported at $35,000 in 2021. Riviera ranks #5 in the index with a score of 73, and its waitlist was reported at more than 150 applicants in 2026. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
What does Fisher Island Club membership cost?
Fisher Island Club's official application lists a $350,000 equity contribution; third-party estimates range from $250,000 to $350,000. Equity members were reported to pay about $38,000 a year in 2025. Membership is open only to Fisher Island property owners. The club ranks #6 in the index with a score of 71. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.
How does the South Florida Private Club Prestige Index score clubs?
Each club is scored out of 100 across seven weighted dimensions: exclusivity (25 points), cultural renown (15), heritage (15), course pedigree (15), championships hosted (10), amenities (10) and entry-cost signal (10). Clubs scoring 75 or more are Tier A, 60 to 74 Tier B, and below 60 Tier C. Only confirmed private, member-owned or membership-gated clubs in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are eligible; resort and semi-private facilities are excluded. Source: Haute Residence South Florida Private Club Prestige Index 2026.