How to Join a Country Club with a Waitlist

Today we’re breaking down a question that quietly circles locker rooms and back nines across the country

How do you get into a country club when the golf membership is full?

Whether you're eyeing a private course for its championship layout or the social circle it fosters, these smart tactics will help you position yourself for a warm welcome — even if the club says “waitlist only.”

Network with Current Members

The fastest lane into most clubs? Personal connections.

• Already know a member? Ask them to sponsor or write a letter on your behalf.

• Don’t know anyone yet? Meet members socially:

  • Attend club-hosted charity events or open tournaments.

  • Hang out at adjacent hotspots — the pro shop, clubhouse bar, or partner restaurants.

Apply Under a Different Membership Category

Golf full? No problem. Ask about:

• Social or dining memberships

• Tennis, pool, or fitness memberships

• Legacy memberships (if you’re related to a past or present member)

Clubs often allow non-golf members to “upgrade” to full golf when a spot opens — quietly giving you a backdoor in.

Express Interest Politely, but Persistently

First impressions matter. So does follow-up.

• Submit a complete, polished application with letters of recommendation.

• Check in every few months — stay on their radar without being a nuisance.

• Ask about waitlist tiers or if you can place a partial deposit to secure stronger positioning.

Explore Young Executive or Introductory Programs

Many clubs offer:

• Discounted rates for applicants under 40

• Trial memberships (3–12 months, limited access)

• Weekday or twilight-only golf to ease into the community

Use these to build goodwill and visibility with staff and members.

Be Seen: Guest Play & League Nights

Even if you’re not a member yet, you can often:

• Play as a guest with a friend or associate

• Join men’s leagues or charity scrambles hosted at the club

Look for Transfer Opportunities

In equity clubs, when a member leaves or relocates, their spot may be:

• Transferable to someone they nominate

• Privately purchasable (with club approval)

Discreetly inquire with the membership director if any such scenarios are on the horizon.

Join a Sister or Reciprocal Club First

Some clubs are part of:

• Multi-course ownership groups

• Reciprocal networks

Joining an affiliated property may offer interim privileges or priority access when golf memberships open.

Be Patient — But Strategic

The waiting period is a soft interview.

• Attend public events.

• Show you’re sociable, generous, and not a diva.

• Position yourself as someone who adds to the club’s culture — not just a number on the tee sheet.

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The New York Boston sports rivalry features dynasties, championship droughts, villains and heroes for both sides.

From Pedro physically assaulting Don Zimmer during the 2003 ALCS to Eli’s mastery over Tom, the sporting world has been treated to some all time moments and that’s before you throw in the Knicks, Celtics, Rangers, and Bruins.

While Boston holds its own as a formidable rival to New York in the world of sports, it lags behind the Big Apple in both the sheer volume of infamous mobsters and the wealth of films and television shows their stories have inspired.

Perhaps it is unfair to compare any city’s crime film catalog against, The Godfather and Goodfellas. New York City adjacent, The Sopranos, which does include NY story lines, isn’t just one of the best crime television shows of all time, but one of the best television shows of all time, helping to usher in prestige television.

There is even a shocking lack of American Revolution films. If Game of Thrones can spit out The Battle of Blackwater, why can’t we see James Cameron create the Boston Tea Party on iMax?

Since 2010, there has been an uptick in quality true crime and fiction works. Netflix’s 2021 This is a Robbery covers the 1990 art heist of the Gardner Museum. The case is currently unsolved despite a $10 million dollar reward for information leading to the art’s recovery.

Ben Affleck’s 2010 The Town is nearly perfect if you can overlook Blake Lively’s mumbled Southie accent.

(Editor’s Note: New York City folks will say The Departed isn’t a Boston movie because it is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong Infernal Affairs.) 

When Black Mass premiered in 2015, it drew attention not only for Johnny Depp’s chilling transformation into Whitey Bulger, but for its promise to dramatize one of the most disturbing alliances in American criminal history — the unholy partnership between the FBI and a brutal South Boston gangster.

Based on the bestselling book Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil’s Deal by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, the film attempts to navigate the murky waters of law enforcement corruption, organized crime, and loyalty gone awry.

Unfortunately, Captain Jack Sparrow as Whitey Bulger was underwhelming when it had no reason to be.

While the movie is gripping and well-acted, it takes significant artistic liberties, sacrificing key historical details and complex character dynamics for narrative clarity and emotional impact. It’s compelling, but incomplete — a myth built on truth but softened for the screen.

Depp’s Bulger: A Sinister Specter, but Not the Whole Man

Depp’s portrayal of Bulger is undeniably striking. With his pale blue contacts, receding hairline, and quiet menace, he transforms into a cold, calculating killer who seems capable of erupting at any moment. Yet this version of Bulger is also oddly flat. He is shown as unpredictable and violent — but not cunning, manipulative, or politically astute.

In reality, Bulger was far more than a thug. He was a master manipulator, a man who carefully crafted his image in South Boston as a protector of the neighborhood while profiting from drugs, extortion, and murder. He cultivated relationships with corrupt law enforcement, leveraged family political ties (his brother, Billy Bulger, was president of the Massachusetts Senate), and operated with strategic patience. The film portrays his brutality well, but downplays his intelligence and charisma — the qualities that made his criminal career so long and successful.

The FBI Deal: True, But Simplified

One of the central themes of Black Mass is the corrupt alliance between Bulger and FBI agent John Connolly. This partnership allowed Bulger to act as a confidential informant, giving up rival Italian mobsters while the FBI turned a blind eye to his growing power. The film captures this dynamic, but in doing so, reduces the FBI’s culpability to one rogue agent.

In reality, multiple FBI officials enabled or ignored Bulger’s actions for years. The culture within the Boston office was one of favoritism, rivalry, and looking the other way. The film frames Connolly as a boyhood friend blinded by loyalty — which is true to an extent — but it fails to fully explore the systemic corruption that made Bulger's rise possible. This makes the FBI look like a victim of manipulation, rather than co-conspirators in decades of crime.

Sanitized Violence and Omitted Victims

Despite several jarring scenes — including the infamous strangling of Deborah Hussey — Black Mass still sanitizes the true extent of Bulger’s violence. In reality, Bulger was personally involved in or ordered at least 19 murders, many of which involved torture, dismemberment, or burying bodies in shallow graves. His Winter Hill Gang ruled Southie through terror, and some of his most gruesome crimes are absent from the film entirely.

For example, the murder of John McIntyre, a potential informant who was tortured before being shot and buried in a basement, is only briefly referenced. Similarly, the decades of fear Bulger instilled in families, shop owners, and local criminals is underplayed. By focusing more on his relationship with the FBI than his reign of terror, the film misses the chance to show just how traumatizing his presence was to the community.

Supporting Characters Reduced to Archetypes

To streamline the story, the film condenses or omits many key figures from Bulger’s criminal world:

• Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, Bulger’s longtime partner, plays a background role, despite being integral to nearly every crime Bulger committed.

• Kevin Weeks, Bulger’s muscle and eventual informant, is renamed and reduced to a one-dimensional figure.

• Bulger’s romantic and family relationships — especially his role as a father and brother — are only lightly touched upon, stripping away layers that could have made him more complex and human.

While these changes help focus the narrative, they also flatten the emotional and moral texture of the story. The result is a world that feels stylized and sinister, but not fully lived in.

A Film About Myth, Not History

Director Scott Cooper clearly aimed to craft a dark, brooding gangster tale, not a comprehensive biography. In that respect, Black Mass succeeds — it’s atmospheric, well-paced, and emotionally effective. But in dramatizing Bulger’s life, it contributes to the same myth-making that shielded him for so long.

The real Bulger was not just a criminal — he was a case study in how institutions fail, how friendship becomes complicity, and how public personas can mask private terror. These themes are hinted at, but never fully explored.

Listen

Dirty Rats (Podcast)

This twelve episode podcast series was released the year after Bulger was murdered in prison. The most compelling part of the show centers around Billy Bulger, played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the movie.

Cumberbatch’s Bulger comes across as an unknowing brother and loving father. In reality, Brother Bulger seems to be one of the most nefarious politicians in US History. This is revealed across several episodes when Bulger must testify under oath. Which begs the question, why did Cooper and the screenplay ignore Billy’s true character?

This is one of those moments when truth is stranger than fiction.

Read

Who killed Whitey Bulger?

Whitey Bulger’s Killer’s Lookout, a 50 year old man

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