• Being a member at a golf club can come with a host of perks.Golf cart on golf course image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
  
  Being a member at a golf club comes with its perks. Golfers can have access to the club's amenities, which, depending on the club, can be endless things to keep the entire family happy all year long. If thinking of joining a club, now could be as good a time as ever. Golf courses and country clubs continue to offer discounted rates due to the sputtering economy.
  
  

Golf

• It's probably the main reason to join the club: golf, golf and more golf. Seven days a week. And often every day of the year--including holidays. The club will often give its members the best tee times available on the weekend, so the dew-sweepers can play on the freshly-mowed greens. Golf is also cheaper. Members will have to pay cart fees, but they won't have to pay premium green fees. That means those who like to play the game at its truest form--walking--can play for free....after paying membership fees and annual dues.
  
  

Swimming

• Swimming pools are one way of keeping cool in the sweltering summer months. They can also be fun for the entire family, especially the kids who aren't old enough to swing a golf club or wives who want their spouses to have their "guy time." The club will hire life guards who often will hold classes to teach kids--and adults--how to swim.
  
  

Restaurant

• Some golf courses have private restaurants that are only open for members and their guests. The food can be reasonably priced at lunch, so it can be a good place to take a client for lunch. At dinner, the food will come at premium costs, but it can be a good place to get dressed up and treat a significant other to a candlelight dinner.
  
  

Fitness

• Many clubs will give their members a pass code to enter the fitness center 24 hours a day. The fitness areas at some clubs come stocked with the best equipment to keep members in the best shape, and the flat screen televisions to watch while they're fine-tuning their bodies.
  
  

Driving range

• Members at a golf club sometimes have an all-access pass to the driving range. That means members can hit as many golf balls as they want. Some clubs even have an indoor golfing range to allow golfers to hit golf balls during inclement weather.
  
  

Teaching pro

• Many golf clubs have teaching PGA professionals who can offer lessons. Members can get help to lower their handicaps from someone who has spent years learning the game inside and out. Many teaching pros today have installed camera equipment that can match up a member's swing to Tiger Woods' and compare the two.