We’ve received a lot of messages about this, so we decided it’s time to talk about it. Apparently, luxury now comes with a 25% off tag. The Club just announced that Golf Memberships, once proudly priced at $100,000, are now being sold for $75,000. “Final 13 spots!” they say, like we’re lining up for discounted TVs on Black Friday.
This isn’t just frustrating for someone who joined recently. It’s a blow to everyone who believed in the long-term value of their membership. It’s like buying a home in what you thought was a strong, stable neighborhood—then watching the property next door sell for a huge discount. You don’t need to be an economist to know what happens to your value.
And this isn’t an isolated case. Remember the Spa Membership? That was discounted too. The result? Our resignation list is now full of members looking for the exit. The message is clear: lower the price, lower the standard, and the people who truly invested here start trying to get out.
To make things even more festive, they’ve turned the whole thing into a raffle. Refer a friend and you might win $25,000! Nothing says refined country club quite like a cash giveaway. Who needs prestige when you can play membership bingo?
Meanwhile, most luxury clubs across California are doing the opposite. They’re increasing their initiation fees, protecting the integrity of their brand, and building waiting lists to join. At Santaluz, we’ve got a waiting list too — just in the opposite direction. Ours is for resignations. Years long. Welcome to the new standard.
This isn’t how you manage a luxury country club. It’s how you run a clearance event.
If this leadership trend continues, in five years we won’t be offering discounts — we’ll be giving away Golf Memberships with every deluxe car wash and tossing in a raffle ticket for good luck.
Honestly shocked they didn’t announce it with a giant inflatable gorilla and a “SALE!” banner across the north gate. Missed marketing opportunity.
Prestige? Value? Nah.
So much for free speech and transparency – my previous comment was removed by you
Lisa, you’re more than welcome to reach out directly if you have specific questions. You’re also free to join the conversation, respectfully, of course. And if it’s not your thing, that’s perfectly fine too. No one’s forcing you to visit.
Why was the comment I posted earlier removed? It wasn’t rude nor disrespectful. I have reached out to you – twice. I am still receiving what are in my opinion, divisive emails with no effort to problem solve or arrive at an actual result. Your posts and emails are partial truths, embellishments and a lot of hearsay. That doesn’t drive change. Step away from your anonymous email handle, gather like-minded members, run for the Board, join committees and participate actively to drive the change that you want to see. You are right – no one is forcing me to read these…just as no one is forcing you to belong to Santaluz.
Many of us are already involved in different committees. The main issue at Santaluz is simple: Russell Sylte needs to go. He’s the one creating division, he’s mismanaging the club, and he’s the one dragging Santaluz down.
To everyone defending this madness: when you buy into a high-end club, you’re buying into more than a golf course—you’re buying into the promise of stability, long-term value, and smart leadership. This isn’t it. And sorry Lisa, if you’re fine with watching your investment tank in the name of ‘positive vibes,’ that’s your choice. I prefer accountability.
Lisa, no one’s forcing you to read or participate. But if you’re going to jump in, at least pretend you care about facts. Calling this platform “toxic” just because it reveals the truth? That’s like blaming the mirror for your bedhead. Don’t like what you see? Blame the management, not the members holding up the mirror.
Just a quick shout-out to whoever thought raffles, referral programs, and discounted luxury were a great idea at an equity-based country club. You’ve officially made Santaluz the Timeshare of Private Clubs. Bravo.
#RussellBeTerminated
Discounts might work in the short term, sure. Maybe you’ll get a few new members. But long term? You can’t run a luxury club like a clearance rack. It’s like putting Rolexes on sale, suddenly they’re just watches. Once you lose that sense of exclusivity, the value drops for everyone. And no, you can’t undo that damage with a raffle and a smile.
#RussellBeTerminated
You don’t slash prices on a “luxury” membership unless leadership has run out of ideas and credibility. But sure, let’s all pretend this is strategic.
#RussellBeTerminated
I agree
#RussellBeTerminated
But why not slash the price if there are years long list to leave the club. They need to do whatever they can to get the waiting list down. Next they will have a buy 1 get one free special. Santaluz Club under Russell has gone Down Hill. He has turned the Club into a joke.
He has already been warned and on notice they will fire him if there is another incident. He should just quit before he gets fired. He will never find another Job again.
We’re one of the unfortunate families who joined just a few months before the club decided to lower the initiation fee. We met with Russel and a board member, and during that conversation, it became apparent that the club was already aware of financial challenges and an increasing number of members seeking to exit.
They showed us a chart reflecting new memberships, exits, and the Santaluz housing market though we may not recall all the details accurately, as they declined to share the data with us after the meeting for confirmation.
What’s most concerning is that, despite having these internal discussions, they still charged us the full $100K. We asked about the decision-making process, what data supported it, what analysis or methodology was used, and how this would impact families like ours who had just joined. Unfortunately, we never received a clear explanation. It left us feeling like our concerns simply didn’t matter.
All companies have a right to lower their prices to increase traffic (members, butts in seats, to name a few). It’s the cost of doing business. It happens. Not sure what rock you’re living under.
I understand that pricing adjustments are part of doing business. What we’re raising is not just about the price cut, but the complete lack of transparency in the process， especially for those of us who joined just weeks before the change. A 25% drop shortly after we paid the full amount is significant, and we simply asked for clarity.
There’s no need for personal comments like “what rock you’re living under.” I’m approaching this as a member hoping for open, respectful dialogue and better communication from the club.