In the past year, we have seen the destination club category begin to evolve (with lots more evolution coming), divided between the emergence of smaller, boutique clubs such as Solstice and larger clubs such as Exclusive Resorts, Quintess – Catch the Dream, and Private Escapes.

Now, special-interest or niche clubs are getting some traction, including Fly Fishing Destinations and now The Markers Club.

We spoke to Mitch Brinton, Founder and Chairman of The Markers Club, at length last week. He made it very clear that first and foremost, his club is for the very avid golfer: someone who “takes his sticks” on every business trip just in case there is time to fit in a round. We will publish a profile soon of The Markers in our directory, but for now here are some highlights of the club:

• The Markers Club is not only the first but also the only golf club of its kind in the world.
• The target membership number is 325; while Brinton would not disclose how many members he has, Helium Report’s estimate is that it’s in the 25-40 member range.
• Three membership plans, starting at $285,000; 90% is refundable in the start-up phase and 100% thereafter. Plans include up to 56 days of use per year, 21 days of which can be booked in advance. The non-advance days (up to 35 days) incur a nightly fee of $250.
• Members can stay up to two weeks in a single property and reservations can be made one year in advance. Each member gets one advanced holiday reservation, although it was not clear to us how those advance reservations are allocated – first come, first serve or via a lottery.
• Members are not limited to one course – they have free access to 170 private clubs around the country. Markers also hosts championships and other special events at a number of different locations.
• Other perks include: exclusive ticket packages for PGA Tour events, access to local spas, and special reduced pricing on greens fees and golf equipment.
• Six homes are open and a new home in Cabo will open in December of this year. Homes have an average value of $1.75 million and are 3,000 sq. ft. with at least four bedrooms.
• 10% of the membership deposit goes into a ‘resignation fund’ (up to $3 million), allowing the club over time to be able to retire memberships immediately.

One aspect of the club structure worth noting is the “hybrid” nature of the membership: the club is a non-equity club, but in the event of a sale of the club, 75% of the profit in a sale will go to The Markers’ investors and management, and 25% will be distributed to members.

The clear focus of the club is golf. Homes are not necessarily located on the golf course, but are very near to a course where The Markers members have privileges (and golf for free), as well as in areas where there are many world-class courses. The club also has a Players Council to help develop the club’s golf programs, including an annual members golf championship.

Members also have the opportunity to golf with PGA professionals and famed players such as Billy Casper, Donna Caponi, John Harris, Bruce Summerhays and the Golf Channel’s David Marr. Some of the vacation homes also come with a special golf perk as well such as a private club fitting at the PING factory in Scottsdale.

In short, The Markers is a private club that combines a national golf membership with a destination club.

Map of The Markers destinations and logo courtesy http://www.themarkersclub.com.