Golfers across Fayette County say steep new membership dues from Invited (formerly ClubCorp) are cutting access, raising costs, and disrupting decades-old traditions. Several members described the increases as a case of corporate greed, arguing that prices are climbing while course access narrows and improvements remain unclear.
Invited recently released its 2026 membership dues and access model for Braelinn, Flat Creek, Planterra, Whitewater Creek in Fayetteville, and the two Coweta County courses. The new structure raises monthly dues sharply for many members while limiting access to specific courses — a shift residents say mirrors an earlier move that made Planterra Golf Club exclusive several years ago.
Now, members say, the same thing is happening to Braelinn.
Invited has not responded to The Citizen’s request for an interview.
In an email to members announcing the changes, Invited wrote that the new structure was designed to “improve the overall member experience and address the feedback we have received.” The message said the company had taken “a close look at how our members use and experience the clubs each day” and identified the need for “improved access and availability,” “greater consistency,” and a “stronger connection and community.”
Rates up, access down
The email told members that “member usage and demand have never been stronger,” but that growing crowds have made tee sheets “increasingly compact during peak times” and some amenities “busier than intended.” The company said the updated structure was intended to “help balance access, reduce compaction, and support daily operations.”
According to the 2026 membership chart sent to members, a Braelinn Signature Golf & Lifestyle membership will cost $625 per month, while Planterra Premier rises to $785. The Planterra Associate tier, which limits when members may play, is listed at $675. Social memberships are also rising.
The message told members that their “newly renamed membership category” and associated dues would take effect January 1, 2026, unless they selected a different option by December 15.
A membership that previously included all Peachtree City and Newnan courses except Planterra rose from $415 in 2024, to $465 in 2025, and now to $625 in 2026 — a nearly 50% increase in two years. William, a longtime member, reached out to The Citizen first about this issue and asked to remain anonymous. He said this increase does not include Planterra’s already separate, higher-tier structure.
“They’re cutting access and raising rates at the same time,” William said. “If you buy Planterra now, you get everything. But if you buy Braelinn, you don’t get Planterra. And if you buy anything else, you lose Braelinn. It’s less for more.”
He said Planterra was made exclusive several years ago, and “now they’re doing it to Braelinn.”
“We absolutely cannot afford it anymore.”
Jacob, a younger member whose name has been changed by request, joined the club after moving to Peachtree City with his wife five years ago. Jacob is a member of the long-running Weekend Golf Group and said the club quickly became central to their lives.
“Our original dues started off around like $330 a month, which is…a great deal for what we were getting,” he said. “In those four years, and now with this new price structure, if you want the same amenities that you had four years ago, the cost is essentially…up 195%.”
Jacob said the club provided not only golf but friendships and community. His wife used the Braelinn pool regularly, and their two-year-old was just beginning to enjoy swimming.
But the 2026 dues — more than $600 a month plus minimums and cart fees — pushed the family past their limit.
“Absolutely not, not with what we’re doing…there’s just no way to really make it work,” he said. “We kind of feel like it’s getting ripped away from us for no good reason other than corporate greed.”
Without a membership, Jacob expects golf to shift to occasional day trips.
“It’s going to go…to hop in the car and drive 45 minutes and maybe get to play once every month or every other month,” he said.
He said they will likely redirect the money toward their son’s 529 college savings plan. “That’s a perfect place to put it,” he said.
A 60-year-old golf group under strain
Few local organizations illustrate the ripple effects like the Weekend Golf Group, a men’s golf association that has played together for more than half a century. It includes roughly 150 active members and fields 10 to 14 foursomes every Saturday and Sunday.
Greg Johnson, who has been part of the group for 30 years and leads it today, said the new structure will sharply reduce course access for many of his members.
“People that just have Peachtree City…pay like $450 or $460 a month, and they’re raising it to $625, if you want to keep Braelinn,” Johnson said. “That’s a huge increase, but they’re not doing anything to Braelinn. They haven’t promised any upgrades.”
Johnson is a Planterra member and therefore retains full access. But he said many players in his group either cannot afford or will not agree to pay more than $600 per month just to keep playing Braelinn — historically one of the group’s most commonly played courses, along with Flat Creek and Whitewater Creek.
“The dues increase is an overreach,” he said. “There are quite a few that aren’t going to pay that extra money. So that leaves them with only two courses in town. Everybody’s going to be fighting over tee times.”
He said the group will continue playing, but the fragmentation of membership tiers will inevitably split where members can play together.
Longtime members say improvements haven’t matched increases
William said maintenance budgets at some courses have tightened over the years, contributing to worn cart paths and reduced staff.
A few years back, he asked a former regional director whether rate increases would result in improvements.
“He said, ‘No, no, there’s not,’” William said. “He said, ‘We don’t have to. You’re a captive audience.’”
Jacob agreed that improvements have not matched rising dues.
“It would make a difference if you could see a difference,” he said. “There’s none of that going on…there has been a very minimal list of things that improve with all of these added costs.”
A monopoly in a golf-centric region
With all four Fayette County-area courses owned by a single company, members say competition is nonexistent.
“They have a captive audience,” Johnson said. “Where else are we going to go?”
William said the lack of alternatives allows large increases with limited accountability.
“To keep an equal membership, that’s pretty significant,” he said. “I don’t know that the value is there for me anymore.”
For younger families like Jacob’s, the loss is not just financial.
“We’ve made so many friends here,” he said. “We really enjoyed using the club…the pool, the golf. It’s just getting taken away.”
A December deadline
Members have until December 15 to select new membership categories before potential initiation fees or access restrictions take effect in January, according to documents provided to The Citizen.
Some longtime members expect to stay. Others, like Jacob, may feel priced out. And leaders like Johnson are focused on keeping their groups intact despite fewer shared courses.
But across all three interviews, one theme echoed clearly:
The changes are not just about fairways or fees — they are reshaping the social fabric of Fayette County’s golf community.
