Among private clubs, a small number stand out for how much they cost to join. Below is a look at some of the most expensive clubs where you can play squash, from squash-focused clubs to elite multi-sport and country clubs with squash courts.
Each entry covers what is known about joining fees and recurring dues, along with the club's location. Many of these clubs do not publish their fees, so where figures appear they are drawn from press reports and should be treated as indicative rather than official.
Wentworth Club (Virginia Water, England, UK)
Joining fee: reportedly around £125,000 for new members. This six-figure debenture was proposed in 2014 after the club was bought by the Reignwood Group, as part of a plan to reduce the membership and make Wentworth far more exclusive.
The plan was controversial, and after a long campaign by members the club agreed in 2017 to make the new debenture scheme voluntary rather than compulsory.
Annual dues: reported at around £16,000 a year under the proposed scheme, roughly double the previous level. More recent estimates put the figures even higher, though the club does not publish official rates.
Wentworth is best known for its three championship golf courses, but it is a full country club with a tennis and health complex, a spa, a swimming pool, and squash courts among its facilities. The fee changes were aimed at ultra-high-net-worth members and were intended to cut the membership roll sharply.
Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong)
Joining fee: the entrance fee for full membership has been reported in the hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars, with a lower-tier racing membership costing considerably less to join. The club does not publish a single fixed figure and the amounts have changed over time.
Monthly dues: full members pay a monthly subscription in the low thousands of Hong Kong dollars, with racing members paying less.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club is an elite social and sporting club with several clubhouses and large sports complexes, including squash courts at its Happy Valley and Sha Tin clubhouses alongside tennis, swimming, and fitness facilities.
Membership is difficult to obtain: applicants must be proposed and seconded by existing members, and there is a long approval process.
The Tanglin Club (Singapore)
Joining fee: reported in the region of S$120,000 (about £72,000) to join, making it one of Singapore's costliest clubs to enter.
Annual dues: the yearly subscription is comparatively modest next to the large entrance fee.
Founded in 1865, the Tanglin Club is one of Singapore's oldest and most prestigious clubs. Prospective members need to be nominated by two long-standing members, and the waiting list can run 10 to 15 years.
The club has one of the best squash setups in Singapore, with six single courts and two doubles courts, plus dining venues, a gym, a pool, and indoor tennis courts.
The American Club (Hong Kong)
Joining fee: an individual American-category membership has been reported at around HK$438,000. The club requires members to be U.S. citizens, and candidates must be proposed and seconded by current members.
Monthly dues: members pay a monthly subscription in the low thousands of Hong Kong dollars.
The American Club Hong Kong runs two facilities, a city club in Central and a country club in Tai Tam, with restaurants, bars, a spa, pools, a gym, a basketball court, and tennis and squash courts at Tai Tam.
Even after nomination there is typically a waiting period of around a year and a half, given high demand for the limited memberships.
Bath & Racquets Club (London, England, UK)
Joining fee: about £1,000 as a one-time joining fee. Although low in absolute terms, it comes with strict conditions: the club is men-only and new members must be proposed by current ones.
Annual dues: reported at around £7,500 a year, which makes Bath & Racquets among the most expensive private gym and squash clubs in London.
Located in Mayfair and founded in 1989, Bath & Racquets is a squash-focused club limited to roughly 300 members. It has a long waiting list and a wealthy membership, and has been described in the press as drawing financiers and business figures.
The River Club (New York City, USA)
Joining fee: not publicly disclosed. Membership is highly exclusive and the club keeps its initiation costs private.
Annual dues: reported at roughly $10,000 a year as of 2013, placing it among Manhattan's most elite athletic and social clubs. Current figures are not published.
Founded in 1931 and housed at River House on East 52nd Street, the River Club is a private family-oriented club whose early membership lists carried names such as Roosevelt, Astor, and Vanderbilt. It was among the first prominent social clubs to admit both men and women.
Its facilities span five floors and include three squash courts, indoor tennis courts, a golf simulator, and a swimming pool.
