How Much Does an Ocean Reef Club Membership Cost?
The Ocean Reef Club prides itself on “the unique way of life.”
As an exclusive community located in Key Largo, Florida, the Ocean Reef Club is filled with condos, villas, townhouses, marina slips and single family residences.
In 1948, it was initially known as a fishing camp, but over time, the members added various activities such as yachting, tennis, shopping, swimming, flying and more.
How much does an Ocean Reef Club membership cost?
The club, according to its official website, provides two private membership opportunities: social, equity club and legacy memberships. All members, whether social or equity club members, have to abide by the club’s rules, policies and regulations. This is a condition and requirement for all memberships. New members have to pay an initiation fee, and ultimately, the costs are going to depend on the type of membership you sign up for. Refer to the table below to see the costs we sourced online.
| Membership Class | Initiation Fee | Annual Dues |
|---|---|---|
| Non-local, Non-resident Social | $11,500 | $3,300 |
| Local Social | $40,000 | $5,800 |
| Summer only (valid from May to end of October) | $20,000 | $3,700 |
| Property Equity (This equity will be sold separately from a property) | $215,000 | $8,000 |
NOTE: These costs are all considered to be estimates we sourced from the Internet and can’t be guaranteed. Please refer to the club for more information in regards to the official pricing at this time.
PassportMiami notes the prices for the condominiums and townhomes range between $400,000 and $4,000,000, and the residential homes are priced between $1 million and $15 million. As for the social membership, this can start at $11,500, whereas equity owners of property can plan on paying $215,000.
Even though the source is more than 10 years old, the NY Post, in 2004, noted that in order to purchase a charter equity membership, a potential resident would have to be sponsored by two current members and purchase their membership for $180,000.
The membership options
Social – A non-local social membership is available to those who wish to join the club but are not residents of either Monroe or Miami-Dade counties. In this case, an aspiring non-local member must be sponsored by two club members, with one of them being an equity member. To become a local social member, a potential member must be sponsored by two equity members and one member of the South Florida membership committee. The aspiring member must also be a resident of either Monroe or Miami-Dade counties.
Equity – To become an equity club owner, one must own property either in the Anglers club or the Ocean Reef Club communities. He or she must be sponsored by two equity members and the membership application has to be approved before the property is closed. In case the closing of the property happens before membership approval, the candidate has no otherwise but to wait for at least five years before re-applying for membership.
Legacy – This option is available to children and grandchildren of current Equity members.
Ocean Reef Club membership overview
The Ocean Reef Club spans more than 3,000 acres and is basically a small town which transformed itself into a private club, with much of it on the water, bordering the reef on three sides. With Florida’s restrictive environmental laws, experts say there may never be a club like this again. The town has its own airport, medical center, fire department, 200-room hotel room, beach facilities, restaurants, three golf courses, 40 tennis courts, a police force, church, school, arts league, 300-seat cultural center, town hall, spa, shopping center, restaurants, hair salon, nature center and even a gas station for its residents/visitors. With family in mind, the club has activities for members of all ages, including children-like activities such as a nature center, special resort pool and game room.
The equity membership is said to offer airport privileges, a marine with 175+ slips, an ownership stake in the club and access to all of the club’s amenities, including the tennis courts, beach access, and a variety of family-friendly activities.
What are the extra costs?
A $600 food and beverage charge applies to equity members.
Many of the club’s activities may have a fee to participate.
A marina slip, while optional, is said to cost well into the six figures. A Yachting Magazine article did note a 90-foot yacht slip was available at one time for $549,000.
Tips to know
Social members can upgrade to equity membership within five years once they purchase property within the club community. In this case, a part of their initiation fees goes toward the upgrade.
The U.S Secret Service has called it one of the most secure communities in the United States.
Inside the club, they do abide by a strict dress and cell phone policy as seen here.
Today, as per the official club, there approximately 1,600 Equity members that own property, including the docks and condominiums, and Social and Local members, when combined, total an additional 2,000. There are also another 1,100 Legacy members.
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