When Frederick Law Olmsted drew the plan for Druid Hills, he left room for a golf course. The club's own history describes 180 acres with three streams and tall hardwoods, set aside to stretch between what would become Emory University and the park-lined boulevard of Ponce de Leon Avenue.
The club was chartered in 1913, and two years later a 13-year-old junior member named Bobby Jones won its championship. It is still where Olmsted put it, at 740 Clifton Road, in a neighborhood still governed by historic preservation rules.
Olmsted, Candler and the Club
Druid Hills began with Olmsted's 1893 plan for developer Joel Hurt's Kirkwood Land Company, organized around Ponce de Leon Avenue. In 1908 Hurt sold the enterprise to Asa Candler, according to the historic district's record, and Candler was among the club's first members, along with John Grant, Edward Inman, Joseph Orme and Ernest Woodruff. Sixty citizens petitioned to incorporate the club in September 1912, and the charter was granted in May 1913.
The course was designed by H. H. Barker, winner of the 1906 Irish Open. The clubhouse burned on May 9, 1924, and a new one opened on July 1, 1925. The Dogwood Invitational, an amateur tournament, began here in April 1941, and the club says it stayed until 1972. In 2003 Bob Cupp renovated the course, aiming to return it to its original design.
Membership and Cost
Druid Hills describes itself on its website as a modern private club, a sanctuary minutes from downtown, and publishes nothing about categories or joining.
Its fees are not published either. The figure you will see most often, an initiation of about $85,000 and dues of about $7,500 a year for a resident golf membership, is attributed by one pricing site to a 2020 industry profile, and the same page acknowledges that the club does not publish a current fee sheet. Other figures online run from $5,000 to $100,000 and are labeled speculation by the sites that carry them. A six-year-old number of uncertain origin is not something to plan around.
What you can plan around is the shape of the cost: initiation, dues, a dining minimum and the possibility of assessments. The club has been building since 2018, adding a golf learning center and a new fitness, locker and pool building, and a buyer should ask how that work was funded. Our guide to how club costs work explains each piece.
The Homes Around the Club
The club sits between Ponce de Leon Avenue and North Decatur Road, inside the Druid Hills historic district. Much of Druid Hills is unincorporated DeKalb County, while Emory's campus and some nearby parcels have been annexed into Atlanta. Our Druid Hills guide puts typical luxury pricing at $1.2 million to $5 million and up, and our Druid Hills real estate guide covers the streets in detail.
The rules matter as much as the price. In DeKalb's locally designated area, the county's preservation commission reviews visible exterior changes, and a 2026 staff report recommended denying fabric awnings on a house's front facade. When Atlanta annexes a Druid Hills parcel, it places it in the city's Druid Hills Landmark District. Read our guide to what historic designation restricts before you plan any work.
Closer to Midtown, the in-town club is the Piedmont Driving Club beside Piedmont Park. For nearby neighborhoods, see our Decatur guide, or Virginia-Highland and Morningside to the west.
Before You Buy for the Club
- Ask the club for its current fee schedule and assessment history. The figures online are years old.
- Confirm whether the house is in DeKalb's designated area or Atlanta's landmark district, and what each means for your plans.
- Check the club's IRS filings on ProPublica for reserves and debt after its recent building.
- Buy the house for Druid Hills. The neighborhood is the asset, with or without the membership.
For the other clubs in the city, see our Atlanta country club communities guide.
The Short Version
- Olmsted set the land aside for a golf course in his plan for Druid Hills; the club was chartered in 1913.
- Fees are not published. The $85,000 figure online traces to a 2020 profile, not to the club.
- The houses around it sit in a historic district where exterior changes face review.
- It is a full-service club with golf, tennis, swimming and fitness, between Emory and Ponce de Leon.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Druid Hills Golf Club membership cost?
The club does not publish a fee schedule. The most-cited figure online, an initiation of about $85,000 with annual dues of about $7,500 for a resident golf membership, is attributed by one site to a 2020 industry profile, and that same site says the club does not publish a current one. Other figures circulating range from $5,000 to $100,000 and are labeled speculation by the sites that carry them. Ask the club for the current schedule.
When was Druid Hills Golf Club founded?
Sixty Atlanta citizens petitioned to incorporate it on September 24, 1912, and the charter was granted on May 22, 1913, according to the club. Early members included Asa Candler, John Grant, Edward Inman, Joseph Orme and Ernest Woodruff.
Who designed Druid Hills Golf Club?
The original course was designed by H. H. Barker, the Englishman who won the 1906 Irish Open. Bob Cupp renovated it extensively in 2003 with the aim of returning it to its original Golden Age design.
Did Bobby Jones play at Druid Hills Golf Club?
Yes. In August 1915, at 13, Jones won the club championship as a junior member, according to the club's history.
What amenities does Druid Hills Golf Club have?
Golf, tennis, swimming, a fitness center and dining, according to the club. Its tennis center has eleven courts, and since 2018 the club has added a golf learning center and a new building for fitness, locker rooms and the pool.
Are homes near Druid Hills Golf Club subject to historic review?
Many are. Druid Hills is a National Register historic district, and DeKalb County reviews visible exterior changes to properties in its locally designated area; a 2026 county staff report applied that review to fabric awnings on a front facade. Parcels annexed into Atlanta are placed in the city's Druid Hills Landmark District. Check the specific address before you plan renovations.
Disclaimer: The Luxury Realtor Group is not affiliated with Druid Hills Golf Club. Membership terms, fees, categories and waitlists are set by the club and change over time; confirm them directly with the club. History is drawn from the sources linked in the text. Home price ranges are general market observations, not appraisals.
