The Roseville gains a toehold ontot the Ladies European Professional Golf Tour

Del Paso Country Club is reducing its initiation fee by $30,000 in the latest signal that a sagging economy and abundance of competition for the golfing dollar continues to take a toll on area private clubs.

The cost to join Del Paso is dropping from $75,000 to $45,000. The move is intended to stimulate new membership interest, general manager Bob Kunz said.

"The factors outside of our walls have changed," Kunz said. "We need to offer a price point that is relevant to a new normal."

Del Paso generated significant new membership interest when it renovated its course and reopened in July 2006 after an 18-month closure. The cost to join swelled from $60,000 to $75,000 and the number of members reached 485, the club's ceiling. Del Paso now has 400 members, Kunz said.

Hal Drury, a Del Paso member since 1950 when he paid an initiation fee of $1,400, said he believes it's the first time the cost to join the member-owned club has decreased in the past 59 years.

Granite Bay, with an initiation fee of $60,000, takes over as the area's most expensive club. The club attracted 25 new members in 2009 and is at its 475-member cap, membership director Michael Lee said.

Granite Bay discussed lowering the initiation fee it has maintained for seven years, but last year instead increased the percentage it refunds to outgoing members from 50 to 75 percent of the listed fee. That made current and prospective members happy, Lee said.

Granite Bay is owned and operated by ClubCorp.

How does Lee feel about Granite Bay being the new top dog in town?

"I'm pretty proud of it, to be honest," Lee said. "It says a lot about Granite Bay and product that we have."

Serrano costs $35,000 after having recently dipped to $20,000 in a temporary membership push.

Catta Verdera is $20,000, but general manager Jeff Wilson said he intends to implement a plan in the first quarter of 2010 that will significantly reduce that fee to stimulate new membership.

North Ridge is $9,500.

Winchester, which had an initiation fee of $60,000, went into foreclosure last year, its members losing all of their equity.

Welch carries on

Kim Welch remains the queen of pro golf's fringes.

The Roseville resident continued a frustrating streak last week in Spain, gaining a toehold onto the Ladies European Professional Golf Tour but falling one stroke short of gaining tour membership and exempt status.

After three prequaliyfing and four qualifying rounds, she finished a stroke out of the magic top 30. A second-round 80 in the final stage that included a quadruple 9 didn't help. She had an eagle 3 on the 18th hole in the final round.

Welch, a St. Francis High School graduate and winner of the Golf Channel's "Big Break: Ka'anapali" reality series last year, was a member of the LPGA Tour in 2009 but with status so low she gained entrance into just four tournaments.

She's again an LPGA Tour member for 2010, but with similar status.