Private Clubs in West Vancouver & Vancouver: A Guide

Much of West Vancouver’s and Vancouver’s social life happens quietly, at a handful of member-owned clubs: on a fairway in the British Properties, on a tennis court in Shaughnessy, at a downtown dining room, or at a yacht club’s outstation up the coast. For families new to the area, it isn’t always obvious how these clubs work or how to join one. This guide explains both, using each club’s own published information.

How membership usually works

Every club sets its own rules, but most follow a similar pattern:

Sponsors. Many clubs ask for existing members to support your application. The West Vancouver Yacht Club, for example, asks most applicants for two member sponsors in good standing, with written references.
Committee review. A membership committee reviews the application, often interviews you, and makes a recommendation to the board, which decides.
Posting and waiting. Some clubs post new applications for members to see before they’re considered. Hollyburn Country Club, for instance, describes a 30-day posting period and an application that takes about three months in total. You can’t use the facilities until you’re approved.
Waitlists. The most sought-after clubs have waitlists, and some pause new applications entirely for a while. Ask the membership office how long the current wait is.
Fees. Expect a one-time entrance fee plus annual dues. Entrance fees are often non-refundable, and memberships often can’t be transferred. Fees change, so ask each club for its current schedule.
Family continuity. Several clubs have reduced-rate categories for members’ adult children, which is part of why membership tends to run in families.

Golf and country clubs

Capilano Golf and Country Club, West Vancouver

Capilano sits in the British Properties at 420 Southborough Drive, and it’s tied up with the neighbourhood’s beginnings. Stanley Thompson walked the site in 1932 and designed the course, with the Olmsted Brothers firm also involved. The course opened in 1937, and the club was officially opened in 1939 once the clubhouse was finished. The original British Pacific Properties development was largely controlled by the Guinness family, who also financed the Lions Gate Bridge. The members bought the club’s property in 1955. Golf Digest ranked Capilano 51st on its 2018 list of the world’s 100 greatest courses outside the United States. The club handles membership enquiries directly.

Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Vancouver

Shaughnessy was founded on April 26, 1911, as Shaughnessy Heights Golf Club, as part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s plans for the Shaughnessy neighbourhood. It moved in 1960 to its present 160-acre waterfront site on Southwest Marine Drive, on the traditional and ancestral territory of the Musqueam First Nation. The course there was A.V. Macan’s last championship course in Canada. The club holds a lease, negotiated by the Government of Canada, that runs to 2032. Shaughnessy has hosted the Canadian Open several times, most recently in 2005 and 2011, and the CPKC Women’s Open in 2023.

Point Grey Golf and Country Club, Vancouver

Near the University of British Columbia, off Marine Drive, Point Grey describes itself as a part of Vancouver life for more than a hundred years. The club invites membership enquiries through its website.

Seymour Golf and Country Club, North Vancouver

Founded in 1953, Seymour is a member club set in North Vancouver’s forest. It also gives the public priority access on most Mondays, which makes it one of the few private courses you can try before you apply.

Family and racquet clubs

Hollyburn Country Club, West Vancouver

Hollyburn sits on 49 acres of the British Properties at 950 Cross Creek Road, overlooking the city. It’s a family club rather than a golf club. Its facilities include:

25 tennis courts, 7 squash courts, 6 badminton courts and pickleball courts
two pools and two ice rinks
fitness and wellness facilities
child minding and dining

More than 7,900 people are members. Hollyburn currently has a waitlist, and it has separate memberships for members’ children once they’re adults.

The Arbutus Club, Vancouver

A Vancouver landmark since 1964, the Arbutus Club is at 2001 Nanton Avenue. It has pools, fitness and racquet sports, a full-service spa, physiotherapy and three restaurants. At the time of writing, the club has paused new applications and keeps an expression-of-interest list.

Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, Vancouver

Founded in 1897 in the West End, the club moved to its present site at Fir Street and 16th Avenue in 1914. Its badminton hall, opened in 1928, is reported to be the first in North America built for the sport. Today the club has 16 tennis courts, 5 squash courts and 6 badminton courts. It offers both playing and social memberships, and members have access to reciprocal clubs.

Downtown city clubs

The Vancouver Club

Founded in 1889, according to the club, as the city’s first private club, the Vancouver Club occupies its heritage building at 915 West Hastings Street. It offers dining, accommodation, fitness and work spaces. Its members can use one of the largest networks of reciprocal clubs in Western Canada. Membership starts with an enquiry to the club.

Terminal City Club

At 837 West Hastings Street, the Terminal City Club combines dining, a fitness centre and pool, and shared work spaces. Its members are linked to hundreds of affiliated clubs worldwide. It offers personal and corporate memberships, with a separate category for members under 34. Its Legacy Program allows a personal membership to pass to a child or grandchild.

Clubs on the water

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

Founded in 1903 and granted its Royal charter in 1906, the RVYC has two home ports. One is the Jericho clubhouse in Point Grey, opened in 1927 at 3811 Point Grey Road; the other is Coal Harbour, beside Stanley Park. It also has seven offshore stations along the coast, from Tugboat Island to the Wigwam Inn on Indian Arm, which suit families who spend summers on the water. The club has more than 4,600 members.

West Vancouver Yacht Club

West Vancouver residents founded this club in December 1945, with 45 members and six boats, and in 1951 a group of members bought the land at Fisherman’s Cove that the club still occupies (5854 Marine Drive). It describes itself as casual and family-friendly. Most applicants need two member sponsors, followed by an interview with the membership committee and a decision by the board.

A note on discretion

Clubs here value privacy, and so do their members; this guide doesn’t name any. If you’re thinking about joining, the best first step is a call to the membership office, then a tour.

Where to live, if a club matters to you

Capilano and Hollyburn are both in the British Properties, so many members live within a few minutes of their club. British Properties neighbourhood guide. For sailors, the West Vancouver Yacht Club at Fisherman’s Cove is a short drive from Caulfeild and Horseshoe Bay. The Vancouver clubs are closest to the west-side neighbourhoods: Shaughnessy, Point Grey and Kerrisdale.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know a member to join a private club in Vancouver?

Often, yes. Many clubs ask for member sponsors. Some, like the West Vancouver Yacht Club, accept references from other professional or club contacts instead. Each club’s membership office can tell you what it requires.

How long does it take to join?

Anywhere from a few months to several years. The application itself often takes around three months. Where there’s a waitlist, that comes first.

Can I use the club while my application is being considered?

Usually not. Hollyburn, for example, doesn’t allow applicants to use its facilities until they’re approved.

If you’re moving to West Vancouver or Vancouver and want to talk about which areas suit the life you have in mind, I’m happy to help. Request a private consultation

General information, current as of publication, from each club’s own published material. Membership rules, availability and fees change; contact each club directly for current details.

The private clubs of West Vancouver and Vancouver