Anthem Country Club

Anthem Country Club, Anthem AZ: An Honest Community Overview

Anthem Country Club is the guard-gated, golf-focused part of Anthem, about 30 miles north of downtown Phoenix off I-17. It has around 2,900 homes, two 18-hole golf courses, two clubhouses, and one of the busiest social calendars in the north Valley. It also has a social club membership you can’t opt out of, more layers of fees than a typical Phoenix subdivision, and a commute that depends almost entirely on one freeway. Here’s the full picture.

Who Runs What (It’s Two Different Organizations)

Buyers mix these up all the time, so it’s worth getting straight before you make an offer.

The HOA (Anthem Country Club Community Association, or ACCCA) has a volunteer board and a management company. It runs the four gated entrances and the guards, maintains the private roads and sidewalks, and enforces the CC&Rs and design guidelines. Because the roads are private, repaving comes out of HOA reserves, not the county.

The club (Anthem Golf & Country Club) is a separate, for-profit business owned by Invited (formerly ClubCorp). It owns the golf courses, clubhouses, fitness centers, pools, tennis courts, and restaurants. The HOA has no say over it.

The Social Club Membership Comes With the House

This is probably the single most important thing to understand about Anthem Country Club. When you buy a home inside the gates, you automatically become a Social Member of the club and owe its dues. These dues continue for as long as you own the home. Also, homeowners don’t get a vote on what the club charges or how it’s run. Not a huge deal for most residents, but something to be aware of. I think it's a fair deal if you actually use the amenities like the gym, pools, tennis, etc.

One more thing: social membership does not include regular golf. That’s a separate membership with its own cost.

Golf

The community has two 18-hole championship courses, Persimmon and Ironwood, each with its own clubhouse, driving range, short-game area, and large putting green.

Full golf membership requires an application, approval, and an initiation fee on top of monthly dues. The initiation fees and monthly dues change, so make sure you get that in writing before making a move. Also, make sure there are ample tee times when you're looking to play as the courses can both get crowded during peak times.

Clubhouses, Fitness, and Tennis

The Persimmon and Ironwood clubhouses each have dining rooms, bars, and event space, and each has its own look. Between them there are two fitness centers with personal training and group classes like yoga and water aerobics.