Club life
Forest Highlands membership and lifestyle
Updated August 16, 2026 · Chris Morrison, RETSY · Forbes Global Properties
Membership is the product, not an add-on
Forest Highlands is a member-owned club. Buying a home is joining. The 2026 published path for an existing home is a $115,750 New Owner Capital Contribution, a $3,000 membership transfer fee, a $5,500 utility transfer fee, and $1,525 in monthly dues that cover HOA and full club membership. Cart fees were $27 per round. The club has been member-owned and self-managed since 1997.
That is a different contract from Pine Canyon’s optional non-equity membership and from Flagstaff Ranch’s Resident Golf or Resident Social choice. If you want the option to skip the club, this is the wrong gate.
What a week in season actually looks like
Golf is the headline — Canyon and Meadow, 36 holes, May through October — but the published amenity list is broader: four tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, two heated pools, a splash pad, a year-round Jacuzzi, a 2,200-square-foot fitness center and year-round spa, nearly five miles of private trails, an 18-hole championship putting course, and basketball, volleyball, and soccer facilities. Dining runs from casual lunches to seasonal evening menus.
Families use the summer programming. Phoenix owners use the climate. Golfers use the two courses. The common thread is that the gate is closed to the public; guest access runs through the club’s guest-card system.
Winter is quieter. That is not a surprise.
Flagstaff is a four-season mountain town. Golf stops at the end of October. Owners who only want July weekends should still plan for snow, a caretaker, and a house that can sit empty. Owners who like winter in the pines treat Forest Highlands as a year-round second home and drive up for holidays and ski-adjacent weekends.
Read the comparison guide if you are weighing Pine Canyon’s winter ice rink and sledding against Forest Highlands’ larger golf footprint. Lifestyle fit is the decision; the fee table is just the cost of that fit.
- Budget contribution + dues before you shop houses
- Tour amenities you will use, not only the course you saw online
- Ask the club for current guest-card and dining rules
- Plan winter operations if the house will sit empty
Common questions
How much is a Forest Highlands membership?
For an existing home in 2026: $115,750 New Owner Capital Contribution, $3,000 membership transfer, $5,500 utility transfer where there is a home, and $1,525 monthly dues, plus utilities and cart fees.
Is membership required?
Yes. Membership is attached to the property. Every owner is a member of the member-owned club.
What is there to do besides golf?
Tennis, pickleball, pools, spa and fitness, private trails, a putting course, family programming, and member dining. The club publishes those amenities; hours and seasonal access should be confirmed with the club.