Destination clubs have always promised luxurious homes in beautiful locations, but now clubs are increasingly focusing on experiential travel. One new club, the Presnell Sporting Collection, is targeting its offering to the avid outdoorsman who wants to fly fish in Montana, go sport fishing off the coast of Guatemala, or shoot dove at an Argentine estancia.

Launching this fall, the Presnell Sporting Collection aims to offer its members access to high-end sporting travel experiences. According to club founder and avid sportsman Kevin Presnell, who has a background in commercial real estate, the impetus to start the club comes from a common predicament among hunters and fishermen. “There’s been no way to tell whether a particular lodge was really worth going to,” said Presnell. “You’ve had to rely on word of mouth. We are here to provide members with a consistently excellent experience.”

The Presnell Sporting Collection differs from the traditional destination club not just in its vacation offerings, but in its structure as well. Instead of acquiring properties it buys blocks of time in hunting and fishing lodges around the world. The club vets each lodge before it enters the collection, judging a destination by its quality and abundance of game, the level of comfort and hospitality at the residences, and the natural beauty of the surrounding areas.

Vacation time at each of lodge is priced in “privileges”. Membership fees start at $125,000 and secure 100,000 privileges. A $225,000 payment gets members 200,000 privileges, while a $300,000 fee secures 300,000 privileges. Members who plan to use more than 300,000 privileges per year craft their own membership plan priced at a rate of $75,000 for each additional block of 100,000 privileges.

Trip costs vary by location and only assume double occupancy. A seven-night trip hunting game in the African plains costs 65,000 privileges and a four-night trip to the Bahamas for bone fishing goes for 17,000 privileges. Members also have the opportunity to exchange a portion of their privileges for time in more traditional resorts and properties featured in the Registry Collection, a real estate exchange network.

In addition to the membership fees, members should expect to pay dues of $36,950 to $110,850 for the first year depending on the plan. Dues at that level rank among the highest of any destination club. Dues for subsequent years are determined by the club on an annual basis and it makes no guarantee for the rates at which it will increase dues.

Unlike traditional destination clubs that offer deposit refunds of anywhere from 75 percent to more than 100 percent, the Presnell Sporting Club decreases the amount refunded the longer members are a part of the club. During the first five years, members can secure a 75 percent refund. After the fifth year the refund drops to 50 percent and then to 25 percent after the first decade of membership. After 15 years there is no refund. The sliding membership refund, along with potentially high fees, can dramatically increase the cost-per-night of the club over the years.

Ahead of its launch on September 15, the club says it has a firm base of 17 members. It will look to expand on that in the months and years ahead as it targets the discriminating outdoorsmen.

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