Until last week, I thought I’d played almost every golf course in southern coastal Orange County, Calif. But then I got invited to experience Aliso Viejo Country Club – a Jack Nicklaus design built back in 1999. At 6,571 yards from the tips, it’s not the longest 18 around. But bunkers are strategically placed, and there are plenty of elevation changes that can easily affect scores and challenge even the best golfers. That said, I can tell you from experience that it’s the easiest Nicklaus course I’ve ever played. And it’s loads of fun.

I was surprised to find it located in the middle of a neighborhood. Not sure why I was expecting some grand entrance. But you literally drive through a nice neighborhood and suddenly happen upon the parking lot and gorgeous clubhouse. Instead of a full-sized driving range – Orange County land is too valuable to justify a range in many cases, particularly near the ocean where this property is located – there is a hitting net for about 10 tees at the far end of the parking lot. Golfers can essentially hit shots about 20 yards deep before they encounter the net, and I actually found this to be a quaint solution. The upscale clubhouse has a fitness center, beautiful locker rooms, and a friendly restaurant and snack bar. And that’s the thing: Everyone here is exceptionally kind and welcoming – right in line with the neighborhood feel. The course was in outstanding condition from tee to green – except for the bunkers that are about to be renovated. And the refreshing layout offered plenty of challenges yet also had wide fairways and true-rolling greens. Plus, it played fast. The whole round took 3.5 hours, and we even got stuck behind a very slow group for the last five holes.

More importantly to me, I was wondering why I’d never heard of this course before. It’s now part of the Invited network of 180 clubs around North America. Formerly ClubCorp until 2.5 years ago, Invited prides itself on impeccable service and claims to be the largest owner and operator of private clubs. The late company founder, Bob Dedman, aimed to create private clubs where everyone was welcome, regardless of age, race, religion or background. And in my brief experience, officials are carrying on that spirit. Invited has more than 350,000 members now.

“The commonality among all of our clubs is in what members don’t see,” says David Pillsbury, CEO of Invited. “We make a concerted effort to make the brand of the club the hero in the local market. And every club is different. So the commonality is behind the scenes – the best practices, the best technology, the best programming, the best thinking, and the fastest at an inviting club, and that translates into a better member experience, which is why our member retention is so high. We create a vibrant environment that’s very attractive to members and good value for the money. That’s really the biggest difference.” Invited is also in the process of giving major upgrades to dozens of its facilities.

Depending on the tier they sign up for, members can have access to hundreds of private golf and country clubs – even some that are not part of Invited – as well as city and stadium clubs, and a concierge who can book hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

Point is, to get a country club experience doesn’t always mean having to join one club and playing that course over and over again. This is a nice alternative.