Comparison · 14 material differences
Petroleum Club of Houston vs Somerset Club
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: Petroleum Club of Houston: Junior membership is available to applicants under 40 years of age; Somerset Club: No published maximum age at joining.
- Minimum age: Petroleum Club of Houston: All published membership categories start at age 21; Somerset Club: No published minimum age.
- Accredited-investor status: Petroleum Club of Houston: Applicants authorise a consumer background report from Associated Services Employment Check and supply a Social Security number, date of birth and seven years of address history; Somerset Club: No published accredited-investor status.
- Annual dues: Petroleum Club of Houston: Fees come from the membership-categories page of the club's own application PDF, dated 12 July 2024. Members also pay $15 for valet parking against a standard $25 building rate, and a 3.5% convenience fee applies to credit-card payments.; Somerset Club: Not publicly disclosed.
Side by side
| Petroleum Club of Houston | Somerset Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1946 (The club's history page dates the founders' efforts to 31 January 1946, crediting Wilbur Ginther, Howard C. Warren and Harris Underwood; the clubhouse itself opened on 15 December 1951 atop the Rice Hotel.) | 1852 (The club publishes no history. Wikipedia traces informal origins to 1826 and a group called the Temple by the 1830s, and records that the club opened to members in 1852, first as the Beacon Club and renamed the Somerset Club that same year.) |
| Headquarters | Houston, United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Single clubhouse on the 35th floor of Total Plaza, 1201 Louisiana Street, downtown Houston | Single clubhouse at 42 Beacon Street on Beacon Hill, combined with the adjoining house at 43 Beacon Street |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 1,200 members as of November 2014; that figure is more than a decade old and has not been independently verified. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters |
| Primary audience | The club says it is "open to men and woman of all industries" and describes a membership that includes energy industry professionals, medical, legal and business professionals, professional women and young professionals. | Not publicly disclosed. The club's public website consists of a home page, a member login and a guest-information page, and states nothing about who it admits. |
| Typical member | Members range from energy industry professionals -- the club's founding constituency -- to lawyers, doctors and other business professionals. Membership categories are age-banded, with Junior members under 40, Active members 40 to 64 and Senior members 65 and over. | Not publicly disclosed. Wikipedia describes the club historically as a centre of Boston Brahmin families; the club publishes nothing about its present membership. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Junior membership is available to applicants under 40 years of ageOn reaching 40 a Junior member is entitled as of right to Active membership on paying the balance of the then-current Active initiation or transfer fee; all Junior members are enrolled in the Young Professionals' Associationverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published maximum age at joining |
| Minimum age | All published membership categories start at age 21Junior membership covers ages 21-39; Non-Resident, Clergy, Diplomat, MBA/Graduate and Legacy categories are open from 21verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum age |
| Accredited-investor status | Applicants authorise a consumer background report from Associated Services Employment Check and supply a Social Security number, date of birth and seven years of address historyThe authorisation remains on file for the duration of the membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published accredited-investor status |
| Invitation required | No | Not documented |
| Sponsor required | No | Not documented |
| Application process | Applicants download the club's application PDF and submit it with a background form and a payment form (ACH or credit card). The application goes to the Membership Committee and the Board of Directors, which meet twice a month; the initiation fee is processed only once both approve. The club states the approval process can take less than four weeks. An online membership inquiry form is also available. | No application process is published. The club's public site has no membership page, application form or membership contact. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate or waiting-list information, and describes an approval process that can complete in under four weeks. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Fees come from the membership-categories page of the club's own application PDF, dated 12 July 2024. Members also pay $15 for valet parking against a standard $25 building rate, and a 3.5% convenience fee applies to credit-card payments. | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $191–322 a monthPublished schedule: $322 for Active and Premier/Secondary Active company members; $191 for Junior, Senior, Non-Resident, Clergy and Diplomat. Legacy $191-$322. The schedule labels the column simply Dues; the application text refers to monthly membership dues. Subject to 8.25% taxverified September 2026 · source ↗ | The club publishes no fee information and no reliable published reporting of a figure was located. |
| Initiation fee | $500–7,500 one-timePublished schedule (application dated 12 July 2024): Active 40-64 $5,000; Junior 21-39 $2,000; Senior 65-89 $2,000; Non-Resident $1,500; Clergy $500; Diplomat $500; MBA/Graduate none; Legacy none (assessment fee instead). Company accounts: Premier Active $7,500, Secondary Active $4,000, Secondary Junior/Senior $1,500. All initiation fees are subject to 8.25% taxverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Ongoing with monthly dues; the MBA/Law/Medical/Graduate category waives dues for twelve months from approval and then rolls automatically into a dues-paying account unless the member gives 30 days' notice | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Continuous clubhouse operation with member social events, networking events and family events through the year; the Petroleum Club Dance Club holds three ballroom dances a year | Not publicly disclosed |
| Peer forums | Committees (Food and Entertainment, Wine, Membership and others) plus three associations: the Young Professionals' Association, the Ladies' Association and the Petroleum Club Dance Club | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | No cell phones, listening or reading devices, or other electronic communications devices of any kind may be used in the dining and public areas of the club; members and guests may use Room 6 on the first floor for personal communication. Photography is permitted only with prior approval from the General Manager or Executive Committee, and then only for personal use. |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | No | No |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Not documented |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Not documented |
| Leadership development | Partial | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Not documented |
| Family programming | Yes | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Yes | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Not documented |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | High | Low |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Petroleum Club of Houston · Somerset Club