If Twin Lakes could elect its own mayor, Duane Malo would certainly rank high on the list of worthy candidates.

He carries with him an obvious affinity for his neighborhood and the local Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club-a place Malo considers a close-knit community within a community.

On a tour of the club's nationally recognized 18-hole course last week, Malo shared his intimate knowledge of every challenging dogleg and bunker. With his eyes closed, he can describe the slope of each well-manicured green.

A short cart ride from his home on the sixth fairway, Malo and his family can enjoy one of Federal Way's nicest restaurants, or entertain guests at a catered event in one of the city's most comprehensive banquet halls.

Inside the clubhouse, Malo greeted a dozen members-most of them avid golfers waiting out a mid-day shower with a beer and lunch-with a handshake and smile.

In a time when the importance of community and neighbors dwindles with many families, Twin Lakes, Malo said, continues to offer them in great abundance.

The club exudes a family-like atmosphere, one that Malo and other members of the Twin Lakes board would like to share with the rest of the community.

"People understand that it's a private club," Malo said. "But they have no idea what it costs to get in, or that it's available to everyone in Federal Way."

Tucked away in the western half of the city along Southwest 320th, Twin Lakes wants to attract new members who know the club only as a landmark on their daily commute, or those who feel that joining a private country club might exceed their economic means.

According to Brian Clapp, Twin Lakes Board President, the club is both actively seeking new members, and for most, surprisingly affordable.

At the heart of the club's recent membership push lies a significant enhancement to the long-standing member bylaws.

For the first time in more than a quarter century, Twin Lakes members can buy a membership for $5,000, and more significantly, terminate their obligations to the club with four months' notice.

"This is the first major membership restructuring in 26 years," said Clapp. "For the first time since 1980, if your circumstances change, you have the opportunity to leave your membership with four months' notice, no questions asked."

Prior to the restructuring, which went into effect in July, club members had to locate their own buyers and sell memberships themselves. As Federal Way residents became more transient, members who relocated out of the area struggled to find buyers, while prospective members balked at the long-term commitment required by the club.

With these changes in place, Twin Lakes seeks to draw the attention of new families as well as those who have shown interest before the recent restructuring.

"Families are changing, jobs are changing," Clapp said, "These days, people don't work for the same company for 30 years."

"We felt we had to change the structure so that it would be valuable to families that are constantly on the go, those that don't know what the next five-to-twenty years are going to bring."

Clapp said the board elected to reshape its membership requirements after fielding several years of member feedback. The club also took into account the testimony of prospective members who wanted to join, but felt hesitant to commit for the long term.

The membership board put their restructuring proposal to a vote of their pool of 370 proprietary members. Malo said more than 270 voted with an overwhelming majority in favor of the switch.

Malo, who serves on the membership liaison committee charged with developing the new membership plan, said the board worked diligently to develop a restructuring that would benefit current members as much as prospective ones.

"It had to be a fair for existing members who have been here for years, but it also had to be a good value for people looking to join the club," Clapp interjected.

"So far, the response has been great," said Clapp, who has been involved with the club since 1971.

Twin Lakes has added two memberships since the restructure, and the club projects many more families will sign on once word spreads.

"When my wife and I moved back to the area and she took up golf," Clapp added, "we decided there was no better value than Twin Lakes."

Malo, Clapp and Teresa McDaniel, the Twin Lakes General Manager, stressed that the club has become more family-oriented in recent years.

From a successful junior golf program (with more than 140 young golfers), to opportunities for swimming, tennis and family-centered events like the upcoming Halloween party, the club has sought to broaden its appeal to new members. In fact, Twin Lakes now sells social memberships-as an alternative to its full-access proprietary membership-that offer exclusive access to the club facilities, swimming pool, tennis courts and driving range.

McDaniel said that members will have access to a brand new driving range once the city completes the Joe's Creek restoration project on the Twin Lakes property.

Malo won't deny that the club's first-rate golf course attracts him most to Twin Lakes. In fact, the retired Fire Chief said the club's 18 narrow, winding and hazard-lined links are likely his favorite in the state.

"Each time you play here," Malo said, "It's like playing a new course."

You can attribute its dynamic character to a brilliant design by architect William Teufel, who crafted the Twin Lakes championship course in 1969.

High-handicappers will find it a pleasant challenge to keep the ball in play, Malo said, while pros will notice the course's narrow fairways, swift greens and ample hazards.

"I've played one game of par golf here in all my years at the club," Clapp said, "and I consider myself a pretty good golfer."

Malo and Clapp both emphasized the club's quick games, open tee times and year-round play as a few of the course's most notable assets.

With increasingly crowded public courses and reservation-only tee times, Twin Lakes offers the opportunity for a round of golf at a relaxed pace as an added value of its membership package.

The dues for the proprietary membership, set at a base of $338, include unlimited green fees for the immediate family of the member, including children up to 21 years of age. Additionally, members can invite extended family and guests to take advantage of reduced green fees.

"It's basically unlimited golf, anytime you want to play, for one set fee," Clapp said. "We did the math, and one month's dues here are cheaper than four rounds of golf at some of the other clubs in Washington."

For more information or to join Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club, contact Teresa McDaniel, General Manager at (253) 927-4440.