Orphaned country clubs are WGT's dirty little secret. The ones that are able to survive as working clubs are ones that have directors who were given powers before the owner left. Having once belonged to an orphaned club, I understand the frustrations of members who remain loyal.
The club where I once had membership was active with almost 200 members. It was started in April 2011. The owner has disappeared for long periods several times over this 7 year span. Membership has dropped to 88 with only 22 members having played in 2018. The owner last played in July 2017.
It would be nice if WGT had a policy that covered these situations, but instead they leave it up to individual members who can very easily change clubs. I am sure the one factor that plays into WGT's decision not to have a policy is that they refuse to cull the WGT membership rolls of non-playing people who count as some of the over 10 million registered members.
The best advice I can offer to anyone seeking a country club is to look at the playing history of the owner and members of possible clubs. And always be prepared to move on if things change at the chosen club.