The decline of the country club

The article is a little light on hard data, but delivers some sobering analysis of the state of golf and of golf clubs.

https://www.city-journal.org/country-clubs

From the article:

“The Great Recession changed the club’s fortunes. As the Wall Street Journal recently reported, Americans born between 1981 and 1996 are financially outmatched by every generation since the Depression. Despite higher levels of education, millennials have “less wealth, less property, lower marriage rates, and fewer children.” Annual country club dues, which run in the thousands of dollars, put membership beyond practical reach for many. Leisure for today’s younger adults more often involves streaming TV shows in a high-rent city bedroom, not playing 18 holes on a suburban green.”

Isn’t that just a product of being younger? 81-96 so say 23-38. Most of my generation was pretty broke for a good chunk of that age range as well.

Leisure for my generation may well have consisted of streaming tv shows if it had existed. I didn’t read the article but if those are the excerpts you chose to illustrate it, I’ll pAss.

As noted in one of the comments, a big part of the decline relates to the IRS ruling in the 1990s that country club membership could not be deducted as business expense or employee benefit.

> @MtlJeff said:

> The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

>

> Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

>

> Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

This is so true. This website is a prime example. Some people spend big money on clubs, shafts, clothes, shoes, bags, and other golf related things yearly. I remember pretty wealthy people who played the same sticks for many years, because those were their clubs and they liked them. They spent their money on the membership, not trying to always have the latest and greatest toys.

I fall victim of this way of thinking myself. It’s the consumer driven marketing we get hammered with daily.

> @MtlJeff said:

> The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

>

> Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

>

> Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

I think back on how little I had back in the day. No computers, no cell phones, no cable tv. It would be hard to back to those days, but I've got so much stuff I don't even use anymore.

I think country clubs and all sports we will be damaged by the internet and video games. Kids today dont leave the house. School yards that were full are empty.

This is a general statement, but I think it's still true: CC's are a product of the middle class squeeze.

Large metro's have enough high 6 figure earners to support a club while smaller cities, and certainly town's, do not.

Also, the CC was a huge social means before the 90's.

> @GolfChannel said:

> 38 year old young professional with an established home and family. I can afford to join a club, but why would I when I live in an area where the best courses are public and it’s far cheaper to pay per 18 holes versus some crazy monthly or annual fee not worth what you get out of it (thanks GolfNow and the like).

>

> I think the common sense answer for the decline in club membership is our culture has largely moved beyond “clubs” and exclusion, but the clubs haven’t evolved with the change.

>

> If we can save the courses and kill the clubs I am all for their demise. I have never understood “Country Club” culture. I would be wary of joining anything where there are requirements to membership whether financial or demographic in nature. It just seems like an old world mindset for close mindedness. Open the courses, charge whatever you want per round to attract the clientele you want while still maintaining the course standard.

I think you make some great points there about changes in the golfing population affecting country club memberships. The evolution of golf, if you will. Which is why I smiled when I saw the username of the one person who clicked "disagree" on your post.

Well....I'm back - at least for a day - as I've been busy trying to resurrect an old (built mid 1960's) "country club". And, believe me, the attitude of what a country club is - the arrogance, sense of entitlement, etc - is a major reason that this is no longer called a country club, but rather a golf club.

The challenges I face have to do with all the things that courses everywhere in America are facing: declining participation, too many "new" distractions, a still recovering economy (at least, in our part of the state/country). Challenges that were signaled, but no one really paid any heed to.

For our part - the resurrection will start with the newer way of doing business that the larger demographic (ages 24-38) are familiar with: we will offer a "subscription" whereby a monthly "subscription" will allow the subscriber the opportunity to play at prices discounted from rack rate. Instead of giving away my starting times to Golf Now or EZ Links - I will manage the database, marketing, etc with a new "product" that I will bring forward as we introduce it at our facility. We are proud to be the first in the state to offer this program - and, I hope to bring these good folks on to GolfWRX as possible sponsors, or to at least promote what it is that they are doing, and how it will affect the business of golf.

There are only 2 golf facilities in our county, which is in very rural North Carolina, and the one that I am trying to revive was ready to close the doors for good, until it was brought to my attention. Now, for the past 2 months, I haven't had to borrow money to keep the lights on, I have a new cart fleet, and the clubhouse will be re-opening for meals in the next 2 weeks.

Anyone interested in how I am doing this, please feel free to contact me. While I don't visit the forum as often as I did (busy working...gotta pay the bills, ya know) I will be happy to respond personally and/or through this thread.

Golf may be down and a bit wounded, but - with a new attitude and by embracing the technologies the next generation of golfers utilize daily, we feel confident that we will bring our facility back for all to enjoy!

Oh...by the way - I would welcome any and all to help me "save golf course" which will be debuting on social media very soon, and will hopefully assist in the revival of not only this course, but other courses like this one.

I appreciate all the support of people here on WRX, and I hope to give back to the game in a big way!

The reason golf thrives in the UK is it has largely been built on being inclusive of the every man. Most courses are built on public lands and the communities take pride and ownership of their “home” courses.

In the US the game of golf has long been based on being exclusive, and like it or not, if you asked a non-golfer they view golf as a game of rich white people. Golf culture in the US needs a paradigm shift, but I just don’t think it has the foresight to see a problem even exists beyond dollars and cents.

The main response I see on social media about anything trying to promote inclusiveness in golf is the game doesn’t discriminate, which is true, but some of those who play it and even those in charge of protecting and growing the game in this country do. If you follow Scratch Golf on Instagram search through their posts and you’ll see how bad things really are unfortunately. I love golf, but I often find myself ashamed of the people who play it. Case in point anytime I get paired with a group of strangers and the cart girl approaches, as a Father, I cringe at how that interaction is going to go down. This is why I always golf with her alone or with my wife. The last thing I want is her thinking what some men choose to do on the course is normal or okay.

> @GolfChannel said:

> The reason golf thrives in the UK is it has largely been built on being inclusive of the every man. Most courses are built on public lands and the communities take pride and ownership of their “home” courses.

>

> In the US the game of golf has long been based on being exclusive, and like it or not, if you asked a non-golfer they view golf as a game of rich white people. Golf culture in the US needs a paradigm shift, but I just don’t think it has the foresight to see a problem even exists beyond dollars and cents.

>

> The main response I see on social media about anything trying to promote inclusiveness in golf is the game doesn’t discriminate, which is true, but some of those who play it and even those in charge of protecting and growing the game in this country do. If you follow Scratch Golf on Instagram search through their posts and you’ll see how bad things really are unfortunately. I love golf, but I often find myself ashamed of the people who play it. Case in point anytime I get paired with a group of strangers and the cart girl approaches, as a Father, I cringe at how that interaction is going to go down. This is why I always golf with her alone or with my wife. The last thing I want is her thinking what some men choose to do on the course is normal or okay.

To add to this, golf in the UK is very cheap for members because it is subsidized by the green fees from non member outside play. The members pay pennies on the dollar VS their American counterparts. One of my best friends is a member at a top club in Ireland (same model as UK) and a group of golfers from the USA will pay considerably more for a foursome than he pays to be a member for the whole year. Then they don't have carts to charge you for and there is no food minimums, assessments etc.

I've never been a one to join a club. I played competitive tennis and have had plenty of options and probably good reason to join a tennis club - never did it.

The quality of muni / public golf here in Colorado is very high, and the variety is a huge part of the fun. I'm pretty certain that my game and scoring "travels" decently, since I'm almost always "traveling". About a third of my rounds rotate between the 4 or 5 courses closest to me, and the remaining 2/3rds are courses I play maybe once a year.

I have no interest, whatsoever, in clubhouse amenities like swimming, gym or dining. I live in a place where we have so many good places to eat, the though of being tethered to a place where I have to spend a minimum each month seems ridiculous for my lifestyle.

Sure, I'd like to play some of these private courses if given a chance, but as a golfer, I'm not really missing out on all that much.

> @MtlJeff said:

> The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

>

> Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

>

> Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

Bingo! I can’t ever remember wanting and asking for something and getting it without a ton of sweat equity. I think we can all agree we live in a me/now society.

> @"Big Ben" said:

> > @MtlJeff said:

> > The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

> >

> > Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

> >

> > Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

>

> Bingo! I can’t ever remember wanting and asking for something and getting it without a ton of sweat equity. I think we can all agree we live in a me/now society.

I have no idea why it’s common place for people to throw others under the bus, especially those which they know nothing about. As a teacher and professor, this generation from my experience works harder than any prior generation. The issue I have with my students is they know how to work hard, they don’t however know how to work smart. They will spend 8 hours on something that should have taken 4 hours, because for all the technology they have no one has ever actually taught them how to use it effectively. Just like the country club issue, education is still on the model of an era which died decades ago. We are quite literally holding back the greatest creative generation in our history because of our ineptitude and expectations based on a “real world” which doesn’t actually exist anymore.

> @GolfChannel said:

> 38 year old young professional with an established home and family. I can afford to join a club, but why would I when I live in an area where the best courses are public and it’s far cheaper to pay per 18 holes versus some crazy monthly or annual fee not worth what you get out of it (thanks GolfNow and the like).

>

> I think the common sense answer for the decline in club membership is our culture has largely moved beyond “clubs” and exclusion, but the clubs haven’t evolved with the change.

>

> If we can save the courses and kill the clubs I am all for their demise. I have never understood “Country Club” culture. I would be wary of joining anything where there are requirements to membership whether financial or demographic in nature. It just seems like an old world mindset for close mindedness. Open the courses, charge whatever you want per round to attract the clientele you want while still maintaining the course standard.

You must work in my company's HR Diversity division.

I joined a club for the first time recently. For two reasons, it does not get a ton of play during the week and pace of play is strictly enforced. It’s new to me but worth its weight in gold at this point. The only downside is I see myself playing there 9 out of 10 rounds, instead of playing all over

> @GolfChannel said:

> > @"Big Ben" said:

> > > @MtlJeff said:

> > > The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

> > >

> > > Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

> > >

> > > Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

> >

> > Bingo! I can’t ever remember wanting and asking for something and getting it without a ton of sweat equity. I think we can all agree we live in a me/now society.

>

> I have no idea why it’s common place for people to throw others under the bus, especially those which they know nothing about. As a teacher and professor, this generation from my experience works harder than any prior generation. The issue I have with my students is they know how to work hard, they don’t however know how to work smart. They will spend 8 hours on something that should have taken 4 hours, because for all the technology they have no one has ever actually taught them how to use it effectively. Just like the country club issue, education is still on the model of an era which died decades ago. We are quite literally holding back the greatest creative generation in our history because of our ineptitude and expectations based on a “real world” which doesn’t actually exist anymore.

You would really have to quantify "harder"and you experience besides academia in order to make that grand of a proclamation. Also "creative" doesn't make the world go round and is only available to people once someone does the real hard work.

Respectfully, it seems that a lot of folks in this thread are missing the point when it comes to the financial aspect of this.

"Americans born between 1981 and 1996 are financially outmatched by every generation since the Depression."

does not mean that they are young now but will soon have as much as previous generations did as Jut suggests.

It means that that generation has had less financial security/wealth at every step of the way and (given the trends) will continue this way. The data is crystal clear on this. I've never seen any reliable data to suggest that life is comparable for young folks (financially) as it was for the Boomer generation. Yes, those pesky, spoiled millenials might have a few more iPads ($500 each, maybe?) but when one considers the cost of housing (compare the cost of the first house you bought and the average house now and then see if the average real wage has increased enough to nullify the increased cost), college (how much did the average boomer pay to go to college?), medical care, etc, it's no surprise that country clubs are floundering. I'd argue that the me/now problem is as much of a problem for the older folks in the country club as it is for the people not interested in joining one.

> @buckeyefl said:

> > @GolfChannel said:

> > > @"Big Ben" said:

> > > > @MtlJeff said:

> > > > The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

> > > >

> > > > Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

> > > >

> > > > Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

> > >

> > > Bingo! I can’t ever remember wanting and asking for something and getting it without a ton of sweat equity. I think we can all agree we live in a me/now society.

> >

> > I have no idea why it’s common place for people to throw others under the bus, especially those which they know nothing about. As a teacher and professor, this generation from my experience works harder than any prior generation. The issue I have with my students is they know how to work hard, they don’t however know how to work smart. They will spend 8 hours on something that should have taken 4 hours, because for all the technology they have no one has ever actually taught them how to use it effectively. Just like the country club issue, education is still on the model of an era which died decades ago. We are quite literally holding back the greatest creative generation in our history because of our ineptitude and expectations based on a “real world” which doesn’t actually exist anymore.

>

> You would really have to quantify harder and you experience besides academia.

Prior to working in education I worked in Military Intelligence for the Air Force and then attended Law School (thanks guys). While in school, I met the girl of my dreams so instead of moving into a Judge Advocate Generals position I moved into Corporate Bankruptcy. About 4 years into my career I started teaching National Security, Constitutional Law, and Civil Procedure for the University of Florida once we moved back to Orlando from Charlotte (while still practicing full time).

I have since moved away from private practice entirely and now teach full time as head of the International Studies Magnet for the 5th largest school district in the country and I still teach Law School 3 nights a week.

So, yeah, I know a few things.

You know education and law but you really are in a bubble if you believe that this generation works harder even though you didn't define what that means. In the real world you would be hard pressed to find a lot of people who deal with this generation to agree with you. Also technology is exactly why they don't know how to work smart. It's a double edged sword.

The top percentage will always be "hard workers" but overall I think you have your head in some deep sand if you believe what you said. Talk to people that do the hiring sometime out side of your specific field.

> @buckeyefl said:

> You know education and law but you really are in a bubble if you believe that this generation works harder even though you didn't define what that means. In the real world you would be hard pressed to find a lot of people to agree with you. Also technology is exactly why they don't know how to work smart. It's a double edged sword.

>

> The top percentage will always be "hard workers" but overall I think you have your head in some deep sand if you believe what you said. Talk to people that do the hiring sometime out side of your specific field.

I have taken kids from the poorest neighborhoods in Orlando who couldn’t even read at grade level and not only caught them up, but moved them beyond their peers and beyond what was expected of them in life (not kidding one of them is going to be a mini-series Google, “David Makes Man”) who are now attending some of the best colleges and universities in the country (and many who have already graduated from those universities with full rides and the highest of honors).

Personally, in my experience, there is little difference among the generations as is usually the case when anyone waxes poetic about “the good ole” days. I have seen instances of these generalities at both age ranges, though in a world of never ending information we are never short of examples to prove our points. That said, some among the older generation are largely lazy and entitled as well, but they are also the loudest when it comes to being emphatic that they are neither “lazy nor entitled”. Don’t even get me started on many of my fellow veterans who expect the world for their service but could care little about the needs of anyone else or what their entitlement means for the country’s well being.

I also personally grew up in abject poverty (for portions of my life home had 4 wheels and was called a Taurus), so yeah, I know a few things about what hard work looks like...

> @buckeyefl said:

> > @GolfChannel said:

> > > @"Big Ben" said:

> > > > @MtlJeff said:

> > > > The clubs that have done well around where I am are the ones that are either the very top end ones (there are still plenty of rich people), or are the ones that got rid of the "country club" mentality and focused less on amenities and more on providing golf at a good price.

> > > >

> > > > Btw in regards to wealth, I have heard some people mention it and I think it's worth discussing too....we seem to have WAY more things than we used to . So sometimes I'll see someone who is 35 or whatever and they'll say they have no savings, but they have 2 cars, all their kids have iPads, they're subscribed to 2-3 different streaming services, the dad has a "man cave" with 20000$ worth of electronics etc....

> > > >

> > > > Growing up my dad did pretty well but we had one car we all shared and one TV, and personal electronics didn't exist. Some of the "cost of living" stuff is true, but some of it is pretty murky. How much stuff we have now do we really "need" vs 25 years ago, or are they more "wants" that everyone just gets without thinking about it.

> > >

> > > Bingo! I can’t ever remember wanting and asking for something and getting it without a ton of sweat equity. I think we can all agree we live in a me/now society.

> >

> > I have no idea why it’s common place for people to throw others under the bus, especially those which they know nothing about. As a teacher and professor, this generation from my experience works harder than any prior generation. The issue I have with my students is they know how to work hard, they don’t however know how to work smart. They will spend 8 hours on something that should have taken 4 hours, because for all the technology they have no one has ever actually taught them how to use it effectively. Just like the country club issue, education is still on the model of an era which died decades ago. We are quite literally holding back the greatest creative generation in our history because of our ineptitude and expectations based on a “real world” which doesn’t actually exist anymore.

>

> You would really have to quantify "harder"and you experience besides academia in order to make that grand of a proclamation. Also "creative" doesn't make the world go round and is only available to people once someone does the real hard work.

Almost every quantifiable piece of evidence points to this generation working harder in the classroom (students now by and large take a much larger AP/magnet/college prep rich class load versus the old read and rote memorization classroom) and the work place (American workers continue to be among the most productive in the world), the only evidence which continues to disprove this conclusion is of the colloquial nature.

> @GolfChannel said:

> 38 year old young professional with an established home and family. I can afford to join a club, but why would I when I live in an area where the best courses are public and it’s far cheaper to pay per 18 holes versus some crazy monthly or annual fee not worth what you get out of it (thanks GolfNow and the like).

>

> I think the common sense answer for the decline in club membership is our culture has largely moved beyond “clubs” and exclusion, but the clubs haven’t evolved with the change.

>

> If we can save the courses and kill the clubs I am all for their demise. I have never understood “Country Club” culture. I would be wary of joining anything where there are requirements to membership whether financial or demographic in nature. It just seems like an old world mindset for close mindedness. Open the courses, charge whatever you want per round to attract the clientele you want while still maintaining the course standard.

I sense a chip on your shoulder. Have you ever belonged to a private club? You're making quite a few judgments and assumptions. Perhaps you had a bad experience?

Private golf in the US is not all about exclusivity and it's also not all about price per round. Most important IMO is a good competitive regular game on a well-manicured and interesting/challenging course. Friendship, camaraderie, competition, and good natured banter is what I associate with a good club. The mid-tier private clubs I've belonged to have been incredibly diverse and inclusive.

I moved out of state in December (NJ to FL). First thing I did was join a club down here. Instant social life, great guys & spouses, fun times, regular game practically any day of the week you desire. Literally didn't skip a beat...

No, I have never belonged to a private club. I have never seen the benefit or necessity to do so. The only place I almost joined one was in Charlotte which basically has almost no public golf available. They had a trail membership which allowed me to work around this and golf at 8 private clubs without actually having to join any of them.

While in college, I worked for the original production side of the Golf Channel and have been fortunate enough to pretty well see every level of golf from beat down muni to clubs which most of us will ever get a sniff of sans Google Earth. I also have a close relationship with two local private clubs (Bay Hill and Orange Tree) that help and provide privileges to our high school golf program free of cost.

> @dpb5031 said:

> > @GolfChannel said:

> > 38 year old young professional with an established home and family. I can afford to join a club, but why would I when I live in an area where the best courses are public and it’s far cheaper to pay per 18 holes versus some crazy monthly or annual fee not worth what you get out of it (thanks GolfNow and the like).

> >

> > I think the common sense answer for the decline in club membership is our culture has largely moved beyond “clubs” and exclusion, but the clubs haven’t evolved with the change.

> >

> > If we can save the courses and kill the clubs I am all for their demise. I have never understood “Country Club” culture. I would be wary of joining anything where there are requirements to membership whether financial or demographic in nature. It just seems like an old world mindset for close mindedness. Open the courses, charge whatever you want per round to attract the clientele you want while still maintaining the course standard.

>

> I sense a chip on your shoulder. Have you ever belonged to a private club? You're making quite a few judgments and assumptions. Perhaps you had a bad experience?

>

> Private golf in the US is not all about exclusivity and it's also not all about price per round. Most important IMO is a good competitive regular game on a well-manicured and interesting/challenging course. Friendship, camaraderie, competition, and good natured banter is what I associate with a good club. The mid-tier private clubs I've belonged to have been incredibly diverse and inclusive.

>

> I moved out of state in December (NJ to FL). First thing I did was join a club down here. Instant social life, great guys & spouses, fun times, regular game practically any day of the week you desire. Literally didn't skip a beat...

I’ve never had a problem filling out my social calendar, so I don’t need a private club to fill that function.

There will always be private clubs (even the UK has exclusive clubs), because there will always be a segment of the population which demands exclusivity in their area of interest whether it be golf or whatever their hobby or vice happens to be.

However, private clubs as a successful model to grow golf in the US won’t work in the culture and society we currently live in. I am more worried about losing great courses due to the stubbornness to face these realities.

I’m glad you have faith in this generation. We all do, but everyone’s experience can very. I grew up in a disciplined lower middle class household where we separated wants and needs. I didn’t kick anyone under the bus, my children are no different. No question there educational experience has been quite different, not sure anyone questions there smarts. I certainly do not.

> @"Bob Cat" said:

> This is a general statement, but I think it's still true: CC's are a product of the middle class squeeze.

>

> Large metro's have enough high 6 figure earners to support a club while smaller cities, and certainly town's, do not.

>

> Also, the CC was a huge social means before the 90's.

The gap between cost of living and earnings has increased dramatically in the past 40-50 years.