Why does the DC area have so many country clubs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC has way less older clubs than Philadelphia, Northern New Jersey, Westchester,Long Island and Boston. Even Baltimore prob has equal amount of clubs with less population. Golf craze took off early 20th century and these old close in clubs were built then. DC wasn’t an economically booming industrial area then like other Northeast cities. So you only had a small handful of these clubs built then. In contrast Philly probably has 20 old clubs and metro NYC probably 50 old clubs.

This entirely. DC had very little overall wealth until about 35 years ago. Some wealthy people had homes in DC but they were not their primary residences. Compared to the Northeast, DC so many less clubs which reflects this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Racism and antisemitism

And anti-antisemitism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the West Coast and was surprised upon moving here to discover that the DC area has sooo many country clubs. I know this is more the case locally because we live in Bethesda, but why and how did this country club culture develop? I am not a member of any and often think about all the other things that land could be used for as I drive by.

You would be wrong to think that there are less country clubs in California. There are just as many.

*fewer. FFS, why can no one get this right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the West Coast and was surprised upon moving here to discover that the DC area has sooo many country clubs. I know this is more the case locally because we live in Bethesda, but why and how did this country club culture develop? I am not a member of any and often think about all the other things that land could be used for as I drive by.

You would be wrong to think that there are less country clubs in California. There are just as many.

*fewer. FFS, why can no one get this right?

There are less people who understand the difference. The chances of randomly selecting the right word is fewer than 1%.

[Anonymous]

okay, sorry to be snarky but it is fewer country clubs, not less country clubs and fewer people

[Anonymous]

Like OP, I also live in Bethesda and was genuinely surprised at the number of country clubs in our area. There are 5 country clubs just in Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- Kenwood, Chevy Chase Club, Columbia, Congressional, and Bethesda CC.

I grew up in the midwest where golf is very popular. But there are a lot of nice public courses in the midwest, where people can play. (And a lot of nice public pools.) And the country club dues are not absurdly-high. I was surprised by how few public golf courses in the Bethesda area, but I guess that, in a close-in suburb, the priority is to put housing rather than golf courses.

I really wish I belonged to a country club, as they seem awesome (golf, tennis, activities, pool, fitness center)! We can afford it, but my husband has a knee-jerk reaction against the idea of a country club, even though we know plenty of people who belong to them and who would probably be willing to write us a recommendation letter.

We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood. There is a waiting list, but once you wait it out a few years, you can join. I wish that there were no waiting list, but the NIMBY's near the pool oppose any noise, and so hence the county limits the # of members. The pool creates a nice feel of community within the neighborhood (once you get off the wait list).

I honestly wish everyone had access to this kind of recreational amenity (like a country club). I wish counties and cities could make facilities like this more readily available to the public, as I believe it would enhance the quality of life. If I were on the Montgomery County Council, this would be my #1 priority, as I believe the quality of life is such an important goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like OP, I also live in Bethesda and was genuinely surprised at the number of country clubs in our area. There are 5 country clubs just in Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- Kenwood, Chevy Chase Club, Columbia, Congressional, and Bethesda CC.

I grew up in the midwest where golf is very popular. But there are a lot of nice public courses in the midwest, where people can play. (And a lot of nice public pools.) And the country club dues are not absurdly-high. I was surprised by how few public golf courses in the Bethesda area, but I guess that, in a close-in suburb, the priority is to put housing rather than golf courses.

I really wish I belonged to a country club, as they seem awesome (golf, tennis, activities, pool, fitness center)! We can afford it, but my husband has a knee-jerk reaction against the idea of a country club, even though we know plenty of people who belong to them and who would probably be willing to write us a recommendation letter.

We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood. There is a waiting list, but once you wait it out a few years, you can join. I wish that there were no waiting list, but the NIMBY's near the pool oppose any noise, and so hence the county limits the # of members. The pool creates a nice feel of community within the neighborhood (once you get off the wait list).

I honestly wish everyone had access to this kind of recreational amenity (like a country club). I wish counties and cities could make facilities like this more readily available to the public, as I believe it would enhance the quality of life. If I were on the Montgomery County Council, this would be my #1 priority, as I believe the quality of life is such an important goal.

Pretty much every pool and private club has a waiting list so that it doesn’t become an overcrowded hellscape.

Also, has NIMBY just become some meaningless word, like boomer or hipster or millennial, just used in place of things that you don’t like? Is a NIMBY just a person that cares about their neighbors and the neighborhood? Your use of the term is very confusing…it seems that you mean it as derogatory, but the way you use it does not convey that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood.

Look up the history of the club. Private pool clubs were created in this area once the public pools opened up to blacks. Your neighborhood pool likely opened up for that reason, and they kept out the blacks (and maybe those of certain religions) by restricting who could buy in the neighborhood (redlining).

Of course that's all highly illegal now, but it did happen back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Property taxes. My state taxes private pool clubs, country clubs and golf course at full property taxes. Very few exist. Why should the poor subsidize the risk? Take away their tax status in DMV

This. In Maryland, golf courses are statutorily nearly tax-free. It's environmental disaster and a hand-out to the ultra-wealthy but many allegedly progressive politicians don't want to piss off their rich donors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the West Coast and was surprised upon moving here to discover that the DC area has sooo many country clubs. I know this is more the case locally because we live in Bethesda, but why and how did this country club culture develop? I am not a member of any and often think about all the other things that land could be used for as I drive by.

It's because rich people live here.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like OP, I also live in Bethesda and was genuinely surprised at the number of country clubs in our area. There are 5 country clubs just in Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- Kenwood, Chevy Chase Club, Columbia, Congressional, and Bethesda CC.

I grew up in the midwest where golf is very popular. But there are a lot of nice public courses in the midwest, where people can play. (And a lot of nice public pools.) And the country club dues are not absurdly-high. I was surprised by how few public golf courses in the Bethesda area, but I guess that, in a close-in suburb, the priority is to put housing rather than golf courses.

I really wish I belonged to a country club, as they seem awesome (golf, tennis, activities, pool, fitness center)! We can afford it, but my husband has a knee-jerk reaction against the idea of a country club, even though we know plenty of people who belong to them and who would probably be willing to write us a recommendation letter.

We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood. There is a waiting list, but once you wait it out a few years, you can join. I wish that there were no waiting list, but the NIMBY's near the pool oppose any noise, and so hence the county limits the # of members. The pool creates a nice feel of community within the neighborhood (once you get off the wait list).

I honestly wish everyone had access to this kind of recreational amenity (like a country club). I wish counties and cities could make facilities like this more readily available to the public, as I believe it would enhance the quality of life. If I were on the Montgomery County Council, this would be my #1 priority, as I believe the quality of life is such an important goal.

People get recommendation letters to join? Is this a real thing/advantage??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Property taxes. My state taxes private pool clubs, country clubs and golf course at full property taxes. Very few exist. Why should the poor subsidize the risk? Take away their tax status in DMV

This. In Maryland, golf courses are statutorily nearly tax-free. It's environmental disaster and a hand-out to the ultra-wealthy but many allegedly progressive politicians don't want to piss off their rich donors.

A hand out to the people who are already carrying the freight with respect to federal income taxes (especially around here where there is a high percentage of w2 employees who have little ability to play games) and then sending their kids to private so that state gets their tax dollars but not their kids? Right. Those folks are “pulling one over.”

Go be productive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like OP, I also live in Bethesda and was genuinely surprised at the number of country clubs in our area. There are 5 country clubs just in Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- Kenwood, Chevy Chase Club, Columbia, Congressional, and Bethesda CC.

I grew up in the midwest where golf is very popular. But there are a lot of nice public courses in the midwest, where people can play. (And a lot of nice public pools.) And the country club dues are not absurdly-high. I was surprised by how few public golf courses in the Bethesda area, but I guess that, in a close-in suburb, the priority is to put housing rather than golf courses.

I really wish I belonged to a country club, as they seem awesome (golf, tennis, activities, pool, fitness center)! We can afford it, but my husband has a knee-jerk reaction against the idea of a country club, even though we know plenty of people who belong to them and who would probably be willing to write us a recommendation letter.

We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood. There is a waiting list, but once you wait it out a few years, you can join. I wish that there were no waiting list, but the NIMBY's near the pool oppose any noise, and so hence the county limits the # of members. The pool creates a nice feel of community within the neighborhood (once you get off the wait list).

I honestly wish everyone had access to this kind of recreational amenity (like a country club). I wish counties and cities could make facilities like this more readily available to the public, as I believe it would enhance the quality of life. If I were on the Montgomery County Council, this would be my #1 priority, as I believe the quality of life is such an important goal.

People get recommendation letters to join? Is this a real thing/advantage??

You can't join a good country club without a sponsor and recommendations. So yes, you need several recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like OP, I also live in Bethesda and was genuinely surprised at the number of country clubs in our area. There are 5 country clubs just in Bethesda/Chevy Chase -- Kenwood, Chevy Chase Club, Columbia, Congressional, and Bethesda CC.

I grew up in the midwest where golf is very popular. But there are a lot of nice public courses in the midwest, where people can play. (And a lot of nice public pools.) And the country club dues are not absurdly-high. I was surprised by how few public golf courses in the Bethesda area, but I guess that, in a close-in suburb, the priority is to put housing rather than golf courses.

I really wish I belonged to a country club, as they seem awesome (golf, tennis, activities, pool, fitness center)! We can afford it, but my husband has a knee-jerk reaction against the idea of a country club, even though we know plenty of people who belong to them and who would probably be willing to write us a recommendation letter.

We do belong to a neighborhood pool club, and the only "criteria" is that you have to live in the neighborhood. There is a waiting list, but once you wait it out a few years, you can join. I wish that there were no waiting list, but the NIMBY's near the pool oppose any noise, and so hence the county limits the # of members. The pool creates a nice feel of community within the neighborhood (once you get off the wait list).

I honestly wish everyone had access to this kind of recreational amenity (like a country club). I wish counties and cities could make facilities like this more readily available to the public, as I believe it would enhance the quality of life. If I were on the Montgomery County Council, this would be my #1 priority, as I believe the quality of life is such an important goal.

How do you propose they pay for it? These places are not cheap to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up on the West Coast and was surprised upon moving here to discover that the DC area has sooo many country clubs. I know this is more the case locally because we live in Bethesda, but why and how did this country club culture develop? I am not a member of any and often think about all the other things that land could be used for as I drive by.

You would be wrong to think that there are less country clubs in California. There are just as many.

*fewer. FFS, why can no one get this right?

There are less people who understand the difference. The chances of randomly selecting the right word is fewer than 1%.

Now let’s give them a crack at who and whom.