Country club membership update

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the responses!

Nope, we are not interested in joining all 3 clubs. These are the ones where friends have offered to sponsor us in the past, where we've been guests, where we like the facilities. We will choose one.

The range of initiation fees is fine, and no, we do not need to sacrifice the kids' college funds to pay them. I was asking because I was curious to know how the pandemic had affected them.

To the poster who says I'm tone deaf, are you talking about the fact that I was up front about this being my husband's choice? If not, what are you saying? Please give me the benefit of the doubt that I know what not to say in the interview and to wear tennis whites if I do stumble onto a court. Thanks to the other posters who reassure me that it's fine not to "fully participate."

I would not expect any discounts. Clubs have been busy this year, and their membership pool is the people fortunate enough to not have been affected financially by the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question is so tone deaf.

OP here. How so?

OP, don't forget that you can use your stimulus payment to pay part of the dues!

Considering the HHI cut off for the stimulus check, I highly doubt OP’s family will be getting one this go around. Nice try, troll.

OP, I hope you can weed through the responses from people who don’t live here (the specific, upper echelon clubs you mentioned are a different world from most around the country) and the respondents who haven’t a clue or a care about CCs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question is so tone deaf.

OP here. How so?

OP, don't forget that you can use your stimulus payment to pay part of the dues!

Considering the HHI cut off for the stimulus check, I highly doubt OP’s family will be getting one this go around. Nice try, troll.

OP, I hope you can weed through the responses from people who don’t live here (the specific, upper echelon clubs you mentioned are a different world from most around the country) and the respondents who haven’t a clue or a care about CCs.

Thanks, PP. Yes, I got what I needed from the replies and appreciate the good guidance from everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea about the dues at these clubs but why do you care if you are on the outs with the women if you are joining for your dh? I live in another city and we joined a club solely bc my dh loves golf. I don’t golf. I play tennis poorly but our club only has paddle and the women are very serious players and I don’t play any sport that seriously. I go to the pool occasionally in the summer and eat there a few times a year but the food is so so. Dh golfs constantly in the good weather. The club is his place - not mine. I could care less whether other women in the community know if I’m a member. I have a job and other obligations and I’m not going to hang out at the club for face time.

Good to know! I was under the impression from some friends that the clubs really do care if the entire family participates in club life. I like to understand the expectations going in.

No. They just care that you spend money. That can be 100% your husbands golf and dining bills - as long as it’s $$. They want spenders.

[Anonymous]

Chevy is like Congressional in the sense that it has a 10+ year waitlist and that was back in the 90s. You need many personal recommendations as well and initiation is probably very close to 100k at this point. There is no minimum spend which is great meaning you don't need to plan to go.

[Anonymous]

The pandemic was good business for most country clubs - initiation fees have gone up, waitlists have gone up, usage has gone up.

I think it would be very difficult to get into any of those clubs for a golf membership in a reasonable time frame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea about the dues at these clubs but why do you care if you are on the outs with the women if you are joining for your dh? I live in another city and we joined a club solely bc my dh loves golf. I don’t golf. I play tennis poorly but our club only has paddle and the women are very serious players and I don’t play any sport that seriously. I go to the pool occasionally in the summer and eat there a few times a year but the food is so so. Dh golfs constantly in the good weather. The club is his place - not mine. I could care less whether other women in the community know if I’m a member. I have a job and other obligations and I’m not going to hang out at the club for face time.

Good to know! I was under the impression from some friends that the clubs really do care if the entire family participates in club life. I like to understand the expectations going in.

No. They just care that you spend money. That can be 100% your husbands golf and dining bills - as long as it’s $$. They want spenders.

This is it. The pool, the courts, and the course are all too busy. They want you to eat and drink there - and sign up for anything that costs extra like camps and lessons. The more, the better.

[Anonymous]

We belong to Congressional and I have never seen any indication that anyone cares how often our family members use the facilities. I eat there and that’s about it. We joined in the last five years and were social members within a few months, with golfing privileges about two years later.

Exact same situation. Use of all facilities except golf upon joining. We eat there fairly regularly, DH and kids do other things (they all like the fitness center).

[Anonymous]

Honest question, what is the appeal of these country clubs? I am not a yuppy and a normal person, but I am house searching and I see some nice homes in these country clubs. But I know nothing about them. Not trying to sound mean, just trying to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chevy might actually appeal to you. Beautiful grounds with a great trail for walking/running. No monthly minimum spend.

CC is old Washington famies and money as well as government VIPs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares if you go or don’t go. Most clubs require a current member to recommend you. Congressional usually has a 10+ year waitlist. Your husband should contact the clubs he is interested in and get information.

Whoa. That would take Congressional off the list, certainly. Yes, he'll gather all the info. I'm just using DCUM for what we all use it for. To get advice from peers and gather some inside scoop.

Not true Congo is 10 years. You can get in social within a year. And the rest within a couple years. Initiation about 150k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honest question, what is the appeal of these country clubs? I am not a yuppy and a normal person, but I am house searching and I see some nice homes in these country clubs. But I know nothing about them. Not trying to sound mean, just trying to understand.

They are great if you enjoy golf or tennis and for the kids activities (pool, etc). If you’re friends with a lot of other members, then it becomes like the bar in Cheers, where “everybody knows your name” when you walk in. It makes a large city smaller. Plus, they’re nice to take guests, network, etc. Each of the mentioned clubs is different in terms of amenities, and some offer reduced memberships (eg, “tennis only”).

I’ll leave to others to point out the lack of racial, religious and economic diversity, etc.

[Anonymous]

Chevy Chase waitlist is about 2-3 years with summer only privileges possible before then. I would be very surprised if waitlist at Congressional is 10 years as reported. One club not mentioned that has zoomed up the list in popularity, length of waitlist, and cost in recent years is Washington Golf and Country Club; I assume because of popularity of area with young two high earner couples in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honest question, what is the appeal of these country clubs? I am not a yuppy and a normal person, but I am house searching and I see some nice homes in these country clubs. But I know nothing about them. Not trying to sound mean, just trying to understand.

Golf, tennis, swimming. Nobody joins for the food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honest question, what is the appeal of these country clubs? I am not a yuppy and a normal person, but I am house searching and I see some nice homes in these country clubs. But I know nothing about them. Not trying to sound mean, just trying to understand.

They are great if you enjoy golf or tennis and for the kids activities (pool, etc). If you’re friends with a lot of other members, then it becomes like the bar in Cheers, where “everybody knows your name” when you walk in. It makes a large city smaller. Plus, they’re nice to take guests, network, etc. Each of the mentioned clubs is different in terms of amenities, and some offer reduced memberships (eg, “tennis only”).

I’ll leave to others to point out the lack of racial, religious and economic diversity, etc. [/quote
I’m PP. thanks for answering, honestly. I appreciate it. I’m not into golf or tennis so maybe that’s why I never got into it.