Membership at Chevy Chase Club

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not surprised that people can have a home, international travel, etc and still have money for a country club. I am just shocked that you would spend $100k on a country club, of all things. Imagine all you could do with that money by scaling back just a tiiiiiny bit.

(I mean charitably - a gift of $100k would have generations of impact to starving families in Haiti, for example.)

The person that loves to tell others what to do with their money.

The person that can't read.

(Where do I tell you what to do with your money?)

[Anonymous]

Rankings:
1. Burning Tree
2. Congo
3. Chevy Chase
4. Kenwood

Everything thing else is B list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Couple of questions. Where do you live? If you live in Rockville or SS or some other crappy place do not apply. Also what law firm or lobbying outfit does your husband work for? If he works for Dewey, Patton Boggs or QGA you're more likely to get in than if he works for some leftist outfit.

Other crappy place, really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The initiation fee is closer to $125-$150K. My sister belongs to CCCC, they live in CC Village. They joined in maybe 2002 and I think the fee (though I have never asked or been given specifics) was about $100K. I thought you needed 25 letters of recommendation (but maybe it's 18) and they are from people that have been to YOUR house and you have been to theirs. Basically, you have to be in the CCCC social circles to get in.

I have never seen any African Americans at the pool and I don't know of any Jewish families there, either. It is pretty Waspy/Catholic. Lots of bigger families. I think most of the families fall in the income range of $300-$600K. Everyone else is probably upwards of that and not beneath $300K. I don't know what the yearly dues are but I wouldn't be surprised if they are $60-80K.

There is a no cell phone policy and I think it is nice when I am the pool. Sometimes I forget and no one yells at me, I just go out into the parking lot.

There is a lot of misinformation here. The initiation fee was 85,000 about two years ago. It may have gone up a little but I don't think it's over 100,000 -- probably more like 90/95. You need 8 letters of support for both the member and spouse. The yearly dues are $7200, a far cry from 60-80k. As some pp pointed out, the initials are CCC, not CCCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rankings:
1. Burning Tree
2. Congo
3. Chevy Chase
4. Kenwood

Everything thing else is B list.

Are you kidding?

1. Chevy Chase
2. Congressional
3. Columbia

Everything else is the B list.

And most people talking about initiation fees- other than 15:59- have no idea what they're talking about!

[Anonymous]

Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Unless you are giving ALL of your disposable income to charities, the answer is no.

I am sure we can find things you are spending your money on that are frivolous.

I am at one of the "top 3" mentioned here and the thing I disagree with is the notion this is for social status and that members hang out for social status reasons.

We belong for the golf, tennis and other amentities. My husband loves golf. He doesn't spend his money on anything else. (He has an 11 yo car). This is his thing -- which he shouldn't have to apologize for after spending 4 years in college, 4 years post graduate, and 4 years in the military. (I also spent 4 years in college; 3 years post graduate). We are not trust fund babies . . .

[Anonymous]

We know 3 families in our n-hood who belong to Chevy (as the natives call it). All are old money -- meaning that at least one spouse comes from inherited money, though they're not rolling in it. Couple #1 are baby-boomers who grew up in other parts of the country, so they didn't inherit their membership, but I'd be willing to bet cash money that their families belonged to country clubs while they were growing up. They're pleasant, well-educated, well-traveled, not insular and moderately liberal. If asked, they'd probably say they bought into Chevy b/c that's what they grew up with and they both play golf. Couple #2 are in their 40s, and are pretty much a younger version of Couple #1, but in addition to playing golf, their kids play hockey and thus, they use the skating rink @ CCC as well as the golf course. Couple #3 are a slight variation -- husband grew up here, wife is from flyoverland and is a social-climber, name-dropper type; they're Republicans and seem to be living out some '50s fantasy right out of MadMen, Revolution Road, etc.

[Anonymous]

This thread really solidifies why I would never belong to a country club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

.

I didn't tell anyone how to spend their money. It was an honest question. I had no idea such clubs existed. These dollar amounts are mind-boggling to me. And someone mentioned this is a Catholic/Christian club, so that's why I asked, since their religions emphasize how hard it is for the rich to live a righteous life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

.

I didn't tell anyone how to spend their money. It was an honest question. I had no idea such clubs existed. These dollar amounts are mind-boggling to me. And someone mentioned this is a Catholic/Christian club, so that's why I asked, since their religions emphasize how hard it is for the rich to live a righteous life.

Where did you get the idea that it is a Christian club????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

.

I didn't tell anyone how to spend their money. It was an honest question. I had no idea such clubs existed. These dollar amounts are mind-boggling to me. And someone mentioned this is a Catholic/Christian club, so that's why I asked, since their religions emphasize how hard it is for the rich to live a righteous life.

I'm not trying to be snarky, but how could you not know that there are people who live like this? There are people in this country that belong to multiple country clubs, fly on private jets, spend $10,000 on a purse and thousands on a bottle of wine, own several vacation homes, etc. The average Washington-area country club member lives quite modestly compared to many of the super rich in this country. Drive up Connecticut and peek into the parking lots of CCC and Columbia and you'll see more minivans and Volvos than luxury cars.

I know many people who belong to these clubs. Most of them don't live in mansions, drive fancy cars, live lavish lives. They just happen to value what the clubs have to offer. Many of the members I know are legacies and I would venture to guess could never have afforded to join the clubs if they had to pay the full initiation fees and/or didn't have families who helped them join. I also know several upper-middle class families who are paying their initiation fee in installments and choose to join a club over taking vacations or buying a bigger house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

.

I didn't tell anyone how to spend their money. It was an honest question. I had no idea such clubs existed. These dollar amounts are mind-boggling to me. And someone mentioned this is a Catholic/Christian club, so that's why I asked, since their religions emphasize how hard it is for the rich to live a righteous life.

Where did you get the idea that it is a Christian club????

Isn't CCC de facto, a Christian club? How many Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists do you think are members? Also many Jews don't want to belong to CCC because of CCC's historical anti-semitic policies (I believe only changed in the last few decades),

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I had no idea real people lived like this. Wow.

Do such country club members ever feel a teensy bit wrong for spending their money that way?

Oh please. Do you ever feel the teensiest bit wrong about being a judgmental bitch who thinks she can tell others how to spend their money?

.

I didn't tell anyone how to spend their money. It was an honest question. I had no idea such clubs existed. These dollar amounts are mind-boggling to me. And someone mentioned this is a Catholic/Christian club, so that's why I asked, since their religions emphasize how hard it is for the rich to live a righteous life.

Where did you get the idea that it is a Christian club????

Isn't CCC de facto, a Christian club? How many Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists do you think are members? Also many Jews don't want to belong to CCC because of CCC's historical anti-semitic policies (I believe only changed in the last few decades),

I understand your point, but how many decades do you think need to pass before people (not just those who share the Jewish faith) can get past the way it used to be?