Are Country Clubs all Middle Class People

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area, those who joined clubs are the classic striver types, always name dropping, always upgrading their cars and homes and vacations. I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less than join a club where all these people congregate.

I doubt that there are many members at my club whose income is below seven figures. That is really what is needed to support a membership. Why? Because quite a number belong to more than one club, have a second home (some a third), and travel a fair amount. They are not upgrading things -- they just buy what they want. They also do not name drop.

I have noticed a trend though. In the past you would see lawyers, doctors, execs, as members. In the DC area -- the big lobbyists as well. And of course their adult kids who held similar jobs. Over the last few years there are a lot more younger people joining with lots of family money. Some have high paaying jobs, while others have modest jobs but the common fact is that there is a lot of family generational money out there.

You don't hang out at regular country clubs then. Plenty of members in the 350-500k range at regular clubs. And yes they are all strivers. Lots of kitchen renovations and very few second homes. Tons of name dropping, and only being friends with "certain" families.

You need a lot of disposable income to be a member at a club. Everyone seems rich at ours, whether it is family money or high income. It is doubtful that you would join a country club before having a nice home, saving for college, etc. We considered joining at 500k and 800k and didn’t think it was worth the cost. When we hit 2m, it was not a big deal to drop 100k for initiation and pay the 30k per year. It really is a waste of money if you think of how few times we go. Dh will think it is worth it. He takes friends and colleagues golfing. We go to holiday brunch, Halloween party and other events throughout the year. My boys are excellent tennis and golfers.

Oh I 100% know it is not worth it. But I also 100% know that people in our neighborhood belong to the "local" club closest to us without adequate college or retirement savings (relative to their current spending levels) and belong with a sub $500k income. Absolutely.

That is their choice. 500k is still UMC, not MC. As pp said, MC us more like 50-100k and no, those people cannot afford to join a country club unless their parents are paying for it and then that means they have family money.

I was responding directly to the PP I quoted who stated that there were not many people in country clubs with less than a 7 figure income. False.

[Anonymous]

This is really what you spend your time thinking about OP? Join a club or don’t..who cares what their “social status” is.

Some members have low incomes but significant family wealth that makes their jobs/income irrelevant. Life isn’t all about your income or if your fellow member thinks your middle class or upper middle class..

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a wealthy area, but we were not wealthy. I had a few friends over the years from extremely wealthy families that were in the history books and they were down to earth, low key and normal. I didn't know they were extremely wealthy until I went to their homes and I found out about their famous (not Kennedy famous or anything) families either through a work of art in the home or from other people. I have no idea if they belonged to country clubs.

Over the years I've had some friends from "keeping up with the Jones" families that would make their kids take out loans for college or grad school, but made sure everyone knew they belonged to a country club. One of my friends who grew up in this type of family found she could not put her mom in the fancy AL she wanted because mom had spent so0 much money on superficial things over the years including a country club they could not easily afford. Al the AL she could afford people rolled their eyes at her when she still talked about that country club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle class golfers play at public courses. Or they are like my golf-crazy father, who worked a second job at an exclusive club pro shop just so he could occasionally play on the exclusive club's terrific course. Middle class people are not members at these places.

That's really cute. Good for your dad! A second job for your hobby is definitely cool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I imagine country clubs are full of the worst kind of people. Like middle class wannabes desperate to be rich

I went to top private schools and barely any students were members of country clubs. Most of us had our own pools at home. We even had a kid with tennis courts at his house. My family spent the entire summer at our home in Italy. We didn’t need to drive out to a public pool at a country club

I also went to school with the children of literal billionaires and zero of them were members of country clubs

I feel so sorry for your parents. All that money spent on such a dud of a person.

[Anonymous]

Remember this thread when you vote for the Billionaire Tax in November.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine country clubs are full of the worst kind of people. Like middle class wannabes desperate to be rich

I went to top private schools and barely any students were members of country clubs. Most of us had our own pools at home. We even had a kid with tennis courts at his house. My family spent the entire summer at our home in Italy. We didn’t need to drive out to a public pool at a country club

I also went to school with the children of literal billionaires and zero of them were members of country clubs

I feel so sorry for your parents. All that money spent on such a dud of a person.

OP is impressed by pools and tennis courts, so I doubt they spent much on him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a wealthy area, but we were not wealthy. I had a few friends over the years from extremely wealthy families that were in the history books and they were down to earth, low key and normal. I didn't know they were extremely wealthy until I went to their homes and I found out about their famous (not Kennedy famous or anything) families either through a work of art in the home or from other people. I have no idea if they belonged to country clubs.

Over the years I've had some friends from "keeping up with the Jones" families that would make their kids take out loans for college or grad school, but made sure everyone knew they belonged to a country club. One of my friends who grew up in this type of family found she could not put her mom in the fancy AL she wanted because mom had spent so0 much money on superficial things over the years including a country club they could not easily afford. Al the AL she could afford people rolled their eyes at her when she still talked about that country club.

People at country clubs are not having kids take out student loans. I am sure there are some but not a lot. Most people at clubs are flat out rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In our area, those who joined clubs are the classic striver types, always name dropping, always upgrading their cars and homes and vacations. I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less than join a club where all these people congregate.

I doubt that there are many members at my club whose income is below seven figures. That is really what is needed to support a membership. Why? Because quite a number belong to more than one club, have a second home (some a third), and travel a fair amount. They are not upgrading things -- they just buy what they want. They also do not name drop.

I have noticed a trend though. In the past you would see lawyers, doctors, execs, as members. In the DC area -- the big lobbyists as well. And of course their adult kids who held similar jobs. Over the last few years there are a lot more younger people joining with lots of family money. Some have high paaying jobs, while others have modest jobs but the common fact is that there is a lot of family generational money out there.

You don't hang out at regular country clubs then. Plenty of members in the 350-500k range at regular clubs. And yes they are all strivers. Lots of kitchen renovations and very few second homes. Tons of name dropping, and only being friends with "certain" families.

You need a lot of disposable income to be a member at a club. Everyone seems rich at ours, whether it is family money or high income. It is doubtful that you would join a country club before having a nice home, saving for college, etc. We considered joining at 500k and 800k and didn’t think it was worth the cost. When we hit 2m, it was not a big deal to drop 100k for initiation and pay the 30k per year. It really is a waste of money if you think of how few times we go. Dh will think it is worth it. He takes friends and colleagues golfing. We go to holiday brunch, Halloween party and other events throughout the year. My boys are excellent tennis and golfers.

Oh I 100% know it is not worth it. But I also 100% know that people in our neighborhood belong to the "local" club closest to us without adequate college or retirement savings (relative to their current spending levels) and belong with a sub $500k income. Absolutely.

That is their choice. 500k is still UMC, not MC. As pp said, MC us more like 50-100k and no, those people cannot afford to join a country club unless their parents are paying for it and then that means they have family money.

I was responding directly to the PP I quoted who stated that there were not many people in country clubs with less than a 7 figure income. False.

Not false at all unless we are talking about crappy clubs. People at clubs are rich. Maybe some UMC but they are short term members. They quit when they can't keep paying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is 16 year old troll level.

OP, your field hockey practice starts in 30 minutes, go get ready.

Haha was thinking the same.

[Anonymous]

My country club had an obnoxious new money developer that tormented the blue bood judges and others. There was a cool trust fund guy that was a great golfer.

Middle class kids were caddies. They did get to use the pool one day per year until someone mistook a candy bar for a floater.

[Anonymous]

The top places to play golf aren’t even located at country clubs. And having your own indoor, temperature controlled pool at home is significantly nicer. We even had a huge movie projector screen by the side of our indoor pool. So we could dim the lights and watch movies in the pool

So yeah, country clubs are full of a bunch of middle class posers. Can you imagine the type of people who go to socialize at a country club. What a nightmare

And I know everyone can’t afford their own pool or vacations. But country club members try to act all elitist and superior, when they are barely upper middle class. The trump club people are probably the most repugnant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is 16 year old troll level.

OP, your field hockey practice starts in 30 minutes, go get ready.

Haha was thinking the same.

Sorry, but it’s true that country club members are upper middle class at best. Have fun loading up the mini van to use the public pool and facilities

[Anonymous]

The elites aren’t country club members

The best you’ll get is some politician or high ranking lawyer worth a paltry 10 mill net worth. Most country club members live in 1 million dollar homes, maybe work as doctors or lawyers, and delude themselves in to thinking they’re part of the upper crust

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The elites aren’t country club members

The best you’ll get is some politician or high ranking lawyer worth a paltry 10 mill net worth. Most country club members live in 1 million dollar homes, maybe work as doctors or lawyers, and delude themselves in to thinking they’re part of the upper crust

I don’t understand this comment. There are tiers of country clubs for all levels.

Bel Air CC has plenty of billionaires as members, with $30MM+ homes overlooking the golf course.

Everyone has their own clubs to suit their status.