Anonymous wrote:I saw a social media post that said if you see some wacky real estate situation racism is probably the reason.

It might shock you to know there is more to life than racism. Blacks made up a very small percent of the population outside the South until the great migrations started in the 30s. Country clubs were mainly founded in the late 19th century into the 1920s, although a flurry of new clubs emerged in the post war years. Most country clubs were not founded because people were worried about blacks, who, in the first place, were so poor while simultaneously useful as servants for the clubs. If anything, they were more worried about the wrong white people. Immigrant heritage whites like Italians and Poles and worse, Catholics. But more than anything, they were founded as part of the inevitable suburbanization and embracing of a leisure based outdoors lifestyle made feasible by lower density suburbanization. Which is why even the discriminated Jews and Irish and other groups built their own clubs.

Anonymous wrote:I saw a social media post that said if you see some wacky real estate situation racism is probably the reason.

This is often true! Like Lafayette Park.

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 a 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.

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.

Do people really think the “west coast” means California? Why do people even say “west coast” then?

I’d say there aren’t many at all.

I saw a social media post that said if you see some wacky real estate situation racism is probably the reason.

Anonymous wrote:Every city has country clubs, aka golf courses and swimming pools. Who cares? Stop trying to rouse things up.

Trolls gonna troll!

Anonymous wrote:Every city has country clubs, aka golf courses and swimming pools. Who cares? Stop trying to rouse things up.

This. People who want to do activities or want activities for their kids, don't have their own pool or don't want to have their own pool, need a place to go for these things. Now it's all pickleball too. Is that elitist?

We live in Arlington and there are no outdoor public pools, unless you count Upton Hills- one. There are no options unless you pay for a private pool.

Because this is the town of lobbyists and politicians, and club golf courses used to be the place where deals were done.

Every city has country clubs, aka golf courses and swimming pools. Who cares? Stop trying to rouse things up.

Because people like to golf and have a long season to enjoy it.

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.

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

Because white people built the area up and wanted a place to go to enjoy leisure activities. And they didn't want to have to deal with trashy behavior. Really simple.