Anonymous wrote:So...what does $600 a month buy you? Do you get unlimited access to the tennis courts, golf course, and pool? Food? Spa stuff? I obviously have no experience with country clubs. Even for the high salaries around here these initiation fees and monthly dues seem so high. Is it mostly about networking, or are the facilities of these places really that awesome? Do they all have restaurants? I guess all the people who go are pretty much rich, right? It's just a different world than the one I live in....

As a general rule, your monthly dues allow unlimited access to almost all facilities with the exception of golf which is an extra cost. Swimming pool, tennis and other facilities are usually included. Restaurants are on site, you pay for what you order and often there is a commitment to spend a certain amount per quarter (or month or year...) at the restaurant, pro shop, etc. I belong to Congressional and yes, the facilities are awesome. Are we rich? Yes by most of the US standards but probably lower upper or upper middle class by DC standards. My parents are wealthy and they are members, I grew up there and my parents paid for each of us kids to be members (part of our wedding gift for each of us). Could I swing it on my own? Heck no... Do we use the club? Yes, we swim there a lot, neither DH or I are big golfers but we go out occasionally. We play a lot of tennis, and socialize. A lot of people that I grew up with are members and a lot of DC's classmates are members so it is part of our social life. Are the people pretty much rich? I never really thought about it but I suppose most are. Quite honestly, I enjoy our membership, I do use it but I also recognize that it can be construed as excessive. I'm really grateful to my parents, I don't think we could have swung it on our own.

Anonymous wrote:Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.

Is this the new "Holy Mackerel!"? Huh, I didn't know.
But about those initiation fees: is that capital that is returned to the estate (if not bequethed in the will) upon the member's death?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.

This is an anonymous chat room where everyone is a millionaire. We are not impressed and know that you are as full of it as a Christmas goose

I don't expect you to be impressed. We are a two lawyer family. DCUM is crawling with those. The point stands. Even if you can afford it, who pays 60K to join a country club?

If you don't get it, you don't get it I am afraid.

Anonymous wrote:Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.

This is an anonymous chat room where everyone is a millionaire. We are not impressed and know that you are as full of it as a Christmas goose

Only one bonus away from the unwashed........

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a really nice public golf course in Silver Spring.

She's asking about private country clubs. Try to keep focused. If she wanted to slum it with the masses, she would do so.

the unwashed masses.

We wash pretty well here in Silver Spring.

So...what does $600 a month buy you? Do you get unlimited access to the tennis courts, golf course, and pool? Food? Spa stuff? I obviously have no experience with country clubs. Even for the high salaries around here these initiation fees and monthly dues seem so high. Is it mostly about networking, or are the facilities of these places really that awesome? Do they all have restaurants? I guess all the people who go are pretty much rich, right? It's just a different world than the one I live in....

Whoops, very full social life.

Excuse me? There's no leaving. There's only dying.

My parents left - we grew up so they didn't use the pool anymore, my dad gave up golf and my mom couldn't play tennis anymore, and they had a very fill social life that was not country club dependent. But it was fantastic when we were growing up (this was Kenwood, btw.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.

Excuse me? There's no leaving. There's only dying.

Right, it will turn out I need the money for a life-saving operation and I'll die instead.

Anonymous wrote:Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.

Excuse me? There's no leaving. There's only dying.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a really nice public golf course in Silver Spring.

She's asking about private country clubs. Try to keep focused. If she wanted to slum it with the masses, she would do so.

the unwashed masses.

Holy carp. Are the initiation fees like investments you get back if you leave? I can't imagine wanting to pay that and we are millionaires.