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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.

People join a country club for golf and the pool. All this striver crap is so weird and reeks of upper middle class people thinking they are hot stuff because they spend their money differently than other upper middle class people.

If your country club is your entire social life, that's weird, and I think that's where this "striver" mindset comes in.

Most normal people don't bring up their club in convo unless you're talking about golf.

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Anonymous wrote:Well, yeah. If you were truly wealthy--you could hop your jet and golf in the Caribbean with a view of the sparkling blue water not at some traffic-burdened Maryland country club with bland food.

Funny thing about this is that many of the places the "truly wealthy" go to play golf in the Caribbean -- Baker's Bay, Lyford, Mill Reef -- are (you guessed it!) country clubs.

Yes -- they have houses in private neighborhoods and belong to clubs.

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.

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.

A few of my neighbors have joined Kenwood over the last couple years. They like to golf and play tennis. A bit pricey for me, but it makes sense.

We're in a nice middle class (upper middle class?) neighborhood. So my friends are probably guilty of OP's accusations!

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, yeah. If you were truly wealthy--you could hop your jet and golf in the Caribbean with a view of the sparkling blue water not at some traffic-burdened Maryland country club with bland food.

Funny thing about this is that many of the places the "truly wealthy" go to play golf in the Caribbean -- Baker's Bay, Lyford, Mill Reef -- are (you guessed it!) country clubs.

True--but much nicer ones than we have in the DMV!

Anonymous wrote:Well, yeah. If you were truly wealthy--you could hop your jet and golf in the Caribbean with a view of the sparkling blue water not at some traffic-burdened Maryland country club with bland food.

Funny thing about this is that many of the places the "truly wealthy" go to play golf in the Caribbean -- Baker's Bay, Lyford, Mill Reef -- are (you guessed it!) country clubs.

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Anonymous wrote:Homes in italy are incredibly cheap- probably cheaper than a couple years of country club membership tbh. So that's not really saying anything.

lol. Find me that cheap house somewhere on the seaside in one of the nicest parts of Italy, e.g. Sardinia, so that I can buy it.

Oh, there's plenty. Land in Italy is cheap cheap cheap

Seriously, show me an example.

I'm not going to take up the time to search up real estate for you lol but just the other day the NYT published a post about the cheapest real estate in Europe, italy was all over the list. You can easily find an estate there and it will cost you pennies compared to a second home in the US

There is plenty of cheap real estate in the US too. I am talking about houses you would actually want to buy in truly desirable locations, not some crap holes. Granted any crap hole in Italy is generally nicer than most places in the US and the food is much better in general but I would not just buy any house. The really nice properties in desirable sea side locations where you would actually want to spend your summer really are not that cheap.

Anonymous wrote:This is 16 year old troll level.

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

+1. Can't believe all the serious responses.

The real barometer of a tier I club is if they have Caddie Day from 1pm to 1:15pm on a random weekday.

Well, yeah. If you were truly wealthy--you could hop your jet and golf in the Caribbean with a view of the sparkling blue water not at some traffic-burdened Maryland country club with bland food.

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Anonymous wrote:Depends on the club. Somewhere like Chevy Chase Club is old money. Washington Gold or Woodmont? Sure, definitely some middle calss people.

Isn't Washington Golf significantly more expensive than Chevy now? Like $115,000 entry fees from what I have heard? And the wait list is something like six years long? Hardly middle class to me

I don’t know but the members at Chevy are mostly lovely and well-bred and the members at WGCC are mostly the worst kind of strivers.

This. I grew up in Chevy Chase but live in Va now. It’s pathetic how high class the WG people think they are.

+1. At my workplace there are 10+ Washington Golf members and their conversations about it are cringe-worthy. I can count over ten times I've overheard/been there for long convos with our 20s/30s associates about initiation fees, the "who's who" of the membership, etc., and how the associates just HAVE to join in a few years. I'm a member of another local cc whose members would never, ever do that.

As far as I can tell, places like WG/Congo will take anyone who can afford them and is willing to wait a few years. But to answer OP, I don't consider any of these folks "middle class" -- they make >2-4m / year.

Definitely. WG/Congo are the "new money" clubs who will accept anyone who can pay the bill. Very different to legacy clubs with rigorous application processes and a very selective membership

Dude -- there is no such thing. Not even at those clubs.

Apparently you've never heard of Burning Tree or Farmington

PP here and member at one of them. Frankly not that hard.

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Anonymous wrote:Depends on the club. Somewhere like Chevy Chase Club is old money. Washington Gold or Woodmont? Sure, definitely some middle calss people.

Isn't Washington Golf significantly more expensive than Chevy now? Like $115,000 entry fees from what I have heard? And the wait list is something like six years long? Hardly middle class to me

I don’t know but the members at Chevy are mostly lovely and well-bred and the members at WGCC are mostly the worst kind of strivers.

This. I grew up in Chevy Chase but live in Va now. It’s pathetic how high class the WG people think they are.

+1. At my workplace there are 10+ Washington Golf members and their conversations about it are cringe-worthy. I can count over ten times I've overheard/been there for long convos with our 20s/30s associates about initiation fees, the "who's who" of the membership, etc., and how the associates just HAVE to join in a few years. I'm a member of another local cc whose members would never, ever do that.

As far as I can tell, places like WG/Congo will take anyone who can afford them and is willing to wait a few years. But to answer OP, I don't consider any of these folks "middle class" -- they make >2-4m / year.

Definitely. WG/Congo are the "new money" clubs who will accept anyone who can pay the bill. Very different to legacy clubs with rigorous application processes and a very selective membership

Dude -- there is no such thing. Not even at those clubs.

Apparently you've never heard of Burning Tree or Farmington