Question about attorneys...

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Believe it or not, most attorneys don't have the sort of money it takes to belong to one of the more established CCs

AND, I am trying to figure out what on earth this has to do with anything
 

klmno

Active Member
Nothing- I was just wondering if I stuck my foot in my mouth about something. We have a lot of clubs around here- many that go by "country club" but I'm assuming that they aren't all the more elite type. Some of the attorneys and people in the legal system do make 6 digit salaries- even if the typical attorney is not. But really, from what I see, most of their salraies are around 6 digits and to me that is a lot of money so they could afford it. Still, not all professions are dominated by people with personality types that would care about being a member, so I was just wondering.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
If you are near Difficult Child then six figures is NOT a lot of money.

It is not alot of money is most major cities, either. Not when rent on a two bedroom apt can run in excess of two grand.

Country clubs? Ehhh...a lot of them are basically golf clubs with restaurants attached. The cachet comes with them being 'members only'.
 

klmno

Active Member
I'm not in the Difficult Child "circle" - not in northern va. The average family income around here is about $50,000. I don't know how there is enough business to keep all the clubs around here in business. We have a neighborhood "club" but it is definitely nothing fancy. It consists of a pool, tennis courts, and a basketball court. It is not very attractive. The clubhouse is a pool house- nothing more. And it costs $1000 for the first year of membership. The pool is outdoors and only open from May until Sept. No one calls this place a country club though. LOL!
 

smallworld

Moderator
We live near Difficult Child, my husband is an attorney and earns a good living, but we can't even begin to afford a country club. Nor would we want to, for that matter.
 

klmno

Active Member
Well, what professions typically join these places? I don't mean to stereotype- obviously a person's personlaity and wealth have a lot to do with it, but if I walked into a typical elite country club, what professionals would I most likely meet? I have been a couple of times in the past as a guest of a guest so-to-speak. I didn't really meet the typical clientele (sp) so I don't know.

(I should have titled this thread "question about country clubs")
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
You would definately find a lot of insurance people (and insurance attorneys) on a golf course. Every insurance Seminar I have ever attended that was more than one day had golf on the menu. If you want to make a deal, or smooze, golf is the way to go.

A co worker and I had an invite to a very ritzy club to play - Tried to get out of it because If there is one sport on the planet I hate more than cricket, its golf, but it was a work thing and I had to go. My first time playing I broke my leg in two places on the third hole (after paying 350.00 to play) LOL

Lots of people I know have memberships to private golf clubs but its considered a business expense - I would think you would pretty much have to be a rabid fan to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Marcie
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
I think the sterotype is people WITH money versus people who don't. You don't see too many unemployed people out there.:tongue:

Marcie Mac...how in HADES did you break your leg ON A GOLF COURSE???? They're generally the flatest places on earth. Can't imagine you stepped in the hole unless you have size 1 feet. Drive a golf cart into a tree? Coworker get mad and slam his driver into your shin? Get run over by a car because some stupid idiot let his 2 year old drive it?

Work with me here...

Abbey
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well, Myrtle Beach has a ton of Golf Courses but I dont think they are country clubs.

I know of a few CC in Richmond but I dont know who belongs to them other than some of the CEO's of businesses and other monied folks. I remember when Lady Bird Johnson was alive and belonged to the one over off Hugenont.

by the way...my son lives in the northern Difficult Child area and he so does not make six figures...lol. He makes mid 5 and his house is 6 but he is a lowly state government worker. I dont think he will be invited to join a CC unless it is a fishing club...lol.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Interesting question...

Other than specialized clubs that cater to a single profession, the country clubs in my neck of the woods tend to attract a varied group. Lawyers, business executives, some doctors (although not all of them are in an income bracket where they can afford the fees...medicine is not as lucrative in Canada as it is in the U.S.), management consultants. I think the common element is that they're all in senior management somewhere, which gives them a sufficiently high salary to afford the fees.

The clubs I've been to usually have a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness clubs or workout facilities, pretty grounds, often a restaurant, banquet hall, meeting rooms, party rooms, in some cases even accommodations. Many of them offer concierge services where they will get you tickets to events, deal with your dry cleaning, host dinner parties for you, etc.

In many cases, memberships are long-standing, passed from one generation of a family to another. For the clubs near me, typical initiation fees are about $75,000 to $90,000, and then there are annual fees of $15,000 to $20,000. Even if it's economically viable, it is awfully hard to justify dropping about $100K just to belong to a country club. That said, it can be a great environment in which to meet people, schmooze, discuss business in a less formal and structured environment, or just get out and play with friends.

Trinity
 

klmno

Active Member
For the clubs near me, typical initiation fees are about $75,000 to $90,000, and then there are annual fees of $15,000 to $20,000.

:rofl: OMG!! Is that the going rate in the US, too?? Well, will they accept a 14yo boy instead? JK- I can't see myself hanging out in a CC. That would be like a doll in a china shop! I was looking at average salaries for different professions around here (online) and like everywhere, computer software management is really up there right now- but what was astronomical were the salaries being made by the top people at our state medical college. We are talking $200,000 - 400,000 annual salary. I can't even imagine.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I can't even imagine.

LOL. Exactly.

Do you remember Thurston Howell III and Lovey Howell from Gilligan's Island? Well, they weren't exaggerating all that much.

Even with a salary of $400K per year, I can't imaging spending $20,000 of it just for a club membership. Gosh. That could buy a car, or be a down payment on a condo, or a total renovation of a kitchen and a couple of bathrooms. Just doesn't add up in my head...
 

klmno

Active Member
LOL! I guess it's a good thing that I'm not attracted to men like Thurston Howell, huh? It sounds more like people with long-standing family money, people in professions where socializing is the key to success and the business foots the bill, and maybe some who made their wealth and want to hang out with other wealthy people. Legal people would probably be the corporate lawyers or politicians needing financing and votes. Does that convey the image?
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Is that what my SS makes now? WOW! Damn I should have followed in her footsteps. Kicking my behind again for the millionth time.

I dont think all CC's cost that much. I know my best friend used to live in Salisbury Estates and in fact her mom still does. They have Salisbury Country Club connected to that little neighborhood. I believe her family belonged to the CC because we used to go over there a lot when we were teens. (I know we used to sneak in at night and raid the liquor bar) I really dont think they would have paid that much.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
LOL! I guess it's a good thing that I'm not attracted to men like Thurston Howell, huh? It sounds more like people with long-standing family money, people in professions where socializing is the key to success and the business foots the bill, and maybe some who made their wealth and want to hang out with other wealthy people. Legal people would probably be the corporate lawyers or politicians needing financing and votes. Does that convey the image?

Yup, that about sums it up.

There probably are lots of CCs that don't have the same price tag (or high level of snoot) as the ones I've been describing. However, the ones 'round these parts...snoot city.
 

Nancy

Well-Known Member
The cc's around here are not at all in the price range that you describe Trinity, perhaps 1/4 of what yours cost, if that. The membership at the one near us is made up of many different professions with doctors and insurance executives and regular businessmen probably the biggest. There are some lawyers but only a handful. It is not stuck up or snooty at all. Most of the golf members joined because their schedules don't permit them to take off a full day to play at a public course and they can get out on the cc course anytime and be finished in three hours. They are dedicated golfers for the most part.

Nancy
 

eekysign

New Member
Some of 'em. Country Clubs are almost always about golf and schmoozing, so you get a few of the higher-price-tag attorneys there.

But I know YOUR area well, and you'd see some of the law professors, maybe some of the more higher powered attorneys. Only the new kids (read: under 50 or so) if they CAME from old money, or were visiting with their mentors. I'm an attorney, and I don't personally know anyone who is a member of a country club. It's a Southern thing, a guy thing, and an old money (or nouveau riche) sorta thing.

Everyone I know in my area that is a country club type is either upper management (CEO, CFO, etc) or in sales.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
Yikes. My in-laws just joined the country club where they live and I know for a fact the membership was a LOT more than $20,000. Membership is invitation only. The membership that they bought doesn't include certain amenities, either. They do go to dinner there about once a week, but dinner is higher priced there than if they went to a regular restaraunt. It's convenient, for them, because it's a block from their house.

I suppose it just depends on what type of lawyer you are talking about. There are lawyers that make a lot of money and those that don't. My friend is a lawyer (asst atty general in his state) and I don't get the impression that he will be joining a Country Club any time soon, but perhaps in the future when his kids are grown.
 
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