David and Thomas of Huckaby,
I will state that when it comes to gambling, I think I know of which I speak. And not just from golf.
The story of Johannesburg C.C. was not that there was a shortage of caddies or a weak caddie master, but the genus 'African caddie' was as wily as certain animals on the veldt when their meal was about to arrive. With gambling cliques playing for high stakes you get clubs within clubs and a slowness of play that is painful. There is a divide between members on the subject. From time to time I play with a golfer who happens to have religious views that prevent him from gambling, even for small sums. I must admit, it upsets the tenor of the game but he is a stong player and adds to the quality of the play in the group.
I have seen money change hands at clubs in Los Angeles that, to me at least, were obscene; to the protagonists it may well have been small change. I played with a man who sold his lady's clothing stores for something like nine million dollars, this in 1970's currency. A great golfer and fierce competitor, he would place bets that staggered the imagination. He died broke a few years later.
When I wrote that friendships and clubs have been ruined by excessive gambling, perhaps I should had written that the 'essence" of the club was ruined. David is right that mismanagement, a lousy super, poor food, out of control dues increases and a host of other causes can signal the end of a club as we know it, however, excessive gambling is a cancer.
To put it into perspective, apocryphal or not, I was told the story of Warren Buffet at Augusta playing cards wth the guest of a member. When the young man carped at the smallness of the stake Buffet asked of his net worth. The young man gave him a figure. Buffet said let's play for that. End of story. Play for what you can afford no more, no less. I am less than impressed when told of the exploiters of big hitters.
David, I refuse to accept that I am full of shit, at least not on this subject.
Bob