"Why Won't Millenials Join Country Clubs?"

[David_Tepper]

Originally published in July, 2018. I cannot remember if it ever was linked on this board.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-won-t-millennials-join-country-clubs?utm_source=pocket-newtab

[Bob Montle]

I'm not a millennial,
But,
My reason for not joining is simple:

I cannot afford to.  Wish I could - I would.

[Ronald Montesano]

“The majority of my close friends are ones I’ve known since I was five years old at the country club,” she said."

Poor woman.

“I think belonging to a club allows children to form close friendships that don’t change the way they do in schools, with different classes, teachers, cliques."

Club kids are their own clique, oftentimes the worst kind.

"I also think it instills a level of respect into children from an early age. They learn how to behave and interact with adults earlier.”

This is true. The interaction needs to be sincere, not superficial.

[Ronald Montesano]

Precisely, Bob. There is no financial aid available for those who don't have the means. If fewer people have the means, then membership rolls go down.

My reason for not joining is simple:

I cannot afford to.  Wish I could - I would.

[Ian Mackenzie]

I think it's more like why FEWER millennials are joining...and the answer could be right in front of our noses.


Outside of the obvious trends in participation over the last 10 years, I think an easier answer is found in (sad) county club demographics.


Private clubs are - for the most part - disproportionately white and Republican. I can't back that up with any published statistics, but...duh...everyone knows it...;-)


Millennials, on the other hand, are increasingly democratic and the exclusivity of private clubs (and golf) is perhaps no longer appealing.


https://www.people-press.org/2018/03/20/1-trends-in-party-affiliation-among-demographic-group[size=78%]s/[/size]


You would think that basic population growth in the US would fuel club growth. (Heck, it's fueled growth in virtually every other possible thing!) But, as the population has risen from 225M to 330M people as I have been an "adult". the participation at private clubs has dropped as per the article DT cites.


OK, for those who seek to fact-check me, let's just start in 2000 when US population was 280M.


US population up 20%.
US Country club participation down 20% in same period.


Millenials who identify as Republicans down by almost 35%.


Just sayin'...;-)

[Tommy Williamsen]

My son doesn't belong to a club and he grew up in them. He parents differently than I did. I went to his ball games etc but I also played a bunch. Sometimes with him. He has two girls that are into dance. He drives them here, there, and everywhere. Dance is also very expensive. He just doesn't have the time or the disposable income, even though he makes a bunch of money. He barely gets out to ski and that is his passion.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Millennials, on the other hand, are increasingly democratic and the exclusivity of private clubs (and golf) is perhaps no longer appealing.

Not sure that's true. As long as I've been aware of politics I've heard that college-aged kids tend to lean Democrat and as they get old and accumulate wealth and whatnot they tend to lean Republican.

[Michael Felton]

Millennials, on the other hand, are increasingly democratic and the exclusivity of private clubs (and golf) is perhaps no longer appealing.

Not sure that's true. As long as I've been aware of politics I've heard that college-aged kids tend to lean Democrat and as they get old and accumulate wealth and whatnot they tend to lean Republican.

That makes sense that as people get older and generate their own wealth, they're likely to shift from fiscally liberal to fiscally conservative (it being more acceptable to spend someone else's money than have someone else spend yours). I don't think it's true socially though. I think socially progressive people are just as likely to stay so as they get older.


That said, both things are possible at the same time. Millennials may lean more democrat while at the same time they may drift from democrat to republican as they get older. As I understand it, demographically the republican slice of the pie is continually getting smaller and smaller.


It seems pretty obvious to me that money is the big difference. House prices have vastly outpaced income levels and college costs. 40 years ago, you could get through college and buy a house and pay for it with one reasonably paying middle income job. You just can't do that anymore. So for millennials, even if they were inclined to join a country club, getting a house and paying off their student loans comes first. They're both hellishly expensive and the proportion of people that age who can afford to do all three is much lower than it once was.

[Kyle Harris]

Look within yourselves and not external factors.


Millennials will join CrossFit communities for a similar cost of a country club. Likewise other avocations. They play golf at public courses all the time.


It isn't the cost. It's the culture.


Prerequisite: "Okay, boomer."

[Kalen Braley]

I have 4 kids, all millennials, and its sure seems to be a mix of finances and culture as has been mentioned.

On the money side, throw in the cost of education and healthcare which has absolutely sky rocketed in addition to higher rents.  Counteract that with pay remaining mostly flat and in many cases going down for that age group and its a recipe for zero expendable income.

But even if they had it, their thing is traveling and seeing the world...

[Carl Rogers]

Roll and tumble to the Global Economy.  Having to move more often to maintain career prospects and the urban locale has ultra high priced property, golf cannot earn enough ...among a few of the reasons.

[SL_Solow]

I respectfully suggest that it is too early to tell.  Most people who join clubs who are not legacies do so when  they reach some level of financial success/stability.  While the level of student debt, cost of housing etc. may have some impact, historically most members join in their 40's to lower 50's.  Until a significant portion of the millennials reach that age level we won't know.  I caution against relying on some of the "experts" cited in the article who are in the business of selling change to country clubs.  The significant number of young people playing the game gives hope to those who believe in private clubs.  Each generation makes changes to the club culture.  I suspect that will continue.

[John Kavanaugh]

If you are ever lucky enough to have a millennial join your club you will soon wish they hadn’t.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Millennials, on the other hand, are increasingly democratic and the exclusivity of private clubs (and golf) is perhaps no longer appealing.

Not sure that's true. As long as I've been aware of politics I've heard that college-aged kids tend to lean Democrat and as they get old and accumulate wealth and whatnot they tend to lean Republican.

That's why i included a link to where I read the stats. Trying to be less subjective here as the topic has been addresses at length in the past.


The data is there...at least according to the source I cite...p-)


The title of the thread is "Why Won't Millenials Join Country Clubs?"...and and I think the data correlation is more than a coincidence.

[PCCraig]

Well, Millenials were never supposed to buy their own homes, but in 2020 they will be responsible for more than half the mortgages in the US. So, who knows.

[Tom_Doak]

I think the answer to the OP is simply that, "It is easier not to."


There are plenty of good courses they can play WITHOUT belonging to a club.


Their family members have all pursued their own intetests that AREN'T attached to the country club.


And they realize their position is more tenuous now, and they might have to relocate next year for work (either spouse) or elder care or so Betty can pursue her Olympic training.


How many people have ever joined a country club before they owned a home?

[Matt_Cohn]

How many people have ever joined a country club before they owned a home?

1. This.

2. Money.

3. Even sidestepping politics, I think a lot of millenials have some degree of discomfort with environments that tend to be overwhelmingly/disproportionately white-, straight-, and male-dominated.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

The data is there...at least according to the source I cite...p-)

The title of the thread is "Why Won't Millenials Join Country Clubs?"...and and I think the data correlation is more than a coincidence.

All I'm saying is that I don't think it's "new." I think people in their 20s weren't really joining clubs back in the 90s, either.

I could have been clearer, but I'm basically saying you can replace "millennials" (who are in their 20s) with "people in their 20s" and your data is likely pretty similar over time. I don't think "not joining clubs" is unique to "millennials."

[Peter Pallotta]

Maybe they're just smarter than their parents.
I've read for years here from the 'parents' that solely on a cost per round basis (and excluding other benefits) private membership just isn't worth it, i.e. it doesn't make financial sense.
Maybe millenials simply recognize this as an economic fact, and are not swayed into joining by the 'other benefits', i.e. the social & status aspects.
It's not necessarily that they keep score differently, and/or collect different stamps. But with the quality of public/resort courses having sky-rocketed in the last couple of decades, they certainly don't need to 'stamp themselves' as private course golfers.     

[Tim Gavrich]

When the Baby Boom generation was our age, they owned 21% of American wealth.


Current share of American wealth by the Millennial generation: 3%.


I'm guessing country club membership would be one of the first luxuries jettisoned in that gap.


https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-less-wealth-net-worth-compared-to-boomers-2019-12

[John Kavanaugh]

If you are given everything you don’t join anything.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Is there a " King of the Millennials" who speaks  for them?




I agree with SL Solow's assessment.

[John Kavanaugh]

Millennials are too busy ruining their children’s lives to enjoy their own.

[Alex Miller]

Millennials are too busy ruining their children’s lives to enjoy their own.

Wow, ok...

[/size]

When the Baby Boom generation was our age, they owned 21% of American wealth.


Current share of American wealth by the Millennial generation: 3%.


I'm guessing country club membership would be one of the first luxuries jettisoned in that gap.


https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-less-wealth-net-worth-compared-to-boomers-2019-12

Who's ruining what now?






I'm a millenial who bit the bullet and joined a club. I love it and got very lucky because it kind of fits into the mold of what would work for most in my generation - a relatively diverse and progressive membership (meaning in actuality it's middle of the road), a great golf course but no other superfluous amenities I have to pay for, and a fun, inclusive membership that does not view age, race, religion, occupation as relevant to one's worthiness to be playing the game of golf on their course.


The club has been able to attract younger members, mostly in their 30's and 40's. That will continue to be the case and to SL's point there will be millenial members, we just tend to do things later - like marriage, kids, and home ownership. The cause for that is definitely financial though and to Tim's post above our generation just has less wealth accumulated than previous ones. If you want to believe that is because of a 7-fold dropoff in work ethic you're more than welcome to, but I'd hope most can see through that...




Happy to answer more questions about it and why I'm the only one of my millenial friends (who I've not met through the club, which is a handful) to be a member somewhere.

[Edward Glidewell]

I know several millenials (myself included, maybe -- I think I'm in a generational transition zone) who would absolutely join a private club if they could, but with student loan debt (by far the biggest issue), increased housing costs, etc. it's just not something they can afford.