A country club is a private club and it may have a closed membership. Most offer a variety of recreational sports facilities and are located in city outskirts or rural areas.. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or traditional polo. An athletic club is a similar but is usually located within an urban setting, which may exclude certain activities such as golf or traditional polo. On the other hand, rock climbing practice or a martial art may be available. A country club will usually provide hospitality to members and guests such as a restaurant and bar, and may also provide suitable accommodations for host-catered events, such as weddings.

Golf club

A golf club is a private club organized to play golf. A golf club usually has its own golf course. The most exclusive golf clubs have extensive facilities, such as a restaurant, bar, and swimming pool for its members. Membership is usually by annual subscription. Sometimes the club expects its member to buy stock and has monthly food and beverage purchase minimums.

Tennis club

A tennis club is a private club organized to play tennis. Tennis instruction is normally included, along with tournaments, and the club has its own tennis courts. Tennis clubs often have tennis pros who teach the members. Some tennis clubs have on-site tennis retail and repair facilities, where members can purchase balls, rackets, and clothes, and have rackets restrung.

United States

Country clubs can be exclusive organizations. In small towns, membership in the country club is often not as exclusive or expensive as in larger cities where there is competition for a limited number of memberships. In addition to the fees, some clubs have additional requirements to join. For example, membership can be limited to those who reside in a particular housing community. Historically, many country clubs refused to admit members of minority racial groups, such as African Americans, Asian Americans, and non-white Hispanic Americans, as well as members with specific faiths, such as Jewish or Catholic individuals. In many jurisdictions, such discriminatory requirements are now prohibited, but in others, such policies are still legal or are subject to specific circumstances. In some cases, lawsuits have forced clubs to drop discriminatory policies.

In one example, in 1990 professional golfer Tom Watson resigned from the Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills, Kansas, in protest after local businessman and civic leader Henry Bloch was denied membership. Watson believed the club denied Bloch because he was Jewish. Although Watson is not Jewish, his then-wife and children are. After Watson's nationally-publicized protest, Bloch was offered a membership, which he accepted. Watson rejoined the club in 1995. Since that time The Kansas City Country Club has accepted several minority and Jewish members. The Augusta National Golf Club, where the Masters Tournament is played, is one of the best-known clubs that does not admit women. In September 2008 Katon Dawson left Forest Lake Club after a twelve year membership because it still has a whites-only restriction. In addition, country club membership tends to be self-selective and people often choose to join clubs where they can associate with people from similar socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, most exclusive country clubs are simply golf clubs, and play a smaller role in their communities than American country clubs; gentlemen's clubs in Britain—many of which admit women while remaining socially exclusive—fill many roles of the United States' country clubs. The issue of male-only clubs does, however, sometimes arouse controversy. In the United States, the term "Gentlemen's club" is generally a euphemism for a strip club.

Australia

Country clubs exist in multiple forms, including athletic based clubs and golf clubs. Notable examples are the Breakfast Point Country Club in Sydney, Castle Hill Country Club, The Gold Coast Polo & Country Club and the Sanctuary Cove's Country Club.

See also

• Discrimination
• Gentlemen's club - a similarly exclusive club (often known as a city club), although usually without the concentration on outdoor activities
• List of American gentlemen's clubs

References