The Fall of 'New Money' Country Clubs

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed)
Jan 31st 2009 at 8:02AM

It has certainly happened before and as much as it stinks to draw another comparison to the Great Depression it seems country clubs made of 'new money' may follow the same path as one-third of the clubs did back then. Across the U.S. clubs are shutting their gates and greens one after another from the Gold Creek Golf Club in Dawsonville, Georgia to Golf Club of California in San Diego. Even Sea Island in coastal Georgia, which once ranked near the top in golf courses of the nation, recently laid off 400 employees.

As quickly as individuals came into fresh cash it disappeared on Wall Street and the like. $85,000 entrance fees once meant to keep the unworthy out have been reduced to free! I guess the 'old' clubs will continue to hang on -- that's how they earned the term 'old'.

Tags: country club, CountryClub, dawsonville georgia, DawsonvilleGeorgia, gold creek golf club, GoldCreekGolfClub, golf club of california, GolfClubOfCalifornia, san diego, SanDiego, sea island, SeaIsland

Filed under: Wealth

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Robert The Concierge Jan 31st 2009 12:39PM

After a private club fails what happens to it?
Is the land sold off to developers for home sites.?
or does it stay closed and unkempt as everybody sues everybody else over failure to meet promises?
How about turning one into the world's best dog park!
R