Quote:
Originally Posted by dinopoker
I'll just add to my post by pointing out that this whole concept of golf's history and its 'traditions' are to me a load of crap. Lets not forget that a large part of the game's history when it comes to clubs and private courses was more about keeping the 'wrong' type of people out, and that that list included blacks, Jews, or anyone else that the members felt didn't have the right sort of 'breeding' to associate with them. And as far as I'm concerned the sooner we can get away from that BS the better both the game and the world will be.
No excuse for the discrimination that you describe, but it is also not a reason to tear down the game's other traditions that many people still find worth preserving.
Also, I personally have played a few awesome clubs in my regional area which were founded by, in your words, the 'wrong' type of people because they couldn't get into the other clubs in the area because they were Jewish. An awesome outcome of a bad situation, and I'm sure that happened all over the country.
That said, the whole country club mentality, as others have said, is like a fraternity, and yes, a discriminatory fraternity. Either you can afford the place and fit in, for whatever reason, or you don't. I wasn't sure I'd have fit in where I'm at, but I gave it a chance and I do. Other places I thought I'd fit in perfectly, and I hated.
I think the clubs that thrive for the next 20 years or so will work on getting in younger people by walking the middle of the road, relaxing some rules but enforcing others that will keep that particular club moving forward. Some places can afford to be more rigid than others. Every place has its own dynamics.