Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Club News
As Gate City first reported yesterday, the Greensboro City Club is closing next week. I was never a member, but I attended several events there over the years. Near the conclusion of a wedding reception a few years ago, I heard the bell captain say to a coworker of the remaining guests "All right, we've got your money. Now get the f*** out of here." The club never seemed like an exclusive, classy place to me again.
Now I have learned that the Cardinal Golf and Country Club likely will be sold to a few existing members. My parents joined the Cardinal in the early 1970's, a year before it opened. I grew up playing the course and enjoyed the club for many years, but the club has always struggled financially. It failed under multiple corporate owners, and it apparently the current member equity plan has not done well either.
The poor overall economy has made it a tough time to operate private clubs. With textiles, tobacco, and furniture having particularly difficulty, Triad private clubs have experienced a different type of trickle down economics - the one where nothing trickles down. I hope that our local economy improves for lots of reasons, including the health of private clubs, many of which are local landmarks.
*** UPDATE ***
Note that the word likely has been added to this post since it was originally posted. I had two well-placed sources for this post, and the original information I received was overstated. I apologize for this error.
Now I have learned that the Cardinal Golf and Country Club likely will be sold to a few existing members. My parents joined the Cardinal in the early 1970's, a year before it opened. I grew up playing the course and enjoyed the club for many years, but the club has always struggled financially. It failed under multiple corporate owners, and it apparently the current member equity plan has not done well either.
The poor overall economy has made it a tough time to operate private clubs. With textiles, tobacco, and furniture having particularly difficulty, Triad private clubs have experienced a different type of trickle down economics - the one where nothing trickles down. I hope that our local economy improves for lots of reasons, including the health of private clubs, many of which are local landmarks.
*** UPDATE ***
Note that the word likely has been added to this post since it was originally posted. I had two well-placed sources for this post, and the original information I received was overstated. I apologize for this error.
