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MARIN HAS MAN Y activity clubs. Golf clubs, yacht clubs and myriad others that encompass almost every type of physical
exertion, even uncommon outliers like paddle tennis at the Lagunitas Country Club,
which severely restricts membership. All
these clubs — from those that appear more
like community hangouts to the seemingly
exclusive — have been forced to evolve to
fit into a changing, burgeoning scene. The
halcyon days of private, men’s only, golf only
clubs are over.
According to polls conducted by the
National Club Association, a Washington,
D.C.–based group that advances the interests of private, social and recreational clubs,
members are looking for family-centered
opportunities. The numbers over the past 10
years reflect these preference shifts. More
than 400,000 people left the game of golf in
2013, a figure that accounts for roughly a fifth
of players in the country, and the industry is
trimming down, with only 14 new golf courses
(public and private) built that same year, while
158 closed. In the past, the course served as
the cornerstone amenity at country clubs, but
challenges of time, cost and difficulty of the
game have eaten into its popularity as a pri-
mary attraction. Also, families are demanding
activities that please diverse age groups.
Golf is still an important offering for many
clubs, but it’s only one piece of the membership
puzzle. With very few exceptions, modern-
day private clubs determined to prosper have
had to adapt to interests and expectations of
a broader demographic who will, ultimately,
decide if the establishment remains viable.
For decades after Marin Country Club
opened in 1957, its image was clouded by a
perception among nonmembers that it was
New Era The changing face of members-only clubs. BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA
Marin Country Club’s
ninth hole and clubhouse.
