Plaid Pants Out, Younger Hipper Country Clubs In
You hear the words "country club" and you might think of the 1980s comedy film Caddyshack. The image of the old school club, where old men in plaid pants make the rules, is hard for the younger set to shake -- especially fans of the movie.
But, as country clubs have fallen on harder times, more have been forced to change as they try to attract younger members in order to survive.
"I never in my wildest dreams thought I was going to become a country club person," said Torrey Landry, who joined Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas at age 35.
The club Landry joined is a far cry from the days of 1950's golf decor, with hunt club prints on the walls and ladies with white hair playing cards. The casual clubhouse at Brookhaven looks more like the posh lounge of a big city hotel. Swanky, urban and hip. Not stuffy.
"Dress codes at almost all of our clubs are dramatically different. You know, people's jeans cost as much as some people's suits, so we want a casual welcoming atmosphere here," said Jaime Walters, executive vice-president of sales with ClubCorp, Brookhaven's parent company.
The old images are fading at many clubs as they fight to stay alive in changing times. In a tough economy, country club memberships have been a hard sell -- especially to younger members with families and other more pressing bills to pay.
(NBCDFW.com)
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