Around the world, there are country clubs that occupy acres of land near large and small cities. For decades this land has been reserved exclusively for the wealthy elite. We want to take this land and give it back to the local community while also creating high-quality jobs and encouraging tourism to rural towns.
We will use the land and the facilities of old country clubs and make them appealing to young people that don’t aspire to be a part of exclusive, homogenous, enclaves of isolated wealth.
The Earth is only 50 years away from cataclysmic climate change, if not sooner. This past July was the hottest July on record and glaciers are melting at a record pace. To address the imminent threat that climate change poses to life on this earth, drastic action must be taken.
We must rethink all of our current industries and come up with creative and innovative solutions that will help repair the damage that we have done to the planet and help create a better world for future generations. Four Country Clubs, is a forward-thinking, women-led business that will address climate changes head-on by using the land that’s been devoted to highly manicured golf greens into protected green spaces for conservation and renewable energy. Income inequality is also a pressing issue that threatens society. Country Clubs have long been icons of wealth disparity.
With a generation facing two recessions in its lifetime, the era of country clubs and the lifestyles they represent are coming to a close. We will address income inequality in two ways. First, by charging a low monthly fee we open the lands and amenities of country clubs up to a diverse clientele from a variety of economic backgrounds. Second, we will pay our employees high wages with good benefits. We want to be known as a company that creates good jobs and works to raise the incomes of our employees.
We will use the old clubhouses to create spaces that are appealing to younger generations. Four Country Clubs will be a place they can gather for work, relaxation, fun and celebration, and a place where all our members can have their best memories. We want to establish a strong and respected brand name that is popular with younger generations and synonymous with sustainability, conservation and workers' rights.
The country club industry has been under severe pressure for the past few decades, facing lagging demand. Over 800 golf courses have shuttered across the US in the past ten years, and data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association has shown that millennials between the ages of 18 to 30 have a lack of interest in playing the game. Some statistics:
- Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the number of golfers has continued to drop since a 2002 peak.
- Between 2005 and 2015 the number of golf courses and country clubs across the country fell by 5 percent.
- The participation rate among millennials is far below where the segment was in the 1990s.
- Industry experts told Bloomberg they expect course closings to continue to outnumber openings by about 100 a year for the foreseeable future, especially given a generational shift and declining interest even among baby boomer players.
- More than 200 golf courses closed in 2017 and 2018 across the country, while only about 15 new ones opened, according to the National Golf Foundation, a golf market-research provider.
All over the country golf clubs are closing at a rapid rate, a trend that is likely to continue, especially if another recession hits.
This is why we believe it’s time to drastically rethink the role county clubs play in modern society.