The country club image seems to have been cemented in 1980, the year Caddyshack was released: Old money versus new, old school versus irreverent. Clubs can seem stuffy with their rules and their exclusivity, and prior to 2020, they were struggling with membership enrollments and golf participation both down.
Then the pandemic happened and golf became a winner based on its ability to get people outside and socialize. Last year, the National Golf Foundation reported 28.1 million people played golf on a course, including 3.3 million beginners, the fifth straight year that number exceeded 3 million.
