lifestyle  

Humour | Clubs | Travel | Getaways | Adventure | Golf | Reading | Daily Horoscope

Club Culture


Decades ago, a club was a place for playing cards and partying associated with the 'burra sahib' culture from the British Raj. Today, there is a radical change. The institution of the club has become a vital and integral part of everyday life. Health conscious executives somehow make time for the early morning tennis session, swim or the jog. But all for their merits notwithstanding, their high membership fees and scarce availability have made club memberships a status symbol in urban India. The best clubs in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad typically admit only corporate members and that too, only periodically. The membership is limited to one or two per company and costs in lacs of rupees per head. And there is an interview process where committee members meet prospective members. These memberships entitle the corporate member and his immediate family to avail of the club facilities along with occasional guests.

Some of the best clubs in the country i.e. in the four metros are the Bombay Gymkhana, Otters Club, Willington Club and Cricket Club of India in Bombay; the Delhi Golf Club in Delhi; the Madras Club, the Madras Cricket Club and Madras Gymkhana in Madras and the Turf Club, Bangalore Club in Bangalore.

Most clubs are used for a combination of sports, corporate and personal dining venues and entertainment. While the membership fee gets stiffer every year, clubs use the clout and huge monetary inflows to upgrade or add new facilities in keeping with newer customer needs. For example, barber shops, health clubs and saunas now are a relatively common feature in many clubs. Individual memberships are very difficult to come by and can take 10 to 15 years to get through. To fill this anomaly between supply and demand, there a host of neighborhood clubs coming up, Another trend is that of upcoming specialty clubs on the outskirts of major cities like the country clubs in Madras, Hyderabad, Cochin and Delhi. These have the advantage of large open spaces with clean, fresh country air, and areas for horse riding, jogging tracks, etc.The Coromondel Club, on the Madras-Bangalore highway, an hour's drive from Madras city, is a country club spread over a 100 acres.

Clubs are keeping up with the times, to get a larger share of a booming consumer category. Niche clubs have come up like the Boat Club in Madras with rowing facilities, Chembur Golf Club in Mumbai for avid golfers.

about us | contact us | advertise

copyright banknetindia.com  All rights reserved worldwide.