Last week Rosslyn-based Politico broke the news about a big rift at Washington Golf and Country Club in North Arlington.
Some 240 members and spouses at the tony club at 3017 N. Glebe Road reportedly signed a letter expressing concerns about the plan to include a men’s bar and grill in a $5 million renovation project.
The men-only restaurant facility — with a full-service bar and dedicated food server — currently exists, but some members are questioning the wisdom of using member money to include it in the renovations, particularly in light of the fact that no such amenity exists for female members. An adjacent, co-ed tap room space, meanwhile, is popular and set for an expansion.
The proposal “increases monthly membership dues to finance duplicative bar and dining space that all members and family members will be required to pay for, but no women members or family members will be permitted to use,” says a document shared with ARLnow.
“More than 200 members and spouses have voiced concerns about the cost of the Capital Plan, how the Plan allocates limited clubhouse space, and the proposal to build a new Men’s Grill,” says another document. “Given the notable member interest in more co-ed socializing spaces and increase in monthly member fees associated with the Capital Plan, all options should be on the table to address the shortage of Tap Room space.”
The documents also note that “peer clubs” like Army Navy Country Club and Congressional Country Club lack a similar men’s bar/grill and limit gender-specific spaces to lounges and locker rooms.
In total, according to the documents, WGCC will have 6,200 square feet of men-only space and 2,000 square feet of women-only space after the proposed renovation. The Politico story suggests that the club’s renovation plans were the result of member feedback, but the reasoning for keeping the men’s bar and grill goes unstated.
What do you think? If you were calling the shots, would you have the club ditch the men’s bar and grill in its renovation? Or is this a tradition worth keeping, even if it’s seen as anachronistic and unfair to female members?
