Comment 29 by Cartomancer :

I've heard them referred to on American television several times, but I've never been entirely sure what a "Country Club" actually is. I get that it's "country" as in rural rather than urban, and "club" as in association of people rather than blunt implement for bashing things, but putting the two together makes me think of something like a meeting of a group of ramblers or twitchers or rural pub enthusiasts. This would not require premises that could be rented out for events.

Which still leaves me wondering what exactly the "country club" is and what its premises are used for. Is it more like the Victorian "gentlemen's club", only in a rural setting? Do they get in newspapers and snuff and expensive wine and sit around in big overstuffed chairs discussing the stock market and decrying the youth of today without the tedious interruption of people whose fathers do not own half of Hampshire? I get that there is supposed to be some kind of snobbish exclusivity about the places, though without the good old British class system to fall back on it baffles me as to how Americans would organise such things.

Or is it more along the lines of a golf club, but with several other outdoor field sports as well? Like clay pigeon shooting or cross-country running or... err.. rounders or... okay, that's about my limit as far as knowledge of countryside sports goes. In which case why does what amounts to a leisure centre have conference facilities?

It's sort of like a cross between a golf course club that probably has other sporting activities like tennis and such and a gentlemen's club (but for families). It's not necessarily rural per se, but of course it does require land. There may be a pool and and a bar and a restaurant. It's more like upscale suburban, stereotypically, I guess. Again, stereotypically, membership fees tend to be high because they are looking for a certain type of clientele. The conference spaces are there for the establishment's and members' use for meetings, private events, whathaveyou, but since it probably doesn't get used often enough just through them, some clubs probably open it up to the public for the extra revenue.

Not sure if that helps or not. I've never actually been to one. :)