Summer Days
The smell of Freedom (Fries) hangs in the air...
We here at Clubland USA often write about the things one ought not to do at clubs. Just last week, Ishaan Jajodia, our senior curmudgeon, brought you It’s All About the Leather, as a gentle nudge to our fellow club rats to keep sneakers as an unwelcome sight at the Club.
But this week is different. This week is all about Freedom. And what better way to celebrate freedom than to take charge of your summer!
In On the Search for a Serene Clubland Summer, Leonard Robinson shares how a road trip through New England served as inspiration for tips on being a perfect summer in Clubland.
Ishaan reminds us that polo is more than a type of shirt. He paints an idyllic scene of Sunday at the polo ground and shares some rules of the sport that originated from the Indian subcontinent and crossed two oceans to reach the United States in 1876.
In honor of the freedom that has America practically tearing at the seams this week, the lads and I wax poetic about Freedom Fries and which clubs have the best.
Leonard Robinson brings Dispatches from Clubland.
And remember, even though you may only need two fingers to grip a martini glass, it’s easier with all of your digits —don’t play with fireworks, fellow club rats. - BK
As always, if you know someone who loves freedom as much as we do, please share this issue of Clubland USA with them, consider gifting them a subscription, or strongly encourage them to subscribe with your unique referral code below.
Polo Season is Nigh
Summer has arrived which means it’s time to hop on your polo ponies, load your Volvo wagon with wicker baskets and head to the polo ground. From Maine to Virginia, polo is the prime equestrian activity of the summer. Like most British things worth remembering, the British Raj exported polo from the Indian subcontinent, and, via a circuitous route that crossed two oceans, polo made its way to the United States in 1876. Not long after that, the now-defunct Westchester Polo Club in Westchester, NY was formed, and, like its sailing cousin, the New York Yacht Club, split its time between New York and Newport, RI.
Polo’s a simple game: think team croquet, but played on horses. Players usually are dressed in whites, like most British sports (tennis, squash, cricket), and aim to hit the white ball with a mallet across the other side to score a goal while the opposing team defends. Each team has four players, who play for six 7:30 minute periods of play each, called chukkas, unless there’s a tie, in which case they play for a dastardly seventh.
The world of Polo Clubs is a mystery even to those intimately familiar with Clubland. We’ve been long sequestered from that part of clubland, if only because the “horse folk” keep to themselves. In fact, yours truly might be the only one with any real experience on a pony of any sort whilst being a member of a racquet-wielding club of some kind.
But there’s nothing like heading to Greenwich Polo Club, laying down a carpet or a rug or a towel on the manicured greens, and basking in the sun with your better (or worse) half and a half-dozen of friends, whilst grazing on meats and cheese from the open dickey of your station wagon. You know that I will be on Sundays this year. - IJ
Freedom Fries?
By: Leonard Robinson, Benjamin Kahn, and Ishaan Jajodia
An observation was made to me this summer that a club should be judged by its French Fries, or Freedom Fries because we’re Americans mere days away from the Fourth of July. Is there even a club with French Fries on the menu in France?
It was even suggested to me by a subscriber who’s opinion I hold quite dear that we at Clubland USA should begin a fry rating system. This may or may not be in the works. For now, we each will share which club’s fries have left their mark — for better or worse.
Ben: I am a sucker for truffle oil; I know the true chefs in our audience just rolled their eyes into the back of their skulls and let out a sigh of despair. I get it—truffle oil isn’t just used as a cover for a lot of truly poor cooking, but also a trendy way to justify jacking the prices up by a few dollars. Having said all of that, I love the Center Club’s truffle fries; I think the truffle oil, presentation, thin cut and ample salt make them the ideal Freedom Fry.
Leonard: The best fries that I’ve tasted today comes from Duluth, Minnesota at the Kitchi Gammi Club. The reason? They’re the closest to the Freedom Fries that were once served at The Players before recent changes in the kitchen. Crispy with a nice audible crunch, chunky but not too thick and with the perfect amount of salt. Puritan Backroom in Manchester, NH tastes the most similar, but alas, it’s not a club although their designer should consider offering their services.
Ishaan: I’m partial to fries from the New Haven Lawn Club, if only because I have a terrifying sublime amount of them. I take mine with a hint of garlic and salt and parmesan, minus the truffle, though admittedly I’m a fiend for chipotle aioli, and the Lawn Club’s gentlemen in the kitchen are surprisingly brilliant at it. There is something quite divine about the crunch and the steam bellowing out gently, whistling at you like a tennis serve that is way beyond my ability to return.
Members Only
On the Search for a Serene Clubland Summer | Leonard Robinson
Grand Exit | Leonard Robinson
Clubland, this One’s on You | Benjamin Kahn
Dispatches from Clubland:
Imitation is flattery. Vogue attempts to dissect Manhattan Clubland. We noticed the absence of certain Gold Standard clubs like Union, Union League, Downtown Association, and Explorers. But we did also take note of its archetypes that may or may not be accurate, although Henry from The Century Association would certainly ask someone at the bar, “ Are you a Centurion?” as if it’s the most exciting question that he’s asked in a decade.
Rushing the greens. Anyone who’s played a round of golf has experienced the group ahead that plays too slow. If this sounds foreign to you, it’s because you are that group. But those folks with the mulligans and $3,500 set of clubs aren’t the only people being rushed. There’s enough rumbling about the waitlists at country clubs to make an entire Golf Digest article about it. The best part comes from Dr. Jim Butler, chief executive of Club Benchmarking, who said, “If you’re in Florida and you’re 67, you’re not going to wait.” That can be said about many other things besides a country club membership………
What is a sneaker? The New York Times seems to have discovered that leather reigns supreme across Clubland. What is a tennis shoe, or sneaker, may have evolved but don’t expect dress codes to. Edward Reily of the University Club of New York put it best: making a change to the dress code “would result in a long, soul-searching experience” and no one wants that especially with elections always around the corner.