An estimated 25,000 membership sports and recreation clubs were in operation in 2002, generating revenues of more than $22 billion. Employment in this sector declined by 4 percent from more than 400,000 employees in 2000 to 385,200 in 2002. Personal consumption expenditures, however, rose more than 15 percent from $75.8 billion in 2000 to $89.2 billion in 2003.

American country clubs were born in the late 1880s–a creation of the wealthy upper class as an exclusive social setting in which to enjoy various athletic and recreational endeavors. The clubs flourished until the late 1920s, when the Depression forced many of them to close. A renaissance took place in the late 1940s and 1950s, spawned by post-war affluence and the increased interest in golf (a sport that has enjoyed a tremendous amount of growth across the nation for the past several decades). As a direct result of this heightened popularity, many country clubs were built during this period. The trend of the mid-1990s continued into the 2000s, as private country clubs have become a major pastime for many Americans, with more than 12,000 such facilities in operation.