Excellent post, Mark.

Big Al

the house is grotesque not my style.

golf course living is for privileged snobs. but if they let the unwashed masses hike there and xc ski there and they don't kill birds and insects and poison waterways with pesticides, they are okay by me.

A few of you are unbelievable. My mother (and father ,rip) are not "privileged snobs". They both grew up in poverty and my father started working in a machine shop sweeping the floors at age 15. He worked his ass off his entire life and built up a nest egg. He died not long after he retired but made sure my mother had a nice modest, 2,000 soft house (and yes, it's on a golf course) Again with your fvcking generalizations of people based on what sport they enjoy, and where they live.

Fvck you.

No kidding. FWIW, there are many, many modest homes that look out over golf courses. Townhomes, duplexes, apartment complexes, single family < 2000 sq ft homes. I know because I lived in one.

Thank you for putting me in my place. Now I know that I'm a privileged snob. markj, can I join your club?

I currently live in a condo on a golf course. One of the reasons I bought it was because it was so much less expensive than my little 60-year-old house in the suburbs, that I couldn’t really take care of anymore.

I may be a privileged snob, but I don’t think this condo is what does it.

People look down their noses at all sorts of choices that other people make. Some people might think that having too many kids is selfish and wasteful. Or that not having kids is selfish and egotistical. People might think that working as an investment banker means that you're a terrible human being. People might think that horse ownership is reserved for privileged snobs. (Not me, Jodi! I wouldn't think such a thing!!! ) Or that ownership of a massive grand piano, like those that several here, including us, own, is a sign of snobbery.

The only difference these days is this: because of the internet and the general lowering of the level of discourse, people seem to feel unconstrained about telling others that their lifestyle choices make them sneer-able.

It is complete news to me that there are modest homes, inexpensive homes, and even condos on private golf courses. The ones I am familiar with are very exclusive and there is indeed a lot of snobbishness and excluding of people who are "less than". They are expensive private clubs. The kinds of places that excluded blacks and Jews when i was growing up. Hence my antipathy.

So I learned something. Apologies to all who were offended.