Mere mortals are now charging through club portals. Five to eight years ago, it would be chief executives and other high-income earners who were the buyers. Now, the junior executive can afford to acquire memberships. They are seizing the opportunity provided by falling prices to grab a luxury far beyond their reach previously. Across town, at the new Raffles Town Club, the barrier to entry has come down even faster.
Several clubs acknowledge that they are seeing a change in the profile of their members.
One club, which declines to be named, says that a hawker became a member recently. The miffed member reckons he perceives a drop in social graces too. Despite the quiet revolution taking place, clubs are coy about revealing details on the change in their membership profile. They are worried that the public's perception of their exclusivity would suffer. There is little that they can do about the change, even though they have the power to decide who to admit as members.