Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen may be one of the most famous and powerful couples in the world, but to The Country Club in Brookline, they’re just another pair of applicants.
According to a rather entertaining story from Mark Shanahan of The Boston Globe, Brady and his wife recently applied for membership at one of the most exclusive country clubs in the world, which happens to be located right next door to the mansion where the Bradys live. How exclusive is The Country Club in Brookline? Let’s just say a four-time Super Bowl champion and his super model spouse are treated like anyone else who wants to join.
Why? Because the 133-year-old institution prizes privacy and discretion above all else. And Brady and Bundchen, trailed as they often are by paparazzi, and occasionally controversy, attract the sort of attention abhorred by the multimillionaires who belong to the primrose playground on Clyde Street in Chestnut Hill.
“I don’t know what they’ll do about Brady,” said a prominent Boston businessperson who is amused by the club’s predicament. Like any bastion of Brahmin privilege, “The Country Club believes your name should appear in the newspaper just two times: When you’re born and when you die.”
The Country Club is recognized as one of the best golf courses in the country. Most recently, it hosted the Ryder Cup in 1999 and U.S. Open in 1988. The U.S. Open will likely be played there again in 2022.
While it seems like the main concern is the attention Brady and Gisele would bring to the 1,300-member club, some members told Shanahan that the constant media frenzy from the Deflategate scandal could be working against the New England Patriots legend.
As part of the application process, Brady and Gisele would need to be sponsored by two TTC members and provide testimonials from seven personal acquaintances. All applicants must also attend a cocktail reception for a meet and greet with a dozen club administrators.
Given the way Brady reportedly performed at his Deflategate appeal hearing, there’s no reason to believe he can’t charm a few stuffy old guys at a country club. Just try to leave the paparazzi at home, Tom.
