Boru, Sean (2010). The Little Book of Snooker. However, the British public's interest in snooker had waned significantly by the late 2000s. Warning that the sport was "lurching into terminal crisis", The Guardian newspaper predicted in 2010 that snooker would cease to exist as a professional sport within ten years. Billiards interest among millennials and female players has increased, broadening the target demographic. Players take turns to score the most points and try to win the game. The club is open only to donors and season ticket holders on home game days, but don’t worry - members of the club who don’t fall into those categories relocate to "tailgate island" with themed food and other fun perks during games. The building used to sit empty for 350 days of the year but boomed to life after opening for club membership at the beginning of 2022. Senior Membership Director Melisa Steward says she’s aiming for 1,000 memberships, and at the time of our interview, there were fewer than 300 left. Steward says about 30 percent of members are university faculty and staff, though other community leaders are increasingly hopping on board.

But regardless of whether you’re a football fanatic, university faculty member or rising entrepreneur, Steward hits the nail on the head: Becoming a member at the social club is really about connecting with the city’s who’s who. Steward is also seeing an uptick in the use of the club’s coworking spaces. Lauren Boyack, head of membership and marketing at Edison House, says members increasingly use the club as a backdrop for closing deals. Walk into Edison House on a Saturday night and you’ll find patrons hanging out at the sports bar, singing karaoke under a ceiling of disco balls or sipping cocktails in the speakeasy. Solo membership at Edison House requires a $500 initiation fee and monthly dues of $225. Utah residents that live within 50 miles of the club pay monthly dues of just $85 for their entire family - or $45 if they’re aged 35 or younger. There’s no initiation fee, time commitment or contract required for membership, and monthly dues range from $399 per month for single memberships up to $50,000 per year for corporate memberships with guest access. While some errors can make you a cautious entrepreneur, others can cost you a huge sum of money, your precious time and even the entire enterprise.

With a handful of options already available and even more reasons to join, the choice of which club to call home becomes a matter of personal preference. The Mac’s Place professional and celebrity network begets private concerts, comedy shows, charity car shows, panels with business leaders and politicians, private dinners soundtracked by live jazz bands, and even a sanctioned boxing event coined "Mac’s Place Fisticuffs." (Yes, I’m talking about fight club.) Through this programming and in-club run-ins, McIntyre assures business deals are forged organically among Mac’s Place members, many of whom are business owners and C-level executives. How much money do you anticipate making in your first year of business? "The vast majority of members are looking for a way to level up their day-to-day, whether that means making new friends or being in the same room as other industry professionals," Boyack says. Being a successful pool hall businessman can be one of the most difficult jobs when the consequences of making mistakes are considered. What matters most, of course, is being in the room. Where Salt Lake is going, of course, is on the path to becoming a major American city - one that’s made up of high-profile, What is a billiards club socially-inclined dealmakers attracted to private networking.

Club members can also rent the space free of charge for private events and access dining and travel benefits at reciprocal clubs across the nation. A custom tabletop that transforms the pool table into a boardroom for 16 was recently ordered to accommodate this, though Boyack is quick to point out that there are plenty of other nooks and crannies inside the club for private conversations. Each of Salt Lake City’s private social clubs offers something different to members. As in other social clubs around town, asking for photographs or autographs with high-profile members is prohibited within the walls of the club, as is soliciting professional services. Reciprocal clubs aren’t part of the deal, but McIntyre plans to open locations in other states to create a reciprocal network exclusive to Mac’s Place clubs. Misconceptions about Mac’s Place may stem from its ultra-private atmosphere, which is by design. Mac’s Place founder and owner Brady McIntyre uses other words to describe it, too, like "low-profile" and "exclusive." Just don’t call it a gentleman’s club.