Hi all,
The Seattle Go Center is now getting 30 to 40 players on Tuesday, our big day. In the summer we were getting more, including one Tuesday in June, when we had 53 people visit us sometime during the 7 hours we were open. How does that compare to other clubs in North America? Do we have bragging rights for Tuesday nights?
Regards,
Brian Allen (Manager)

Seattle Go Center is really different from other clubs. It's not really a club, it's a Go Center - which is very rare in North America. I think the NYC one closed and I believe San Fransisco has a club/center that is open every day. Most clubs are just once a week in a location not owned by them. I would say that any club that is open daily in a location they own is either a go center or go salon and not a go club any longer, but that's just semantics.

The West Michigan Go Club meets in a D&W Fresh Market on Tuesdays. There are some tables near the deli and Starbucks that are used mostly by employees on break. The TV in the corner always plays Fox News and you cannot change the channel or turn it of (unless you unplug it, which we often do). Our infrastructure consists of a Meetup.org group, Facebook group, 3 club boards, and an 8.5x11 sign in one of those plastic cases that we put on a table so people walking by know whats going on.

Our biggest day was 10 toward the end of the summer - including a random passerby who happened to know the game and played a single 9x9 before leaving. We also got 2 kids that day who were curious and asked us some questions about the game while their parents were checking out their groceries. So I suppose we got 12 that day if you count the siblings. Either way, we were thrilled for such a turnout. We usually get 3-4.

_________________
"You have to walk before you can run. Black 1 was a walking move.
I blushed inwardly to recall the ignorant thoughts that had gone through
my mind before, when I had not realized the true worth of Black 1."
-Kageyama Toshiro on proper moves

I have to agree that it's tough to compare a group with a permanent location that's open every day with clubs that meet less frequently.

The NOVA club in Arlington, VA varies regarding attendance, but I've seen up to maybe 15-18 people there at a time. They only meet on Monday evenings. The Greater Washington Go Club I haven't seen more than 10 or so at a time, apart from special events, but I go there much less frequently. They too meet once a week (fridays) at a church in the evening.

I agree that having our own building (the gift of Kaoru Iwamoto, 9p) certainly helps our attendance. We figure that about a third of our new members find us because they notice the building. We had one new University of Washington student from China visit us on his fifth day in America. I had to warn him that he was lucky to attend University in Seattle, and that Go Centers are not a regular feature of the American landscape.

But I still wonder if there are bigger weekly gatherings elsewhere in the U.S., since Seattle is a relatively small city. For example, are there are bigger clubs in L.A., perhaps with mostly Korean or Chinese members?

Cheers,
Brian

I suspect Seattle wins in the U.S. What is the biggest in Europe?