Chaparral G&CC expanded its guest list to the public to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
To celebrate milestones, many clubs host elaborate events, inviting members to the property for dinner, drinks, and fun. Member-owned Chaparral Golf & Country Club in Bullhead City, Ariz., decided to expand the guest list when celebrating its 50th anniversary, by inviting the public to the property on February 17.
When Chaparral was founded in 1968, there were fewer than 5,000 people in the area, but the population has bloomed to 65,000. “In the beginning, Chaparral was the prime—maybe only—social spot in Bullhead,” says President Kevin Nestrick.
In recent years, the club’s nine-hole executive course has faced stiff competition, with five 18-hole golf courses opening in the area since 2005. “Competition for golfers is intense,” Nestrick says. “We got lost among the big-boy courses.”
With a goal of revitalizing the club as a golfing and social center for the community, members agreed to open the property’s doors. Approximately 300 people were in attendance for the day’s festivities, two-thirds of whom were guests or from the general public, at a cost of $25 for adults and $10 for kids.
Proceeds went to the Colorado River Fraternal Order of Police and two local high school groups: the Air Force Junior ROTC and the Interact Club, a Rotary International youth organization. “Chaparral did not net any profit,” Nestrick notes.
For the event itself, members and guests were treated to a barbeque, live entertainment, lawn games, a classic car show, and presentations by the mayor and Chamber of Commerce. A short program to introduce the club’s founding members, as well as a history display, paid homage to the anniversary.
The members-only lounge was open to guests for the day, and attendees also got free GolfBoard rides. The club made 50th anniversary T-shirts available for purchase, and those who attended the party were invited to return during the year to play a free round of golf.
Planning for the event began in May 2017, and Nestrick says the efforts paid off.
“We built a strong relationship among the diverse membership, improved public image, added new members, and dramatically increased post-event golf and restaurant business,” he says. “I believe the community is talking about Chaparral again. We often say that Chaparral is a fun social club—and we also have a golf course.”
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