The clubhouse at the Billings, Mont., is being torn down to make way for a new facility that is expected to open next June. During construction, members will use a trailer as the pro shop and a tent on a poured concrete pad as the makeshift restaurant and bar.
A demolition of the clubhouse at Yellowstone Country Club in Billings, Mont., is underway, the Cordillera, Mont., WorldNow reported.
“The clubhouse has lasted for 60 years,” said Head Professional Bob Eames. “It was built in 1957, so 60 years and it’s time for it to be replaced.”
And Eames has been at Yellowstone through most of those six decades. “I started here as an assistant pro in 1969, and there’s a little bit of tear in the eye when you see the crane knocking down the clubhouse, because there’s so many fond memories,” he said. “Not only for me but for a lot of our membership.”
That nostalgia includes weddings, receptions, baptism parties, Christmas parties, and even a handful of celebrities lounging after a golf round. They included country singer Chris LeDoux, President Bill Clinton and PGA great Billy Casper, WorldNow reported.
“I can remember when Casper was here and it was really a neat experience to see him come,” Eames recalled. “He was very complimentary about our golf course, and that’s back when most of the trees were just twigs.”
With the demolition, golfers also bid farewell to the legendary Alibi Room, WorldNow reported.
For the next year and change, members will utilize a trailer as the pro shop. A giant white tent has become the make-shift restaurant/bar, sitting atop a recently-poured concrete pad to handle traffic. Eames estimates the tent handles about 120 people, WorldNow reported.
“When they said our clubhouse was going to be a tent, I kind of went, ‘Oh boy, that’ll be fun,’” said Eames. “I walked into that tent, and my gosh, almighty. It’s going to turn out to be…it’s an adventure.”
The new clubhouse is projected to open in June of next summer, WorldNow reported.
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