A Mad Men-themed social event at Baltusrol Golf Club earned high marks from members.
When Judy Mann, Clubhouse Manager of Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., began planning the club’s September 2014 member social, she wanted to get creative. The club had recently welcomed quite a few new members, and it seemed like a good time to dazzle them.
When a couple of house-committee members suggested throwing a bash inspired by the popular television show Mad Men, Mann jumped at the idea. The show’s swanky 1960s setting made an ideal theme for an upscale retro gathering. The fact that Springfield is located 20 miles from New York City, where the show is set, added to the appeal.
THE GOAL: Plan a fun, festive event for members of Baltusrol GC that differs from the club’s usual gatherings. |
To bring her gathering to life, Mann first tackled the question of décor. She based the color scheme on the show’s red, white and black logo. The club’s dining room was adorned with white tablecloths, red napkins, crimson carnations in black vases, and black chair cushions. Place cards for the tables featured the silhouette of the show’s dapper leading man, Don Draper (also found in the show’s logo).
All servers were asked to wear red and black clothing for the event. The waitresses painted their lips bright red, applied cat-eye makeup and pulled their hair into high ponytails. Members were invited to dress in period clothing.
When the event kicked off with a cocktail reception from 7 to 8 p.m., bartenders served classic cocktails such as Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds and Grey Goose pear martinis. Drinks were followed by a buffet dinner featuring lobster newberg, salmon tetrazzini and chicken chasseur.
A staff member donned a cigarette and cigar box and mingled with the crowd, and the men were invited to smoke cigars on a patio overlooking one of the club’s two championship golf courses after the meal.
Members stayed for conversation and dancing after dessert concluded—one of the key elements of the event, Mann says, was the band. “We wanted to have music from that time period,” she says. “We had to find a band that really knew the songs that were popular back then.
“The music really made the event,” Mann reports. “After the menu and décor, I think that’s what pulled it all together.” Many of the 115 guests stayed until the event ended at 11 p.m., which is fairly unusual at the club.
Attendees agreed the event was “out of sight,” Mann says, and she expects Baltusrol will plan more themed events in the future. Next up: a New England-style clambake later this summer.
INSTANT IDEA Club event coordinators will be most successful in attracting participation—especially from kids, tweens and teens—when they can spot, and act on, a popular trend before it becomes passé. Noting the fixation on all things zombie that was fueled by the popularity of “The Walking Dead” TV series, the staff at Town & Country Club (Saint Paul, Minn.), saw an opportunity to attract members and their families to a “Zombie Paintball” affair. For a small fee, attendees could purchase 30 paintballs and take aim at mannequins that were set up on the driving range after dark. Over 150 participants came, creating a mood that was “energetic and spooky” at the same time, the club reports, and food-and-beverage revenues were up from the clubhouse’s “extremely busy dinner service” that night. Because the event went so “frighteningly well,” Town & Country Club says it plans to “continue this tradition for years to come”—or at least as long as everyone can stay alive. |
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