Under new management, the club started hosting events and offering lessons, daily specials and leagues to the public when it reopened in April. The club will host 15 different public events this season coupled with 12 golf outings and 18 receptions in the banquet hall.
The Freeport (Ill.) Club reopened in April under new management and with a new philosophy that welcomes members of the public, the Freeport Journal Standard reported.
Mark Winter grew up next to the club, which dates back to 1893 as Freeport Country Club. Winter, owner and president of Winter Construction in Freeport, has been a member for as long has he can remember, except for a few years after college. He also owns a stake in the club but often thought it could be used more, the Journal Standard reported.
“We need to be able to attract anyone in the community who enjoys good golf courses,” Winter said. “There isn’t enough people who are willing to be a part of that structure where it’s a cliquey kind of club thing, and that’s not really how we do things in society anymore.”
Oliphant Golf Management, which is based in Stevens Point, Wis., started hosting events and entertainment and offering lessons, daily specials and leagues to the public. The club was renamed The Freeport Club. Members are given preferred tee times on weekends and holidays and during men’s play on Wednesdays and ladies’ play on Thursdays, the Journal Standard reported.
Both membership and public use have been increasing, said General Manager Angel Martinez, who moved to Freeport from California for the job. He declined to release membership numbers but said the club will host 15 different public events this season coupled with about 12 golf outings and 18 receptions in the banquet hall, the Journal Standard reported.
Organizers are offering their own take on common events. Two weeks ago, the first “Yappy Hour” featuring chef-made dog treats and happy hour drinks attracted about 30 people. Martinez wants to host one or two Yappy Hour events each month, and perhaps partner with a local humane society, the Journal Standard reported.
The Freeport Club’s Foursome Pub had its first weekly Friday steak and fish fry last week. People are welcome to the Friday dinner at the pub between 4 and 8 p.m., even if they aren’t golfing or a member, Martinez said.
Martinez said he had success hosting fish fry dinners when he worked at the Wisconsin Dells, so he looked to Lena Meats for the first event, the Journal Standard reported.
“It really took off,” Martinez said. “We served 50 people right away, and sold out of steaks. It turned out well for the first time last week, so I figured let’s keep running with it.”
The next new event, Brews, Blues and BBQ, will start this weekend. The club will sell head chef Bill Rosemeier’s award-winning barbecue, and blues band The Big Dirty will perform. It’s open to all ages and has no cover charge, the Journal Standard reported.
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