The Hellertown, Pa. property, previously known for 83 years as Silver Creek Country Club, was bought from the membershipby developer David Spirk, who pledged that it would remain private and receive at least $2.5 million in capital improvements to complement its Donald Ross golf course. About 125 people who have signed up for the club’s new no-fee dining membership will now be able to use it at the club’s new restaurant, The Beam Yard.
The Steel Club in Hellertown, Pa., previously known as the Silver Creek Country Club, debuted its new restaurant, The Beam Yard, on the lower level of the club’s main building on August 1, The Morning Call of Allentown (Pa.) reported.
Since majority owner David Spirk purchased the 280-acre property and its assets (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2017/07/silver-creek-cc-stay-private-sale-developer/) and pledged that it would remain private and receive at least $2.5 million in capital improvements to complement its Donald Ross golf course, about 125 people have signed up for the club’s new no-fee dining membership, The Morning Call reported.
Unlike other membership options that involve fees for use of the outdoor pool and 18-hole golf course, the dining membership has been marketed as a free option with no monthly fee or minimum spending requirements, and only requires that credit card information be provide for billing purposes, The Morning Call reported.
The 170-seat Beam Yard, showcasing photos of the nearby iconic Bethlehem Steel plan in Bethlehem, Pa., features a mix of high-top tables and booths surrounding a rectangular bar offering 24 draft beers and a wide array of cocktails and wines, the Morning Call reported.
Renovations, which included a coffered ceiling, pendant lighting and overhead televisions, were done by Spirk Brothers Inc., a 33-year-old regional commercial construction company that David Spirk operates with his brother, Robert, The Morning Call reported.
The facility’s retooled kitchen, led by Executive Chef Mike Honeywell, offers appetizers ($3-$18) such as Asian chili shrimp, blackened beef tips and a chicken quesadilla; sandwiches ($9-$14) such as a French onion burger, grilled reuben and Philly steak sandwich; and entrees ($19-$37) such as filet mignon, garlic mint lamb chops and pan-seared scallops. Lunch and dinner specials are featured weekly, The Morning Call reported.
The Beam Yard, providing outdoor patio seating for at least 200 more people, occupies the facility’s former Fairways Dining Room, The Morning Call reported. The restaurant eventually will expand into additional former dining space, once dubbed the Ross Pub, with a former bar being converted into a server prep area.
The Beam Yard will be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, The Morning Call reported.
Since taking over the club in February, Spirk has also renovated other parts of the property, including installing a media wall and floor-to-ceiling windows in the upstairs banquet room, which can accommodate up to 220 guests, The Morning Call reported.
Among the still-to-come improvements are a turf field, two-story driving range and an enclosed concourse between the main clubhouse and annex building (containing locker rooms and old bowling alleys), where members can dine at a group of eateries on “Bistro Street,” The Morning Call reported.
“We have probably four times more work planned than what we’ve already done,” Spirk said. “Every part of this facility is getting refreshed or replaced.”
According to the Steel Club’s website, the club’s origins began in 1934 when a group of nine clubs, whose members were all part of the supervisory force of the Bethlehem plant of Bethlehem Steel, petitioned the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to incorporate all of the clubs into one non-profit corporation called the Bethlehem Steel Club, The Morning Call reported.
The Steel Club, as it came to be known, was originally formed to foster athletic sports, social interaction, good fellowship, and technical discussions.
One of the nine founding clubs, the Sunshine Club, owned a property northeast of Hellertown consisting of 12 acres and a stone farmhouse, and this became the Steel Club’s original clubhouse, The Morning Call reported.
In 1946, the Steel Club acquired additional property adjacent to their existing clubhouse location and hired Donald Ross to design and build an 18-hole course. The facility was opened in 1948 as a par 71 course, with an additional nine holes being added about a decade later, The Morning Call reported.
In 1986, the club entered its second phase of existence when it was renamed Silver Creek Country Club and became a private, non-profit corporation under the management of its members, The Morning Call reported.
To view photos of the new Beam Yard restaurant, see The Morning Call’s report at
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.