Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City, Okla. for turning an underutilized men’s locker room into a popular food-and-beverage venue. “[The Double Deuce] is a small snapshot of what can be done, and the increase in revenues shows how it’s an approach that can work,” says Alex Hammill, Founder of Innovative Club Management.

The December 2020 issue of Club + Resort Business features the 2020 Innovation Awards, recognizing club and resort properties that have conceived and implemented concepts that have paid real dividends in the form of enduring member and guest satisfaction and loyalty.

This property was recognized for innovative achievement in the Design & Renovation category:

Creating a new food-and-beverage venue under one roof that combines a popular type of Prohibition-era social establishment, the excess of the 1980s, and 21st-century entertainment options might seem like a daunting feat to pull off. But don’t tell that to the folks at The Greens Country Club in Oklahoma City, Okla.

In August, the property opened the “Double Deuce,” an ’80s “speakeasy” for members 21 and older. The room takes its name from “Road House,” the 1989 action film that still has a cult following, about a tough bouncer who is hired to protect a small-town Missouri roadside bar called the Double Deuce from a local crime boss.

Highlighting the music, movies, and pop culture of the 1980s was an easy call for Alex Hammill, Founder of Innovative Club Management. “The ’80s era resonates with every demographic,” he says. “I recognized that our membership demographic [at The Greens] would embrace something creative and unique.”

For what Hamill believe is most likely the only “speakeasy”-type concept ever built within a country club, the property converted a little-used existing space into the new amenity in four to six weeks.

“The space was a men’s locker room that was grossly underutilized,” he says. “The members were floored, because the space was so bland prior to the transformation.”

In The Greens’ version of the Double Deuce, patrons can enjoy a mix of the new and the old, transporting them back to where they can experience a different era. “They don’t feel like they’re at the club,” says Hammill.

Attractions include a multi-sports simulator, 10 televisions with 65-inch screens, tabletop shuffleboard, darts, a pool table, a jukebox, a custom poker table, classic arcade games, a craft cocktail program, and a late-night menu. The simulator is a sports junkie’s dream, offering experiences in football, lacrosse, soccer, hockey, bowling, hunting, shooting and golf (on 30-plus courses).

The rustic décor of The Greens’ Double Deuce features dark wood, low lights, and a brooding ambiance, with signs that share advice like “Beware of: Well . . . Just Beware.” Portraits of iconic ’80s actors such as Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood and Tom Selleck hang on one wall. From a mural on another wall, the stars of Road House—Kelly Lynch, Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott—watch over the activities of the bar. 

The 2,000-sq. ft. Double Deuce is open every day except Monday. Special events like “Sunday Funday” focus on promoting live sports programming, from NFL games to UFC fights to golf, on the large-screen TVs. And a “Divas of the Double Deuce” theme encourages ladies to enjoy the new venue.

Later hours on Wednesday through Sunday give members an opportunity to extend their evening with a nightcap after dining at The Greens’ award-winning restaurant, the Twisted Oak Tavern. The bar’s craft-cocktail program has included modern, 2020 twists on classic drinks such as the Alabama Slammer, Harvey Wallbanger, and Singapore Sling.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place, capacity in the Double Deuce has been limited to no more than 50 people at one time. Still, in the speakeasy’s first 90 days, The Greens added 110 new social members, Hammill reports. Within the same timeframe, food-and-beverage revenues increased by 27%, and private event bookings went up by 21%.

“‘Extreme hospitality’ is one of the missing aspects of a club experience across the country, and building another brand and unique amenity within the club can provide additional marketing opportunities and separate you from the competition,” says Hammill. “[The Double Deuce] is a small snapshot of what can be done, and the increase in revenues shows how it’s an approach that can work.”