Country Club officially reopens with additional updates expected later
The El Dorado Golf and Country Club officially reopened last month with a members-only celebration where the Club’s renovated ballroom was finally revealed.
“Everything was open. We had a band and we had a couple hundred people. It was perfect,” said Toddy Pitard, president of the Club’s Board of Directors. “People were excited for the Club and the future of the Club and the upgrades and the changes.”
Pitard said members’ reactions to the renovations have been very positive. When the Club’s Board first began considering a major modernizing renovation, they took a vote from members; 96 percent approved the renovations.
“They knew we had a choice — the Club could either change or the Club would close,” Pitard said.
With the goal of making the Club fit for the 21st century, renovations began last fall, with contractors working around members’ activities so that the Club never had to close. When the chang- es were first announced, Pitard explained that the “country club model” has to change, saying in the past, if the male head-ofhouse joined, the family was in; now, he said, to get the family to join, the Club has to reach the female head-of-house.
“The model we have [now] is based on getting the wife and kids, because the wife runs the household now,” he said.
Along with the physical renovations have come updates to the Club’s programming, also designed to draw in families. Last
summer, the Club introduced the ‘It’s Okay!’ golf league, a recreational golf training program for women. Women learn the game of golf without pressure or expectations, giving them the freedom to learn at their own pace and discover the fun of the sport.
Club pro Garrett Kent, who implemented the program, said teaching women to golf can empower them and open the door for high-level executive meetings and networking, much of which takes place on the golf course.
Most of the Club’s renovations were focused on modernizing outdated decor, furnishings and layout. The Club’s dining room was overhauled, making it a space for families rather than the adults-only dining space it previously was. Next door, in a room that was previously a family-lounge, there is now an upscale bar with locally made beers and exclusive cocktails, the new adult-only space.
The Club got a face-lift with the changing of the main building’s facade. Using limestone from an Arkansas quarry, matched from a previous renovation, the building has an entirely new look.
There are also invisible upgrades, including a new roof, air conditioning systems and other technical changes, all designed to modernize the Club.
“This whole side of the building, we virtually removed every single wall down to the studs or even removed the studs and completely transformed this side of the building,” said Justin Awtrey, Country Club chief of operations.
The pool underwent changes as well, including a resurfacing and the additions of a two-story slide on the east side and children’s play area on the west side. The Cove, the Club’s outdoor bar and grill, is now completely open to the outdoors, creating an indoor-outdoor flow between the restaurant and pool.
“I’ve been saying this — You either want to be number one or number two at something, and if you’re not then you don’t need to be in business. We are that now, where we were battling that years ago,” Pitard said. “The Club is important and the membership, the community in Union County has shown us that it’s important.”
The decision to renovate was made as an effort to drive membership. When the Club first voted to make the changes, there were 285 members; now there are 400. However, the Club is hoping the grow their membership further in order to implement further modernizing changes.
Split into two phases, further potential changes at the Club would focus on the golf course and children’s facilities, respectively, Pitard said.
“We have a task force that’s set up that’s vetting our options for the campus and it’s kind of one of those things — Stay tuned,” he said. “I can’t really reveal what we’re going to do. … I think people are going to be excited, but we’re not there yet.”
Pitard said country club managers in other cities have asked to use the El Dorado Golf and Country Club’s model for growth. While they’re glad to share, Pitard said the Club’s success is due to the personalized nature of the changes made.
“I think it’s kind of like Walmart — Walmart doesn’t go into every area and do the same thing. We’re not about one shoe size fits all, we’re about ‘Okay, we take this model that works across the country and then we listen to our membership and we tweak it to what fits our club in South Arkansas,’” he said.
The Club is approaching it’s 100th anniversary, which will take place in 2023. Pitard said they hope to hit that mark and many more in the years to come. For now, though, he is glad to see members enjoying the Club and is content to watch membership grow until further changes can be implemented.
“My grandparents were members there and when I was a kid I got to go out there and enjoy the benefits of the Club and it was important to them, as it should be important to us to keep it going for our kids and grandkids. I think we owe them that,” he said. “It’s only successful because of our membership and it only continues to be successful through more membership and getting these other phases done to make even more value than there is now.”