409: 75 Years of Magic-Yellowstone CC’s Anniversary Celebration w/ Michelle Polak & Caylin Cathey

Transcript

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Hey everybody, welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, where we give you the scoop on all things private golf and country clubs From mastering leadership and management, food and beverage excellence, member engagement secrets, board governance and everything in between, all while keeping it fun and light.

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Whether you're a club veteran just getting your feet wet or somewhere in the middle, you are in the right place.

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I'm your host, denny Corby.

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Welcome to the show.

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In this episode I had the chance, the wonderful opportunity, to chat with Michelle Pollack and Kaylin Cathy from Yellowstone Country Club.

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Michelle is their bookkeeper and membership director and Kaylin is banquets and events coordinator, and these two know how to throw a party.

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So Yellowstone Country Club celebrated their 75th anniversary and they went all out.

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It was a mix of nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia one of those wordy days nostalgia, creativity and a whole lot of fun.

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Michelle and Kaylin they just talked about how they pulled it off from transforming old clubhouse memories into show-stopping event details their 75th anniversary celebration.

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They had it all mix of old school charm, modern flair, taking old parts of the former clubhouse and club and things that the club used to have with.

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But then, you know, there's updates and renovation.

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So when they had the 75th, they brought back some of the older stuff.

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So they talk about how they recreated their former clubhouse called the Alibi, which was the restaurant.

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So they talked about recreating that for the members.

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You know just like everything juggling last minute RSVPs, getting creative with, you know, limited resources, because they are in Billings Montana, this is Yellowstone Country Club.

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They are in Billings Montana, this is Yellowstone Country Club, and it's sometimes hard to get people, places and things in and out of there which I did not even realize.

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Sometimes I think you know where you're at and what you have at your disposal and you forget where other people might be and what they can and can't have at their disposal.

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So that was a really cool perspective moment for me.

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Actually Now it's just all in.

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It was just cool to hear and listen how they worked around limitations and speaking of killer fun events.

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I am about to release the club entertainment guide, my club entertainment guide full of tips, tips, tricks, ideas, exercises, some bits from some of club professionals across the industry.

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If you would like early access to this, it's almost done Putting the finishing touches on now.

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If you would like early access, send me an email subject line entertainment guide to hello at private club radiocom and I'll make sure you get early access.

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Big thanks to some of our show partners tennis member vetting, golf life navigators and concert golf partners, myself, denny Corby, the Denny Corby experience.

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There's excitement, there's mystery.

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Also there's magic.

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If you want to learn more, head over to dennycorbycom.

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But better yet, email hello at private club radio subject line.

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Email hello at private club radio subject line entertainment guide.

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That'll be good too, but let's get to the episode.

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Let's welcome all the way from Montana, yellowstone Country Club, michelle and Caitlin.

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So you guys had a really cool 75th?

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Yes.

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So a look, and I was doing some, some research on it and just like, from the stuff that you sent me, what was that process Like?

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How far out did you start planning?

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What fun stuff did you do?

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Yeah, I'll let you guys just take a run with it.

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Sure.

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So we started talking about it, probably last year towards the end of the year, saying, hey guys, next year is the big year, let's get something on the books, let's start planning.

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So, slowly but surely, the party was coming to life.

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We knew we wanted a party.

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When we wanted it we weren't too sure.

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But after talking, our articles of our incorporation were filed in the month of September and so we thought why not honor that anniversary?

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Many of our members are back here.

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You know, back home they're not snowboarding at that time, they're not off gallivanting in the mountains, they're here.

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So that is when we wanted to have it.

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Finding a date after that was a little tricky because we have weddings up the Wahoo all the time.

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Good problems to have.

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Yeah, and it's, and it's always a scary thing to have.

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When can you have something of this size in the state of Montana, where the weather is going to be?

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You know, it doesn't do you any favors sometimes, but I tell you what I mean.

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We were absolutely blessed.

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It was the most perfect day in September that you could have asked for.

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So it was amazing.

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Couldn't have asked for a better day.

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The video looked awesome, Like the way like everything, like looked so good.

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What, uh?

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How many members do you have and how many came out to the party?

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Members do you have and how many came out to the party?

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So we have 750 memberships, approximately 2000 people.

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When you add in spouses and dependents, and by the time that the day before came, I believe we had 540 membership households attending, so there was over 1000 people easily.

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Yeah.

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Wow, how, what, what was the?

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What was the process?

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What was that flow like of the whole evening?

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Yeah.

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So I mean it was, it was a fun one to kind of see grow.

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So we, we communicated the event in a couple of different ways.

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We try our best to kind of track to see in which way we communicate do we get the most participation or the most kind of like clicks or questions, or to get people actually biting off on what we're putting out there.

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So we we kind of did all the things, so sent an email push, sent a physical invitation.

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I had it, you know, on our Instagram and social media platforms as well, and so that was kind of rolling in.

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And our big push for RSVPs was the two days before, which is standard, I think, for most private clubs, a day before the event, the day of the event, two days before, even if you say, hey, the event's been cut off, that's when they want to sign up.

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Um, so that's what it looks like.

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So we picked up, I want to say like literally 100 more RSVPs two days leading up to the event which we were prepared for.

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Thankfully, we have learned that trend, so we were rocking and rolling with that anyway.

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So, specifically, what I did for the amount of members we were anticipating and that we did end up getting, is I had kind of three different sections of the event itself.

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So our grass space that is off of our pool area I had for family fun time, kid centric let's kind of give them a space to hang out.

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So we brought in three different food trucks.

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We brought in um bouncy houses, a 50 foot obstacle course, um different things like that for out there.

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I have a gal I work with um who in town she does like balloon animals, so things like that.

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So I had all of that out there for the kids.

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The food trucks were hosted.

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That was part of the event.

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So they were able to go up in there and kind of it was a snow cone, one smash burgers, corn dogs, like it's exactly what they're looking for, you know.

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So, um, that's what we had out there.

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And then on the other side of our clubhouse, coming off of our golf course, I had um one part of the event.

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We titled it the ode to the alibi.

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Um, um, do you want to?

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give like a little history on what the alibi?

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Yes, so the alibi.

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So we are in our pretty new clubhouse about five years old now.

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So the alibi was the wonderful 19th hole also some would call it in our old clubhouse.

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It was original wasn't a reference to shameless no, no it wasn't, oh, okay.

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Much older but yeah, that alibi.

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It was like original carpet from the seventies.

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It had been converted more than once it had.

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You know, kalen did an excellent job of recreating the vibe of the alibi.

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There was one thing that we couldn't pinpoint, though slightly okay with it, was the scent of the alibi.

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If anybody has been around golfers before, it had a very sweet BO and sunscreen scent.

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And I think that's back, like you know, of course, during the time of the alibi's existence.

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That's when you could still smoke inside.

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Yes, so, like you know, of course, during the time of the alibis existence, that's when you could still smoke inside, yes, so, like you know, there was things like that.

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So what we did to incorporate that I had, a bit like on that side of things for decor purposes, more dark and moody, more leather pieces in there.

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I had a cigar station for people to kind of pay tribute to that.

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And then Robin, who works with us here and has worked in the alibi, she actually sourced the old coffee cups we used to use from there.

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So we brought in some pieces that really, especially if you spent time in the alibi, it definitely brought you back to that.

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Um.

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I had a couple of rugs in my garage that I saved from demolition from the old clubhouse.

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I brought those out.

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Yeah, so it was fun and we also Robyn and Michelle too went and we had pictures from the old clubhouse and things, so put those on a board to really kind of like encapsulate what that time felt like, what it looked like, and have that out there.

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So, and then we had more of kind of your heartier, bigger style like buffet food out that way, so like a bruschetta bar, a pasta bar, different things.

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That I gave you a little bit more and then and I wish I could show you but so you loop from that area and kind of just walked over um to the grass space on the other side and that's where I had, um, the garden at YCC.

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So we had huge tenting there, um, and I did more of like I said, like a garden style.

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So it was bright florals that I brought in, bright tablecloths and different things like that and had more of like a lighter food still still is going to feed you.

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It was still great, but kind of more on the lighter sides we had a beautiful vegetable display.

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We had, you know, chicken sliders and things like that.

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So that was really fun there and then on, nestled in between both areas, was like a live, I believe what eight, nine piece band that played to both areas, and so members were able to hear that from each area and kind of gather about in either of those areas or in the middle and enjoy the band during that time as well.

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So yes, and I don't know if you caught it, but one of the band members is actually related to one of our members as well, and so there were quite a few members swinging by and saying, hi, thank you for coming here, so it was great.

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Yeah, they were fantastic.

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She, she did, she did a great job procuring a lot of people that came out and they just played all sorts.

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I mean it was perfect.

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They played all sorts of different music that was appreciated in the different generations that was out and enjoying it.

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So, yes, they loved it, yeah, yeah.

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And then I mean, and then after that, so the food ended out there and then we just kind of had like a little late night snack for them to enjoy up here as well, if the drinks were kind of on their forefront out there.

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They can come up here and kind of, you know, recoup and refresh.

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What was the timing of everything?

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Was it started like six, five or six?

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Yeah, six o'clock and I mean it lasted till about I, I want to say about 10, 11 pm.

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Yeah so food.

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So food was from six to nine, and then the late night snack we brought out inside in our clubhouse at like 9, 9, 30, and then we kind of partied on um for a while I'm sure I think.

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I think that, like the people left the building more close to midnight, but the party kind of moved on up here once it got so dark out there and continued on up here.

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So that's so cool.

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Were there any things that you wanted to have there but just couldn't make happen, like, were there any like wild ideas for stuff that you were really pushing for but you just like couldn't get for whatever reason?

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I mean, there's definitely things I wanted to bring more out and incorporate, but you know it's all about what you can spend on it.

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So some, a couple things I envisioned for like the garden party and I don't know if it's huge.

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In other places it's kind of upticking in billings, but I think in other areas it's probably past Billings is kind of sometimes the last to know about a trend.

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But you know, there's those, there's those companies that do like permanent jewelry.

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So I wanted to bring out someone in the garden party to like cute little permanent jewelry.

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Or, um, donnie the chef and I were kind of throwing out ideas of if we do like a little station, like build your own this or build your own that, like build your own flower bouquet out in the garden area, I was looking into trying to bring out someone who rolled cigars in person in the Alibi area and just some of those things, and especially being in Billings, it is hard to source those things, you know.

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I mean, I'm sure when she goes to her conferences and I go to mine, I participate in Mace they're talking about all these different vendors and all these things that they can pull from and it's like we don't have that they don't even come to us.

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No, I mean it's like in Mace when I participate in that conference, they literally have people hired to just be in costume and walk around and help, you know, encourage the theme by just dressing how they're dressing.

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I don't have a person I can call and be like hey, do you want to dress up like this?

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Just to really bring out my theme.

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Like would you do that?

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You need better friends?

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Yeah, I mean they all work.

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Come on up here, man.

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They are in fact employees here.

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Head of their duties.

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But yeah, in those bigger cities, I mean, you can just call down to your local art center and find an actor or something of that sort unfortunately here many of our local art communities.

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Their actors have full-time jobs themselves and you know they're performing at whatever studio on friday, saturday and sunday nights.

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So we're quite limited and sometimes we have to wear multiple hats and make fools of ourselves.

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For the enjoyment of others, Of course.

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I even think about that being a challenge up in Billings just being able not to pull or have many resources at our disposal.

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Our Chef, donnie.

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He moved here from Georgia a few years ago and so when he first came on here he had all these fabulous ideas Look at this menu I can do.

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And then he shows us the menu he wants to do and next week he comes back and he goes I can't find anybody that will send me the stuff.

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Where do you guys get your stuff?

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Amazon, yes, yes.

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So if anybody's looking to open up a business up here, we could use some stuff just all around the rose apothecary no yeah oh gosh, could you imagine?

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I would love that please what?

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so?

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What?

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What's the nearest biggest city?

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Or like it's like where do you pull from then?

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We are.

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We're the largest city in a four state area at a whopping 120,000 people.

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So I guess we're Midwest baby, you know, like Denver, boise, idaho or Salt Lake, yeah, right around there.

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But Montana, wyoming, north and South Dakota, we're it.

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We're the big ones.

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Wow, and it's still that hard, so interesting, yeah, but that probably helps.

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I just love the phrase limitations force creativity.

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It just helps make all that a little bit more creative and it's fun.

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Which is why we're a unicorn and nobody can be like us.

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It does.

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It does make it fun and that was part of the challenge.

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We did have a busy summer so, especially for me and like the different pieces I curated, my banquet captain, talia, and another manager, taylor, I mean I was curating pieces like to bring into this for, you know, months, and that is something you do have to think of.

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Leading up into it.

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It's like, okay, I got to go thrifting like I need to go do this like here's my vision here and certain things to bring in.

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And then there are things that we ordered like really, really early just to have, because we don't really have the luxury of popping out to go get something but it does make it fun it does, because then it truly is uniquely yours too.

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That's something at least we don't run into because of being able to make it yours and that there's not a huge bulk store here where everyone's going to buy the same thing.

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Thankfully, it was something where I think a lot of our things we did was not something you had seen before.

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Agreed, which was fun agreed when you, when you made your alibi, did you keep stuff from like?

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Did you have other things that people kept that they like?

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Did you use any?

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Did people, did anybody take anything or did people bring their own stuff?

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No, we did encourage them that whoever the first drinks we made with those coffee cups because we were doing mixed drinks in those coffee cups and Robin all prepared the old glassware that they used to so we encouraged them to take it.

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Some did, some probably didn't want to walk around with a cup during that time.

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I did, we encouraged them to take it.

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Some did, some probably didn't want to walk around with a cup.

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During that time I did um, but we did also have the old alibi sign from the old building that we had um displayed down there as well it's like a 50 pound bronze plaque.

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It's huge, yeah, but other than that, no, um, they didn't unfortunately, when we demolished our clubhouse we sold everything we could.

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I'm talking the doors, the molding, the walls, because it was wood paneling.

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If it could be sold, it was, and so there wasn't much left.

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So that's why I stole.

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Don't tell my boss he's not here anymore, but that's OK.

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I stole a couple of rugs for the memorabilia aspect of it.

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It was fun.

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No, but those glasses at the alibi.

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So we did have some special drinks, and one of the special drinks was called a Steiner.

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I'm not sure if it's known more nationally, but that's YCC's drink.

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At least a portion of our members love this drink in the alibi.

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And what is the proper comp, Do you?

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know what the liquor is.

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Yeah, I apologize, she's going to tell you what's it called the stasher.

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A stinger Stinger yeah like a bee sting.

00:19:01.595 --> 00:19:04.727
Yeah, so we did do an ode to the alibi.

00:19:04.727 --> 00:19:05.449
Let's see here.

00:19:05.449 --> 00:19:06.332
Sorry, I should have.

00:19:08.259 --> 00:19:08.520
You're fine.

00:19:08.520 --> 00:19:09.926
So while she's looking that up, so it was real fun.

00:19:09.926 --> 00:19:22.365
So while at the party, of course we're mingling, we're going to all the different tables, we're saying hi to members that we haven't seen in a while, and thankfully some did bring their guests who had been members years prior.

00:19:22.365 --> 00:19:23.847
So that was amazing to hear.

00:19:23.847 --> 00:19:31.246
But so I went up to one table and it was a group of guys from the alibi and they were all drinking their steamers and I had one too.

00:19:31.246 --> 00:19:34.182
So we all raised, we toasted, and then one of the gentlemen goes.

00:19:34.182 --> 00:19:45.740
You know, michelle, I still to this day remember back down in the alibi you were serving us and I told you what the difference is between the dark and the light creme de menthe.

00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:56.807
I don't know if you need to edit this part out, but the difference is you get dark green strips on your undies from the dark one and I had to go.

00:19:56.807 --> 00:19:57.490
I remember that.

00:19:57.490 --> 00:19:58.763
Thank you for reminding me.

00:20:00.280 --> 00:20:05.547
So yeah, that drink is it's cognac and creme de menthe, so there's the white creme de menthe or the green creme de menthe.

00:20:05.547 --> 00:20:08.058
So our drink specials, we did, was a stinger creme de menthe, so there's the white creme de menthe or the green creme de menthe.

00:20:08.058 --> 00:20:09.222
So our our drink specials.

00:20:09.222 --> 00:20:15.803
We did was a stinger creme de menthe just on the rocks um doors on the rocks and then a rusty nail.

00:20:15.803 --> 00:20:17.627
Do you know that beverage?

00:20:18.209 --> 00:20:29.308
yeah, yeah so we did a tribute to those um heavily ordered drinks in the alibi and had those four drinks down there broadcasted as our drink specials as well for people.

00:20:29.630 --> 00:20:32.614
So a lot of fun I'm trying to think when.

00:20:32.933 --> 00:20:33.955
When was prohibition?

00:20:33.955 --> 00:20:35.962
That was in the 20s and 30s.

00:20:35.962 --> 00:20:39.990
No, because, because isn't.

00:20:39.990 --> 00:20:41.532
Isn't this isn't stinger?

00:20:41.532 --> 00:20:44.086
Isn't that like a prohibition era drink?

00:20:44.086 --> 00:20:47.675
Like, so like was like was that like around that time?

00:20:47.675 --> 00:20:50.923
Like was, was your area big into like the prohibition?

00:20:50.923 --> 00:20:51.786
Like is that where?

00:20:52.366 --> 00:21:01.845
um, I think that area probably ignored prohibition the stinger was a popular drink during prohibition in the united states see the creme de menthe could mask the taste of liquor.

00:21:01.845 --> 00:21:08.232
Quality brandies could mask the taste of the liquor in the inferior quality brandies andailable.

00:21:08.515 --> 00:21:12.208
So we just like to keep it old school?

00:21:12.228 --> 00:21:23.633
yeah, no it's a favor with americans in the 1970s and is not a well-known cocktail in the 21st century not here everybody knew what it was yeah, no, it could.

00:21:23.712 --> 00:21:24.981
what what the event sounds like?

00:21:24.981 --> 00:21:29.471
It sounds like it was a ton of fun, but for the people who've been there for a while, they had real fun.

00:21:29.471 --> 00:21:35.529
There was fun and some people had really had a good time.

00:21:35.529 --> 00:21:36.152
Yeah.

00:21:36.540 --> 00:21:37.926
I mean, I've had a few beverages.

00:21:37.926 --> 00:21:44.940
I've been here 14 years, so a lot of these older people, I knew them, I served them, I served them and their families.

00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:49.923
Their kids are now in college or even have their own kids now.

00:21:49.923 --> 00:21:53.252
So that was a lot of fun and I made sure to.

00:21:53.252 --> 00:21:56.161
I had multiple and it was a good night.

00:21:56.161 --> 00:21:56.923
It was a good night.

00:21:57.644 --> 00:22:00.840
I think they really did have a lot of fun and it was really nice to hear.

00:22:00.840 --> 00:22:07.794
You know, we're all still here the next day, like it's not like we closed down the day after the party to recoup, you know.

00:22:07.794 --> 00:22:18.432
So there was some people here for breakfast and things like that, and they really did enjoy it and it's really nice to hear, and it's nice to know, that the members, like you said, that have been here for a long time felt the same way.

00:22:18.432 --> 00:22:37.730
They felt like it was a worthy party and something that they were proud of, that they also appreciated being a part of, because they were a part of it then, they're a part of it now, and so it's nice to know that we did pay homage to the history of ycc's 75 years I don't think we had a single negative review on it.

00:22:37.871 --> 00:22:41.980
Honestly, it was great yeah and you guys were waiting for him.

00:22:42.402 --> 00:22:47.387
No, oh yeah I had shoes made for the event.

00:22:47.387 --> 00:22:47.888
Come on.

00:22:47.888 --> 00:22:59.951
Really yes, that is really, I, well as Caitlin can probably tell you, I greatly enjoy dressing up when I get the opportunity and I like to be a little silly with it.

00:22:59.951 --> 00:23:06.131
Case in point Denny, my, my blazer today is a ladies of marble DC.

00:23:06.131 --> 00:23:09.653
So yeah, yeah, is that?

00:23:09.653 --> 00:23:16.414
A ted baker jacket no, it's a funcom blazer if funcom is listening.

00:23:16.414 --> 00:23:24.789
This is not a sponsored ad, but I will happily take a sponsored ad look at this funcom.

00:23:24.849 --> 00:23:28.154
That simple, hmm, lots of fun.

00:23:28.154 --> 00:23:32.905
Well, there goes my afternoon.

00:23:32.905 --> 00:23:37.567
Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm a nerd, it is.

00:23:40.402 --> 00:23:45.652
I think, I think Ted, I think Ted Baker used to do a bunch of like cartoons and stuff on the inside of their blazers.

00:23:47.442 --> 00:23:49.430
Well, I'll take their hand-meetings happily.

00:23:51.101 --> 00:23:52.827
Now Kaylin, how long have you been at the club for?

00:23:53.820 --> 00:23:54.925
A little over five years.

00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:57.645
And did you come from clubs prior?

00:23:58.548 --> 00:23:58.730
Nope.

00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:18.069
So I came here right out of graduating college and I actually started on the bar part first and graduated with a degree in business communications and I was just out there kind of chatting and like so you know who does events like da, da, da and they didn't actually have at this point in time of banks and events director.

00:24:18.590 --> 00:24:30.069
So it was something like that the GM, the assistant club manager, assistant club manager, all kind of like share the duties up and I was like, oh, yep, do you need a big one on an instructor?

00:24:30.069 --> 00:24:33.478
And then kind of just yeah, it was.

00:24:33.577 --> 00:24:38.128
It was real perfect timing for her because we were undergoing the major transition.

00:24:38.128 --> 00:24:45.270
This clubhouse was, I think, completed the month before you officially started in this position.

00:24:45.330 --> 00:24:48.092
Yeah, I came here right after college.

00:24:48.092 --> 00:24:53.069
They they were operating out of what they called tent city, so the building did not exist.

00:24:53.069 --> 00:24:55.301
They were under tents and different things like that.

00:24:55.301 --> 00:25:06.203
I left um for a quick like soccer trip and then came back and the building was here, and so that's kind of what that looked like.

00:25:06.324 --> 00:25:11.667
So yeah, and that was right before, so this clubhouse opened June of 2019.

00:25:11.667 --> 00:25:15.191
She acquired her position right at that time.

00:25:15.191 --> 00:25:23.877
Unfortunately, in the months following, we had four key personnel leave and then COVID hit a couple months after that.

00:25:26.540 --> 00:25:28.226
So it was a real fun transition time.

00:25:28.226 --> 00:25:29.650
That's tough for anybody.

00:25:29.650 --> 00:25:36.025
I mean, that whole thing was that whole time was tough for clubs, and losing a member, whether it's intentional, good, bad or not, it's always tough.

00:25:36.025 --> 00:25:39.012
That was a small whirlwind there.

00:25:41.320 --> 00:25:43.086
That's where we got our creativeness.

00:25:43.086 --> 00:25:48.559
We pivoted real quick, found new solutions and we were able to stay open during covid.

00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:56.104
Not a single person was laid off and we kept their hours as much as we could that's awesome we perfected the to-go.

00:25:56.545 --> 00:26:00.373
Oh yeah boy, oh boy, we had thanksgiving to go easter to go.

00:26:00.373 --> 00:26:04.067
I mean, we, we got creative with our to-go baskets.

00:26:04.228 --> 00:26:07.055
So it was awesome, interesting.

00:26:07.055 --> 00:26:08.397
And then you've been.

00:26:08.397 --> 00:26:13.090
Now you start off at the club, in, in, in in food and beverage too, right?

00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:15.767
Yes, so I responded.

00:26:15.767 --> 00:26:27.333
So I was a stay at home mom for almost a year, was driving myself bonkers because I was able to talk to my child and my husband and, as wonderful as they are, you go a little crazy after a while.

00:26:27.333 --> 00:26:33.662
So I was on Craigslist looking for a job, found a seasonal server position at the local club and I'm like, yeah, sure, why not?

00:26:33.662 --> 00:26:35.625
I'll get out of the house for a few hours at least.

00:26:35.625 --> 00:26:38.432
And I stayed.

00:26:38.432 --> 00:26:41.528
I was able to stay through summer season or through winter season.

00:26:41.528 --> 00:26:53.869
Um, and then I was just very thankful that when I graduated college, seven years later, the bookkeeping position opened up and I was like, hi, I just graduated, how are you?

00:26:53.869 --> 00:26:56.864
And now I've been in that role for about eight years.

00:26:57.484 --> 00:26:58.086
That's cool.

00:26:58.086 --> 00:26:59.128
That's cool.

00:26:59.128 --> 00:27:02.522
It's neat that you guys have both kind of had similar startings too.

00:27:02.522 --> 00:27:03.124
That's neat.

00:27:03.124 --> 00:27:04.625
Does there seem to be a longer tenure?

00:27:04.625 --> 00:27:05.007
That's neat.

00:27:05.007 --> 00:27:10.013
Does there seem to be a longer tenure, like a longer run of employees there?

00:27:10.013 --> 00:27:14.891
Yes, are there others like you who've been there for you know.

00:27:14.951 --> 00:27:21.969
Yeah, we're actually celebrating our Tennis Head Pros 50th anniversary next week.

00:27:21.969 --> 00:27:24.011
Yeah, yes, Wow.

00:27:24.834 --> 00:27:28.701
Yes, but yeah, and, like you said, though, the start in food and beverage.

00:27:28.701 --> 00:27:39.471
So our HR director started on the bar cart and then serving Right, and then worked her way up and now she's our HR director Robin, who we recently mentioned.

00:27:39.471 --> 00:27:48.319
She was a server, bartender and a lifeguard and now is the director of our aquatics and our facilities managers.

00:27:48.380 --> 00:27:56.963
So, like we, we do a really good job of retention and promoting people within, because it really does, especially when you spend that much time.

00:27:56.963 --> 00:27:58.126
We get it.

00:27:58.126 --> 00:27:59.651
We understand why we're here.

00:27:59.651 --> 00:28:11.400
We're all on the same page and that's serving our members and like having a team that that's had that ingrained in them for that many years just helps everyone's like joint mission be understood by everyone that much more clearly.

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:20.335
And, to put it into perspective, we love internal promoting because the talent that's needed otherwise just isn't readily available in Billings.

00:28:20.335 --> 00:28:27.134
We are the only private 18 hole golf course for a while.

00:28:27.134 --> 00:28:29.901
Actually, I believe the closest one's going to be two hours away.

00:28:29.901 --> 00:28:47.923
We do have some other clubs here locally, but they're either semi-private or only nine holes, and so it's difficult to find country club personnel that understand the business of a country club, because as much as we'd like to say that it's a restaurant, it's a golf course, it's a whole nother beast.

00:28:47.923 --> 00:28:48.986
It really is.

00:28:48.986 --> 00:28:52.173
I like to joke that we're like cheers Everybody knows your name.

00:28:52.173 --> 00:28:53.522
There's a reason for that.

00:28:54.045 --> 00:28:54.987
I want to know your name.

00:28:54.987 --> 00:28:57.280
I want to know your children's names, your friends' names.

00:28:57.280 --> 00:29:04.470
I want to be able to say hi, Mr and Mrs Smith, when you come in with your guests and have them be shocked that I know you.

00:29:04.470 --> 00:29:05.170
That's fun.

00:29:05.671 --> 00:29:08.795
It goes down to your pro shop too.

00:29:08.795 --> 00:29:10.195
Even I mean Chad.

00:29:11.681 --> 00:29:17.173
Chad is a wonderful story because Chad is our head pro, has been for about five years now.

00:29:17.173 --> 00:29:32.195
However, he's probably almost one of our longest running employees tenure because his grandfather was our club's first head pro and maintained that position for 50 years.

00:29:32.195 --> 00:29:41.631
So, truly, our current head pro has been out here since they could yeah, since he could crawl around on the golf course and push a ball here or there.

00:29:42.060 --> 00:29:43.185
That's bonkers.

00:29:43.689 --> 00:29:46.059
Yeah, it's awesome, it is really awesome.

00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:50.362
The camaraderie that we have here is absolutely unmatched.

00:29:50.362 --> 00:29:54.108
It's yeah, it's great, it's pretty awesome.

00:29:54.190 --> 00:29:54.971
That is so cool.

00:29:54.971 --> 00:29:57.684
And then now did your tennis pro, did he?

00:29:57.684 --> 00:30:00.675
Now he obviously is there for so long, cause he?

00:30:00.675 --> 00:30:03.262
He started off because he was good at serving too Right.

00:30:05.707 --> 00:30:07.068
That was good, that was good.

00:30:08.090 --> 00:30:09.012
It was one of those.

00:30:09.012 --> 00:30:13.586
I was like it's past the point, but it was too funny in my head and I've been holding it in for too long.

00:30:13.586 --> 00:30:15.614
And then I was like, do I still?

00:30:15.614 --> 00:30:20.025
And even towards the end I was like I don't think I want to do it, but my lips just started moving.

00:30:20.025 --> 00:30:25.305
Good job, yeah, no, that is neat.

00:30:25.305 --> 00:30:32.731
Are there any photos of him like on the course when he like do you guys have any like old photos anywhere?

00:30:32.731 --> 00:30:36.680
That'd be cool to see for his like, for his like birthday cake or his next.

00:30:38.260 --> 00:30:41.483
Yeah, I'm trying to find those old photos though.

00:30:41.483 --> 00:30:42.925
I mean, I found his.

00:30:42.925 --> 00:30:51.012
He was a history teacher as well, so I was able to find his, I think, 1970s teaching photo.

00:30:51.012 --> 00:30:51.374
That's fun.

00:30:51.374 --> 00:30:51.953
Oh, that's cool.

00:30:51.953 --> 00:30:54.957
Yeah, that's really neat.

00:30:56.006 --> 00:30:56.880
What else is cool about the club?

00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:00.391
So that's membership.

00:31:00.391 --> 00:31:07.153
So sorry, I'm fascinated now because I didn't realize you are the only game in town.

00:31:08.662 --> 00:31:13.082
For 18 whole course private club yes, yeah.

00:31:13.122 --> 00:31:15.450
Yeah, and what's that like?

00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:18.045
Free on that Um it.

00:31:18.045 --> 00:31:27.022
We have a lot of people calling and asking how much a day passes and I have to tell them that that's not available and they ask me okay, so if I can fill out an application, I can join tomorrow.

00:31:27.022 --> 00:31:33.804
No, no, it's like a 60 day process, but we'll get you there, absolutely yeah.

00:31:33.844 --> 00:31:35.006
Same thing with weddings too.

00:31:35.006 --> 00:31:39.713
They're like oh, like just just seeing if you have any openings and like okay, so who's your member sponsor?

00:31:39.794 --> 00:31:51.531
And it's like oh, oh, yeah, no, I don't have one and I'm like okay, well, I can get you onto our membership director if you'd like to apply for membership and we can plan your wedding in two years.

00:31:51.531 --> 00:31:52.821
But yeah, it is.

00:31:52.821 --> 00:32:05.669
It is hard, especially because some people really don't understand so and they it's just innocence out of all things reaching out to to book events or to come out to golf or to eat, we'll have people just kind of walk in too, yeah.

00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:19.323
They'll probably like Google like you know, and then perhaps we pop up if they're like lunch spots and billings, and then they walk in and then we have to do the awkward dance of hey, we recognize you, you here with a member.

00:32:19.323 --> 00:32:20.305
You need someone they're like, oh no.

00:32:20.325 --> 00:32:24.252
It's like, okay, um, have you had anybody get through an entire meal first?

00:32:25.400 --> 00:32:31.887
Um, there was one person, yes, yes.

00:32:31.887 --> 00:32:36.413
So, um, unfortunately I think I was out of town during this time.

00:32:36.413 --> 00:32:52.847
The bingo incident oh so I think I was out of town and Monday morning my wonderful banquet gal told me Michelle, one of your prospective members came in last night and came to bingo and she absolutely loved it and had a great time.

00:32:52.847 --> 00:32:55.685
She had a friend and you know, here's her name.

00:32:55.685 --> 00:33:03.872
I'm thinking, I'm thinking, I'm like I never talked to this person and I'm kind of an airhead, I will absolutely admit that.

00:33:03.872 --> 00:33:05.461
So I go through my email.

00:33:05.461 --> 00:33:14.767
I find nothing on this person regarding membership, and so I go back to Kaylin and I go, I never talked to her.

00:33:14.767 --> 00:33:15.228
Kaylin.

00:33:15.228 --> 00:33:18.276
Kaylinlin goes do you want her phone number?

00:33:18.276 --> 00:33:19.839
Because I wrote it down.

00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:23.289
I was like, oh, this is great, like what a great thing for her to experience.

00:33:23.289 --> 00:33:24.381
She's thinking about being a member.

00:33:24.381 --> 00:33:27.186
So we do bingo once a month and I themed them.

00:33:27.186 --> 00:33:31.442
Um, well, we do it from September to March, ish.

00:33:31.442 --> 00:33:48.387
And I themed them and so she I don't know how she saw it, I mean, our Instagram page is public, so perhaps she saw it there, but she had, she had the information, and she's like, yeah, I've like talked to Michelle and wanted to come out and just thought I could maybe like come out for bingo just to kind of see what that's all about.

00:33:48.387 --> 00:33:53.460
And I'm like, oh my God, that's so great, yeah.

00:33:58.319 --> 00:33:59.965
Let me get your information down and I'll have her, like, reach out to you too.

00:33:59.965 --> 00:34:00.488
Just make sure you know.

00:34:00.488 --> 00:34:00.930
And then nothing.

00:34:00.930 --> 00:34:02.817
So after kaylin gave me her phone number, I called her and, gosh darn it, she didn't answer.

00:34:02.817 --> 00:34:05.724
So I left her a wonderful voicemail of so happy you were able to come last night.

00:34:05.724 --> 00:34:07.609
Oh, I hope you enjoyed yourself.

00:34:07.609 --> 00:34:09.981
Give me a call and we'll talk those details.

00:34:09.981 --> 00:34:12.905
I never got a call and she hasn't come back.

00:34:12.905 --> 00:34:16.389
I don't think she wanted anything or anything, so that's good.

00:34:16.389 --> 00:34:23.487
So yes, it happens, but thankfully not too often.

00:34:23.487 --> 00:34:26.344
We've got a great staff who can pick them out real quick.

00:34:26.766 --> 00:34:27.186