Blending Tradition with the Modern: Improvements to the Cape Girardeau Country Club

Some things -- like fine wines and vintage Gouda -- just get better with age. The now 99-year-old Cape Girardeau Country Club is continuously seeking to improve itself in a similar way.

In the past year, the club has been renovating and expanding its amenities to cater to a wider range of individuals. From new additions to the pool to new pickleball courts, Board of Governors President Mark Rhodes says they are providing a space for any member to enjoy.

The country club opened in April 1921 with a Sunday golf match between Fred Groves and Charles Boutin -- Cape Girardeau's first official round of golf. At the time, the club's golf course contained only nine holes and sand instead of grass, general manager Paul Belcher says. Over the years, it's grown into the attraction Cape Girardeau residents know today.

In the 1960s, the golf course was expanded to include 18 holes, with additional renovations to the golfing greens added in the 1990s. Through innovations and renovations, Rhodes says one thing has stayed the same: the club's view of the mighty Mississippi, which he says is the best in Cape Girardeau.

In the same way businesses are constantly growing to stay relevant, Rhodes says the club also seeks to keep up with the times. They follow suit with actions by many other traditional country clubs across the country; as noted by Business Insider in 2019, many younger members are attracted to activities outside the traditional round of golf.

Players compete in a game of doubles pickleball at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. The club replaced its two tennis courts with six smaller pickleball courts.

Two of the club's tennis courts fell into disrepair over the years and were converted into six pickleball courts this spring. As an up-and-coming sport, the club chose pickleball for its fast-growing popularity, Belcher says. In addition, new renovations include improvements to the golfing green as well as removal of trees, both for the aesthetic quality and to improve wind conditions.

The club pool -- which offers swimming lessons and weekend access during the fall -- has also been upgraded with saltwater, Rhodes says. New furniture and other small improvements have freshened up the dining and foyer areas of the clubhouse.

Beyond expansion in the country club's facilities, new innovations -- such as bartender Taylor Park's line of new nature-inspired cocktails -- add a modern edge to the centuries-old club. While the club retains its longtime golfing traditions and dining options, they've been renovated to stay relevant with younger members, as well.

"We're trying to combine 100 years of tradition into a more modern feel," Rhodes says. "It's the best of both."

In a meeting last December, board members discussed an initiative to implement new changes to the club, Belcher said. They launched a 15-year debenture bond program, securing some $244,000 in bonds from members to finance renovations in clubhouse facilities. In addition, the board set a goal of reaching 100 new members this year.

When the new membership program launched in March, Belcher says it was met with interest, and the club gained several new members. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States the same month, there were no new memberships until the end of April. As lockdowns lifted, new memberships picked up, and the club surpassed its goal at 112 new members.

The new membership program added a third of the club's prior numbers -- a huge jump in participation.

Paul Belcher, general manager of the Cape Girardeau Country Club helped implement updates the club's facilities in an effort to attract new members.

A large amount of new memberships were young families, Belcher says -- a target audience for the growing country club. Twenty-five of the total new memberships were families in the 25 to 34 age range and accounted for nearly half of the new golf memberships. Providing a variety of amenities -- such as swimming, pickleball and dining -- helps create more interest for individuals of all ages, Rhodes says.

It's contributed to a better variety of members and age diversity, Rhodes adds. The atmosphere of the club has become much more easygoing; he describes it as quite fun. As activities -- such as dining -- have become more casual, the club has also changed in some respects. While the club's restaurants, 19th Hole and River Room, initially required more formal clothing, dress codes have been relaxed recently.

"You have to constantly be relevant in today's world, whether it's dining, the pool or keeping the green maintained," Rhodes says.

While they do focus on outreach to new members, the core driving force behind the longevity of the country club is generations of loyal individuals, Belcher says. Through the investments of members earlier this year, he says the club was able to expand and improve the amenities.

While they've grown to update current facilities and add amenities, the club is also constantly growing through new faces -- young and old. Rhodes notes an 83-year-old was among the new members added this year; proof that, much like the country club itself, you're never too old to try something new.

Cape Girardeau Country Club will be celebrating its centennial next April, a birthday many businesses don't live to see, Rhodes says. The party next year will be a real celebration.

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Taylor Park is a bartender at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. Park designed a new line of cocktails that are autumn-inspired. (Photo by Leigh Ann Ludolph)

Festive Fall Spirits

Country club bartender Taylor Park says she loves autumn; it reminds her of home. She grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, where she says Halloween is celebrated well.

"The smells, the colors, the whole shift of seasons. It's just an electric time of year. So, what better way to celebrate this time than with some festive spirits?" she says, noting the Halloween pun.

She's been bartending for seven years, during which she's created a few cocktails of her own.

This year, she's developed several fall cocktails for the country club: Smoky Mountain Mule, Russian Jack-o-Chai and Black Cat Smash. She shares recipes for these three favorite autumn-inspired drinks, incorporating fresh ingredients and scenes of fall.

Smoky Mountain Mule Ingredients:

Marshmallows (toasted or not)

2 ounces brûlée liqueur

.50 ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice

.50 ounces vodka (Tito's)

5 ounces ginger beer

You can put this in a copper mug, but the vessel is your choice. Mix all of your ingredients in a shaker, shake well, and strain over ice. Top off with the ginger beer. Garnish with a toasted marshmallow or garnish of choice. Great campfire drink!

Russian Jack-O-Chai

Ingredients:

2 ounces vodka (Tito's)

1 ounce coffee liqueur

.50 ounces chai tea

.50 ounces heavy cream

1 tablespoon pumpkin purÃ(C)e (canned)

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, and strain over ice. Sprinkle pumpkin spice on top. Add some whipped cream on top for premium sipping.

Black Cat Smash

Ingredients:

Half handful of blackberries (to muddle/garnish)

1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (and a sprig for serving)

Juice from half a lemon

1-2 tablespoons of honey

1 1/2 ounces of tequila (Espolon)

(2) dashes orange bitters

Sparkling water for a topper

Muddle together blackberries, honey (or blackberry simple syrup), lemon juice and rosemary. Add ice to your glass, then strain over ice. Float some sparkling water or club soda on top.