Hear the words “country club”, and it probably brings to mind an exclusive resort where the members keep to themselves and the public keeps its distance. That’s not the case with the Clinton Country Club located northeast of Clinton.
“We welcome the public to come visit,” says board member Raymond Hartner. “We have a lot of things to do besides playing golf, there’s the pool, the pickleball courts, the driving range, the restaurant. It’s all open to the public. They can do everything from renting the clubhouse to hosting a wedding.” And, of course, they can play golf as well.
The Clinton Country Club started over 100 years ago with a nine-hole course. Originally, the course was established on several hundred acres of land located off Vansant Road on NE 100 road. However, the club members decided to scale back ownership to its present size of 160 acres, and the club went under expansion to its current 18 holes with a clubhouse, swimming pool, cart sheds and other buildings associated with running a golf course.
The remaining land was developed into the Dillon Creek Estates, which currently contains a dozen-and-a-half houses with two more currently under construction. A link can be found on the Country Club’s website.
With that much history, a big feature is the involvement of members in the course and the club itself. “We’re really a very dedicated club,” says Hartner. “When problems come up, club members usually step in the resolve them.
For instance, this year during one of the torrential rains, “On this part of the creek,” he said, pointing to a crossing that had a new culvert installed, “We lost our crossing area. But a club member had a backhoe, and another had a dump truck, and they jumped in with the help of some other members and put in a new culvert and spread enough gravel to make the crossing usable. It’s still not finished yet, but it will be soon.”
Everywhere it seems, there is evidence that club members care. The bridge is a recent example, but members also plant and maintain small flower gardens scattered over the course, and there are engraved memorials for members who have passed. And on the paved cart track, you’ll see names of members scratched into the concrete, the people who built that section of the track.
The public is welcome to come and enjoy all aspects of the club, says Hartner, adding that the club is not just about playing golf. The club house is available for rental for events such as meetings, parties, weddings. There is a large dining room with panoramic views of the course and the pond; a smaller section can be split from the main room for smaller parties and has access to the bar and kitchen. And the entire club house can be rented for big events as it has a capacity of 200.
Brandy Brauer owns the Dillon Creek Bar & Grill, located in the club house, and serves a mean hamburger, according to Hartner. The grill offers lunches Tuesday through Sunday, as well as breakfast on the weekends and dinners on Friday nights. She also will cater events at the club or make arrangements for catering.
Brauer noted that there are groups that use the club house for card games and even the occasional karaoke evenings. While these activities aren’t noted online, the public is encouraged to call (the phone number is 660-885-2521), or check the Ladies Association bulletin board in the club house for information on what is happening.
An upcoming event is the Passport Party, where party goers “adopt” a country and bring hors d’oeuvres and cocktails typically served in their country of choice. Mexico is already taken, so chips and margaritas are no longer an easy option. Other events may include a whisky tasting at some point, and the karaoke machine is rigged and ready. Check the club’s website or call the office for more information.
The club house is closed in January and doesn’t resume full functions until March.
For members of the public who want to do more than just visit the country club occasionally, there is a number of different levels and types of memberships available. Currently, there are 14 different types of memberships. For those who mainly want to use the pool, there is a pool membership for singles and for families. There also is a pickleball membership for those interested in using the courts.
Also, there are “young adult” and junior memberships and a promotional one-year membership. Golfers who belong to another club but frequently pass through and play a round or two at the Clinton club can join at a reduced rate for a dual membership. “We have people who drive down from Kansas City, play a round here and then drive back home. That takes them less time than if they got in line to play at their home course.”
Also, high school golf club members can join the club at a very reduced rate.
“The young adult and junior memberships are intended to encourage younger folks to join the club,” Hartner said. “As you might understand, a lot of our members are older or retired people, and we want to make it easier for younger people and families to join.” He also noted that golf isn’t as popular as it once was because of the increasing number of other competing activities, and the club members are encouraging people to take up the sport.
“One thing about our club is that we have a wide variety of members; we have doctors, business men and women and people from all walks of life. We are very much a social club,” in the best sense of the word.
For more information on the Clinton Country Club and all it offers, go to: www.clinton-country-club.com.
