New look for Red Oak Country Club

Big changes are happening at the Red Oak Country Club.
Renovations are nearing completion on the century-old clubhouse, which celebrated its anniversary with a major gathering last year. A newly-formed women’s committee, led by Sharon Bradley and Kathy Carlson, started some initial improvements at the clubhouse in the summer of last year.
“We decided to start the renovation for the clubhouse in May of last year, and our first project was to replace the blinds. And then we got a little deeper into it, and Jean Webb took over for the design,” Bradley said.
Webb said she worked all spring, summer, and fall in 2024, up to and beyond the club’s 100th anniversary celebration.
“We decided to start in one room, because we were raising all our own money to do all this. We had six events, and we did well with those. There are a lot of windows here, so we put in new blinds throughout. We have just six remaining to put up. By starting in one room it allowed people to get excited about it first. The first fundraiser was to buy a blind. We put a big sign up, and it was $175 a blind. We have 38 windows, so we got all the funds donated for the blinds at $175 a piece, which was great,” commented Webb.
Webb said it was the generosity of the initial blind supplier that helped get even the first stage of the renovations to completion.
“I called my source in May of last year, and in order to get them, we got a May Memorial Day sale. We couldn’t afford to buy them all at that time, and I told him our whole scenario, that it was this small group of women raising money for this country club to redo the whole thing. They were gracious enough to let me continue to have that awesome price that I got for that one sale throughout the year because I made three more orders with it,” explained Webb.
After the group committed to replacing the blinds, Bradley said the scope expanded to a major overhaul of the entire facility.
“We decided that we were going to raise enough money to finish one of the rooms. Then we decided to apply for the grant for the hotel-motel tax, which we will probably turn in this month. That’s how it started. We knew that we needed to redo the kitchen. Roger Vial gave us a quote and did the work on the kitchen and did some of the work behind the bar,” commented Bradley.
Other work behind the bar was completed by Webb and committee member Katie Bloom.
“Katie and I did tons of work behind the bar. Roger did the subfloor fill-ins and stuff where we had major leaks, and did work in the kitchen, and the guys that work here helped take Renovations in the kitchen and the bar are mostly completed, and work remains in the trophy room and the ballroom.
“In the ballroom and the trophy room, we have some carpet going in, and some painting to be done. We are looking for someone to lease the kitchen so we can open the restaurant, because it’s basically a brand-new kitchen now, and the project turned out very nice. We are looking for someone to lease it because it’s easier for us to lease the kitchen and have someone rent it as a separate entity from the club,” advised Bradley.
Interim club manager Bob Boeye said it had been quite some time since any major upgrades took place at the clubhouse.
“We did a big remodeling in 2001 when we brought the bar to its current location and we redid all the wood. It’s paintable pine now. I imagine they might have done one re-carpeting since 2001, but this is the first big makeover of the club in around 24 years, so it definitely needed it,” Boeye said.
Prior to 2001, the biggest renovations to the club were in 1963 when the club members brought the dining room and the kitchen up from the basement. Webb said a great deal of work from all those periods has been from club volunteers.
“It’s always been very much the members kicking in and literally painting, sanding, priming, and everybody helping with the outside. The club had its volunteer day March 23, and they had a great group for that, too. The club ladies in the spring plant the flowers outside, and there’s a lot of volunteers that help with the pool. And it’s just an ongoing effort for all the volunteers, so we’re pretty proud of it,” stated Webb.
Bradley credited club president Jason Orme as well for his amazing work and helping get everything together. The club has gotten the grants and the monies that it needed to expand this project. Webb said the more they got into the project, the more they saw needed to be done.
“We have all new chandeliers for the ballroom, most of the woodwork that’s purchased, Katie bought some of it. I bought another ceiling frame that matches for the rooms, and we bought all the vinyl,” advised Webb. “Red Oak Fabrication, we used them to powder coat all of the bar chairs, and they were wonderful. Then we worked on re-covering the chair seats. Ann Carder and Mark Jackson with Red Oak Hardware Hank gave us some good discounts on paint and stuff. They also donated a lot of money towards keeping the kitchen open and the renovation.”
Of the completed projects, in the bar, the blinds are all new, with new carpet, paint, and beadboard underneath the windows. A new mirror is slated for behind the bar, and black-toned marble will be installed, and new cabinets for holding equipment to cook and serve hot dogs and pizza in the bar.
The kitchen has new paint, flooring, and work to the walls and ceiling, as well as some new kitchen equipment and countertops.
In the trophy room, the carpet is in the process of being replaced with matching carpet squares to the bar, and new light fixtures will be installed. The carpet was all purchased locally through The Carpet Store in Red Oak. Bradley said there was a conscious effort to have all the materials and work bought and performed locally, much by club volunteers.
“We have 33 members of our women’s committee. And most of them have been voluntary for one project or another. All the events, they brought in and donated food for them, helped with the outside flowers, and helped Jean and Katie with the inside painting, because everything had to be sanded down and painted. A lot of filling needed to be done as well,” Bradley said.
With the renovations, Webb said their hope and prayer is that they are drawing people from outside to come the club to dine in its large ballroom.
“We are going to be putting in fireplace eating areas at both fireplaces, putting in gas.
“I met with Scott Allensworth about installing the gas logs on each fireplace. Then we will be putting in a sofa, two chairs, and a table in front of each one. So we will have comfortable, cozy areas for sitting back, putting out some charcuterie boards. We want to be that drawing card for all the communities around here. And I think we will because it’s going to look very warm and inviting when it’s all completed.
“The ball room will have a new dance floor, which has been completed, though we still have carpeting to install in there,” Webb explained. “We installed new red oak and stained it. It’s a nice, rich, darker stain, and it looks beautiful. The dance space has been expanded as well. The walls in the ballroom have been painted as well.”
Webb said there were a few other changes to the ballroom that she has planned.
“We’re going to redo the wood chairs. I think we’re going to experiment and take a few and just see what they would look like done in a black. They’re very sturdy, and we’ve had to do things based on an affordability level. I personally cleaned all the stones on the fireplace lower and upper. The stones are original from the fields around here when this was built over 100 years ago. The members brought in the stones and built those, so they’re really cool,” Webb said.
Beyond the clubhouse, Bradley said they are looking to make updates to the pool areas.
“We’re trying to raise money for a new pump for the kiddie pool, and for repainting the pool. Having an updated outside is important for getting new members, too,” Bradley stated.
All told, the renovations have cost around $70,000 from donations from club members and visitors.
“People kept coming in, seeing the neat improvements going on. Then we saw more money coming in, people just dropping off checks and stuff. There was a lot of free, and as we said earlier, a lot of volunteers. Without the volunteers and without the community’s support, we couldn’t have afforded to do this,” explained Webb.
The club is open for golf and the bar in the clubhouse is open as well. With the installation of a new chef, Bradley and Webb said they are hopeful to have more opportunities for dining, including lunch times and dinner times. While the kitchen is currently closed, Webb said Boeye is able to provide pizza and hot dogs through the bar.
While volunteers were able to make a big push on the renovations when the club was closed in January and February, Bradley said they are hoping to have the final touches completed this month.
Webb said that after working on the project for almost a full year, it’s exciting to have reached this stage.
“I’m so excited coming in and seeing, everything that has been done each day. I literally cut the new seat covers for the bar seating before I had to go to my daughter’s wedding. It was three hours of cutting on a big table. Kathy Carlson sent me pictures of putting them on and then seeing them on. It brought me to tears. It’s been so much work. Just seeing it all come together, I’m thrilled,” said Webb.
Learn more about the Red Oak Country Club at facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553456579933.