VERO BEACH — A seven-year waiting list at Vero Beach Country Club wasn’t enough to deter Oren and Cheryl Deacon, who had their sights set on joining the local golf club with a friendly vibe.
That was 1985, the days when memberships were so highly sought-after that some hopefuls regularly scanned the daily newspaper’s obituary section to see what the chances were of moving up on the list.
Fortunately for the Deacons, the wait ended after only a year when the couple won a club lottery initiated to fill unexpected vacancies.
“Men golfers were dying and most women were playing bridge which left some openings,” Cheryl Deacon reminisced.
These days, there’s no waiting list.
Still, the club remains a community landmark, appealing to an eclectic demographic of loyal members.
At any given hour of the day, the club is abuzz with activity. Its six dining rooms are hotbeds of socializing, a 70-member staff eagerly tends to members and grounds-keeping and the sprawling course is dotted with golfers.
Like other businesses humbled by a pinched economy, the club took measures to reinforce its marketing strategies and improve its image in order to keep current members happy while hoping to draw in new ones.
The number of memberships stayed flat last year.
But the club recently underwent a $1 million renovation that took seven months to complete, says General Manager Greg Wetzel.
It used capital investments to freshen and brighten up the clubhouse.
Vero Beach Country Club, built in 1924, is a member-driven golf club reminiscent of the old style. Unlike other courses in Vero, the 18-hole par 72 championship course isn’t part of a private community of which there are plenty in Vero and on the barrier island.
The non-profit club is unique in this way, says Wetzel, and for this reason it lends itself to a slightly different approach to business.
“It’s inclusive,” he said of the club located between U.S. 1 and Indian River Boulevard. “It’s the kind of place where you can join and immediately be welcomed as a friend. It’s a fun club. It’s not overly formal or staid.”
The club structures its activities so that all levels of players can go out for a quality round of golf. For those who like to walk the course, there are hours set up to do so, and kids who can’t drive carts have an opportunity to play without adult supervision because of it.
For those who want stiff competition, there are a variety of events and tournaments.
And for people who don’t play golf, there is bridge and plenty of social events to choose from.
“We compete with every club in the area,” said Wetzel. “We are convenient because we are in town and convenient to a lot of communities. Also, our fee structure is conservative compared to private clubs so it’s a good value.”
The club offers a variety of golf and social memberships according to how much golf a member plays or social activities they participate in. Members can enjoy summer reciprocity with many local private clubs.
Plus, he added, the culture at Vero Beach Country Club sets it apart from other clubs.
“Some want a very formal culture. We have our formal events but they aren’t that standard.”
The club’s 446 members include old-time families of the citrus industry, developers, people who as kids grew up playing and dining there, as well as snowbirds and retirees.
The youngest member is age 2; the oldest is 100. The local chamber of commerce, Realtor groups, the Colonial Dames of America, Daughters of the American Revolution and Vero Beach High School golf team host meetings or play golf there.
As the club’s promotional brochure states: Vero Beach Country Club…“Not Just a Golf Club.”
Deacon can attest to that. She regularly plays bridge and golf, frequently dines there, and attends social functions.
“My whole life is here,” she said. “I’ve made long-lasting friendships here.”
While the friendships have endured, thankfully, she adds, the furniture has not.
“There used to be yellow plastic chairs in the dining room, and green and yellow plaid sofas!”
That was in the 1980s when the Deacons signed up.
The club has undergone two renovations since then.
The most recent one was done in an effort to bolster the aesthetics and function of the club, according to Wetzel.
The entire interior was painted with a less toxic paint, new carpet was installed, LED lights were added, the bathrooms were overhauled, lockers were replaced, storage space was improved and a stone patio was built. All was done with great consideration of the environment.
“When we renovated, we put in as many sustainable benefits as we could,” he said. “We’ve been a good steward of the environment.”
The club incorporates policies adopted by the National Audubon Society and has earned its certification from the environmental organization dedicated to conservation.
That means that the club works hard to protect many species by using fertilizers and chemicals that won’t harm the environment.
The club hosts bird watches for people to count species in order to find out how the numbers increase and decrease.
“It’s like a big park,” Wetzel said, describing the variety of birds, plants, and live oaks, palm trees, canals and lakes.
Golf Pro Randy Hedgecock, who has worked at the club for 26 years, said the course is an ever-changing display of nature.
Plus there are challenging doglegs and bunkers to keep things interesting.
“No matter how many times a golfer plays a round, it never gets boring.”
Also of merit, Vero Beach Country Club has been selected by the Florida State Golf Association to host the Mid Amateur Championship this May and the Senior Amateur Championship in 2014.
Hosting big events is nothing new for the club.
The Indian River Grapefruit Pro Am, held annually at the club, is deemed the county’s most prestigious and longest-running golf tournament.
Usually held each December, the event started in 1945. Local club professionals, as well as PGA Nationwide and Champions Tour professionals are among the participants.
Still, Hedgecock said, “It’s a feather in your cap. It speaks highly of your course.”
Certainly, Deacon can’t say enough good things about the golf experience.
“We think our course is the best,” she said proudly after emerging from the mixed grill. “When friends come to play on this course, they are in awe.”
The tropical landscape, live oaks, the cannas lilies, birds and alligators delight golfers as they wend their way through roughly 6,600 yards of rolling terrain, manicured fairways and well-clipped greens.
“When we play, we are just so happy,” said Deacon. “It’s so beautiful that if we hit a bad shot, so what?”