Private Club Radio Show
Welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, the industry's weekly source for education, news, trends, and other current developments in the world of private clubs.
Hosted by the talented entertainer and industry expert, Denny Corby,
the podcast offers a unique perspective on the private club industry, featuring expert guests, product spotlights, predictions, and more.
Whether you're involved in a golf club management, yacht clubs, athletic clubs, or business clubs, the Private Club Radio Show is the essential podcast for
anyone seeking valuable insights and information on the latest trends and developments in the private club industry.
Private Club Radio Show
409: 75 Years of Magic-Yellowstone CC’s Anniversary Celebration w/ Michelle Polak & Caylin Cathey
What does it take to throw a party for the ages? Yellowstone Country Club’s Michelle Polak and Caylin Cathey join us to share how they pulled off an unforgettable 75th-anniversary celebration. From honoring the club’s rich history by recreating the vibe of their iconic "Alibi" clubhouse to managing over 1,000 guests, they didn’t just throw a party—they created a legacy.
In this episode, we dive into the creative planning process, including fun features like food trucks, nostalgic décor, and a live band that brought generations of members together. Michelle and Caylin also reveal how they tackled logistical challenges unique to their Montana location, turning limitations into opportunities.
Beyond the big bash, we explore the heart of Yellowstone CC, its commitment to member engagement, its welcoming culture, and its focus on fostering long-term relationships both with members and staff.
Plus, hear how this year marked a historic milestone with the club’s first female president.
Packed with inspiration, laughs, and practical event-planning tips, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Follow us on the socials
Private Club Radio Instagram
Private Club Radio Linkedin
Denny Corby Instagram
Denny Corby Linkedin
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. Whether you're a club veteran just getting your feet wet or somewhere in the middle, you are in the right place. I'm your host, denny Corby. Welcome to the show. In this episode I had the chance, the wonderful opportunity, to chat with Michelle Pollack and Kaylin Cathy from Yellowstone Country Club. Michelle is their bookkeeper and membership director and Kaylin is banquets and events coordinator, and these two know how to throw a party.
Speaker 1:So Yellowstone Country Club celebrated their 75th anniversary and they went all out. It was a mix of nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia one of those wordy days nostalgia, creativity and a whole lot of fun. 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. 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. But then, you know, there's updates and renovation. So when they had the 75th, they brought back some of the older stuff. So they talk about how they recreated their former clubhouse called the Alibi, which was the restaurant. So they talked about recreating that for the members. 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. 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. 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. So that was a really cool perspective moment for me. Actually Now it's just all in. It was just cool to hear and listen how they worked around limitations and speaking of killer fun events.
Speaker 1: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. If you would like early access to this, it's almost done Putting the finishing touches on now. 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. 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. There's excitement, there's mystery. Also there's magic. If you want to learn more, head over to dennycorbycom. But better yet, email hello at private club radio subject line. Email hello at private club radio subject line entertainment guide. That'll be good too, but let's get to the episode. Let's welcome all the way from Montana, yellowstone Country Club, michelle and Caitlin.
Speaker 2:So you guys had a really cool 75th?
Speaker 1:Yes. 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? How far out did you start planning? What fun stuff did you do? Yeah, I'll let you guys just take a run with it.
Speaker 2:Sure. 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. So, slowly but surely, the party was coming to life. We knew we wanted a party. When we wanted it we weren't too sure. But after talking, our articles of our incorporation were filed in the month of September and so we thought why not honor that anniversary? Many of our members are back here. You know, back home they're not snowboarding at that time, they're not off gallivanting in the mountains, they're here. So that is when we wanted to have it. Finding a date after that was a little tricky because we have weddings up the Wahoo all the time.
Speaker 1:Good problems to have.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's, and it's always a scary thing to have. When can you have something of this size in the state of Montana, where the weather is going to be? You know, it doesn't do you any favors sometimes, but I tell you what I mean. We were absolutely blessed. It was the most perfect day in September that you could have asked for.
Speaker 2:So it was amazing. Couldn't have asked for a better day.
Speaker 1:The video looked awesome, Like the way like everything, like looked so good. What, uh? How many members do you have and how many came out to the party? Members do you have and how many came out to the party?
Speaker 2:So we have 750 memberships, approximately 2000 people. 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. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, how, what, what was the? What was the process? What was that flow like of the whole evening?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I mean it was, it was a fun one to kind of see grow. So we, we communicated the event in a couple of different ways. 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. So we we kind of did all the things, so sent an email push, sent a physical invitation. I had it, you know, on our Instagram and social media platforms as well, and so that was kind of rolling in. 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. Um, so that's what it looks like. 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.
Speaker 3:Thankfully, we have learned that trend, so we were rocking and rolling with that anyway.
Speaker 3: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. 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. So we brought in three different food trucks. We brought in um bouncy houses, a 50 foot obstacle course, um different things like that for out there. I have a gal I work with um who in town she does like balloon animals, so things like that. So I had all of that out there for the kids.
Speaker 3:The food trucks were hosted. That was part of the event. 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. So, um, that's what we had out there. And then on the other side of our clubhouse, coming off of our golf course, I had um one part of the event. We titled it the ode to the alibi. Um, um, do you want to?
Speaker 2:give like a little history on what the alibi? Yes, so the alibi. So we are in our pretty new clubhouse about five years old now. So the alibi was the wonderful 19th hole also some would call it in our old clubhouse.
Speaker 1:It was original wasn't a reference to shameless no, no it wasn't, oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Much older but yeah, that alibi. It was like original carpet from the seventies. It had been converted more than once it had. You know, kalen did an excellent job of recreating the vibe of the alibi. There was one thing that we couldn't pinpoint, though slightly okay with it, was the scent of the alibi. If anybody has been around golfers before, it had a very sweet BO and sunscreen scent.
Speaker 3:And I think that's back, like you know, of course, during the time of the alibi's existence. That's when you could still smoke inside. 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. 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. I had a cigar station for people to kind of pay tribute to that. 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. So we brought in some pieces that really, especially if you spent time in the alibi, it definitely brought you back to that. Um.
Speaker 2:I had a couple of rugs in my garage that I saved from demolition from the old clubhouse. I brought those out.
Speaker 3: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.
Speaker 3: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. 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. So we had huge tenting there, um, and I did more of like I said, like a garden style. 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. It was still great, but kind of more on the lighter sides we had a beautiful vegetable display. We had, you know, chicken sliders and things like that.
Speaker 3: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.
Speaker 2: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.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they were fantastic. She, she did, she did a great job procuring a lot of people that came out and they just played all sorts. I mean it was perfect. They played all sorts of different music that was appreciated in the different generations that was out and enjoying it. So, yes, they loved it, yeah, yeah. 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.
Speaker 3:They can come up here and kind of, you know, recoup and refresh.
Speaker 1:What was the timing of everything? Was it started like six, five or six?
Speaker 2:Yeah, six o'clock and I mean it lasted till about I, I want to say about 10, 11 pm.
Speaker 3:Yeah so food. 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. 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.
Speaker 1:So that's so cool. 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?
Speaker 3: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. So some, a couple things I envisioned for like the garden party and I don't know if it's huge. 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.
Speaker 3:But you know, there's those, there's those companies that do like permanent jewelry. So I wanted to bring out someone in the garden party to like cute little permanent jewelry. 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. 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.
Speaker 3: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. I don't have a person I can call and be like hey, do you want to dress up like this? Just to really bring out my theme.
Speaker 1:Like would you do that? You need better friends? Yeah, I mean they all work.
Speaker 3:Come on up here, man. They are in fact employees here.
Speaker 2:Head of their duties. 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. Their actors have full-time jobs themselves and you know they're performing at whatever studio on friday, saturday and sunday nights. So we're quite limited and sometimes we have to wear multiple hats and make fools of ourselves.
Speaker 1:For the enjoyment of others, Of course. I even think about that being a challenge up in Billings just being able not to pull or have many resources at our disposal.
Speaker 2:Our Chef, donnie. 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. 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. Where do you guys get your stuff? Amazon, yes, yes. 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?
Speaker 3:I would love that please what?
Speaker 1:so? What? What's the nearest biggest city? Or like it's like where do you pull from then?
Speaker 2:We are. We're the largest city in a four state area at a whopping 120,000 people. So I guess we're Midwest baby, you know, like Denver, boise, idaho or Salt Lake, yeah, right around there. But Montana, wyoming, north and South Dakota, we're it. We're the big ones.
Speaker 1:Wow, and it's still that hard, so interesting, yeah, but that probably helps. I just love the phrase limitations force creativity. It just helps make all that a little bit more creative and it's fun.
Speaker 2:Which is why we're a unicorn and nobody can be like us.
Speaker 3:It does. It does make it fun and that was part of the challenge. 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. Leading up into it. 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.
Speaker 3: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. 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. Thankfully, it was something where I think a lot of our things we did was not something you had seen before.
Speaker 1:Agreed, which was fun agreed when you, when you made your alibi, did you keep stuff from like? Did you have other things that people kept that they like? Did you use any? Did people, did anybody take anything or did people bring their own stuff?
Speaker 3: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. Some did, some probably didn't want to walk around with a cup during that time. I did, we encouraged them to take it. Some did, some probably didn't want to walk around with a cup.
Speaker 2: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.
Speaker 3:It's huge, yeah, but other than that, no, um, they didn't unfortunately, when we demolished our clubhouse we sold everything we could.
Speaker 2:I'm talking the doors, the molding, the walls, because it was wood paneling. If it could be sold, it was, and so there wasn't much left. So that's why I stole. Don't tell my boss he's not here anymore, but that's OK. I stole a couple of rugs for the memorabilia aspect of it. It was fun. No, but those glasses at the alibi. So we did have some special drinks, and one of the special drinks was called a Steiner. I'm not sure if it's known more nationally, but that's YCC's drink. At least a portion of our members love this drink in the alibi. And what is the proper comp, Do you?
Speaker 3:know what the liquor is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I apologize, she's going to tell you what's it called the stasher.
Speaker 2:A stinger Stinger yeah like a bee sting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we did do an ode to the alibi. Let's see here. Sorry, I should have.
Speaker 2:You're fine. So while she's looking that up, so it was real fun. 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. So that was amazing to hear. 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. So we all raised, we toasted, and then one of the gentlemen goes. 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. 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. I remember that. Thank you for reminding me.
Speaker 3: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. 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. So our our drink specials. We did was a stinger creme de menthe just on the rocks um doors on the rocks and then a rusty nail. Do you know that beverage?
Speaker 3: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.
Speaker 2:So a lot of fun I'm trying to think when.
Speaker 1:When was prohibition? That was in the 20s and 30s. No, because, because isn't. Isn't this isn't stinger? Isn't that like a prohibition era drink? Like, so like was like was that like around that time? Like was, was your area big into like the prohibition? Like is that where?
Speaker 3: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. Quality brandies could mask the taste of the liquor in the inferior quality brandies andailable.
Speaker 1:So we just like to keep it old school?
Speaker 3: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.
Speaker 1:what what the event sounds like? It sounds like it was a ton of fun, but for the people who've been there for a while, they had real fun. There was fun and some people had really had a good time. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've had a few beverages. 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. Their kids are now in college or even have their own kids now. So that was a lot of fun and I made sure to. I had multiple and it was a good night. It was a good night.
Speaker 3:I think they really did have a lot of fun and it was really nice to hear. 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. 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. 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.
Speaker 1:Honestly, it was great yeah and you guys were waiting for him.
Speaker 2:No, oh yeah I had shoes made for the event. Come on. 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. Case in point Denny, my, my blazer today is a ladies of marble DC. So yeah, yeah, is that? A ted baker jacket no, it's a funcom blazer if funcom is listening. This is not a sponsored ad, but I will happily take a sponsored ad look at this funcom.
Speaker 2:That simple, hmm, lots of fun. Well, there goes my afternoon. Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm a nerd, it is.
Speaker 1: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.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll take their hand-meetings happily.
Speaker 1:Now Kaylin, how long have you been at the club for?
Speaker 3:A little over five years.
Speaker 1:And did you come from clubs prior?
Speaker 3:Nope. 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.
Speaker 3: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? And then kind of just yeah, it was.
Speaker 2:It was real perfect timing for her because we were undergoing the major transition. This clubhouse was, I think, completed the month before you officially started in this position.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I came here right after college. They they were operating out of what they called tent city, so the building did not exist. They were under tents and different things like that. 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.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and that was right before, so this clubhouse opened June of 2019. She acquired her position right at that time. Unfortunately, in the months following, we had four key personnel leave and then COVID hit a couple months after that.
Speaker 1:So it was a real fun transition time. That's tough for anybody. 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. That was a small whirlwind there.
Speaker 2:That's where we got our creativeness. We pivoted real quick, found new solutions and we were able to stay open during covid. 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.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah boy, oh boy, we had thanksgiving to go easter to go. I mean, we, we got creative with our to-go baskets.
Speaker 1:So it was awesome, interesting. And then you've been. Now you start off at the club, in, in, in in food and beverage too, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I responded. 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. 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? I'll get out of the house for a few hours at least. And I stayed. I was able to stay through summer season or through winter season. 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? And now I've been in that role for about eight years.
Speaker 1:That's cool. That's cool. It's neat that you guys have both kind of had similar startings too. That's neat. Does there seem to be a longer tenure? That's neat. Does there seem to be a longer tenure, like a longer run of employees there? Yes, are there others like you who've been there for you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're actually celebrating our Tennis Head Pros 50th anniversary next week. Yeah, yes, Wow.
Speaker 3:Yes, but yeah, and, like you said, though, the start in food and beverage. 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. She was a server, bartender and a lifeguard and now is the director of our aquatics and our facilities managers.
Speaker 3: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. We get it. We understand why we're here. 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.
Speaker 2:And, to put it into perspective, we love internal promoting because the talent that's needed otherwise just isn't readily available in Billings. We are the only private 18 hole golf course for a while. Actually, I believe the closest one's going to be two hours away. 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. It really is. I like to joke that we're like cheers Everybody knows your name. There's a reason for that.
Speaker 2:I want to know your name. I want to know your children's names, your friends' names. 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. That's fun.
Speaker 3:It goes down to your pro shop too. Even I mean Chad.
Speaker 2:Chad is a wonderful story because Chad is our head pro, has been for about five years now. 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. 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.
Speaker 1:That's bonkers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's awesome, it is really awesome. The camaraderie that we have here is absolutely unmatched. It's yeah, it's great, it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 1:That is so cool. And then now did your tennis pro, did he? Now he obviously is there for so long, cause he? He started off because he was good at serving too Right.
Speaker 2:That was good, that was good.
Speaker 1:It was one of those. 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. And then I was like, do I still? And even towards the end I was like I don't think I want to do it, but my lips just started moving. Good job, yeah, no, that is neat. Are there any photos of him like on the course when he like do you guys have any like old photos anywhere? That'd be cool to see for his like, for his like birthday cake or his next.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm trying to find those old photos though. I mean, I found his. He was a history teacher as well, so I was able to find his, I think, 1970s teaching photo. That's fun. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, that's really neat.
Speaker 1:What else is cool about the club? So that's membership. So sorry, I'm fascinated now because I didn't realize you are the only game in town.
Speaker 2:For 18 whole course private club yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what's that like?
Speaker 2:Free on that Um it. 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. No, no, it's like a 60 day process, but we'll get you there, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3:Same thing with weddings too. They're like oh, like just just seeing if you have any openings and like okay, so who's your member sponsor?
Speaker 3: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. But yeah, it is. 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.
Speaker 3: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. You need someone they're like, oh no.
Speaker 1:It's like, okay, um, have you had anybody get through an entire meal first?
Speaker 2:Um, there was one person, yes, yes. So, um, unfortunately I think I was out of town during this time. 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. She had a friend and you know, here's her name. 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. So I go through my email. I find nothing on this person regarding membership, and so I go back to Kaylin and I go, I never talked to her. Kaylin. Kaylinlin goes do you want her phone number? Because I wrote it down.
Speaker 3:I was like, oh, this is great, like what a great thing for her to experience. She's thinking about being a member. So we do bingo once a month and I themed them. Um, well, we do it from September to March, ish. 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. And I'm like, oh my God, that's so great, yeah.
Speaker 2:Let me get your information down and I'll have her, like, reach out to you too. Just make sure you know. And then nothing. So after kaylin gave me her phone number, I called her and, gosh darn it, she didn't answer. So I left her a wonderful voicemail of so happy you were able to come last night. Oh, I hope you enjoyed yourself. Give me a call and we'll talk those details. I never got a call and she hasn't come back. I don't think she wanted anything or anything, so that's good. So yes, it happens, but thankfully not too often. We've got a great staff who can pick them out real quick.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so gosh. So on our 75th too, we did history articles in our newsletter leading up to the 75th and I bring it up because we have an eclectic history. We started off as a nine-hole course and then the city and surrounding communities were kind of revolting, almost to the point that an 18-hole course was needed. Yeah, revol needed, yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, literal pitchforks, okay. So once it was decided that an 18 hole course was really wanted is when our, our club, before we knew it, decided hey, we're not a fan of how management is taking this, we're going to take the club and make it our own. So we went from the Billings Golf and Country Club, established in 1905, now to Yellowstone Country Club as we know it today, in 1949.
Speaker 2:After that, we did procure some land, some land. However, it was noted that we need to sell our prior land before we can start actually purchasing the land and all of the needed improvements to it to build this 18-hole course. We brought, we procured, robert Trent Jones as our golf course architect and he came out and visited and he looked at our old land and he said you need to sell this for real estate, get it out of here, go get on that new land. So our membership did just that. They started piecing up the land to try and sell it. And then, let's see, then we purchased the land out here and shortly after the land out here was purchased we had a very unfortunate fire in our old clubhouse.
Speaker 1:Details are interesting. What year was this?
Speaker 2:1956.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was some gang activity, that was some gangsters.
Speaker 2:That is the rumor mill, that is the rumor mill.
Speaker 2:No, it was a perfect night. That is the rumor mill. That is the rumor mill. No, it was a perfect night. I mean we closed early because there was the open being played at another local club and so we closed early so our members could go over there. Fire wasn't discovered until the middle of the night, when they're drunk as a skunk trying to come back and get their car. It didn't work out too well. Clubhouse ended up burning down, unfortunately. Fire service was called, but back then you had to be a subscriber to actually have them put the flames out on your house. We were not a subscriber, so they said yep, sorry bye, and turned around and went back to shop. I think I believe I remember that at about 9 am the flames had finally gone down. There's just rubble everywhere and, of course, members on the golf course playing Because why not, why not? They must not have stored their clubs in the building.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:We love our golf. Man, Don't mess with us in our golf.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's November 13th and we've got people out today, absolutely what's the temperature?
Speaker 2:no, it's actually pretty warm. It's pretty warm. What are we at?
Speaker 3:like 54 yeah, but I mean they will continue to golf until, like, there's literally a foot of snow, correct? Yeah, I don't, I don't understand that at all doesn't appeal to you very much not one bit yeah we don't close our course down, and I think that shocks a lot of people.
Speaker 2:We are open all year round as long as there's no frost.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we have had many great revenue months in december january yeah, I think we've had a pretty decent play last december, to be honest. Yes, that's.
Speaker 1:That's impressive. Yeah, that's impressive.
Speaker 3:I mean like a snowfall, even if it's just a day and it snows the next day or it's gonna snow that night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, out there they'll go so seeing in your uniqueness, in where you're at location, all that stuff. What? What other fun stuff do you do to engage the members?
Speaker 2:oh, man, so we are. We're looking in the future to maybe do off-property activities. However, that's, that's a discussion way in the future, but for now we are really sticking it to just right here, local, around our define, define off-property activities.
Speaker 1:What do you mean by stuff like that?
Speaker 2:Well, I've heard of other clubs doing a theater night. So say, the local theater has a grand production of something. Well, they will host a dinner at the club where all of the members can attend, and then they'll all take a bus down together to the theater and watch the show. Would love to do something like that. Logistics again. I mean renting a bus trolley, whatever you want to do it, it's fun times, that's a future discussion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but no. So I mean some of our consistent events we do out here, like one of them I mentioned being bingo. So, especially in the past couple of years, this club has definitely turned to be a bit more family populated. It's family orientated, so incorporating events like bingo. I also do summer camps um three different sessions of that over the summer and so that has helped bring the kids out. And then we sprinkle in different events here and there. So I do a couple sip and paints a year and theme those um. December is actually a really busy month for members event or member events, so we started off with ladies luncheon.
Speaker 3:That's typically any it's 200 plus members who bring out is a very, very guest heavy event. Um, and so we, we, you know, have the entire clubhouse decorated the entire month of December for Christmas. Um, but that ladies luncheon, and then that following Saturday, we do our gala, which is like typically a five um course plate at dinner. I do live music for that. Following that, we have Santa brunch. I bring out Santa. That's once again more family orientated.
Speaker 3:So we have a big buffet for that good food for kids and adults, santa's here. Following that, I do a brunch, sip and paint. Following that, family holiday dinner that's more of the whole family grandparents, possibly aunts, uncles, cousins and that's a limited menu there. So we do have events that we sprinkle in. Oh, a really other fun one next week is our father-daughter dance. So I think this is my third year that I've done this. Thank you, rae. And so that's really popular and fun. Yes, and so we use both of my ballrooms and bring a DJ in and a dance floor and we do a plate of dinner for them and then they kind of dance the night away.
Speaker 2:So that's a fun one too. That's real fun, and it's so cute to see all the little girls with their dads. Oh my gosh, because some of the guys oftentimes we only see the guy and don't see the family, and then when we see him come in with his little princess and just jolt the heck out of her it's, it's adorable, yeah, and then and then we have our own, you know golf tournaments that we do as well, and so a lot of our um ycc hosted tournaments involves food and beverage as well.
Speaker 3:So, um, those are always fun and fill up our summers. We at least have one a month, if not two, in the summer, so so, yeah, a lot of fun times.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You guys are doing a lot. You do a real lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we have fun. No, it's, it's, it's. Yeah, I don't think I realized that little pocket of space, like I don't. I still think I really like you're like so enclosed there. Yeah, for people just starting off in the club space, what advice do you have for them?
Speaker 3:I would tell to establish what work-life balance looks like before you don't. Yeah, I set the standard of like, oh, I'll be here every single day, all day long, literally no days off, 12 hour days. That's totally fine. So I think that's like a really big thing to look at to start with. However, I would also not change a single thing and encourage people to come into the club world because, yes, you do build a relationship and you know I everyone says this, but it's true a family around the staff that you have here. I everyone says this, but it's true A family around the staff that you have here, especially YCC, because of how long everyone's been here. But you also have an opportunity to build that with the members. I mean, you really do. You have, like she said, cheers. I have not watched that show and it's completion, but I know the premise. You really do have someone.
Speaker 3:They know our names just as much as we know their names you know, so I've had members I've built relationships with, being here for five years who knows? To ask me about my boyfriend. They know his name, they know his job, they know what I've got going on and things like that. So I think I would do it all over again and still make it out this way and just let people know that there is opportunity for growth. I think the majority of people sitting in our higher you know, management level positions right now are a great example of that.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, gosh, and I'm not sure what I would tell my younger self because I've loved my time here I'm. Of course there's been bad times, but that's everywhere and that's life and you can't let those get you down and, quite honestly, they make you better as a person. It teaches you to just kind of roll with the punches and look on the bright side. There's always a silver lining to everything. You just got to find it myself to remember to foster those relationships with staff and the membership. I mean, there are staff members that I worked next to 15 years, almost 15 years ago, that I haven't seen in almost 10 years. But I promise you, if I were to see him in the grocery store tomorrow, it would be like we never saw each other. We never left.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we built that right back up and I think, like another thing too with clubs is like especially you know we've echoed this but especially in Billings Montana, there is not all that much to do here. So to also realize that we're lucky, yes, we're working it, we're the ones cultivating what we do out here, but we have a pleasure in, you know, the opportunity to be a part of something different too have a pleasure in in, you know, the opportunity to be a part of something different too.
Speaker 3:Monday we just hosted our our annual board dinner. That we do every year, so it's for our current board members and then the incoming ones for the following year, and we, you know, we do a seven course wine paired dinner, and I mean the the chefs back there are just able to do menu items that you have absolutely never seen in Billings, not a once, and so that was really fun for some of the staff I brought on to work that event. I mean they were really excited. They've never seen anything like it. So it's also realizing and appreciating the opportunities that something like this, a club like this, encourages and fosters for you, because you really do, we do some things out here that you don't see anywhere else. So appreciating those things, too, is important.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I know my favorite thing when I was serving was, instead of buying the tickets, to go see the show, I got to see the show and I got tips afterwards and free food. Got tips afterwards and free food. Yes, so I mean really, it's looking at that silver lining, because bad things are always going to happen but somewhere, somewhere in there there's a good piece of information.
Speaker 2:Find it, latch onto it and roll with it. It's a blast working here. It really is. I mean I I love to say that I love to torture myself or I love my job. Just ask me on the day today, I love my job. No, but it's, it's a great place. 75th anniversary is awesome. That's not a large milestone that too many people can say they've been a part of. And yeah, I, I'm honored to have been a part of that.
Speaker 1:No, it's a, it's a big, cool accomplishment. Um, yeah, there's not many clubs that can say that they've done it well or done it consistently. And the fact and the fact that you guys even have that that many people show up to go out to it, like that's even cool too. How many clubs you know they're maybe their membership isn't as engaged and you know they just don't care about that sort of stuff but you guys took it and ran and killed it and you had, you know, 80 of the membership show up. That's, that's, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was great, it was wonderful. And oh, one point we didn't touch on this year we actually had our very first female president of YCC. This past year we did not plan it. It was just a wonderful happy coink-a-dink.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes, so she's been real great. She's been awesome. We're going to be sad when she leaves, but such is life I think we should have talked about that early on in the episode.
Speaker 1:That could have been some juicy material. What are we?
Speaker 2:doing now? R that early on?
Speaker 3:in the episode. That could have been some juicy material. What are?
Speaker 2:we doing Rework it, cut it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, just use your editing skills there, just flippy floppy.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for coming on and sharing some information and talking about your 75th. That's an amazing milestone. Congrats.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you so much, danny, really appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Hope. So congrats, thank you. Thank you so much, danny, really appreciate it. Hope you all enjoyed that episode. Don't forget to get early access to the club entertainment guide email subject line entertainment guide to hello at private club radiocom. If you're enjoying the episode, a like share. Subscribe means the world costs nothing. That's this episode. I'm your host, danny Corby. Until next time, catch you on the flippity.
