Rehoboth Beach Country Club Rehoboth Beach Country Club
On March 26, 2025 Members, guests, and Talon Tribe members sang “Happy Birthday” to RBCC in the Eagles Nest Bar to celebrate the founding of Rehoboth Beach Country Club 100 years ago.
CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE
2022 through 2025
Karen Schneiderman, Chair
Jeremy Fitzgerald
Frank Fraser
Lori Hardwick
Kimberly Hutzel
Peggy Marilley
Marilyn Martens
Raquel Maynes
Sally McDonough
Susie Nevins
Diane Palmieri
Barbara Sievers
Anne Slonaker
Laura Truchio
Cathy Zambito
Spaska Ivanov
Bethany Ackerman
221 West Side Drive
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Clubhouse: 302-227-3811
Golf Shop: 302-227-3616
rehobothbeachcc.com
CENTENNIAL GALA The
TIAFOE EXHIBITION The
o u n t r y
e hoboth B e a c h
l u b R e hoboth B e a c h C o u n t r y C l u b
SCANQRCODETOPREORDER
1985 - 2005
A CLUBHOUSE RENOVATION
In 1985 after surveying the Members, the Club Board decided to expand. The Club leadership was looking for a more financially stable way forward. During the years 1989-90, a bank loan was secured to finance a 2.2 million dollar, beautiful new Clubhouse. Membership cost was raised, and a monthly minimum charge to all members began. While not universally popular, this price increase did help fund and maintain such important improvements as the Clubhouse (designed by architect Donald Radcliffe) and golf course. A big effort was put into hiring professional Club management, instead of relying so much upon board member volunteers. It was a great “leap of faith” to go ahead with all this building, staffing and renovation, but as architect (and Club member) Radcliffe accurately predicted, “History will bear us out. This area will explode.”
Explode it did, and the Club was ready, with a grand opening of the new Clubhouse in 1991. By 1992, Dr. Bruce Wright had succeeded Harry Bonk as board president, and envisioned building a 19th hole right on Rehoboth Bay. This creative concept involved closing a different hole every year and redesigning it, with member input, while continuing to have a functioning 18-hole course. At this writing, every single hole has been redesigned, some twice effectively giving RBCC a “hole” new course!
90's Photos from the
SANTA CHICKEN
Dr. Wright recalls many good times along with the challenges, and quite a few laughs. He tells a famous Club story about the year the Santa they had hired failed to show up at the children’s Christmas party. When he was found, Old St. Nick was in the parking lot, sleeping, after a bit too much holiday cheer. What to do? The kids were waiting for Santa! In a burst of ingenuity, Mrs. Wright decided they could use a chicken costume that had been left at the Club during an earlier Chicken Festival. A waitress was willing to wear the costume, which she topped with a Santa hat. The party went on. In fact,
“Santa Chicken” was such a hit that she reprised her starring role for the next several years. Another example of the Club turning a tough situation around and making it a big success!
GOLF COURSE
Ed Brown who is a lifelong resident of the area and now a RBCC Board Member, served the Club for 16 years in the Greens department and finishing his tenure as Superintendent. During the 90's he built every hole except the 13th and the driving range, and is proud to say that all construction work was done “in house,” including putting in the first automated irrigation system. Ed talks with great pride about the “blood, sweat and tears” that went into making the course so special.
The Story We Tell Together The Story We Tell Together
DEBBIE REED
When her daughter Ashlee was a teenager she would often play tennis, attend golf clinics, swim and then have lunch with friends. Debbie laughs when recalling the huge pool shack bill that came in: “Ashlee would treat all her friends, and she thought there was no charge!”
BAILEY SCHEURER
Bailey Scherer’s parents had owned a house in Henlopen Acres since 1962. Bailey’s sister joined the Club in 1997, and played a lot of golf. In 2001, Bailey joined, while her husband John was away. She recalls, “After he got home, John and I were riding bikes one day, and when we got to the Club, I rode through the member entrance. That was how I broke the news that we were now RBCC Members!”
RUDY BLANCKE
Rudy Blancke recalls living and working in Howard County, Maryland as a young man, playing drums with bands on the debutante circuit. His parents were Club Members who lived in Henlopen Acres. Many weekends, Rudy’s father would set up an 8AM tee time at the Club, and expect him to show up and play. Though he’d been up performing with his band until 3AM, Rudy would drive straight to the Club, where he’d play golf on Saturday and Sunday, before returning to Maryland.
