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
Event Recap
100 Years, 100 Flavors
Cooking Class
Chef Carolyn designed and executed a cooking class that featured traditional club dishes over the years and all the flavors that were in with them. Members gathered in the Banquet Kitchen, spilt up into groups and learned how to make certain dishes. They enjoyed dinner and drinks following the cooking class and received a take home cooking brochure.
Americans celebrated peacetime with new investments in the economy, a thriving housing market, and more leisure time for vacations. A prime destination for rest and relaxation continued to be Rehoboth Beach. The city remained a powerful draw for visitors from Delaware, Maryland and Washington DC, and the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952 made traveling there from the south even easier. Families would often rent cottages for weeks at a time during June, July and August. Several “sweet” Rehoboth Avenue businesses that survive today, were going strong in those mid-century years, including Dolle’s, Snyder’s, Candy Kitchen and Kilwin’s.
RBCC MEMBERSHIP IN 1945
In 1945, the Board of Governors declared that 50 new memberships would be available to family and friends of present members, at a cost of $100 initiation fee and $60 per year for golf or $42 per year for social for a family. Membership Committee Chair Frank Waples, in a letter to the members in July, 1945, wrote, “Have you ever considered just what our Country Club could mean, in extra pleasure, to many people who enjoy Rehoboth Beach?” He went on to describe the three meals daily (except Mondays) offered at the Clubhouse, in a dining room managed by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones. Willie and Virginia Taylor were also praised for their work as groundskeeper/golf pro) and pro shop manager, keeping the course “in the finest shape ever.” And that outdoor dance floor continued to get a workout on summer evenings, with “a new dance orchestra, Doc Vihol and His Music.”
1950's CONSTRUCTION ON THE TERRACE & CLUBHOUSE
In 1950, construction was undertaken to enlarge the Terrace and Clubhouse. Through the renovation, a huge effort was made to continue operating as normally as possible. A June, 1950 letter to the membership from the Board of Governors reads, “Even though the Clubhouse is being enlarged, with lots of construction work underway, nevertheless the Club is ready for your pleasure, right now, just as it has always been, with only the dining room being omitted temporarily…everything else is functioning… golf course in the finest condition, porches and lounges are just as comfortable as in the past. Facilities for preparing and serving bridge and other luncheons are in full operation.” In that letter, new manager Charles Crouch was introduced as well, and the question on everyone’s mind was addressed: “When will the Clubhouse be completed? We don’t know just yet. But it will be lots sooner than most people think. Now that the new part is enclosed, work can progress every day regardless of weather. We’ll be enjoying the new facilities this season without fail.”
EAGLE 100 COCKTAIL SHAKER $48
EAGLE 100 TAYLORMADE GOLF BAG $310
EAGLE 100 EMBROIDERED POLO $90
EAGLE 100 “BEACH” HAT $40
1955 - 1965
In the early 1950's the downtown Rehoboth Beach property was still an adequate size for the membership, but as Member Dan Wilson recalled, “apparent that the little nine-hole golf course on 65 acres was not large enough for Members, guests or hotel patrons.” ...However, as your read further you will see in the 1960's this would change.
GOLF CARTS & HANDICAPS
In the early 1950's motorized golf carts made their appearance. According to Member’s Ray Simpler and Dan Wilson, in the beginning, a halfdozen Members, including Ralph Dawson, Hal Wakefield, and Fred “Stick” Whitney, bought and owned golf carts, and used them on the course for years. However, it would be several more years before the Club saw that there was money to be made by renting carts to Members, and personal carts were outlawed.
“I would not ride in one if they were free. I maintain that golf is, and should be, a walking game.”
Simpler had some strong opinions of the carts. “Personally,” he wrote, “I would not ride in one if they were free. I maintain that golf is, and should be, a walking game.” He cited a study indicating that riding golfers had a two to three stroke advantage over the walkers. “How can a fair comparison be made today in score, between a winning player in the Delaware Amateur years earlier, when all walked, and today, when a player rides in cart?”
At around the same time, handicaps were introduced at RBCC. Before that, players interested in tournament play would play a qualifying round for entry.
DANCING ON THE TERRACE
ilson attended his first dance in 1958. Sally Wilson, an’s mother, and Mrs. Alexis I. duPont Bayard had ganized the Blue Carriage Ball for the Children’s ureau of Delaware. They hired Howard Lanin’s Band New York City every year. Lanin was known as the ing of Society Dance Bands.”
BCC Member Jay Conner also remembers attending ne of the Lifeguard Balls as a young man. Prior to the alls, the lifeguards would dress up and go solicit onations for the program in town.
ccording to Wilson, “Invariably, at one or each of the alls, Father Richard Bailey of All Saints Episcopal hurch would arrive, playing ‘When the Saints Go arching In.’ Member Tyler McConnell of Wilmington ould collect donations to have the band play an extra our.”
BCC Member CA Knoll was a teenager at the old Club. er parents owned the Henlopen Hotel at the time, here she felt like “Eloise at the Plaza.” Knoll talked bout her memories of cotillions on the old Club errace. There were also Tuesday night ballroom ancing lessons. Teacher Mr. Hocking and his assistant sed a clicker to help the young dancers keep the eats. At the end of class, says Knoll, “Everyone had to ne up, shake hands, and say something to one nother. ‘I had a nice time’ was too common an nswer. If you didn’t have something more clever or iginal to say, you had to go back to the end of the ne.”
FROM DOW TO BALD EAGL
While the Club had many w downtown Rehoboth Beach loca researching a relocation of RBCC to expand any more. In addition wanted more tax revenue, whic individual building lots. “The Clu commissioners.” Simpler recalled RBCC Board asked him to vote commissioner in a city election Club was able to stay put for just
Simpler commented, “It was diffic the members who wanted to lea The old Club was a repository of for so many people. In 1956, the of Rehoboth Beach Country C Limits was formed, comprised o Butz, William Marshall, EB Quill considering several sites, they Rodney King property at Bald Eag Rehoboth Bay. The new proper Member John Burris recalled.
There was as yet no clubhouse o remembers a tiny wooden “ makeshift pro shop. When crack snacks, Jean said, “the mice wo Pelts joined the Club in 1963. Jea quickly learned to play golf, and she won a prize in a Seaford t became very active on the ladies’
The old property in town was sol the time, 98 Members owned sto 100 shares in the new property. P clubhouse at Bald Eagle Point, an following year.
Simpler commented, “It was difficult to find anyone among the members who wanted to leave that in-town location.” The old Club was a repository of so many fond memories, for so many people.
A new era begins and an old one ends tomorrow morning as Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club opens its new $280,000 18-hole golf course. Last night shortly before 8pm two foursomes strolled off the sun-baked nine-hole layout which has been a landmark in this popular resort since 1927. A large sign posted on Bill Collum’s pro-shop door read: “Play prohibited Friday, July 19. New course opens Saturday.”
-Hal Bodley, Evening Journal, Wilmington, Del. July 19, 1963
FUN FACTS
1960s
Hayes Wilson won what would be the final Men’s Club Championship on the old course. Mike Kardash won the championship twice on the old course (1960 and 1962), and would go on to win a third time in 1967 on the new course, making him the only member to win championships on both courses.
