PEORIA MAGAZINE July 2022

MT. HAWLEY COUNTRY CLUB Planning remains a critical compo nent of long-term survival, saidMichael Pace, general manager at Mt. Hawley, which marks its centennial this year. He said national trends reveal a renewed desire for private clubs that offer amenities such as golfing and swimming in an inviting, safety conscious environment. Structure and healthy outlets for young members are added value as they find a place on golf and swim teams. People simply want to get outdoors and be together again, he added, and the whole experience benefits the entire family. Mt. Hawley has experienced the same issues with staffing as other clubs, espe cially for seasonal work. Yet the club also has been blessed to keep good employ ees. “We let them do their jobs,” he said. Investment continues. Pace said that physical upgrades can be costly but are worth it, especially when they can be done without a member assessment, noting new cart passes throughout the sprawling green golf course at Mt. Hawley. Interior and exterior clubhouse renovations have continued in recent years. “Peoria is a great community,” said Pace, who moved here fromVirginia in late 2019. “We have a very supportive membership.”

an underlying mission of the local club continues: engagingwith and impacting the local economy. A well-run club can boost financial traction and be a valuable resource for the business community, Ayers said. The Pekin club is in the midst of a membership growth spurt, perhaps attributed to the pent-up demand for a return to “normalcy” following the pandemic. The staff works hard to welcome back former members and to introduce newcomers, he said, at a club that serves as one of Pekin’s largest event venues. The recreational opportunities have never been better as members have overflowed the 18-hole course and pool with the arrival of spring. These amenities have been huge selling points for younger members and families, which is an important component of long-term stability, while also honoring the desires of long-time members. Meanwhile, the restaurant offers fine dining or a hearty cheeseburger, Ayers said. Physical facilities always require upkeep, and major renovations inside the clubhouse now offer more variety in meeting member and community space needs, he said. And out on the golf course, the sand bunkers are undergoing major facelifts this year. Though 106 years old, the Pekin Country Club is celebrating 60 years at its current location, which officially opened on Independence Day, 1962. The original country club golf course – which once hosted legendary golfer Sam Snead — was on the site of what is now Pekin High School. TheClub has 355members, 75 percent of them golfers.

Monica Vest Wheeler is an author and speaker who focuses on Peoria area history and those dealing with the everyday challenges of brain related injuries, illnesses and diseases. She has been a longtime advocate for the latter

PEKIN COUNTRY CLUB Late summer 2021 may have seemed likeacrazy time for acountryclubgeneral manager to take on a new job, but Greg Ayers has no regrets about assuming the helmof the PekinCountryClub. His long time love of the hospitality industrywas not dampened by a pandemic because

Mount Hawley Country Club

38 JULY 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE