PCC Midsummer Celebration

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

COVID-19 Restrictions threatened our Annual Independence Day Extravaganza which is Philadelphia Country Club’s largest Member Event of the year. In Pennsylvania, outdoor event capacities were restricted to 250 people this summer so in an effort to keep one of our Members’ favorite Club traditions going we had to get creative. For an event we would usually anticipate up to 1,500 in attendance we needed to come up with a solution that would allow for as many Members as possible to participate and give options that fit varying comfort levels in our new world of venturing to the Club in a pandemic.

Thus the Mid-Summer Celebration was created. We created five separate socially-distanced events in five separate locations throughout the campus all culminated with our legendary fireworks display.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

The fireworks were the only thing these events shared in common. Each event had a separate theme, menu, start time, arrival destination and price point.

Cocktails & Carts – Dinner and cocktails like at an old-fashioned drive-in, the only exception was instead of your car, you were enjoying the evening in a golf cart on our 10th fairway

Dinner & a Show – The most formal of our options, this included an outdoor dining experience with a five-course prix fixe menu and an evening of entertainment that quite literally “lit up the sky”

Picnic at the Pool – Targeted towards our Members who wanted to celebrate the evening with their children, the pool location was among the most popular where they enjoyed a live-grill station with holiday favorites and watched the fireworks from the comfort of their lounge chairs

Drive-in & Dine – Our most socially-distanced option, this event had Members spaced throughout the entire golf course where they could enjoy the dinner and a show from their car or from a “tailgate” set-up of their choosing Dessert After Dark – This option was for those who wanted to attend the fireworks but not spend the full evening at the Club. Members brought their own blankets and found their way to their designated seating area on the hillside to enjoy a sweet treat and the show

Each event had a maximum guest limit of 200 people, ensuring we were remaining within all of the COVID-19 regulations. While planning we made sure that everything was communicated to the Members who were registered in advance, from parking assignments all the way down to the event’s designated restroom area.

The feedback from our Membership was that the evening was a resounding success. Members were appreciative of the option to attend and still remain distanced from anyone if they so choose. The event was designed with safety in mind in each step of the process. In the end, both the Members and the Staff were glad the Club was able to provide a small sense of normalcy in an otherwise, unusual summer season.