Gala celebrates Woodmere Club’s 100th birthday

The Woodmere Country Club celebrated its 100th anniversary with a season of gala events.

In March, the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association voted The Woodmere Club its “Club of the Year.” This prestigious award began a whirlwind of exciting programs, which culminated in the Labor Day “Magical Mystery Tour” and dance held on Sept. 1.

During Memorial Day weekend, The Woodmere Club hosted a luncheon in conjunction with the raising of the Centennial Flag. State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), golf dignitaries and many of the club’s past-presidents attended this event, which recognized Woodmere’s 100 years of excellence as a full-service country club. That evening the club rocked to the music of the Bassenettes at the season’s first dinner dance.

During the summer, various club events continued to enrich the centennial year. In addition to dinner dances and entertainment evenings, Brad Klein, a writer for Golf Week magazine spoke to the membership.

In keeping with The Woodmere Club’s commitment to community and charitable causes, the club hosted “Play for Pink,” a golf, tennis, and cards day benefitting Breast Cancer research.

The “Leon Drew Big W Charity Weekend” included a golf tournament, a casino night, and a barbecue on the lawn. All proceeds went to the various charities supported by The Woodmere Club’s Charitable Foundation including, Five Towns Community Chest, UJA, and breast and prostate cancer research. The membership and staff of the club came out in force to donate blood for the Nassau County Blood Bank. In addition, a tennis tournament to benefit Wheelchair Tennis was held in memory of Dan Dwyer who was The Woodmere Club tennis pro for over 50 years and an integral part of the Wheelchair Tennis movement.

In August, the club was selected as a Platinum Club of America, which is awarded to 100 of America’s top Country Clubs.

On the Labor Day weekend more than 300 people were amazed and impressed by the magic skills of Steve Cohen, the world renowned magician, who performs regularly at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The evening’s entertainment culminated with the Beatles tribute band, “Strawberry Fields,” which brought everyone back to the best music of the 1960s and early ’70s. On Labor Day, the season closed with swim races and circus acts for the children and grandchildren of the members.

As the first 100 years of The Woodmere Club draws to a close, plans for the beginning of the next 100 years have begun. While this year will be a hard year to top, the Board of Directors is busy working on next year’s events.

Martin was a member of The Woodmere Club’s Centennial Committee.