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What a shame...a club that went in the toilet.

6K views 26 replies 21 participants last post by  dverna 
#1 ·
Tron,
I guess my first question is why serve liquor at a shooting venue? I know there are som expensive clubs around here that do that (Chicago area) but it just dosen't sit right with me. I've been to these palces and drink my ice tea and enjoy the scenery. It's always a shema to watch a nice place go in the trach bin wether it's a shooting venue or a golf course or what ever. I understand your frustration and cna only suggest finding a new place and leave the trah heap behind.
 
#3 ·
I have the same problem with one of the clubs i belong to. Its not so much a gun club anymore as a bar with shooting available. 50% of the clubs income comes over the bar, with shooting declining as the years go by. Case in point, when I started shooting there about 10 years ago, there was always a couple dozen shooters in the inner club leagues between skeet and trap shooters. A couple years ago, there was maybe 10, now there aren't even enough to hold a league anymore. I sat on the board of that club for 4-5 years, then finally gave up last year and washed my hands of it. Its tough when there are no longer any real volume shooters at the club anymore, and only maybe two dozen (of a membership of 150+) that actually shoot @ all, as well as having a board totaling 13 individuals, of whom only 4 or 5 have even been members for more than 3 years. I have a feeling as people are having to dig deeper and deeper for spare shooting money, the hole in the wall clubs are going to dry up and blow away in the wind, while those who cater to shooters, have good facilities that are well maintained, and have a solid board of directors who are active shooters will be able to weather the storm until better times come.
 
#5 ·
The same thing happened to a hunting club that I belonged to years ago. We went from a classy, well run, old school club with everybody from blue collar farm folks like us to white collar professionals like doctors and such.

There was an occasional snort of bourbon or brandy, or a few cold beers with poker in the evening...no big deal. It seemed that as the years progressed, the classy old timers died off, and we got infiltrated with a bunch of outlaw drunks. Many wouldn't even leave the cabin to hunt. "Too cold, it's raining, blah blah blah". We got a bad reputation, and lost several prime property leases. I quit in disgust.

It's a real shame when a bunch of drunken a-holes ruin a good thing.
 
#7 ·
Not very many other trap clubs in SE Mochigan with a clubhouse that sits on a wooded lake. Kind of simplifies the guess work. I'll bet this is the same place that had a several year waiting list to get in during the 70's and 80's most of the early 90's too. A bar at a club has nothing to do with the decline. management or more likely mis-management is the key to the ruinantion of all businesses.

Jeff
 
#8 ·
It's easy to blame the demise of the club on drinking but that might not be the problem. I belong to 4 clubs. 2 or those clubs are flourishing and the other 2 are struggling. The 2 that are prospering allow drinking and smoking the 2 that are waning don't. And drinking or smoking have nothing to do with the success or lack of with any of these clubs.

The 2 failing clubs have become "half ass" clubs. They were once prosperous. The grass last year went uncut at 1 for like 4 weeks, because the mower broke down. The club had the money to repair or replace the mower, but there was an argument between board members. Some wanted to repair, others wanted a new mower, some wanted to trade club membership with mower repair company, if we get a new mower should it be a Skaggs, Snapper, Toro, etc... Meanwhile grass is 16" high.

Club ran out of propane one year in early March, club had money to purchase propane but board decided it would be warming up soon and we wouldn't need anymore that winter. Reason - club always purchased propane in September when farmers did so we could get a deal. We had snow that March, clubhouse was trying to be heated with a few electric heaters.

Roofs of traps houses different colors, potholes in driveway, etc.. ATA shoots that say 9:00 am start time don't start shooting until 10:30. You get the picture.

The other 2 clubs that are doing well are neat, the equipment is first rate, they start on time. They are just ran professionally not half ass. They allow drinking but if they become half ass they will go down hill too.
 
#9 ·
Hey Joe, that really is a shame. I have an idea this is where I met you and at that time it was the nicest club I had ever been to. Around here I can choose a trap only club, a sporting clays only club or a very small skeet and trap club but you got to get there when they are shooting the game of the day! All are a 30 mile drive in different directions.

If people only knew what they had and are destroying! We used to have many clubs in this area but have all gone due to development or economic reasons. I hope yours gets turned around before it dies!!!!


Steve
 
#10 ·
I belong to the largest gun club in the state of Iowa and I think the only one that has a keg on tap. When the shooting is over the keg is unlocked. Funny that the biggest gun club is the only one who has a keg. I think it has more to do with the responsible people who run the club and care abut the club rather then quitting the club and then complaining about it. Kind of like not supporting your club with not shooting league. For a lot of clubs leagues are what make a club go yet I hear about people not shooting league to save their money for ATA. NO LEAGUE-NO CLUB-NO ATA. GOT IT.
 
#11 ·
That club was the model of what all other clubs should be back in the mid 70's. Our boy scout troop got our marksmanship merit badges there. I still remember the name of the guy that taught us and it was over 30 years ago. Wayne Hoyt. He was great with the us kids. We got to shoot trap under the lights too. That was the first time I had ever shot on a regulation trap field. Up until then, it was just a throw your own proposition at the local state run range. I remember my dad checking into membership there and then telling me that if he put his name on the list, they told him that he may get a call in about 5-7 years. May get a call. My how things can change. It won't take long for the place to fold if things keep up the way they are. Maybe one of the resident drunks will end up hurting someone on his way home and get the liquor license pulled from the place and then the rest ill all fall into place. A bar will not float the place and a no self respecting prospective new member is going to join a place like that. The property is a developers dream, or perhaps, someone who has a vision to return the place to what it once was.

Jeff
 
#12 ·
Tron's right, I gave them money for the outdoor patio thinking it would overlook the lake. It's a great view of the sunset, instead they put in on the parking lot side, so they can watch their Harley's and drink. So much for the sunset view. Tron was my sponsor there and this is my last year as well. It's now open to the public and the BOD voted not to keep our MUCC status. My kids went to the MUCC camp last year and was looking forward to it this year. I guess they needed more money for the bar upgrades.



Jerbear
 
#13 ·
A few points to remember. There are many more people who like to eat and drink than those who shoot. Bar drunks support the club all the hours of operation. They're the ones who attend the meetings, clean the club, cut the grass, pay most of the upkeep and make the rules. We come there one or two days a week, shoot our targets, leave, and sometimes even bring our own food and drink. Then we all threaten to quit shooting when prices go up. Bar drunks are always there to drink and spend money.

We have over 1,000 members in our club. Only a small percentage shoot trap and Skeet. Few help with the operation and even fewer attend meetings and fight for their sport.

Shooters themselves are the ones who are responsible for the demise of once fine organizations. Attend club meetings in force and don't expect others do do all the work and none of this will ever happen. Just don't blame this situation entirely on the bar drunks!!
 
#14 ·
Whether a club has a bar or not, would be of any consequence on outcome.
Management is always the problem and or solution. If a club allows itself to be run down then shooting will run down with it. There are several clubs in Northern Calif. that have bars and allowing drinking. Most require shooting to be finished prior to opening to the bar or the allowance of any form of drinking. But more importantly how they manage is the real factor.
Having a bar can be an asset. But mismanagement of the club grounds and equipment is a liability. Nothing more nothing less. - Jim
 
#15 ·
The problem with that club, from what I understand from friends and family there, is that some of the people that do the heavy drinking (and then shoot under the influence) are management at the club. This is unacceptable, and is the reason why my cousin, nephews, and some of my friends don't shoot there any more. They have moved on to BGC and Island Lakes.

I believe we will see this club go bye-bye.
 
#16 ·
In the word's of Homer Simpson, "Alchohol, the cause and solution of all life's problems". We allow drinking at our club in SW PA. It does not seem to detract from our success. The bar is the only thing that has consistantly made profit over the last 15 years. I believe the high cost of fuel and shooting is going to test all of our metal and bring down the weaker members of the herd. I think it has to do with the value of the dollar and the fact we buy almoct everything shooting related from foriegn companies. Lead, powder, shells, primers, guns, traps etc..... If a flat of Rios went from $29 to $54 in the last 3 years and your paycheck didn't increase accordingly; you will shoot less. If a club was just making it in good times they will fail in hard times. Unfortunately, as clearly as I can see the problem I can't see the solution.
 
#18 ·
If there are enough whiners in the crowd they might be able to get up a pair of cahoonies amongst them and take control of the club, the board and begin to turn the club back around into what it used to be and what it could be again or ... ya'll could get a bottle of pamprin or midol and whine about it.

Either take charge and lead the membership and the club into the better land or get out and find another place to your liking ... its your choice.
 
#19 ·
I might have missed how involving local law enforcement and tattling on some people will increase shooting and turn around the club. Best case scenerio: Less people at bar and no bar income. Other side of coin: Cops find your place a nuisance and you get more scrutiny. Maybe the guy that gets the DUI is on Trapshooters.com and finds this Idea personally ofennsive and takes issue with the club and the tattlers. Maybe some lawyer sues you for serving people who are drunk. I'm with Mr Nubius. If you get control of the joint you can raise drink prices to $3 and the cheap drunks will go and the rest will pay for your changes.
 
#20 ·
Same thing almost or is happening to one of my clubs here in the North East. The club put in a bar in 15 years ago and since then nothing but trouble. The shooting club is now a biker bar. $1.50 Bud's. People stealing money, drunks serving drunks. Big problems. And now "they" out number us for voting. The Trap people are public enemy #1 in there eyes. Very discouraging. Meetings are a joke. We are trying to break the cycle, not fairing very well. Dave T.
 
#21 ·
You can't blame drinking on the demise of the club.
DGC is 1 mile away and doing very well and they have a bar.
I have shot sporting there on and off since they put in the course. Several guys worked their butts off and some of the mgmt were idiots.
The usual down hill spiral just like DSC.
These need to be run like the business they are not "clubs" where no one has and experience running a business.
 
#22 ·
Ya know maybe those who dislike the drinking could sneak in at night or before the bar opens and kind of spike the kegs and such with a little ippycacky that will make everyone pukey sick when they drink it. Keep doing it long enough and they will all find a new place to booze it up and get drunk and rambunctious at and before ya know it ... the place will still die because of nobody wanting to shoot at a club that people got sick at ... but at least the boozers will be gone.
 
#24 ·
Sorry Bore but I wasn't around to help on this one.I have instructed in the past with corporate shoots as this one. <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1126Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>
<a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1129Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>

But these guys are my passion. <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1045Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a> <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1044Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a> <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1033Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a> <a href="http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/Jerbear1098/MultiLakes/?action=view&current=HPIM1041Medium.jpg" target="_blank">
</a>


So yes, I have had the pleasure of helping out but not with having to unplug the machines to load a house. I wouldn't do it either.


Jerbear
 
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