Country club ready for another round

GLENDALE — Crowds flocked to the Chevy Chase Country Club on Saturday to celebrate its grand re-opening.

A golf tournament, swim meet, face painting and park games were among the activities offered.

Although the club had not been closed, new ownership and completed renovations were the impetus for the event, according to the club’s director of special events, Deanna Olsen.

“It looks very different now,” Olsen said. “The outside was repainted, we had the paths redone, and inside we redid the fireplace and re-carpeted. Everyone is saying it’s in better shape than they’ve ever seen it.”

Golfer Alex Gingrich, 26, a real estate agent from Altadena, agreed.

“I’m not a member yet, but I’m thinking about becoming one. I’ve played here a couple of times when other members invited me here, but it’s much better now. It’s in much better condition, and the course looks nice.”

A 13-year-old competitor in the swim meet also commented on the club’s improved looks. Douglas Nogueira, who was swimming with the “bomb squad,” said: “It’s a lot better now. The diving boards are new, and everything’s been painted, and the grass was dead before.”

He practices swimming at the club every day, so he appreciates the improvements, he added.

The club’s staff hopes the grand re-opening will signal a new start following recent troubles with the Chevy Chase Reservoir, which sits underneath the course. A $30-million replacement was completed by Glendale Water and Power in December, but flooding ravaged the golf course just two days later. Lengthy legal and construction problems plagued the repairs.

“This is definitely a new beginning,” Olsen said, pointing out the green by the reservoir.

Members and nonmembers at the grand re-opening said they wished the club well as it moves forward.

Eugénie Nogueira, who was watching her son in the swim meet, said, “We’ve seen the club grow. They’ve done so well. It’s really beautiful now; it’s all for the positive.”