CLUBS & MEMBERS: BETTER THAN EVER

SCENT OF A WOMAN
Marilyn Miglin’s success is no fluke. As founder, president, and chief executive officer of the cosmetics and fragrance empire Marilyn Miglin L.P., the Chicago Society member believes destiny sets the direction of your life and hard work gets you there. Miglin learned early the emotional power of cosmetics as a youngster dealing with the angst of troubled teenage skin. During the day, she began wearing the theatrical makeup that transformed her confidence at night as a dancer. After studying at Northwestern University, and performing as a professional ballerina and model, she opened her own cosmetics business in 1963 in a 250-square-foot space on Chicago’s Oak Street. Today the prestigious shopping district carries the honorary name “Marilyn Miglin Way.” Miglin has traveled worldwide to be involved in the creation of a fragrance. For her signature $500-an-ounce Pheromone, Miglin journeyed to Egypt to uncover perfume recipes etched in hieroglyphs in temples that housed precious oils for priests and royalty. A hot-air balloon ride in Switzerland set the course for Miglin’s perfume Destiny, created from pure white flowers inspired by those she saw on the Alpine mountains. Miglin partly captured the spirit of Mystic from her adventures along the Myanmar River in Burma. But her work goes beyond the exterior. When she launched Destiny, she orchestrated “Women of Destiny,” a program to recruit 200 successful Chicago women to serve as mentors. Through her salon, department stores, interactive television, and Internet sales, she is spreading the word, she says, to help other women achieve their own destiny. — Helen Bond

SIGNING INN AT PINEHURST
When the Holly Inn originally opened on New Year’s Eve 1895, it promised the finest amenities for its guests. So when Pinehurst purchased the North Carolina hotel in late-1997, the intention was to restore the Inn to its original elegance. Now, after months of renovations, the Holly Inn (pictured at left before restoration, and rendered above at completion) will reopen in April, in time for the much-anticipated U.S. Open in June. With a nod to the early 20th century, the 85 guest rooms, including eight suites (two of which will be bi-level) will be accented with full-length cheval mirrors, rocking chairs, porcelain pedestal sinks, and custom furnishings. Not to worry, modern-day conveniences also will be on hand, including two telephones in each room, and guest rooms will have Internet access. Other amenities will include The Tavern restaurant for casual dining; The Evergreen Music Room for music, dancing, and games; and The 1895 Room for formal dining; as well as four meeting/banquet rooms, and a library. Guests will be able to enjoy Pinehurst’s traditional tea service at noon and 4 p.m. daily in the Holly’s lobby, surrounded by a cozy gas log fireplace, pine paneling, and hard pine floors.

WHO YOU CALLING OLD?
Age was never a factor when a group of senior tennis players from the Country Club of Hilton Head in South Carolina decided to take their game to the USTA Southern Sectional Senior Championships for players 50 and older. But when the determined friends (from left, Jim Elder, Paul Jamison, interclub captain Jim Beardon, L.A. Sands, captain Bud Porter, Graham Farmer, Bob Davis, and John Cleveland), who gather at the club to play two or three times a week, arrived at the tournament they discovered age was a consideration for others. At an average age of 68, the group was dubbed “those older guys” by some of the competition. That only fueled the Hilton Head team, which went on to be crowned USTA Southern Sectional Champions, and advanced to the national competition. Although the team was held from the championship by a team they had defeated during regular play, they finished second in their flight, proving they were much more than just “those older guys.”  — Louis Marroquin

LOG ON
Visit www.clubhaven.com soon to check out this online club’s newest rooms: Travel Desk, Culinary Corner, and Athletic Attic. Or go to the Photo Gallery for a photo tour of many ClubCorp properties. Another member benefit: Participate in discussions on everything from great toasts (in the Wine Cellar discussion area) to requests for golf and tennis tips (in the ClubHouse). And don’t forget there’s easy access to several online retailers.

KUDOS
More than 100 couples from 49 Associate Clubs (some pictured at right) recently gathered at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, for the Associate Clubs Couples Championship. Overall Gross winners were Clark and Susan Rheney of the Houston City Club, and Overall Net winners were Richard and Kathryn Slaughter of The Club at Falcon Point in Katy, Texas. The saying that “everything’s bigger in Texas” was trumpeted by the large group from the Lone Star State. Shady Valley Golf Club in Arlington had the most participants with 15 couples, followed by Kingwood Country Club in Kingwood with 10, Falcon Point with eight, and Hearthstone Country Club in Houston with six.

The Hartford Club in Connecticut celebrated its 125th anniversary with festivities that used every room of the club. The club’s remarkable history, which has included Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the “Great Flood of 1936,” was depicted in a timeline graphic display. Copies were available for the 500 attendees to take home as souvenirs. Each room offered its own food theme, and the ever popular Coasters presented a concert in the Ballroom. Mark Twain (or was it merely an impersonator?), who was accepted as a member in 1881, made the rounds in honor of the club’s milestone.

JUST REWARDS …
Congratulations to Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, for being named ClubCorp Resorts’ Resort of the Year for 1998.

& NOMINATIONS
Meanwhile, other Associate Clubs await a late March announcement for Clubs of the Year honors. (We’ll post the winners on www.privateclubs.com.) The nominees are:
City Clubs: City Club on Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, Harbour Club, Charleston, S.C.; Tower Club Tysons Corner, Vienna, Va.
City/Athletic Clubs: Citrus Club, Orlando, Fla.; Greenspoint Club, Houston; Shoreby Club, Bratenahl, Ohio.
Country Clubs: Bay Oaks CC, Houston; Countryside CC, Clearwater, Fla.; Indian Wells CC, Indian Wells, Calif.; Oak Pointe CC, Brighton, Mich.; Shady Valley GC, Arlington, Texas.
Golf Clubs: Clear Creek GC, Houston; Golden Bear Club at Indigo Run, Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Oakmont CC, Corinth, Texas.