(Attended 10/09/24 WE @ 12:30pm): Hey, man... this club mainly catered to sports hunting!…read more
The relatives of my dear friend rented out Escalon Sportsman's Club which held the funeral reception for her grandmother. This was just a short drive from St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Ripon, and one of the relatives was a member of this club, so he was able to rent it out for a discount, too! Having grown up and lived in a big city, I personally didn't have much contact with such manly clubs and lodges although I've seen a few in the wild throughout the years (I believed there once was an Elk's Lodge in Burbank). Did we have a sporting chance in this club to appease those who attended for some reconnecting, reflecting, refreshments, and remembrance!?
EXPERIENCE
People from the funeral - and even those who couldn't make it - slowly rolled in. While mostly everyone from the area appeared to know each other (as they should), myself, my dear friend, and her sister were on the outside looking in. No matter, we chatted amongst ourselves and the few we knew. The drinks and food was set out buffet-style, so it was like the buffet line on a cruise ship with just about the right demographic! I eased into my first plate https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=qVys8sEFYxK9onr_KxolgA and eventually made more until it was time to start cleaning up. The food was yummy, and there was plenty to take home to graze on. But before that, let's have one last beer https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=-4NX-lqhYwK8KvGth4sdPw and cheers to those who have passed. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and the small-town feel that came along with the reception!
SERVICE
It was an all-hands-on-deck situation where family and friends chipped in to set up and tore down the facility in addition to providing the catered food. With a handful of us, we easily pulled out the chairs and tables (there was even a posted instructional picture https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=wCZRq7dQ-jSOPNUVMl0Lxw of how to reorganize them which I loved), arranged them as we saw fit, and did the necessary decorations the day before, and with even more able bodies after the reception, everything was put back into place and cleaned up even quicker. A friend of the family catered the food, and whatever was left over was packed up and divided so nothing went to waste. All was easy-peasy; a pat on our respective backs!
PARKING (FREE)
They had their own medium lot - 'nuff said!
ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE
A country rustic building that had a large main hall, a small bar area, and a seemingly full-functional kitchen. The bare wooden beams and various stuffed animal heads https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=hKUNu5C_QIbv5ld7LxczGw mainly grabbed my attention. We placed out several long tables with coverings and chairs in the main hall https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=-aZn9-SGlw_A2FYqGcgiLA while we set-up small round tables https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=Jz_AeOx87lF8EvF_aw18lg with coverings and chairs in the bar area. Plenty of natural lighting came through the many windows that surrounded the place while soul-sucking fluorescent electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. I noticed only one TV (turned off) in the bar area, while the chatter of conversations filled the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=eymkqOT0dy2npSxHml8e5Q
ATTIRE
Because I was part of the funeral party, I was in all-black long-sleeve buttoned-up collar shirt, dress slacks, and dress shoes. However, the attire would wholly depend on the type of event being held here.
OVERALL
The Escalon Sportsman's Club fitted the occasion well, and I found it quite charming with its farmland feel. I felt like this was a snapshot into a long-gone era, but then again, it still may ring true here and my city living has skewed my perception of things. The rental rates seemed highly reasonable (i.e. Member Pricing: FR-SU $900.00 w/$800.00 deposit, MO-TH $500.00 w/$800.00 deposit, Funeral or Bar Only $350.00 w/$800.00 deposit; Non-Members only a couple hundred dollars more). I found very good value based on the service and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice (I did some post-research)... AMEX! 4.0 STARS
