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Cross Creek celebrating 50 years

It is a milestone for Cross Creek Country Club officials there are celebrating 50 years of providing top notch dining and recreation to their members. Nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the club has been in operation since 1973.

“I think it’s pretty incredible when a local business can make it that long. It says a lot about the community and the people in it. Everybody plays a part: members play a part, vendors, and the staff all play a very big part, and we have an amazing staff,” said Shannon Myers, general manager of Cross Creek.

“I am excited to be part of such a big milestone and am eternally grateful that the staff has taken me in and shown me the ways of Mount Airy. I came from Boston and grew up in South Florida, so I don’t have experience with a smaller town like this,” she said and echoed a theme heard so often by transplants to Surry County, “Everybody has been so great and welcoming.”

“The landscape here is truly breathtaking, and it provides our members with a quiet atmosphere for enjoying their time spent with friends and family,” she said.

All in the family

Myers has been in the area for a few years after having arrived in the area to stay with her stepfather Skip Eckenrod and mother Cathy during the pandemic. It was during this time that the Eckenrod’s, co-owners of Interlam Inc., were considering buying the club and they asked her to assist in the due diligence process.

Once the sale was complete Skip Eckenrod asked her to step in as the general manager. Myers has experience running a small country club in Massachusetts and has a mixed background comprised of sales, marketing, technology, and food service that she said, “All just sort of fell together and I took a little piece of everything I have done and applied it here.”

Hers is a big responsibility to steward the club and her parents’ investment. “They put their retirement money into it and their confidence in me. That is a gift and also a worry. I don’t want to waste their money or their confidence in me,” Myers explained.

She noted that improvements such as a new roof on the club house and pool house were added. Also ceiling tiles, carpets, fixtures, and lights were converted to LED. There is more work yet to be done, “This is a big space, and so there is a lot to work on.”

The Eckenrods are enjoying their roles as owners and Myers jokingly refers to them as the President and First Lady of the club. Friday nights are a big deal at the club with members and friends meeting for dinner. Myers said that it is this role as a community hub that the Eckenrods hoped to maintain. “They love the club and are happy it is still a part of the community.”

Having a great staff has made a big difference and in areas such as course maintenance she has leaned on the professionals on her team for their expertise. She mentioned employees such as course superintendent Trevor Thomas. “He always takes the time to work with me if I need a larger understanding.”

While club members will appreciate the cosmetic improvements seen and unseen, diners will benefit from the Sunset Grill’s renovation as well as the addition of Chef Josh Greenberg. In an ironic twist, Myers was Greenberg’s babysitter many years ago as both their mothers were good friends and when the chef’s position opened after the ownership change, Greenberg jumped at the opportunity to move over from Bonefish Grill to the club.

Eyes on the future

Myers said she wants to add “some flair for the brides so that they may look away from the barn they want to get married in. It seems today everyone wants to get married in a barn. The ballroom is never going to look like a barn, but we have a big space, amazing food, and a gorgeous view that is unlike any other.”

There is a push to make wedding planning easier and provide brides-to-be with a list to choose from when making plans. “We want to be sort of one stop shop and I am working with local vendors to be on our preferred vendor list to see if we can put heads together and create the perfect space for weddings.”

Bringing in more weddings and more members to the club will help grow revenue to modernize Cross Creek even further. Myers said she has a wish list of improvements for the club including a spa, fitness center, and a golfing simulator. “There is space for those things, but we need a little more membership before I can start on those things; but I have big dreams.”

To that end she said she wants to help grow Cross Creek’s membership and has invited those who are interested or curious to come take a look. “We don’t ask people to join before they experience it, so if they want to come down and have a tour or have dinner, call and make a reservation and say ‘I’m interested and I want to see if it’s worth my time and money.’ Everyone’s dollars are hard earned so I wouldn’t ask them to join before they decide they like the menu and the vibe.”

“Typically, a country club has a stuffy perception. We are trying to create a fun energetic atmosphere that is family friendly and always something going on. I want people to think about us when they have nothing to do on a Friday night.”

The Cross Creek property was originally a working farm owned by H.O. Woltz Sr. The farm produced tobacco and corn and raised beef cattle.

Later, after acquiring additional acreage adjacent to the farm, Woltz envisioned that the site would provide a beautiful setting for a first-class country club and golf course. He believed such a club would have a positive economic impact on Mount Airy, while enhancing the quality of life for residents.

Today Cross Creek Country Club has more than 300 members, and provides a venue for community banquets, charity events, weddings, and receptions. The club is located at 1129 Greenhill Road, Mount Airy. For more information, call 336-789-5193, or visit www.crosscreekcc.com

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Source: https://www.mtairynews.com

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