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Barbara and Joe Styzen Wedding October 5,2002 at The Recreation Golf Course in Long Beach........
From its earliest days, Recreation Park 18 has been the place for Long Beach residents to get away from it all. Back in 1909, as a beautiful-but-rugged country club, it attracted golfers who were willing to take a train from town, and then hike to the course where the "greens" were actually made of slicked-down sand. Eventually the club approved a horse and buggy to shuttle the players, which vastly improved the golfers’ experience and no doubt increased membership.
Today, even with a wide boulevard circling the grounds, you still get that sense of leaving the city behind once you enter this full-service park. As you drive in you first notice the lawn bowlers enjoying their genteel pastime. Then you pass a long row of tennis courts, and turn up a hill where the white Spanish Colonial clubhouse, with its columned portico and red tile roof, basks in the peaceful views of the surrounding property. Built in 1926 by the Bixby family, this historic landmark was deeded to the city of Long Beach in 1980 for one dollar, in what has to be one of the better real estate deals of the century.
Only one wedding is held in the clubhouse at a time, so you and your guests have free rein of the facilities. Begin your affair in the circular Rose Garden, a delightful ceremony spot featuring a 75 foot garden pathway leading you to a beautiful gazebo encased with rosebushes. Afterwards, serve cocktails right there on the lawn or follow the short pathway to an intimate hedged patio festooned with twinkle lights. At the appointed time three sets of French doors just off the patio open to reveal the grandly proportioned Main Ballroom.
Here, architectural details, like soaring ceilings and the original dark wood crossbeams with period chandeliers, evoke the lifestyle of the wealthy in the 1920s. A gilded trompe l’oeil balcony accentuates the room’s height and lends a European ambiance. Above it, Artisan stained-glass windows set off a subtle interplay of light, as the rays from the setting sun softly stream in while tiny runner lights begin to glitter just below the beams. A large built-in dance floor in front of a massive decorative fireplace provides ample room for a band or DJ.
Since the entire place is yours to enjoy, take advantage of the adjacent parlor for quiet conversation by a cozy hearthas a retreat for the bridal partyor as a separate children’s room. You can also step out onto the front portico to savor the night air. At the end of the evening, when your celebration has wound down and you drive back through the park’s entrance, you’ll find it hard to believe you were so close to the city all this time.
RECREATION PARK 18 GOLF COURSE
5001 Deukmejian Drive
Long Beach, CA 90804
(562) 494-5000
Disc Jockey Emcee Bill Lovelace, your Recreation Golf Course in Long Beach Wedding DJ
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