Memories may be tied to a particular place, but they are not constrained by that place.

Even when that place is gone, those memories remain.

That thought came while pondering the grand opening of the Mineola Country Club’s fabulous new clubhouse.

Don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself during the grand opening events Friday and Saturday. If you’re not impressed, I’m not quite sure what to think about that.

As has been well-documented, the historic and iconic clubhouse burned to the ground in the early morning hours of Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.

What has emerged from those dark moments 14 months ago is a facility that will itself no doubt become iconic in its own right. It is already well on its way, in my opinion.

Those thoughts on memories followed a conversation with a longtime club member recently.

She was recalling the morning of the fire as she awoke, as many of us did, to messages and startling, almost unbelievable images of the clubhouse, reduced basically to a pile of rubble and a lone chimney.

She had been going there almost 60 years, since age 5, so her memories ranged the gamut over the years.

But it was not until she arrived on the scene that, as she said, “I lost it.”

That reaction was not dissimilar to many folks for whom the club has been a touchstone for years and decades.

I’m not quite that invested. It’s mostly a place where I can play the game I love within a few minutes’ drive and gather afterward for refreshment.

I’m perfectly content with the new facility. It’s functional and beautiful and modern (they didn’t make automatically-operated lights or toilets in 1932).

I’ve been told that during a recent tournament, several out-of-town guests could be heard muttering enviously something like, “Maybe we need a fire at our club.”

You didn’t hear that from me.

To put it into perspective, since the fire, the club has undergone a virtual renaissance of membership.

It’s grown from something like 175 to over 300.

That number is significant, because it’s sort of the sweet spot for being able to operate without too much concern for paying the monthly bills.

And, as any organization can attest, the more participation, the easier it is to function, whether it’s volunteers to run a tournament or put on some other event or come up with and implement ideas for improvement, etc.

Now if we can just get something done about that un-level silver tee box on Number One, I will be a happy camper.