It’s a Friday night at the Shuffleboard Club, and players are unloading their coolers and carrying in pizza boxes for a fun night of shuffleboard. It’s no longer a game just for seniors; today the club has over 2,700 members, and 70% of them are under 50. “We have league nights, and it’s so much fun to see a team of twenty-somethings playing against a team who are all over 70,” Executive Director Christine Page reports. “Everyone has a great time and learns from each other.”
Every Friday night, nonmembers are welcome to play at the club for $10 per person. All are welcome to bring their own food and drinks, and lively music adds to the vibe.
A Proud History
The club started in 1924 with two courts at Mirror Lake Park and grew to be the largest club in the world. It once boasted memberships totaling 5,000 people. By the 1980s, that had dropped off dramatically. In 2005, president Mary Eldridge teamed up with a local artists collective to offer free play on Friday nights, and the sport took off from there.
Annual memberships cost $50 for individuals and $90 for families. Individual members can bring three additional people to fill out a court, and families can bring an additional six people to fill out two courts. Members are welcome to come and play with access to the equipment anytime between 5 a.m. and midnight every day. They attend members-only events, get discounts on merchandise, and are able to rent the club to host a party or wedding. There are Beginner Boot Camp classes and Skills Labs, all free to members and only $10 for non-members.
Last October, the club hosted nearly 100 players from eight countries for the 40th World Shuffleboard Championship. In October of this year, it will host a centennial tournament.
Reaching Out to the Community
As its next century begins, one of the club’s main goals is to reach out to underrepresented parts of the St. Pete community. “We host school field trips and outings from the YMCA’s summer camps, and plan to visit recreation centers where we can give demonstrations,” Page says.
“As St. Pete grows, a lot of changes are happening. It’s nice the club is still here and continues to be an important part of the culture of this city.“
The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club is at 559 Mirror Lake Drive N. For information, please visit stpeteshuffle.com or email info@stpeteshuffle.com.
