Sun Lakes Country Club celebrates 45 years

Driving to Sun Lakes in the 70s and 80s seemed like an oasis destination in the middle of the desert. It was the only community in the area, and none of the now-developed areas of Chandler existed. Alma School Road was a two-lane street with a ditch on either side, and the drive consisted of open field views and farmland (accompanied by that faint farmland smell). Once you passed the Dairy Queen that used to be on Riggs and Dobson Road, you knew you were about to arrive.

Sun Lakes Country Club was then adorned with the Robson logo, a small clubhouse, a golf course winding around lakes and a community full of warm, friendly people who had purchased their new houses in a place they could call home. It was quiet and calm, and the distance from the city lights allowed a full view of the stars at night. Sun Lakes was, and still is, an amazing place to live.

As time went on, the community expanded with a combination of manufactured and stick-built homes, additions were made to the clubhouse and the community worked together to host events, clubs and build a solid foundation of community. Sun Lakes Country Club was building and growing, and it still is today.

Today, we are consistently building our Reserve Fund, consciously and conservatively spending our BCI Funds to improve our community, all while staying within budget and without creating any debt.

One of the largest visible transformations has been the evolution of the Sunset Grill, our clubhouse restaurant. In the early years, the restaurant was a walk-up window and then developed into a cafeteria-style diner. Now, it is a full-service restaurant open daily for breakfast and lunch, with dinner service available on Thursday and Friday evenings. Our chef searches for locally-sourced, fresh ingredients and changes our dinner menu quarterly to keep our selections fresh and inviting.

In the last couple of years, we have resurfaced our tennis courts, added pickleball courts, remodeled our Mulligans Lounge, pro shop and are currently in the beginning stages of a complete renovation of our Fitness Center – an almost $300,000 project. The addition of our north patio hosts our daily happy hour during season; the propane fueled firepits and lounge seating create a perfectly relaxing atmosphere.

We just completed the enormous task of amending our bylaws and CC&Rs which truly brings our community together under one set of governing documents. Our homeowners approved these amendments with a more than 50 percent approval, and the changes give our homeowners more freedom to make decisions about their individual properties.

To celebrate our 45 years, we are hosting a free event for our homeowners from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, in the Arizona Room and, weather pending, the north patio. A five-piece band, Soul Impression, will keep everyone dancing while complimentary food and a cash bar will be available. Get a free massage from Apex Medical Group and have your photo taken at our picture station, complete with a green screen background and props. There will also be giveaways, raffles and a history display of SLCC. Advance ticket purchases are not required; however, the event is first-come, first-served.

Sun Lakes Country Club is proud to have shared 45 years of memories and growth with our homeowners and surrounding community. We look forward to our 50th anniversary and the continued success of our community.