SITE: The Metropolitan Club
ADDRESS: 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606
PHONE: 312/993-2500
WEB SITE: www.metclubchicago.com
SITE INFO: Located on the 66th and 67th floors of the Sears Tower, the private business and health club is a member of conglomerate ClubCorp. The site will undergo a $5 million renovation this year.
EVENT AREAS: The club's event spaces consist of 17 private event rooms — spread over 11,000 square feet — that can accommodate from two to 400 people, in addition to the 5,000-square-foot Main Dining Room and Lounge.
SPECIAL SPACE: The 3,225-square-foot, formal Oak Room is the club's primary event space, with the adjoining Chicago Room available for pre-event cocktail receptions. The Oak Room has a reception capacity of 400 and seated capacity of 240, and offers views of Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan.
MEMBERS ONLY?: Nonmember events must be sponsored, and make up as much as 40 percent of weekend event business.
SITE: Jacksonville Golf and Country Club
ADDRESS: 3985 Hunt Club Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224
PHONE: 904/223-5555
WEB SITE: www.jaxgcc.com
SITE INFO: The club, which opened in 1990, underwent an extensive $3 million renovation in 2000 that added a new dining room, member lounge and sports bar, and the Grand Ballroom. The site includes an 18-hole golf course and features an outdoor wedding site that overlooks the club's lake and lighted fountains.
EVENT AREAS: Spaces include the 2,500-square-foot Grand Ballroom, with a reception capacity of 225 and seated capacity of 130; the sports bar, with a reception capacity of 65; and the 2,500-square-foot, 400-guest-capacity outdoor wedding ceremony site.
SPECIAL SPACE: The entire 5,500-square-foot upper floor of the clubhouse can be booked for events; it features French doors that lead out onto a wraparound veranda that offers views of the golf course and lake. The space can accommodate 400 guests for receptions and 275 for seated events.
MEMBERS ONLY?: The private club's event spaces are open for nonmember events.
SITE: Minneapolis Club
ADDRESS: 729 Second Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55402
PHONE: 612/332-2292
WEB SITE: www.mplsclub.org
SITE INFO: Formed in 1883, the Minneapolis Club moved to its present location in 1908. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, the European-influenced club now offers new meeting rooms with cutting-edge equipment, updated guest rooms and an expanded fitness center.
EVENT AREAS: The club offers three dining rooms and 13 private meeting rooms, ranging in size from 200 to 2,600 square feet, which are used for events including rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, company parties and meetings.
SPECIAL SPACE: The 2,200-square-foot Main Dining Room, the club's most formal event space, features 30-foot-high ceilings, lead-glass windows and ornate chandeliers; the room can accommodate 275 guests for receptions.
MEMBERS ONLY?: All events must be sponsored by a current club member.
