Members of the Gulati family purchased the Reading Country Club from Exeter Township in September 2024 with a goal of bringing the historic course and clubhouse back to their former glory.
By all accounts, they are well on their way to doing just that.
The country club, which reopened to the public last April after undergoing extensive renovations, is gearing up for a busy golf season on a much-improved course, while also preparing for spring and summer weddings, parties, business functions and other events.
“The community is turning out for us,” noted Mark Rose, who was hired as the club’s general manager in January. “We’re getting people coming in who haven’t been here for 15 or 20 years and are thrilled to be back. That’s a good feeling.”
Owner Chuck Gulati, left, and general manager Mark Rose stand in the gallery of Jack’s On the Green. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
Owners, management and staff are looking forward to meeting additional community members during an open house on Saturday, April 11. The event, set for noon until 3 p.m., is open to the public.
“We’re excited for everyone to see all the improvements that have been made and get an idea of what we have to offer,” said Kayla Cepeda, director of sales. “It’s going to be a fun day.”
An old club with new energy
Reading Country Club opened in 1923 — a time when many Berks Countians were not overly familiar with the game of golf.
Designed by Alexander H. Findlay, often called “the father of American golf,” the course was widely admired for its visibility and flow, as well as the integration of greens into the natural landscape.
Over the years, golf greats including Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Byron Nelson frequented the course, with Nelson serving as head pro from 1937 to 1939 and winning the 1937 Masters and 1939 U.S. Open while representing the club.
Reading Country Club also was home to golfing legend Betsy King, a Berks County native and LPGA Hall of Famer who grew up playing the course and taking lessons from long-time golf pro Henry Clay Poe.
King still plays golf at Reading Country Club when she’s in the area, noted Chuck Gulati, who owns the country club along with his brothers, Dave and Mike Gulati, in partnership with their father, Jack.
“We named our main dining room after Betsy,” Gulati said. “She’s a big part of this place.”
While golf is still the primary focus of the club, other improvements have been made in an attempt to attract a wider swath of customers.
Two Trackman golf simulators are featured in the club’s Fairway Lounge, which also includes pool and foosball tables, TVs, food and beverage service and other amenities. Winter leagues are offered and the space is available for bachelor parties and other outings.
“This space has elevated the whole club experience,” Rose said. “It’s a fun and comfortable space where you can keep golfing all year long.”
Attention also has been focused on the dining experience, with various options available. In addition to the main dining room that overlooks the golf course, guests can enjoy a cozy pub area or relax in the Gallery, an area offering flexible seating options, including a 12-top, family-style dining table for larger groups.
Weekly pub specials include tacos and trivia on Tuesdays, wings on Wednesdays and burgers on Thursdays. A monthly prime rib night is in the works and will be announced soon.
The main ballroom has had new carpeting installed over the past year. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
Other improvements include a redone ballroom that can accommodate 250 guests with a dance floor or more if the dance floor is not needed. Outdoor ceremonies can be held on a patio to the rear of the ballroom, while a large deck to the front is used for cocktail hours and mingling space.
There also have been major upgrades to the bridal suite, which offers space to have hair and makeup done, comfortable seating areas, breakfast options, a mimosa bar and other features.
The Bridal Suite has been created from a former board room. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
Preserving history while looking to the future
Gulati praised Exeter Township for acquiring the country club property in 2005 to prevent the development of a proposed residential project with 525 housing units.
“They did a very good job of keeping the course open and making it available to the public,” he said.
The cost of owning and operating the country club was prohibitive to the township, however, leading to the sale to DCM Investments, which is owned by the Gulati brothers.
Reading Country Club is not the Gulati family’s first investment in historic properties. It also owns Stokesay Castle and in 2016 invested $3 million to renovate SunnyBrook Ballroom in Lower Pottsgrove Township, Montgomery County — a 100-year-old venue with a storied history. The family sold Sunnybrook in 2023.
“Maybe someday I’ll buy something that’s not 100 years old, but we love the history of these old places and think it’s important to preserve them,” Gulati said. “You can’t replicate places like these.”
The patio has been enlarged over the past year. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
The Bridal Suite has been created from a former board room. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
The main ball room has had new carpeting installed over the past year. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
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The patio has been enlarged over the past year. The Reading Country Club will be celebrating a first anniversary open house on April 11. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
While a lot of work has already been completed, there is more to be done at Reading Country Club.
Improvements to the course will continue and other plans to elevate the property are underway.
“The big thing is for us to be able to keep improving,” Rose said. “Chuck and the family have made the commitment to keep the work moving ahead, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what we come up with.”
Meanwhile, the property is awash with spring flowers, trees are budding and the golf course is in great shape for March, according to Gulati. Dining areas are open, a new spring menu has just been released and event spaces are available.
Guests attending the open house on Saturday will be able to meet with club leadership, connect with event professionals and select vendors, tour the renovated ballroom and connecting patios and sample hors d’oeuvres and seasonal cocktails.