Under A Blazing Sun, Altadena Town & Country Club Begins Its Next Chapter

Under a blazing late-August sun, with temperatures pushing toward triple digits, as many as 700 members and guests streamed into the Altadena Town & Country Club on Saturday for what organizers called “a new beginning.” For the first time since the devastating January 7 Eaton Fire reduced the historic clubhouse to ashes, the club’s tennis courts, pickleball courts and swimming pool were once again filled with life.

The clubhouse itself is gone, has been reduced an empty lot, with only portions of its walls remaining, as a wooden staircase through an opening in a fence led guests to the party.

But the mood was part homecoming, part rally for the future.

Families fanned themselves under umbrellas while children raced straight to the sparkling pool, squealing as they leapt into the water. Guests were treated to lunch from Pie ‘n Burger and local taco trucks — a detail that Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger was quick to praise.

“I saw families with the kids running for the pool,” Barger said. “What could be wrong with snow cones, Pie ‘n Burger hamburgers, french fries, pie, tacos and a pool? Life is good. There is no question in my mind, not only are we going to rebuild, we’re going to rebuild better and stronger.”

General Manager Craig Sloan reflected on both the weight of the last eight months and the excitement of the day.

“It’s been 235 days since I stood in that parking lot and watched helplessly as our historic clubhouse burned to the ground,” he said. “This reopening represents a new chapter in our history.”

Sloan credited the board, staff and members for turning “what was once just a dream into this new reality.” He reminded the crowd that a full rebuild will take years, but stressed that the sense of community was as strong as ever.

“Our club — the foundation on which it is built, the sense of community that rests within our souls — will continue to flourish during these times ahead,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, who organized a congressional delegation to inspect the fire damage last winter, recalled seeing flames still smoldering during her first visit to the site.

“Today’s celebration is more than a ribbon cutting,” she told the crowd. “It’s a powerful symbol of resilience, healing and hope.”

She presented the club with a certificate of Congressional recognition.

Barger, who delivered her own proclamation, grew emotional as she reflected on decades of events hosted at the private club for the wider Altadena community — Rotary luncheons, nonprofit fundraisers, weddings. “While it’s a private club, you all have opened up your doors to everybody,” she said. “The best truly is yet to come.”

State Assemblymember John Harabedian struck a lighter note as the heat bore down.

“I’ve never been so jealous of a pool than I am right now,” he quipped. “Thank God this pool has reopened because I’m melting.”

Speaking on behalf of the board, Lisa Gritzner said the club’s leaders view the fire as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-envision and reimagine” what the facility should become. A subcommittee is weighing design options and financing strategies, she said, but there is no firm construction timeline yet.

Club president Rebecca Stokes called Saturday’s event the largest member gathering in the club’s 115-year history. “Today’s the beginning,” she told the crowd. “We have our four tennis courts, our four pickleball courts, we have pools, we have a hospitality air-conditioned area… Everything is clean, fresh. Today’s the beginning.”

Following the speeches and presentations, members lingered poolside and on the courts, a vision of the club’s future slowly coming into focus. The bricks and mortar of a new clubhouse may still be years away, but for many here, the spirit of Altadena’s Town & Country Club has already returned.