From the coattails of Prohibition to the reimagined fine-dining establishment it is today, the Turf Club has stood as a pioneer of community, perseverance, and the celebration of good times for decades in Twin Falls, Idaho. Dating back to 1946, the Turf Club is more than just a place to dress up and enjoy a quality meal, although that’s important; it’s also a cornerstone of local history, where tradition meets community, and memories are made with every meal.
In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into the Turf Club’s history, starting with the post-Prohibition era and ending with where the establishment stands today. Keep reading to learn more about our fine-dining restaurant and why it’s a staple of the Twin Falls community.
Before Turf Club’s Start
IMAGE SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
To understand Turf Club’s history, we must go back 13 years before our iconic location was born. Picture this: It’s December 5, 1933, and the 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, possession, and sale of alcoholic beverages nationwide for 13 years, has been officially repealed. Everywhere you look, there’s a celebration happening. The bars are packed full, drinks are being handed out by the dozen, and a sense of freedom hangs in the air. Laughter echoes through the streets, glasses clink together in toasts to new beginnings, and people are dancing in the glow of neon signs. Every city feels alive, buzzing with the excitement of a long-awaited freedom.
The Historic Turf Club’s Start:
Speakeasy Bar & An Establishment for “Good Times”
Emancipation didn’t come easily to every corner of the United States—especially for a modest establishment in Southern Idaho known as the Turf Club. After Prohibition ended, Idaho implemented various laws to reduce the consumption of alcohol. One of these laws prohibited the sale of liquor by the drink over a bar unless the establishment was part of a municipality. Unfortunately, the Turf Club didn’t meet these requirements—but that didn’t stop the good times from rolling in. Established on July 4, 1946, by Tom Callen, O.A. Rambo, Dale and Bob Wildman, and other nearby ranchers, Turf Club quickly became the go-to spot for those in the know, where liquor was discreetly served under the counter. In other words, Turf Club began as a speakeasy, offering a taste of rebellion in every glass.
Speakeasies began decades before the Turf Club was established. When alcohol was banned in the 1920s, bars were forced to close down, leaving thousands of people unemployed without a way to provide for their families. However, many bars stayed open secretly, earning the nickname “speakeasies.” The term speakeasy comes from the most critical element of speakeasy culture: secrecy. When discussing these hidden establishments, you had to keep it hush-hush, treading carefully with your words—you had to “speak easy” about them. Speakeasies were often disguised as barber shops or ice cream parlors, with patrons learning about them through word of mouth. To enter one, you usually needed to know a specific knock, handshake, or password to prove you were looking for a drink, not law enforcement looking to raid the place.
Pictured above is what you’d experience in the 1946 iteration of the Turf Club. When the ranchers opened our space as a speakeasy, it was in the middle of nowhere—surrounded by cornfields (now the College of Southern Idaho) where they’d race their horses and head back to their favorite watering hole, “The Turf Club,” for some illegal drinking and gambling. The walls were lined with slot machines and craps tables, and the drinks flowed freely, always served with an air of secrecy. When a raid was coming, locals would notify the Club, and they’d run to pick up all the liquor, hiding it in a barn until it was safe to take back out.
On August 1, 1946, The Ink Spots, an American vocal pop group that gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s, headlined an opening night performance. According to stories passed down through generations, the group was paid $3,000 for their first performance—a substantial sum for that time. Their musical style paved the way for rhythm, blues, and rock and roll while incorporating elements of the doo-wop subgenre.
Due to the ballad style introduced by the group’s lead, Bill Kenny, The Ink Spots were widely accepted in White and Black communities, which was rare then. With racial tension still on the rise during those decades, the all-Black group wasn’t allowed to stay at any local hotels. Fortunately, Turf Club’s upstairs apartment was offered to them during their performance, and they quickly made our space their temporary home. The Turf Club depended on the Ink Spots group to drop their earnings in the slots, helping them earn profit and keep the business afloat.
Other well-known musicians, including jazz pianist, organist, arranger, and bandleader Horace Henderson, wowed crowds at Turf Club in the late 1940s. At times in his musical career, Henderson was a pianist and director for famed singers Lena Horne and Billie Holiday.
While Turf Club was a roaring success in the 1940s and early 1950s, trouble was on the horizon. In 1953, Idaho outlawed slot machines after allowing them for a couple of years, and Twin Falls County refused to lift the ban on liquor by the drink, causing the Turf Club to become a fish out of water. One attempt to keep the Turf Club afloat was made in July 1953. The city of Hansen, a town about 10 miles southeast of the Turf Club, annexed a strip of land along Falls Avenue, where the establishment was located, allowing the Club to sell liquor. Unfortunately, this attempt to salvage the Turf Club didn’t last long. Hansen repealed the annexation the following month after the town was hit by a slew of lawsuits, ending the solution the Turf Club needed to stay open. Several other failed attempts, such as serving Chinese food, took place to keep the Turf Club in Hansen’s still-wet counties, but it wasn’t enough. Eventually, the local’s beloved Turf Club closed its doors in 1963, unsure if they’d ever open again.
Turf Club’s Re-Opening
& The Beginning of its Fine Dining Era
Fortunately, there was still hope for the Turf Club. In 1968, after a liquor license was available again, Bob and Leo Soran purchased and completely renovated the building, breathing new life into the space. Remodeling included pasting red flocked wallpaper brought in by an Austrian designer out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the recognizable crystal chandelier that is still in place today. The restoration of the Turf Club was a first-class operation, helping the establishment earn its spot as a fine-dining restaurant in the region.
The Sorans hired a top chef from San Franciso, California, and intertwined dining elements at their establishment that the Magic Valley hadn’t seen before. Reservations only, fine china and linens, tuxedoed servers, airfreighted seafood, live lobster tanks, and flaming desserts made the Turf Club a standout destination in the small town of Twin Falls, Idaho. The weekly live music and dancing tradition continued at the Club, featuring groups like the Coaster, the Diamonds and Gary Lewis, and the Playboys.
Throughout the 1960s and beyond, various famous personalities graced Turf Club’s doors: Presidents Agnew, Nixon, Ford (while Senator), Reagan, and Bush raised glasses at the Club. Congressmen Crapo and Simpson, Governor Otter (during his time as a congressman), and U.S. Senators Hansen, Craig, and Kempthorne, along with dozens of other political figures, all delighted in the home-grown atmosphere and decades-spanning history of the Turf Club. Celebrities like Bruce Willis, Ernest Hemingway, Picabo Street, Albert Finney, Nick Nolte, and Omar Epps visited the Turf Club, leaving their mark on its storied legacy. Additionally, Turf Club has been featured or mentioned in various movies and TV shows, including Breakfast of Champions, ABC’s Good Morning America, and David Letterman's Late Night Show.
Over the decades, the Turf Club’s owners have embraced its rich history and influence in the local community, doing everything they can to keep the Club thriving. In the 1970s, the Sorans realized how challenging it was to run a fine dining establishment in Twin Falls. The couple shifted focus to keep the business going and began serving affordable Italian food until late 1977. Still, in the 1980s, financial hardship marked the Turf Club, but the Sorans weren’t going to throw in the towel. The couple started doing banquets and special events in the space and eventually let their son, Steve, take over the business in the early 90s. After remodeling the building once again, Steve continued focusing on high-end banquets and special events, which remained until he sold the Turf Club building to Robert and Mariann Griffith in 2022.
Turf Club Today
Today, the Turf Club is a testament to all it has been and will be. When the Griffiths took over in 2022, they stated,
“We knew that the pressure involved with the restoration of such a historic establishment would demand a new level of attention to detail, but we were determined to honor the legacy with the precision it deserved. Our goals were simple: First, pay homage to the rich history of a place we grew up going to. And second, give Twin Falls, Idaho, something they hadn’t seen before.”
The Griffiths have done exactly that.
One of the Griffiths’ first projects was revitalizing the speakeasy atmosphere from the past, which resulted in the establishment of Turf Club’s hidden bar, Griff’s. Griff’s is a secret (shhh) bar with a craft cocktail menu that offers visitors something new and unique to Twin Falls, Idaho. The name “Griff” is a variation of Griffith, which comes from the Welsh name Gruffudd. The prefix “Griff” means firm grip, and the suffix “udd” means chief or lord. What better way to celebrate and acknowledge what Turf Club stands for than by naming its hidden bar after a legacy of strength and leadership, perfectly capturing the spirit of this historic establishment?
When speaking about the renovation of the Turf Club, Mariann says, “When we decided to do this, it was, ‘How can we show people what it’s like to be in our house?’ But have a bigger space where we can entertain more people. It’s part of who we are. [The Turf Club] is a fine line between casual dining and fine dining. We want to educate people but give them the freedom to do what they want to do.” To achieve this, the Griffiths maintained the elegance of the original Club in the dining room area, with platforms, booths, high-end service, and the original crystal chandelier installed by the Sorans. On the lounge side of the establishment, the menu is different, and the atmosphere is casual, inviting people to come in suits or with their cowboy boots on, coming off the range. Other elements of the original establishment have been preserved, like the Club’s weekly live music events featuring local and national talent.
The Twin Falls community has been all hands on deck during the renovation and opening of the reimagined Turf Club. From local purveyors providing the essentials for the menu to residents helping revamp the building’s flooring, it’s been a community effort to ensure Turf Club’s history is honored and that future generations can continue to enjoy its legacy for years to come.
Join Turf Club’s Ever-Unfolding Story
Turf Club stands as evidence of the power of community, the value of family, and the unrivaled delight of coming together for a fine meal. Raise your glasses to Turf Club’s decades-old history and be part of its future—reserve your seats at Twin Falls’ premier fine-dining destination and savor the flavors of the Magic Valley at Griff’s, our hidden bar.
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