Down on the shores of Lake Hartwell, just on the edge of Clemson, stood a unique 1980s watering hole called The Genoa Club. This private club capitalized on a loophole – in an era when South Carolina’s blue laws tightly restricted alcohol sales on Sundays, private clubs could serve all week long. Genoa took full advantage, opening 7 days a week and attracting Clemson students and locals, especially on otherwise dry Sunday nightsclemsonwiki.com. For a mere $5 one-time fee, students could get a “membership” card, granting them entry into this lakefront hideawayclemsonwiki.com. The Genoa Club’s logo featured a sailboat, fitting for its dockside location, and the atmosphere was a bit more relaxed and grown-up than the rowdy college bars downtown. Patrons could sip cocktails while watching the sun set over the water – a nice change of pace from sticky college dance floors. That’s not to say Genoa was dull; it was known for some great drinks specials and promotions. An ad from 1987 shows $1 vodka drinks on Wednesdays, $1.50 well liquor on Thursdays, and free chicken wings every Friday at 5 PM (until they ran out)clemsonwiki.com. Students who stayed in town for summer school especially loved Genoa – one alumnus recalls that Sunday $1 vodka night at Genoa was the place to be during summer sessionstigernet.com. Because it was a private club, Genoa could also cater to a slightly older crowd, including grad students and young faculty, mixing them with undergrads in a casual setting. By the early ’90s, The Genoa Club changed ownership and was renamed The Skybox (operating by that name by 1996)clemsonwiki.com. The original Genoa Club, however, lives on in memory as Clemson’s little lakeside clubhouse – a spot of sun, sails, cheap drinks and camaraderie, where any Clemson fan with five bucks could become a “member” for life.
