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Club offers heated saltwater pool, year-round access

 

TRYON—For its members, the Tryon Swim Club is a quiet oasis; a place to unwind, exercise, relax and rehabilitate. 

“It’s a place for us to go swim, particularly during the winter,” says Dave Scherping, who’s been a member along with his wife for nearly 20 years. “It’s a nice place for us to exercise.”

That was the intent of founder Nell Deaver when she ran an ad in the Tryon Daily Bulletin in April 1975 encouraging people to attend a meeting about creating a pool. Several months later a board was formed and it began looking for a site to build the pool. 

Opposition from neighbors to two proposed sites prompted the board to look outside the town limits. It ultimately decided on a parcel on Warrior Drive that was part of an old farm. The board purchased the property in December 1976. Construction of the pool began several weeks later and on April 15, 1977, the Tryon Swim Club opened its door to members. 

“It’s really a pool that was developed so that members of the community could exercise in a year-round pool without having to have that pool be in their own backyard,” says Scherping, a board member and past president. 

The club’s heated saltwater pool is 50 feet long and 20 feet wide, with two lanes for lap swimming and a wider area for other activities. There are also locker rooms with showers. All of it is accessible to members 24/7, 365 days a year. The club is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization with members handling almost everything, from the finances to the maintenance. 

Joining requires a $1,500 one-time initiation fee with quarterly dues of $187.50, which are set to increase to $100 per month in 2024.

If you’re interested in joining, visit tryonswimclub.com or contact Scherping at scherpd@gmail.com