Pictured above: Just a few of our plaques and their winners. Left to right: Clyde Burchard, Wayne McDonald, Greg Kreutzer, Bob Nunley, John James & Gary Johnson.
Nestled in the Ozark Mountains—just outside Mountain Home, Arkansas—is The Billiard Club, owned by John James of Flippin, Arkansas. The Billiard Club is a small room, but with big guns for a small town. Mountain Home only has a population of a little over 12,000, but there are some fine pool players in the area.
A little about the Club: The Club is located three and a half miles north of Mountain Home on Highway 5 North, between Mountain Home and Midway, Arkansas. There are four nine foot tables, two Brunswick Gold Crowns and Two Ohlhausen Pro’s. Billiard Club LLC is a Private Club, but is open to non-members and guests anytime a member is on the premises.
It’s just a small four table room, but it’s not the size of the club that’s impressive, rather the quality of the players.
Among the player members are three State Champions, including John James, (who has won the State Championship six times,) three Arkansas Pool Player Association “Player of the Year” winners, and a multitude of runners up.
The Club puts on two tournaments a week for members and guests. These are usually mixed among 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, and a strange “blend” tournament where all three games are played in every match.
Not only are there constantly tournaments to play, but the Billiard Club also will start hosting Pocket Billiards Classes through Arkansas State University in the Fall of 2015.
In addition to the Local Tournaments, during the fall, winter and spring, the Club is an Arkansas Pool Players Association satellite and hosts weekly “APPA Sanctioned” tournaments. For the past two years, it has been the home of the Arkannsas State One Pocket Championship. Club Owner, John James, won that Championship and Club Member Bob Nunley took 3rd Place.
One of the Pool School Classes at The Billiard Club, LLC
In the past, the Club has been host to Pool Schools associated with the PBIA (Professional Billiard Instructors Association) school, and North Arkansas Pool School located in Mountain Home. North Arkansas Pool school is owned and operated by Arkansas’ only PBIA Instructor, Bob Nunley.
The Billiard Club is a great little room and a fun place to play. Smoke free and alcohol free, it’s open to members of all ages 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Guests pay an unbelievably economic green fee of $3.50 per hour per person. Members pay a monthly membership dues and pay no green fee for normal play or for tournaments.
Bob Nunley, a pool player for over 40 years, is a PBIA Certified Instructor and a CTE Pro One Endorsed Instructor. He teaches and coaches all levels of players. His primary occupation is a Custom Bamboo Rod Maker, but his first love is Pocket Billiards. He teaches out of his own North Arkansas Pool School in Mountain Home, AR. He also teaches an “Introduction to Pocket Billiards” class through Arkansas Atate University, Mountain Home Campus. Bob is a Master Division Player in the Arkansas Pool Players Association. Photos: provided by author Editor: Hannah Blue