Founded in 1948, the nationally renowned Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach has had many roles over the decades: a haunt for some of the biggest Hollywood stars, a stop for every Republican U.S. President since Dwight Eisenhower (Nixon even set up an office there complete with a hotline to the Kremlin), a venue for some of Newport's biggest charity events, and a refuge for families, professionals and others.

It's become as much a part of the city's fabric as the Balboa Pavilion, the Balboa Island Ferry, and the Wedge.

Here's the story about the origins of the storied Balboa Bay Club.