Lake House

Beneath the tall pines, the Lake House at the Sandhill Research and Education Center offers a natural, scenic venue for meetings and seminars. Sandhill REC is a natural area and naturally occurring species such as venomous snakes, alligators, coyotes and other wild animals are native inhabitants. Caution is highly recommended. No hunting or fishing is allowed on the Sandhill property. Lakes are unsuitable for swimming, wading or boating. The main level provides over 2000 square feet of available meeting space and can accommodate 100 individuals in a classroom setting and, 150-175 in a theater-style setting. The facility is handicap accessible and has restrooms.

Uses

Conference rooms, portions of the property, and the Lake House are available for lease on weekdays, excluding holidays, during business hours. Leases are available to bona fide organized groups for meetings and programs relating to the mission of the Sandhill Research and Education Center. The Director has final authority in approving or denying rental requests. All applicants are subject to approval, and liability insurance is often required.

Viewing - Reservations - Cancellations

Viewings of the Lake House are by appointment only. Viewings will not be scheduled while an event is being held. Late arrivals (10 minutes past appointment time) will have to reschedule. Viewings will be scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday only.

Reservations must be made for all usage of the Lake House and will be subject to availability on a first-come first-served basis. Reservations may be made by contacting our administrative specialist at 803-788-5700. Reservations will be finalized when a signed, dated copy of the rental agreement and full payment of the required fees is received by the Sandhill REC staff.

Cancellations
In the event that a reservation must be cancelled, the reserving party MUST contact Sandhill REC (803-788-5700) to notify them of the cancellation at least ten (10) days prior to the scheduled time. A $200 cancellation fee will be assessed if notice is not given two weeks in advance of the reserved date. Allow 30 days for refunds.

Primary Contact Responsibility
The primary contact is the person who signs the agreement. The primary contact handles all communications and arrangements with the Sandhill staff, accepts responsibility for compliance with all rules set for in this policy and attends the reserved function.

Fees
All fee-based programs are expected to remit the stated use fee.

Rules of Usage

• Cleanup: Users of the Lake House and grounds are expected to leave it in a neat, clean and undamaged condition and return items to their original locations. The reserving party will need to remove its property from the Lake House at the conclusion of its scheduled function. Failure to leave the Lake House facility in a neat, clean and undamaged condition will result in the assessment of a $100 per hour cleanup fee and/or repair fee plus cost of materials.
• The person signing the rental agreement will be held responsible for any damages to Sandhill REC property.
• Clemson University is a tobacco-free campus. All forms of tobacco and smoke-related products are prohibited. Along with cigarettes, the ban includes chewing tobacco, smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarette.
• Grilling (gas grill only) is allowed in designated areas only. No open flames allowed (includes charcoal grills, bon-fires, camp fires, etc.). A fire extinguisher must be provided by the user and readily available, adjacent to the grill.
• Nails, tacks, tape, etc. may not be used to hang items on the walls, porch posts or railings.
• Counters must be protected with cutting boards while preparing food.
• Theft of State property will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
• No alcohol is permitted in this facility unless pre-approved by the Director of Sandhill REC and the Vice-President of PSA. User will be required to provide additional liability insurance with Clemson University named as additionally insured.
• According to the Alcoholic Beverage Policy, the SALE of alcoholic beverages is PROHIBITED.
• Clemson University/Sandhill REC will not be held liable for accident or injury to event participants.
• Clemson University/Sandhill REC is not responsible for damage to or loss of any items left in the facilities prior to or following any function. Property is placed in the facility at the user’s and guest’s own risk.

Exceptions to usage may be made at the discretion of the Director of Sandhill REC and must be in writing, prior to reserving the Lake House.

Full payment of the required fee is due at the time of reservation request. The date will not be reserved until the necessary paperwork and payment have been submitted to Sandhill REC. CANCELLATION FEE: A $200 cancellation fee will be assessed if notice is not given 10 days prior to the reserved date. Allow 30 days for refunds.

Acloholic Bevrage Policy

Approval to serve alcohol at any event at the Sandhill Research and Education Center (Sandhill REC) must be obtained by request in writing to: Director, Sandhill REC, 900 Clemson Road, Columbia, SC 29229.

Please reference the following event information in your letter: Name, Event Date, Number of Guests, and rental area (i.e., Lake House, etc.). Once approved, the Director’s office will forward a signed copy of the letter to accompany your Rental Agreement.

The following guidelines have been adopted to govern events where alcoholic beverages are served or provided on Sandhill Research and Education Center/Clemson University property. These guidelines apply to all events at the Sandhill Research and Education Center, regardless of whether the event is sponsored by a University unit, external entity or private individual. Strict adherence to these guidelines is required.

1. Check identification. The rental client must check for proper identification and reject any questionable forms of identification. (The legal drinking age in South Carolina is 21.)
2. Refuse to serve intoxicated guests. If a participant or guest appears to have exceeded his or her limit, additional alcohol must not be served to that person and a reasonable effort should be made to arrange for a safe trip home.
3. Provide a designated driver or shuttle service. Event sponsors should establish procedures to provide intoxicated guests or participants a ride home.
4. Provide non-alcoholic beverages. There must be parity between the quantity and variety of alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages.
5. Serve food. When alcohol is served or provided at an event, there must be food available.
6. Do not permit self-service of alcoholic beverages. Event sponsors should serve or hire bartenders to serve alcoholic beverages in order to limit the size and number of drinks being served and to spot those who are drinking too much.
7. Post drinking restrictions in prominent places. Notices informing guests as to legal drinking age should be conspicuously posted where alcohol is served.
8. Restrict alcohol to a controlled area. Event sponsors must take adequate steps to ensure that alcoholic beverages are not allowed outside the pre-determined boundaries of the event.
9. NO references to alcohol in advertisements. Advertisements or invitations to events where alcohol is being served should emphasize the nature of the event and not the alcohol.
10. Limit hours of alcohol service. Alcohol service must be discontinued at a reasonable time, at least one hour before the event is scheduled to end.
11. The SALE of alcoholic beverages is PROHIBITED.
12. No alcohol will be served or consumed at any event open to the public. Observation of consumption of alcoholic beverages will result in immediate cancellation of the event.
13. Liability insurance is required. Alcohol and general liability insurance available through TULIP https://tulip.ajgrms.com .