A strong start ...

A video posted to YouTube in 2011 uses nearly three minutes of footage from a 1972 awards presentation, made not long after the Playboy Club opened.

It shows the Playboy Bunnies serving drinks around an outdoor pool, couples riding a horse and golfing, men in suits making small talk and a conference center.

The unidentified narrator asserts that the Playboy Club is transforming Sussex County from nowhere land into a bustling business hub.

The resort, in its first year, reportedly draws 15,000 for conventions and trade shows, spends $2.4 million on supplies and services, and employs 825.

"The right industry arrived in the right place, at the right time," the narrator says in conclusion.

An ad touting the Playboy Club (Courtesy of Vernon Township Historical Society)

... And then it was over

The Playboy Club was banking on gambling becoming legal in the area, but when that didn't happen, Hefner and his bunnies departed in the early 1980s.

Memorabilia from its decade-long run abounds on the Internet, such as the metal keys presented for club access.

A 1972 magazine ad featuring singer/actress Ann-Margret performing in Vernon is available on Amazon for $7.

"Exciting entertainment in the Playmate Bar. Superstars in the Penthouse ... the Great Gorge Playboy Club-Hotel. There's no place quite like it," the ad reads.

Two decades later, a burst of nostalgia