From “Bachelor Party” to “The Hangover,” bachelor parties have been dramatized as being as pagan as it gets, but in reality the key elements of a bachelor party have more to do with preference than bacchanalian tradition.

George Beck and Ricky Dunkailo are both married men. Each celebrated his bachelor party in a way that was memorable. Beck said the secret to a good bachelor party is in the formula, and Dunkailo had his bachelor party tailored to his specific interests.

Beck, an Exeter native who now lives in Frederick, Maryland, experienced his own bachelor party as well as several of his buddies.

“There’s been one overall theme,” Beck said. “Have a blast.”

Beck’s party was in Baltimore. A group of 15 friends played football during the day.

“Other ones that I’ve held, we’ve gone paint balling in the day,” Beck said. “We’ve gone go carting in the day. You do things like when you were young.”

Beck said the point is to gather one’s best friends, have fun in whatever way suits the groom-to-be, have a good meal and some drinks, taking leave of one’s adult and professional life for a night. Beck’s bachelor dinner was at a Brazilian steakhouse called Fogo de Chao.

Beck’s group made a brief stop at a gentleman’s club, but he said it’s more of a novelty.

“The gentleman’s club is not the end of the night thing,” Beck said. “It’s the, ‘we’re just going to do it for tradition, but we’re not staying here.’”

Ricky Dunkailo of Scranton travelled to Boston to play disc golf with two friends and his brother.

A disc golf enthusiast who travels to Boston frequently on business, Dunkailo knew a professional course was located in Leicester, Massachusetts.

“It’s Maple Hill, and it’s one of the best courses I’ve played in my entire life,” Dunkailo said.

Dunkailo’s party played all day and into the night before returning to their hotel, where he was surprised by the arrival of his father who joined the boys for a night on the town.

Throughout the day, the group drank aged beers they had cellared, and that continued into dinner when they went to Lord Hobo, a craft beer bar and restaurant in Cambridge.

“The whole trip was about drinking great beer and disk golf,” Dunkailo said.

Dunkailo said a similar experience can be had locally by disk golfing at Villas Crossing in Tamaqua and travelling back to Exeter to Sabatini’s Bottleshop & Bar.

Course manager at Villas Crossing, Tara Vandeneynde said bachelor parties are not uncommon at their course.

“We had one couple — he was a ball golfer and she was a disc golfer — and they did a joint bachelor/bachelorette party,” Vandeneynde said.

Tom Ahearn, the proprietor of Black Tie Luxury Limosine in West Pittson, said bachelor party groups often just go to their three of four favorite local establishments.

“One of the main destinations is our local casino, the Mohegan Sun,” Ahearn said. “Rarely do we get Atlantic City calls anymore, because we have a local facility.”

While Mohegan Sun Pocono does not offer VIP packages at this time, director of marketing campaign management Paul Toennes said bachelor and bachelorette parties are welcome to discuss lodging options with Mohegan Sun Pocono’s hotel team.

“We are excited that we are becoming a popular spot in the area, because there are so many experiences to have here, whether it’s dining, nightlife, gaming, live racing, or experiencing our luxury spas,” Toennes said. “We are continuing to explore more opportunities and other services we can offer to our guests to enhance their experiences.”

Reach Matt Mattei at 570-991-6651 or Twitter@TLArts

Bachelor parties about gathering friends, having it your way

By Matt Mattei

mmattei@timesleader.com

A group of guys plays disc golf at Villas Crossing in Tamaqua.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Villas2.CMYK_.jpg.optimal.jpgA group of guys plays disc golf at Villas Crossing in Tamaqua. Submitted photo

Mohegan Sun Pocono has become an increasingly popular destination for bachelor parties according to Tom Ahearn from Black Tie Luxury Limousine in West Pittston.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_MSP2.CMYK_.jpg.optimal.jpgMohegan Sun Pocono has become an increasingly popular destination for bachelor parties according to Tom Ahearn from Black Tie Luxury Limousine in West Pittston. Submitted photo

A disc golfer tees off at Villas Crossing in Tamaqua.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_Villas.CMYK_.jpg.optimal.jpgA disc golfer tees off at Villas Crossing in Tamaqua. Submitted photo