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Top 10 Must-Haves In Private Club Facilities Planning

Private clubs must compete for their members’ time above all else. If a private club can offer its members an engaging experience for all ages that complements their busy lifestyle, the club will soon become a desired destination for all members of the family.

While board members and club leaders are often well-versed with the concept of ROI (return on investment), many struggle when applying this concept to potential facilities improvements in their club. Why? Because private clubs are not traditional for-profit businesses and can’t be evaluated in the same manner. Instead, we encourage clubs to consider the ROE—return on experience.

The value a club brings to its members directly affects two key strategic drivers:
(1) member retention and (2) member recruitment. By increasing the relevancy of a private club within a member’s lifestyle, you increase the value of their membership. Here, are our top 10 “Must-Haves” in facilities planning to increase the ROE—and the overall value—of your club experience.

1. REBALANCING DINING SPACES
Many clubs are rebalancing the existing square footage of their dining spaces to create appropriate separation of spaces with tasteful, updated décor. Today, members desire dedicated bar/lounge areas where they can socialize with friends, as well as family-oriented spaces where parents and children feel comfortable. Members are also looking for intimate upscale dining spaces with fewer seats rather than the large formal dining rooms of decades past.

By renovating dining spaces within the existing building footprint, clubs can revitalize their F&B experience while evading
the cost of building new venues or servicing additional square footage. St. Clair Country Club in Pittsburgh experienced a 40 percent increase in utilization in the first six months after Chambers reconfigured their dining spaces and quickly developed a flourishing wine program as a result of the new member wine locker displays incorporated throughout.

2. BARS BECOMING THE EPICENTER OF CLUBS

Members crave an exciting and spontaneous bar atmosphere. Today, members are less likely to make a reservation and prefer to casually “drop by” the club to socialize with fellow members. Providing an inviting horseshoe-shaped, “cross-talk” bar encourages such interaction—whether they enjoy a before-dinner cocktail, order a quick and casual meal, or meet to watch “the big game,” members quickly see the bar as a destination unto itself.

At Baton Rouge Country Club in Baton Rouge, La., Chambers converted a centralized dance floor into a circular bar that is now the focal point of a vibrant casual dining room that members of all ages enjoy. In the last three years since implementation, member dining F&B sales have increased 31 percent and the club’s stockholding membership has reached capacity.

3. OFFERINGS

Members desire unique dining settings like those they experience in their local cities and neighborhoods. Elevate your dining offerings by incorporating an open kitchen concept or creating a wine cellar for private events and tastings. Offer healthy menus that change regularly and incorporate ingredients grown at the club so members enjoy these amenities at the club rather than going to the new farm-to-table restaurant in town.

4. INDOOR/ OUTDOOR LIVING AREAS

Members wish to take advantage of the club’s outdoor setting by socializing in spaces that capture the club’s beautiful views and provide furniture groupings and fire pits. To minimize the distance from the kitchen, outdoor terraces and patios often include outdoor cooking stations as well. If members can’t be outside, they look for spaces where they can have as much connectivity with the outdoors as possible.

5. YOUTH ACTIVITIES

Progressive clubs are providing family-friendly amenities designed for today’s youth. This gives the club’s youngest members a place to call their own, providing areas where they feel comfortable while fostering a deeper connection with club life and making lifelong memories. Young children and teens have different interests that should be reflected in the programs and décor of these spaces, which are often located in close proximity to casual dining spaces for ease of access for families.

The design of Wilmington, N.C.-based Cape Fear Country Club’s Family Activity Center included two designated areas for their youth—a dedicated child care space (complete with a quiet nursery room) and a durable youth room for teens and tweens with table games, seating areas and video games.

6. SWIMMING POOLS AND ADULT CABANAS

A club’s swimming pool area is now the number two most desired amenity by prospective members (second to golf). Members look for resort-style pool designs, inviting pool deck spaces, ample shaded areas and additional spaces for socialization, such as an adult cabana bar. These types of spaces, in addition to offering expanded pool snack bar menus or offering unique programs are also important to providing an enhanced swimming experience beyond the traditional rectangular pool.

7. CYBER LIBRARY

Thirty to 40 percent of today’s members work remotely. Since clubs strive to be a member’s home-away-from-home, they should also provide members with the same at-home comfort and connectivity. The design of these spaces should go beyond the typical business center concept, and instead resemble the airport lounge concept with soft seating, light refreshments and wireless access.

The new Executive Business Lounge at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh is a perfect example—complete with a coffee station, communal area, and individual computer carrels. The Union League Club of Chicago’s recent first-floor renovation incorporates casual seating and a café bar that transforms into a cocktail lounge in the evening—offering members that desired “third place” outside of work and home to connect.

8. EXPANDED WELLNESS, FITNESS AND GROUP EXERCISE

The number one capital improvement in private clubs is the development or expansion of fitness and wellness facilities. All generations desire a healthy lifestyle, so private clubs are providing exclusive spaces for members to engage in total-body health and wellness. In addition to traditional strength training and cardio, group exercise classes are increasingly important to provide a variety of unique programming catered to various skill levels and age segments.

Since opening in the spring of 2016, Cape Fear Country Club’s new fitness and wellness facilities have ushered increased utilization from members and a heightened enthusiasm from members of all ages. The ultra-casual dining space alone has yielded a 60 percent increase in summer F&B sales compared to the previous pool snack bar and also serves as a new casual dining option for members in the off season.

9. YEAR-ROUND UTILIZATION

Clubs often search for ways members can utilize the club during the “off-season” or in inclement weather. Some clubs incorporate elements like golf simulators or Golf Learning Centers, which can become social destinations to encourage beginners and non-golfers to play just for fun. Many clubs are also developing organized indoor club activities—or “intraclubs”—for increased socialization, including wine clubs, lecture series, and even dart leagues, just to name a few.

10. AESTHETIC UPGRADES

The typical life span for interior décor is 10–12 years. After this period of time, spaces begin to look either tired
or outdated. Clubs should maintain a system of periodic updates and develop a plan for systematic enhancements to their interiors in order to keep facilities looking fresh and current.

Rick Snellinger is president and CEO of Chambers. He can be reached at [email protected].

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