Head north over San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and meander about 20 miles up to the heart of Marin County and you will be in the quaint town of Fairfax. What you won’t see tucked up in the oak-studded hills just below Mount Tamalpais is the vast Bon Tempe Meadow, home to one of the most picturesque clubs in the country. Meadow Club is a hidden gem that is a golf purist’s dream and a naturalist’s delight.
In 1927, legendary golf architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie laid out his first American course here, and the Meadow Club has enjoyed year-round golf and an active social scene in its 1928 Arts and Crafts clubhouse ever since. As with many courses, well-meaning, but perhaps misguided, members have made decisions in the intervening years that have altered the terrain and detracted from the original vision. Through dedication to a strategic plan, today’s club reflects the legendary golf architect’s vision for the course, respects and nurtures its natural surroundings, and offers amenities and facilities that keep this low-profile club providing a high-end experience.
Inspiration: The Allister MacKenzie Society
The Allister MacKenzie Society was officially incorporated in 1995 by a group comprised of members from Meadow Club and nearby clubs who shared the same course designer. The group works to preserve the legacy of their esteemed architect and safeguard the integrity of his designs.
Inspired by its affiliation with the Society, Meadow Club decided to take a hard look at its golf course. The original tree-less design had been compromised significantly by the planting of redwoods and non-native trees. In 1998, the membership embarked on the MacKenzie Signature Program, a plan to restore the course and its facilities to their former glory, removing approximately 400 trees, eliminating the odd bunkers and restoring originals, and correcting obstructed sight lines. Architect Mike DeVries and the grounds team had full support of the membership as they meticulously and systematically restored the course over six years without closing it for play.
Long-Term Strategy and Goals
General Manager Jack Grehan came to the club while the restoration was in progress—about 15 years ago—and has been instrumental in keeping the membership’s passion fueled, focused and productive. Members recognized that, while the golf course is the heartbeat of the club, it also provides a resplendent backdrop to enjoy much more than just golf. Grehan enlisted the help of McMahon Group to conduct multiple member surveys, lead board retreats and help identify, craft and communicate a strategy for updating the rest of the club’s facilities to satisfy current members and appeal to prospective members.
Periodic member surveys gave insight into the expectations and preferences of the Meadow Club membership, which trended differently than other clubs due to the uniqueness of the location and travel times involved to access the club. As a destination club, higher priority was placed on golf and longer duration activities. The demand was for a special experience to make the journey worthwhile.
The board made it a regular practice to convene shortly after the annual meeting to reinforce clarity on the club’s mission, review the member input and set goals for the coming one. This kept the overall strategic plan top of mind and relevant for each administration.
The membership worked with consultants to devise a comprehensive long-term strategy that would transform the two clubhouses, construct two new single-story pool buildings including restrooms, storage areas, a snack bar and maintenance space. The consultants credit Grehan for listening to all of the members about what the club needed in addition to a beautiful golf course, and for communicating clearly, consistently and frequently.
Clubhouse – The historic, wood-framed clubhouse renovation upgraded the 6,000-square-foot original 1920s craftsman-style construction and added 10,000-square-feet of new construction to create a space that seamlessly integrates modern amenities with historical details. Only the clubhouse’s original ballroom was retained in the construction. They carefully renovated and expanded it, added a new and relocated entry, lobby, history gallery and pre-function lounge to enhance the impact as members and their guests arrive.
A new central outdoor terrace located off the entry, lobby and history gallery expands the club’s useable area and enables members to socialize around a new stone fireplace while enjoying the spectacular views of the golf course and surrounding hills. They incorporated new administration areas and a boardroom, a large banquet area and kitchen and other back-of-house facilities.
New terraces and walkways complement the landscaping and golf course.
Golf House – The newly renovated golf house includes a new bar and grill, a men’s lounge, new full-service kitchen and a locker room expansion. Exterior improvements include a patio extension, landscape additions and an outdoor fire pit and dining area. The exterior building details reflect the character of the adjacent clubhouse.
Pool and Pool House – Members enjoy a new pool building with day lockers, changing areas and showers as well as a kitchen, dining area and storage facility. To update and modernize the facility, the pool was renovated and now hosts an array of family events and activities.
General Property Improvement – General site improvements included screening the main parking areas from the adjacent fairway and clubhouse entry, and a new lot near the pool adds much needed parking spaces and improves general site circulation.
Looking to the Future
Club leadership cites the MacKenzie course restoration as a successful precedent for its long-term strategy, which included and incorporates a 15-year capital plan, a sanding and building program as well as a long-term vision for Meadow Club, including its membership structure; facility and course maintenance and improvement; long-term capital and operating fund requirements; enhancements to social and golf aspects of the membership experience; and an environmental stewardship program. The club’s culinary offerings and wine program are exceptional and members across all categories are delighted and proud of this aspect of their member experience. Thinking strategically has allowed Meadow Club to preserve its past and refine the current member experience while also ensuring the club’s long-term health by enhancing its attractiveness to potential new members.
Jack Grehan explains the club’s philosophy: “Although we are fortunate to be in a position where all our membership categories are full—with a waiting list of 80 potential new members—we still strive to create new programs and activities to meet and exceed the expectations of our members and their families.”