Orchard Lake Country Club, Orchard Lake, Mich., has long been known for the excellence of its golf course—in fact, the club boasts one of the highest ranked golf courses in the state. And as with golf, the club’s racquet and swim programs have been recognized for decades as some of the area’s strongest programs.
“Orchard Lake is a total family club,” said Peter Swick, Orchard Lake Country Club’s chief operations officer & general manager. “We are proud that we offer so many activities that appeal to everyone in the family, young and old.”
That’s where sailing comes into the story. Historically, boating was an essential part of the club’s identity. The first club developed on the site was a boating club—the Orchard Lake Yacht Club—in 1900. The club’s founder, Willis Ward, was an avid sailor who created the club to provide a place for sailors from across the globe to compete in races. The Orchard Lake Country Club as we know it today, with golf and many other offerings, wouldn’t be developed for another quarter century.
With its location on scenic Orchard Lake, it makes sense that boating would play an important role in the club’s history.
However, fewer members were taking advantage of the program as time went on. In 2020, the club decided it was time to reenergize the sailing program.
The Right Leader and The Right Boats
The process started with the hiring of Bruce Lilley, a retired private club GM and the sailing coach of a local school system, who was brought on as waterfront and sailing center director. Lilley was the perfect choice because in addition to being an excellent coach, he understands the private club environment, what club members want and how to provide those experiences.
“Bruce was able to use his club management skills,” said Swick. “He is the reason our boating program is such a success today.”
Lilley’s first order of business was to evaluate the club’s fleet of boats to determine whether existing resources would be sufficient. After a thorough evaluation process, he determined the club needed to invest in new boats.
“I taught sailing here back in 1978 and ‘79, and they were using the same boats,” said Lilley. “It was pretty obvious that we needed to update our fleet.”
Lilley created a list of characteristics required in a successful fleet and started looking for durable, high-quality boats with easy-to-replace parts. He quickly decided that Flying Scot was the right choice.
“Flying Scots are perfect for us because they are very simple but can be as complicated as you want to make them,” said Lilley. “So not only are they perfect for beginners, but if some of our more experienced sailors want to participate in a regatta, we can add a spinnaker, pop the boat on a trailer and they are ready to go.”
According to Tyler Andrews, co-owner of Flying Scot, this flexibility is one of the reasons he company’s boats are so popular with private clubs.
“Our boats have just one design but can be adjusted simply and quickly to meet the needs of any sailor, whether they are beginners or have advanced skills,” said Andrews. “The boat can grow with the sailor.”
“Our boats are high and dry, and they do everything well,” added Carrie Andrews, co-owner of the company. “Normally, there are trade-offs between stability, ease of maintenance and performance. But these boats are really stable, easy to take care of and high performers.”
Flying Scots are extremely popular with yacht clubs and other clubs with boating programs. Currently, 126 clubs across the United States use them. The company has been around for 65 years, and all their boats are hand made in Maryland, with sails from Madison, Wisc. They are also affordable, starting under $30,000. When a club orders new boats, Tyler Andrews delivers them personally, rigs them and then sails them onsite to make sure they are set up properly.
“Clubs appreciate this level of personal support,” he said. “In the case of Orchard Lake, I’ve developed friendships with many of the members and I’ve even sailed with them.”
Orchard Lake Country Club currently has six Flying Scots, as well older Lasers, a catamaran, kayaks, paddleboards and a carbon fiber rowing shell. There are even two large pontoon boats for members who prefer a different experience. The club plans to buy several more Flying Scots in the coming years.
Winning Over Members
Choosing the right boats was just the first step. The club needed to encourage members to use them. An important part of Lilley’s job was to get members who had never stepped foot onto a boat out onto the lake.
“When the first tee is busy, I like to walk over and remind members that the sailing program is here,” Lilley said. “The club has a rich tradition of sailing. In fact, our roots lie in sailing. I wanted to regain that element of our identity.”
He’s made great strides—since the first season with the new Scots, the children’s sailing program has tripled in participants.
An important element of the boating program’s success was the introduction of a more structured curriculum through the Orchard Lake Sailing Academy, which is an essential part of programming for both adult and junior sailors. The club also created a team charged with executing the standards of excellence for the boating program, which it calls the Delta Team. And the club has even created its own club burgee, a nautical flag that identifies Orchard Lake’s yachting team both at the club and when members travel to races.
According to Lilley, the club has an active and accomplished sailing support team that is largely responsible for the success of the program. In addition to teaching members how to sail, the team also teaches maintenance and safety.
“Every second of every day, they are constantly on alert,” said Lilley. “There are a lot of things that can go wrong on the water, and you have to know how to avoid those things.”
“When we started, the sailors and golfers didn’t really mix,” continued Lilley. “Now our golf members are also using our sailing resources. In fact, one golf member is our honorary commodore!”
Over the years, junior members were the predominant engagers when it came to boating, but the club has made important accommodations to make boating more convenient for adults. This includes expanding waterfront hours and pushing league outings back to 6:30 p.m.
“You can’t close at 5 p.m. if you want people to come out and sail after work,” said Lilley.
The boats are available to all members once they demonstrate sailing proficiency. Then, it’s open sailing. There is even a Friday night sailing league, which is very popular among members.
“We are expanding our interclub relationships to participate in regional Flying Scot events,” said Swick. “And we are hosting our own race that will have sailors coming from all over the Midwest. This is a great way to enjoy sailing while building new relationships with people who love the sport as much as our members do.”
Swick acknowledges that the purchase of the boats and the other initiatives that were necessary to rebuild the program represented a significant investment for the club. But he and Lilley think the investment was worth it. The members love the program, their kids are getting the chance to become sailors at a young age and the club is benefitting by participating in races with clubs from all over the region. Most importantly, the reinvigorated boating program has strengthened the club. “The bottom line is, sailors have more fun,” said Lilley.
Bill Smith is president of Smith Phillips Communications. He can be reached at [email protected].