OKW Architects has proudly served many country and golf clubs as a strategic partner over the last four decades. We have seen the industry grow and change with the times, always dedicated to providing our clients with the best business and design services to meet the needs of evolving demographics and tastes.
In the past decade, we have seen the landscape of private clubs dramatically change. Membership is changing and with it, expectations of what the club experience can and should provide. While exclusivity and a refined experience are still paramount to providing value to their members, many clubs are adapting to attract a new generation of members and remain relevant in the years to come.
In that time, many clubs asked us to evaluate their facilities’ potential for significant change. Any club looking to elevate or expand its member experience needs to consider the needs of its members, the Club’s assets and history, and the bottom line. As architects and business partners, we make sure to provide solutions that create immediate value and prepare our clients for future success.
Below are six common renovations that have greatly improved our clients’ facilities and earned acclaim from their members. Although not every project is applicable to every client, each one was a specific charge to elevate the member experience and increase the Club’s relevance and value.
Casual is in.
Very few clubs can survive if they rely on the makeup of their historical membership. As our families, schools, and workforce become more diverse, so will the most successful clubs. To attract a younger and more diverse audience, clubs have found that relaxing the formal atmosphere can help. Reconsidering dress codes and creating more casual dining and recreational environments can help shed the formality and attract younger families to the club.
Photography by Wayne Cable, Wayne Cable Photo
Make the bar a focal point.
Country clubs are competing for their members’ time, and there are plenty of competitors. To stay at the top of members’ preferences, clubs will have to emulate or surpass the dining and bar experience typically found outside their walls. Once tucked to the side of formal dining rooms, the bar is now a hub of social activity, a destination unto itself.
By investing in the bar and its surrounding spaces, it can become a very successful (and fun) social and recruitment tool for any Club. Combining an engaging, high-design space with friendly faces is the type of experience that can attract and retain new members.
Photography by Wayne Cable, Wayne Cable Photo
Think beyond golf …
Golf is increasingly falling out of fashion with younger generations. Selling a Club for its golf facilities might work, but it is increasingly important to provide additional, family-friendly activities, especially when golf is limited by weather. Such activities as Pickleball or Paddle Tennis, in conjunction with Paddle huts and firepits, can extend the usefulness of Club facilities nearly year-round, as well as provide spaces for private events and social gathering.
Photography by Wayne Cable (1 & 2) and Defined Space (3 & 4)
… and bring golf indoors.
Golf may be on the decline, but it’s still very popular and an important draw for members. However, it is changing with the advent of virtual reality. By investing in this type of technology, Clubs can allow members to not only play golf through the coldest seasons, but they can also let them play famed courses in Pebble Beach from the comfort of their local Club.
Photography by Wayne Cable, Wayne Cable Photos
Use locker rooms as a feature.
Locker rooms are being evaluated less as transition spaces and more as destinations in their own right. Clubs are outfitting their locker facilities with hospitality-grade amenities and furnishings. Card tables, chaise lounges, and private bars are increasingly making their way into these facilities to incentivize members to stay longer, enjoy the space, and perhaps generate extra revenue. These elevations add a new level of comfort and function to the locker room, which in turn, bolsters the member experience in meaningful ways.
Photography by Wayne Cable, Wayne Cable Photos
Showcase the details.
With all these renovations, it is important to remember that Clubs are not trying to become a bar or replace a restaurant; they are first and foremost a Club. To be truly separate and above the myriad options that their members have for their leisure time, they should embrace what makes them unique. These details, whether in historical architecture, local materials, or one-of-a-kind views, should be used to remind members that their experience is unique, genuine, and of its place.
OKW is currently working with several clubs in Chicagoland and beyond to elevate their member experience. If you believe we can work together, send us a note and tell us about your goals.