THE ROB REPORT
All in the Family WHEN I FIRST BEGAN the process of joining Club + Resort Business, I sat in the Rocky River, Ohio office and talked about trends I was seeing in the club industry. This was pre-COVID, so there were certainly a lot of clubs closing and golf courses being redeveloped. Each morning, Joe Barks and I would gather stories from across the country for our daily newsletter and be forced to come up with another word for “close” … such as halt, shutter, cease or fold. It was depressing from afar, but devastating for those directly affected—employees and members. That was the negative, but I’m a glasshalf-full person and chose to focus on the positives. As a member of the Mayfield Sand Ridge Club, I was seeing an emphasis on family-oriented programming. Our club was far from “your father’s country club.” From brunches with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, to a vibrant swim team and youth camps, Mayfield had something for every member of the clan. A family focus isn’t exclusive to Mayfield, of course. It’s quite simple to find examples of this shift in every corner of the country. Our Contributing Editor Pamela Brill writes about how clubs have embraced their youngest members in a feature beginning on page 18 (A Room of Their Own). She spoke with Matt McConnell, Membership Director of Treyburn Country Club in Durham, N.C., and Rick Dente, COO/General Manager, at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. “With our membership continuing to grow and our hopes of bringing younger families in, we did feel it was a priority to have a more welcoming kids’ room for them to enjoy,” McConnell explains. And the renovated space at St. Andrews was targeted directly at tomorrow’s members. 6
l Club + Resort Business l May 2022
Today’s clubs are truly a third base for members—joining home and work. They can include not only your favorite spa or gym, but also your family’s go-to restaurant and vacation destination. “This location strengthens our commitment to kid-friendly facilities and serves as a backdrop for year-round kids’ activities” Dente says. The trend goes beyond today’s youth, however. Look no further than this month’s Top Ranked Aquatics and Pools feature on page 14. The Bald Head Island (N.C.) Club renovated its Aquatics complex and unveiled the facility in the summer of 2019. An existing saltwater lap pool was joined by new slides and plunge pool, kiddie splash pad and playground, a zero-entry leisure pool, and cabana bar. Talk about something for every member of the family! Open April through October, the complex continuously sees an 84% occupancy rate each day, even with 20-minute intervals allocated to clean between guests, maximizing sanitation. Playgrounds and resort-style pools are
great for the kids, and poolside lounging can be a relaxing way to spend the day for Mom and Dad, but how about those who like to work up a sweat? Sure, clubs have traditionally offered golf and tennis (and more recently pickleball), but Mizner Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. is taking physical activity up a notch ... or five. When Director of Fitness Daniyel Gavrilov joined the club a year ago, he launched a program called “Wellness Without Walls” to get members moving and hearts pumping. As part of this initiative, he brought in DEKA FIT, a new sport started during the coronavirus pandemic two years ago by Spartan Race when the extreme wellness platform couldn’t hold its regular events. “The vision I had was to revolutionize fitness and wellness in a country club setting,” Gavrilov says. “I want to help people make fitness a part of their everyday lifestyle.” Read more about the program and all it entails on page 32 (Stepping Outside the Norm). Today’s clubs are truly a third base for members—joining home and work. They can include not only your favorite spa or gym, but also your family’s go-to restaurant and vacation destination.
Rob Thomas • Editor
rthomas@wtwhmedia.com
www.clubandresortbusiness.com
