Club and Resort Talks Club and Resort Talks

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Club + Resort Business Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas and Senior Phil Keren discuss a recently completed project, one that is nearly finished and two more that are just beginning.

The 18-month revitalization project at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. encompassed 189 of the resort’s guest rooms, the complete rebuild and elevated design enhancements of the famed Beach House, and the restoration of its four beachside pools. Improvements were made to the resort’s beachfront restaurant, beachside lounge, and poolside lounging area. “The completion of this extensive restoration marks a significant milestone for LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort,” says Martin Greenwood, Area Managing Director for the resort.

Previously known as America’s longest golf course, the Pines Course at The International in Bolton, Mass. is on schedule to welcome limited member play this fall. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are wrapping up the project they began in 2022. It is believed The Pines will be the first new 18-hole course to open in Massachusetts in more than a decade. The Pines will be one of the region’s few courses to feature fescue grass on tees, fairways and in the rough. Fescue grass courses are typically found in Scotland and Ireland, places where the game was first played.Other final project tasks include installing new bunker sand, edging perimeters of bunkers, trimming and clearing trees, and establishing fairway/rough lines.

After a century of operation, the Swope Memorial golf course in Kansas City plans to close for a year to undergo a $7 million renovation.There is a proposal before Kansas City’s City Council for the project. If approved, plans include rebuilding the tee boxes, cart paths, and greens, installing a new drainage system, and filling the bunkers with firmer sand. Some greens will be less steep, and others will be wider. They will also renumber certain holes to improve the pace of play. A significant number of trees will be removed to improve playability and turf health by increasing sunlight and airflow.

Burning Tree Country Club in Greenwich, Conn. intends to revamp its infrastructure by replacing the old pool building with a modern facility dubbed the Aquatics and Recreation Center. The current paddle tennis building will make way for a new structure and additional features outlined in the proposal include an open-air poolside bar.

On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Jarrett Chirico, Director of Racquets at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, Texas and Founder/President of The Directors Club. In addition to the importance of certifications (he has many (DCA, CRSE, PTR, PPR, PCR, PPTR, SCR, USPTA, PPTA)), Chirico discusses the vision behind The Directors Club and the booming racquets industry as it enjoys its Golden Age. He also looks into his crystal ball and shares what the industry may look like in 5-10 years.

Phil Keren, Senior Editor of Club + Resort Business, joined the podcast to discuss the latest news from across the industry, such as a pair of stories related to the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. There are 21 PGA of America Professionals from clubs in states across the country playing in the tournament. The Corebridge Financial Team includes Ben Polland, Director of Golf at Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyo., — the winner of the 2024 PGA Professional Championship — and Michael Block, PGA Golf Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif. Block was one of the biggest stories in golf last year when he finished tied for 15th place at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Rob and Phil also talked about a special career-exploration event called PGA WORKS Beyond the Green that took place near the 17th hole at Valhalla Golf Club. At this program, students had the chance to hear industry leaders discuss the wide range of employment opportunities available within the game of golf.

In addition, Phil and Rob highlighted the completion of a $10 million renovation project at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, Calif. These improvements encompassed a revamp of the clubhouse, pool areas, and the addition of a new outdoor activity center to replace a temporary one established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Senior Editor Phil Keren speaks with Evan Summa, General Manager of Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, Iowa, about the club’s completion of a refurbished clubhouse and an adult-only dining area, the start of a luxury home project, and a comprehensive digital marketing campaign. The finished projects were initiated in response to answers given by club members in a survey conducted in fall of 2022. Summa, who has worked at Hyperion for 12 years and became its leader last year, also highlights the efforts undertaken to make the club more family-friendly.

Phil and Editor-In-Chief Rob Thomas also discussed a golf course in northern Michigan that renovated some of its holes as an homage to legendary golf course architect Donald Ross, a walk-through military exhibit opening next to a Par-3 golf course in Oklahoma, and ownership changing hands at a golf course in Minnesota.

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Senior Editor Phil Keren speaks with Eric Brey, one of the Directors at GGA Partners, about his firm’s Club Members Perspective Report. GGA surveyed more than 3,500 club members throughout North America to find out what members value at their clubs. The report offers a lot of great information to help general managers understand what members like about their club and what aspects they feel could be improved.

Phil and Club + Resort Business Editor-In-Chief Rob Thomas also discussed how Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor, Mich. kicked off a new master planning process for its golf course. With the club planning to celebrate its 50th anniversary in three years, leaders felt the time was right to do a full-scale upgrade of the course.

Rob and Phil also highlighted the new 12-hole short course called The Clutch which opened at South Seas on Captiva Island along Florida’s Gulf Coast, and a $25.4 million renovation at the historic Desert Horizons Country Club in Indian Wells, Calif.

Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas speaks with Jason Becker, PGA, CEO and Co-Founder of Golf Life Navigators, about a new trend — millennials flocking to golf communities. Among other topics, Becker addresses how the perception of private golf communities has shifted among millennials in recent years, as well as some common misconceptions or stereotypes about millennials in private golf communities, and how these communities are addressing or challenging them.

Rob and Senior Editor Phil Keren also discussed a trio of major projects and the opening of an indoor golf instructional facility.

They touched on the start of a $22.5 million amenity update at The Ford Field and River Club in Richmond Hill, Ga. The project will focus on enhancing and expanding key amenities, including the clubhouse, Lake Dye Grill, Sports Barn, and golf practice facility.

Rob and Phil highlighted the groundbreaking ceremony for a new golf course being constructed at Travis Club Austin (Texas), Austin’s newest 1,500-acre master-planned community west of Austin on Lake Travis. The championship course at the Travis Club is scheduled to debut in late 2025 along with the accompanying practice facility, comfort stations and initial social outlet, the Golf House.

Jack’s Bay, the 1,200-acre private club community nestled along the southern coast of Eleuthera (UH-LOOTH-RA) Island, Bahamas, initiated construction for the world’s inaugural Jack Nicklaus Heritage championship golf course. This historic collaboration with Nicklaus Design marks a significant milestone for golf enthusiasts worldwide, with the course scheduled to open for play in 2025.

Moving indoors, Phil and Rob shared some thoughts about Golfzon Range by Leadbetter opening its second facility, this time in Westbury, Long Island, N.Y. The recent opening ceremony was attended by renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter, the company’s namesake. Among other things, the site offers golf simulators, Puttview interactive slopped putting green, and personal instruction from Leadbetter-accredited instructors.

On this episode of Club + Resort Talks, Club + Resort Business Senior Editor Phil Keren visited with PGA Golf Professional Jimmy Hanlin, who hosts or co-hosts four golf programs on television — “Blaster’s 18 Holes,” “Swing Clinic,” “Pin Shot,” and “Links to the Game.” He also hosts a radio show called “Tee It Up with Jimmy Hanlin and Tony Grossi” on ESPN Cleveland Radio. In the country club world, Hanlin is the Owner and Director of Golf at both Little Mountain Country Club in Painesville, Ohio, and StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights, Ohio.

Phil and Jimmy discussed the TV programs, the two golf courses, and the teaching academy that was established at StoneWater. Jimmy shared his thoughts on efforts to grow the game, as well as his approach to instructing beginning golfers.

On his show, “Links to the Game,” Hanlin plays a round of golf with well-known Cleveland and Ohio State University athletes, former athletes and coaches. Listen to the Club + Resort Talks podcast to find out which sports figure Hanlin called the “most competitive” and which one he considered the “most fun.”

Phil and Club + Resort Business Editor-in-Chief Rob Thomas talked about some of the major news stories happening in the club industry, including a $10 million irrigation upgrade project at Mesa (Ariz.) Country Club, a clubhouse renovation and expansion at Kensington Golf & Country Club in Naples, Fla., and space overhaul work at The University Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.