With interest in fitness amenities growing, clubs are responding in kind by expanding fitness centers literally, and visually, through square footage and clever design.
By Diana Mirel, Contributing Editor
When the new fitness facility at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif., was built in 2005, there was some pushback from members. “When we built our fitness center, it was controversial,” says Josh Tanner, General Manager/COO. “Now, we have as many visits to the fitness center as we do to the golf course.”
Without a doubt, fitness has becom a top amenity in clubs and resorts across the country. As industry leaders recognize the importance and value of fitness, they are investing in renovations and improvements that ensure their facilities and programs continue to thrive. These facilities are quickly becoming the social center and spirit of many properties.
SUMMING IT UP
- Fitness facilities are evolving into wellness centers that incorporate workout equipment, spa services and health and well-being programs.
- Lining fitness center walls with floorto-ceiling windows gives members scenic views of the property and makes the facility appear larger and more open.
- Natural light, earth tones and water features create a serene and inviting atmosphere within the fitness center.
“In my experience over the last 10 years, most clubs that add a fitness facility realize they didn’t make it large enough,” says Amy Krishka, Sports Director at Ironwood CC. “They underestimate the popularity of fitness and the bang it will give to their club.”
Country Club
Palm Desert, Calif.
“The sports center is a large space and all of the windows help make it look even larger.We really wanted to bring the outdoors inside.”
—Josh Tanner,
General Manager/COO
Creating a fitness facility that provides a powerful punch starts with creating a retreat where members and guests can come together to focus on their health.
A Picture of Health
The sports center at Ironwood CC offers more than just an excellent workout. With a state-of-the-art fitness facility, tennis and pickleball courts, a luxurious spa and a physical therapist and chiropractor on site, the sports center focuses on overall wellness.“Our vision is taking care of our members,” says Tanner. “We do a good job of communicating the benefits of wellness. For instance, our members have learned that if you are a golfer and you work out, you will be able to enjoy the game of golf longer because you will be healthier longer.”The sports center is located less than half a mile from the clubhouse. The architecture and design of the sports center mirror the Tuscan-style main clubhouse, with its rounded archways, a tawny color scheme and mahogany doors, baseboards and trim.
Breaking through walls and other visual barriers is a strong design theme within Ironwood’s sports center. Windows throughout the entire facility bring natural light and the club’s scenic surroundings into the space for a fresh, open feel. “The sports center is a large space, and all of the windows help make it look even larger,” says Tanner. “We really wanted to bring the outdoors in.”
The cardio and weight room has 180- degree views of the club’s grounds. The back wall in the group exercise room and one side of the Pilates room are made up of windows, to enhance the sense of space and create interconnectedness
with the rest of the club. “All of the windows and views make it a very inviting and relaxing area,” says Krishka.
The sports center is also a social space for members to gather in a more casual setting. An inviting lobby seating area overlooks the club’s tennis courts and provides views of the surrounding mountains. The seating area has oversized, cushioned chairs, a coffee table, complimentary coffee and a large television.
The spa offers a variety of facial and body treatments. “Spa ties in well with fitness because you’re working out the body, but also relaxing it as well,” says Krishka. “Going forward, I believe if clubs don’t include spa services as part of the thought process in fitness, they will be missing the boat.”
The club has furthered its commitment to wellness by bringing in a physical therapist, who typically works out of the Pilates area when there are no classes scheduled, and a chiropractor, who uses the group fitness area.
“We keep our programming fresh and communicate that to our members,” says Tanner. “We show our members the value and benefit of wellness.”
Two Peas in a Pod
Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Fla., has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to fitness. The original plans for the clubhouse included a fitness facility when the club was built 20 years ago, long before fitness was a mainstay for clubs. As the popularity of health and fitness has grown, the club’s fitness facilities and programs have continued to evolve as well.
The sports center at Ironwood CC focuses on overall wellness rather than just a good
workout, with a state-of-the-art fitness facility, tennis and pickleball courts, a luxurious
spa, and a physical therapist and chiropractor on site.
“The demand for the fitness amenity increased dramatically back in the early 2000s,” says Jim Butler, General Manager. “Within the last five years, it has been the lifeblood of our community. Fitness is something people expect.”
To meet member demand, the club renovated both of the fitness centers that are located in the club’s two separate clubhouses—the Grey Oaks clubhouse and the Estuary clubhouse.
“Both of our fitness centers are located within the main clubhouses rather than in separate buildings,” says Butler. “Having members walk through the clubhouse to get to the fitness center makes it more of a social setting and opens up your other amenities to cross-utilization.”
The fitness center renovations included all-new equipment and flooring; changing the layout of the facilities; and adding new programs. The fitness center in the Grey Oaks clubhouse was expanded by 800 sq. ft. to 3,500 sq. ft. The front of the facility houses cardio equipment set up along floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a lake.
“Having the cardio equipment overlook the water creates a really beautiful scene for members to look at as they run on the treadmill or step on the stair-climber,” says Butler.
Circuit training machines fill the space past the cardio equipment. Prior to the renovation, the club had a separate free weight area in an open room. That area was eliminated during the renovation, to make way for comprehensive circuit training, a form of high-intensity aerobics. “We wanted to have more room on the circuit and spread it out over more space, instead of jamming it all into one area,” says Butler.
Country Club
Naples, Fla.
“Having the cardio equipment overlook the water creates a really beautiful scene for members to look at as they run on the treadmill or step on the stair-climber.”
—Jim Butler,
General Manager
Trend Watch
IMPROVING FITNESS FACILITIES and programming begins with knowing what your members and guests want and need. For insights into some of the latest trends in fitness for clubs and resorts, we went straight to the experts. Here, Kelli Hagadorn, Operations Director at WTS International Inc., shares what’s happening now in fitness.
Club & Resort Business: What are some of the biggest trends in fitness equipment?
Kelli Hagadorn: One of the biggest ones we’ve seen is the move toward functional training equipment. People want variety. Machines alone don’t allow as much variety and can make people feel like they are locked into one kind of exercise. Personal trainers also love this equipment, because they can change up their clients’ workouts and see more results.
C&RB: What are some design trends for fitness facilities?
KH: A lot of the fitness facilities I work with have big, huge windows. Those facilities have a nicer feel to them than facilities that are in basements. Bigger windows can also make a facility look busier. Another trend is having more open spaces with the fitness facility. That helps with creating space for functional training equipment, along with medicine ball and kettlebell exercises, which are also still very popular.
C&RB: What are the biggest benefits to having an updated fitness facility?
KH: It is an added amenity that gives clubs a competitive edge over another club down the road. Fitness creates one more thing to draw members and guests to the club to utilize other amenities, like dining. Fitness facilities also further build the sense of community and allow members to get to know one another in a more casual, laid-back atmosphere.
Grey Oaks CC situated both of its fitness centers in its clubhouses to create
a social setting and open up amenities to cross-utilization.
The new Grey Oaks facility also has a 1,000-sq. ft. fitness studio with new wood flooring and an outdoor, lagoon-style pool for water aerobics.
The Estuary fitness center is laid out in a similar fashion, with the cardio equipment overlooking the outdoors and a circuit training space.
Both facilities have a light and airy feel, with pale shades of yellow, blue and green. Floor-to-ceiling windows line the walls, providing ample natural light as the lush landscaping outside offers natural decoration inside the facility.
The flooring in the cardio and circuit training areas is a low-maintenance, rubberized mat system. “We looked at hard flooring, but we chose this because it is easy to clean with soap and water and easy on your knees,” says Butler. “It is a little more expensive, but we’re glad we did it.”
As one of the club’s top amenities, both fitness centers have helped Grey Oaks increase member satisfaction and membership sales. “Our fitness centers give us a competitive advantage,” says Butler. “This is an exciting time in fitness and it is really important for clubs today. Fitness keeps people healthier, living longer and enjoying life more—the reason why people join clubs. When you think about making a difference in people’s lives, fitness is very powerful.”
A Hub of Activity
The sports center and spa at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla., is the buzzing social hub of the property. The 150,000-sq. ft. complex is comprised of a fitness center, an aerobics studio, a movement studio, an aquatic complex and a spa and salon.
“The fitness center and spa serve as the main social outlet for our members arriving to the sports center,” says Joe Barone, Director of Fitness, Aquatic and Spa Operations. “They come here to improve their health, meet with friends and relax in luxurious facilities.”
The complex has an open Floridian design that utilizes natural light, numerous water features and picturesque, landscaped surroundings. The interior of the facility has a modern look with energizing earth tones of espresso and blue. Natural light from the complex’s many windows further sets the tone throughout the facility, while dim overhead lighting is used in the spa area to set a serene, calming mood.
Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., revealed its new 6,800-sq. ft. fitness center and heated lap pool at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 12.
For more details on the new facility’s features, see “Sawgrass CC Opens $2.3 Million Fitness Center,” pg. 10. For additional photos of how fitness now looks at Sawgrass and for the clubs featured here, see the online version of this article at
clubandresortbusiness.com
Boca West’s fitness center has 80 cardiovascular machines with individual LCD screens, and eight 50-inch flat screens overlook the free weight and selectorized machine area. Different flooring is used throughout the fitness facility, customized to the needs of different activities and dividing up the space visually. The majority of the space has beige carpeting, with dark maple flooring for some of the core training machines and a black and silver, thick rubberized surface in the free weight area.
The sports center is an active amenity, with the club scheduling more than 42,000 sessions of personal training, spa and salon appointments per year, along with group exercise classes for close to 8,000 members. All of the many amenities within the sports center have made it a strong sales tool.
“The sports center and spa has become our most important real estate tool for prospective buyers,” says Barone.
Boca Raton, Fla.
“The fitness center and spa serve as the main social outlet for our members arriving to the sports center. They come here to improve their health, meet with friends and relax in luxurious facilities.”
—Joe Barone,
Director of Fitness,
Aquatic and Spa Operations
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