Summing It Up
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Last Memorial Day, members of the over-100-year-old Detroit Golf Club witnessed something that hasn’t happened on club grounds in a long, long time. It wasn’t the crowd of cheering members gathered on the patio, or the four immediate past presidents jumping into the brand new swimming pool, that got people talking—although the latter probably did raise a few eyebrows. Rather, the fact that people were enthusiastic at all about swimming was something the club hadn’t experienced in years.
“We now have people at our pool who hadn’t been there in 15 years,” says Lee Woodruff, the club’s Chief Operating Officer. “Suddenly, people want to show their friends our new pool. It’s renewed the energy of the [space].”
The new pool complex includes an NCAA-specifications pool and a smaller children’s pool. It replaced the club’s antiquated 1940s offering, which did little more than leave those who dared to use it all wet. The $2 million project, which came in on time and on budget, now serves as a nice complement to the club’s two Donald Ross golf courses and Albert Kahn clubhouse. Perhaps most significantly, it is successfully attracting golfers and swimmers alike.
Spouses and family members who rarely visited the club prior to the pool renovation now seek it out as a destination, Woodruff says, and make a point of relaxing or dining in the pool area while they are there. Detroit GC management is discovering that an upgraded swimming area translates into happier members, more business and a stronger bottom line.
“In this economy, it’s a struggle for clubs to upgrade their facilities,” comments Woodruff. “But we’ve proved that, regardless of economics, you need to continue to upgrade. We’ve had a terrific year gaining new members and that is, in largest part, due to the new pool. We’ve experienced a positive increase in the last 15 months of about 20 new members. Not many clubs in Detroit are bragging about that.”
A “Water Hazard” You Don’t Need The Detroit GC’s experience attests that swimming areas—once an afterthought for many clubs and resorts—are now a key amenity at upscale properties and can help create the recreational and social space needed to compete in today’s crowded marketplace. Renovated pools, along with attractive seating areas, decks and outdoor foodservice, are important factors both in keeping visitors and their families on the property longer, and prompting them to come back more often.
As the Detroit GC discovered, fresh, more attractive swimming areas can be a direct help in drawing new members. But what many clubs overlook is that older swimming pools can actually cause problems, even as far away as on the golf course.
The president of a company that makes commercial PVC pool liner shells (designed to fit inside old concrete, steel, fiberglass or aluminum swimming pools) tells the story of one club that put off a shell renovation for several years. “What finally made them do the needed renovation [was] when golf carts had to run through the stream of water leaking out of the pool, and mud was getting splashed on [the golfers’] slacks,” he reports.
In addition to leaks, older pools can lose water through cracks, and that means cold makeup water has to be added daily. The end result is either a huge heating bill, or a pool so chilly that few patrons want to use it.
At the Fresno (CA) Fig Garden Swim and Racquet Club, General Manager Daryl Piercey, who resurfaced his club’s lap and recreational pools in December 2004, remembers how kids would come out “a little itchy” when they brushed up against the sides. Both pools, originally plaster, were then replaced with a fiberglass surface that was not installed well, making the new surface necessary.
The Fresno club eventually relined with PVC liners, which cost about $6 to $8 per square foot of coverage area. It also installed new filters and heaters, and upgraded its patio and outdoor furniture, as part of its refurbishment. The club has yet to experience the peak season with its new and improved pool, but members are already talking, Piercey reports—especially the ones who take water aerobics classes and are delighted with the cushion-like feel of the new pool floor.
Swim Like An Egyptian
Swimming areas shouldn’t just look and feel better, they should also be fun. Not every club can be the Phoenician, the five-star Scottsdale, Ariz. luxury resort that boasts five pools spread over three tiers, as well as smaller play pools, a 165-foot slide, and even a million-dollar lagoon. But the success of places like The Phoenician Resort—and the increasing competition of water and theme parks that vie for club members’ time and dollars—has definitely raised the bar for club and resort pool areas to offer something beyond a floating chaise lounge with cup holders.
Interactive splash pads, where water jets pop up in silly patterns, are currently gaining popularity as ways to enliven club swimming areas. “People want active features like waterslides, rather than just something to swim in or throw pennies into,” one supplier reports. “Clubs are getting more interested in [features that will] amuse kids for a long time.”
These innovations don’t come cheaply—splash pads can run from $50,000, and full-blown waterslides can approach six figures. It’s also important to integrate these features in a way that’s compatible with how other members want to use the pool area. And the increased activity can also create new safety and liability issues that must be addressed.
But the upside is that more inviting and entertaining pool areas are one of the best ways to keep mom and the kids at the club for a full day, on just about every day in the summer—and having two or more meals in the process. A fun pool with exclusive access can also make families think of the club first for birthday or team parties—especially if you do some aggressive “suggestive selling” about this idea through your member communications or other club marketing channels.
For clubs that are still primarily golf-oriented, suppliers report a trend toward “shallowing” pools, to eliminate deeper ends once reserved for diving boards but now considered costly liabilities by most insurance companies. “More pools now go from three feet to five feet to three feet, eliminating any kind of deep end,” says one supplier.
“Reflecting” Well on the Club as a Whole
Two resorts currently undergoing renovations—The Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club in North Carolina, and Lansdowne Resort in Virginia—have included upgraded swim areas as key components of their strategies for making their clubs more desirable.
As part of a $25 million expansion project that is slated for completion this August, the Duke Inn is replacing what had been strictly an outdoor pool venue, with very little deck area, with a more family-friendly indoor pool. The design incorporates a large outdoor sundeck that will overlo
ok the 9th green. “It will give the hotel an added outlet for food and beverages that we haven’t had before,” explains Jim Bressler, the inn’s Director of Sales and Marketing.
At Lansdowne Resort, the new swim offerings also come as part of a larger renovation—no less than a $45 million undertaking that’s designed to attract more leisure travelers. Currently, explains Josh Herman, Public Relations Director, about 80 percent of Lansdowne’s revenues come from corporate business. The hope is that the renovations will now spur conference attendees to tack an extra day onto their trips, and/or bring family members, to take full advantage of the new amenities. “Maybe someone who would come for two or three days and be in meetings the whole time will now extend [the trip and] spend a day at the pool before they leave,” says Herman.
Lansdowne’s multi-level pool complex is designed to appeal to every age group. The littlest guests and their parents can play among pop-up jets, while older kids can slip down the waterslide. A quieter pool sits in a separate area for those who want to soak up some sun, read or nap (or just get away from the other groups). The entire complex, scheduled to open this Memorial Day weekend, is connected by an 8,000-square foot patio. “Everyone is as excited about [the pool] as they are about the golf course,” says Herman.
And that might be the biggest change of all for clubs and resorts of all sizes that have started to breathe new life into their swimming pool areas. From elaborate multi-million dollar complexes to relined pools with new seating, pools are keeping members happy and helping management make a bigger splash. C&RB
Members of the Board present for the Opening Ceremony
A Myriad of Ways to Get Wet
With all the options for pool design elements it can sometimes be hard to know where to start. The thinking that a pool is just a hole in the ground filled with water no longer passes muster. Fitness enthusiasts demand lap-swimming accommodations, children want to splash, teens want their tan and adults want some time to relax. It’s possible to make everyone happy with careful planning. Several ideas for design elements are listed below, but you can’t just draw them out of a hat and expect them to work together. Your two options are either to take a good look at the membership in an effort to decipher what they would make the best use of, or you can look at a pool renovation as a way to rejuvenate the membership by creating a draw for new members. With a fair degree of effort, you can create a new life for a club’s ailing membership. Perhaps you can create an aqua complex that rivals the golf course in desirability. A project of this magnitude warrants a consultant, so don’t be afraid to get one involved. The extra money up front will help reap big rewards once the dust settles. Chutes and Ladders Children like slides so why not let them burn off some energy by repeatedly climbing to the top. There are several types available from the simple ones that often find homes in personal backyard pools to the behemoths that reach into the sky in a winding knot of slippery goodness. Dual slides can give children a chance to race each other. Splish Splash If you place a child and water in close proximity it’s almost impossible to avoid getting splashed. Play to children’s natural tendencies and give them a place to have their fun. Interactive splash pads are gaining in popularity and their zero to low depth makes them a bit safer for the little ones. The youngest guests can spend hours entertaining themselves by exploring the different water sources and older children will surely invent games to try to stop the water or guess where it will come from next. One Down, 24 To Go If you’ve ever tried to swim laps, you know how annoying it can be to have to maneuver around casual swimmers in a short pool. If you pool is big enough you can simply designate a portion of the pool for the health conscious while allowing others the space to cool off. If not, creative scheduling can give all members their time in the sun. If you have a lot of regular fitness swimmers or are the proud sponsor of a swim team or two, consider heating the pool or enclosing it to extend the season year round. Just like golfers dread the off-season, so do any enthusiasts for a seasonal sport. An Oasis in My Life For the members and guests who look to the pool for a place to relax and get away from it all, be sure to have plenty of comfortable seating. Incorporate both loungers and upright chairs and provide plenty of shady areas for the burn weary. You can’t assume that everyone hanging out at the pool wants a deep tan and, besides, it’s hard to read a good book in full sunlight even with a good pair of shades. Landscaping can go a long way to create a peaceful atmosphere. Consider adding rock sculptures either in the pool to form islands or around it. From Zero to Infinity Two popular design treatments are the infinity edge and zero depth entry pools. The former gives the illusion of the watery surface ending in the middle of nowhere and can provide a nice waterfall effect visible from below the pool. This is best for pools overlooking the golf course, but may not be the best choice for true family pools. Zero entry gives children a shallow place to get wet and allows for easier entry by older or disabled members. Compare this to walking into the ocean which gradually deepens. Water in Motion If you truly want to go all out you could add a lazy river for members to float away their cares on inner tubes or rafts. A wave pool is an extravagant idea that may appeal to some members or an “endless” pool for “lap” swimming may be a more likely fit. |
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