Photos by Aker/Zvonkovic Photography, courtesy Kirksey Architecture
Back in 2002, the Houston Golf Association announced it was looking for a new home for the Houston Shell Open. The group wanted to boost attendance by moving the event closer to the city. Redstone Golf Management Group became involved when Memorial Park entered into consideration; the group owns the Houstonian Hotel Club & Spa, which is near the park. However, it was decided that the park was best left untouched. So Redstone Golf Management proposed another idea.
The group was in the process of remodeling a residential community golf course in North Houston, on the site of the old El Dorado Country Club that had closed. An agreement was reached with the Houston Golf Association and the business and site plan for that project, which would create the new Redstone Golf Club, was revised to accommodate the Shell Houston Open. In February 2002, the announcement was made: The Houston Shell Open would be moved to Redstone beginning in 2003. But that left only 15 months for the project to go from start to finish.
Planning began immediately. In addition to working with course designers Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy to modify the design on 12 of the existing holes, the group brought in Kirksey Architects and Camden Properties to build a 33,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse and a separate 40,000-sq.-ft. office building for Redstone Golf Management and the Houston Golf Association. Not a bit of this was planned before the agreement was reached.
PGA-Ready
So what does it take to build a PGA-ready club that is also appropriate as a golf club for the other 11 months of the year? Flexibility and capacity, in short. When selecting a site for tour events, the PGA is generally looking for the best courses and the best facilities. That’s a no-brainer. But even the best facilities will be ruled out if they can’t accommodate large crowds. Redstone Golf Club was designed with 50 acres of parking space to accommodate the media, sponsors, vendors and 120,000 or so spectators that follow the tour. The facilities also had to have adequate locker facilities and enough room to comfortably host the temporary crowd. Another plus for the club was its access to additional staff, equipment and volunteers from Redstone Golf Management’s other Houston courses: BlackHorse, Shadow Hawk and the Houstonian Golf and Country Club.
Redstone was designed to meet these standards, but it also had to be creatively designed to be reasonably functional during the rest of the year. For the first couple of years the club had only one course, the Jacobsen Hardy Course. But with such a large facility, the club could easily handle the traffic of two courses. So, a second course, this one designed by Rees Jones with David Toms as course consultant, was added and just opened this summer.
The club is semi-private and the two courses will help make the club available to daily-fee and tournament play while not impinging on members’ desire to play at will. Both courses have wall-to-wall computerized irrigation systems and laser-leveled and sand-capped teeing areas. But the original Hardy Jacobsen course will be limited to members, while the newer Rees Jones course will handle all other golfers.
A Split-Personality Clubhouse
The architect knew the clubhouse had to be designed to accommodate two separate groups of golfers without mingling for the majority of the year, while remaining flexible enough to cohesively entertain the tournament crowd. It was important for the areas to balance each other and Evan Johansen, Chief Executive Officer of Redstone Golf Management, made a very important observation that helped to accomplish this: The basic requirements of each audience are the same. More specifically, says Johansen, “They all require top-quality golf courses that are well-maintained year-round, facilities and amenities that provide them with everything they could need for a great round of golf or dining experience, and a friendly and knowledgeable staff to serve them.”
To keep the members separated from the daily-fee players, the clubhouse was built almost as two facilities in one. There are separate parking areas, entrances, pro shops, locker rooms, starter’s porches, range areas, wet areas, dining facilities and courses. Members almost have to go out of their way to encounter non-members.
Operationally this works because the kitchen can easily service both sides of the club from one facility with one staff. The design was laid out in this manner to maximize the efficiencies of both construction and operational costs. The kitchen, service and staff areas are central to the building and serve directly to the men’s locker room, member dining room and the main dining room. According to Johansen, “The kitchen build-out costs more per square foot than any other clubhouse area, so this was a very cost-effective solution for us.”
In general, although the building materials are virtually the same, the member areas are more upscale than the daily-fee facilities. For instance, the member locker rooms are fully-staffed and have full-length lockers, big-screen TVs, and dining and wet-areas within the locker rooms. These special touches wouldn’t be cost-effective if they were also included in the daily-fee experience. Separate dining rooms are essential because it means that tournaments or daily-fee players will never displace members. In general, these bonus amenities give members the private club experience they pay for.
Separate pro shops are another way for Redstone to service both sets of customers in the best possible way. The daily-fee pro shop is larger, has a wider selection of merchandise, and can handle a heavier traffic flow. The member pro shop, while smaller, stocks merchandise limited to member purchase. Also, the head pro’s office is located there, giving members easier access and a greater sense of ownership.
Stylistically Speaking
As for the design itself, Redstone Golf Management wanted to try a different approach. Its other properties have a Mediterranean style that utilizes stucco, heavy timbers and very traditional atmospheres.
“We wanted to do something different to reflect the uniqueness of the property and the business model,” Johansen says. “It really is a pure golf experience for both members and the public, and there are purposefully no other amenities such as swimming pools or tennis courts. We wanted a design that focused on simplicity and the beauty of the golf course.”
To bring this design philosophy to life, the architect chose natural materials that give the building a direct relationship with nature. Rick Birkinshaw, the building designer, notes how the “less is more” effect helped to achieve the desired outcome: “The cohesive use of materials inside and out results in a more spacious feel and helps draw the eye to the golf course, where the action is.”
The outside of the building is covered in split-faced Texas limestone. This was repeated indoors on the fireplaces and columns. Adding to the effect are rift-sawn oak walls and irregularly patterned Pennsylvania flagstone floors. Wall coverings that most closely resembled handmade paper were chosen. And to further lessen the indoor-outdoor divide, large windows were used in the dining and lounge areas. The panoramic views help bring the course inside, adding to the golf-centric experience.
“We added large wall areas of wood paneling to provide warmth and character in the club,” says Randall Walker, the principal-in-charge for the interiors. “The paneling evokes traditional private clubs, yet the detailing is untraditionally flat and simple, in an arts-and-crafts style. As requested by the client, a warm color palette is used, and all furniture within the space was specifically chosen for comfort.”
The only thing that wasn’t carried out as planned was t
he lighting. Early on in the project, the city adopted a new energy code. Since the building was still under construction, it had to comply. The original design had emphasized a residential look in the lighting, but the new code required the designers to incorporate more fluorescent lights than they otherwise would have. Luckily, though, the changes occurred early enough that there was time to work new lighting fixtures into the overall design scheme.
“There were initial concerns of visual effects when using fluorescent as an incandescent replacement, but the difference is minimal,” says Scot Hutchison, the project architect for the interiors.
And perhaps the changes were for the best. “Energy costs have risen 38% in the last 19 months, so we appreciate the new guidelines,” says Johansen. “It is brighter in areas where traditionally we would have installed softer lighting, but it did not substantially increase the price.”
Hard Work is Rewarded
From the design’s conception to its completion 15 months later, the group had to work hard to stay on track. With the tournament posing a hard-and-fast deadline, there was no room for error, but that didn’t become an issue.
“We have heard so much positive feedback on both the design and the layout,” says Johansen. “Since opening the second course, we see more and more that the facility is working as we thought it would. The tournament course is very busy, membership growth is strong, and the facilities are being used very efficiently. Although it required an unbelievable amount of hard work, things have fallen into place and it has been very rewarding for us all.” C&RB
Project Profile
Club: Redstone Golf Club Location: Houston, Texas Design Firm: Kirksey Architecture Timing: February 2002 to March 2003
Project Highlights:
• Facilities were built to accommodate the Shell Houston Open
• Created a dual-purpose clubhouse that keeps members and daily-fee users separated
• Utilized natural materials and a neutral color palette inside and out
• Incorporated new city energy codes mid-project
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