The Country Club of Colorado cultivates a healthy, positive environment for its active members—and applies the same collaborative philosophy to the management styles of each of its recreation departments.
By Brandi Shaffer, Associate Editor
Conceived as the private gem of 216 acres that would become Cheyenne Mountain Resort, the Country Club of Colorado has promoted healthy activity from day one.
In 1973, the Colorado Springs, Colo., property made its first stride toward active recreation, when the Gates Land Company selected Pete Dye Sr. to design and build its 9-hole golf course around a spring-fed lake known as Curr Reservoir.
Since then, the club’s golf, aquatics, tennis and fitness programs have grown so popular, the word “overflow” is frequently used to describe member events and activities. Keeping members motivated and involved is a result of a club-wide commitment to exemplary customer service.
Water, Water Everywhere
With ten bodies of water on the CC of Colorado property, including a slew of indoor and outdoor pools, a new splash park for the young ones, and a 35-acre lake, an efficient, organized aquatics program that incorporates classes, lessons and events to entice new members is a necessity.
Aquatics Operations Manager Cody M. Pope ensures the program is polished and seamless in all aspects, from the frontline staff to the clarity of all the water on the property.
“Our overall goal is to continue providing an experience for our members that they and their guests will remember,” Pope explains. “If they are coming for exercise or a relaxing day by the water’s edge to soak up some sun, they are to feel as though they are at home—comfortable and at peace.”
CC of Colorado’s aquatics program has partnered with Cheyenne Mountain Aquatics to bring a swim-team element to the club, which Pope says saw a significant increase in participation in 2012. Paddle boats, kayaks, sail boats and bumper boats on the private lake have proved to be a big hit as well, and water-based aerobic classes overflow—there’s that word again—the adult pool.
For those who prefer to stay dry, sand volleyball courts, horse shoes, bocce—and of course, a pool snack bar—surround the glimmering lake for beach lovers.
Recreation Profile
Country Club of Colorado
Opened: 1973
Members: 600 recreation members,
425 golf members
Aquatics Center: Outdoor/indoor kids pools; outdoor adult-only pool and spa; outdoor/indoor hot tubs; 35-acre lake with beach and sand volleyball courts; lawn games; kids splash park; pool snack bar
Fitness Center: Cybex and Paramount equipment, including treadmills, elliptical, stair machines, recumbent and upright bikes; group exercise; steam rooms; whirlpools; men’s and women’s locker rooms. Also houses the tennis club, with 18 tennis courts (6 indoor hard courts and 12 outdoor courts), and a North American squash court
Golf: 18-hole Pete Dye-designed course,
measuring 7,056 yards
Additional Amenities: The Member’s Lounge,
The Fireside Room, and Pineville Grille restaurants; social, recreation, corporate and golf memberships; summer camps for kids
Through a partnership with Pikes Peak Athletics, the club offers swim lessons and camps for club members and the surrounding community, to help develop confidence in the water. For this summer’s camp, a swimming competition concept is being planned that would be taught by high-level swimmers and use video to capture the participants in action and help them, and their coaches, visually assess their performance.
Pope’s coaching style follows the three F’s—friendly, firm and fair—and his management style doesn’t deviate far from those principles. He works to motivate staff through positive feedback and by instilling a sense of pride in their work.
“The one event that brings the team together the most is having a potluck meeting now and then,” Pope says. “Good food and a friendly environment help keep this staff focused on the goals ahead.
“The gears are always turning, as we pride ourselves on keeping the aquatics facility the place to be and be seen,” he adds.
Other recreation departments use similar staff-motivation techniques. Mark Bishop, Head Tennis Professional, employs a “pride and praise” approach, encouraging tennis pros and court workers to be vigilant about the facility’s appearance and to always recognize the success of various programs.
In addition to treadmills, stair machines, and recumbent and upright bikes, the
fitness center at CC of Colorado offers yoga, spin and Zumba classes.
Bishop must be doing something right—he’s been on the staff at the CC of Colorado since 1976 and has seen the program expand from one tennis pro and one court maintenance worker when he started to now have four pros, two court workers, a seasonal worker and an independent contractor (to handle lessons overflow) today. In total, the tennis club now has 6 indoor hard courts (3 in a permanent structure, 3 in a bubble) and 12 outdoor courts (10 hard and 2 clay). Four courts are lined for QuickStart, and two are lined for pickleball.
“Many of our tennis programs allow non-members to participate,” Bishop says. “As a result, we have generated new members through their initial involvement in our various lesson programs. I believe our members stay with us because we offer a wide range of instructional programs, in addition to the social events that are scheduled throughout the year.”
Ebb and Flow
The CC of Colorado’s tennis department puts a premium on making members feel welcome and appreciated, and its emphasis on a well-rounded junior instructional program has led to the satisfaction of seeing several of the club’s star players contribute to numerous state titles for the local high school.
“Some programs seem to ebb and flow,” Bishop explains. “They are popular for a while and then drop off a bit. Our challenge is to keep the ideas fresh and perhaps tweak events so that they stay popular.”
That approach has even worked for a core department like golf. When Head Golf Professional Matt Cohen joined CC of Colorado in 2007, golf was clearly at an ebb. “Members were not pleased with service levels, offerings in the golf shop, or golf department programming in general,” Cohen explains.
“Recruiting members is not hard. If we can get them in the door, we just do what we do with our customer service.”
—Francine Kayton,
Fitness Center Manager
Ten bodies of water can be found on the CC of Colorado’s property, including a slew of indoor and outdoor pools, a 35-acre lake, and a new splash park.
To address those issues, the department implemented regimented customer service training for employees and cultivated a fun, healthy and energetic environment. “This starts with the head professional, and the attitude has successfully filtered down through the entire staff, so members and guests feel a palpable sense of positive energy when they enter the golf shop or arrive at the property,” Cohen says.
A 4-Ball Match Play tournament, couples offerings and new activities have injected life into the program as well, including a social event called “Dewars and Divots,” where staff and members go on the course, enjoy a few drinks, and care for the grounds by filling divots, fixing ball marks on greens and patrolling for tee litter. “Glow Putting” on the main clubhouse’s putting green also generates activity and interest—and investing $3.5 million in an ongoing golf course renovation hasn’t hurt either.
With a personal management philosophy of mutual respect to promote loyalty, Cohen believes that the more involvement, ownership and buy-in the department has from its staff, the more successful the business will be. He values the high percentage of staff members who return for the club’s seasonal operation, which leads to better customer service and member recognition, he notes.
“For new ideas, initiatives or programs to be supported by our clientele, the staff must be fully engaged and have buy-in to whatever we are proposing or executing,” Cohen says. “To that end, involving the staff is crucial to our success, to come up with programs that may add value to our member and guest experience.”
Putting Members First
Similarly, the fitness center staff at the CC of Colorado also makes customer service a priority, as just one of the ways it strives to separate itself from any run-of-the-mill gym.
“Recruiting members is not hard,” says Fitness Center Manager Francine Kayton. “If we can get them in the door, we just do what we do with our customer service. We are friendly and will help them and work with them—and we let them know this as soon as they come through the door.”
Personal attention, along with desired amenities, leads to membership longevity, Kayton believes. The staff maintains a constant presence in the facilities and makes adjustments to schedules and accommodations as members need them, such as changing class times and re-working child care hours.
Fitness center offerings include yoga, spin and Zumba classes; junior fitness programs (including “Junior Endorsed,” which teaches children ages 12-15 to use equipment safely before being certified); personal training; and post-workout wind-down with Shiatsu, Swedish, and other types of massage.
“The club wants to foster an environment and culture that our members and guests can immerse themselves in,” notes Matt Cohen. “Our goals are to have our members and guests think about the club as their first option for dining, entertainment, meetings and parties—and, of course, recreation.”
The CC of Colorado’s recreation membership, which includes full access to the fitness center, tennis facilities and aquatics center, also nets a 20% discount at dining venues, catered events and lodging at Cheyenne Mountain Resort. (The comforting, lodge-like décor of the resort is featured on page 27 of this issue, “High Style.”)
“The membership is vibrant, active and strong,” says Cohen. “The management and core staff is superb. The club has weathered the economic downturn of the previous five years extremely well in comparison to most private facilities, and we believe we’re positioned for excellence in every way for 2013 and well into the future.”
For additional images of CC of Colorado’s recreation and fitness programs, go to
clubandresortbusiness.com
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.