Following a renovation of its historic property, The Las Vegas CC added a signature clock to properly commemorate its status as the city’s first private club.
The Las Vegas (Nev.) Country Club (LVCC) enjoys the distinction of being the city’s first private-equity club, with a rich history that dates to when it was a frequent hangout of the stars who first helped to put Vegas on the map, including Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.
The LVCC website, in fact, proudly notes how the club has “stood the test of time and remains an elite property in an international city and uber-popular destination.”
And as the club embarked on a recent renovation project, management saw the opportunity to add the right symbol that would properly honor its history and promote its leadership status among the many club and resort properties that are now available to Las Vegas residents and guests.
“[We were] looking to create memorable landmarks that would enhance the ambiance and historic feel [of our club] in and around the clubhouse area,” says LVCC’s Head Golf Professional, Jason Edmiston, PGA. Adding a signature clock in a prominent spot on the property would accomplish this goal, Edmiston adds, by “[serving] as an appealing visual centerpiece for members and guests to enjoy” and providing a permanent reminder of the club’s time-tested prominence.
But not just any clock would do, and the decision-makers at LVCC conducted an extensive due-diligence process to make the right choices for what type of clock they wanted to add, and for what company would provide it. That led LVCC to The Verdin Company, the six-generation, Cincinnati, Ohio-based family business that has made cast-bronze bells, carillons, tower and street clocks, and other streetscape furnishings since 1842.
“Playing other courses around the country with centerpiece clocks gave us a good understanding of what [Verdin] could bring to the table,” Edmiston says. “We knew that [working with Verdin] to make the addition of the clock would add to the overall look and feel of the club.
“We liked the coloring and size dimensions offered by Verdin more than some of the competitor models out there,” Edmiston adds. “Once we spoke with other clubs that had installed Verdin models and heard their positive reviews, it was an easy decision to move forward with them.”
A Clear Vision
To start that process, the LVCC management team worked with Verdin to make the key initial decisions that would determine the exact specifications for its customized timepiece, and its proper location on the property.
“When working with a customer and assisting with choosing the right clock, you must first help them choose the right location,” says Jeannie R. Caldwell, Verdin’s Post Clock Product Manager. “Choosing the location is key, as it will determine if a four-sided clock will be the better choice vs. a two-sided clock, as well as the overall height of the clock.
“In the early stages of the process, the club was looking at two or three different locations,” Caldwell adds. “We had two representatives visit the club and prepare renderings that [management] could review, to help provide images of how the clock would be viewed from various points of the property.
“In the end, one location stood out above the others and was selected by the club as the perfect location, and the renderings assisted greatly with this process.”
That location is an area behind the ninth green of the LVCC golf course. “We wanted to make sure [the clock] was visible from several different areas of the clubhouse [as well as] the practice areas and the golf course itself,” Edmiston says. “[The location] behind our ninth green ideally suited this purpose.”
Beyond optimal visibility, Edmiston adds, that location is also ideal from a maintenance standpoint. “We installed [the clock] in an area that does not get hit by irrigation,” he notes, “so there are no ‘water spotting’ issues that might require frequent cleaning.” That means LVCC has enjoyed an operating experience with the clock that has been even better than what management learned could be expected from the research that led to its selection of a Verdin product.
“The clock is virtually maintenance-free,” Edmiston says. “Mechanically, we had been told by other Verdin customers that issues were either rare or non-existent, and that has been our experience as well.”
(For customers who want even more peace of mind, Caldwell notes, Verdin does offer a preventive maintenance program that includes servicing the motors and cleaning the clock once a year. “[It’s] a great way to extend the life of the clock,” she says.)
Plenty of Photo Ops
The entire process of adding the clock to the LVCC property—from selecting and ordering the custom model to manufacturing, delivery and installation—took about 90 days. And once it took its prominent new position at the club in the summer of 2018, it quickly became much more than just a way of telling time, Edmiston reports.
“From the moment it was installed, our members and guests have greatly enjoyed the addition of the clock,” he says. “It’s common to see foursomes gathering around it for ‘selfies,’ which provides LVCC with a lot of recognition on social media and other platforms. Without question, there are a wide variety of benefits that stem from having the clock in place.”
The clock’s popularity as a place for “photo ops,” in fact, now also extends to the club’s website—where a picture of its position on the property is now used to prominently and proudly illustrate how LVCC continues to “stand the test of time.” C+RB
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