The state of Arizona still has an antiquated law on its books that prohibits traditional swim-up bar service. So when the developers of La Casa—the name given to the new $25 million clubhouse and surrounding amenities that opened last month at Encanterra, a private club community in Phoenix’s southeast valley—wanted to include that feature for members and guests, it decided that if it couldn’t put a bar in a pool, it would find a way to bring a pool to a bar.
So now, a covered patio area at Solaz (the pool bar and grill that’s one of four distinctive restaurants at La Casa) extends out into the negative-edge outdoor resort pool (one of the property’s three distinct-purpose swimming areas). And anyone who swims up to where the two meet will be in the water at a depth that conveniently has a ledge on the same level as the patio’s tables and chairs.
That’s the kind of attention to detail, and determination to find innovative and effective solutions, that has characterized everything to date about the development of the complete club offer at Encanterrra, which earned “best new course” accolades from all of the major golf publications after opening its Tom Lehman-designed, core style-layout golf course last year.
Encanterra AT A GLANCE
• Location: Queen Creek, Ariz.. |
Putting It Out There
In the face of the very distinctive challenges it is facing, those defining characteristics will be needed in large quantities for the new club to succeed. To begin with, Encanterra is located in Queen Creek, Ariz., which is considered part of the Greater Phoenix metropolitan area. But the sprawl that has filled in vast portions of the desert surrounding the city has subsided by the time you make it all the way out to Queen Creek. And in an economic environment that sets major hurdles for any new club and resort project, one that’s tied to housing sales in a market that got slammed especially hard by the real estate downturn is really going to have to set, and reach, new heights of marketing appeal.
Rather than ignore or deny these realities, however, those behind the Encanterra project have been meeting them head on. Encanterra has been created through a partnership between Trilogy, the country club development arm of Shea Homes, and BlueStar Resort & Golf, an emerging management company. In updates on Encanterra’s progress, the club’s developers have openly cited the market challenges they are facing and used the fact that they have forged ahead confidently, while others have yielded to the pressure, to position the new club as a leader, and “bellwether” indicator, for both the housing and club industries.
The new clubhouse’s Mallorca Events Center includes access to two event lawns and a terrace for outdoor games. |
“Queen Creek has been one of the hardest-hit housing markets in the nation,” one news release issued midway through last year acknowledged. “[But] the construction of La Casa is itself a cause for celebration, signaling that [Encanterra], as the only private clubhouse currently under construction in Arizona, has continued to succeed in an environment where many clubs have had to delay or cancel similar development projects.”
Going By the Book
Just being able to say that a clubhouse is still under construction only counts for so much, though. The plans behind what was being built have always been the real source of confidence for Encanterra’s developers. That’s why optimism remained sky-high in early December, even as the club’s management hosted a tour of a La Casa construction site that looked very much like a work still in need of a lot of progress, if it was to be ready for the planned mid-February opening.
By this time, the club’s management team, led by General Manager Jeff Teich, a 30-year ClubCorp veteran, was fully in place. In addition to Teich’s background and expertise, the group brings impressive experience from many other notable properties, including Pinehurst Resort (Director of Golf Chris Schwartz), the Phoenician Resort (Food & Beverage Director Frank Schneider), the Maidstone Club (Executive Chef Ed Neiman), and the Raven at South Mountain and Seville Golf and Country Club (Superintendent Scott Anderson).
As these managers assembled their individual department staffs and began to prepare them for the clubhouse opening, they were already making full use of a comprehensive Vision & Operational Guide that had been created for La Casa. As something that goes well beyond your average training briefing, this Guide added to the level of excitement and confidence, by providing clear pictures of exactly what the new clubhouse was about to become.
With its high-quality photography, property renderings and detailed building and floor plans, the document first appears as though it could be a marketing brochure. In fewer than 20 pages, through clean organization (each distinctive room and area of the clubhouse and property gets a similarly formatted page, with explanations under standard headings such as Mood & Atmosphere, Naming Rationale, Staff/Uniforms and Hours of Operation) and straightforward, descriptive language, the Guide provides staff with all of the operational information they need. At the same time, for whoever might read or use it, it provides insights into the level of detail and planning put into all parts of the new clubhouse.
Here’s just a sampling of all that the Guide covers—and that La Casa contains:
La Casa clubhouse |
• Bistro 1528—Named for the first year in which trading of foods and spices began in earnest in the New World, this is described as La Casa’s “upscale Mediterranean” dining experience, where a restaurant area that is “slightly darker than other areas of the clubhouse keeps the feel a little more ‘dining out’ than ‘all-day service.’ ” (Bistro 1528 includes an in-kitchen Chef’s Table, two private dining patios, an outdoor private dining room, and three indoor private dining rooms.)
• Apps & Apres—Combining an abbreviation for appetizers with the French word for “after,” this dining outlet seeks to provide “the feel of an upscale wine bar inside, combined with a favorite resort patio outside.” (The menu will feture shared Tapas plates.)
• The Vault— “One part wine storage, one part tasting room, and one part sanctuary…a reservation-only space within Bistro 1528 where the service experience delivered would best be described as the ‘royal treatment.’ ”
General Manager Jeff Teich (left), F&B Director Frank Schneider (right) and Executive Chef Ed Neiman now have a variety of unique dining and service venues open for business. |
• Explorations Cafe & News— “Much more than just a pickup counter and paper cups. A mix of comfortable tables and chairs, as well as lounge-style seating, is paired with heavy, colorful ceramic mugs and dishes to project a ‘sit down and stay awhile’ message. Remember what Starbucks used to want to be, before rapid expansion and drive-thru coffee became the focus? That is what Explorations will be to members…an extended living room.”
• Solaz— “In Spanish, solaz means ‘refreshment or being refreshed in mind and body, usually by food and drink’; further, there is the double entendre of the combination of ‘sol’ for ‘sun’ and ‘az’ for ‘Arizona.’ One part ‘Tiki’ and one part ‘at the turn,’ the concept here is pretty straightforward: a fun spot to get food while you’re enjoying Arizona’s 350-plus days of sun. To get the conversations started or to keep them going, there will be Trival Pursuit cards always at the ready, for an impromptu quiz.”
• Mossa Athletic Club— “Italian for ‘movement’…[the club] includes Mossa Donna, a Curves-style, female-only gym, and Mossa Corsa, a large studio space.
• La Cocina—”Outfitted with a full-scale showcase kitchen and relaxing soft seating and televisions, this is the absolute best entertaining space within La Casa. From cooking demonstrations to viewing parties, the place to relax among your select group of friends.”
• Artist Amphitheatre—“Would you like to host a show for a few (hundred) of your friends? Sometimes we do, and that’s why La Casa comes complete with a spectacular grass and stone outdoor amphitheatre perfect for concerts, plays, festivals and more.”
• Lap Event Pool—”It may sound different, but it works great. Our state-of-the-art lap pool includes rolling edges to prevent waves, making it ideal for those looking to get in an aquatic workout. But it’s also fairly shallow, and easily accessible from the Family Park—so on weekends, it’s accessible for private parties for children of all ages.”
Defying Description
Thanks to the diligent and detail-oriented shepherding of La Casa to completion by Project Manager Levi Shill, all of these features, plus much more—including a full spa, tennis center, sport shop, indoor exercise pool, and event center—opened for real, and as fully advertised, on February 13.
In total, La Casa (designed by Bing Hu, also known for facilities such as the clubhouse at DC Ranch CC and La Hacienda at Blackstone CC) is described by Shill as a “rambling ranch house” that covers 61,000 square feet on one level, with 10,000 sq. ft. consisting of covered patio space.
But as effectively as the developers have been able to conceive and describe the Encanterra property, clubhouse and the multitude of features offered by the club, one thing that can’t really be pinned down is what to call all that’s been created.
“It’s a private resort as much as a private club,” says Hal Looney, Shea Homes’ Area President for its Arizona Division. That blending will be further enhanced by an expansive membership structure that will reserve 2,215 social memberships and 450 golf memberships for Encanterra residents (the property is zoned for 2,400 homesites), but also create limited invitational, associate and international memberships made available to non-residents (the international category is designed for seasonal Arizona residents and requires only six months of dues payments; Encanterra has already proved especially attractive to both homebuyers and golfers from provinces of Western Canada).
“Apps & Apres,” designed to create the “feel of an upscale wine bar inside with a favorite resort patio outside,” is one of four distinct restaurant options within the new clubhouse. |
The resort aspect will also be enhanced by a “friends and family” policy that allows homeowners to rent out their houses after they’ve owned them for a year. And further activity is expected as a result of a new hospital that has been built across the road from the clubhouse—to not only help add signs of civilization to the Queen Creek area, but also provide a convenient and steady source of potential catering business.
In the end, the developers of Encanterra and La Casa don’t really care what you call the property, as long as the proper spirit of what’s been created in total is recognized.
“We’ve been able to keep the size of lots smaller, and thus keep [home prices] down, because of how we’re giving everyone such a spectacular, 60,000-sq. ft. extension of every home in the community,” notes Encanterra’s Membership Director, Jared Wright. “And with that in all cases, you also get an unbelievable ‘yard.’ ”
Director of Golf Chris Schwartz (left) and Superintendent Scott Anderson have already earned accolades for the core-style, Tom Lehman-designed course, which opened for play in 2009. |
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