Members of Brookside Country Club (Canton, Ohio) are preparing for a significant investment in the future of their Donald Ross-designed golf course while welcoming new General Manager Tod Pierce to guide the club through its next chapter. Together, the leadership team is aligning a historic restoration with a broader strategy to grow membership and strengthen the club’s long-term position.
“We needed direction and leadership, something that we’ve struggled with for a bit of time, before we dove into this project,” says Cory Kumpf, PGA, Director of Golf.
As Pierce acclimates to everything Brookside CC has to offer and prepares to lead the club through the restoration project, he is relying on team members like Kumpf and J.R. Lynn, Golf Course Superintendent.
Along with the course restoration, the club is gearing up to launch a national membership initiative aimed at golfers outside the Canton area.
Restoring Ross
The Ross golf course at Brookside CC is rooted in history and is something the members hold to high standards, according to Lynn.
Over time, maintenance practices have evolved, and turfgrass varieties have changed. The team’s goal is to recapture original design features while updating the course so it can be maintained to modern standards.
Kumpf points to playability as another key reason for the restoration.
“If you hit a shot, the ball likes to roll back to you, and it happens a lot on our course,” says Kumpf.
The challenging course makes it difficult for the club to attract beginner golfers and young players.
“The focus is to make golf fun while maintaining championship quality but making it a little easier,” says Kumpf.
The club chose an architect who is very familiar with Donald Ross’ course designs in order to modernize the course while preserving its character for members who hold it close to their hearts, Lynn says.
Bunkers, a defining feature that guides players through the course, will remain. The total number will stay around 98, but many will nearly double in size to restore their strategic intent.
Four green complexes on holes six, 12, 14, and 16 will be completely rebuilt, and greens across the course will be expanded to recover the original sizes and strategic pin positions that Ross designed.
Fairways will be widened to reopen approach angles that have narrowed over time, and selective tree removal will recover sight lines and turf health where decades of plantings have compromised Ross’s intended playing corridors.
“We will remove trees, but add tall grass to define and still create a penalty area,” says Lynn. “We want the course to be visually appealing, and removing some of the trees opens the course up for players to take in the topography of the whole property.”
All tees, fairways, and greens will be regrassed with modern turf varieties bred for drought tolerance, cold hardiness, and lower maintenance demands.
Pierce says that for a project like this to be successful, it needs everyone involved, but most importantly, it needs to hit all levels of play.
National member strategy
Hitting all levels of play is important not just for the course restoration but for the membership initiative being rolled out.
“I think with this renovation, it will really put us on the map for golfers outside of our area,” says Pierce. “We’d like to invite the golfing community across the country to come enjoy Brookside.”
The initiative opens membership to players outside of a 75-mile radius of the club. National members can take advantage of the same amenities and perks as local members.
“We have our first national member in the process of signing up now,” says Kumpf. “He’s from Texas and is a huge golf enthusiast and Donald Ross fan.”
Building member support through transparency
To get members on board with this project, the club held multiple town halls where a handful of members could attend to voice concerns, ask questions, and view detailed presentations of the project.
“One of the reasons this project is getting done is the transparency of our board and communicating with our membership to align all parties on the scope of the project,” says Pierce.
The town halls started in 2023 once the course architect was selected. Members were invited to hear directly from the architect about his plans and visions, and the presentation was recorded for those unable to attend.
“Once we chose our architect, he created our master plan, which was presented to members at more town hall meetings,” says Kumpf. “We wanted to get this plan in front of members through these town halls and email communications so they could buy into the story that we want to see Brookside Country Club grow and thrive for the next 50 years.”
Positioning the club for the next 50 to 100 years is what separates strong clubs from the rest, Kumpf adds.
Lynn and Kumpf believe this restoration will put the club on a good trajectory toward full membership and a waiting list in the next five to 10 years.
“We want the course to get the recognition we know it deserves and provide an experience our local and national members are happy to be a part of,” says Lynn.
Defining the club’s identity
Pierce acknowledges an ongoing debate in the private club industry about identity.
“Clubs will ask themselves, ‘Are we a golfing club? Are we a family center club?’ I think those clubs that can figure out how to do both are the ones that are going to win,” says Pierce.
“It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can be a great golfing club and still provide services and amenities that are focused on family, and the key is figuring out how to do that.”
Pierce says Brookside CC is looking at the restoration from this lens, and he praises the board for being strategic and understanding that all the money can’t go solely towards the golf course.
“You’re not only looking to satisfy current members, but you’re looking to do things and improve things so you can get new members. I think the board and staff here at Brookside really have their finger on the pulse,” says Pierce.
Looking ahead to 2027 and beyond
As the restoration gears up to begin around July 2027, with a tentative completion date of late spring or early summer 2028, Kumpf says that Lynn, Pierce, and he will take members out on the course to see updates on the project.
The team plans to be “very informative” with members throughout this process to build on the excitement they are already experiencing.
“We have a very interested membership that’s enthusiastic about the project, and we don’t want to keep them from it,” says Lynn.
Pierce advises other clubs interested in a similar project to communicate with members effectively.
“You need to make sure you hire the right contractor and architect and surround yourself with the right team to ensure the plan is implemented,” says Pierce.
Lynn takes the advice a step further, saying clubs need a clear vision of the project from the start.
“It’s easy to be sold on an idea, but if a thought wasn’t in your vision from the start, you might end up going down a road that isn’t in the best interest of the club,” says Lynn. “Being realistic on how you want the project to end and how you’re going to get there will make the project successful.”
