Club/Resort Features

In a year most would like to forget, The Golf Club at Briar’s Creek in Johns Island, S.C. made memorable upgrades to its Lowcountry property by renovating its golf course and adding a new performance center and a lighted, nine-hole putting green.

To promote the opening of its new PrairieFire Golf & Grill, the Byron, Ill. property hosted a “virtual invitational” tournament, with competitors all “playing” Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course out of the club’s eight indoor-outdoor hitting bays.

“48% of salespeople never make a single follow-up attempt, and it takes an average of six attempts to convert a sale,” says Melissa Hansen, Director of Membership & Marketing at The Club at Olde Cypress in Naples, Fla. “Our culture has shifted to expect instant gratification, so when it comes to responding to your leads, timing is everything.”

Zach Halvonik, Head Golf Professional at LedgeRock GC in Reading, Pa., discusses how his club plans to keep the positive gains from 2020, which included a 35% rounds increase and over 60 new members, going in the new year. “To build upon 2020, strong communication through texts, push notifications, e-mails and social media will keep members…

There’s reason to be optimistic as we thankfully say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021.

While the pandemic has delayed their full rollout, these clubs have already seen signs of how their recent revamping of casual-dining venues will pay off when a la carte service kicks back into high gear.

Even with the formidable and unexpected challenges they had to face while steering their clubs through 2020, many managers still jumped at the chance to also find ways, and the time, to continue to give back to others in need.

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize the Detroit (Mich.) Athletic Club for implementing a COVID-centric coat-check policy. “During these uncertain times, our members’ outerwear merits as much TLC as we give their owners,” says Assistant General Manager Tai Tran.

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize The Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. for implementing a number of member-focused innovatives, including the Mirasol Pantry, To-Go Food Service, and Complimentary Car Washes.

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) for reimagining its 20-year-old pro shop to now feature a curated selection of golf and lifestyle apparel, gifts, home goods, and health and wellness lines. “We wanted to inspire our customers to come to us for most, if not all, of…

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize Ansley Golf Club, with two campuses—the original in Atlanta’s Midtown region and a second about 27 miles away in Roswell, Ga.—for keeping its robust tennis program alive throughout the pandemic by introducing an in-house league. “Members have liked [the intraclub program] so much, there’s been talk about…

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize Wycliffe Golf & Country Club in Wellington, Fla. for accelerating an employee breakroom enhancement project and holding a name-the-space contest that led to the winning selection of “The Hyve,” which mirrors other branding at the club and reflects “how our breakroom should feel like a home or…

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize The Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. for implementing a “Virtual School” to accommodate its youngest members when classes went online, and Champions Run in Omaha, Neb., for partnering with a mobile barber shop to help keep members of all ages looking good.

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize the Detroit Athletic Club for hosting a four-day “Welcome Back to the Club” commemoration that consisted of golf at nearby TPC Dearborn, a weekend series of tastings that included a “spirited lineup” of premium gin, rum, tequila and whiskey, special dinners, a “silent disco,” and fireworks from Comerica Park…

Club + Resort Business’ Second Annual Awards recognize Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Fla. for opening an $18.5 million, 33,000-sq. ft. Sports Center & Spa, which promotes healthy living by linking the property’s Blue Zones-certified wellness offerings with its sports programs. “Trying to compete with other clubs, you have to make sure you have…