NACC’s clubhouse is directly across the street from the Bath & Tennis building and contains formal and informal dining areas, social rooms, locker rooms, and a pro shop. |
New Albany Country Club has expanded its Bath and Tennis building-and its extensive and wellness programs-to keep up with the ever-changing needs of 1,200 members.
Look at a new or renovated fitness center, and what do you see? A room full of shiny cardio equipment? A core station complete with pilates mats and weighted balls? Good lighting and mirrors that beckon with contemporary colors and durable materials?
Most fitness centers tend to have many of the same design features, if only because the functional demands of their users are similar. But take a closer look at New Albany Country Club’s newly expanded, 30,000-sq. ft. Bath and Tennis building, and you will find some significant differences that are helping this Columbus, Ohio-based club attract and keep members.
Beyond the ample space it offers for basic fitness workouts, the building has been reconfigured to better embrace the club’s ever-expanding emphasis on wellness education and “lifelong learning” instruction. The center’s coordinated design now accommodates an impressive slate of nearly 80 fitness classes that are offered each week in flexible formats, to cater specifically
to the needs, goals and schedules of the many members of all ages who use the facility intensively, year-round.
Busting at the Seams
New Albany Country Club (NACC) opened in 1992 and is now 1,200 members strong. Its 27-hole, Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course measures 7,226 yards and features five sets of tees for all different skill levels. NACC is also home to the New Albany Golf Academy, which offers indoor play in any season. Of course, there’s much more than golf here—the grounds hold 18 tennis courts (including two platform and two grass) and five swimming pools, in addition to the Bath and Tennis building.
NACC’s group fitness room (left) offers all types of classes including cardio step, while an 800-sq. ft. multi-purpose room with portable pilates reformers (center) can be used for exercise classes, wellness seminars or even birthday parties. A well-designed strength room (right) is home to more than a dozen different machines. |
“When we first opened [the club] in 1992, it was 22,000 square feet and had impressive fitness amenities for that time,” says Manana Fribley, who has been NACC’s Bath and Tennis Director since the club opened 17 years ago.
Fitness Profile
Club Name & Location: New Albany (Ohio) Country Club |
“The building is directly across the street from the main clubhouse and originally had a fitness room with some basic cardio and strength-training equipment,” she says. “There was a group exercise room, a small babysitting room, locker rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a barber shop, and a Sports Café.”
In 2004, however, with membership numbers continually climbing, NACC had a most fortunate problem on its hands. “So many members were using the fitness center, we really needed to address the compaction issues we were facing,” says Fribley. “We needed more cardio equipment, and we needed more space for group exercise classes.”
The club decided to add another 8,000 square feet to the center, creating more room for fitness classes as well as a fully equipped new cardio room. A junior room for 8- to 12-year-olds was added, and the babysitting room (for 12-month to 7-year-olds) was expanded. Locker rooms—one each for men, women and juniors—also gained space, and a spa with three treatment rooms was added, so members could get massages, facials and manicures.
“Both the fitness industry and our members’ needs were changing,” says Fribley. “We expanded to meet these needs and include more mind-body programs. We also introduced more kid and family programs such as kids cardio, junior strength, kids fitness explorer, and even family campouts.”
The Member Never Checks Out
Exercise opportunities for those seeking better fitness are pretty easy to come by—a bout of pushups, a bit of stretching, and a brisk walk will do—and off-the-shelf health-club programs abound. Advanced fitness training, wellness education and “lifelong learning” opportunities however, are a bit harder to find. That is, unless you’re a member of NACC.
“Our health and fitness mission has always been to enhance the quality of our members’ lives,” says Fribley. “With the same members using the facility every day, we have to keep things current and fresh. We have staple programs like personal training, pilates and yoga, but we’re always looking to improve.”
The cardio room offers a variety of equipment including treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers, and bikes. Large-screen televisions hang on the walls. |
With 78 fitness classes offered every week, NACC has something for everyone almost all the time. Step, dance, lo-impact, body pump, RPM classes, cardio-step, rock’n abs, aqua-pilates, and both balance and flexibility classes are among the more popular group-exercise options. The club also offers single, semi-private and in-home personal training to members, for an additional charge.
“We have the ability, with the added space, to now offer three different group-exercise classes at the peak time slots,” says Fribley. “Plus, having a year-round, heavily programmed fitness facility keeps members coming to the club even in the cold winter months. This improves [activity in] other areas, like food and beverage, because it brings members in the door and they see a greater value when paying their dues.”
With so many classes on the menu, NACC keeps things fresh by reevaluating programming quarterly. “We track the classes members attend the most and for those we offer multiple classes at varying time slots throughout the week,” says Jeff Stack, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator. “We add new classes and bring in new instructors all the time.”
Directed by Jeff Stack, Fitness & Wellness Coordinator, the staff tracks attendance to keep programs fresh and offer multiple time slots as needed. | Manana Fribley came to NACC as Bath and Tennis Director after assisting with the opening of ClubCorp’s Capital Club in downtown Columbus. |
Recently, the club expanded its group exercise classes to incorporate TRX, dance fusion, core training, and other programs. In the not-too-distant future, the club plans to incorporate more social programs, so members can mix and mingle before, during and after workouts.
One of NACC’s two private pilates studios has four reformers and is used for smaller group-exercise classes. |
“This summer, we offered wine/yoga classes at the adult pool,” says Fribley. “It was for women only; we did yoga followed by light chair massages, and, of course, wine. The members loved it.”
Stack, who oversees these types of programs as well as health assessment and wellness, also works with members one-on-one, to determine which classes or personal training programs might be best for their individual fitness goals.
“We have four coordinators—for youth and aquatics, group exercise, fitness and spa,” says Fribley. “They’re each responsible to run their part like it’s their own business—budgets and all. They’ve done an outstanding job programming for all age groups and niche markets.”
Learning About Life
NACC’s staff is motivated by the reward of helping the club’s members realize the benefits of fitness in their lives. And, since encouraging health and wellness is part of the club’s overall mission, wellness seminars and lifelong learning classes have become a valuable addition to the overall program.
“Health is a very broad concept that encompasses much more than just BMI [body mass index] or strength,” says Fribley. “Total fitness requires a more holistic approach. In response, we are offering more mind-body classes to members, and the feedback has been phenomenal.”
Most of NACC’s wellness seminars are complimentary and offered at least once a month. They include educational programs on topics such as nutrition or sleep therapy, or lifelong learning subjects such as social media or self-defense.
“We found that our members are interested in learning more about how to improve their overall lives,” says Fribley. “We had the unique opportunity to add value to their memberships by responding to this need.
“Plus, we have very dedicated people at the club who have a passion for what they do,” she adds. “They have worked hard to make a difference in our members’ lives, while also working hard to achieve our club’s goals.”
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