Nemacolin: The Laurel Highlands Headliner

Visionary Joseph A. Hardy III took a rugged piece of land in Western Pennsylvania and transformed it into an oasis.

History may remember the name Nemacolin as a tribal leader who helped carve a path across the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River Valley, but today’s travelers are more likely to associate the name with luxurious and plentiful amenities.

The property can trace its roots back to the late 1940s when Pittsburgh industrialist Willard F. Rockwell purchased some land, though the makings of what is seen today began 20 years later when he established the Nemacolin Trails Hunting Reserve, which included a new hunting lodge.

The visionary Hardy family took over in 1987 when Joseph A. Hardy III, founder of the 84 Lumber Company, fell in love with Nemacolin and purchased a large portion of land. The rest may be history, but this resort is laser focused on the present … and future.

Now led by Joe Hardy’s daughter, Maggie Hardy and her son, PJ Magerko Liquorice, the resort has spent more than $500 million on additions and upgrades since 2021.

Attracting Guests

Managing Director Trey Matheu has been in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years—and at Nemacolin for over two decades—so he’s uniquely qualified to expand on the resort’s evolution.

“We truly consider ourselves a collection of collections here at Nemacolin. We are fortunate enough to have an owner who continually invests in the property and has many diverse interests,” Matheu says. “Our reach expands from fine art to the latest golf technology and everything in between. We pride ourselves on not only having something for everyone, but a variety of options within that given genre, such as spa and wellness, outdoor experiences, wildlife adventures, and family fun.

“We make each guest feel like Nemacolin is their personal second home,” he adds. “We set the bar with our associate authenticity and provide an experience that feels organic while delivering an elevated service.”

That elevated service attracts guests from across the globe, creating unique marketing opportunities for VP of Sales & Marketing Christopher Baran and his team. Baran’s data indicates that a majority of guests come from surrounding drive areas, including, but not limited to: New York, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. That said, they have welcomed international guests and experienced an extended reach to Texas, California and Florida visiting the property in recent months.

“We deliver a holistic approach to the marketing efforts here at Nemacolin, and we are tremendously diverse in what we offer,” Baran explains. “Our local guests are met with various offers and promotions that allow them to experience Nemacolin throughout the shoulder season months since much of that audience travels abroad or to see family during the holiday season. With our national guests who tend to visit us during our high season in the summer, we really focus on reaching those guests further out in their travel planning as we assist them with a curated getaway.”

Double Dye Designs

Christopher Anderson, Director of Golf at Nemacolin, has been in the golf industry for 17 years—15 on the turfgrass side, and now two on the golf operations side. He described what makes the two Pete Dye-designed courses special and unique, considering there’s more than two decades of work separating the two layouts.

“Mystic Rock is a tough Pete Dye test. [It] opened in 1995 with small fairways and greens, but big bunkering,” Anderson explains. “The greens are very subtle in how they break. Keeping it in the fairway provides the opportunity to attack the greens on your second shots.

“Shepherd’s Rock opened in 2017 and offers a different test,” he continues. “Big, wide fairways paired up with big, sloping greens. The bunker style is different as well with them being more ‘pot like’ bunkers. There are 139 total bunkers on Shepherd’s Rock.”

Superintendent CJ Ricker is tasked with maintaining these sprawling designs.

“One of the primary challenges in managing our two golf courses is their vast size and total area,” Ricker says. “While I strive to personally oversee all 36 holes daily, it is not always feasible, especially when we have tournament prep or renovations. When this happens, I rely on my management team to keep me informed about the condition of both courses on a day-to-day basis and let me know about any potential issues on each course.”

While tournaments are demanding. The day-to-day maintenance makes event prep less daunting.

“The only significant difference in our routine is adding an extra cut or roll to the greens to ensure competitive conditions for the players,” Ricker explains. “On a daily basis, we maintain the greens at a speed of 11-12 on the Stimpmeter, so that when tournament time arrives, only minimal adjustments are needed to achieve the desired conditions.”

As if two championship golf courses weren’t enough, the resort unveiled a state-of-the-art academy in 2021

“The Nemacolin Golf Academy offers us a year-round golf experience and also a fantastic teaching facility for our guests and members who would like to take lessons,” Anderson says. “We have two full-time instructors offering lessons and different schools throughout the year. In case of a bad weather day or a snowy winter, we can offer golf on the Trackman 360 simulators any day of the year.”

Membership Has Its Privileges

Unlike most resorts, Nemacolin features a membership program. The Woodlands Club offers three membership levels — Resort, All-Access, and Corporate — each with unique benefits and exclusive opportunities.

Matt Szczupakowski, Director of Membership Sales at Nemacolin, has two championship golf courses, world-class spa services, luxe accommodations, indulgent Five-Star dining, and endless adventures in his holster.

“What makes membership so truly special here at Nemacolin is it is truly a one-of-a-kind membership platform,” Szczupakowski says. “An opportunity that creates truly curated experiences for all of our members and their guests to enjoy the resort lifestyle but have all the familiarity of what a traditional private country club has to offer.

“We do amazing events—one-of-a-kind events—bringing in celebrities from all over the country to have these one-of-a-kind opportunities to bring people together,” he continues. “We have amazing experiences to play two fantastic Pete Dye-designed golf courses, a futuristic spa, world-class pools and amenities that are open year-round, and plenty of activities for the family to enjoy … where everyone has something to be able to enjoy when they are here with us.”

Decadent Dining

Nemacolin boasts more than 18 restaurants, lounges, and eateries. There is truly something for every palate and inquisitive taste throughout the resort. Martin Fairley, VP of Food & Beverage, is in charge of feeding all the members and guests.

From the Five-Star, chef-driven Lautrec in The Chateau; Fawn & Fable, a modern take on a steakhouse and grille in The Grand Lodge; and the seafood-driven Aqueous at Falling Rock; to casual dining indoors, outdoors, poolside, slopeside at The Peak, and dinner and show at Nightcap, it’s not an embellishment to say Nemacolin has something to suit every diner’s taste.

“Coming at the end of the summer, Gusto! will be our newest dining opportunity, serving pastas and pizza freshly made from scratch and the very freshest ingredients while offering simple but elegant Italian cuisine indoors and out,” Fairley adds.

In addition to hosting large conferences such as the Engage! Summit for luxury wedding and event planners, Nemacolin’s walls seemingly have no boundaries.

“The largest events of the year can span from weddings to special events such as The Summer Solstice Celebration we hosted this past June,” Fairley explains. “It was an exquisite event to showcase the reopening of The Chateau, and it boasted a spectacular guestlist of 300+ people.

“For the second holiday season, we look forward to welcoming our guests and members at the end of the year to enjoy Hardy’s Holiday Village where guests of all ages can come and experience an extravaganza of fun, whimsy, gifts, food, and visits with elves and the jolly guy in the red suit,” he adds. “Throughout the year, we pride ourselves on hosting world-renown musicians and artists as a showcase of entertainment for those desiring a luxury getaway.”

Labor of Love

Labor is an ongoing issue across the industry, so Nemacolin gets creative when it comes to attracting and retaining employees.

“Our owner and CEO, Maggie Hardy, is truly committed to her associates,” Matheu says. “We pride ourselves as an employer to be the preferred option in luxury hospitality employment. Maggie has made a $50 million investment in the culture of the associate population through a project called Wisteria. This multifaceted project includes a state-of-the-art recreation center, dining facilities, and a personalized food market for all associates. We also offer our associates a variety of housing options to ensure that every associate experiences a sense of home and happiness outside of work.”

Fairley praises Maggie Hardy’s heart, as well.

“We’re grateful to have an owner that truly believes in putting associates first,” he says. “While in the workplace, we quickly identify those who have the potential to grow within the company and make sure they receive the right training and mentorship to invest in and progress in their career at Nemacolin.

“The boundaries are removed when it comes to how quickly someone can grow or what department they need to stick with,” Fairley adds. “We guide them the best we can and help them finding their own path, and this is what keeps us well-staffed throughout the year.”

The golf side boasts flexibility.

“We attract and retain our associates by being as flexible as possible and also giving them the opportunity to caddie, as well,” Anderson says. “Almost half of our golf operations staff is part of our caddie program. We have been fortunate to have three or four interns the past couple of years, as well, to help during our busiest months.”

Ricker credits the HR department for his staff.

“Our recruiting team does a wonderful job at attracting local talent to fill our full-time staff year-round,” he says. “We rely heavily on our H2B program, as well, that makes up half of our staff during the peak season.

“One goal of mine when I started here was to build a turf program of interns and AITs [Assistants in Training] like we had at my other jobs in the past,” Ricker continues. “My team and I travel to local GCSAA events as well as college fairs at different turf schools to try to attract the next young talent in our industry. I also encourage our management staff to volunteer at PGA Tour events to branch out and network to try to help grow our turf program at Nemacolin.

“I try to retain employees by creating a welcoming teaching environment that fosters learning and growth,” he adds. “I try to work alongside our associates and lead by example with a positive attitude.” C+RB