Project Summary
Club: Baltusrol Golf Club |
Nearing its 100th birthday, Baltusrol’s clubhouse presented a tricky renovation challenge: upgrading for modern needs while preserving historic integrity and tradition. |
When a club formed in 1895 has a clubhouse built in 1909 (fire destroyed the original building), any renovations must be approached with great care, as no one would want to risk altering the history of such a place.
Certainly, Baltusrol Golf Club has had a prominent place in golf and club history through the years. From its first national championship in 1901 (the U.S. Women’s Amateur), the Springfield, N.J. course (in the greater New York area, just west of Newark) has hosted a total of 15 major championships in its time, including last year’s PGA. It also holds the distinctions of being the first club to host a U.S. President (William Howard Taft in 1912) and a nationally televised golf tournament (the 1954 U.S. Open).
With such a legacy at stake, a well-thought-out master plan was needed before any significant changes could be made to the clubhouse. Upgrades to the infrastructure were a given—as they would be in any building nearing its 100th birthday. But in addition, “the plan was designed to create specific usage patterns for all areas of the clubhouse,” says Kevin Vitale, Baltusrol’s General Manager.
“For each room to have a purpose and use, the final design of the renovations would need to meet the profile of Baltusrol’s long history and tradition,” Vitale explains. “The renovations would need to impress the membership with the upgrades, but also meet the goal of maintaining the integrity of a 100-year-old clubhouse.”
The solarium men’s grill has a new reinforced ceiling to support the terrace enclosure on the next level.
What Can and Can’t Be Seen
The solarium men’s grill has a new reinforced ceiling to support the terrace enclosure on the next level. |
The first phase of the project was completed in August 2005, to the tune of $4.6 million. It included the men’s locker room, solarium bar, indoor patio area, exterior terrace enclosure, and kitchen. This portion of the project got to the heart of the matter by gutting and rebuilding the various areas. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC were all brought up to date.
The second phase, finished this past April, was more cosmetic in nature. While the budget for this phase ($1.6 million) was smaller, the upgrades are more visible. This phase dealt primarily with the building’s main floor: specifically, the lobby and front desk, Trophy Room, Tillinghast Room, interior of the terrace, Governors Room, and hallways. Nearly every visible part of these areas was upgraded: floors, walls, ceilings, furniture, and fixtures. But all changes kept with the spirit of Baltusrol’s storied history.
Welcome Change
The lobby was given a complete facelift, to freshenup the look. Great care was taken to maintain the general design concept that epitomizes the club. |
Located in the lower level of the clubhouse, Baltusrol’s men’s locker room had not been updated in over 50 years. Prior to the renovation, there were not enough lockers to handle all of the club’s golfing members. Now, though, 550 custom- designed lockers are spread throughout several connected rooms. The design of the new room is understated and traditional, yet unique, with the common areas and hallways filled with the club’s archives of photos and memorabilia.
The lobby was given a complete facelift, to freshenup the look. Great care was taken to maintain the general design concept that epitomizes the club. There were mechanical issues that needed to be addressed in addition to the locker shortage, the most pressing being the occasional flooding that occurred after heavy rainstorms. This was solved by installing several sump pumps in the basement locker room area. And as a more preventative measure, a new catch basin was built outside the perimeter of the clubhouse. That, in combination with a new French drain system, should keep the basement dry for years to come.
Another area that needed attention of the lessvisible, structural sort was the solarium, or men’s grill, and adjoining patio. Because part of the master plan called for a new terrace enclosure around this area, the ceilings had to be reinforced to support the new load. So the ceilings were gutted, steel supports were added, and everything was put back together, including the elaborate moldings. All of the structural changes were made without any lasting visible effect.
Retractable glass walls were installed in the terrace. When the conditions are favorable, they can be opened and stored out of sight. Either way, this room was designed to take full advantage of the view. The club’s terrace area presented a unique challenge. The large area in the back of the clubhouse faces the golf course and had an aging awning covering the concrete. Club members wanted to enclose the area with a permanent structure, but were wary of blocking the view of the golf course and reluctant to give up the possibility of openair banquets. After many redesigns, a slightly tilted roof was built over retractable glass walls. When shut, the room can be used comfortably during inclement weather, without obstructing the sweeping view. When the glass panels are retracted to the sides, the room opens up as if it was never enclosed in the first place. The new roof and glass walls are unobtrusive and don’t detract from the clubhouse’s Tudor style.
Retractable glass walls were installed in the terrace. When the conditions are favorable, they can be opened and stored out of sight. Either way, this room was designed to take full advantage of the view. |
The kitchen was another room that benefitted from a complete gut-and-rebuild. It had been over 30 years since its last overhaul, and it was no longer able to handle the club’s needs. In particular, a la carte
and banquet services were difficult to handle simultaneously, and the walk-in and storage spaces were limited.
To remedy this, everything but the walls was stripped bare. Then the mechanicals and infrastructure were replaced. After several months of construction—during which a small satellite kitchen in the solarium handled the cooking for the club’s scaled-back operations—the new kitchen was laid out to have two separate lines built back to back: one each for a la carte and banquet. All of the walk-ins, freezers and storage space were built on the same floor as the kitchen. The previous kitchen was handled by only one hood, but now there are four, to better accommodate the club’s four to five dining areas and four banquet spaces. “The new kitchen can handle all areas simultaneously without delay,” says Vitale.
The second phase of the renovation focused on the main floor’s cosmetic appearance. This is when the lobby, front desk area, main hallway, Board of Governors Room and Tillinghast Room got their new looks. Here, too, the overall goal was to update the look while keeping within the tradition and design that Baltusrol is known for.
The main feature of the trophy room, above, is a case that displays replica trophies from all of the major championships held at Baltusrol. The trophy room, a new addition to the club, features a case with replica trophies from each major championship the club has hosted. Members like to show off the room to guests, and it serves as a constant reminder of Baltusrol’s role in golf ’s history.
Small Price to Pay
The main feature of the trophy room, above, is a case that displays replica trophies from all of the major championships held at Baltusrol. |
With a project this large in scope, it’s important to plan well in advance, and thoroughly. A comprehensive business plan allowed the club to complete all of the upgrades, both structural and cosmetic, without needing to assess members.
Instead, initiation fees were increased to help the club raise the considerable funds needed to pay for the $7.5 million project.
And now, not only is the membership a touch larger, but club usage has risen post-renovation. The terrace room, now enclosed by the unique retracting glass walls, has proved to be a huge boon, with members showing great interest in the space that can now be used year-round, rain or shine.
Overall, it’s clear that Baltusrol’s members definitely feel the final result was worth the temporary interruption in full operations. C&RB
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