The clubhouse extension, part of a $33 million capital improvement project, added 22,000 square feet of space and allowed new restaurants to move upstairs for better views of the property’s Jack Nicklaus-design courses.
The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach, Fla., has celebrated the grand opening of a breathtaking new clubhouse that added 22,000 square feet of space and many new amenities to all aspects of the club’s operation. The clubhouse extension completes a $33 million capital improvement project that included an all-new, 28,000-sq.-ft. sports village at The Club at Ibis, formerly known as Ibis Golf & Country Club.
C&RB reported previously on the project in September 2014 (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2014/09/24/ibis-gcc-completes-phase-1-33m-project/) and October 2013 (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2013/10/17/ibis-gcc-breaks-ground-33m-project/)
For the clubhouse reopening, Club at Ibis members were joined by Jack Nicklaus, whose family has designed the club’s three golf courses, West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, and Ibis management and staff to celebrate the historic occasion for the 25-year-old community.
The extension creates more than 40 percent additional space and allows new restaurants such as The Atrium and The Pub to move upstairs and take advantage of the eye-catching scenery of the Nicklaus courses. The Atrium Lounge, with its 23-foot ceilings, will provide a comfortable, casual setting for lunch and dinner on the upper level. Adjacent is The Pub, a gathering place for friends to watch sports in a casual setting, as well as the 2,500-sq. ft. Pub Terrace on a veranda overlooking the Legend Course.
The club’s Grand Ballroom accommodates 450 diners and can be subdivided into three more intimate settings. The Palm and Ficus rooms can serve as gathering spots prior to an event in the Grand Ballroom, or used on their own for smaller parties.
“It’s exciting to see the look on the members’ faces when they walk in and see the new clubhouse for the first time,” said Stephen LoGiudice, Ibis’s General Manager/COO. “The club has truly transformed itself into one of the most innovative and competitive clubs in our marketplace.”
Highlights on the clubhouse’s lower level include Panache, a fine-dining restaurant that also can be used for private parties and celebrations. Panache will also include a chef’s table area, so people can watch their meals being prepared to add to their dining experience.
The Ibis golf shop has been enlarged and now features more merchandising space and a centrally located golf desk. Locker rooms have been enhanced, with the men’s locker room now showcasing dark, masculine colors, and the women’s utilizing softer tones.
Ibis is also introducing The Renaissance Room, a 1,500-sq.-ft. space that will used by clubs within the Ibis Cultural Association to meet for classes, lectures and seminars. Also new are four game rooms fittingly named for the suits in a deck of cards—Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds.
“What we have created at The Club at Ibis are social-gathering places,” LoGiudice said. “People can play golf. They can play cards. They can watch sports on big-screen TVs at The Pub. There are cultural activities. The club has become an extension of their home.”
Ibis’s members took ownership of the club three years ago and quickly embarked on the $33 million capital improvement plan to enhance the current members’ experience and help to attract the next, younger generation.
“We wanted to ensure that the improvements will hold true to Ibis’s long-range plans to meet current and future members’ expectations and, as importantly, work within the financial framework of the club,” said President Peter Miller. “We are thankful to have the overwhelming support of so many of our members and the West Palm Beach community.”
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