C+RB’s inaugural Awards for Fitness recognize Loblolly for expanding both the physical footprint of its fitness facilities and the programs offered; and Columbine Country Club for partnering with a fitness management firm and launching Columbine Active, a mobile app to engage members in fitness and wellness initiatives.
The December 2019 issue of Club + Resort Business features the 2019 Innovation Awards, recognizing club and resort properties that have conceived and implemented concepts that have paid real dividends in the form of enduring member and guest satisfaction and loyalty.
These properties were recognized for innovative achievement in the Fitness category:
Ask and you shall receive. When members at Loblolly in Hobe Sound, Fla. requested an increase in fitness programming, the health-conscious club sought the help of the Peacock + Lewis architectural firm to find a workable facilities solution.
The challenge was to expand the current fitness center, which was located on a confined site between the golf maintenance complex and administration buildings. A decision was made to construct additions on either side of the existing fitness building and to reconfigure the interior.
A cardio/strength training studio and large multi-purpose group studio were added, providing group movement, yoga and self-directed classes with new state-of-the-art equipment. The expanded footprint allowed the existing spaces to be repurposed, freeing up space for a dedicated spin room, relaxing lounge and office for the Fitness Director.
As measures of how the changes were enthusiastically embraced by the Loblolly membership, fitness classes and gym usage increased from 1,909 to 2,756 in March 2019, and fitness-class attendance climbed to its highest level in April, almost doubling over the same time (year-to-date) prior to the improvements—401 vs. 758 attendees. Over 9,000 registrations were received to join a pilates session after it was announced in December 2018, and total Fitness Center revenue has increased 27 percent since the redesign/expansion.
Loblolly’s members are now also staying on the property more to take advantage of private physical therapy that is offered through a partnership with a local medical center, and to then transition to the fitness floor to continue their recovery programs.
Since its completion, the club is now in an enviable position of having a waitlist for membership, no inventory for home sales, and a highly satisfied membership that indicates to management “We now have no good reason to leave campus.”
Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colo. partnered with 1000 Hills Fitness for management of its fitness/wellness program and launched Columbine Active, a mobile app to engage members in fitness and wellness initiatives.
“We knew that a well-defined brand position was critical for Columbine to compete for members’ fitness attention,” said Scott Poston, principal consultant with 1000 Hills Fitness. “Our marching orders were to change the lives of members with dynamic and innovative programs and staff, and that led to [the creation of the Columbine Active] brand.”
Safe to say that, 197 users and 413 workouts later, the brand, and app, have hit the mark. Members use the app to learn about fitness-department promotions and more about the club’s fitness team, or to complete daily workouts that are then posted to the app’s leaderboard for other members to see.
Columbine CC also recently launched its own version of Class Pass. to help engage more members in its group fitness program. And it’s the only private club in Colorado offering Ashiatsu (barefoot) massage and Sarga (myofascial) bodywork.
Clubs in Columbine’s category, on average, generate $35 per sq. ft. in total fitness and spa revenue. With continued support from 1000 Hills Fitness, Columbine CC now generates $82 per sq. ft.
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