Bay Oaks Country Club had much to draw from when adding a fitness center that has attracted and engaged members.
Clubs today simply cannot stand pat. Renovations and updated designs are almost mandatory for strengthening a club and attracting new members. As the membership at Bay Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas began getting younger, club leadership knew it needed to make changes to keep the 22-year-old club competitive. These improvements include a recently opened fitness center, as well as bar and grille and pro shop renovations that are currently underway.
Bay Oaks Country ClubLocation: Houston |
“These renovations will put us back as the ‘A’ club in this marketplace,” says Jeff Teich, General Manager. “We needed to bring the club into the 21st century.”
Planning Process
One of the best examples of how Bay Oaks has modernized the club and its amenities is through the introduction of a fitness component. Today, the new fitness center (see photo, right) boasts 2,000 square feet of cardio and weight equipment; a 1,000-sq.-ft. movement studio for spinning, Zumba, ball-and-stretch and group exercise; a 500-sq.-ft. Pilates studio; and locker rooms.
As part of Dallas-based ClubCorp, Bay Oaks worked closely with the management company’s fitness experts to bring a successful program to the property. ClubCorp management spent almost 16 months doing focus groups within the club, conducting surveys and collaborating with the club’s Board of Governors on the details of the fitness renovation.
Collaborating with ClubCorp’s athletic division, which specializes in fitness trends within the hospitality industry, Bay Oaks was able to establish a multi-faceted fitness program. “ClubCorp’s expertise helped us figure out the amount of machines for the size of our facility, in order to maximize the space,” says Teich. “The benefit of working for a large company is that it helps you stay on the cutting edge of trends, and of training for your staff.”
For example, Bay Oaks was inspired by the success of an athletic program at another ClubCorp property in Austin, Texas. That club has a strong Pilates program that has attracted new members and engaged current members. Driven by that trend, Bay Oaks also included a private Pilates studio with four reformer machines, which quickly became a popular amenity within the fitness center.
Purchasing the fitness equipment was also simplified via ClubCorp’s existing relationships with fitness suppliers and manufacturers.
“There was tremendous buying power because of the purchasing agreements ClubCorp has with vendors and construction contractors; all of the equipment was bought through the group purchasing division,” says Teich.
One of the biggest benefits of being part of ClubCorp for a $1 million project like this is that there was no assessment to the Bay Oaks members. “ClubCorp sees this as an investment in the future,” says Teich. “It is a way to grow memberships by enhancing the club’s products.”
Marketing the Improvements
In addition to the club’s new fitness center, Bay Oaks is also renovating its bar and grille and the pro shop. The club is expanding its current bar and grille to incorporate a cocktail lounge and activity area, along with a bar where members can congregate. The pro shop is getting a modernized makeover with new displays and an updated desk.
To help promote these renovations, Bay Oaks took advantage of ClubCorp’s vast marketing resources to spread the word via e-blasts, statement stuffers and other means.
“Attracting more members is the biggest challenge that all clubs are going through today, so it is a huge benefit to have ClubCorp’s membership and marketing team working with us on strategies to increase matriculation,” says Teich.
For all parts of Bay Oaks’ decor, new and old, the club maintains a localized look and feel all its own. Its rolling, plantation-style clubhouse mirrors its surrounding community, which is filled with traditional brick two- and three-story Southern-style mansions with pillars.
“Each [ClubCorp] club has been built differently to blend with the region it is in,” says Teich. “The décor here has a regional look, with rich woods and rich colors. It is more traditional in style than a club you may find in California.”
The landscaping around the property also complements the surroundings, with large oak trees and Spanish moss that also help to reflect the region and give Bay Oaks a localized feel, despite its big-company base.
View fitness center floorplans here.
View grill floor plan here.
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