Designing a dynamic locker room that’s more than just a way station requires a blend of comfort, service and style.
By Diana Mirel, Contributing Editor
SUMMING IT UP
- Updated amenities within the locker room help keep members and guests comfortable and increase usage of the space.
- Neutral hues and calming color schemes can help members wind down after a workout and add a touch of sophistication to the area.
- Although locker rooms have evolved over the years, they continue to be dynamic personal yet social spaces.
The locker room is the place where members and guests can let their guard down and be 100 percent comfortable while transitioning from workout mode to waking life. It is a personal space that often sets the social tone for the entire property. Although many clubhouses and resort properties are moving toward a more casual atmosphere overall, putting comfort first within the locker room goes a long way.
“We want our members to enjoy the locker room; we want them to feel like they can come in here any time and feel like it is theirs,” says Terry Leibowitz, Director of Marketing at The Clubs of Kingwood in Kingwood, Texas.
Wide-Open Space
The locker room at the Lansing (Mich.) Country Club has evolved through the years. “The original idea for the locker room was for it to be a place to change your shoes after a round,” says John Lindert, Director of Golf. “But with the advent of soft spikes and more tennis shoe-like shoes for golf, people can travel easier. The use of the locker room was starting to wane a bit because of that. So the locker room had to take on a different function.”
Lansing CC’s locker room regained its relevance when the club transformed the men’s card room and bar area within the locker room into a 900-sq. ft. fitness facility for both men and women. “Fitness facilities are an up-and-coming necessity of country clubs, and this area was very accessible for our members,” says Lindert. “We decided this was a better utilization of that space.”
The fitness facility has helped breathe new life into the men’s locker room. “With the fitness facility, the locker room has regained its functionality and usefulness,” says Lindert. “Now, people are using it before and after a workout during their lunch hour.”
Although the new fitness area replaced the more social areas of the locker room, it is still a lively space thanks to its open design. The locker room has a 30-foot cathedral ceiling with wooden beams that are about 20 feet above the floor. Two oversized round skylights on either side of the ceiling draw natural light into the locker room from both sides.
“When you have a locker room with low ceilings, it feels more cramped,” says Lindert. “With high ceilings, you can still have lockers side by side, without feeling like sardines. A lot of times clubs don’t take into account the amount of space needed in a golf locker room; people are bringing gym bags, suits, golf attire and so on. Once it all starts spreading out, members need space.”
Luckily, the men at Lansing CC have that room. The aisles within the locker banks are six feet wide, offering members plenty of space to move around and change comfortably. The lockers all have benches in front of them for either sitting on or holding their belongings. The benches are carpeted on top and have solid wood legs that match the wooden lockers. There are also stand-alone vanities at the end of the locker banks.
A loveseat and a handicap computer set up in the front of the locker room provide a sort of gathering area. The club posts event promotions and sign-ups in this area as well.
“The locker room is still a social area,” says Lindert. “There are groups of friends in different locker banks because the guys want their lockers by their friends.”
Ladies First
To offer its female members a more fulfilling club experience, Cold Spring Country Club in Huntington, N.Y., invested $1.1 million into a ladies’ locker room renovation. “We didn’t just want to renovate the space, we wanted to take it to the next level,” says Tucker Burns, General Manager. “If you are going to bring a country club to a certain level of service, your clubhouse and the amenities, like the locker room, have to go along with that.”
The former locker room space was gutted to the core. The old locker room’s dusty, rose-colored metal lockers were replaced with 24-inch walnut-colored wooden lockers, all personalized with the club member’s name. Each locker has double doors and two sliding drawers for shoes.
The wet areas of the locker room—including the restrooms, showers, sinks and vanities—were updated with the highest-quality finishes. The shower area has radiant heat flooring and the luxurious showers have glass tiles and quartz and crystal walls. The club even imported granite from Italy for all the countertops and vanities.
The new locker room is bedecked in soothing earth tones of blue and yellow. Along with natural light that flows into the locker room through windows near the ceiling, there are also sconces on the walls and built-in lighting above the lockers. Fresh white orchids and modern artwork add to the soothing tone within the space.
Simple Ways to Update
Want to create a homier vibe within the locker room without the price tag of a renovation? Try out some of these small ways to update and personalize the space for members and guests:
- Swap out bright lighting with softer bulbs for an instant warming effect.
- Stock vanity areas with travel-sized toiletries in brands members and guests enjoy.
- Personalize lockers with name plates.
- Set up a console table with magazines and newspapers.
- Add cucumber or lemon slices to pitchers of ice water, to infuse a spa-like flavor.
- Add soft music to the locker room with a simple docking station.
“With high ceilings, you can still have lockers side by side without feeling like sardines.”—John Lindert, Director of Golf, Lansing CC |
One of the goals of the new ladies’ locker room was to transform the space into a special place for women to connect with one another and pamper themselves. A massage and facial room was added to the locker room, and the ladies’ card room and sitting area were both updated. The tables in the card room were refinished and stained with a walnut tone, to match the new lockers. The existing soft seating was reupholstered in earth tones that complement the locker room’s overall color scheme.
Since opening in April 2012, the club has seen an increase in overall usage among women—and the locker room is the top draw. “They want to move in! They are ecstatic about it and want to show it off to all of their guests,” says Burns. “Before the renovation, women would not even shower here. Now, they are spending more time in the locker room and are using the facility more.”
Contemporary Man Cave
When the movie “Tin Cup” was filmed at The Clubs of Kingwood in the mid-1990s, the club embraced the notoriety that came with being featured on the big screen. In fact, its men’s locker room was named the Tin Cup, to pay homage to the film. The locker room was decorated with movie memorabilia including still images from the film, cardboard cutouts of the cast led by Kevin Costner, and autographed flags and hats.
During a recent clubhouse renovation, however, the club decided it wanted to update the locker room with a more contemporary look, while still honoring the history and nostalgia of “Tin Cup.” The new locker room has marble flooring in the foyer and an updated wet area with marble countertops and modern finishes and fixtures.
“We still call the locker room the Tin Cup, but we reworked all the film images by putting them in frames that complement the more contemporary design work done in the space,” says Leibowitz. “The locker room still has the heritage and history from ‘Tin Cup’; it is now more tasteful, but still fun.”
One of the biggest goals for the locker room renovation was to boost the social aspect of the space. “It is important that the guys feel comfortable in their club,” says Leibowitz. “The new locker room is a ‘man cave.’ ”
Creating a dynamic bar space helped bring this goal to life. A warm color palette creates a homey and inviting feel throughout the bar area, with beige walls and deep mahogany wood trim. An L-shaped, chocolate-toned wood bar has a granite top; seating is provided by beige, high-back leather bar stools. High-top and round tables are also set up throughout the bar, providing the men with plenty of places to sit back to dine, drink and play cards. The bar also has flat-screen televisions mounted on the walls, and pool and shuffleboard tables are provided for in-room recreation.
“The guys are having a ball with it,” says Leibowitz. “They are even bringing in their laptops and doing fantasy football in there. They are spending more time in there overall.”
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