McConnell Golf has $7.3 million in renovation and restoration work underway at four of its clubs, and it recently added two new national memberships to its offerings.
“McConnell Golf is focused on building clubs of the future,” said McConnell Golf Chief Operating Officer Christian Anastasiadis. “There is one reason we are in business — members. Attracting members through a quality and value experience, and retaining members via a sustainable product that they always want to be part of.”
With the addition of Providence Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., and Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn., both in 2016, McConnell Golf owns a dozen 18-hole, private golf courses plus one nine-hole course.
Here is a breakdown on the renovations:
At Country Club of Asheville, McConnell Golf spent $3.7 million on capital projects, of which $3 million was devoted to a major golf course renovation. That brought McConnell Golf’s total investment amount since purchasing the Country Club of Asheville in late 2014 to more than $4.6 million.
Country Club of Asheville is the oldest private club in North Carolina, and features a Donald Ross-designed golf course. For much of 2016, the golf course was closed due to extensive restoration performed by Pinehurst-based golf course architect Richard Mandell, who oversaw numerous improvements.
Mandell said the most exciting part of the project was discovering and returning the forgotten work Donald Ross had created in 1928.
“Working alongside [superintendent] Robby Watts and his crew, undergoing renovations at the Country Club of Asheville have been a very enjoyable experience for me,” Mandell said. “It was fun to incorporate my knowledge of Ross in creating new greens where possible and uncovering some of the original greens buried under a few existing ones.”
Using information from longtime Country Club of Asheville members, the Donald Ross Society and notes from the original construction, Mandell tried to mimic the original course layout as closely as possible. Every piece of data gathered would allow him to focus on his goal of preserving the original instead of making design changes.
McConnell Golf purchased Holston Hills in Knoxville, Tenn. in December 2015 and immediately invested $1.4 million in capital improvements including a new fitness center, locker room upgrades, and a banquet and dining room renovation.
McConnell Golf installed state-of-the-art, Torque series equipment in the new Holston Hills fitness center.
The former kitchen at Holston Hills was completely gutted and a brand-new kitchen built. Currently under construction are a new dining room that will offer a festive atmosphere, an outdoor dining deck overlooking the golf course, a new main entrance to the clubhouse that will include a portico, a new golf shop and a new fleet of 60 golf carts.
In early 2016, McConnell Golf purchased Providence Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
McConnell Golf said it plans to spend the next few years renovating the golf course using a well-known architect, while also providing numerous other substantial improvements around the club. Its extensive amenities include 14 tennis courts and state-of-the-art aquatic facilities, with three swimming pools, and a newly constructed outdoor bar and dining area with a fire pit.
Work is now being completed on McConnell Golf’s first phase at Providence CC, which totaled $1.3 million. Working with Edifice General Contractors and Redline Architects, the project has included the reversal of locations between the Fitness Center and the Golf Shop. The transition has doubled the size of the Providence CC Fitness Center, while they have also completely renovated the golf shop.
Old North State Club is located on a 5,300-acre lake, in a secluded, gated community. The original clubhouse was turned into a spacious, eight-room lodge with a kitchen, bar, dining area and recreational room, where members can stay for a night or long weekend.
McConnell Golf is doing some capital improvement work at Old North State Club, including the addition of a new rub rail on the marina pier, construction of a boat bay used for detailing vessels and upgrades to the marina’s fuel tanks. Around the clubhouse, McConnell Golf is doing select landscaping renovations, while the kitchen equipment is also being replaced.