When the Evanston Golf Club in Chicago’s Northshore community wanted to renovate its 85,000 square foot Tudor-style clubhouse, the membership was deeply divided over the best approach that would honor the clubhouse’s rich 100-year history and attract the next generation of members.

The Challenge:

Half of the club’s membership wanted to tear down the building and replace it with a new state-of-art facility that would attract younger members seeking a new kind of “not-your-grandfather’s” club experience. The other half wanted to keep the existing structure, complete with previous, intermittent partial renovations, and renovate it more comprehensively to preserve the unique architectural components that would be cost-prohibitive to replicate. The renovation approach won by a slim margin of just 13 votes. The MCA design team understood what was at stake. If the renovation wasn’t a success, it had potential to threaten the club’s very existence.

The MCA Solution:

The team conducted extensive market research on golf club membership trends with particular focus on the needs of the entire golfing family to determine which key design elements should be preserved and which should be modernized. MCA’s design comprehensively transformed the clubhouse with amenities for a changed demographic that included more options for today’s golfing families.

Refreshed designs for a variety of dining and lounging areas conducive for small or large groups feature classic and contemporary furnishings that meet needs for casual gatherings or elegant milestone celebrations. The Women’s Locker Room, Patio, 19^th Hole Bar, Terrace, Ballroom and other banquet rooms also reflect a comfortable and refined style that enriches the clubhouse experience by design.