About This Project

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, 19th Hole Bar, Terrace, Ballroom and other banquet rooms also reflect a comfortable and refined style that enriches the clubhouse experience by design.

PROJECT

Evanston Golf Club House

LOCATION

Skokie, IL

CLIENT

Evanston Golf Club

TYPE

85,000 square foot clubhouse renovation

TARGET AUDIENCE

New and existing club members inclusive of the entire family

COMPLETED

2008

AWARDS

Golf Inc. Magazine’s Clubhouse of the Year, 2010 Boardroom Magazine’s Firm of the Year, 2008

Category
Case Study, Club House and Recreation

The R.O.E.® (Return on Environment)

The renovation’s grand re-opening exceeded expectations with members’ renewed sense of pride and ownership. While neighboring clubs struggled with member loss during the country’s challenging economic period, the Evanston Golf Club not only maintained existing membership levels but also increased them with new memberships in the target demographics. The number of event bookings increased to a record high and the elevated nature of the events attracted increased food and beverage revenues to new levels.

Evanston Golf First Floor Lobby Copy 1