Quail Creek CC Focuses on Golf, Tennis Facilities as It Embarks on Multi-Million Dollar Renovation

(NAPLES, FL) – Quail Creek Country Club is completely redesigning its golf and tennis facilities as it introduces a state-of-the art, holistic approach to the health and longevity of its membership. The result will be a new cutting-edge approach—unique in country club settings—that blends dynamic fitness training with top-level golf and tennis instruction, all in a user-friendly, socially active environment. In this $18.5 million investment, the entire golf, tennis, fitness and leisure operations will be interfaced under the direction of certified physical trainers working in concert with the club’s PGA, LPGA and USPTA instructors.

“Our mission is to enable our members to play better and longer at whatever sport or activity they choose, whether that’s golf or tennis or the newly popular pickleball,” says Quail Creek President Jim Clayton. “We have taken a very aggressive fiscal and creative approach in order to position the club positively for generations to come. Our vision of Quail Creek is keenly focused on integrating—from A to Z—the fitness component with golf and tennis to address the ‘whole person’—mental, physical and social.”

Quail Creek is seizing on a coming trend among country clubs, as identified by researcher Frank Vain, President of the McMahon Group, a private-club consulting firm. “In addition to golf [successful clubs of the future] will offer fitness and wellness. This means there will be standard exercise options and functional training, as well as spa, nutrition, joint rehab, physical therapy and athletic and sport-specific training,” Vain says. “Over the next decade, the average country club will look more like a sports center surrounded by a golf course.” Or in the case of Quail Creek, two highly regarded 18-hole golf courses designed by Arthur Hills—the Quail and the Creek—which have each undergone extensive renovations over the past six years. The United States Golf Association had awarded Quail Creek with the prestigious 2017 Women’s Mid- Amateur Championship, but it had to be relocated to another venue because of Hurricane Irma.

General Manager and COO Don Hunter notes that one of the goals at Quail Creek is to differentiate it as the best amateur/recreational player-support club in the area for the growing retirement market. It also expects to attract the next wave of retirees (ages 55-65) who plan to move to the Naples area. “We have found and retained some of the best experts in golf, tennis and fitness, as well as nutritional dining, and they will be working closely with each other to benefit our current and future members,” Hunter says.

The large and well-manicured golf practice facility and short-game area (maintained by Director of Golf Courses and Grounds Kevin Leo, with 30 years’ experience) will be expanded even further in the new design. Under the watchful eye of Director of Golf Mike Dero and Head Golf Professional Jon Balyeat, the pro shop will have a 180-degree viewing access of the range and tennis courts to facilitate monitoring the instruction and fitness programs.

Likewise, Quail Creek’s Tennis operations, under the direction of tennis professional Jon Call, will be redesigned to include 10 Har-Tru tennis courts, one exhibition tennis court, three bocce courts, one croquet lawn and four pickleball courts. Pickleball is quickly growing in the Naples area, considered the unofficial capital of this miniature version of tennis.

Fitness Operations Manager Teri Brodie is keen on the new integrated approach at Quail Creek: “As we plan the renovated sports and fitness center to help our golf and tennis members reach their optimum improvement goals, we will be focusing not only on the latest wellness trends, but also on what has worked well for us in the past,” she says. “We currently are a Blue Zones-certified Fitness, Wellness & Spa Center and have seven TRX machines, and we will continue to grow our Physical Therapy offering with a focus on Sports Medicine. TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) training will be a huge part of what we become, as well as MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques).”

There are 650 Golf and Social/Sports members at Quail Creek, many of whom live on property. Early reports indicate they are excited about the future of the club. That forward thinking will go hand-in-hand with Quail Creek’s innovative, new direction.