Digging for gold: The Country Club, Salt Lake City unearths preserved design history.

Renovating The Country Club in Salt Lake City was a cross between an archeological dig and a treasure hunt. Members, designers, and architects had studied the original plans and still didn't know exactly what to expect. But when the dust and dirt started flying, they struck gold.

The clubhouse, a graceful 1921 Arts and Crafts-style mansion, was truly a diamond in the rough. It had been through so many renovations over the years that the original building had been almost totally camouflaged.

When interior designer Walter R. Allen, president of the Atlanta firm of Ferry, Hayes and Allen Designers Inc., arrived to make his presentation to the board, he had enough extra time to wander through a centennial display showing the original clubhouse at the height of its Roaring '20s glory. It looked nothing like the current clubhouse, which was a design disaster, he said.

"I thought it had burned down," Allen said.

When he learned that he was standing in the original structure--and discovered that the club still had the mansion's original plans--he had a brainstorm: restore the building to its pre-renovation splendor and throw in enough new space to give members the elbow room they craved.

The plan was a hit. "We loved the idea of taking the club back [to its roots," said Amedee Moran, the club's general manager and chief operating officer.

When Allen had first looked at the building "I couldn't see anything worth saving," he said. "It looked like it needed to be torn down."

Moran agreed. "The entire club looked like a train wreck--a piece of the '50s, a piece of the '60s, a piece of the '80s--and none of it worked."

"It didn't look like the kind of club that people would be paying upwards of $115,000 to belong to," he said. At the same time, Moran noted, many members had a sentimental attachment to the building.

While most members were unhappy with the structure, they couldn't agree on how best to fix it. Some wanted to renovate. Some wanted to tear it down. Others wanted to see improvements to the clubhouse as long as the golf course wasn't neglected in the process. The final vote on renovation was a real squeaker. With more than 400 voting members, the proposal passed by just 11 votes, said Moran.

Part of the problem was the cost--which was a big issue for everyone involved. "It was very expensive to the members," said Allen. The total was just less than $10 million, said Moran, with equity members each shouldering a $19,500 special assessment--a first for a club with a proud history of never assessing members. Social members, who have clubhouse and dining privileges, paid $1,500.

If the diamond itself was a little rough, the setting was first class. "It's one of the most beautiful sites I've ever seen [for a] clubhouse in this country," said Allen. Nestled at the base of the Wasatch mountains, The Country Club is four miles from the stadium that hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, and just a 20-minute ride to the skiing mecca of Park City. As a result, the par-72 course itself is "a little hilly--fairly undulant," said Moran, who has been with the club for 21 years, starting as a busboy when he was 19.

Members wouldn't have it any other way. "It's a classic golf course, beautifully situated," said Robert J. Ward, a retired banker with a 6 1/2 handicap who has been a member for more than 25 years. "It overlooks the Salt Lake valley and the mountains on the other side. It's a beautifully laid-out course."

For current club president and nine-year member Phil W. Clinger, access to the course was a lifelong goal. "I grew up in Salt Lake," said Clinger, who's retired from Merrill Lynch. "It was sort of a dream to belong to The Country Club."

Details, Details

Just like an archeology dig, not all the heavy lifting for the renovation was done on site. Before the crew broke ground, Allen and his staff did a lot of research. Armed with the original plans, the team tried to get a feel for the architect's style. "Once we got the books, it was very obvious what [the architect] was trying to do," said Allen. The building was very reminiscent of English country homes of the period.

"We were very careful to take that plan and add on to only those areas that were needed," said Allen, whose firm has a three-generation tradition in the country club industry. He also brought in Atlanta-based Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein Architects, Inc., to join his team on the project. In the process, they also found hidden treasure. In the club's old ballroom--now the living room--"we didn't know what we had until we broke open the ceiling," said Ward. That's when workers discovered hand-hewn wood beams set in hand-troweled plaster. Further excavation in the room revealed space for a south-facing bay window that was in the original plans but had never been installed.

The room was stripped of the dark bronzed mirrors that had covered the walls since the 1960s and restored with hand-troweled plaster and old-style plank wood floors, said Allen.

The result is "a very, very pleasant place to gather before going into a party," said Ward. "It's a great entry point."

In another area--dubbed "the Centennial Room" in the original Plans--they uncovered a vaulted ceiling with more hand-hewn beams. It had been flattened in later renovations. Once excavated and restored, the space became the new ladies card room--and an archive for club history.

The newly renovated clubhouse also features two entrances. A porte-cochere, which opens into the lower lobby, serves parties and formal occasions while most members and casual visitors enter through a smaller lobby on the north side of the building.

Space: The Final Frontier

The new floor plan also offers something the members desperately needed: space. Now at almost 67,000 square feet, the building is more than 36 percent larger. It's also much more conducive to events. Prior to renovation, there was no way to separate functions that were being held simultaneously. Attendees of one party often had to traipse through another just to get where they needed to go.

The new design features a ballroom set off from the main club and three private dining rooms, suitable for large family gatherings or small corporate parties. An unfinished room can be completed later as needed.

Last, but not least for members, the new floor plan includes a lounge. Located just off the mixed grill, it has a large stone fireplace, plenty of inviting chairs and a big-screen, plasma TV that is hidden by a tapestry when not in use. An adjoining patio provides a sunny venue for informal dining and cocktails.

"We never had a really comfortable bar with comfortable seating and a fireplace--someplace you could take guests," said Ward. "It's something we lacked."

The result isn't modern or jarring. Instead, the interior--complete with a desert-inspired color palette and antiques that complement the building's Arts and Crafts style--gives the impression it's been aging gracefully for years. "What I like the most is the old-time, very rich feel of the club," Clinger said.

Club members were savvy in staffing the planning and construction committees with professionals from the building trades. Clinger, who took office after the project had started, credits past leadership with that bit of foresight--which gave the club the background and understanding to get the job done. "They thought we could get considerably more bang for the buck by doing it this way," he said.

But the 18-month renovation didn't always go as planned. While the club managed to stay open during the project, revenues were much below initial projections. And a fire halfway through the renovation threatened both the budget and the schedule. "Thankfully, it was contained in a relatively small part of the building," said Moran. "But it set us back one month and a lot of dollars."

Then and Now

Despite the fractiousness of the original vote, and the drop in revenue during construction period, Moran finds that the members are really enjoying the results. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive," he said.

Much of that has to do with the promise the designers and architects made before starting the renovation. "[They said] it won't look like it's brand new, it will look like it's been here for years and years," said Moran. "It gives you that feel."

Allen looks at the project as "an example" to other clubs. It demonstrates what's possible "if you don't tear down to build something cheaper," he said.

Ward believes the building is finally living up to its potential. "It's a very dramatic structure now," he said. "It's long and low--it's subtle and tasteful, but it looks substantial."

"It was put together in pieces over the years," said Ward. "The result was [that] it lost any charm. Now it's been pulled back together."

A Timeline

1899--The Country Club is incorporated by six local businessmen. It takes its name from being the first country club in the state. 1920--The club acquires its current location. 1921--The golf course is designed by member Hal Lamb. Construction begins on the clubhouse. 1956--Swimming pool is added and paid for through a special fund-raising campaign. 1958--The Country Club hosts Utah's first-ever PGA tournament, the Utah Open. Arnold Palmer ties for second place. 1962--Architect Ralph Plummer completes a redesign of the course. 1999--The Country Club celebrates its centennial. Nov. 2000--Construction starts on the $10 million clubhouse renovation project. Feb. 2002--Club banquet facilities host several events for Winter Olympic Games. May 2002--The Country Club holds a grand opening party to show off the newly renovated clubhouse.

Sources: "The Country Club: Centennial 1899-1999" and the Utah Golf Association.

The Country Club at a Glance

Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Vintage: Founded 104 years ago. The clubhouse was built in 1921.

Number of Members: 439 equity members; 150 social members (clubhouse and dining privileges); 40 junior members (full privileges for adult sons and daughters of equity members under the age of 35.) Size: 125 acres

Average Age of Members: About 64, said General Manager Amedee Moran.

Initiation Fee: Equity memberships are sold on a "free-market system," said Moran, who has seen the price range from $72,500 to $115,000. Social memberships are $5,000 and junior memberships are $1,500.

Monthly Fee: $315 for equity members; $150 for social and junior members. Amenities: Newly renovated, approximately 67,000-square-foot clubhouse with three small private dining rooms; ballroom and formal and informal dining; fully equipped fitness center with aerobics classes, Pilates classes; and masseuse; 50-meter swimming pool; par-72 golf course; two putting greens; driving range; pro shop; and indoor driving cages.

No. 1 Reason for Joining: "Golf," said Moran. "It's a golfing club."

Source: The Country Club

Dana Dratch is a freelance writer based in Atlanta.