Lake of Isles Golf Resort.

Lake of Isles is a destination resort that draws heavily from its natural setting. The clubhouse sits on a 900-acre piece of property owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. The area has gone largely undisturbed by the development. No home sites occupy the land, which is owned by the tribal nation, no commercial businesses other than Lake of Isles, and minimal trees were moved in the building of the clubhouse and golf course. In fact, dirt was not moved unless absolutely necessary, as great care was taken in maintaining the integrity of the site and the precious wildlife.

"The tribal nation has such respect for the land, that they don't want to see it defiled in any way," explained Wade Setliff, NCARB, president of Architectural Design Group. He and fellow Principal Michael Ramsey, NCARB, handled the exterior architectural development of the clubhouse, while Judd Brown Designs harmonized the design on the interior. The design approach incorporates the local stone and timber materials into the framework of the structure, and orients the building in such a way as to create exceptional view corridors over the water, as well as create a special arrival sequence.

Because Lake of Isles is the only club in the region unattached to a residential golf community, it has the distinction of attracting a notably diverse membership. "Our membership represents all races, creeds, genders, ages, and backgrounds. That is what makes the club feel so welcoming," said Archie Cart of Troon Golf Management. "We have 21-year old members, CEOs of major companies, young professionals, doctors, lawyers, you name it--the diversity has proved an appealing and unique aspect of our identity, because prospective members always can find someone to relate to here ... this is not a group that is all one way."

Lake of Isles is also uniquely positioned across the street from the world's largest casino in North America, the Foxwoods Resort, also owned by the Tribal Nation. Because of this, the club uniquely serves both its private club membership and a resort public out of the same building. Two distinct golf courses wrap around a lake on the property, one to either side, and two distinct program areas of the clubhouse serve the different patrons. Private members have their own dining facilities, their own entrance, and the clubhouse masterfully accommodates both populations with little or no interference.

"We have separate entrances which are very defined for banquet and for everyday golf and dining traffic," Cart said. "If there is an event going on it is not burdensome and isn't even visible to the private members."

Natural stone, weathered shingles, open porches, hipped rooftops, and a natural color palette establish the clubhouse exterior as distinctly New England Craftsman. The interior showcases traditional heavy exposed timbers and beam detail, tongue-and-groove wood ceilings, and oversized interior trim. Artwork selections in the clubhouse reflect the club's tribal heritage, including a series of custom tiles created to reflect specific Mashantucket motifs. Brown uses rich leathers, chenille, suede, and patterned textiles to adorn the furnishings and finishes. Hardwood floors with custom designed broadloom carpeting and richly stained millwork complement oversized, custom-designed light fixtures.

"Truly in the market today, golf is all about experience," said Judd Brown, principal of Judd Brown Designs. "The competition is great, and therefore a clubhouse must establish itself in such a way that the public realizes immediately that there is something special about the experience when they walk through the door."

DESIGN VERDICT:

The clubhouse uniquely and successfully serves two distinct program groups without interference, and responds instinctively to the landscape with fluidity of material and construction.

PROOF OF SUCCESS:

The club has sold one-third of its private membership capacity within the first five months.

MANAGER TO MANAGER:

"Consider creating a pre-function area outside of your main banquet areas. We do 40 to 50 wedding receptions per year, and a covered pre-function area for cocktails before dinner would be a helpful addition."

TYPE: New Clubhouse

SIZE: 45,000 Square Feet

ARCHITECT: Architectural Design Group

INTERIORS: Judd Brown Designs, Inc.

Architecture and Design Writer Dafna Zilafro has covered over 40 clubhouse design articles for Club Management. She works in a fulltime capacity as the director of marketing for SPF: architects (www.spfa.com), an award-winning California-based architecture firm.