Mayacama golf clubhouse: Santa Rosa, CA.

Judges' Verdict: "'The hand-troweled textures, tiled roofs, and sprawling expanses of this Tuscan-inspired clubhouse are perfect for its California wine-country setting. It also evokes the missions that dotted these hills in Spanish days."

"Fine Wine--Extraordinary Golf," reads the introduction to Mayacama on the club's website. Every club member receives 34 bottles of wine per month, delivered to his or her climate-controlled wine locker compliments of one of Mayacama's vintner members.

Spectacular wines are not Mayacama's only extraordinary feature. The oak knolls rise up throughout Mayacama's rolling hills and valleys, and surrounding homes are reminiscent of those in picturesque Tuscan villages. What better architectural vernacular to represent the hub of Mayacama's wine-centric activity? "It has got to be one of the prettiest pieces of property that you'd ever want to see," architect Michael Marsh, AIA from Marsh and Associates, said. "There is no housing visible from anywhere on the property--there are some golf cottages and a handful of 4,000-square-foot casitas up in the hillside, but they are completely invisible from the clubhouse. You drive up and see wild turkeys, deer, and other animals ... it is truly a very special place."

The Mayacama clubhouse site is set up on top of a hill, embracing the hillside and surrounding terrain. The U-shaped structure lends itself to a beautifully-trellised courtyard, celebrating 100-year-old olive trees at its center. Warm stucco with barrel the rooftops express the Tuscan vernacular, and off-white Cantera stone columns line the entry.

Throughout the dining and social areas, the Tuscan clubhouse features authentic plaster finishes, polished concrete floors, oversized mesquite wood doors, and rich wood millwork surrounding the wine display and tasting areas. The open-air architecture allows natural light to flood member areas and windows throughout frame golf vistas of the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course. High ceilings draw stone fireplaces to a taper, and walls seem to disappear, opening onto flagstone patios and continuous views of the scenic landscape.

One of the nicest elements of the building is the fireplace and exposed heavy timber trusses in the men's locker room, for which pictures can hardly do justice. The four-sided fireplace is cornered by four gigantic 16' by 20' rustic beams, heavy timber mantles, and additional trusses framing the surrounding locker room space. Iron ring chandeliers, oversized furniture, and natural light flood the space, and the Mayacama logo is emphatically stamped into heavy iron door pulls. "We've done some pretty dramatic men's locker rooms," Marsh said, "but this one has definitely surpassed them all."

No compromise for the ladies, who aren't all that interested in grand scale or heavy lumber--the ladies' lounge includes a comfortable enclosed porch area, overlooking the golf course, where women can relax and socialize without their male counterparts.

Bottles of wine will always outnumber guests in this clubhouse, and as honored guests they command over 4,000 square feet of floor space, groin vaults, barrel vaults, and private climate-controlled wine lockers. No surprise, the clubhouse's dominant tower element is the central storage facility for the celebrated bottles, visible through the tower's interior windows from the living room and foyer.

After a superior round of golf on Mayacama's Jack Nicklaus course, members finish at a spectacular courtyard and clubhouse transition. A cave-like tunnel from the 18th green leads golfers directly into a series of private member wine lockers, stocked regularly with vintner member contributions. Leather-bound wine menus catalog the private reserves, which hold up to four cases of wine and are updated by club management on a monthly basis. Imagine finishing a round of golf, selecting a nice bottle, and enjoying a post-game glass on the scenic Mayacama patio. Such is life in California's proud wine country.

Credits:

Architect of Record: Marsh and Associates Inc., Michael Marsh, AIA.

Interior Design: Slifer Designs, Tom Counter.

Project HIGHLIGHTS

Architecture: California wine country; rambling estate.

Exterior Materials: Light colored stucco, the rooftops. Colorado stone (to match indigenous Napa stone); stone columns; heavy timber trusses.

Exterior Features: Cathedral-like tower element; trellised entry courtyard and fountain; carved Cantera stone columns.

Notable Spaces: Fire pit courtyard with stone patio and wrought iron furnishings; cathedral-like entry courtyard and tower w/archways; spacious men's locker room and lounge with four-sided fireplace; wine display tower, visible through windows from living and dining rooms; wine locker room.

Design Accents: Mayacama logo stamped into the heavy iron pulls of the door hardware; light stucco; wrought-iron patio furnishings; tapered flagstone fireplaces.

Square Footage/Areas Affected: 38,000 sq. ft. included clubhouse, wine storage, and separate cart barn.

Mayacama At-a-Glance

Pronunciation: MAH-ya-CAH-ma.

Unique Memberships: 29 Vintner Members contribute the equivalent of one barrel apiece of high quality reserve wines to the club. Vintners receive access to the member mailing list for their own marketing purposes.

Fringe Benefits: Non-vintner members receive a personal wine locker, populated monthly by vintner contributions.