The Woodlands Country Club/Palmer Clubhouse: Irving, TX.

Spread amidst a piney Texas forest, the Woodlands is a 27,000-acre master-planned community that has thrived for over a quarter of a century. With world-class tennis courts, pools, and other recreation facilities throughout, the community began with one 36-hole golf course and its own Woodlands Country Club Clubhouse. When the Woodlands contracted Arnold Palmer to build a 27-hole course on different portion of the giant property, they built a temporary snack bar and golf pro shop building, which they intended to replace within a few short years. The membership managed to get by with the small shack for almost eight years, at which time a decision was made to begin the process of building an actual Palmer Clubhouse to support the golf course.

In keeping with the original vision of the Woodlands development, architect Ryan Yakel AIA, of CCI/Chris Consultants focused on respecting the natural environment of the pine forest, and improving the amenities offered with a minimum disturbance to surrounding natural elements.

The clubhouse features two full levels of 15,000 square feet, each connected by a breezeway to a remodeled 12,000-square-foot cart/bag storage building. In one of the few land modifications, Yakel created the clubhouse grand entry--an expansive raised auto court partially covered by a large porte cochere. He explained that the modest addition to the height of the land is what gives members a sense of "presence" when they arrive at the club. Other than the entrance, the clubhouse sits on an entirely flat piece of land.

Aware of the membership's orientation toward nature and the outdoors, Yakel carried that theme into the design of the clubhouse with Arts and Crafts styling and natural overtones. "We used materials such as limestone, heavy timbers on the porches, stained glass windows and doors on the inside of the building, and rich red oak paneling," Yakel said. We also were able to use quite a bit of Stickley mission furniture, and installed a double-sided stone fireplace as a centerpiece, dividing the adult and family grille rooms."

Near the entrance to the clubhouse, a six-foot-high, custom chandelier--reminiscent in style of Frank Lloyd Wright--dangles over a grand stair. The building has a very smooth flow, with meticulous thought and care given to function and dining area placement in relationship to other social gathering spaces and hallways. In addition to the two grille rooms, a large private dining room is adjacent to the family grille. Food service design at the Palmer clubhouse allows all dining areas to be served from a central kitchen space, and gives kitchen staff direct access to the back-of-house receiving areas without disturbing the membership.

The golf shop and locker rooms are on the lower level with easy access to the cart staging area and course. In an adjacent fitness center, members can enjoy new cardiovascular equipment and an audio/video wall, with large window views into the forest outside. By the end of the project, a pool facility and pool cabana were also included in the additions.

Overlooking the golf course and pine forest beyond, a large covered porch spans the entire back of the clubhouse, offering comfortable teak rocking chairs to club members and beckoning them to savor this outdoor paradise, with a sip of lemonade and a view of the putting green and course below.