Incorporating the Topgolf Phenomena into Private Clubs
All we hear about today is the excitement Topgolf is creating in the golf world.
In McMahon Group’s recent Pulse Survey completed by almost 350 club managers, 49% said they want to create a Topgolf experience at their club. However, it is important to note that true Topgolf is really much more about entertainment than real golf. It is a place to relax, be with friends, enjoy food, drinks and then use a golf driving range game as the excuse to be there. It is said that 70% of Topgolf patrons are not golfers. They are there to have a good time and they are generally a younger crowd. For country clubs attempting to latch on to this phenomena, it is important to note that 70% of country club members are golfers and at the average age of 54.
The needs and demands for a private club version of Topgolf are very much different.
At a country club version, which we call NightClub Golf, the golf balls have to be regular balls, not the low flight balls used at Topgolf facilities. The full outdoor driving range has to be used so members can actually see their ball in real flight even though a simulator allows a person to play a computer golf game on a screen.
The country club version should become the golf center of the club. The golf shop should be located adjacent to it, the golf training/conditioning/fitness facility should be located within the facility, the indoor/outdoor golf lesson bays should be incorporated into the facility and finally, there should be a bar/lounge/pub/patio within the facility for members to socialize before, during and after their use of the golf hitting bays. In reality, everyone should consider the outdoor driving range as a huge outdoor room that can now be used morning, noon and night, all year long, as both a golf practice area, computer game area and entertainment center. This new facility for private clubs has us, again, learning from our for-profit cousins, just as we have learned so many times before. A question every club board and manager should be asking is, “Should we be adding this new dimension of recreation and entertainment at our club?”
About Christian Clerc, AIA
Christian has been in the construction, architecture, and planning fields for over 20 years and has been involved in all aspects of McMahon services during his 10 years with the firm. He has drafted Master Plans, written strategic plans, and presented improvement projects to memberships. In addition to training and supporting new staff across several departments, Christian works closely with Club planners and leadership to develop innovative services that help clients in a rapidly changing world. He developed the survey benchmark by analyzing years of membership surveys, which now serve as a backbone to McMahon’s membership analysis and industry-wide assessments.
A respected industry voice, Christian is a featured speaker for the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) and the National Club Association (NCA), as well as a featured author in industry publications. He holds AIA membership and LEED AP BD+C credentials, further demonstrating his commitment to sustainable and innovative design practices.
Christian graduated with honors from the University of Dallas in Texas with a bachelor’s degree in physics, where he served as treasurer and social chairman of the men’s rugby club. He participated in undergraduate astronomy research in Wooster Ohio, Pitkin Colorado and at MIT’s Haystack observatory. After working in construction, he returned to school and graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, earning two graduate degrees in Architecture and Urban Design. As Graduate Architecture Council treasurer, he established the first funding mechanism for the annual Year End Show (YES), showcasing recent graduates’ work. He presented façade research on phase change materials in Hong Kong China and façade adaptive reuse in Delft Netherlands. He is a registered architect in several states, most proudly in his home ‘Show-Me’ state of Missouri.
Christian’s professional achievements are rooted in his core values. His faith, wife Lauren, and their five children are at the heart of his life, fueling his pursuit of excellence in all spheres. This foundation drives his passion to create positive change at home and in the wider world. Christian and Lauren contribute to their church’s Marriage Enrichment ministry, and he has served on parish councils. His community engagement has extended to various professional organizations.
