“With most of our capital improvements in place, we’ll be focusing on the club’s day-to-day operations and providing even better services and experiences for our members.”—Kevin Marshall, general manager
In 2016, ClubCorp, based in Dallas, Texas, purchased the Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club. This marked a new beginning and a new era for the club’s 540 members. While ClubCorp retained much of the club’s 100-year-old traditions, the firm invested $2.6 million to upgrade facilities. Today, there’s a state-of-the-art fitness center with Cybex equipment, flat-screen TVs and a stretching area. Yoga and Fit-Core classes are also offered, and a personal trainer is available to tailor fitness plans.
The beautiful, newly renovated Appellation Bar and Grill is a place where members can dine in a casual, family-friendly environment and golfers can enjoy the camaraderie of the bar. “There’s new energy, new excitement,” says General Manager Kevin Marshall. “The ClubCorp acquisition expanded member’s benefits substantially.” Through the Santa Rosa ONE program, there’s access to ClubCorp’s 300 owned and operated alliance clubs throughout the country. Santa Rosa’s members now have access to an expanded, new kind of membership dubbed ONE (Optimal Network Experiences). The program offers privileges at ClubCorp’s 300 owned and operated alliance clubs throughout the country. Benefits include opportunities for free golf and free dining when traveling. The famed Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio with its iconic 54 holes of golf and the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, home to the Dinah Shore Tournament Course and site of LPGAs first major tournament each year, are part of the ONE network. In addition, members receive 50 percent off a la carte dining at the Santa Rosa Club and special offerings and discounts at more than 1,000 affiliated hotels resorts and entertainment venues around the world.
During the summer, there’s a Santa Rosa Kids Camp for children who are 6 to 11 years old. The program provides introductory classes in golf, tennis and swimming and is conducted by seasoned professionals. Emphasis is on the participant’s goal and takes into account current skill level.
There’s golfing activity for all levels, from the highly competitive to the casual player. Some of the more popular of these include: a men’s business league, a 9- and 18-hole women’s league, couples-social golf and a senior’s section for those age 50 and older.
Santa Rosa’s par 72 course is 6,712 yards from the championship tees. Set within 100 acres, it’s walkable and can be enjoyed by players of all ages and skill. There’s a driving range, two putting-chipping greens, and a 100-yard hole with bunkers, providing plenty of opportunities for practice. And the club staff of PGA professionals is available for group or individual lessons.
Maintaining a golf course is a never-ending job. “Keeping the course in pristine condition is a high priority,” Marshall says. In addition to their regular diligence, Fernando Villagran-Costello and his crew try new strategies to improve the fairways and greens. The fourteenth hole back tee was planted with a hybrid Bermuda, known as Santa Ana, a grass that thrives in a wide temperature range and is more adaptable than the common variety. The new planting took hold, and the nest step is to expand coverage. As part of ongoing improvements, the 18-hole, world-class golf course was made even better with the installation of a modern bunker irrigation system.
In the months ahead, management plans to focus on offering its members top-notch service in the SRG & CC style. “With most of our capital improvements in place, we’ll be focusing on the club’s day-to-day operations and providing even better services and experiences for our members.”
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