Wide-ranging improvements to its facilities and a revised pricing structure are just some of the changes that are transforming the Maysville Country Club as it prepares for the 2013 Chippeways Golf Tournament.
Andrew Wood, president of the nine-member board of directors, said the club has seen plenty of changes since it was established in 1925, but few have been as wide-ranging as those made since January.
“Times have changed,” Wood said. “We must be financially prudent, while at the same time offering an updated and broader experience at a reasonable cost, appropriate to the area we serve.
“We want to attract new members and offer a better value to our existing members. Our goal is to provide activities and value for every member of the family.”
Wood cited food quality and the dining experience as well as a major upgrade to the golf course among the most significant changes.
“Our new chef, Clayton Lesak, came to us from Mitchell’s Fish Market in Cincinnati and Newport,” Wood said. “He is also on the faculty of the MCTC Culinary School in Maysville, and is assisted by experienced dining room manager Chrissie Hord.”
“Clayton is making a significant impact,” Wood added.
One struggle area golf courses faced last summer was drought-like conditions that made life difficult on the fairways.
The ongoing zoysia grass installation is part of changes to both the course and club that Head Golf Professional Denny Nash believes will improve the experience heading into next week’s 78th Chippeways.
“I think the course is great going into Chippeways,” Nash said. “I think it’s looking the best it’s looked in probably a long time, and (course superintendent) Joe (Kaczmarek) feels the same way.
“We’re getting a lot of compliments from our members right now and getting a lot of compliments from people coming in from out of town that haven’t seen the zoysia yet or seen the changes to the golf course.”
Zoysia, known for its ability to handle hot, dry summers, has been installed on the fairways of the club’s front nine, with the exception of No. 1, and on two par-3 holes on the back nine, Nash said.
He said the difference in having zoysia is already noticeable.
“Right now, when we see this heat move in, we’re already starting to see our roughs dry up a little bit,” Nash said. “The golf course looks great, but what you’ll see is — depending on the rain and the heat conditions — the more you see the other parts of the golf course turning brown, the greener the zoysia will turn.
“It’ll handle some rain, but basically the biggest plus for zoysia is it handles the heat and it doesn’t need nearly the water that our basic everyday bluegrass, fescue (and) ryegrass needs. The drier it gets, the greener it’ll get for us for a while.”
Nash said the plan is still to get zoysia on the entire course, but the club is “just trying to get through Chippeways and then kind of get a game plan from there” as to when the project will be finished.
“Obviously the zoysia is an expensive project,” Nash said. “We’re fortunate because it’s been privately funded here at the club, meaning individuals have kicked in to the project. And then a lot of it has to do with timing. It’s a matter of, how do we want to affect our play? If we kept stripping fairways and kept laying zoysia, it would sort of affect play all through the summer.”
The course also added “nature preserves” last year to reduce maintenance and tweak the course’s appearance. Nash said more such areas of taller grass dot the course this summer.
“You get mixed feelings from your golfers. Really, if you hit the ball and play the game well enough, it really doesn’t even come into play,” Nash said. “It helps Joe from a maintenance standpoint, (because there is) a lot less grass that he has to mow. These areas have reduced his mowing time on the golf course significantly.”
Another change is the installation of additional tee boxes, which won’t affect the Chippeways but will provide additional playing options.
“We’ve put a lot of new tee boxes on the golf course — a lot of forward tees, the idea being to pick the tee box you want to play based on your ability and your age and your level of play,” Nash said. “Like the forward tees, probably great tees for kids to get started on and women that are just getting started in the game, even some of your older gentlemen who are maybe taking up golf late in life. There’s a lot more choices of tee boxes out there.”
In addition to improvements inside and outside the clubhouse, the board has targeted event planning as one of its major goals.
Caroline Keller Reece has assumed the duties of events coordinator, assisting in planning club events for members and non-members. Private parties, receptions, business functions and community events can be arranged by contacting her at the club.
Another change has come in membership options.
“We knew if we’re trying to reach out to more families and younger families, we needed to think outside the box,” said Wood, referring to membership options that offer social memberships, active social, full membership, stockholder membership, junior membership and senior membership.
Wood said families with a parent member under the age of 35 can enjoy the rest of 2013 for significantly less than the cost of a junior membership, with full use of the facilities for all family members. The senior membership is aimed at retirees who want to play golf at the club, but wouldn’t necessarily want a full membership.
Single members receive a 25 percent discount in the category chosen.
The club’s facilities now include:
• A refurbished and redecorated clubhouse
• A new data management system designed specifically for country clubs
• The 18-hole golf course
• Two hard-surface tennis courts, with lessons, equipment, and competition, including club championships, arranged by Cincinnati-based pro, Maysville native Tim Mitchell and his staff
• Adult and children’s swimming pools
• Playground and sandbox
• A new volleyball court
• Children’s playroom
• Pro shop
• Two terraces, with one overlooking the golf course and the other overlooking the pool area
“It’s not all or nothing (in dues) anymore. We are prorating memberships right now, which makes it a good time to test-drive the club and see if you like it,” Wood said.
Improvements to the interior of the MCC clubhouse include new hardwood floors.
The terrace on the north side of the clubhouse overlooks the golf course.
The formal dining room of the Maysville Country Club has been completely redecorated and updated.
This brick terrace has been restored to its original purpose, after a storage building was torn down during renovations to the clubhouse. The terrace overlooks the swimming pool and playground area.
PGA Golf Pro Denny Nash says the course is ready to the host the MCC 78th Chippeways Golf Tournament.
Future plans of the MCC golf program include having zoysia grass on all fairways and tee boxes.
The 88-year-old Maysville Country Club has undergone improvements to its clubhouse and golf course since January.
The Maysville Country Club is ready to hosts its 78th Chippeways Golf Tournament.
The swimming area includes a baby pool, with a playground and sandbox close by.
Chef Clayton Lesack comes to the country club from Mitchell’s Fish Market in Cincinnati and Newport. He also serves on the faculty at the MCTC Culinary Institute.
The terrace on the north side of the clubhouse overlooks the golf course and is accessible from the bar and family dining area.
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