If you have never driven west on Evergreen Road just off 101 North and Highway 55 in Medina, you should do so this weekend. It leads to Medina Golf & Country Club, one of the most beautiful venues, championship golf courses and social communities in the western metro. The boulevard of brightly colored flowers guides you towards the main clubhouse entrance where a bronze golfer swings above a small garden courtyard. A glance to your right reveals the sprawling pool area complete with a water slide, diving board, water fountain and enough cabanas and lounge chairs to keep up with even the busiest of hot summer days. As your vehicle pulls under the under the porte-cochère, a valet awaits to welcome you through the entrance where a receptionist greets you by name.
Medina Golf & Country Club’s Transformation
This is all part of an experience that members have come to expect over the history of its life. However, with the club having recently been acquired by Club Corp., it has since undergone some serious renovations both in terms of the club’s amenities and their overall approach to members. For example one amenity many will notice almost immediately upon walking through the club, is their brand new golf simulator lounge. This state-of-the-art-simulator offers members the opportunity to keep up their game even when the cold months would otherwise have them down.
Completely Redefined Bar and Dining Room Experience
One of the most notable updates is to the club’s bar and dining area. Where once it was partitioned off into different rooms with different rules, such as where kids were allowed and where denim was not, the layout is now an open concept and all are welcome. The brand new bar, framed by modern wood tile flooring is the centerpiece of a room filled with enough natural light to outshine any sense of stuffiness and enough talent behind their handcrafted cocktails to keep the conversations flowing. The bar is surrounded by an expansive array of booths, high tops and regular sit down tables where families of four and foursomes alike can enjoy themselves no matter what the season. Though, the adjacent indoor and outdoor patio dining areas favor the warmer months.
Yet what is a beautiful restaurant ambience without the food to back it up? Thankfully, Medina Golf and Country Club’s executive Chef Steve Savoy is so passionate about his craft, we plan to do a follow up story on it alone later this fall. For now, it’s suffice to say, it’s worth making reservations.
Membership Levels for All Budgets and Interests
Speaking of reservations, what many don’t know is that you don’t need to be a full paying golf member to enjoy all that this club has to offer. In fact, Medina Golf and Country Club offers three types of memberships. Their Dining O.N.E. (Optimal Network Experiences) Membership offers access to both dining and social events with 50% off food. Their Sport O.N.E. Membership offers access to dining, social events, tennis courts, pool, and unlimited use of the par 3 Generations course for juniors and beginners. Their Golf O.N.E. Membership gives everything the club has to offer including their 18 hole championship golf course.
A Club where Kids are Celebrated
Though many families with kids have been members of Medina Golf and Country Club throughout the years, one of the focuses of the clubs new Club Corp. management is transitioning to an even more family friendly club. As general manager, Jim Johnson explains, “in the past, country clubs used to be a place where kids were tolerated, but we are now becoming a place where kids are celebrated.” They are offering more experiences than ever for kids with old favorites such as Halloween Parties, Santa Brunch, Easter Bruch as well as kids craft night, kids trio camp in the summer (tennis, golf, swimming) and kids club on Saturdays, which gives the parents a chance to dine with each other, while the kids engage in activities organized by the club. The club also has it’s own swimming team (ages 5-17) that competes with other clubs and offers swimming lessons.
Events and Social Gatherings Galore
Obviously, the kids are events are only the tip of the iceberg as there is an ever expanding amount of event opportunities for members with everything from the big golf events such as the men’s invitational to the member-member to euchre night, Paint and Pinot or the golf pro running a ladies night and a winter simulator golf league with 60 members and growing. They are also very open to members suggesting new event ideas and programs like their wine program have become extremely popular over time.
Lastly, it is a common misconception that you have to be a member to host an event at Medina Golf and Country. In fact, anyone can host and it is likely members and non-members alike will be hosting more events than ever this year from high school team banquets to business conferences in the Rolling Green Conference Room to 250 person wedding receptions in their newly remodeled ballroom opening this spring.
The Club Corp. Advantage
Not only did Medina Golf and Country Club get a huge makeover when they were acquired by Club Corp. but by joining the Club Corp. family of golf courses, members get access to a network of over 300 owend and operated alliance clubs throughout the country where members can play up to 2 free rounds of golf every month at other clubs as well as enjoy 2 free meals at their dining locations. For example, a couple can travel to Chicago for the weekend, each play golf at Rolling Green for no charge, have dinner at Mid-America Club that night, then the next day play Ravinia Green for no charge except the cart fee and have dinner at the Metropolitan Club that night for no charge. The benefits and opportunities as a member are numerous both in Medina and across the country.
Interested in joining as a member or hosting an event? Contact Matt.Renner@clubcorp.com to learn more about membership or Bridget.Eckert@clubcorp.com for events.
