Construction of a new addition and state-of-the art fitness center at the St. Joe Country Club began in the latter half of 2016, and has now been finished! The Saint Joseph Country Club Facebook Page has an event planned for January 19th to show the new fitness center to members, as well as discussing the future changes and updates planned for club!
Obviously with the site’s beauty, and their history and credentials, GreatLife KC, Doug Albers, and Rick Farrant were thrilled at the ability to bring St. Joseph Country Club into the the GreatLife Golf family. The discussions began with the members of the Foundation in November of 2015, and the final vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the sale in January of 2016.
Over 100 years old, the St. Joseph Country Club in Country Club, MO is a beautiful landmark that takes you back to the game of golf in the late 1800’s. The organization of the club took place in 1898 at the Corby home, which acted as the clubhouse until 1903, and the first round of golf was played in 1899. When the club began in 1898, there were only ten golfing country clubs: six in New York, two in Chicago, one in Columbus, and one in Kansas City, and the regular team matches between Kansas City Country Club and St. Joseph was directly responsible for the Trans-Mississippi tournament, which has become one of the nation’s most respected and anticipated amateur golf tournaments.
“While we are stable financially and have grown substantially over the last few years, the Board feels that the club can offer our members a brighter future and more amenities under the professional management, additional investment and economies of scale that GLKC offers us,” club President Tyler Morgan said.
Part of the plans in adding St. Joseph CC to the GreatLife Golf family were, of course, adding to the amenities already available at the club. Adding state-of-the-art fitness centers to a club’s existing amenities is one of GreatLife Golf’s key tenants, along with varied pricing options for membership that allow for greater accessibility, and options for families to keep fit and active as a group.
“We have a proven formula combining golf and fitness along with other club amenities that provides a strong model for club growth, We are excited that a tremendous golf facility with the tradition of the St. Joseph Country Club might become part of our family of elite clubs,” Farrant said at the time of the member vote.
The talks began tentatively in the Spring of 2015 when a decline in the the number of new golfers had club members concerned. Though financially stable, the numbers reflect a trend in the industry, and St. Joseph Country Club was looking toward heading that trend off at the pass. “We see this as the ultimate … step in securing this club’s future,” said Country Club Board of Directors President Tyler Morgan. “They’re very excited,” Morgan said. “They feel as if this will be one of their elite clubs in this Kansas City marketplace.”
“I’ve never been more excited to be a member of this club. Our membership came to us and charged us with a duty over a year ago to find a new solution, a viable solution that would take us into the future and help us to exist.”
With Doug Albers, Rick Farrant, and GreatLife specializing specifically in innovative ideas, and improvements that focus on adapting and adding to the existing character and amenities of a course and clubhouse, it seems like a match made in heaven!
GLKC said during talks that it plans to keep key personnel at the club, as Stjoechannel.com reported during the vote. “As a highly respected professional, we definitely want [PGA golf professional] Mike Habermehl to continue his excellent work at the club, and Greenskeeper Kip Beer has a tremendous track record of maintaining the course in exceptional condition,” said Farrant. “We not only want to see operations continue, but be improved. We also see St. Joseph Country Club as a big asset to the St. Joseph community, and want to assure it plays an even bigger role in that regard.”