March 28, 2024

Tee off: City takes another swing at clubhouse design

Efforts to downsize the designs of a new clubhouse at Westwood Golf Course continue to be a challenge for the City of Newton, as well as the architectural firm tasked with creating a facility that must simultaneously meet the needs of staff and golfers while still remaining affordable.

Community Services Manager Brian Laube presented the Newton Park Board with an updated clubhouse drawing, created by Ethos Design Group, during its monthly meeting June 19. The main level presentation plan included an overlay by Laube that scaled back the design even further.

The untouched conceptual image depicted a building equipped with a pro shop, a 58-seat lounge area, a 367-square-foot kitchen with a pantry and walk-in cooler, an office, a stock room, restrooms, storage space and a 2,768-square-foot banquet hall able to comfortably seat more than 150 people.

Initially, the banquet hall design included 160 or so seats, which would be more than enough for staff to host a tournament at the 18-hole municipal golf course. However, Laube’s overlay decreased that total down to 120 seats and carved out a space for golfers to store their bags. Discussions with the architectural firm regarding space convinced staff to possibly cut back seating to 100.

By combining the clubhouse’s lounge and seating areas, Westwood Golf Course would still manage to accommodate a standard tourney with about 194 seats.

“So if we have a golf tournament during the day, it appears that we would have more than enough seats to fit 100 people inside, maybe another 40 sitting at the tables in the lounge and maybe a couple dozen sitting outside on the patio,” Laube said.

City staff and Ethos Design Group have not fully developed an exterior look of the building yet. Laube said staff wants to get the “footprint” of the clubhouse finished first before continuing exterior work, noting that costs of this particular design have not been talked about up to this point.

Less than four years ago, the city proposed a new clubhouse design that was estimated to cost nearly $3.4 million, the Newton Daily News previously reported. The project has remained a priority of the park board for years, but the costs associated with the design seem to be a deciding factor whether the city moves forward with the plan.

In March, the Newton City Council approved a professional services agreement with Ethos Design Group to create a “revised site plan, floor plan, building elevations and estimate of costs for the downsized” clubhouse.

Laube said he would communicate comments and suggestions from the Newton Park Board to the architectural firm to “dive in and hone in on a floor plan” envisioned by staff, board members and stakeholders. At that time, Laube added, Ethos Design Group would produce a price for the golf course.

“With the downsized building, even though we don’t know the price, I think we’ve scaled it back quite a bit,” Laube said. “We don’t want to build something just for the sake to hit a price tag. We want to build something that we want and need.”

Crews would demolish the current building to make way for the updated clubhouse. The previous design included a full basement for cart storage. In its place is what Laube called a “partial basement” reminiscent of a storm shelter that serves as a place to put mechanical equipment.

Instead of spending an extra $100,000 or $200,000 designing a basement to put carts in, Laube said a $50,000 building to store carts might suffice.

Newton Park Board member Amanda Price disagreed with downsizing the banquet hall to 100 or even 120 seats, arguing the extra seating in the lounge and outdoor areas are too separated from the banquet space. Plus, that particular section of the clubhouse could be rented out for parties and other events.

“You need to have enough for 150 people no matter what,” Price said. “Granted you’re not going to have golf tournaments in the winter, but you could be having weddings in the winter, you could be having all kinds of stuff going on in the winter. But you need the space for it.”

Fellow park board member Marc Jackson said the ultimate goal is to create a clubhouse, “not a wedding venue.” Price responded she is looking at the situation from an events perspective and that more money could be made if an adequate space is developed at the clubhouse.

Laube does not think the downsized banquet room would harm golf tournaments. Based on his experience, it takes a short amount of time to hand out prizes or awards, which may be the only time everyone is gathered together in a confined space. However, Laube recognized the use of the space for non-golf related events and said he will pass on the suggestions to the firm.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com