Willow Oaks has operated at 6228 Forest Hill Ave. since 1957. (BizSense file photo)
A longtime country club in South Richmond is teeing up a sizable round of upgrades and new additions to its facilities.
Willow Oaks Country Club filed plans last month with the city for a multi-phase project that will include a clubhouse expansion, indoor tennis court expansion, new dedicated pickleball courts, a pool house cabana bar, and a new indoor/outdoor golf practice center at its driving range.
Chris Welles, Willow Oak’s general manager, said the estimated cost of the endeavor is around $11 million and would be the biggest slate of changes at the member-owned club in decades.
“It’s working on an improved experience for existing members and attracting new members,” Welles said of the strategy behind the project. “I think it’ll really change how our members use and enjoy our club.”
Welles said the improvements are aimed at capitalizing on the club’s continued momentum amid an ongoing golf boom kickstarted by the pandemic.
Willow Oaks has just under 1,000 member families and a waiting list of about 40 families, making it among the largest country clubs in the region.
“We are basically at capacity,” Welles said.
The club, which operates on 152 acres at 6228 Forest Hill Ave., had $11.1 million in revenue in 2023, according to its most recently filed tax forms. That’s up from $10 million in 2022 and $8.4 million in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
While the Covid upswing shows no signs of slowing, Welles said the club sees the upgrades as a way to be ready with the best possible facilities should momentum swing in the other direction.
“Although things are really good, our industry cycles,” Welles said.
A rendering of the renovated bar and restaurant area. (Renderings courtesy Willow Oaks)
The planning process for the project began a few years ago when the club sought feedback from members on improvements they’d like to see.
“Big on their list were more social spaces,” Welles said. “We call it social collisions.”
An updated restaurant, new bar, new golf practice facility and pickleball were also among the requests.
With those wish list items in mind, the club enlisted Chambers, a Baltimore-based planning and design firm that works specifically with golf and country clubs.
For the main clubhouse, changes will include an expansion and renovation of the kitchen and adult restaurant and bar area, as well as a refresh of its daily dining restaurant and entryway work.
At the club’s indoor tennis facility, a fifth court will be added, along with four pickleball courts. It currently has no dedicated courts for pickleball, which has been increasing in popularity in recent years.
On the club’s driving range, a 4,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor practice facility will be built, allowing golfers to hit into the outdoors from roll-up bay doors or on Trackman simulators indoors. It would also have a social gathering area inside.
Also on the list is a covered, cabana-style bar to be added to the club’s pool area.
A rendering of the new golf practice facility.
Welles said the club is currently finishing up final plans and is beginning the city permitting process. It expects construction to begin this fall.
Chambers did the design work. Locally based Emerald Construction is the general contractor. The club hired Baker Development Resources to handle the city approval process.
Construction will be done in phases to keep as much of the club open as possible. Welles said the new pool bar would be the first phase, likely to start in November during the colder months and planned to be finished in time for pool season in 2026.
Construction of the practice facility would also take precedent in the winter months.
Welles said the biggest impact from construction would be in the clubhouse when the kitchen is shut down for renovations. He said the club plans to open a small pop-up café with a mobile kitchen during that time.
The upgrades will be paid for with a combination of special member assessment fees and bank financing. Truist is the lender.
The plan was previously put to members for a vote, with about 70% voting in favor. Welles said that percentage is considered to be a sign of strong support.
The added fees for members amount to about $200 a month for 48 months, Welles said.
Members were offered three ways to pay: up front at a discount, four annual installments or monthly for four years. He said a higher-than-expected number chose the up-front option when it was first assessed in February.
If all goes as planned, the project would be completed in 2027, coinciding with the club’s 80th anniversary. It was founded in 1957.
Welles said the club budgeted for an extra 5% member attrition from those who might be unhappy with the added fee, however that hasn’t been the case.
“So far that has not come to pass. It has mathematically been close to 2.5 percent. The support of our members has been tremendous,” Welles said.
Willow Oaks has operated at 6228 Forest Hill Ave. since 1957. (BizSense file photo)
A longtime country club in South Richmond is teeing up a sizable round of upgrades and new additions to its facilities.
Willow Oaks Country Club filed plans last month with the city for a multi-phase project that will include a clubhouse expansion, indoor tennis court expansion, new dedicated pickleball courts, a pool house cabana bar, and a new indoor/outdoor golf practice center at its driving range.
Chris Welles, Willow Oak’s general manager, said the estimated cost of the endeavor is around $11 million and would be the biggest slate of changes at the member-owned club in decades.
“It’s working on an improved experience for existing members and attracting new members,” Welles said of the strategy behind the project. “I think it’ll really change how our members use and enjoy our club.”
Welles said the improvements are aimed at capitalizing on the club’s continued momentum amid an ongoing golf boom kickstarted by the pandemic.
Willow Oaks has just under 1,000 member families and a waiting list of about 40 families, making it among the largest country clubs in the region.
“We are basically at capacity,” Welles said.
The club, which operates on 152 acres at 6228 Forest Hill Ave., had $11.1 million in revenue in 2023, according to its most recently filed tax forms. That’s up from $10 million in 2022 and $8.4 million in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
While the Covid upswing shows no signs of slowing, Welles said the club sees the upgrades as a way to be ready with the best possible facilities should momentum swing in the other direction.
“Although things are really good, our industry cycles,” Welles said.
A rendering of the renovated bar and restaurant area. (Renderings courtesy Willow Oaks)
The planning process for the project began a few years ago when the club sought feedback from members on improvements they’d like to see.
“Big on their list were more social spaces,” Welles said. “We call it social collisions.”
An updated restaurant, new bar, new golf practice facility and pickleball were also among the requests.
With those wish list items in mind, the club enlisted Chambers, a Baltimore-based planning and design firm that works specifically with golf and country clubs.
For the main clubhouse, changes will include an expansion and renovation of the kitchen and adult restaurant and bar area, as well as a refresh of its daily dining restaurant and entryway work.
At the club’s indoor tennis facility, a fifth court will be added, along with four pickleball courts. It currently has no dedicated courts for pickleball, which has been increasing in popularity in recent years.
On the club’s driving range, a 4,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor practice facility will be built, allowing golfers to hit into the outdoors from roll-up bay doors or on Trackman simulators indoors. It would also have a social gathering area inside.
Also on the list is a covered, cabana-style bar to be added to the club’s pool area.
A rendering of the new golf practice facility.
Welles said the club is currently finishing up final plans and is beginning the city permitting process. It expects construction to begin this fall.
Chambers did the design work. Locally based Emerald Construction is the general contractor. The club hired Baker Development Resources to handle the city approval process.
Construction will be done in phases to keep as much of the club open as possible. Welles said the new pool bar would be the first phase, likely to start in November during the colder months and planned to be finished in time for pool season in 2026.
Construction of the practice facility would also take precedent in the winter months.
Welles said the biggest impact from construction would be in the clubhouse when the kitchen is shut down for renovations. He said the club plans to open a small pop-up café with a mobile kitchen during that time.
The upgrades will be paid for with a combination of special member assessment fees and bank financing. Truist is the lender.
The plan was previously put to members for a vote, with about 70% voting in favor. Welles said that percentage is considered to be a sign of strong support.
The added fees for members amount to about $200 a month for 48 months, Welles said.
Members were offered three ways to pay: up front at a discount, four annual installments or monthly for four years. He said a higher-than-expected number chose the up-front option when it was first assessed in February.
If all goes as planned, the project would be completed in 2027, coinciding with the club’s 80th anniversary. It was founded in 1957.
Welles said the club budgeted for an extra 5% member attrition from those who might be unhappy with the added fee, however that hasn’t been the case.
“So far that has not come to pass. It has mathematically been close to 2.5 percent. The support of our members has been tremendous,” Welles said.
Exciting changes at Willow Oaks. Those pickleball courts are going to be very popular and a big upgrade. I was part of the first wave of pickleball in 2016 in RVA and at the time it was considered an oddity by the country club set. No more. It is crazy fun, super-accessible, as competitive as you want it to be and takes up a much smaller footprint than tennis. Pickleball will be a growing staple at private clubs for years to come.
I don’t know what to comment on. You go girl… Weirdo. Uppps, sorry skirt man.
Smart move to finance through their existing members vs. adding 20% more like CCV. Looks like both clubs are getting an Applebys
Call me crazy, but if I’m already a member at a private club, I’d rather my club have prospective members pay a higher initiation fee than have my club assess me for it.
100% That’s why I voted no. That and the fact that I’m only a social (ie non golf) member and am being charged the same as the golf members. Why? because they’d just as soon the social members quit so they can fill those spots with higher revenue generating golf memberships
It would be cool if they could plant some more trees by the river on the golf course. It’s pretty sad when you get to the end of the Wetlands trail and you just see endless grass. Admittedly I am not a golfer, but it seems like there’s something they could do to keep the forest going.
Yes
At a guess blocking the view of the river is probably the last thing they want to do. And the regulatory implications of planting trees are pretty brutal
This is a good article, but it would be interesting to know what the membership fees are. So, what does Google’s AI say? Here ya go:
Willow Oaks Country Club initiation fees range from $2,501 to $10,000, and annual dues vary from $0 to $5,000. The specific fee and dues depend on the membership type, which includes full golf, sports, social, junior executive, family, and single memberships. Additionally, members currently pay an added fee for a large upgrade and expansion project, amounting to about $200 monthly for 48 months.
There are fees for almost every service (meals, golf, etc).