On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Rob Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of Club + Resort Business, chats with John Woodeshick, SVP and General Manager of The Hills Country Club in Austin, Texas.

Woodeshick discussed the comprehensive renovations at the club's Live Oak Golf Course. These efforts are part of an ongoing reinvestment project at the club focused on creating a refined yet inviting environment that best serves today’s members.

The Hills is one of several properties identified by Invited to be included in its multi-year, multi-million-dollar reinvestment strategy aimed at enhancing the company’s diverse portfolio of clubs. Work at The Hills began in 2021 with a renovation project at The Signature Course at the club, as well as the opening of The Chophouse, a new, elevated dining experience in 2023.

Nearby, Westlake Country Club, a sister property, is going through three phases of renovation. Phase 1 started in November 2022 with enhancements to the racquet sports facilities, aquatics and Icehouse Bar and Restaurant. The second phase will transform the golf course and practice facilities into a well-rounded, challenging, and beautifully maintained layout. The course will be completed and unveiled in November.

The final phase will include the renovation of the main clubhouse and will touch everything from dining, private events, locker rooms, audio-visual equipment, family areas, parking lots, and landscape.

Rob and Senior Editor Phil Keren also discussed projects and initiatives happening in Michigan, Washington, Texas and Pennsylvania.

The Highlands in Harbor Springs, Mich. will host a new event on the Epson Tour in 2025. The inaugural Great Lakes Championship will be contested on The Highlands’ Heather Course from June 9-15, 2025. “Hosting this prominent event underscores our commitment to golf and further highlights northern Michigan as a premier destination for exceptional golf,” says Mike Chumbler, President and General Manager of The Highlands.

The dining experience at Canterwood Golf & Country Club in Gig Harbor, Wash. has been reimagined through the opening of The Stablehouse. The new name pays homage to Canterwood’s rich equestrian roots as the club’s name originated from the community’s beginnings as a private equestrian community. The dining area has been renovated, the menu overhauled, and the space restructured to better serve members. A private dining area was built to accommodate private gatherings, while the bar space was doubled in size from the previous one to provide a more spacious and comfortable setting for guests.

A second big name in golf is now connected with the Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia, Pa. The Cobbs Creek Foundation received a grant award from the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation to construct a junior putting green on the revitalized Cobbs Creek Campus. The $250,000 grant will provide all funding for a 20,000 sq.-ft. Jordan Spieth Family Foundation Junior Putting Green for young players to be introduced to the game of golf.

The junior putting green will be built outside of the TGR Learning Lab, the educational center under construction on the campus. The TGR Learning Lab will provide year-round education programs for local youth and is being developed through the Cobbs Creek Foundation’s partnership with TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods charity. The Cobbs Creek Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created in 2018 to restore the Cobbs Creek Golf Course and to return the site to its status as one of Philadelphia’s historical landmarks.