On this episode of the Club + Resort Talks podcast, Senior Editor Phil Keren speaks with Andy Hughett, General Manager of Whitmoor Country Club in Weldon Spring, Mo., and Chrisitan Dunn, Director of Corporate Development at Concert Golf Partners, about Whitmoor leaders’ efforts to offer a family-friendly venue. Concert Golf Partners acquired Whitmoor CC from the Whitaker family in late 2022.

Hughett shared an overview of the club’s amenities, talked about the steps the club has taken to provide a family-friendly environment, and discussed the feedback he’s received from members. He also cast a spotlight on how Concert Golf Partners has supported the club’s efforts. Dunn talked about how his company helps clubs like Whitmoor meet its goals.

Phil and Editor-In-Chief Rob Thomas also discussed the unfortunate news of a couple golf courses closing, but also highlighted major projects happening in both Texas and Pennsylvania.

Blue Fox Run, a 27-hole course in Avon, Conn., and Primm Valley Golf Course, just outside of Las Vegas, have both closed and are for sale. Blue Fox Run’s future is precarious, with the auction listing highlighting potential alternative uses such as agriculture, sparking fears that the land could be repurposed. Primm Valley, opened in 1998 and designed by renowned golf architect Tom Fazio, was once a popular destination for golfers. Its closure and sale reflect larger economic and developmental pressures in that geographic area.

Jeffersonville Golf Club, owned by West Norriton Township, Pa. (a Philadelphia suburb), is undergoing significant changes. The club invested $11 million-plus in new facilities, including an 18,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse, which has a pro shop, banquet hall, bar, golf simulators, and a restaurant named The Burgess Restaurant and Bar.

Several significant reinvestment initiatives are beginning at TPC-Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, where a redesign effort will be led by golf legend Lanny Wadkins. The course’s fairways, tees and rough will now feature TifTuf, which is a sturdier grass that stays green deep into the winter months and re-greens earlier than other varieties. The greens will be converted to ultradwarf Bermuda, which will deliver consistent speeds throughout the year and reduce varying fluctuations in play. The existing 20-year-old irrigation system will be replaced with 2,000 new sprinkler heads and a more efficient pump station that will maximize the amount of water distributed in a shorter period of time.