Naples, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/24/2017 -- The Club at Mediterra has completed nearly $17 million in renovations to its two championship golf courses, an expansion at The Sports Club and the addition of new tennis and bocce courts.
The projects were designed to enhance the membership experience and the active lifestyle at Mediterra, the only Naples country club recently named among the Platinum Club's 2016-2018 top 50 private clubs in the country.
"Mediterra has always been viewed as a trailblazer in Naples," said Carmen Mauceri, club general manager and chief operating officer. "We are continually evaluating our facilities and amenities to ensure they are meeting our members' needs. These projects directly addressed the increasing participation in our golf and fitness programs."
Additional social and meeting space and a larger fitness center were among the top priorities identified by Sports Club members. The $1.5 million project doubled the size of the existing fitness center and introduced all new equipment, including a Life Fitness Synrgy system, which incorporates multiple workout options and configurations and MyZone, a monitor used for group exercise and personal training to track heart rate and optimize workout efficiency.
"We're one of the only clubs in Naples with Life Fitness Synrgy," said Mauceri. "It really is the focal piece of the new gym. We brought in a team of experts to plan and design the center and equipment. It's spacious and open and has a large rounded bay window overlooking the lake."
Construction, which started in May and wrapped up in December, also added a third lifestyle room for cards, events, small dinner parties and other activities. The new meeting space features lake and pool views.
Additional improvements included replacing the building's roof and HVAC system, adding an eighth tennis court, and redesigning the bocce garden to add a third court.
"We have over 600 members playing bocce," Mauceri said. "We replaced the irrigation and clay so the three courts look like they've always been there. That's how we judge the success of our construction."
The Sports Club also features a resort-style pool with lap lanes and a full menu of spa treatments.
"We have a very active membership, and our demographic continues to be one of the youngest in Naples," said Rob McWilliams, director of club operations. "Our members want to be active and enjoy working out in the gym. They also want more space for core stretching and personal training."
The Club at Mediterra was named among the top 10 healthiest clubs in America in 2014 for its commitment to members' overall health, wellness and involvement. It was recently selected as one of 20 founding clubs for a pioneering project documenting the evolution of wellness, said Mauceri.
Mediterra's commitment to providing an extraordinary golf experience necessitated improvements to the Tom Fazio-designed North and South courses.
The two-year project started in 2015 and was completed in phases during the slower summer months.
Enhancements included replacing irrigation, bunkers and re-grassing with Platinum TE seashore paspalum. Practice facilities and ranges were also renovated.
Work on the South Course was completed in December 2015; the North Course this December.
"From the tee box to the out-of-bounds area and each grain of sand, everything is brand new," said Mauceri. "The only thing we didn't touch were the greens."
"The grass was chosen for its color, cold-weather and low-light tolerance, playability and performance," said Tim Hiers, director of agronomy for The Club at Mediterra. "It has very deep roots and is the best on the market. We now have 200 acres of new grass on 36 holes."
"Our members are over the moon with how well the project went," said Mauceri. "We've received a lot of response from members, their guests and reciprocal players. They tell us how pristine and perfect the fairways and golf courses are. We brought the courses back to better than their original state."
The club's commitment to golf, health and wellness and continued improvement has been internationally lauded by BoardRoom magazine as a Distinguished Emerald Club, a designation given to only the top 4 percent of private clubs worldwide.
Mauceri said The Club at Mediterra will be featured in a new publication by BoardRoom offering a look inside the distinguished club experience. It is one of just 20 clubs selected.
"We are always reinvesting in the club," he said. "These last four projects in the past two years were completed on schedule or ahead of schedule and under budget."
Named a 10-time Community of the Year winner by the Collier Building Industry Association, Mediterra offers luxury estates and single-family maintenance-free villas by London Bay Homes, priced from $1 million to over $7 million.
London Bay Homes, an award-winning leader in the Southwest Florida luxury home market for more than 25 years, manages all new home sales and marketing for Mediterra.
With more than 1,000 acres dedicated to open space, parks and nature preserves, Mediterra offers award-winning amenities, including the 32,000-square-foot Club at Mediterra and the private Beach Club along the Gulf of Mexico. From epicurean cuisine and beach concierge services to bocce and tennis, the community's luxury lifestyle and continued introduction of new amenities has repeatedly been recognized as the best in Southwest Florida – and internationally.
London Bay Homes is offering an exclusive opportunity for new homebuyers to purchase a golf membership without the delay of what otherwise is approximately a one-year waiting list.
For more information about Mediterra, log onto www.MediterraNaples.com, call 239-949-8989 or visit the newly redesigned Mediterra Sales Center, located at 15836 Savona Way, two miles north of Immokalee Road.
About Mediterra Living
The Club at Mediterra is a 5-star, private, member-owned Country Club Community in Naples, Florida. The 1,697-acre gated community was designed with the intimacy, charm, and classical style of the Mediterranean region of Europe. It is the world's first golf course to be recognized as an Audubon Silver Sanctuary, and it has been named as one of America's Healthiest Clubs. Members and guests can enjoy two restaurants, a lounge, a Sports Club, and a Wellness Center. Since 2014, it has been recognized at the "Best Place to Retire" in Florida, and the 10th best in the world. Most recently, The Club was certified "Green" by the Green Restaurant Association, making it the first private residential club to be given this honor.
www.mediterraliving.com
239-254-3000