Hunter’s Green Country Club’s TAC Is Getting A Makeover
“Before we’ve even done the renovations and before even any of this got out, we’ve had momentum with the club,’’ Taylor said. “We lead the entire company in member growth for the first 6 weeks of the year…it’s the first time Hunter’s Green has experienced anything this way. So, that’s excellent for us.”Taylor says the TAC face lift, which follows the substantial renovations at the main clubhouse’s restaurant and bar area, generally known as Fazio’s Grille, will add amenities on par with some of the new housing developments (he used Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch as an example) going up in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel that offer lavish clubhouses and pools geared towards the family experience.
In addition to the 17 clay tennis courts, which aren’t included in the renovation plans, the TAC will soon boast things such as a re-invented café with expanded hours as well as an emphasis on a quality menu, a new weight room, a new-look pool plus miniature golf as well as a water slide.While you don’t have to reside in Hunter’s Green to become a member of HGCC, the area within a five-mile radius continues to see growth – in much of Wesley Chapel and K-Bar Ranch in particular – thus making the market on comfort and family-friendly experiences competitive.
Taylor says the TAC’s Center Court Cafe is going to be completely rebuilt, with a more rustic scheme, bigger TVs, more events and better food. An outdoor area is going to be remodeled and will include a new fire pit. The swimming pool will lose the long green awning that covers half of the deck area. They’re going to be substituted with four individual cabanas with electricity, fans and poolside food and beverage service.
With the goal of having plenty to do for new families who can spend their weekends at the club , the kiddie pool will be replaced by a splash pad, all new furniture will line the deck and one of the highlights of the renovations – a 10-foot-high water slide with a 45-foot-long flume – is going to be added.
Taylor says the swimming pool renovations should be done by Memorial Day, where it will be unveiled for the TAC’s annual Memorial Day Bash, which he says draws the biggest crowd each year to the pool.
Next to the 25-meter junior Olympic heated pool (which happens to be big enough that it hosts numerous junior and even high school swim meets), a small 6-hole miniature golf course is going to be built, and next to that will be an activity area with field turf for after-school campers and other on-site sports programs.
“Our membership is becoming younger, and this is what they want,’’ Taylor says. “They want the splash pads and they want the water slides and they want the miniature golf. They want the ability to be able to have a café restaurant that is open with pool service so they can bring the kids and still hang out themselves.”
A former professional golfer on the PGA’s Nationwide Tour, Taylor joined Hunter’s Green in 2014 after stints as director of operations at East Lake Woodlands in Tarpon Springs and general manager at The Club at Hidden Creek in Navarre, FL. At Hidden Creek, he spearheaded the rebuilding and redesign of all 18 greens on the golf course, and at East Lake Woodlands, he helped improve service. At Hunter’s Green, he already has done similar work on the golf course and the club house.
“If you get the right employee partners, and get them happy, that carries over to the members, they start using the club more and the club is better off financially,’’ Taylor said. “If you don’t have the first two legs of the stool, the third won’t happen.”
The third leg, in this case, is the TAC.
The current café is expected to attract bigger crowds upon its completion sometime this summer. The exercise room will have all of its current equipment substituted with new more sophisticated machines and weights. The spinning (indoor cycling) room, among the TAC’s more popular destinations, will be re-done with all new cycles. The men’s and women’s locker rooms will receive a fresh look as well, and the all-purpose room where exercise and yoga classes are held daily – the classes are as part of the membership cost – will also be refinished.
Aesthetically, Taylor says the TAC will be a more welcoming facility, with a newly designed entrance, a larger pro shop and an open design with plenty to offer the family, inside and out.
“We’re providing a lifestyle,’’ says head tennis pro Allegra Campos. “It’s going to be a family-style, safe environment where everyone can get into the act.”
Taylor says he is currently going through the permitting process for the work to be done, and that he expects it all to be completed by the end of this summer.
“There’s a lot of excitement about it,’’ Taylor says. “(Some) people are still like, ‘Yeah yeah, we’ve heard it all before,’ but I tell them, ‘Look, it’s done, and it’s happening.’ We’re moving pretty quickly.”
The HGCC Tennis & Athletic Center is located at 18050 Hunters Oak Ct. For more information, visit ClubCorp.com/Clubs/Hunter-s-Green-Country-Club/Amenities/Tennis or call 973-4220. For membership information, call Ann Pereira at 973-1000, ext. 237.