Room to Breathe

St. Clair Country Club, Belleville, Ill.

Expanding a gathering spot allowed St. Clair CC to boost business—and enjoy fine dining with plenty of breathing room.

Nothing takes the joy out of a social gathering like the feeling of being packed into a room, sardine-style. At St. Clair Country Club in Belleville, Ill., members who were once squeezed out of space and forced to dine in other areas are now stretching their limbs and enjoying each other’s company, thanks to a major clubhouse renovation that occurred over the course of the past year.

“In today’s club market, the age of ‘formal dining’ seems to have ended, and there is a need to have great and inviting casual spaces [that will make] members want to drop in and relax,” says St. Clair’s General Manager, Thad Payne. But because the club’s old bar had a small footprint, seating was on a first-come, first-served basis. “The majority of our members would come early to find a seat and late arrivals would have to find seats in other rooms,” Payne explains.

To accommodate more members in a fluid setting, the club’s formal dining room and original bar underwent a renovation that essentially swapped the two areas to achieve double the seating capacity. Enlisting St. Louis, Mo.-based Gray Designs, as well as help from members, the management team got to work. “Our membership donated much of its expertise in design and construction by providing oversight of the entire project, along with the club’s own chief engineer,” notes Payne.

St. Clair Country Club, Belleville, Ill.

The new formal dining room, measuring 900 sq. ft., offers seating for 46 patrons. New upholstered chairs, Payne says, “really set the standard of elegance for the room.” Tables are outfitted with gold chargers, wine glasses and crystal lamps, while a granite wine counter houses wine inventory storage. Paintings by club members add a personal touch to the design.

Designed as a tiered structure, the new bar and grill now boasts an upper elevation of 600 sq. ft. and a lower level of 1,000 sq. ft. With seating for 100 (80 at tables and 20 at the bar), the theme of this room is described as both “casual and inviting, with a sports-minded element.” The large, oval bar has a brass rail along the base, along with a granite countertop that coordinates with the formal dining room. Natural onyx drop stone lamps are suspended from the vaulted ceiling and matching lamps are featured on the tables. Soft leather upholstered chairs and bar stools round out the laid-back effect.

Looking out onto the 18th green, large bank windows wrap around the room to provide a 360-degree view of the golf course. The bar contains a custom built-in display case, with photographs and trophies of Bob Goalby and Jay Haas, two of the area’s notable professional golfers with ties to the club.

All of these design enhancements combine to create a memorable experience for St. Clair’s members—and one that has helped to increase membership usage. “The opening of the new spaces has really proved the adage of ‘If you build it, they will come,’” Payne observes.

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