A Space All Their Own

The Nona Crewhouse is divided into two sections for different segments of members’ children, with one side designated for ages 3 to 6 and the other for ages 7 to 13.

A dedicated youth activity center at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club has allowed the facility to expand programming that keeps up with demand.

The industry-wide shift to making clubs as family-friendly as possible has led many facilities to use neutral areas such as banquet halls, ballrooms and pre-function space as makeshift sites for youth gatherings.

Before its most recent renovation, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Fla., was no different, hosting kids’ events out of its conference room. But with the same space also being used for other club activities, the staff was required to set it up and break it down on an ongoing basis.

The Nona Crewhouse, a 1,300-sq. ft. facility that’s part of the club’s recently expanded Bath & Racquet Clubhouse (“Shaping Up,” C&RB, September 2016), now offers the club’s ever-growing youth clientele a dedicated space that has its own identity and will allow the club to continue to expand its youth programming going forward.

“We wanted to have a modern, kid-friendly, safe space with exceptional activities and programming,” says Lisa Carew, Youth Activities Director. “We pride ourselves on exceptional service and providing a personal touch, and we wanted [the Nona Crewhouse] to be an extension of that.”

The club worked with a design firm to develop the look and feel of the space, and the original design required some tweaking by staff, including removing some tables and opening up the space to allow more room for play.

The facility offers designated spaces for two age groups, separated by a barn door. One side is for ages 3 to 6, featuring age-appropriate activities including a Lego table, puppet theater, TV screen, and a small library. For ages 7 to 13, the Crewhouse features a movie theater, video games, a larger library, and building sets. Between both spaces is a computer station, a craft area with tables and chairs, and cubbies for storage.

Nona Crewhouse

The club also developed the idea for a master panel that allows staff to control TVs, video games, cable, music, DVD players, and Apple TV from a single console. A biometric system adds a layer of security by allowing members to use fingerprint scanning to check in their child, while any pertinent messages for the member also appear on the screen.

Flooring throughout the Nona Crewhouse is a dark wood, with orange, gray and beige used throughout the room as primary colors. The furniture is a dark mahogany with colorful cushions, and walls are neutral, with the exception of the media wall, which is orange.

“The Nona Crewhouse definitely flows into the new modern look we’re going with,” says Vice President/General Manager Ryan Spence, CCM, CAM. The club is now wrapping up a $2 million clubhouse renovation, Spence adds, that spurred the facility’s evolution from ‘80s decor to more modern looks throughout the building.

Nona Crewhouse

Friday evenings and Saturday mornings are the busiest times for the facility, Carew says. The club adjusts the Crew-house’s hours depending on the school calendar, staying open in the afternoon to accommodate kids’ after-school programs or for parents who have to drop kids off after school. During holiday vacations, the facility stays open during the day, and it is open in the mornings in summer. The facility acts as the permanent site of summer and holiday camps, with theme nights held once a month.

“We’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response [to the Nona Crewhouse],” Spence says. “It’s one of those amenities that all clubs that are family-friendly should have, to give back to the membership. It’s not a huge revenue-generator, but it’s not meant to be.”

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