At Lounge Nineteen, members of Highland Springs CC find a cozy space with plenty of panache.
For years, the one thing members of Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Mo. constantly asked for was a place to relax with friends over drinks. Now, they have just that—and more—in the recently opened Lounge Nineteen.
Located on the third floor of Highland Springs’ Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired clubhouse, Lounge Nineteen overlooks the ninth and eighteenth greens and offers breathtaking views of the picturesque grounds. Prior to its renovation, the room functioned solely as a private event space. “The space was beautiful, but not nearly as functional or profitable as the current area,” says Mark Stahlman, General Manager.
With its vaulted ceilings and open-air floor plan, the room’s acoustics posed a problem when used for events, as noise from the second-floor dining room often flowed upstairs to impose on functions being held in the room. Additionally, during the summer months it was difficult to keep the room cool.
To address these issues in the remodel, the club lowered the ceiling in certain areas, updated the HVAC equipment, and added doors for further privacy and noise control.
Lounge Nineteen utilizes a combination of custom-designed seating, including high-back leather and suede armchairs, cocktail tables and dinner-style seating. Plush, chocolate-colored leather bar stools line the granite bar, and five flat-screen televisions are mounted on the walls.
The design and décor blends with the rest of the clubhouse, yet stands distinctly on its own. The soaring ceiling, a large stone fireplace, limestone archways and stonework within the lounge complement the clubhouse’s overall look and feel.
At the same time, the room also incorporates rich woods, to give it a warmer and more intimate appeal. Highland Springs replaced the carpeting with a combination of oak hardwood flooring and stone tiles. And, unlike the rest of the clubhouse, which features light wood tones, Lounge Nineteen is marked by rich, dark woods. “Our building is modern, but we wanted to make this space a bit warmer,” says Stahlman.
Since its opening in April, Lounge Nineteen has been embraced by members. While the space was—and continues to be—a popular area for private functions, it is now also a mainstay in everyday club life. In fact, many of the men head up to “the Lounge” after golf for drinks, rather than the men’s grill.
“It has already exceeded the budgeted prediction and more than tripled the revenue the space normally would pull,” says Stahlman. “Our evening bar traffic has greatly increased, and we’re drawing club members out at night who previously would have gone to one of the restaurants in the area, instead of coming to the club.”
