In planning any size new club or renovation, taking the time to contemplate what the future holds for club design is a valuable step. Often, past trends can help to provide some insight into the future. However, the club industry’s most recent past was totally dominated by COVID, causing clubs to close (25% of clubs closed permanently according to a recent IHRSA study), then clubs were allowed to reopen with abnormal spacing requirements.
So, will COVID strongly impact the future of club design? The primary answer is no, but the effect on the economy from COVID will continue to have an effect on club design now and in the future.
One might think that with the social distancing past experience, clubs of the future would be larger in size to account for more space and future possible viruses. This seems not to be the case as the variables affecting club design and size in the future will not be directly related to viruses. However, it also should be noted that any new design should incorporate post-COVID ventilation-related strategies as part of any HVAC system.