Construction starts on Newport Beach Country Club revamp

The Newport Beach Country Club celebrated the start of construction Thursday on its new $40 million clubhouse and redesigned grounds.

“Our goal is to attract younger professionals and their families,” club principal Todd Pickup said in a news release. “The design, with its enhanced food and beverage venues, fitness facility and resort-style pool, appeals to this important demographic.”

The changes come as several local yacht and country clubs revamp aging facilities to try to attract a new generation of members.

The Balboa Bay Club and Resort, which is owned by the same company as the Newport Beach Country Club, also recently underwent an expensive renovation.

The country club, founded in 1954, is evolving from “just a golf club” into a “full-scale, vibrant country club,” General Manager Perry Dickey said in the release.

An upper level of the two-story clubhouse will house a grill, bar, private dining room and meeting room. It will feature large paneled windows and large terraces with views of the golf course and the ocean, according to the release. An airy new 4,000-square-foot ballroom will have space for up to 300 people.

The clubhouse, designed in a “California coastal Craftsman” style, is expected to be ready to open in October 2015. The golf course will remain open during construction.

Next year, the club is scheduled to host the PGA Champions Tour’s 21st annual Toshiba Classic golf tournament from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1.