This piece is sponsored by Montgomery’s.
When it was time to design the first new private golf club in Sioux Falls in more than 60 years, the design experts at Montgomery’s were ready to create a first-class clubhouse experience.
They began working on the future Mapleton Golf Club more than a year ago.
“Light commercial projects like this are a big and growing part of our business,” president Eric Sinclair said.
“We have a dedicated team of senior designers who work on these projects for everything from banks to medical offices. With Mapleton, the timing and opportunity were right, so we were excited to become part of the team.”
In partnership with CO-OP Architecture, “Montgomery’s worked with our operations team to understand our needs and source the right products to make sure it fit our vision,” Mapleton general manager Zac Gavlak said.
“The spaces they created really bring the Mapleton community together. There are a lot of touch points and places where you can sit and watch your friends come in on No. 18 or enjoy spending time together.”
Beginning with the lobby, “we wanted a wow,” Gavlak said. “I think it creates that with the big windows, the view of the golf course. It’s impressive when you walk in.”
The furnishings “are very organic,” Sinclair said. “The petrified wood tables are one of a kind and custom. They’re heirloom pieces.”
Artisan-crafted tables from Brazil feature custom metal work with a floating stump that goes through the base of the table.
That same craftsmanship continues in the bar-lounge, a flowing space that incorporates a number of earth tones and seating options.
“Everything is detailed and custom. Even the chairs vary throughout the seating areas,” Sinclair said. “There are three kinds of tables, everything from a slab live edge to round quartz and natural wood on the pub tables. Everything works together and is very unique.”
Fabrics were chosen both for their custom look and durability.
“We created custom bench seating using a fabric that has an elevated look but is still easy to clean,” Sinclair said. “The fabric on other chairs looks like cork, but it’s a microfiber, so it’s also very easy to clean.”
The space “has become a great gathering spot,” Gavlak said. “The eight-person table has become a place foursomes who have played the course have enjoyed catching up.”
The bar and soft seating areas also are popular spots, he said.
“We’ll see groups of guys watching a game or gals having a glass of wine in a nice, classy atmosphere.”
In the formal dining room, the variety continues with four chair styles and hard surfaces ranging from porcelain to wood on Amish-built tables.
“The booths in here are custom as well and use a performance fabric,” Sinclair said. “I think the design just adds a lot of intrigue and interest to the room. There’s so much going on in this room that visually it pulls you back into the formal dining room.”
For the club, “it’s a nice space with flexibility,” Gavlak said. “We can adjust the layout for a large group, and it’s refined without being pretentious. That’s who we are from a cultural standpoint.”
Lighting was designed by the Montgomery’s team to complete the look and ambiance of each space.
Even in the locker rooms, “the finishes are at the same level as the rest of the clubhouse,” Sinclair said. “It really feels like an elevated experience, from the art to the decorative pieces of furniture.”
The clubhouse also includes meeting space that can be subdivided into two boardrooms.
“This space includes all Amish furniture, so it’s the highest quality, and I love the flexibility to create multiple setups along with all the technology needed to have a meeting,” Sinclair said.
“We’ve been doing meetings here, and it’s worked out very well. There’s great food, the service is amazing, and you almost feel like you’re outside sitting in the meeting room.”
Other groups have responded well too, Gavlak said.
“This room is fantastic,” he said. “We’ve done business meetings, family dinners, wine dinners, or we can set it up for more classroom-style seating when the wall goes away.”
Outdoors, Montgomery’s provided a variety of seating areas, from dining spaces to deep, comfortable seating around multiple firepits.
“It’s been the highest-used area so far whenever the weather is conducive to being outside,” Sinclair said.
“This is all custom, quality furniture, and while it’s designed for commercial use, it’s also an option for residential if you like what you see for your own home.”
There even are furnishings found in the middle of the course, where a halfway house was created to allow a comfortable place while golfing to have a beverage or snack.
“It overlooks a pond, and we have two high-top tables with propane firepits,” Sinclair said. “The deck goes out over the water and it’s really, really well done.”
Mapleton received occupancy two days before opening, “and we had two days to press ‘go,’” Gavlak said. “Montgomery’s had a great installation team, and it went awesome.”
Response to the new club has been huge – there’s already a waitlist for individual and national memberships and very few corporate memberships remaining.
Working with Montgomery’s on the project “was wonderful,” Gavlak said. “They were extremely thorough, and the follow-up was amazing. They’re a pleasure to work with.”