Your dad probably belonged to a country club.
But how many of your friends do?
It’s an institution in need of a facelift. Something that rolls the best parts of SoHo House, Equinox and that stuffy spot your dad likes into one.
Something like the Griffin Club, a historic club in Cheviot Hills that just went under the knife.
Griffin is a tennis club; there’s no golf. But that’s by design: golf is on the decline, so you probably don’t care about it (especially given its effect on L.A.’s public spaces). Tennis is more active and accessible, and Griffin sports nine hard courts with LEDs so they can stay open until 10 p.m.
This isn’t some newfangled idea, though: the spot has history. It was founded by Elmer Griffin in 1927 as a club for Jewish entertainers who couldn’t join WASPier clubs. Its location — between Fox Studios and RCA — made it ideal for movie stars, directors and writers. Then it became the Beverly Hills Country Club and gained some branding recognition when that owner, looking to capitalize on Beverly Hills Cop, licensed the logo for apparel.
The new owners stripped all of that history away, both literally and metaphorically. The new clubhouse looks like the modish contemporary homes you see in the hills, with floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed wine racks and clean wood, slate and marble — a far cry from the dim lighting and wall-to-wall carpet of older clubs.
The gym rivals Equinox: Precor treadmills (nine total), ellipticals (nine) and bikes (five in one room; 28 in the cycling studio), with classes that include pilates, tabata, cycling, HIIT and yoga. It spans multiple floors, and there’s also a spa for physical therapy or a massage. The locker rooms have a steam and sauna, along with massive private showers stocked with JR Watkins products.
Then there’s the social aspect. There are three banquet rooms, and when they aren’t rented out for an event, they’ll host poker nights and the like. You can see downtown and Marina Del Rey from the rooftop patio. It’s got pools for adults and kiddies and a jacuzzi. Daycare. Summer camp. You know the drill.
If you work from home or have a flexible work situation, you could get a lot done here while also taking very good care of your own well-being.
It certainly has this Gen-Xer looking at country clubs differently.
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