Firestone Country Club Unveils New Enhancements
BIG SHOTS to Change the Golf Landscape in Akron.
By Dave Daubert
Akron, Ohio--One of the country's iconic country clubs with 54 holes of unparalleled challenging golf, Firestone Country Club is stepping up its game to meet the continuous influx of new golf resorts throughout the USA and abroad. The Club, which is managed by Invited, recently unveiled updates in different areas of the club that include the renovation of the on-site accommodations and the addition of a new Italian dining experience, fitness facility and on-course halfway house.
The lodging enhancements to Firestone's Club rooms include king-size bedding upgrades and lavatories in select rooms with updated bath amenities added to every room. Enriching the club's Villas, each room now features nostalgic artwork connecting guests with the golf greats who have walked the hallowed corridors of Firestone. The Villa rooms now also offer king-size bedding and bath upgrades.
Stay & Play guests can take advantage of the club's new custom villa stocking amenity, which offers personalized food and beverage items delivered in the common room prior to their arrival. Adding to the guest stay experience, Firestone now offers Room Dash, an in-room dining service for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night meals. Once ordered, the menu items are prepared in recycled packaging and delivered directly to their room.
Inside the clubhouse, a new Italian chophouse restaurant, La Vetta, meaning "The Summit," is open and pairing exquisite prime cuts of meat with fine wines and spirits under the capable hands of Manager Joe Pileggi. Perfected by Executive Chef Tyson Podolski, the La Vetta menu also offers selected entrees of pasta, chicken and seafood for the discerning palate.
The new enhancements also feature a new fitness center which is located near the men's locker room in the clubhouse. Encompassing near 1000 square feet, the center features free weights, exercise machines and state-of-the-art equipment including Technogym Live Stations, a digital user interface offering engaging on-demand training video content on equipment consoles.
Situated near the eighth hole on the Fazio Course and the 7th & 12th holes of the famed South Course, a halfway house was constructed to provide players a lite-fare selection of menu items and libations to enjoy on the course.
"We're thrilled to unveil these new amenities and improvements which solidify Firestone as a world-class club and golf destination," said General Manager Jay Walkinshaw, who served as GM/COO at Frenchman's Reserve Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens prior to taking over at Firestone in 2019. "We want to ensure everything at the club, both on and off the course, speaks to the needs and wants of our members and guests for years to come."
Since the 1950s the club's famed South Course has annually hosted the biggest names in professional golf. In addition to being the site of three PGA Championships, Firestone was the longest venue for the PGA TOUR's World Cup Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. It currently hosts the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship on the Champions Tour.
The North Course is a Robert Trent Jones design that opened for member play in 1969. Marked by numerous lakes and streams, the North has played host to both the American Golf Classic and World Series of Golf.
Formerly known as the West Course, the Fazio Course is a links-style design boasting views of the clubhouse and surrounding landscape. The Fazio recently completed a bunker enhancement project that included removing 18 bunkers and renovating the remaining 51.
Non-members of Firestone can reserve a limited number of Stay & Play packages during the golf season and experience the club's celebrated offerings. Later this year, the Firestone golf experience will include a BIG SHOTS GOLF Firestone, a 22,500 square-foot complex of dining and entertainment open to the public that will operate year-round. The venue will include a two-story tee line with 44 interactive tee boxes, situated alongside the Raymond C. Firestone public 9-hole golf course. "Big Shots Golf Firestone will bring a new level of entertainment and dining to the Akron area," said Invited CEO David Pillsbury. "Big Shots features cutting edge technology powered by TrackMan Range and can be enjoyed by players of all ages and skill levels."
If you have never been to the iconic Firestone Country Club, the visit is definitely worth it. The golf courses will surprise and challenge the best. It should be on everyone's bucket list.
Revised: 05/16/2022 - Article Viewed 3,998 Times
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About: Dave Daubert
David has been writing about golf since the turn of the century. He was Managing Editor at a regional golf magazine for 11 years, published in Canada, the IAGTO and a Staff Writer for The Georgia Golf Trail. His insightful perspective brings golf to life.