The Stretch Zone® Golf Program

Improve Your Golf Swing and Driving Distance.

The golf swing is arguably one of the most difficult athletic actions to perform. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a large range of motion.  In order to perform the golf swing correctly, your muscles must be flexible. The most important component in a golf fitness program that leads to improved golf performance and decreased chance of injury is flexibility. An inflexible body in which muscles are “tight” creates restrictions in movement.  Restrictions in movement in relation to the golf swing will undoubtedly result in limitations pertaining to a golf swing. This limitation will impede you from creating a full shoulder turn and balanced finish position. This causes compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing. Stretch Zone’s golf-specific assisted stretching will enable you to reach your full potential as a golf athlete and decrease physical strain to your body. The Stretch Zone® Method is a revolutionary system of practitioner-assisted stretching that will have you develop greater body awareness, greater fluid movement patterns, and generates more power through a symmetrical use of muscle groups that are not affected by habitual compensatory muscle shift. With a balanced system, you will reach your true maximal potential.

The Stretch Zone® golf program can provide the following benefits:

•    Increased range of motion in the golf swing

•    Added control and hence, power

•    A relaxed mental state (crucial in the game of golf)

•    Reduced chances for injuries

•    Enhanced overall performance and physical conditioning

The Stretch Zone® Method is based on the fact that the limiting factor in achieving a full range of motion is not the length or elasticity of muscles, but control of the nervous system via the stretch reflex.  The SZM® rests on the notion that manipulating our muscle’s nervous energy is the key to unlocking our body’s functional flexibility. There are basically 22 muscles involved in the forward golf swing.  With precise stabilization, control, and comfort; a certified Stretch Zone® Practitioner systematically positions, stabilizes, isolates and carefully assists each rhythmical stretch pertaining to these golf muscles. This method all takes place on a massage table equipped with a patent pending strapping system of adjustable belts, pads, and straps allowing for the extension of these muscles further than the central nervous system would normally permit. 

The proper conditioning of these muscles will increase your club head speed and give you better control. Driving Distance in golf comes from the speed of the club head and making solid contact with the ball. The club head speed comes from the flexibility of your body when the muscles are relaxed. When the muscles are tightened, the club head will be slowed down. This tension will also interfere with the rotation of the club and the path of the swing. Using less effort will produce more club head speed, power, and distance. To book your stretch call the Fitness Desk at 772-336-3000.

Harbour Ridge "PRINCESSES" Run For Breast Cancer Awareness

PALM CITY, FLORIDA, February 20, 2015.  - On February 20 and 21, Harbour Ridge had a total of fifteen women take part in the Annual Disney Glass Slipper Challenge; thirteen members and two staff members.  In total, the ladies completed 80.6 miles in the 10K event and 52.4 miles in the ½ marathon for a total of 133 miles.  They started on their own in the summer and continued all season despite busy schedules, illness and injuries. Organized weekly stretching and strengthening were scheduled, as well as team training walks.

Their commitment was inspirational. Equally interesting was the enthusiasm to try new things. For many of the ladies, walking or running in a race was a new experience. Several who had done a 10k before opted for the half marathon. The experienced half marathoner did the double run - the Glass Slipper Challenge!  Our members are athletic, enthusiastic and eager to embrace new challenges. 

The ladies collected sponsorship money which was raised for the Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club GO PINK! Breast Cancer Event.  Funds raised from this event are donated to the Martin Memorial Breast Navigator Program.  In total, the Harbour Ridge Princesses raised $2800.  The GO PINK! Tournament raised a total of $51,700 for the Navigator program.

HARBOUR RIDGE ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR NEW LIFESTYLE CENTER, GOLF COURSE RENOVATION

PALM CITY, FLORIDA, February 18, 2015 – Harbour Ridge Yacht and Country Club today announced membership approval of a 3-year, $11 million amenity enhancement program to build a new lifestyle center and renovate its famed Golden Marsh golf course.
Herbert Heuchert, president of the Harbour Ridge Board of Directors, said: “Our members are responding to the national sports, fitness and wellness trends, and we are excited to be enhancing the fitness, tennis, golf, aquatics and social experiences available here at Harbour Ridge, especially since the projects will be completed without levying a membership assessment or incurring new long-term debt.”

Designed by Peacock + Lewis of North Palm Beach, the 18,000 square foot lifestyle complex will include fitness and workout areas, Pilates and personal training spaces, physical therapy capability, a full-service spa, salon and wellness center, a tennis and retail shop, as well as food and beverage service. Outside the center will be an enlarged pool to accommodate both lap swimming and water aerobics, a children’s play area and nine tennis courts, one of which has the ability to feature stadium seating. Construction of the new lifestyle center is expected to begin in November 2015, with completion targeted for December 2016.

The scenic Golden Marsh golf course, designed by Joe Lee and built in 1984, will be re-grassed with Celebration Bermuda turf with drainage improvements and playability changes made to both the greens and fairways. A new state-of-the-art irrigation system will be installed and cart paths and bridges will be resurfaced. The Golden Marsh project is expected to begin in Spring 2017 with completion before year-end.

These two projects follow the renovation of the club’s River Ridge Golf Course. Known for its sweeping views, the Pete and PB Dye course has one of the highest slope ratings in Florida and has hosted numerous USGA events. The course will be re-grassed after playability, drainage and installation of a new state of the art irrigation system. Renovation will begin in April with play planned for this November.

Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club is a private, 885-acre community with 695 residences that overlook its two picturesque golf courses, acres of Audubon sanctioned nature preserves and the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. The Board of Directors, management and staff, along with the members, are all dedicated to maintaining their commitment to financial soundness and stability in an environment which enables them to enrich their quality of life.

For more information on Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club, please contact our Membership Office at (772) 873-6013 or l.pahl@hrycc.org.

Tennis is Growing in Popularity

The Tennis Industry Association which is the sport’s promotional organization just released the latest statistics which show that tennis is the only traditional activity in the top ten of sports and activities that can show a growth in participation.  Tennis has added 658,000 players in the last year with overall participation reaching 17.7 million.  The all-important frequent player category accounts for 30%.

Expenditure on tennis was $5.5 million which was up 5% from the previous year.  The reasons for growth include a great workout in a short time frame, the social aspect of doubles play which accounts for most club tennis, relative low startup cost compared to say golf and vastly improved instruction.  A USTA initiative “Try Tennis Free” has been attracting new adult players and encouraging lapsed players to return to the game.  All in all the future is looking very bright for further increases in tennis participation.

Competing with New Home Construction

Harbour Ridge is presently surrounded by new home construction.  Although these new communities do not offer the lifestyle and amenities that are available at Harbour Ridge, it is important for home sellers to investigate the trends in new homes and determine what to do to make your home appeal to all buyers.

It is wise to visit new communities in your price range because it can give you ideas about how to position your home and price it appropriately.  It is always crucial to be realistic about the competition.

Here are four things to consider when viewing model homes and comparing them to your home:

Property condition.  A model home in a new development will be pristine with fresh paint and the assistance of an expert interior designer.  You can get ideas regarding the latest decorating trends and ways to maximize the best features of your home and minimize the less appealing ones.  Beware of overspending when you begin to improve your home for sale, but do consider painting in the new neutral tones if you presently have bright colored walls or wallpaper.

Put yourself in the buyer’s frame of mind.  Many model homes have set the dining room table, which gives a positive visual to a prospect.  It is important, however, to know that when buyers look at homes, they want to visualize how they will live in it, not how you are currently living there.  This means that you need to put the breakfast dishes away, make the beds and assure that towels are neatly hung.  Remove any personal items and eliminate clutter.

Look at curb appeal.  Model homes typically have new landscaping and freshly painted house trim.  Assure your bushes and trees are neat and trimmed; and if needed, paint your front door and replace its hardware for a more modern look.

Check out the finances.  Builders often offer incentives to buyers.  If you feel your home is dated, offer some sort of concession.  Your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty on-site agent will be able to offer you suggestions regarding this as well as provide you with inexpensive improvements you can make to your home to make it more marketable.

Please call Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty today at 772-336-1800 to list and sell your home.

Private Club Spa Trends

Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club Spa

Spa Operations within Private Clubs continue to evolve, grow in popularity and become integrated into the new “Club Wellness lifestyle”. Following are the trends in the private club spas including the size and scope of spa facilities, spa services offered, and spa performance.

Treatment Rooms- Among private clubs, 80% report having spas with four or fewer rooms, with 45% only offering one treatment room. It would appear that for most private club fitness centers, spa facilities are still more of an afterthought amenity rather than a potential profit center than can enrich member lives and generate incremental revenues.

According to the International Spa Association (ISPA) the average spa in the U.S. has 6.6 treatment rooms

Treatment Room Occupancy- Treatment room occupancy is one of the most important KPI’s for predicting the revenue and profit potential for a spa. Among the private clubs, 40% report occupancy levels under 30%, while approximately 23% report having occupancy levels that exceed 60%. Empirical data from the spa industry indicates that a profitable spa needs to operate at above 50% occupancy and preferably above 60% occupancy. The largest spas, those with over 8 rooms or more, can generate high occupancy levels (80% have over 60% occupancy levels) while smaller spas, especially those with a single room, have occupancy levels under 20%. This difference in occupancy levels might be related to the management of these areas, with larger spas having a professional director for the spa while smaller spas (less than four rooms) are left under the direction of a non-spa professional such as a fitness director.

Types of Services Offered by Private Club Spas- Massage is the most popular spa service with 87% of private club fitness centers reporting they offer massage. Facial and body treatments are the second most popular with 40% of clubs indicating they offer these two services. When the data of services offered by private club fitness centers are compared to the data from the general spa industry, the trends are similar. In both general spas and private club based spas, massage, facials, pedicures and manicures are the most popular, while more esoteric services such as medical–based treatments (e.g., Botox) and acupuncture are not very popular. It should be noted that private club based spas, in particular, the larger spas, are more likely to offer medical-based spa treatments than the typical spa.

Pricing Practices for Private Club Spa Services- For the three primary services offered by private club spas (massage, facials and body treatments), more than 50% of the clubs report they charge over $75 for a single session. For manicures and pedicures, the pricing varies with a range of $31 to $50 the most popular price point.

Average Spa Revenue based on the Number of Treatment Rooms- The private club data clearly shows the revenue upside of offering a spa with at least five treatment rooms. Spas with five to eight rooms generate 2.5x more revenue than those with two to four and generate 7x more revenue than those with one treatment room. For spas with greater than eight rooms, the additional revenue can be 10x to 16x more than a spa that offers four or fewer treatment rooms. Depending on the number of treatment rooms, the average revenue per treatment room in a private club spa ranges from $63,000 to $112,000 per room.

Other Spa Trends

Integration is Key!- Spas within private clubs have a unique opportunity to provide the key integration with other wellness modalities that are leading to the following trends:

 

Integration of Massage and Fitness Programming- The success of specialty fitness training: golf and tennis fitness programs, corrective exercise, and physical therapy, are referring and integrating massage as an important element of member programming. Massage is positioned as an important “recovery” element of member’s fitness program rather than a luxury.

 

Massage and spa services bundled- Once a spa culture is established by the club, there is a trend towards bundled services, members coming in for more than one service and trying other menu items along with the traditional massage (i.e., adding on a facial, body treatment, etc)

 

Out Reach Programs that Integrate Spa and Wellness programming in other areas of the club- Chair massage, reflexology, and stretching techniques to golf tennis and even bridge/card room areas within the club to provide education and visibility for the spa

 

Spa Events and Parties provide education along with a social element and boost member participation in services other than massage.

 

Multi-Purpose Treatment Rooms- With limited space, inclusion of “multi-purpose” rooms where couples massage, facials, and wet treatments may be performed is a trend for private club spas. These rooms range from 120-150 square feet. Couples rooms are a bit larger, ranging from 150 to 200 square feet.

 

Importance of a Spa Lounge- The addition of a spacious and well appointed lounge or relaxation area within the spa is a growing trends as private clubs move away from the massage room as an afterthought concept, to creating a comprehensive spa experience for members.

Dining at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club

At Harbour Ridge, we make dining an unforgettable experience. Our residents and their guests can choose from several dining options to fit their mood and occasion. Our Palm City based country club puts forth an exemplary effort in providing wonderful service and delightful cuisines.

Dining at Harbour Ridge is focused solely on the diners experience. Our talented chefs hand-craft heart-warming meals in the state-of-the-art kitchens on a daily basis. No matter what you may be in the mood for you'll find it at Harbour Ridge. You can dine formally or casually at our list of dining venues.

Residents and guests can choose from any of our excellent venues such as The Grille Room, The Grille Lounge, Riverview and The Dockside Pavilion. Each dining experience is sure to leave you with a memorable experience and counting down your next cuisine at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club. There's much more to enjoy than golf and tennis. The amenities are endless at our Treasure Coast country club.