The Briar Club

The Briar Club is a private, member-owned country club in Houston, Texas. It is located in the River Oaks area,[1] at the corner of Westheimer Road and Timmons Lane. The Briar Club offers its members the chance to enjoy fitness, tennis, aquatics, youth and dining services in a "home-away-from-home" atmosphere.[2]

The Briar Club is also home to three private event spaces, where guests can book weddings, business meetings, parties, galas or private functions.[3]

History

In 1949, the club was called the Coral Club and run by a family of Houstonians. Inspired to grow the club, a group of Coral Club members who called themselves "the baker's dozen" created a charter to form The Briar Club, a glowing vision of recreation and sports for families within a steadily growing campus.[4] Over the years, the Club grew with the city, adding pools, dining amenities, tennis courts, and a Fitness Center.

In 2004, the Club announced plans for a multimillion-dollar, multi-phase expansion that would take place over the next ten to fifteen years.[1] Plans for the renovation included a fitness center and spa, a covered sports pavilion, a brand new clubhouse with all-new dining and event spaces, expanded swimming pools, additional tennis courts, youth facilities and a parking garage with an adjacent skywalk. The Master Plan Project was completed in 2016, with finishing touches being added into 2017.[5]

Amenities

The Club prides itself on being a family-focused club for all ages, with state-of-the-art tennis courts, fitness and wellness centers, exercise studios, outdoor heated and chilled pools, interactive children's facilities and a variety of dining options.[2]

Tennis

With nine outdoor, lighted USTA-specified hard tennis courts and a USPTA professional staff, the Briar Club's tennis department offers adult leagues, workouts and clinics, a junior tennis program for youth starting at age 3, private lessons for both children and adults, and tournaments, mixers and matches year-round.[6] They host a Pro-Am tournament every year in the fall, as well as clubwide championship tournaments and a tournament where members can invite a guest to play along with them.

Fitness

The Club's Fitness Center is 18,000-sq. ft. with an adjoining Wellness Center of 4,000 sq. ft. The Fitness Center features state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment, while the Wellness Center holds the Pilates and Yoga studios. The Club offers a comprehensive Group Exercise program with classes like Cycle, Barre, cardio, weight training, mat Pilates and Pilates Reformer. The Club also employs certified personal trainers and massage therapists on staff to assist members. For the members' convenience, the Club offers locker rooms in both the Fitness and Wellness Centers with showers, complimentary toiletries, changing areas, and steam room/spa areas.[7]

Aquatics

The Briar Club is home to three pools, featuring one resort-style pool with a slide and two diving boards, as well as two competition lap pools. The Family Resort Pool was finished in July 2016 and is home to Club events during the summer. The pool is nestled next to the Barracuda Café, a poolside dining area with ample seating and lush landscaping. The Adult Lap Pool is a six-lane, 25-meter adult-centric lap pool secluded from the bustle of the Club in the corner of the campus. The Competition Lap Pool is the home of the youth swimming program and the Briar Club Barracudas swim team, with six 25-meter lanes.[8]

Youth

For children, the Club offers three dedicated areas: the Nursery, the Kids Club and the Hideout. The Kids Club is a colorful playhouse with children's décor, modern play structures, organizational carpentry and plenty of activities. There are no TVs or screens in the Kids Club, and children are given Daily Activity Schedules to help them play, learn, socialize, and grow. The Hideout is a loft area designed for kids ages 6 & up, with video game stations, air hockey, foosball, interactive X-Arcade games, a movie lounge and plenty of comfortable places to hang out with friends or family. In addition to these daily services, the Youth Department plans summer camps, pool parties, holiday parties and other fun events for both kids and families to enjoy together.[9]

Dining

The Briar Club offers several dining areas for different occasions. The Lounge Dining Room & Bar are adults-only dining and cocktail spaces, with fine cuisine and refined millwork and furniture. The BC Bistro is a family-focused dining room, offering casual fare and a spacious buffet. The End Zone is a relaxing, interior sports bar, while Breezes is the outdoor sports bar that is operational during the summer. The Barracuda Café, located by the Family Resort Pool, functions as a quick stop for snacks, ice cream and drinks and as a full-service kitchen with both table and poolside service. All restaurants at the Briar Club have fresh and varied menus that change seasonally and are curated by the Club's culinary team.[10]

Member Events

Events for the Club's members include holiday meals for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and July 4th, as well as a Fall Festival and Halloween party. Friday Night Family Night and Sunday Night Cookouts are summer Club traditions for families to swim and eat together, and themed activities like Teen Nights and Mother-Daughter Tea are offered year-round.

Private Events

The Briar Club has three private event spaces, which all have décor, state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and room controls. The President's Room holds up to 40 people and is popular for small-to-medium business meetings, receptions, or private luncheons and dinners. Housing portraits of Club leaders past and present, the room measures 715 square feet and overlooks Timmons Lane. The Azalea Room, with a capacity of up to 90 guests, is popular for a corporate meeting or celebratory dinner and has a large projector and screen for presentations. The Magnolia Ballroom, which can be divided into two or three smaller meeting spaces, holds anywhere from 80 to 400 guests and is commonly used for wedding receptions and larger professional meetings.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Club expansion creates River Oaks shuffle." Houston Business Journal. Sunday July 4, 2004. 1. Retrieved on October 15, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Home - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  3. 1 2 "Venue Profile - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  4. ↑ "Our Story - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  5. ↑ Witthaus, Jack (July 18, 2016). "River Oaks' Briar Club shows off its newest $30M renovations". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Tennis - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  7. ↑ "Fitness - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  8. ↑ "Aquatics - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  9. ↑ "Youth - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  10. ↑ "Dining Experience - The Briar Club". www.thebriarclub.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.

Coordinates: 29°44′29″N 95°26′11″W / 29.7413°N 95.4364°W / 29.7413; -95.4364

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