YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – On a seasonably warm afternoon in late March, golfers had already taken to the course at the Youngstown Country Club in Liberty Township. Meanwhile, at the Trumbull Country Club in Warren, contractors were engaged in an extensive clubhouse renovation project that is scheduled for completion before summer begins.
After a long and viciously frigid winter, these clubs are headed full swing into what they project will be a very busy season.
“This is probably the most significant investment here in the last 50 years,” says Cory Pagliarini, general manager at Trumbull Country Club. Currently, the club is in the midst of a nearly $3 million effort that includes an entire overhaul of the clubhouse and a new irrigation system for the golf course.
“We’re doing a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling renovation of the clubhouse – both the upper and lower levels,” Pagliarini says. “We’ve had some pretty good growth over the last five or six years and wanted to provide the facilities to match the quality of our food and service,” he says.
Among the new amenities planned for the clubhouse this year are two golf simulators and a lounge that will be located in the lower level, Pagliarini says. Members will now be able to work on their swing and practice throughout the winter months while the course is closed. Other improvements include a new dining room and kitchen, as well as upgrades to the club’s fitness area in the lower level.
The renovation project began during the second week of February and is on track for completion by Memorial Day, he says. Work is also underway on a new irrigation system for Trumbull’s golf course, which should also be finished by the end of May.
“From a conditions perspective, the course is always in really good shape,” Pagliarini says. “The irrigation system is going to help us fine-tune some of the details.”
The existing system, Pagliarini says, was commissioned in 1970. “So, it was time,” he adds.
Membership continues to grow at a managed pace, he says, noting the club has been successful in attracting new interest every year. “I would say the market is still pretty strong. There’s a need for truly private facilities in the area.”
Private Club Impact
Interest in golf has remained steady since participation in the sport hit record numbers – the result of the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago. While public golf courses witnessed a surge in play, private clubs across the country have also seen the benefits.
According to the National Golf Foundation, the percentage growth of rounds played at private clubs outpaced those played on public courses during 2025. Through September of that year, NGF reported that private golf play had increased 5% nationwide compared to the same period in 2024. Play at public courses, on the other hand, improved by just 1% when compared to the same period a year earlier.
Private clubs have also shown a significant economic impact. Research funded by the Club Management Association of America, the National Club Association, and Club Benchmarking, found that private clubs – 82% of which are golf and country clubs – generated an estimated $32.6 billion of revenue in 2023.
The research sampled 3,887 private clubs across the country with revenues of $1 million or more. Together, these clubs employed 573,000 people and maintained $17.4 billion in payroll.
Other trends visible among private golf and country clubs is the growing number of younger members. According to the National Golf Foundation, 30% of new private golf memberships are players between the ages of 18 and 34.
YCC Embraces Changes
The Youngstown Country Club, for example, has attracted a host of new, younger members with additional ideas for the future of the club, says Richard Peduzzi, a member of the Board of Trustees and chairman of YCC’s golf committee.
“I’m so excited about the younger crowd,” Peduzzi says. “We’ve had a bunch of men and women in their mid-20s, mid-30s and early 40s join. They’ve really taken an interest.”
Some of the younger members have sought to join the board and have brought a completely different perspective on ways to attract new members or improve other aspects of the club, as opposed to those in their 50s or 60s, Peduzzi says. “The big thing, in my opinion, is communications,” he says, noting younger generations have a grasp on how to leverage new technology to reach a wider audience. “Hopefully, they’re pushing us into the 21st century.”
Peduzzi says Youngstown has seen its share of challenges over the past decade. Ten years earlier, members were unsure of the club’s viability. Peduzzi, however, gives credit to previous trustees who had to make some difficult decisions but were successful in resurrecting membership and interest. Membership saw a jump during the pandemic, but has since leveled off – a trend that members would like to see reversed.
One priority is to make improvements to the golf course, Peduzzi says. “The biggest thing this year is that we have a new superintendent, Nathan Frick,” he says. Frick, a Columbus native who was previously working as an assistant superintendent at one of the top clubs in the country – Somerset Hills in New Jersey – was selected over 24 other applicants after a search through the PGA of America.
“We’re really excited about him,” he says. “He’ll bring a lot of the practices he used at Somerset, which is a Top 200 course in the world.”
This year, Peduzzi says YCC’s course will undergo more attentive care of its greens and fairways, as well as removing some trees that absorb an unnecessary amount of water or block sunlight from greens on the course. “It’s very encouraging,” he says.
Still, membership recruitment and retention is critical in the long-term, says Joe LaRocca, YCC’s director of member relations. “Membership has grown almost every year, and we’re trying to build on that – give some more discounts and look at all avenues,” he says. A new membership drive kicked off March 1, while a capital campaign to raise money for additional improvements is well underway.
While attracting new members is important, so is working to retain existing members, LaRocca says. “We need to remember those members who have stuck by us,” he says.
Scott Sundstrom, YCC’s head golf professional, says superior course conditions are vital for keeping players happy and eager to come back. “It all starts with the greens,” he says. “They like firm and fast greens, generally. And then, playable fairways and nice tee boxes.”
Players are also discovering more sophisticated equipment, as golf club engineering has helped improve distance and accuracy, Sundstrom says. Moreover, teaching the sport has become more advanced, as improvements such as camera and video technology have helped golfers with their swing and stance, he adds. “Today, you have so much technology that you can get into positions like the tour pros do if you work at it,” he says. “Years ago, we kind of had to figure it out ourselves.”
Peduzzi says clubs such as Youngstown are landmarks in the Mahoning Valley and are part of its history. Youngstown’s clubhouse, for example, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, and 2025 marked the 100th anniversary of the Western Open, a prominent national tournament which the club hosted.
“There’s something special about this place,” Peduzzi reflects.
Pictured at top: Scott Sandstorm, head golf professional at Youngstown Country Club; Richard Peduzzi, member and golf committee chairman; and Joe LaRocca, YCC’s director of member relations, prepare for a new season.
