The Fountaingrove Club in Santa Rosa, Calif. recently welcomed Eric VanderWerff as the club’s new General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. VanderWerff will oversee all elements of the private club’s operations.
VanderWerff has 19-plus years of hospitality and club industry experience. He began his career working in golf operations at Indian Valley Golf Club in Novato, Calif. where his passion for the game and hospitality took hold. In 2004, he moved to Santa Barbara and took on advancing roles in food and beverage operations, culminating in an assistant general manager assignment at Birnam Wood Golf Club. In 2018, VanderWerff was named general manager and chief operating officer of La Cumbre Country Club, also in Santa Barbara, where he worked closely with the leadership team, its board and committees to serve 800-plus families at the member-owned club.
“The Search Committee and Board interviewed many highly-qualified candidates with a passion for elevating the member experience,” said The Fountaingrove Club Board of Directors President Marshall Andrew. “Eric’s experience, his track record of being an approachable, accountable and visible leader, and his focus on employee culture set him apart. We are thrilled to welcome him to The Fountaingrove Club.”
VanderWerff is a certified club manager, level 2 sommelier and plays golf to a single digit index. He is a Sonoma County native and a graduate of Cal State Channel Islands with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. His hobbies and interests include sailing, food and wine and travel. Eric is married and is thrilled to get back to Northern California where his parents and siblings live.
Located in the hills northeast of Santa Rosa, The Fountaingrove Club has been managed by Troon Privé, the private club operations division of Troon, since January 2019 and is Sonoma County’s only member-owned, 18-hole, private facility. The club features a beautiful Ted Robinson Sr.-designed golf course that boasts spectacular views of the Hood and Taylor Mountains as well as the rolling hills of Santa Rosa Valley. In early 2022, the club unveiled its new $20 million clubhouse to members and guests. The 22,100 square-foot building replaces the club’s former clubhouse that was destroyed by the Tubbs Fire in October 2017. The two-story building is set on the same location as the previous clubhouse and features the Summit Kitchen & Cocktails on the upper level. The design features natural materials including stone, wood, glass and steel, while showcasing the natural beauty of the area with two outdoor dining terraces. The clubhouse’s first floor includes a beautifully appointed golf shop, office space, meeting space as well as men’s and women’s locker rooms. Members were involved in the clubhouse design process through member surveys and focus groups, and chose not to include banquet space, focusing instead on intimate, small group moments.
Members also enjoy an expansive Athletic Center complex, five tennis courts, a 25-yard infinity swimming pool, and an impressive array of fitness opportunities including martial arts, yoga, aquatics, personal training, spin and strength training. The Fountaingrove Club is proud to be a BoardRoom Magazine Distinguished Club, an annual award program that measures a club’s Member Experience.
Related: Fountaingrove golf course receives Audubon honor
For more information on The Fountaingrove Club, visit www.thefountaingroveclub.com.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 750-plus locations, including 740-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses around the globe. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, Casa Verde Golf and ICON Management. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com, or connect with Troon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Troon Chronicles, Press Room, or subscribe to Troon Magazine.
