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New Tennis Courts, Pools Impress at Duke Faculty Club

$6.2 million renovations provide variety of new facilities for faculty, staff

Among many benefits of joining the Duke Faculty Club, members have access to pools, tennis courts and more. The club recently concluded renovations to enhance the space. Photo courtesy of Duke Faculty Club.
Among many benefits of joining the Duke Faculty Club, members have access to pools, tennis courts and more. The club recently concluded renovations to enhance the space. Photo courtesy of Duke Faculty Club.

Duke employees now have access to new and improved facilities at the Duke Faculty Club.

The club recently celebrated the completion of a $6.2 million capital improvement project to renovate the 41-year old facility. During the nine-month project, the club enhanced a number of aspects, which included a second lap pool and new baby pool, new playground, improved tennis courts, new green spaces for camps and recreation and almost doubling the size of its fitness center from 1,700 to 3,000 square feet.

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All full-time Duke faculty and staff can join the club as individuals or with families. In addition to new construction, the club also offers fitness classes, a game room, summer camps, monthly social events and more. With construction complete, the club can accommodate more than 100 new memberships.

"I feel like there is an excitement about being there now that renovations are done," said Claire Osgood, data manager at Duke's Children's Environmental Health Initiative and a member of the Faculty Club for 12 years. "It's great if you have kids interested in swimming or tennis, but there's a whole social side of membership, too. People are hanging out more now."

A full list and images of updates to the facility can be seen on the Duke Faculty Club website. Eamonn Lanigan, director of the club, noted that some of the biggest changes have been to the most popular recreational aspects.

For example, the club doubled space for lap swimming, now boasting two pools with eight 6-feet-wide lanes. One pool will be heated and stay open from March to November. New tennis courts will also allow for six clay courts and four hard courts to be used by members.

"What's most impressive to me is the way things look now," Lanigan said. "With big windows and tall ceilings, you don't feel as confined and when you're on our patio, you can see all the pools and tennis courts so everything feels bigger and more comfortable, especially if you're watching children."

The cost of membership includes a one-time, non-refundable membership fee of $700 for individuals or $1,000 for families and annual dues paid in April of each year. Dues are pro-rated for new memberships that begin after Sept. 1 or Jan. 1. There is also a one-time facilities fee of $275 for new memberships in the 2014-2015 membership year.

Full membership information can be found online.