Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 12

120 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 12 It’s reasons like these that Bonita Bay Club’s high level of pride in membership has never wavered. Even in the face of the COVID-19 health crisis, the club has flourished largely due to the strength, energy, and enthusiasm of its members. Fung reports, “Going into the pandemic, we had a full membership and a full waiting list. We’ve been just incredibly in demand, I think because we offer the facilities, the amenities, and a culture that provide unrivalled and unparalleled value. It’s to a point where we now have four separate waiting lists to get in to utilize the club, each with varying degrees of access as they work their way up to where they’d like to be – in most cases, that’s to a full Golf Membership.” When the pandemic really hit hard, all of their amenity centers were shut down to prevent face- to-face contact. During those two months, Bonita Bay Club pivoted to some digital platforms that kept members engaged, active, and feeling supported. “I was doing regular video updates, just giving encouragement,” Mugavero recalls, “We came from very humble beginnings, and I only mention that because of where we are now,” shares Director of Fitness Tammy Mugavero. “When I started out, we had 5,000 square feet dedicated to fitness and a spa. And that was in a converted cart barn!” That was back in 2000, when Mugavero first joined the Bonita Bay Club team. Over the years, she’s seen the Fitness Center expand to four times its original size. “One of the best decisions we’ve made was identifying that building to purchase. With that entire floor – which gave us about 20,000-square-feet to work with – I said, ‘Well, here’s the box, Tammy, how would you design this?’” says General Manager Fred Fung. Mugavero met that challenge with aplomb, overseeing everything from organizational size to interior design. “She’s designed what’s truly the premier fitness facility for private clubs in North America,” adds Fung. “Every couple of years, Tammy reinvents that entire space,”