Starting a New Club

Most arena clubs talk about building a dedicated facility.  Even existing, underserved clubs talk about a new club. This section may help you some ideas. Use the following simple process for new club/facility start-up.

1. Start with a vision.

2. Draft a plan.

3. Find a core group of dedicated curlers (you will need at least six to start).

4. Start slow by renting ice.

5. Build membership with a dedicated facility in mind.

6. Raise capital and/or create financing options for a new facility.

7. Design the facility.

8. Build your new club.

9. Recruit and train (to retain) members with the CurlTech systems.

The Vision

If you’re reading this, someone has a vision of a new club.  It may the first club in a new market, an additional club in an existing market or a new facility in an existing market.  Either way, the amount of awareness regarding the sport has increased exponentially since the television coverage of 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 Olympic curling.  Many areas of the world are seeking curling.

Think big, plan carefully and imagine a beautiful new club where people can enjoy all curling has to offer.

Drafting a Plan

Start by discussing your vision with a few people in the area.  If it’s worth moving forward, you need a plan.  The plan can be as simple as gathering more information or as complex as club marketing, facility design, and implementation.  Start with a working document with ideas for your club.  Update as needed.

Start with a simple plan and build on it.  Check the viability periodically.

Strategic Plan

Immediately upon the formation of your new club (not the facility yet), a strategic plan should be drafted.  A mission statement should be crafted to explain what you are, what you want to do and how you’ll do it.  A fairly detailed plan of goals and objectives should span the first three years of operation.  The plan is then updated every year by the Board of Directors.

The Core Group

You may be acting alone, have a group of investors, or be part of a core group of enthusiastic curlers.  In any case, you will need a group of people you can trust to work through the plan with you.  In many cases, a lead person will head the project with help from others.

Find existing curlers in the area by contacting the national or regional associations.  In the US, find the Canadian transplants.  If you’re from an existing market, find people that either share your vision or really like it.

The core group may also be members of an existing club across town.  There are always curlers that travel great distances to curl.  Your new club may be much more accessible.

Start Slowly or Jump Right In

If you have a core group and want to test the viability of your vision, try renting ice at the local ice rink.  This may help build a membership base which you’ll need to secure financing of a new facility.

On the other hand, a business case can be made to build a facility before you secure the member base.  You will need to be more capitalized in order to stay afloat during the first few years of membership building.

Club Configurations

Configuration refers to how clubs provide curling for their members.  Some have dedicated facilities and others have no facility.  The following describes a few configurations.

Non-Dedicated Facility Options

Natural Ice

Like our curling fore-fathers, playing the game on a natural surface can be quite fun.  A flooded area or pond (or large lake, for that matter) can be suitable for a game of curling and the beginnings of a formal, organized club.  Find some rocks, scribe the rings and off you go.

Ice Arena Rental

The easiest and least expensive way to operate a curling club is to rent ice from the local arena.  Since arenas are not generally built for curling, the hockey teams and figure skater usually get the best times.  The field of play is usually poor since the Zamboni prepares the base ice.  Circles are either scribed into the ice each session or painted in the ice.  Rock storage is a problem.  Even one sheet of rocks must be stored cold to avoid melt-in at game time.

Studio Rink Rental

Some large arenas have studio rinks built to help with overflow figure skaters, broomball rentals and other events.  If a studio rink is available, you may be able to rent it for a reduced rate.

Dedicated Facility Options

Curling clubs across the world have many sizes and shapes.  The one thing they all have in common is sheets of ice for curling.  Clubs range in size from one sheet to dozens of sheets.  Clubs of the 2-8 sheet variety are the most common.  A facility can be made multi-use in the summer months by adding air conditioning and a concrete base.

Attached Dedicate Curling

Many large arenas and rinks have enough compressor capacity to run a few sheets of curling ice.  This option allows a dedicated curling facility to start without a separate capital investment in the refrigeration equipment, site work, parking lot, etc.

Stand-Alone Dedicated

The preferred configuration is a dedicated curling club as a stand-alone structure.  This provides ultimate control over operations.  This configuration is the most expensive from a capital investment perspective as well as an operational perspective.

In all dedicated facilities, a multi-use configuration helps.  Curling in the summer is cost prohibitive due to high electricity costs.  It’s not out of the question but you’ll need a fairly dedicated group to pay additional fees to cover the electric bill.  Summer facility rentals of the warm room and bar area can provide needed revenue to pay annual expenses.  Weddings and other similar events can utilize your kitchen and bar area.  Air conditioning and a concrete base are multi-use necessities if large rentals are anticipated.

Municipal Partnerships

Some municipalities are open to partnership ideas.  Curling provides a unique offering to any parks or recreation program.  In some cases, cities and towns will provide land at no or low cost in order to provide curling to the community.  Normally, an agreement is made to offer curling through the town recreation program.

CurlTech Curling Club Design

When you’re ready, you’ll need a design that works for your club.  If you are lucky enough to build your facility, make it shine. Design a club that is “best in class”. Below are some options and ideas to consider.

Best in Class requirements:

• Odd number of sheets.

• Low ceiling.

• Heat and dehumidification.

• Entry away from ice doors.

• Broomstacking tables near the glass.

• Bar.

• Kitchen.

• New rocks (Kay’s).

• Hydraulic, cordless scraper.

• Locker rooms.

• Heated front walk to reduce salt

Club Size

Before designing the new club, consider how many curlers you will have.  This is a difficult exercise especially in areas where there is little or no existing curling.  Large metropolitan areas have huge potential with millions of people.

Club member capacity is based on the number of sheets of ice and the demographics of the members.  COVID demographic changes have increased the capacity of clubs due to the availability of members for daytime leagues.  Work with this rough rule of thumb:

• 75 - 100 members for each sheet of ice.

Member demographics will drive that number up or down.  The capacity of a large metro area clubs can be lower due to the lack of daytime curling.  COVID work structures may change that.  The more people that work at home the more people are available through the day.

Club Layout and Design

Designing a club is like designing a new house.  There are many different styles.  The areas of major consideration are the warm room, the ice shed, bar, kitchen, locker rooms, compressor room and restrooms.  The following is a list of things to consider in the design of a dedicated facility.

Overall Layout Considerations

The following are suggestions for a curling facility.  Carefully research each idea for viability.

Clubs in the northern hemisphere are best laid out from north to south, with the warm room end facing north.  The ice shed home-end is warmed by the warm room walls and glass.  To compensate, the ice shed away-end should receive southern exposure of the sun on the building.

The building entrance path must not cross the ice entry path.  Players moving from the warm room to the ice and from the locker rooms to the ice should never cross the traffic area from the building entrance.   This will track dirt, salt and chemicals onto the ice.  A heated front walkway is a great idea.  This eliminates the need for salting near the front door and never requires shoveling.

Consider the following for your Warm Room:

• • Bar area

  • Coat closet near entrance

  • Supply closet/room

  • Recreation area for billiards, game table, etc.

  • Television area

  • Restrooms outside the locker rooms

  • Fireplace

  • Kitchen

  • Office

  • Several land line phone locations

  • Power outlets under the viewing glass

  • Meeting space (Board meetings, committee meetings, club rentals, etc.)

  • Bulletin Board area

  • Curling supply store area

  • Stepped area near glass for staggered viewing

  • Central vacuum

  • Handicapped ramps or elevator

  • PA system piped to all areas of the club

  • Refrigeration plant enunciator (light panel indicating plant operation) monitoring area 

Ice Shed Considerations

• Playing surface grade.  The ice surface should 5-6 feet lower than the warm room for best viewing.

• Concrete base

• Shed size appropriate heat and dehumidification

• Odd sheet number provides championship/TV sheet in center

• Sheet size WCF width (15’ plus)

• Low ceiling height

• Heat and dehumidification duct work

• Shed insulation

• Epoxy painted rings on concrete as an option

• Maintenance/Compressor room access

• Scraper cold-storage area

• Sheet scaling (building for 7 sheets but only using 5, or 5 to use 3)

• Sheet border carpet

• Light-ring telephone on-ice

• Ice access restrooms (optional)

Locker Room Considerations

• Capacity should be one complete draw (number of sheets times 8)

• Locker types (should be tall enough for a broom)

• Benches (members should be able to sit and change shoes in front of their locker)

• Minimum two toilets for men, three for women)

• Showers (optional)

• Broom bag storage above lockers

• Ice access directly from the locker rooms

Compressor Room Considerations

• Easy access from ice and warm room

• Heated snow pit (melts scraper snow)

• Deionized water and water heater station for pebbling

• Work bench and tool area

• Heat exchange from condenser discharge

• Fractional surface temperature control

Facility Design Essentials

The following items are the “must have” items for your new facility.  They are all ice and field of play related.  When you discuss the options for new facility and begin to allocate funds, include these items first.  Your club is first and foremost about curling.  Spending extra money on your warm room is great but only after these items are covered.  Even novice curlers enjoy the game more on a good playing surface.  Fast, true ice allows all skill levels, including juniors to make shots more consistently.  To have great ice, you need a properly designed and equipped ice shed and a competent ice technician.  This will allow ease of ice prep for all leagues and levels.

Warm Room Considerations

Levels – Multi level buildings require ADA compliance.  Single level buildings have less viewing capacity with no second level.

Entry Area – Design your entrance to create entry traffic flow AWAY from your ice entrance doors.  Outside contaminants like salt, dirt, gravel. etc. will ruin your good ice.  Entry should be at parking lot grade for wheelchair access.

Grade – The warm room should be above the ice surface grade for proper viewing.  Step the grade.  The warm room just in front of the glass should be 4-5 feet above ice level and be wide enough for one row of seats (four feet).  Another small step up to the main floor of the warm room will allow proper viewing.  A shelfed railing between the two grades is preferred for additional viewing.

Ice Access – Doors on both sides (sheets 1 and 5) allow ease of access.  A wheelchair ramp may be required.

Broomstacking – Broomstacking is a curling tradition and should be strictly enforced.  A round table that can accommodate eight people is required behind each sheet.  Consider a table with a built in rings in the center to recreate your awesome shots.

Bar – Your bar area does not need seating.  The bar should service your members while they curl.  It should have full capabilities for all drink types.

Kitchen – The kitchen area should be able to accommodate light lunch and dinner for your members.

Meeting Space – All cubs need a space for meetings.  A dedicated room is best for Board meeting and meeting that require some privacy.

Audio Visual – The warm room should have AV capabilities to run training sessions and presentations.

Fireplace – Fireplaces are great.  Adding cozy furniture around the fireplace is even better.

Locker Rooms – No club is complete without locker rooms.  Design them big enough to allow all players to change and leave their personal belongings in the locker and not out in the warm room.

Office – A small office is nice to have for your employees.  Computer, printer, basic office supplies.

Odd Number of Sheets (5 preferred)

When deciding how many sheets to build, your potential membership numbers will dictate.  Capacity, long term is the main consideration.  Once you have determined your capacity needs, think about an odd number of sheets.  Based on today’s demand for curling, we recommend never building less than five sheets.  If you’ve decided on four then consider moving up to five.  An odd number provides a championship or “center sheet”.  This can be surrounded by carpeted walkways for high presentation value and shed aesthetics.  The championship sheet can be used for bonspiel finals, championship games, televised games, club championship, etc.  This is where a prominent logo or sponsor logo will go.  National championships, Olympic Trials, Mixed, Juniors, etc., are usually round robin events with ten teams.  Five sheets minimum is necessary to properly host these events.  Your center sheet can also be wired for web casts so your games can be viewed by all.

<Insert design sketch>       

<Insert grade spec>

Concrete Base

A concrete base (as opposed to sand) in your ice shed is essential for efficiently making and maintaining good ice.  It allows the ice tech to easily make ice at the beginning of the season without requiring the help of many people.  With the rings epoxy painted on the concrete, an ice tech can make ice from scratch in 2-3 days.  This will save on electricity and allow the club to make ice for summer bonspiels.  Most concrete clubs still paint the surface and rings annually, particularly if the club is multi-use.

Concrete also provides an even temperature control on the surface.  The refrigeration pipes are embedded in the concrete by several inches and about four inches apart (on center).  The mass of the concrete will spread the cooling (heat pulling) properties evenly between the pipes resulting in a perfectly level surface above it.  In contrast, a sand base does not have the mass of concrete and will “pull” heat unevenly with more cooling over the feed pipes and less over the return pipes and dead space.  This causes “pipe runs” on the surface caused by peaks and valleys (high spots over the feed pipes and low spots over the returns).  These peaks and valleys are constantly expanding and contracting.  This is not level and requires much more ice maintenance than concrete.

Sound quality in the shed is also better with concrete.  Rocks run quieter over concrete due the mass under the ice.  Sand over insulation has much less mass and the rocks will create a low rumble caused by the echo.

Keep your header pipes exposed for maintenance and troubleshooting.  Headers encased in concrete are locked for life.  Your chiller should be in close proximity to the header to prevent temperature and pressure loss.

Insulation, Heat and Dehumidification

Proper climate control is necessary to control moisture and to create a comfortable space for the players.  Your architect/engineer will be the expert on how much and what type of insulation is needed for your latitude.  Dew point is the goal and should be a degree or two higher than your playable surface temperature.  Allowing moisture in your building will cause frost on the ice surface requiring more time and energy to prepare the ice.  Moisture (frost) causes rocks to run straight and slow.  Choose a quality system that will provide heat and dehumidification.  Heat exchangers using heat from the refrigeration plant can be very energy efficient.

Your shed heating system plays two roles.  It heats the air for a comfortable playing temperature for your members.  It also helps suspend moisture to control the RH.  In all buildings, the heat will rise to the top requiring fans to recirculate the heat down near ice level.  The goal is to maintain 40-42 degrees at waist level without moving the air to the ice surface.  Fans will need to be installed at the peak to circulate heated air.

Low latitude clubs may need additional insulation to maintain the proper conditions.  Your club’s coordinates (position latitude) will dictate how much dehumidification you need.  The middle latitudes in the US require lots of moisture control as opposed to high latitudes in Canada.  In any case, you will need dehumidification capability to maintain a dew point of 25 degrees.

Low Shed Ceiling

A low ceiling in the shed will reduce the volume of air to be controlled, making it more energy efficient.  Sound from screaming skips is also reduced.  Talk to your architect about spanning 85-90 feet with a low angle.  A roof pitch of 12/3 is a flatter design allowing less volume inside.

Radiant Heat Curtain

Your ice surface is being bombarded by radiant heat from the sun through the roof, even on cloudy days.  Placing a radiant heat (low-E) barrier under your roof will greatly reduce the radiant heat on your ice surface.  This in turn allows the compressor to cycle less to maintain your surface temperature.

Shed Lighting

LED lighting is your best bet here.  They are efficient and run cool.  They don’t create a large heat load on your ice.

Compressor Capacity and Cycling

A properly fitted compressor or chain of compressors will allow your ice tech to make ice in a short period of time and maintain it accurately.  It will also “pull” heat faster when large heat loads are placed on the ice.  Heat loads on the ice can be enormous.  They include heat from the heaters, players, lights, etc. (television lights add an even greater load).

Compressor cycling should be controlled in tenth of a degree to maintain your desired surface temperature.

Consider a full scope controller system.  Systems such as the Varaxis System will control compressor cycling for even surface temps.  It also will control the heaters and dehums for complete control.  This is PC based and can be set up on your smart phone.

Ice Maker Room

The icemaker will need a dedicated space.  Water purification systems, water heater and pebble station should be near the ice for easy access.  The scraper needs a cold place for storage.  It can be kept on the ice or in a dedicated scraper cold area.

Financial Overview

Unfortunately, financial information for brand new clubs is limited.  Clubs are generally formed by a small group of dedicated curlers in a certain area.  Very few clubs have been completed from scratch in the last 30 years.  In many cases, new facilities are the result of existing clubs rebuilding.

The following is a skeleton annual cash flow statement of a new club with 5 sheets. This club has a full time manager/ice person.  A 1.8 million dollar start-up cost is categorized as follows; the land is purchased at $300,000, the structure built for $1,000,000 and equipment at 500,000 financing 60% of the cost.

Use the following numbers as a guideline and adjust as necessary.

Staffed Club

Revenues

Memberships Dues            

300 members x $700                      $210,000

Bar Revenue                                 $60,000

Club Rentals                                     $10,000

Bonspiel Revenue                   $20,000

Total Revenue                               $300.000

Cost of Goods Sold

Bar goods                                        $25,000

Expenses

Utilities                                           $90,000

Insurance                                         $10,000

Real Estate Taxes                            $13,000

Snow Removal                                  $5,000

Club Manager/Ice                           $60,000

Payroll Taxes                                $8,000

Principle & Interest                             $70,000

Repairs and Maintenance                $19,000

Total COGS & Expenses                   300,000

Gross Cash Flow                                  $0,00

You can see that this is a break-even scenario.   These numbers are VERY rough.  They should be used as directional only.

Working these numbers can be a fun exercise.  Membership can really drive the numbers.  This example is at less than capacity.  Obviously, the key factors are the land and building costs, amount of initial capital and the full time manager.  Substitute donated land, more capital, no manager (volunteer based), more members, higher dues, etc.  Driving the revenue items can dramatically increase cash flow.  Occupancy costs (mortgage, rent, real estate taxes, etc.) will stay fixed.  Utilities will be a semi variable cost, increasing only with added draws during the day.  Club rental is a popular source of additional revenue.  Daytime rentals for off-site corporate meetings can draw $500 for an afternoon, not including bar revenue.

An all-volunteer-based club (no payroll and payroll taxes) will obviously increase your cash flow and provide a funding source for future capital projects. 

As you can see, playing around with the numbers can really change the outlook and

viability of a new club.

Equipment

Ice/Shed Related

• • Two 25 ton compressors, condenser, chiller, brine pumps

    • • • • • or

  • Three 20 ton compressors (check with a curling engineer on this)

  • System controller Varaxis or equivalent

  • Compressor cycling annunciator panel

  • Cordless, hydraulic, scraper with 5’ blade

  • Hand scraper - 18" blade

  • Scoreboards

  • Ten small trash bins

  • Stiff bristle 8 foot broom

  • Soft sheep skin 8-foot broom

  • Misc. shovels and brooms

  • Two measuring devices

  • Two six-foot measures

  • Paint sprayer with pump (if you don’t epoxy paint the rings) or use plastics sheets

  • Tow pebble cans with multiple pebble heads

  • Hot water heater for pebble water

  • Deionized water system

  • Dedicated ice mop and bucket

Kitchen

• Commercial gas range with grill

• Exhaust hood

• Dishwasher

• Coffee grinder and brewer

• Refrigerator/freezer

• Commercial microwave

• Misc. serving and cookware

• Food prep sink and disposer

• Hand sink

• Fryer (optional)

• Grease trap (check with local code)

Bar

• Dishwasher

• Ice maker

• Lockable bottle cooler

• Keg refrigerator

• Taps

• Glassware

• Cash register

Warm Room

• Home and away sheet (house) monitors for each end

• One round table and chairs (8) for each sheet of ice

• Two soft couches

• Two soft chairs

• Two tables

• PA/Music system

• 50” flat screen television (optional)

• 9’ Pool table (optional)

• Meeting table and chairs

• Fireplace grill and equipment

• Display case for club trophies

• Food serving table

Office

• Desk

• Computer

• Phone system (2 lines minimum)

• Printer

• High speed wireless router

• File cabinet

• Misc. office supplies

Conference/Board Room

• Conference table (seating for 10)

• Flip chart

• Dry erase board

General

• Misc. cleaning equipment (brooms, mops, etc.)

• Snow shovel

• Misc. tools

Handicapped Accessibility

You want your new club to be accessible to everyone.  Whether they’re curling, watching or just visiting.  In addition, wheelchair curling is becoming very popular.  Access to your club for wheelchair-bound members can open new league opportunities.  It may also be a federal regulation.  Ramps may be required and multi-level structures may require an elevator.  Carefully check regulations on this.

Refrigeration Plant

Refrigeration systems are rated in tons of capacity.  Tons of capacity is different depending on the latitude (average temperatures) of your new club.  A five sheet club at 42 degrees north will require approximately 15-17 tons of capacity per sheet to keep curling ice.  More tonnage is desirable at ice making time when the plant is freezing multiple floods in September and October.  During the season, the system will have to maintain a desired surface temperature.

Staffing

There are two staffing models in the curling club world.

1. Full time manager/ice person

2. Volunteer (member staffing)

We know of clubs in Canada and the US that have a full time staff to manage the club and prepare the ice.  We also know of clubs that are 4 and 5 sheets that have no paid employees.  In either case, most clubs have a volunteer group to help out and the Board is generally made up of volunteers.

Staffing Needs

The ice is the most labor intensive area of club operations.  To provide a proper playing surface, the ice must be cleaned, scraped and pebbled daily.  This, combined with other ice duties takes about 30 minutes per sheet per day.  Plan on maintaining ice at a five sheet club two hours per day.   Ice technicians must be trained to scrape and pebble.

Tending bar and managing food and liquor purchases is the next most labor intensive.  Conceivably, one full time person can maintain the ice and manage the bar.  The bar requires about 1 hour per day of work outside of bartending.

Club cleaning must take place every day as well.

Member Recruiting

Towns as small as 20k in population can support a curling club.  Aggressive recruiting will be required for small towns.  In large metropolitan areas, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t find 300 members.  In fact large cities can likely support multiple clubs. Recruiting members is not a difficult task.  Every four years we have a huge opportunity to add members with very little recruiting.  The Olympic curling coverage in 2022 will proved to be a valuable time for most curling clubs.

During non-Olympic years, clubs must actively recruit members, train them and provide a fun league for them to play in.  Once you recruit them, you must train them properly to retain them

Member Training

Proper training will help retain curlers as they will be more proficient and are likely to enjoy the sport.  This manual should be used as the training source material for your club.  Use the downloadable CurlTech PowerPoint presentations for training of all kinds

Committee Structure

Your club will need several committees to oversee the key areas of club operations.  Even with a paid staff, volunteers should oversee. 

Board of Directors

Clubs work best when the members are involved with decisions.  Since the entire membership can’t meet periodically, a Board of Directors is necessary.  Keep the numbers down on the Board.  Overstaffing the Board can cause problems of scheduling and general lack of productivity during meetings.  A Board of 5 to 9 people works best.  The following is an example of a curling club Board.

• President

• Secretary

• Treasurer

• VP Ice

• VP Club Operations

• VP Membership

• VP Facilities

• Regional Association Representative

The following is a list of necessary committees:

• Ice                           VP Ice

• Leagues                   VP Club Ops.

• Bar                          VP Club Ops.

• Kitchen                   VP Club Ops.

• Membership            VP Membership

• Training                   VP Membership

• Facility                    VP Club Facilities

• Rentals & Events         VP Club Ops.