Preserving an Icon: Inside Klover’s Work at Merion Golf Club

Klover helped bring new life to Merion Golf Club’s historic clubhouse through complex cold-formed steel framing, commercial carpentry, drywall, ceilings, and architectural construction, carefully integrating modern building systems into one of America’s most storied golf properties.

Some construction projects are about creating something entirely new. Others require building for the future while respecting everything that came before.

The renovation and expansion of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, required exactly that balance.

Merion is one of the most recognized names in American golf, and its clubhouse has evolved over generations alongside the club itself. Renovating the approximately 55,000-square-foot historic clubhouse meant introducing new construction, modern building systems, and updated member spaces without losing the architectural character that makes the property distinctly Merion.

Working alongside the owner, construction team, architects, consultants, suppliers, and fellow trades, Klover provided a broad specialty carpentry package spanning structural framing, exterior systems, interior construction, and architectural finishes.

Commercial Carpentry for a Complex Historic Renovation

Historic building renovation is fundamentally different from new construction.

Existing conditions do not always match drawings or expectations, particularly in buildings that have been expanded and modified over many decades. At Merion Golf Club, new framing, walls, ceilings, openings, and roof assemblies frequently had to connect directly with existing construction.

That required extensive field verification and close collaboration among the entire project team.

Klover’s scope included cold-formed steel framing, drywall systems, rough carpentry, acoustical ceilings, exterior framing, architectural finishes, roof modifications, structural blocking, and specialty construction conditions throughout dining areas, gathering spaces, member amenities, service areas, and other portions of the clubhouse.

Instead of relying on repetitive standard assemblies, many areas required individually developed solutions based on the actual conditions discovered in the field.

Complex Cold-Formed Steel Framing

One of the most technically demanding areas was the clubhouse’s Southwest Addition.

Klover utilized multiple sizes and gauges of cold-formed steel framing to construct shed roofs, mansard roofs, gable roofs, exterior walls, structural box beams, and a new chimney.

Heavy-gauge 8-inch and 10-inch cold-formed steel framing was incorporated into roof assemblies alongside bent plates, tracks, clip-angle attachments, and other specialty structural details.

Elsewhere throughout the clubhouse, Klover constructed framing for NanaWall systems, kitchen exhaust enclosures, a new pent roof, roof-overhang soffits, ceilings, parapets, and architectural transitions.

Roof modifications added another layer of complexity. The team constructed structural box beams, framed roof extensions, rebuilt chimney assemblies, modified parapets, and installed framing for architectural roof features while coordinating around existing structural steel, roofing, and exterior finishes.

Each condition had to satisfy current structural requirements while creating the geometry needed to preserve the finished architectural design.

Solving Existing Conditions Through Collaboration

Renovation inevitably reveals conditions that cannot be completely understood until construction is underway.

When existing conditions at Merion differed from what had been anticipated, Klover worked alongside the project’s owner, architect, construction manager, consultants, and trades to evaluate the situation and develop appropriate solutions.

That collaboration allowed framing and installation methods to adapt as the project progressed while protecting the overall design intent.

It is an important part of successful historic renovation: the ability to solve what is discovered without losing sight of what is being created.

Integrating New Construction Into a Historic Clubhouse

The same attention extended from structural framing into the building envelope and interior spaces.

Exterior construction incorporated glass mat gypsum sheathing and air and weather barrier systems while connecting new assemblies with existing building components.

Inside, Klover installed fire- and sound-rated drywall assemblies, mold- and moisture-resistant drywall for kitchens and locker rooms, cement backer board at tiled areas, firestopping, sound attenuation systems, acoustical sealants, and Level 4 drywall finishes.

Creating seamless transitions between new and existing construction was particularly important.

Behind the finished walls and ceilings were complex assemblies involving heavy-gauge framing, structural box beams, reinforcement, blocking, fire-rated systems, and acoustical components. The goal was for all that complexity to disappear into a finished environment that felt cohesive with the historic clubhouse.

Ceilings, Architectural Openings and Specialty Construction

Klover’s work continued through many of the details members ultimately experience.

Acoustical ceiling systems were installed throughout dining areas, service spaces, and member amenities. At the Lower Terrace, distinctive linear plank ceilings became part of the architectural character of the renovated space.

Rough carpentry supported roof extensions, elevator modifications, structural blocking, parapet extensions, NanaWall systems, equipment supports, and other custom conditions.

Klover also coordinated the receiving, inventory, and installation of owner-furnished doors, frames, windows, hardware, toilet accessories, fire extinguisher cabinets, corner guards, and specialty components.

Each element had to coordinate precisely with surrounding framing, openings, finishes, and adjacent construction.

Building the Next Generation of Skilled Craftspeople

Merion Golf Club was also an opportunity to develop the next generation of construction professionals on a highly technical project.

Nine members of Klover’s project team were graduates or active participants in registered apprenticeship training, and apprentices accumulated more than 2,200 hours of on-the-job training during the project.

Rather than learning only in a classroom environment, developing craftspeople gained hands-on experience with specialty framing, drywall, ceilings, existing conditions, architectural transitions, and complex commercial renovation.

They also had the opportunity to work alongside experienced Klover craftspeople, including a nationally recognized apprenticeship graduate.

For Klover, workforce development and project execution go hand in hand. Complex projects provide an opportunity not only to build exceptional spaces, but also to build the skills and experience that will shape the construction industry’s future.

Safety Through 23 Months of Complex Construction

Historic renovations introduce constantly changing conditions, making planning, communication, and safety especially important.

Across 23 months of construction, Klover’s teams performed structural framing, roof modifications, overhead work, drywall, ceiling installation, exterior construction, and multiple interconnected scopes.

All of Klover’s work at Merion Golf Club was completed without a single OSHA Recordable incident.

That accomplishment reflects the commitment of the field teams, project leadership, and partners who worked together throughout a demanding renovation environment.

Preserving the Past While Building for What Comes Next

The completed Merion Golf Club clubhouse renovation demonstrates what successful historic construction can look like when technical expertise and collaboration come together.

New structural framing, modern wall and ceiling systems, architectural finishes, and specialty construction have been integrated into a building shaped by generations of history.

The result is a clubhouse prepared to serve contemporary needs while remaining unmistakably Merion.

For Klover, the project represents what commercial carpentry and specialty construction are ultimately about: solving complex problems, collaborating with great partners, developing skilled people, working safely, and building in a way that respects both the project’s history and its future.