BEST PRIVATE CLUB

Des Moines Golf and Country Club

Swimming pool attendance at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club is up by more than 50 percent from 2004, due both to above-average temperatures, and to a multimillion-dollar renovation to the pool and other facilities at the private club in West Des Moines that have helped it earn the title of best private club in Des Moines for 2005.

“It’s been incredible,” said general manager and chief operating officer Jim Cutter of the response by club members to the renovations, which were completed in late spring and include swimming pool upgrades, the addition of indoor tennis courts and an upgrade to the dining facility.

The improvements may also have contributed to record membership this year of more than 1,500 people. Cutter said the efforts of forward-thinking members and volunteer leaders have enabled the club to continue to be successful.

“They’ve always had their eyes on what’s coming ahead rather than what happened last year,” he said.

Runners-up: Des Moines Embassy Club; Glen Oaks Country Club

BEST PLACE TO BUY WINE

The Wine Experience

Kyl Cabbage founded The Wine Experience with the belief that wine is something that everyone can enjoy, and over the past 10 years, countless people have become wine lovers through the store’s ongoing education opportunities.   “We try to be a place that is welcoming to everybody,” said Jack Ryan, The Wine Experience’s operations manager and graphic artist.

Ryan said The Wine Experience is “one of the hardest-working wine stores,” offering weekly classes, tastings and dinners at which customers can learn the fundamentals, try new varieties of wine and enjoy each other’s company.

“We throw a party every year called Real Wine for Real People, and that’s basically the philosophy of the store,” Ryan said. “We take a down-to-earth approach to what can be a mysterious thing and break it down so that people can really enjoy it.”

Last August, The Wine Experience opened a bistro at Jordan Creek Town Center, and the business soon plans to expand into Valley West Mall in West Des Moines by launching The Wine Experience Express. It will be located in the coffee bar inside Younkers department store.

Runners-up: JT’s Wine & Spirits; Ingersoll Wine Merchants

BEST PLACE TO BUY BUSINESS BOOKS

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

Just over a year after opening a second store in Greater Des Moines, this one at Jordan Creek Town Center, Barnes & Noble Booksellers remains the best place to buy business books, according to Business Record readers.

Both stores offer a wide selection of books on a variety of business topics, such as small business, motivation, finance and management. In addition to the selection, Barnes & Noble offers a 15 percent corporate discount for businesses buying in bulk.

Each Barnes & Noble store provides customers with a café and plenty of seating, which often serves as a draw for the lunchtime crowd, particularly at the Clive store at 4550 University Ave., which is near many office buildings.

Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest bookseller, selling more than 445 million books a year at 821 stores located in all 50 states.

Runners-up: Borders Books, Music, Movies & Cafe; Half Price Books Records Magazines

BEST JEWELER

Josephs Jewelers

Competitive pricing and the Joseph family’s active involvement in the business have contributed to Josephs Jewelers’ longevity, according to Josephs President Toby Joseph

This spring, Joseph and brother, John, were joined in the 134-year-old family-owned business by his son, Jake. In June, they opened a 20,000-square-foot store in the West Glen shopping center in West Des Moines, a sign that the business plans to be around for many more years to serve both new customers and families who have shopped there for several generations, Joseph said.

The West Glen store has been so busy on Saturdays that it plans to expand its operating hours. Toby Joseph said he thinks the new store has been such a hit because of its convenient location near many of his customers’ homes and its inviting design.

“Most jewelry stores that carry very fine quality items design their store so that it’s almost intimidating, but we wanted our customers to feel comfortable, so we have lots of natural light, a free-flowing atmosphere, a lounge area and a coffee bar.”

Josephs also has a store in Valley West Mall and one downtown at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Locust Street.

Runners-up: Anglo International; M.C. Ginsberg Jewelers

BEST DRY CLEANER

French Way Cleaners

At French Way Cleaners, customer service continuously takes top priority, making it the best dry cleaner in Greater Des Moines year after year, according to Business Record readers.

“I think we just continually take care of our customers and do a good job for them,” said owner Mike McBroom. “We have good employees and we’re here to serve.”

McBroom is French Way Cleaners’ fifth owner since the company opened in 1909 at 413 Euclid Ave. in the Highland Park neighborhood.

The building still serves as French Way’s main cleaning plant. Items dropped off at its Greater Des Moines locations are brought to the plant, where about 40 workers do all of the dry cleaning before transporting them back to the stores.

French Way operates 20 locations in Greater Des Moines, including several in Hy-Vee Inc. supermarkets.

Runners-up: Noah’s Dry Cleaners; Victoria Cleaners

BEST CLOTHIER FOR MEN’S FASHIONS

Mr. B

The big news for clothiers Dave Lemons and Tim Sitzmann in the past few months was the opening of their new high-end store, Sarto, in West Des Moines. But tried-and-true Mr. B, the flagship of their retail chain, got the nod from Business Record readers as the place to go for men’s clothes.

Mr. B, located at 1995 N.W. 86th St. in Clive since 1984, has had an extensive interior remodeling in the past year. New look or old, “it has the biggest volume by far of any of the stores we have,” said Lemons, who met Sitzmann when they both worked at Mr. B. “It has a good location, and it caters to a large customer base,” he said. “We have a broad range of styles there, not overly conservative or fashion-driven, but updated traditional clothing.”

Mr. B, which first opened on Hickman Road about 30 years ago, has an inventory that’s about 70 percent men’s clothing and 30 percent women’s. “It does the most custom-tailoring business of any of our stores,” Lemons said.

Runners-up: Reichardt’s Clothing; Von Maur.

BEST CLOTHIER FOR WOMEN’S FASHIONS

Sahar’s Continental Shops

With a salon, day spa, café and fashion gallery all under one roof, Sahar’s Continental Shops is far more than a women’s clothier. It provides a respite from day-to-day life, according to owner Sahar Al-Shash.

“We try to be the place where you can forget about your problems,” said Al-Shash.

The selection includes some of the latest clothing from New York, California and other fashion hotspots. Al-Shash believes customers will find items that can’t be found elsewhere in Greater Des Moines. The selection includes everyday clothing, evening wear, accessories and gift items, as well as some men’s designer clothing.

Al-Shash opened Sahar’s in 1999 as a clothing store and has since added a salon and spa as well as “Le Café.” The past year saw more remodeling and the addition of several spa services as the business continues to grow. Sahar’s now has close to 30 employees, most of whom work in the salon and spa.

Runners-up: White House/Black Market; Chico’s

BEST FLORIST

Boesen the Florist

Ed Boesen said he and his brothers, Tom and Frank, learned from their father, uncles and other family members who worked in the business before them to never lose sight of the customer.

“My brother and I try to take phone calls every day to stay in touch with the customers,” Boesen said. “It keeps you grounded and reminds you of what you’re doing. It’s also good to see what your work means in the customers’ eyes.”

To maintain the business’s high level of commitment to customer service, Boesen the Florist invests in the latest technology. Next month, customers will be able to stay informed about their orders with the option of having an e-mail update sent to them when their order is delivered, Boesen said.

With six free-standing shops and eight additional shops inside Dahl’s Food Marts, Boesen’s is well-equipped to serve customers across Greater Des Moines with quick deliveries.

“Every day we’re trying to find a way to not say ‘No,’” he said. “When a person says they would like something delivered up the street at noon and it’s already 11:45, we’ll make an effort to do it if we can.”

Runners-up: Hy-Vee Inc.; Anthony’s Flowers

BEST PRIVATE GOLF COURSE

Des Moines Golf and Country Club

Since the Des Moines Golf and Country Club moved to West Des Moines in 1966, the club’s board of directors have continually put resources into its golf courses to make them fun and challenging for members and visitors, according to General Manager and CEO Jim Cutter. The club earned the distinction of the best private golf course in a vote by Des Moines Business Record readers.

“It’s very, very well maintained and the courses are fun layouts for members to play on a regular basis,” he said.

The Des Moines Golf and Country Club operates four nine-hole golf courses. Each has been renovated within the past 10 years, with the most recent revamping being completed in 2002. The club started out with 135 trees in 1966 and now has more than 6,000. The club also improved its fairways by replacing bluegrass with bent grass.

Runners-up: Glen Oaks Country Club; Wakonda Club

BEST EXERCISE FACILITY

YMCA of Greater Des Moines

YMCA of Greater Des Moines President and CEO Vernon Delpesce said an “outstanding wellness staff” as well as a variety of programs and activities for beginning and experienced athletes of all ages make the Y the best exercise facility in Des Moines.

The YMCA, with six branches in Greater Des Moines, has seen its membership increase 9.5 percent in the past year to more than 37,000 people.

“We really work hard to be accessible to everyone,” Delpesce said. “We do provide financial assistance, and we don’t want a person or a family to not be able to participate in our programs because of financial restrictions. So through generous supporters, we’re able to do that.”

More growth is planned this year as the Y plans to open a seventh branch in Boone in September through collaboration with the Boone County Hospital. Delpesce also discussed plans to break ground next month on an indoor swimming pool at the South Suburban YMCA.

Runners-up: Prairie Life Health & Fitness; Aspen Athletic Clubs

BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

The Legacy Golf Club

With more than 20 public golf courses to choose among in Central Iowa, Business Record readers picked The Legacy Golf Club as their favorite this year. Opened just three years ago by Matt Manning and his family, this 18-hole par-72 course near Norwalk was the first in the area to feature global positioning system equipment on its carts, giving players the exact distance to the hole for every shot.

The Legacy has league play for men and women and a dress code “consistent with the tradition of golf.” Lessons are available through The Golf Academy; a single 45-minute lesson costs $50, with packages ranging up to 10 lessons for $375.

Monday through Thursday, an 18-hole round costs $30 without a cart or $45 with a cart. Friday through Sunday, the prices rise to $34.50 and $49.50.

Runners-up: Tournament Club of Iowa; Waveland Golf Course.