BoardRoom magazine July/August

T he Bo ardRo o m m ag az ine

C E L E B R A T I N G 23 Y E A R S O F E D U C A T I N G T H E P R I V A T E C L U B I N D U S T R Y ISSUE 283

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VOLUME XXIII JULY/AUGUST

Vo l um e X X III, Jul y/ A ug us t 2 0 1 9

WHO ARE

INFLUENCERS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?

10 | PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE

92-95 | INNOVATIVE IDEAS

ONBOARDING YOUR STAFF

FEATURE TO BOARDROOM MAGAZINE

32-54 | DESIGN GUIDE

98-103 | MEMBERSHIP MARKETING

FEATURE TO BOARDROOM MAGAZINE

FEATURE TO BOARDROOM MAGAZINE

President's Council on the Club of the Future presented by KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE and Club Benchmarking

Space is Limited! Register Online at www.kopplinandkuebler.com/presidents President's Council on the Club of the Future Hosted by Medinah Country Club October 14-15, 2019 Calling All Club Presidents, General Managers and Board Members!

Join Us for a Unique Gathering Inspired by Club Leaders October 14-15, 2019 at Medinah Country Club One of the recurring themes that we hear in our role as advisors in the private club industry is the desire for Club Presidents and Club Board Members to interact with leaders of other private clubs in a networking environment. Club Presidents have expressed the need to share ideas, think creatively, and examine best club governance practices while networking with other Board members.

Out of these conversations, The President’s Council on the Club of the Future was born as a forum for club leaders to receive insights from the club industry’s premier consultants while building lasting connections with other Presidents and Board members facing similar leadership challenges. This summit is a unique opportunity for Presidents and Board members to deepen their knowledge base of current club trends and interact with the top leaders in the private club world.

Conference Benefits Golf at the Legendary Medinah Country Club (Waiting List) Grow Your Network at the Welcome Cocktail Reception Interact with Club Leaders from Across the Country Engage with the Club Industry's Leading Advisors Gain Actionable Insight for Your Own Club

Join us for a full day of focused education to learn what the highest performing clubs are doing to stay relevant and vibrant in today's competitive market. This unique networking opportunity will leverage decades of hands-on advisory experience and in-depth analysis as the club industry's premier consultants share insights and experiences gained through their partnerships with the most successful clubs in the country.

Featured Speakers Steve Tyink Great Member Experiences

Arte Nathan Winning the War for Talent

Steve Tyink pioneered the concept of experience-based design for companies including Porsche, Bentley Motors, US Oil, Merrill Lynch, and the Mayo Clinic. He is Vice President of Business Innovation for Miron Construction Co., one of the country’s largest general contractors

Former Chief HR Officer for Wynn Resorts Arte Nathan was recognized for Professional Excellence by the Society of Human Resource Management.

He consults with clients worldwide on topics related to workplace culture and human capital management.

Educational Spotlight Best Practices of High Performance Clubs – Kurt Kuebler Club Vital Signs – Jim Butler Creating Your Own President's Council – Larry Marx Data-Driven View of Sustainable Financial Success – Ray Cronin Financial Governance Best Practices – Phil Newman Membership Growth and Retention Strategies – Steve Graves President's Panel – Tom Wallace Selling Your Club’s Story – Cory Saban/John Fornaro Why CMAA and NCA? – Jeff Morgan and Henry Wallmeyer

Register online at www.kopplinandkuebler.com/presidents

President's Council on the Club of the Future presented by KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE and Club Benchmarking

Space is Limited! Register Online at www.kopplinandkuebler.com/presidents President's Council on the Club of the Future Hosted by Medinah Country Club October 14-15, 2019 Calling All Club Presidents, General Managers and Board Members!

Join Us for a Unique Gathering Inspired by Club Leaders October 14-15, 2019 at Medinah Country Club One of the recurring themes that we hear in our role as advisors in the private club industry is the desire for Club Presidents and Club Board Members to interact with leaders of other private clubs in a networking environment. Club Presidents have expressed the need to share ideas, think creatively, and examine best club governance practices while networking with other Board members.

Out of these conversations, The President’s Council on the Club of the Future was born as a forum for club leaders to receive insights from the club industry’s premier consultants while building lasting connections with other Presidents and Board members facing similar leadership challenges. This summit is a unique opportunity for Presidents and Board members to deepen their knowledge base of current club trends and interact with the top leaders in the private club world.

Conference Benefits Golf at the Legendary Medinah Country Club (Waiting List) Grow Your Network at the Welcome Cocktail Reception Interact with Club Leaders from Across the Country Engage with the Club Industry's Leading Advisors Gain Actionable Insight for Your Own Club

Join us for a full day of focused education to learn what the highest performing clubs are doing to stay relevant and vibrant in today's competitive market. This unique networking opportunity will leverage decades of hands-on advisory experience and in-depth analysis as the club industry's premier consultants share insights and experiences gained through their partnerships with the most successful clubs in the country.

Featured Speakers Steve Tyink Great Member Experiences

Arte Nathan Winning the War for Talent

Steve Tyink pioneered the concept of experience-based design for companies including Porsche, Bentley Motors, US Oil, Merrill Lynch, and the Mayo Clinic. He is Vice President of Business Innovation for Miron Construction Co., one of the country’s largest general contractors

Former Chief HR Officer for Wynn Resorts Arte Nathan was recognized for Professional Excellence by the Society of Human Resource Management.

He consults with clients worldwide on topics related to workplace culture and human capital management.

Educational Spotlight Best Practices of High Performance Clubs – Kurt Kuebler Club Vital Signs – Jim Butler Creating Your Own President's Council – Larry Marx Data-Driven View of Sustainable Financial Success – Ray Cronin Financial Governance Best Practices – Phil Newman Membership Growth and Retention Strategies – Steve Graves President's Panel – Tom Wallace Selling Your Club’s Story – Cory Saban/John Fornaro Why CMAA and NCA? – Jeff Morgan and Henry Wallmeyer

Register online at www.kopplinandkuebler.com/presidents

DAVE WHITE Dave White is the editor of BoardRoom magazine. If you have comments on this article or suggestions for other topics, please send Dave an email to: dave@boardroommag.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Influencers and What They Mean to Us We’ve got influencers in every aspect of our lives, sometime more subtle than others, and the private club industry is no exception.

People and groups who influence our thoughts, our decisions, our actions and our purchases do have a large impact on the private club industry and in many cases they’re people who have dedicated their working live to the industry.

What do they do? That’s one of the questions 13 of the industry’s prominent influencers answer in our cover story this issue. The answers are varied and many because each influencer has become involved in the private club industry for different reasons.

The bottom line? Influencers do understand their main role is to enhance the objective of each private club and that, of course, is to provide club members with an unforgettable member experience. And they’re passionate in doing so! n n n

You may have noticed a new addition to our contributors, Nancy’s Corner, written for BoardRoom by Nancy Berkley of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Nancy, well known in golf circles, (www.nancyberkleygolf.com) is, among other activities, a member of the women’s committee of the World Golf foundation, a member and writer with the LPGA Women’s Network and author of Women Welcome Here.

Berkley is also a member of Frenchman’s Creek Beach and Country Club in Palm Beach Garden, where she serves on the marketing committee.

Her focus is often on women’s golf and in her latest contribution, writes about how clubs can “Promote Women’s Golf with a Golf Tournament.” She also suggests how clubs can use the 2019 Solheim Cup, being played near Edinburgh, Scotland, to stimulate interest and participation for women golfers at private clubs.

For this and many other ideas, stay tuned for Nancy’s Corner, in each issue of BoardRoom. n n n

Onboarding employees is obviously one of the most important steps for people joining the staff of a private club, and that’s exactly how people involved in hiring and providing an orientation to new employees feel about it.

“Onboarding Your Staff – What You Need to Know and Do” is the topic of John Fornaro’s Publisher’s Perspective in this issue. Sometimes the onboarding process doesn’t 4

BOARDROOM | JULY/AUGUST 2019

happen the way it should but there’s certainly consensus among people in the industry involved in hiring and onboarding staff that there are certainly things that must be considered. For example, new staff members need knowledge about their roles and responsibilities and a cultural indoctrination about their new club.

Unfortunately, as Whitney Reid Pennell, president of the RCS Hospitality Group explains, “Sadly, onboarding is considered ‘hire paperwork’ and a review of the employee manual.” Definitely not the way it should be.

John Fornaro’s Publisher’s Perspective offers some excellent ideas and suggestions that can help your club make the onboarding process the valuable and learning experience it should be for any new employee. n n n

We continue with the presentation of our top board presidents for 2918 and in this issue include stories about: Tim Kingston, President, Happy Hollow Club, Omaha, Nebraska; Mark Leavitt, President, The Fountaingrove Club, Sonoma County, CA; Deanna Marcum, President, Cosmos Club, Washington, DC; Michael McNamara, President, Fairmount Country Club, Chatham Township, New Jersey, and Vic Memenas, President, El Niguel Country Club, Laguna Niguel, CA. B R

BoardRoom magazine Top Private Club Presidents of the Year BoardRoom magazine annually recognizes the world’s top private club presidents, captains and chairs as Private Club Presidents of the Year, for their outstanding work, their understanding of the industry, and role and responsibilities of the club’s board of directors. We are now accepting applications for nominations for 2019. www.boardroommagazine.com/presidents.html

Publisher/CEO

Co-Founder/CEO

John G. Fornaro

John G. Fornaro

Editor/Co-Publisher

President

Dave White

Keith Jarrett

Assoc. Editor/VP Creative/Co-Publisher Heather Arias de Cordoba

Innovative Ideas Editor

Chief Analyst Frank Gore

Chief Information Officer

Meghan Thibault

Jeff Briggs

APCD Executive Director Bill Thomas

Editorial & Marketing Director Dee Kaplan

Accounting/Subscriptions Susan Giem

Executive Director Bill Thomas

Contact Information

www.DistinguishedClubs.com (949) 376-8889

Contact Information

www.BoardRoomMagazine.com www.apcd.com (949) 376-8889

Featured Columnists Rick Coyne John G. Fornaro Bonnie J. Knutson Joseph Langford

Nancy M. Levenburg David Luker Gregg Patterson Bill Schwartz

Thomas B. Wallace Dave White

Dave Doherty Kelly Gilley Angela Grande Steve Graves Steve Green Kelley Harris Rob Harris Angela Hartmann Larry Hirsh Brian D. Idle Kevin P. Lichten David Mackesey Phillip Martin Marian McGill

Bill McMahon Sr. Peter Nanula Kim Nathanson Macdonald Niven Whitney Reid Pennell Mike Phelps Ted Robinson Steve Schendel Rosie Slocum Craig J. Smith Rick Snellinger Gordon Welch Annette Whittley

Contributing Writers Matthew D. Anderson Bruce Barilla Jason Becker Nancy Berkley Bill Boothe Susan Bozeman Peter Cafaro Lisa Carroll Timothy N. Castor Ron Cichy John Cochran Frank Cordeiro Rita B. Craig Aaron Dawson

Strategic Partners and Allied Associations

BoardRoom magazine is published by APCD Inc. 1100 S. Coast Hwy. #309 Laguna Beach, California 92691 The BoardRoom magazine (USPS 022516, ISSN 15537684) is a bi-monthly trade publication. Issue 283 Periodical postage paid at Laguna Beach, Calif. and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE BOARDROOM magazine, P.O. Box 9455, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92652.

Reach The BoardRoom magazine at (949) 376-8889 ext. 1 or email sue@boardroommag.com or johnf@apcd.com or visit the website at www.BoardRoomMagazine.com.

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CONTENTS | JULY/AUGUST 2019 PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE | 10

CASE STUDY | 12

PLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS | 14

ONBOARDING YOUR STAFF WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND DO!

SO, YOU THINK YOU WANT CHANGE…

VIEWING FULL GOLF MEMBERS AS FIRSTCLASS PASSENGERS

BY JOHN G . FOR NAR O

Woodrow Wilson stated, “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” If you’ve spent more than six months in this industry you can find the humor in all of these quotes. Why? Because they relate so well to what we face in trying continually to make our clubs more relevant.

BY NANCY M. LEVENBURG

C L U B FAC TS & FI G URE S | 16

ON THE FRONTLINES | 18

BOARDROOM BASICS & BEYOND | 62

THE OFT FORGOTTEN ELEMENT OF CLUB GOVERNANCE

TURNING THE CLUB AROUND

CAPITAL PROJECT MOMENTUM CREATES A BUZZ AROUND THE CLUB

BY DAV ID LUKER

BY THOMAS B. WALLACE

Large capital construction projects bring with them myriad risks, opportunities and potential disruptions to everyday life of both the club management and the membership. As such, it’s critically important that consideration is given to the individual roles and responsibilities of each member of the project team.

Our members have true pride in their club, its traditions and accomplishments. As far as clubs go, the Country Club of Columbus was positioned to be the premier club in the region. Over the last 10 years, like others, the club has struggled with growing the membership. It was obvious that in order for the club to prosper, we needed to grow the membership.

MEMBERSHIP MUS INGS | 62

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | 84

TRIBAL MAGIC | 104

PICKIN’ THE PIX!

MAKE OR BUY?

CHASED BY DEMONS

BY BONNIE J. KNUTS ON

BY BILL SCHWARTZ

BY GREGG PATTERSON

Unless you live under a rock, you know about Instagram. But if you are not really “into” Instagram, you may not appreciate its power from a club marketing perspective. At its core, Instagram is an app that enables its users to upload (“post”) photos and videos.

These posts can then be viewed by other users who can “like” them, “repost” them, and “follow” the user. And believe me, users avidly count the likes, reposts, and followers.

Lately, I have been purchasing large cuts of meat and whole fish and breaking them down into meal-sized portions. I even purchased a band saw. But the chamber vacuum sealer is perhaps the most valuable appliance in my kitchen because of the amount of money it saves by allowing me to freeze, without any significant loss of quality, all the portions we can’t immediately consume.

You’re a wanna be general manager. You know G.M.’ing will be different than assistant managing. There’ll be demons chasing you, making life miserable, making you sweat, tremble and shout out in anger. You’ve been told there’ll be traumas aplenty, that you’ll experience wide awake “3 A.M. moments”, that you’ll wear The Crown of Thorns 24/7, that you’ll be bleeding and weeping lots, and because of all this, you’re twitched and need guidance.

Onboarding your staff at a private club is a process that requires thought and thoroughness. The proper onboarding process helps new hires adjust to the requirements of their positions so they can become productive, contributing staff members. It’s a new employee’s introduction to the organization and it needs to be done correctly and expeditiously.

BY RICK COYNE

B Y J OS EP H L A NG F O RD

How many times have you heard your full golf members lament when they want to take a cool dip in the pool after a steamy round of golf, “I couldn’t find a lounge chair in the shade at the pool to save my soul, much less a plain ol’ empty chair! Every single chair at the pool was being used by the summer social members.”

Great people and great programming create your culture, but nothing affects your brand more directly or more quickly than great capital projects either through renovation or new construction. From a fresh coat of paint to a new building, any facility enhancement can be marketed to create a ride of excitement leading to a better brand!

SECTIONS

DEPARTMENTS

COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

A SSOCI A TI ON OF P RI V A TE CL UB D I RE CTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

By Dave White

By Meghan Thibault

Who Are Influencers?

BoardRoom magazine’s Top Private Club Presidents 2018

ON THE FRONTLINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

A SSOCI A TI ON OF P RI V A TE CL UB D I RE CTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Budgeting: “Gotta Make Some Cuts”

Board Members Know Your Responsibilities And What Your 501(c)(7) Status Means

By Macdonald Niven

By Gordon Welch

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . 86

Why Private Clubs Are Targets for Cyber Attacks

G RE E N COMMI TTE E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

NANCY’S CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

By Angela Hartmann

GCSAA Funds Research Projects at Eight Universities in 2019

By Bill Boothe

Promote Women’s Golf with a Golf Tournament It’s a Solheim Cup Summer!

G OL F D I SP UTE RE SOL UTI ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Court Rules in Favor of Neighbors

By Rob Harris

By Nancy Berkley

E XE CUTI V E COMMI TTE E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

INNOVATIVE IDEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92-95

Eye on Omni Hotels and Resorts

Champions Run Houston Racquet Club Los Angeles Athletic Club Woodfield Country Club

By Kelly Gilley

By Meghan Thibault

DESIGN GUIDE

COMMITTEES

ANGELA GRANDE DESIGN . . . . . . 32-33

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

FINANCE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

By Matthew D. Anderson and Ron Cichy

By Peter Nanula

BOZEMAN CLUB & CORPORATE INTERIORS . . . . . . . . . 34-35 C2 LIMITED DESIGN ASSOCIATES . . 36-37 CASTOR DESIGN ASSOCIATES, INC. 38-39 CLUBDESIGN ASSOCIATES . . . . . . . . 40-41 HARRIS INTERIORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43 LICHTEN ARCHITECTS . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45 MCMAHON GROUP, INC. . . . . . . . . . 46-47 NANAWALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-49 STUDIO JBD AND JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE . . . . . . . . . . 50-51 CHAMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 PEACOCK + LEWIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 ROGERS MCCAGG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Respected Perspectives Lead to Collaboration

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Gated Golf Communities

By Jason Becker

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Corporate Hybrid Governance Model Supports Continuity - Part III

By Steve Green, David Mackesey and Frank Cordeiro EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Top 11 Signs Your Club May Need to Recapitalize HOUSE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Engage and Retain Staff with the Stay Interview

Revitalizing Club Dining

By Marian McGill

Membership Marketing Ideas Crowdsourced from Top Pros - Part I

By Gabriel Aluisy

By Steve Graves

Golf Locker Room Attendant Standard Operating Procedures Checklist

By Bruce Barilla

By Larry Hirsh

FOOD & BEVERAGE COMMITTEE . . . . . 72

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . 98

HOUSE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE . . . 67

By Phillip Martin

By Aaron Dawson

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . 100

FINANCE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

The Hub and Spoke Approach to Strategic Planning

Finding the Right Tool for The Job

By Lisa Carroll and Annette Whittley

Clues to Creating a Consistent Brand

By Rita B. Craig

HR COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Clubhouses – How Much Is the Right Amount?

Owners Versus Customers

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . 101

Starting from Scratch - Part V

By Ted Robinson

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . 102

Eye in The Sky

By Rosie Slocum MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . 103

GREEN COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

A Duck Tale

By Steve Schendel

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . 114

GREEN COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

By Whitney Reid Pennell

Automation A Way to Improve Labor at Our Clubs

Government Regulations for Military Golf Courses And How They Will Help Us All

By Dave Doherty

By Mike Phelps

If Not for YOU

JOHN G. FORNARO

PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE

John G. Fornaro is the publisher/CEO of BoardRoom magazine, co-founder/CEO of Distinguished Clubs and the CEO of the Association of Private Club Directors (APCD). If you have comments on this article or suggestions for other topics, please contact John Fornaro at (949) 376-8889 or via email: johnf@apcd.com

Onboarding Your Staff

What You Need to Know and Do! Onboarding your staff at a private club is a process that requires thought and thoroughness. Why? Because the proper onboarding process helps new hires adjust to the requirements of their positions so they can become productive, contributing staff members. It’s a new employee’s introduction to the organization and it needs to be done correctly and expeditiously.

However, there are times and situations where the onboarding process, for myriad reasons, is flawed.

How should the onboarding process be handled at private clubs? Well, there is consensus about basic tenets that should be considered for the onboarding process.

“The best onboarding equips employees to be successful by giving them the knowledge they need for their roles,” said Whitney Reid Pennell, president of the RCS Hospitality Group.

“This methodology lacks clarity and structure and leads to inconsistencies in service and knowledge. Clubs should create a structured onboarding process that monitors the employee along the way.”

There is a general agreement the orientation is critical for the onboarding process and it begins with the time of a hiring.

“The orientation should begin with the why, with a focus on mission, vision and core values. This should be articulated and the club’s reason for being should be explained.

There should be an overriding focus on culture setting throughout the onboarding process, so the teammate has an internal and fundamental understanding of why they work at the club, who they work for and why they love what they are doing,” added the KK&W reps.

“It is important to keep in mind that, with each new employee that is hired, the culture changes and as leaders we

A less-than-thorough onboarding process can certainly give the wrong impression of your organization and can often give the impression the organization is poorly managed and not a desirable place to work.

In other words, not investing in your onboarding process really does set the stage for an early exit.

“Good onboarding is the best opportunity to begin the retention process by validating the employee’s decision to choose the company and starts the culture indoctrination. This is a time when an employer can make a positive impact on a new hire and can immediately engage them; getting them excited for their new role. Incidentally, if done well, this is also a time when a new employee may make some immediate employee referrals as well.

“Sadly, onboarding is considered ‘new hire paperwork’ and a review of an employee manual,” Pennell suggested.

“All too often, employers use the apprentice model for onboarding in which an employee simply shadows an existing team member for a number of days,” explained representatives of Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, a private club industry search and consulting firm.

need to be intentional and clear about what the culture of the organization is and what the expectations of a new team member are in order to uphold this culture. If we do not establish this while onboarding team members, they will make it up for themselves (and it probably won’t be the culture you want).

“Onboarding starts with the very first interaction, every touch point from applying for the job through the first 90 days (and beyond) with the club. It starts with a friendly, easy-to-use application process and a welcoming, positive experience during the interview.

“Reaching out with a warm welcome before their first day will excite new employees about joining the team and provide an initial exposure to the club’s culture. It may also SEE PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE | 109

10

BOARDROOM | JULY/AUGUST 2019

RICK COYNE Rick Coyne is Managing Partner, ClubMark Partners, LLC He can be reached via email at rcoyne@clubmark.com.

CASE STUDY

So, You Think You Want Change…

Charles Kettering once said, “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.”

Woodrow Wilson stated, “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” That’s kind of interesting. I never knew either of them was in the private club industry….

Someone else, and it could have been me, said that the private club’s decision-making process is more akin to turning a super tanker than to turning a “swift” boat. If you’ve spent more than six months in this industry you can find the humor in all of these quotes. Why? Because they relate so well to what we face in trying continually to make our clubs more relevant.

Thoughts of change can emanate from different sources.

From members, these thoughts are often the by-products of personal interests related to the areas in which my personal pleasure from club membership is derived. It’s a perfectly natural and logical process for a member to undertake.

From staff, thoughts of change are generally more need related. Greens and grounds see the costs of irrigation repair exceeding the amortization of a new system and house maintenance knows that the HVAC is on its last leg.

Inquisitive and creative professional staff, those that seek the training and interactions of their professional organizations, also see change as necessary to ensure continued growth and relevance. It is “relevant” change that is often the hardest for others, not related to the private club industry, to fully comprehend.

As consumers we are fairly predictable. We want what we want, and we want it now, right? So introducing anything new, regardless of its success in countless other clubs, is often steeped in blissful resistance. “Bocce? Pickleball? Sports bar? Who are these idiots trying to change the culture of our historically-traditional club? We’ve done fine the way we have always been!”

Blissful perhaps, but the last statement is likely not all that accurate. As importantly even as it is, change can still be great. Not only do new activities create more significant member “collision” opportunities, they create vibrancy and brand significance to those that many never have been drawn to the private club experience.

12

BOARDROOM | JULY/AUGUST 2019

So, the question should be asked, why change? Some change is simply replenishment and as simply, needs to be dealt with expeditiously. Capital “improvements” have a much greater significance. They enhance the current member experience but more importantly open the doors to a greater cross-section of potential members to enjoy a full variety of amenities and activities enhancing theirs and their family’s lifestyle experiences.

Always bear in mind that clubs are successful when they grow in pace with losses, hold attrition to a minimum, engage with the members enhancing and increasing usage, and ultimately creating ambassadors of goodwill and referrals.

Convincing an entire membership group of the need to change can be the greatest challenge. Do your due diligence. Will your market support what you are trying to create? What will it do for membership growth? Retention? Increased usage? Enhanced satisfaction?

Look for case studies and results from similar club’s capital enhancements? What were they trying to do? What due diligence did they undertake? How did they present the process to their members? Where was the opposition and how did they overcome the negatives?

Remember that in today’s global society, we must recognize national and international trends. Most importantly as you consider change, remember that whatever you learn in the process, whatever you already know because of your dedication to the industry, your members do not have the same frame of reference.

They must be given multiple transparent opportunities to understand what you see, understand the pros and cons of doing something versus nothing and feel as though they have a voice in the process.

Even then, there will be dissenters that will cling to their own personal bias and do everything possible to discredit the plan, the people behind the plan and the process.

Be compassionate but disciplined in creating a verifiable communication strategy that keep a disconsolate few from the rewards to the many.

John F. Kennedy, arguably one of the greatest leaders of our time, once said, “Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” B R

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NANCY M. LEVENBURG

PLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS

Nancy Levenburg, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is the president of Edgewater Consulting and is a member of Spring Lake Country Club in Spring Lake, Michigan. For more information, contact her at: levenbun@gvsu.edu or (616) 331-7475.

Viewing Full Golf Members as First-Class Passengers “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”

William James How many times have you heard your full golf members lament when they want to take a cool dip in the pool after a steamy round of golf, “I couldn’t find a lounge chair in the shade at the pool to save my soul, much less a plain ol’ empty chair! Every single chair at the pool was being used by the summer social members.”

Sure enough, many private clubs offer summer social (or pool) memberships to boost revenues. These summertime memberships allow the public access to the pool and dining facilities... at a fraction of the price of regular members.

Summer social members typically pay annual dues of between 15 and 20 percent of what a full golf member pays, with no initiation fee, no stock investment, no dining minimum and no assessments. So, they can be attracted to country club membership like a duck to water (pardon the pun!), and with no longer-term commitment… although it’s always the hope of club leadership that they’ll decide to “upgrade” their membership as time goes on.

To make matters worse – as viewed by the full golf members who typically outspend them by eight times as much – the summer-only members are often treated as equally important by the club’s staff.

I’m not suggesting that summer social members should be treated as second-class citizens; instead, I am suggesting that private clubs should offer some type of exclusive privileges to golfing members. Something that lets them know they are special… because they are! It’s the full golf members who are typically the club’s best and most profitable members – not the summer social members.

GET RID OF FCFS

First come, first served (FCFS) means that the people who arrive earliest get served or treated before those who arrive later. So if it’s the summer social members who arrive earliest at the pool (while golf members are out playing the course), they may confiscate towels and occupy all the “prime” lounge chairs, leaving none available for high-paying golf members when they come in from their rounds…which doesn’t seem quite fair to the full paying golf members.

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And the same can unfortunately occur in the dining room if the club seats its guests in order of their arrival at the club. If there is only one table left in the dining room, why should a full golf member who arrives in the dining room one minute after the summer social member be denied a table (because it has gone to the summer social member)?

It’s somewhat akin to selling airline tickets at both firstclass and economy prices, but then allowing economy passengers to board the plane whenever they want to… and sit wherever they want, as well!

Contrary to the spin that club leaders may put on such policies, they offer zero incentive for summer social members to upgrade their memberships. Why would anyone ever want to pay more to get exactly what they’ve already gotten?

OFFER SOMETHING SPECIAL

Major airlines offer lounges in larger airports – exclusive and relaxing spaces with high quality food and beverage offerings – that offer weary travelers respite from crowded airport terminals.

In recent years, however, many of these airlines have eliminated their single-use or day passes to reduce overcrowding.

For example, Delta Air Lines no longer allows non-members to buy single use passes at any of its Sky Club lounges. Entrance to Delta Sky Clubs is only available to its American Express Platinum and Delta Reserve cardholders. So, if you want to enter a Sky Club lounge, you’ll only be able to do so if you pay the (higher) annual cardholder fee.

Shouldn’t the same be true at the private club’s pool?

Offer additional privileges (like the ability to reserve lounge chairs or umbrellas at the pool, or special seating in the dining room) to the club’s premium (i.e., full golf) members?

Maybe private clubs could take a lesson from the airlines…? B R

DAVID LUKER To assess your club’s readiness to embark upon a major capital project, feel free to visit: rsmus.com/what-we-do/services/risk-advisory/contract-compliance/construction-risk-management.html or David Luker, Director, RSM US LLP – David.Luker@rsmus.com

CLUB FACTS & FIGURES

The Oft Forgotten Element of Club Governance Managing Capital Projects

Large capital construction projects bring with them myriad risks, opportunities and potential disruptions to everyday life of both the club management and the membership.

As such, it’s critically important that consideration is given to the individual roles and responsibilities of each member of the project team, and that the numerous third-party vendors engaged by the club to execute the work are held accountable through regular monitoring. General attributes of a successful project team are as follows: Project manager: This is the “quarterback” for the project and should be a club employee with the availability and technical proficiency to lead a team through a dynamic and changing environment. The project manager should host/attend regular meetings with the third-party vendor team and is the club’s primary line of defense when it comes to third party vendor oversight and contract compliance monitoring.

A good project manager helps to keep the team on-scope and working to accomplish high level project goals. They should closely monitor the project’s budget and schedule, and also are the primary conduit between the project and club governance (committee and board). It is the project manager’s responsibility to know current project conditions and elevate any instances of potential delay or cost increase to club governance immediately.

Committee(s): Committees offer a valuable extension of the board and can provide key club stakeholders with an opportunity to dive deeper into project issues or decisions without monopolizing important board meeting time. The board should be careful to specifically define the roles and responsibilities of any committee(s) and should hold committee member’s accountable to staying within the scope of their charter.

Committees should hold regular monthly (or bi-monthly) meetings, during which they should review written reports pertaining to the project’s budget, spend, and schedule. Each meeting should be documented via a set of minutes, which should be distributed to each attendee shortly after the meeting is held.

Typically, a building committee is established to provide a layer of oversight and project monitoring that falls somewhere in-between the board and daily project management. This committee should be careful to not involve themselves in dayto-day project decision making but should endeavor to trust the 16

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design and construction management professionals the club has engaged for those services. If detailed design issues are to be addressed by a committee, those should be established under a separate charter from the primary building committee.

Accounting: Club accounting staff can play a vital role in supporting successful construction project management if compliance and accounting procedures are structured appropriately. Construction invoices and change orders include myriad compliance requirements, supporting documents and mathematical calculations.

Determining who is going to perform simple tasks like recalculating invoices, reconciling labor records and tying out lien waivers is critical to ensuring the club maintains a complete and accurate record of the project.

With more complicated contracting arrangements becoming the norm (guaranteed maximum price, design build and construction management), it is never been more important for accounting and project management to work closely at project inception to define procedures and appropriately control the club’s financial risk during the project.

Vendor(s) Delivering a successful capital project is the result of careful planning and execution by thousands of people, from hundreds of different companies and organizations. Selecting vendors with proven experience and who work well together is the cornerstone of a great project. Design, construction and project management professionals must work closely together to ensure the club’s vision for their project is realized, and it is club management’s responsibility to oversee this effort.

Setting clear expectations and holding vendors accountable to key deliverables required by their contract during early phases of the project is the most effective way to ensure a healthy balance of professionalism during execution.

Club project management should meet with each major vendor early and often to define general reporting requirements, and to set forth the appropriate invoicing and change management protocols. This is exceptionally important for the prime construction contractor’s first invoice.

Once the prime contractor is selected, a meeting should be held between the contractor and club management, the design team, and the owner’s representative (as applicable) to discuss the structure of the invoice, and what will constitute acceptable support for invoices going forward. BR

JOSEPH LANGFORD

ON THE FRONTLINES

Joseph Langford wrote this story while general manager with Country Club of Columbus, Columbus, GA. He recently moved and is now general manager of The Standard Club is in Johns Creek, just outside Atlanta. He can be reached via email: joe.langford@standardclub.org

Turning the Club Around My journey in the club business began in 2007 as a general manager with Sequoia Golf, a company that owns and operates private club, semi-private, and resort golf facilities in the United States.

Over the next seven to eight years, I accepted more roles and responsibilities. My final role was to manage a range of privately-owned distressed clubs. After three years leading a boutique full-service hotel, I re-entered private clubs as general manager/ chief operating officer at the Country Club of Columbus.

I met with the executive committee to learn about the club and the opportunity. It was my first time engaging with a governing board. Never having worked with a board of directors, I wasn’t prepared to ask the right questions.

Accepting the job was easy, understanding how to maneuver once in position became a different challenge altogether.

As I quickly found out, being nimble and making adjustments to the operation wasn’t as easy as it was in privately-owned country clubs.

high-end dining club. Rocco also shared a passion for elevating the member experience.

Our team was already fortunate to have William Smith, a 30year Georgia Hall of Fame superintendent and a new head golf professional Ryan Williams who had already elevated the staff and experience to an exceptional level.

We also began to set priorities. During a renovation project we added a veranda, including a fireplace and seating for 30, off our main dining room.

Inside we renovated our entire dining room, added 1,100 square feet to our existing fitness center and purchased all new cardio equipment including four Peloton bikes. We were improving our tennis courts and adding technology to our golf teaching center as well.

GROWING THE MEMBERSHIP With a premier golf, tennis and fitness experience supported by highly talented leaders, it was time for our next step…growing the membership. We wanted to do this simply

The help from our board president, was critical and instrumental to the success we have shared this over the last two years.

With our president’s leadership, we funded all of our improvement projects through voluntary member contributions.

Our members have true pride in their club, its traditions and accomplishments. As far as clubs go, the Country Club of Columbus was positioned to be the premier club in the region.

Over the last 10 years, like others, the club has struggled with growing the membership. It was obvious that in order for the club to prosper, we needed to grow the membership.

Membership sales were important. However, we weren’t going to grow the membership without having all of the right people in position. Two positions critical to the success in selling memberships happened to be our executive chef and our membership director positions. I reviewed the team that we had and discovered that one employee in particular exhibited all of the traits that were needed in a successful sales person.

Kasey Rice was working as a food and beverage supervisor. A lifetime Columbus native, Kasey was very well connected to the community and our membership.

Secondly, we needed a world class executive chef, thus my introduction to Chef Rocco Caggiano who had been living in Columbus for eight years working as an executive chef for a local 18

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by telling our story. Membership quickly became our single most important goal.

The help from Ed Boyd, our board president, was critical and instrumental to the success we have shared this over the last two years. Ed has always had a clear vision of what our club could become. With our president’s leadership, we funded all of our improvement projects through voluntary member contributions.

Kasey and I began focusing on her strategy for her first 12 months. As with any sales position, having a continuous pipeline of prospective members remained the key to success. Kasey worked a network of peers and members in addition to having a significant daily community presence. Being visible at events and networking daily was critical to sharing our story. Every week we focused on various businesses.

It was simple really, walk in, introduce yourself and tell the story. It was amazing to see the success from this approach. Our members are an incredible resource and unless we use them, they won’t know how they can help. B R

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WHO ARE

INFLUENCERS What Do They Do? AND

Editor’s note: There are many influencers in the private club industry but because of the limitations of space we are unable to mention many people that influence our industry every day. We thank them as well for their contributions to the private club industry.

S

imply put, an influencer is a person that influences another… they have the ability to influence potential buyers (or in the case of private clubs, members) by promoting or recommending certain services, items or actions.

“Distinguished influencers in the private club industry strive to improve a member experience at clubs. Clubs listen to these people. People who are advocators… for betterment of club members, and it’s important that we recognize their contributions,” explained John Fornaro, CEO and publisher of Boardroom magazine, and CEO of BoardRoom’s Distinguished Clubs.”

That’s because everyone that works in or is a vendor or represents an association in the private club industry, understands that the number one purpose is the happiness of the members at private clubs, because members ultimately pay for everything the clubs buy, including

their member experience. Influencers affect purchasing decisions because of their knowledge, their panache, the authority they’ve developed and their relationships with a particular audience…in this case, a niche audience in the private club industry.

Influencers are also recognized by the number of people they influence…and the impact they have while working with their audiences.

“These influencers we meet here are focused on the private club industry. They’re consistent with their message but evolve (to meet and accept change) when need be,” Fornaro added.

“In many cases, influencers are not just association leaders or corporate giants. Often they’re individuals who have dedicated their working lives to the private club industry.

PICTURED L-R: Jason Becker, CEO of Golf Life Navigators, Naples, FL; Rick Coyne, president, Club Mark Corporation; Ray Cronin, founder and chief innovator, Club Benchmarking; Rob DeMore, president, Troon Privé; Keith Jarrett, president, BoardRoom magazine’s Distinguished Clubs; Dick Kopplin, principal with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace 20

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BY DAVE WHITE, EDITOR

| COVER STORY

“They’re people like Eldon Miller, who created the Private Club Advisor, a relevant newsletter that’s been a great go-to for what’s going on in our industry and ideas.

“We have so many influencers who love our industry and truly want to help!! Remember, every one of these people who has contributed directly to this story, and the industry people I’ve “People like Don Williams with ClubTec, Linda Blair, Randy Addison, already mentioned, know something you don’t….” the late Robert Dedman, founder of ClubCorp, Jerry McCoy, Steve These are the people that wake up every day, thinking about ways to Graves, Donna Coyne, and the late John Sibbald have shown great improve the member experience. influence in the industry.

Every influencer understands that the number one purpose for their “Others include general managers who have run successful clubs, such as Gregg Patterson, general manager of the Beach Club of Santa Monica for over 30 years who now operates his own consulting firm, Tribal Magic, and semi-retired Jay DiPietro, longtime former CEO of Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, FL,“ Fornaro added.

existence is the happiness of the members at private clubs, because they ultimately pay for everything the clubs buy.

BoardRoom magazine posed three questions for some of the industry’s influencers. Here are the questions and their answers, in alphabetical order. ➤

QUESTIONS 1) What does you and/or your company do as an influencer in the private club industry?

2) How and why do you see yourself (and company) as an influencer in the private club industry?

How will this affect tomorrow’s private club and the member experience?

3) Can influencers, in their work with private clubs, help move members from ‘being satisfied’

to becoming advocates for their clubs? How?

Rick Ladendorf president, Prevo Health; Mike Phelps, principal and co-founder of Pipeline, a brand marketing agency; Whitney Reid Pennell, president of RCS Hospitality Group; Corey Saban, founder of Newstation.com; Rick Snellinger, president and CEO, Chambers; Frank Vain, president, The McMahon Group; Gordon Welch, president, Association of Private Club Directors: Boardroom Institute JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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JASON BECKER, CEO OF GOLF LIFE NAVIGATORS, NAPLES, FL

1) There are two important assets that GLN brings to the table: a) The industry’s only virtual marketplace to connect with prospective members who are seeking their ideal club membership and lifestyle, and b) a crystal ball of buying trends, data and analytics on what the future club member is saying today.

We understand and appreciate how imperative it is to not only create a pipeline of prospective members, but also to understand what the future golf member is looking for in their ideal club community.

2) Our goal in 2019 is to be one of the top influencers in the club industry for new member recruitment with the launch of our virtual marketplace.

Finally, we seek to become the premier influencer and “go-to” for boards across the country when it comes to analytics and trends needed to help with strategic planning and investing into the future of their club. A by-product of our marketplace, GLN’s data will completely transform the industry into data-driven thinking and directly affect member experience, satisfaction and loyalty.

3) We have taken a proactive approach to educate consumers on the dynamics of a private club. For instance, we have launched our podcast series called Private Clubs 101 along with writing timely editorial.

These educational opportunities not only teach consumers on how a private club operates, but it sets a level of understanding before that consumer becomes a member.

We believe this educational effort will create a higher satisfaction level and lead to increased advocacy. We believe with certainty that owners are the best advocates for any business or industry.

RICK COYNE, PRESIDENT, CLUB MARK CORPORATION

1) If you think of yourself as an influencer, I believe that you have a minimum of four obligations to the industry you serve.

First, be honest and trustworthy. Even if you are the smartest, most experienced consultant in the country, if you can’t be trusted to be honest, to do the right thing and to always look toward the long-range impact of your message, you will fail yourself and your client.

Second, be an inquisitive visionary. An influencer’s value, therefore, is based upon intuitive vision, seeing well ahead of known trends.

Third, an influencer must be passionate.

Fourth, and perhaps most important, an influencer must be a cognitive and collaborative communicator, providing research-based realities that logically evolve into comprehensible courses of action.

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2) My personal mission started 50 years ago, pioneering membership issues that were evolving for private clubs. Today, my goals have evolved into a total strategic revolution, from finding new ways of providing a consistent club experience to strategy and capital planning toward market relevancy.

As clubs begin to embrace the use of market data and due diligence, thus driving fact-based decisions, the overall success of the industry will be enhanced exponentially.

3) The private club industry is in the midst of one of the greatest electronic revolutions ever. Personally, my next influential process is identifying the system that will provide name and interest personalization, build a data base of member preferences, get problem solving feedback 24/7, drive consistently positive member experiences, promote retention and create ambassadors of each and every member of the club. We have the technology and it’s the next big innovative opportunity.

RAY CRONIN, FOUNDER AND CHIEF INNOVATOR, CLUB BENCHMARKING

1) Club Benchmarking business intelligence tools and fact-based insight foster boards and managers to make better, more strategic decisions that drive sustainable outcomes over time. The owner/members of the club enjoy a healthier club, a more compelling value proposition and clarity as to the reasons for decisions.

We introduced benchmarking to the club industry in 2009 to help clubs understand their own business and financial models and to replace opinions with facts in the boardroom. Over the last 10 years, our research has identified key performance indicators, key success factors and industry best practices that fuel the visionary, fact-based leadership necessary to achieve sustainable financial health with a focus on the future.

2) We only identify as an industry influencer because so many of our clients tell us we’ve had a significant impact on their clubs. Some examples include forward-looking capital planning based on accurate and comprehensive capital reserve studies that helped shift the mindset of members from “customers” to “owners” with a vested interest in the club’s future success.

When opinion and emotion are replaced with facts, the dialogue changes in a very positive and productive way and that has been beneficial to the clubs we serve and to the industry as a whole.

3) When members embrace their role as owners of the club versus customers, their interest in contributing to positive outcomes increases along with their willingness to advocate for their club. Fact-based financial transparency and objective, third-party insight can lay the groundwork for that critical transition. ➤

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from Cover Story | 22

ROB DEMORE, PRESIDENT, TROON PRIVÉ

1) Our team’s approach is really a continuum of communication with our clients, members and teams that begins with us primarily listening first. We look to listen first, think second and speak last. Defining success for individuals and clubs is part of our role. Our role is to influence driven by the currencies of thoughtfulness and kindness.

2) We are grateful for the vantage point we have in the industry. The size of Troon and continued growth of our company has meant so many of our club leaders have their work influenced by having multiple leadership experiences around the world. Our leaders solve different challenges, are fluent in multiple business disciplines with the support of our corporate teams. Our company helps influence the industry by championing our clubs and their leaders to be kinder and more insightful 3) The one job each person in this industry has is to simply enrich the lives of the stakeholders by whatever means they can. The more willing any person is to make others happier at the club, the greater their influence. And the more willing the person is to give of themselves for the sake of others, the greater the chances to create advocacy.

KEITH JARRETT, PRESIDENT, BOARDROOM MAGAZINE’S DISTINGUISHED CLUBS

1) For fine private clubs that operate at the highest standards, BoardRoom magazine’s Distinguished Clubs award program uses a club-specific rating system that recognizes the club, its management and its staff based on a proprietary criteria and evaluation process that distills and measures a club’s member experience.

Distinguished Clubs rating system is different from any that has come before, and with it, the private club industry now has the means to identify the top private clubs based on the most important aspect: Member experience.

The next steps include a very important in-person site visit similar to those conducted by Michelin Guide, AAA Diamond Ratings and the Forbes Travel Guide. But unlike these comparative programs, our site visit is not an inspection, nor a mere evaluation of the staff or of management’s effectiveness. Instead, it is part of a thorough process that effectively measures your club’s member experience, based on our proprietary formula: Member experience equals • Intangible quality plus • Service quality plus • Governance quality plus • Facility quality plus • Product quality 24

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Recognition for clubs and club management - Not only are private clubs awarded, Distinguished Clubs also recognizes club department leaders for their contributions towards this achievement.

2) We’ve been told by mangers, department heads and board members that the Distinguished Clubs award program has helped their club in multiple ways.

• Recognizing and awarding staff • Sharing of ideas that help create a great member experience • Member pride and recruitment • Staff pride and recruitment, and • Strive for excellence 3) We’ve seen net promoter scores of members being asked, “How likely are you to recommend membership to a friend colleague or family member?” increase with the increase of member experience from the club. There is definitely a direct correlation between members being promoters of their club when their member experience index scores go up.

We know this from the clubs who are using ClubIQ, a member experience survey-polling system that collects, distills and measures member experience directly from members.

DICK KOPPLIN, PRINCIPAL WITH KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE

1) We believe that Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace influences the club industry in multiple ways. Collectively the three partners have spent over 100 years in the private club world. It is not only our business, but it is also very personal to us. This is not only our job it is our passion!

Our impact or influence in private clubs is most easily measured by the quality of talent that we are able to recruit, whether at the general manager level or any of the other club key department positions. Our efforts to elevate the benchmarks for executive club leadership has benefited not only individual clubs but also the entire private club industry.

2) We have focused on educating club board members on the best governance practices for private clubs.

Our efforts have also been on educating club general managers and industry professionals on how to be the leaders for the clubs of the future. As the key thought partners in their respective clubs, general managers will dramatically affect the member experience at every level in the club. Our goal is to continue to educate and develop future leaders.

3) We emphasize that the typical club member needs to be a “raving fan” and the biggest advocate for their club.

The competitive advantage for “clubs of the future” will always remain in their “member advocates.”

➤

YOur Journey Employers of PGA Professionals are able to take advantage of the skills and resources they bring to the job, including: • A minimum of four years of education and training from an award-winning PGA curriculum with annual certification programming to keep current on the latest industry trends • A network of 29,000 peers and support from PGA of America Headquarters, bringing programing, pricing, and best practices to their facilities • Being proven players and coaches, who bring a unique passion for growing the game and driving revenue

Our career Wherever your golf journey is headed, let’s get you there.

PGA.COM/JOURNEYS © 2019 PGA of America. All rights reserved.

from Cover Story | 24

RICK LADENDORF AND CRAIG MARSHALL, PREVO HEALTH

1) PREVO is offering a unique opportunity for club leaders and influencers to take themselves and their clubs into a new era of sustainability. The three primary qualities for career success are: Knowledge, skills and attitude. A good leader knows that attitude constitutes 85 percent of it.

PREVO has begun to certify “Mindful Professionals” and “Mindful Leaders”, to educate general managers, and other staff members who are looking for education and coaching in ways not taught in school or associations.

2) Our “Mindful Professional” and “Mindful Leader” certification programs feature onsite and online education. The training is designed to address what really matters in club culture – stress reduction, work/life balance, greater creativity and collaboration, and identifying and empowering the leaders and influencers of tomorrow.

3) PREVO offers member lectures on many “mindful” topics, which have been well received. These are often people who are interested in such topics as: anti-aging, personal development, health and beauty, parenting issues, etc.

These groups represent opportunities for the club as they are not typically power users of golf, tennis or fitness.

MIKE PHELPS, PRINCIPAL AND CO-FOUNDER OF PIPELINE, A BRAND MARKETING AGENCY

1) For the past 11 years, Pipeline has been on a journey to create a new kind of agency model for private clubs and communities – with the power to engineer transformative experiences using the power of brand thinking and creative storytelling.

Pipeline is shaped by outstanding clients, all with a unique story to tell. But yet most struggle to do so. That’s where we come in.

By combining fundamental brand strategy with modern marketing and proven storytelling techniques, we’re helping clubs and communities of all types grow their membership and thrive over the long term...without the need for short-sighted tactics that erode brand equity.

We use a collaborative discovery process that helps align strategy and clarify a club’s brand story, through creative, data-driven marketing communications that reach their desired audience and gets them to listen and engage.

2) We’ve grown up in private clubs, with roots in operations and strategy, so we know the nuances that take a long time to understand, and we’re committed to staying out in front of the industry from a branding and marketing perspective, even at the risk of being deemed perceived as “early” or “disruptive.”

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For example, back in 2009, we introduced the first CRM software to the private club industry – built specifically for membership and events – at least five years before the rest of the industry.

3) Yes, we’ve seen some impressive results from taking new and long-term members through an internal brand-building process. This is done through identifying and clarifying the club’s story and involving members (and staff) in the process, then sharing their story in a way that can be rallied around internal efforts, and easily conveyed to a member’s circle of friends outside the club.

For new members, the opportunity is even more pronounced. Immerse them in the experience and provide them the opportunity, through their new member onboarding journey, to allow friends to participate and they will naturally advocate for their clubs without even knowing it.

WHITNEY REID PENNELL, PRESIDENT OF RCS HOSPITALITY GROUP

1) I discovered I had a knack for being able to take a vision and bring the idea to life through operational consulting, process development, communicating standards and training for success. RCS has evolved into a full-service consulting and training resource to the club and hospitality industry. We strive to continuously prepare clubs for the next generation of members, managers and employees by sharing relevant data and statistics that drive our market.

We help clubs solve their greatest pain points using innovative solutions. We study census data, lifestyle and work-life trends and economics in all relevant industries to remain ‘ahead of the curve.’ We were encouraging clubs to move toward casual dining nearly 20 years ago, fast-casual dining about 12 years ago and embrace health, wellness and technology trends we were seeing in other industries.

We feel our most urgent cause is to help busy managers and board members provide relevance to their members and offer innovative employee recruiting, training and retention strategies.

3) RCS and I, personally, have always been known to offer a ‘fresh perspective’ on the industry. We have built trust by being honest and are not afraid to challenge the status quo.

I grew up in a family business, learning the very basics of customer service, positive communication, managing expectations, financial management, and the need to continuously evolve with customer needs or lose relevance. This value of continuously improving is now one of the RCS company values as well – continuous improvement (self, team, processes).

It has been my mission for nearly three decades to help managers and employees understand the service nuances in a private club by really understanding who their audience is and the business they are in – happiness. ➤

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I’m passionate about teaching young managers (or those new to clubs) so that they understand how the finances differ from any other industry and how to study member/ guest behavior, lifestyle and workstyle to stay ahead of their needs. To me, anticipation of needs (and then exceeding them) is the key to hospitality service.

As technology has changed everything around us, we as an industry must also change to serve the needs of existing, potential and future members. Decisions clubs make today will affect them for five to 10 years down the road, so they must be informed and forward-thinking.

In order to move a member from being ‘satisfied’ to ‘advocates’, a holistic approach to truly caring for the member must be palpable throughout the club – top to bottom – from the board of directors to the dishwasher. It’s not possible to move a member into the advocate category if the service culture is different between departments or inconsistent from one person to the next.

3) Having a strong service culture, motivating work environment and consistent standards requires a 100 percent total club commitment to enriching and enhancing members’ lives. This commitment must touch all aspects of the club, because it is all part of the member experience in some way, shape or form.

COREY SABAN, FOUNDER OF NEWSTATION.COM

1) At Newstation.com we help clubs communicate more effectively with members and prospects through affordable short-form videos. Clubs send us their flyer and we turn that into a 60-second video hosted by a professional spokesperson delivering their message. They use the videos on their website and social media and in email because videos get more engagement than text and are easily consumed on mobile devices.

2) We help clubs understand the power of video. Most clubs think they just need the “why us” video on their home page. We help them realize that videos get higher open rates in email and 135 percent more engagement on Facebook than text.

3) Yes, I believe they can. Communication is everything, effective leadership is built around communication. Bring out the “why” in the members, get them engaged and they will feel that they’re part of something.

RICK SNELLINGER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHAMBERS

1) Chambers strives to be a thought leader in the industry, consistently staying ahead of trends and looking to bring new elements that can enhance the private club lifestyle. As a team, we develop innovative solutions through 28

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planning, architecture and interior design that help infuse an elevated member experience into every aspect of a club’s physical space. We aim to be a resource for the private club industry, and even produce a publication called Club Road that offers insights on all aspects of private clubs – not just planning and design.

2) Chambers takes a holistic approach to planning and design that responds to the changing dynamics of member lifestyles. Our emphasis on “lifestyle design” helps create a ‘home away from home’ for members with adaptable spaces that offer flexibility and spontaneity, thus making it ‘easier’ for members to use their club more often.

We also strive to incorporate contemporary elements that members experience in their daily lives and travels to elevate the private club experience while at the same time remaining respectful of the history and traditions of the past. This can be infused into every detail of a space – no matter how large or small.

3) The best ambassadors of a private club are the members themselves. We aim to create spaces where members want to spend their time and are proud enough to share their experiences with their friends and encourage them to become members as well. We do this by listening to what members needs and designing spaces to fit those needs.

Not every amenity or design trend is appropriate for every club, and it is only by listening to member needs that we are able to focus first on function and then create beautiful spaces that fit the function that members desire.

FRANK VAIN, PRESIDENT, THE MCMAHON GROUP

1) McMahon Group identifies what current and prospective members want in a club. This allows the club to clarify its strategy and build member consensus for improving their programs and facilities, so they increase member satisfaction and engagement and offer a relevant experience that attracts new members. We invest significant time and resources researching the external market and identifying the key issues that are likely to impact clubs and memberships in the future.

Another influential tool we have is the data produced from our comprehensive member surveys. This internal analysis identifies the relative importance of the various club offerings, benchmarks the member’s satisfaction level against peers and identifies the top priority improvements a club could make to their programs and facilities to increase satisfaction and attract the next generation.

We help leaders understand the internal and external issues that are impacting their club and prepare strategic and facility roadmaps to address the ever-developing needs of evolving memberships.

➤

ConcertGolf

Partners

club is now debt-free, all of our ‘wish list’ capital “Our projects are being completed and we will never again have assessments. Members don’t want to be managers; they just want to enjoy the club. Frankly, this is the best thing that could have happened for our club.

”

- Joe Donato, Country Club at Woodmore, Washington, D.C.

Preserve. Enhance. Thrive.

Learn more at www.concertgolfpartners.com

from Cover Story | 28

We also shape opinion and develop new leaders through our publications and educational sessions. Finally, we give back to the industry by calling attention to the impact great managers have on clubs through our Excellence in Club Management Awards program.

2) We are an influencer because we have objective data, a wealth of experience and a planning process that leads to action. We identify what current and future consumers (members) are likely to want from their private club experience and take club leaders and members through a process where they achieve clarity of vision and reach consensus on the need for improvement and change.

At the board and executive level, we publish and speak on key trends and provide analytical case studies to show them what is happening in their world and motivate them to take actions to better their club.

Our work at the individual club level produces action plans that improve many aspects of a club’s programs and activities. Most importantly, our process generates emotional and financial support to reinvest in club’s facilities.

3) Absolutely, and it’s important! Research, by McMahon Group and others, has shown the benefits of moving members up the “satisfaction ladder.” Highly satisfied members use their club more frequently than those who are less satisfied, and they are much more likely to invite friends and family to join. Our survey process gives voice to existing members, who all too often feel that the leadership is not listening to them.

Our process of interviewing and surveying members involves them in important club decisions. The results paint a clear picture about the positive and negative aspects of the current experience.

Most new members join a club because they know an existing member, and they had an experience - often as a guest – that stirs their interest in becoming a member.

There is proof in the numbers. Our planning clients report, on average, a 10 percent growth in membership and 25 percent increase in usage one year after implementing our recommended improvement plan.

GORDON WELCH, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE CLUB DIRECTORS: BOARDROOM INSTITUTE

1) BoardRoom Institute inspires and supports excellence in board governance among board members, staff and leadership.

APCD believes that effective board leadership and governance requires an ongoing commitment to board development and to a healthy board/staff relationship. We work to effect positive change with club boards and their committees.

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It sounds basic, but one of the fundamental challenges for many board members is that they don’t have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This lack of understanding of what is – and is not – a part of the board’s essential roles can lead to a whole host of dysfunctions, including micromanagement, rogue decision-making and lack of engagement.

Since it’s impossible to do a job well if you don’t know what the job is, all boards must take the time to ensure that every board member fully understands what’s expected and needed of them, and then hold all members accountable when they get off track. It’s actually very simple, BoardRoom Institute provides less stress and more success for any private club 2) BoardRoom Institute provides boards with the tools they need to do their job correctly. It also provides a collaborative governance structure that is required in any successful club. It starts with an understanding of the fundamental duties of each individual board member.

Duty of Care — Each board member has a legal responsibility to participate actively in making decisions on behalf of the organization and to exercise his or her best judgment while doing so.

Duty of Loyalty — Each board member must put the interests of the organization before their personal and professional interests when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity. The club’s needs come first.

Duty of Obedience — Board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that the club complies with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission.

That’s just the starting point, because boards have responsibilities that go far beyond these three basic duties.

BoardRoom Institute is committed to the way boards and committees work, improving the board experience thus improving the member experience!

3) Happy members influence friends and business associates suggesting they consider joining the club. They also entertain more because they are proud of their club.

Individuals want to know the club is being run well by a staff and board that understand their fiduciary responsibilities. While governance is in the background of operations, it is where everything begins and ends. Members that are sure of the future have more confidence in the club and its leadership. B R

Real World Challenges.

Proven Solutions.

As a division of TroonÂŽ, True Club Solutions (TCS) is the only advisory services firm that draws upon decades of experience, currently serving 460+ clubs around the globe.

As an alternative to Troon’s professional management solutions, TCS engagements benefit our clients by tapping into the depth and breadth of expertise from our 15,000+ corporate and field associates to focus on Club specific, shorter term challenges and opportunities.

W W W.T R U E C L U B S O L U T I O N S . C O M | 8 8 8 . 8 2 7. 9 7 7 5

Angela Grande Design | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Angela Grande

Preserving a Tradition in a Celebrated Yacht Club THE PROJECT: ANNAPOLIS YACHT CLUB, ANNAPOLIS MARYLAND

T

hree years ago, we welcomed the assignment to work on one of the “premier” yacht clubs in the world - The Annapolis Yacht Club, rich in history and culture located in the capital of Maryland and the home of The United States Naval Academy. In partnership with the renowned firm Hart Howerton, our team addressed the main clubhouse after it was destroyed by a fire in 2015 and two new buildings, a sailing and family center incorporating a pool, fitness center, casual restaurant and classrooms for the sailing school. Our first objective was to restore the main club to its former glory. The club known worldwide and initially built as a canoe shed on oysters shells in the1880s, now hosts sailing championships, regattas and international races.

APPROACH AND PROCESS

We worked closely with the committee headed up by its commodore and general manager. We knew that this would be a “hands on” project and that the club would be very earnest in preserving tradition along with their appreciation for a new look.

Some of their requirements included: 1. Identifying the program.

2. Understanding the club’s culture and how the spaces should reflect the boating life of its members.

3. Creating a fresh and relevant look along with incorporating important items that contribute to the club’s signature.

4. Accommodating the largest number of members in all very active dining facilities in keeping with function and comfort.

The building sits on Spa Creek and has spectacular views of the surrounding water. This creates an intimate setting from all dining areas, so it was important not to cover the floor to ceiling windows that encompass all three stories of the building. Concealed solar shades at all windows are available when needed. To assure noise control, acoustical ceilings on all levels, with either wrapped fabric panels or open wood slatted ceilings with an acoustical element, add a customized and aesthetic element to the rooms.

Three distinct social environments were created: 1st deck – Skip Jack: This area serves as an event space set up banquet style accommodating parties up to 250 with the most intimate connection to Spa Creek and the elaborate view of docked boats. A Skip Jack boat sits in the room as the service bar, adding a unique element to the room.

2nd Deck – Casual Dining with Bar and Sushi Station: The largest and more casual setting for members’ dining accommodates 100 seats plus 40 at the bar, which opens up to an outside dining deck seating 130.

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3rd Deck – Formal Dining Rooms and Intimate Bar: This uppermost level hosts the club’s most formal areas including two dining rooms and an intimate bar. The areas on this level have a private yacht feeling overlooking the water. Elements of teak and holly flooring in the bar mimic interior finishes of a ship along with metal strapping details.

INTERIOR STYLE AND FURNISHINGS

The Annapolis Yacht Club clearly feels and looks like a yacht club as it should, however the new interiors feature what is making clubs more inviting and attractive to all members today.

Axminster carpet, in colors of traditional navy, white and greys, with patterns that hint subtleties of nautical motifs give individual character to all rooms. All furnishings, individually designed, were fabricated specifically for each dining facility. Rooms wrapped in paneling create a boutique feeling and the most sophisticated upper floor is lit with more modern crystal chandeliers. All floors, connected by an open stair, have continuity and their own presence.

The club, because of the fire, took a great loss of trophies and memorabilia. However, preserved items have been carefully placed. We worked closely with the club’s historical committee to install the members’ personal half models while accommodating ship models and artwork throughout the building. These embellishments added the “finishing touches.”

Since reopening, the newly-renovated club has more than met the expectations of members and guests. It’s truly a meaningful project and with the opening of the additional two buildings, the entire project is on target to be a success. B R Angela Grande Design is a full-service interior design firm located in New York City.

Angela Grande can be reached at: (917) 873-2425. agrande@agrandedesign.com | www.agrandedesign.com

Angela Grande Design AGRANDEDESIGN.COM

(917) 873-2425 agrande @agrandedesign.com

Interior Design . Architectural Collaboration . Custom Designed FF&E . Procurement

GLEN HEAD COUNTRY CLUB, NEW YORK

3rd Place Winner - Golf Inc.'s "Renovation of the Year"

Bozeman Club & Corporate Interiors | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Susan Bozeman

Ladies First

THE ATLANTA ATHLETIC CLUB

T

he Atlanta Athletic Club is a highly respected, full amenity country club with 1,900 very active members. The AAC is known nationally and internationally for its facilities and legacy of hosting many of golf’s major championships.

Located in an area of Atlanta dense with private clubs, the management team is acutely aware of its competition and the need to keep their facilities current, if not a step or two ahead. As a result, the club has begun a comprehensive refurbishment of the clubhouse.

The refurbishment includes: the main entry hall, numerous private dining and meeting rooms, the bar/lounge, casual dining rooms, banquet wing and the men’s and ladies’ locker areas. Because of the scope of work and areas involved, the work must be completed in phases.

Many clubs considering this type of large-scale refurbishment will select a revenue producing room for their first project to help offset future costs. In this case, AAC already knows that each of the phases will occur in succession with virtually no interruption between phases until the entire clubhouse is completed. With that in mind, the club decided the ladies lounge and locker area was the most in need of help and therefore would be the first phase.

In order to provide a facility that would accommodate the ladies’ needs for years to come, the existing suite was reconfigured and expanded into an under-utilized area of the clubhouse. The designers worked closely with club management to specify all new finishes, ceilings, lighting, lockers, vanities, plumbing fixtures and furnishings. A new trophy case, designed into the entry, showcases the ladies’ golf history at the club.

Bozeman Club & Corporate Interiors began design work in late October 2018 for this 5,000 square foot project. The furnishings were installed in late April of this year, for a total project duration of six months. B R

LADIES CARD ROOM BEFORE

Bozeman Club & Corporate Interiors is a full service interior design firm located in Atlanta, Georgia.

For further information please contact Susan Bozeman at 404-237-7745 or via email: susanb@sbbdesigns.com

LADIES CARD ROOM AFTER

LADIES LOCKER ROOM AFTER 34

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BEFORE STAIRWAY AFTER

C2 Limited Design Associates | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Craig J. Smith

The Best in Club Trends - Bar None!

CREATING SUCCESSFUL CASUAL DINING, SOCIAL BAR AND LOUNGE VENUES

A

s a clubhouse designer, I always enjoy sharing our substantive new approaches to clubhouse enhancements that improve the overall member experience, create a new or enhanced revenue opportunity and streamline operational efficiencies. Over the past several years, many of the club inquires that we have received have revolved around creating new casual dining venues with a social bar and lounge component. Rather than discussing the ubiquitous décor, color and furniture trends for casual dining and social bar venues, I will cut to the chase and give you our tried and true touch points to jumpstart your planning process.

FIVE KEY OFFERINGS THAT MAKE CASUAL DINING VENUES AND SOCIAL BARS POPULAR:

1. Drop by the club and have a drink 2. Eat at the bar 3. Drop by to watch a sporting event 4. Pre/post-dinner drinks and socialization 5. Enhanced décor and all-day menu offerings.

FOUR ESSENTIAL TOUCH POINTS THAT WILL KEEP MEMBERS COMING BACK TO THE CLUB:

1. Create spaces that appeal to the broad dynamic of your membership demographic 2. Create spaces that are focused on comfort, enticing members to “linger longer” 3. Create spaces that have a fun energy 4. Create spaces that offer varied dining and social experiences in one venue.

THREE ESSENTIAL STEPS TO ENSURE YOUR NEW CASUAL DINING VENUE AND SOCIAL BAR BECOMES THE WELCOMED GATHERING PLACE YOU HAVE ENVISIONED FOR YOUR CLUB:

1. Only consider design solutions that will make your club special or unique by clarifying and confirming the club’s personality, story and DNA 2. Only create spatial changes that will maximize use, maximize the return on investment and create a return on “experience” 3. Only introduce design and furnishing solutions that contextually “fit” your clubhouse’s unique architectural features, current/future needs, membership demographic and intended takeaway.

The single most important takeaway I can give you, no matter what club improvement you may be considering. To identify your core identity as a club and how you want to be distinguishable from other clubs and local restaurants that compete for your members desire to dine, socialize and ultimately spend money. Doing so will ensure each and every clubhouse enhancement will keep you ahead of the competition and relevant to the needs and expectations of today’s ever-changing membership demographic. B R C2 Limited Design Associates is an award-winning clubhouse design firm specializing in clubhouse conceptual planning, décor master plans, design implementation and turn key furniture purchasing, warehousing and installation.

Between 2013 and 2018, C2 Limited Design Associates has been awarded nine BoardRoom Magazine Excellence in Achievement Awards. Craig J. Smith ASID, IIDA, NCIDQ, can be contacted via email csmith@c2limited.com or telephone (203) 259 2555, ext. 312 36

BOARDROOM | JULY/AUGUST 2019

TESTIMONIAL PHASE 1

Since reopening post-renovation, the Semloh Room is now the clubhouse’s most popular dining and social venue. Usage and enjoyment of the new space by members and their guests is consistently steady Tuesday through Sunday. In addition to dining covers, the club has seen an uptick in members “dropping in for a drink” before and after dinner, even when not dining at the club.

PHASE 2

Creating outdoor congregational spaces, especially when you can capture the shoulder seasons, is a winning solution. Our members will benefit and enjoy our new space well beyond the golf season. C2 Limited Design has delivered comfort and sophistication, yet again.

Guy D’Ambrosio, General Manager/COO The Stanwich Club, Greenwich, CT

li fe st y l e m as ter p l an ni ng • clubho use de sign + de tailing • f ur n ish ing s

transforming clubhouses across the usa...

after

orchard lake country club interior design firm of the year

architectural designer of the year

before

before

BoardRoom Magazine Excellence in Achievement Award Winner

contact: Craig J. Smith csmith@c2limited.com

Christina H. Romann cromann@c2limited.com

Tel: 203.259.2555 www.c2limited.com

Castor Design Associates, Inc. | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Timothy N. Castor

Image Make-Over Revives Coachella Valley Desert Club

T

he tenacity of one determined club manager and board of directors, including a small design committee, together with an experienced club designer made magic happen and turned a clubhouse into a huge success story!

Todd Meginness, GM / CCM, Chaparral Country Club in Palm Desert, CA, in conjunction with the board of directors spearheaded a plan to renovate the clubhouse. They brought in Castor Design Associates, Inc., specialist in clubhouse design and interior design and architecture.

Using a team approach Castor Design, working with Meginness, the design committee and the board of directors, developed a budget and a club interior.” In addition, Todd selected a group of members who participated in the design development process.

“If I were to make to make one recommendation for a successful club renovation program, it would be to work with a small group of decision-makers,” said Meginness. He also suggested allowing the designer to be creative and not weighted down with second-guessing members who worried about accommodating everyone within the club.

The general manager’s goal was to develop a program within a manageable budget and without having to assess members.

Todd knew he needed to bring in a designer that could revive the club’s image and bring a sense of pride to the existing and future membership. In addition to the image makeover, Castor Design brought various sources to the project to renovate the club at a huge savings to the members.

Castor was tasked with transforming the lobby, bar lounge, mixed grill, main dining, library and pro shop.

“By one-sourcing and coordinating the trades through Castor, we delivered on a project with smooth transition and holding the construction timeline,” commented Meginness. In staging the installation, Castor Design controlled the tempo on the furniture and finishes in order to assure an on-time and on-budget delivery.

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“This is important when you have a deadline for a grand opening that members are looking forward to attending. There is no wiggle room,” Meginness added.

Castor, in handling the transformation, created a master color system, reflecting the members’ image, which included custom carpets and light fixtures. “With a strong club manager and a willing board, we were able to exercise our expertise in developing a handsome project,” said Tim Castor.

Castor’s recipe for a successful design process and clubhouse renovation, included delivering a successful project on budget and with huge membership satisfaction. In addition, Chaparral has experienced the following success stories including: • An increase in golf memberships (sold a record 40-plus immediately) • Developed a new staff culture with a goal of producing “the best year ever!”

• Tripled banquet business to an all-time high • Experienced the best rounds of golf produced, which will be a 10-year high • Produced record home sales within the development, indicating their best year ever • Lowered the average age of the club member, trending from 71 years down to 65 years • Introduced a new logo and launched a new website, and • Last, brought a new sense of pride and prestige within this desert community.

For years people said it could not be done, but Chaparral Country Club achieved its goal; and without assessing the club’s members. B R Tim Castor is principal, Castor Design Associates, Inc. He can be reached at (303) 346-0062 or via email: timc@cdainterior.com.

ClubDesign Associates | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by John Cochran

The Increasing Need For Long Range Planning

T

he further the economy moves away from the terrible year of 2008 the better! The club business, as we all know; is a dues business. With several Americans getting hit hard by the 2008 economy the luxuries had to be put on hold and/or discarded.

WOW, what a difference 10 years has made to the club business.

Country clubs, during these 10 years; have been sold and foreclosed to actually being bulldozed, redeveloped and repurposed. We find ourselves, and the industry coming out of a recession and moving our balance sheets finally into the black.

With that said, NOW is the time to develop long range planning committees and start catering to the members and returning members that stuck it out during this stagnant time of stalled capital projects. A long range planning committee should consist of members that truly care about the future of the club. Not two, three four or five-plus years down the road, but second, third and possibly fourth generations of members.

The member that I like to refer to as the 10Percenters is the type of member you do not want on any long range planning committee. This member usually has an agenda, a member who only cares about their tenure on any committee and one that truly doesn’t have the best intentions of having a healthy club (attrition) after they’re long gone. The reason I refer to this type of member as a 10Percenter is because on average, every club no matter if you’re a mid-level club or in the USGA List of Top 50 Clubs in the US, you have this type of member. And if you say you don’t have 10Percenters at your club…Then it’s you!

The LRPC, should consist of no more then eight members, so the process doesn’t get bogged down with too many opinions. The members

The Club at Carlton Woods: Long Range Planning / Phase I./ Cocktail Lounge Renovation and Adjacent Fire Pit Lounge 40

BOARDROOM | JULY/AUGUST 2019

selected should have backgrounds in business; have some type of fashion sense and understand construction. Also, the committee members should be selected from all categories of the club….golf, tennis, social etc. If you follow these guidelines, you will have great success.

The last two additions to the committee should always be the general manager and membership director; these two staff members keep an eye on trends and what the competition is developing at their clubs.

The final item to note is the chairperson of the LRPC should have a co-chairperson, who will in turn become the next chairperson. This will keep the ideas, goals and final decisions of the committee moving forward towards final implementation of the long-range plan.

During the long range planning process, you should always keep the entire membership aware of your plans. Also, have marketing material on hand (renderings / sample boards / as builts / newly designed plans) of the upcoming projects that will be implemented. These items will keep your membership director happy while they are developing their membership program and bringing new members into the club. BR John R. Cochran founded ClubDesign Associates, a Forth Worth, TX firm, in 1992 and has been involved in 250+ renovations of country clubs during his career. John is a board member at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, TX. He has served on their long range planning committee and will be serving as chairman of the building committee in 2018. For more information please call (817) 810-0333 or visit www.clubdesignassociates.com.

Fiddlesticks Country Club: Rendering (top) and Final Project - Long Range Pool / Pool Cocktail Lounge / Halfway House & Coffee Bar Project

Fort Worth | Palm Desert | scottsDale | Beverly hills cluBDesignassociates . com | 866-484-9853

Rockport Country Club, Rockport, Texas

Recently named “Clubhouse Design Firm of the Year 2018�

by Boardroom Magazine.

T w o A w A r d -w i n n i n g F i r m s . . .o n e A m A z i n g T e A m . m aster P lanning | a rchitecture | i nterior D esign | c onsulting Terravita Golf & Country Club, Scottsdale, Arizona

scottsDale | Beverly hills | Fort Worth | Palm Desert | 888-217-1117

Phxarch . com

Harris Interiors | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Kelley Harris

The Growing Wellness Trend A WELL-EXECUTED, GAME CHANGING PROJECT!

D

unwoody Country Club in Atlanta, Georgia, charged the design team of Harris Interiors & Power Architects after the membership rated wellness as the next priority in improving the overall member experience. Their existing facilities were inadequate, and as a result, fitness classes were being held in meeting rooms and personal training was spilling into the hallways.

The design team studied the existing footprint and structure, but the space was simply too small.

Furthermore, it was decided any new improvements/ expansion to the facility would afford future boards the flexibility to make additional enhancements based on their needs at that time.

In order to gain support and momentum, the club hosted focus group presentations to review plans, budget and financing for the project. Special meetings were also hosted with past presidents, board members, and all involved committees. The club held an open membership meeting and ballot solicitation, and the project passed with a 76 percent approval!

The renovated spaces of the existing wellness center transformed into a member’s entry and hall, a multi-purpose room, a quiet group exercise room, and two dedicated massage rooms. The men’s locker and lounge remained in their current locations but received upgraded finishes and furniture.

The new construction on the main level includes a beautiful wellness entrance, golf bag-drop, fitness check-in desk, trainers’ offices, a small group exercise room and a large, open workout space that overlooks the golf course with expansive views on three sides.

The new construction on the golf level includes a member’s hallway connecting the entrance foyer to the golf pro shop and cart staging areas. It also includes a large group exercise room, and new member restrooms. Bag storage and more efficient cart storage were added, and their old spaces were repurposed into a golf simulator room and a youth golf room. The lowest level features a new turn snack bar, turn restrooms, additional cart storage and the club’s maintenance facilities.

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The project was completed on schedule and in budget. Usage was up 82 percent in the first quarter, as compared to the previous year.

“The facility has received overwhelmingly positive feedback and the new areas continue to impress and create a wow factor for all,” said Jon Knobbe, the club’s general manager. BR Harris Interiors is a full-service clubhouse interior design firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. Please visit our website for additional information www.hintatlanta.com, or contact Kelley Harris, Principal Interior Designer, (404) 492-5997, kelley@hintatlanta.com.

LICHTEN ARCHITECTS | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Kevin P. Lichten

Are Exclusivity and Belonging Bad Words?

T

he other night at my club a friend was telling me about a recent trip to Dumbo, one of the newest, hippest neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

As a fellow architect, he had visited an apartment tower nearing completion. In addition to marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling glass, the amenities included a large fitness center, a party room, conference rooms, a private dining room and restaurant, and a 24/7 communal workspace.

In fact, even though the residents can come down the elevators and work in their slippers, there’s a separate commercial entrance to the workspace. Your potential investor can come to hear your pitch without ever being aware that they are visiting your home.

My friend was amazed. He exclaimed, “Why, it’s really just like a club!” His tour guide replied, “Yes, just like a club.”

This got me thinking about whether the definition of a club has come unraveled. Furthermore, what does “belonging” even mean anymore?

A decade ago, the definition of “belonging” would have included the word “exclusive.” I’d wager that at many clubs today “exclusive” may even be a banished word. Can you feel a sense of “belonging” without the negative connotations of “exclusivity?”

For clubs, especially city or university clubs, their youngest members are rolling off campuses where “exclusivity” and “divisiveness” are things of the past. Millennials don’t see race, gender, or religion in the same way as their grandparents may have. They may not even notice race at all. They want no part of any group that wouldn’t appear to welcome them or their friends enthusiastically.

What sense of “belonging” do clubs offer a young member that this Brooklyn apartment tower can’t? What does that tower tell us about what Millennials are looking for? What have developers learned that we in clubland may have overlooked?

I think the answer lies in the difference between “exclusivity” and “belonging.” But first we all need to recognize that “club” means something different to our oldest and youngest generations. Older members go to their club to escape their work world or home life. For younger members, work world and home life often are seamless. There’s no need to “get away.”

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But both ends of the generational spectrum need to “belong.” How do we as architects design new and renovate old spaces to create this sense of belonging?

How can we appeal to both extremes of generations? Here are a few ideas: • Make it casual. We all know this. Many of us resist. If the atmosphere at a club, especially the decor, says “The way you normally live your life is not permitted here” then any desire to belong goes away. It’s almost the opposite of what Groucho said, “Why would I join a club that would take me as a member?” Why would I join a club that doesn’t accept the way I’m allowed to dress at work?

• Make it gender neutral. No more “looking like a men’s grill.” Younger folk socialize and are friends with members of both genders and anyone in between or undefined. Don’t make rooms feel masculine or feminine. Don’t relegate the women to pink rooms.

• Make it specific. Millennials are looking for genuine and unique experiences. Don’t make your club look like every other club just because that formula has worked somewhere else. Do you really need a plaid carpet in your grill? Come on, you can do better than that. We’ve always said, “You should be able to be dropped blind folded into a club, pull the blind folds off and know exactly where you are.” Push your architects and designers to give you a look that is unique to you and not some recycled design from any club anywhere.

• Make it like home. Don’t design your club to look like a hotel. Make it residential in feel. Don’t buy the generic banqueting furniture. Make it durable but make it as welcoming as your own home. Erase the line between home and club.

• Make it open.The entrance to your club or its grounds shouldn’t scream “You can’t come in here.” If your club is going to be an integral part of your new member’s life, then with one glance your candidate should think “I want to be there!” B R Kevin P. Lichten AIA is principal with Lichten Architects. He can be reached at: (212 229.0200, ext. 120 or via email: lichten@lichtenarchitects.com

McMahon Group, Inc. | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Bill McMahon Sr.

Strategic Facility Planning

SUCCESSFUL FACILITY PROJECTS MUST BEGIN STRATEGICALLY

As general manager Joel Inman says, “We are seeing the fruits of our labor. We hit a membership milestone last year and we will surpass that milestone with another 85-plus memberships still to add. The McMahon comprehensive planning and communication process made the difference in our getting approval of the right project.”

The club’s success was the result of a very dedicated club president and a likewise very dedicated club manager who partnered to lead the project.

Once we have answers to these strategic questions, we are ready to begin the As we continually see in project after project, the most Frank Lloyd Wright journey of creating successful club facilities. So, in beginning successful clubs plan strategically. If a club knows its goals to plan, the real challenge is, how do we answer these four questions confidently before starting a facility journey, it is far more likely to achieve enough to begin? those goals. B R We begin by understanding members and their families in all their X, Y & Z Bill McMahon, Sr., AIA, OAA is chairman, the McMahon Group. He can be reached generations, not by starting with an architectural space program, but by deat 314.518.5910 www.mcmahongroup.com wpm@mcmahongroup.com veloping a club’s strategic objective analysis showing what it must provide in services, programs and ultimately in facilities to be successful. In other words, we must be able to define a clear club mission before we design a single room or facility.

The McMahon way of club facility planning begins with the membership survey, followed by a strategic planning refresher. The refresher is really the secret to successful facility planning, because with it, we build a foundation of understanding to guide the entire planning process to its completion.

SURVEYING • STRATEGIZING • PLANNING = SUCCESS

Club after club attempts major facility projects with the simplistic approach of “just hire the architect.” And while we certainly need the architect, we don’t need them until: 1. We first know “who” the club serves today and must serve tomorrow.

2. What the club, in all its aspects, must provide to achieve its mission.

3. What quality level the club must provide in all offerings, and 4. What makes the club truly unique in its marketplace.

JOEL INMAN, GM

A GREAT EXAMPLE

The Laurel Creek Country Club in Mount Laurel, New Jersey is a prime example of how success is achieved with strategic objectives integrated into good facility planning. The club needed to significantly increase its member numbers and usage by attracting more of its next generation.

The club already had a very good Arnold Palmer golf course but trying to make it an even better course was a zero-sum game in attracting members. Spending endless dollars on golf was not going to attract the next generation.

The club’s membership survey showed members wanted a more family-friendly club experience, better swimming pool facilities, better tennis, and most of all a better, casual-living clubhouse with indoor/outdoor dining areas having outstanding views (not the existing basement grill room they had), a golf simulator area, family spaces, a better women’s locker room and a wellness program. The execution of the improved Laurel Creek club experience in enhancing value was the result of first understanding the club’s strategic objectives. The club’s results speak for themselves with a net gain of over 100 non-golfing members, significant increases in club usage and still maintaining a strong golf membership.

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WHAT DO ALL THESE CLUBS HAVE IN COMMON?

Baltusrol Golf Club

Facility projects developed strategically, financed innovatively and approved wisely to achieve maximum club success.

Laurel Creek Country Club

Boca West Country Club

Fresh Meadow Country Club

You may not know it, but MCMAHON GROUP has developed, presented and won approval for over $2 billion in club projects, and at any one time over 50 clubs are being planned by McMahon.

You often hear about architects, but seldom about the strategic facility planning firm that makes it all happen. MCMAHON GROUP - At your service

making your club the best it can be. Call us today!

36 YEARS

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OVER

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Baltusrol Golf Club

STRATEGI C PLANNING AND ME MBE RSHIP SURVE Y FIRM OF TH E YEAR!

Please contact Alison McMahon Duffy for information or to schedule a First Impression visit aduffy@mcmahongroup.com 314.744.5040 • Visit our website for brochures mcmahongroup.com

NanaWall | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

Yocha Dehe Golf Clubhouse FEATURES FLEXIBLE SPACES

L

ocated in a Central California, an area with no shortage of worldclass golf clubs, the Yocha Dehe Golf Club’s spectacular grounds and greens could nevertheless be lost in the shuffle without incorporating elements to set it apart.

For the design of its clubhouse, the owners – Cache Creek Casino Resort – prevailed upon Williams + Paddon Architects + Planners, Inc., to deliver a sustainable space that would complement the natural environment, enhance the golf experience and attract events of various types and sizes.

The objective? Creating a flexible floor plan and multifunctional space.

“The Yocha Dehe Golf Club was designed with one main program element in mind – a flexible floor plan able to host multiple events in conjunction with the day to day operations as well as hosting large events that fully utilized the golf club’s facilities,” said Robert Wallis, AIA, who designed the facility for Williams + Paddon.

In order to meet these requirements while achieving the desired aesthetics, the design team specified one of NanaWall’s customizable systems for the clubhouse walls facing the course. The decision also supported the client’s goals for environmental stewardship and reasonable operating costs, by adding a sustainable element that helps conserve energy while introducing plentiful natural daylighting throughout the above-grade space.

NanaWall’s Wood Framed HSW System provided a handsome and versatile solution for Yocha Dehe’s richly-appointed meeting space, and the addition of a stacking pocket for the 31 custom-sized panels creates a seamless transition from the club lounge area to the patio.

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Providing the flexibility required for the programmatic goals and enormous aesthetic benefits, it is a certainty that NanaWall’s HSW System contributed to the selection of Yocha Dehe’s clubhouse as a finalist for Golf Inc.’s 2009 Clubhouse of the Year.

The clubhouse also received LEED Silver Certification, often difficult to achieve in small projects with enormous glass spans. NanaWall systems are engineered to meet exacting performance standards, often helping to contribute to sustainability and green-building benchmarks.

When fully open, the 31 sliding panels disappear into NanaWall’s proprietary parking bays, eradicating the division between indoors and out. When closed, the view of the golf course and surrounding hills remains panoramic and nearly unobstructed. The system incorporates a custom glazing requested by the owners, attenuating noise levels and providing a buffer between scheduled gatherings and casual patrons.

“The NanaWall was key to creating flexibility while meeting our aesthetic sensibilities,” continued Wallis. “In addition, it enabled us to seamlessly connect the exterior spaces to the interior, as well as adapting the public and private dining rooms, bars and exterior event terraces. The clubhouse has been providing the club’s guests with a memorable experience.”

The owners are particularly pleased with the aesthetic wood contribution. Open or closed, the facility enjoys spectacular panoramic views of the entire golf course. When closed, the sumptuous wood framing contributes to the overall impact of the space, which projects natural beauty, exclusivity and luxury. B R

STUDIO JBD AND JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Peter Cafaro

What If…

THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT CONUNDRUM

M

any, if not most of today’s private clubs are enjoying some degree of success. Membership ranks are generally robust and member utilization is solid.

Much of this success is a result of courageous leaders and savvy managers guiding their clubs through capital improvement projects that enhance their facilities and amenities to answer the need of the contemporary family-oriented private club member.

There are still, however, a significant number of clubs that find themselves experiencing the warning signs of an impending downward spiral. As the average member age inches up and member counts decline – even slightly – it is a sign of a problem.

This is a signal that the club is not attracting enough younger members to offset normal attrition. Eventually this will lead to higher membership cost and accelerated attrition, exacerbating the problem until the club can no longer sustain itself.

Many of the clubs that find themselves in this situation have for whatever reason, been reluctant or unable to make proper capital expenditures to not only keep their facilities in good repair but improve and add amenities that will make their club attractive to new members. These clubs are now embarking upon planning programs to reverse the downward trends.

The typical process for private club capital improvements is to develop a facility “Master Plan” that addresses not only critical deficiencies in member facing facilities but also updates infrastructure needs and overdue repair and maintenance issues.

Prioritized plans and renderings are developed, budgets are established and most often a project phasing schedule is determined, as most clubs are unable to undertake a massive capital project in a single phase.

The prioritization of the capital projects should consider critical required elements such as failed HVAC systems, leaky windows or a collapsing roof but equally important, should focus on those amenities that will have the most immediate positive effect on member utilization and new member attraction.

Naturally, another critical element of the capital plan is cost. The big budget numbers matter but not as much as the small numbers.

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The members most often are much more concerned with their own cost as most clubs need direct financial support from the membership in order to afford necessary upgrades.

The issue of individual member cost is normally the most hotly debated subject during focus groups, membership presentations and town hall meetings. The resistance is almost always led by “older” members who find it difficult to see value in capital investment. They come up with a multitude of arguments as to why the club shouldn’t be doing this, but it always comes down to money.

All clubs have “marginal members” – those members who are on the edge of affording their membership and even a slight change to the financial model may force them out. Clubs proposing capital plans struggle most with this group of members because while they may be small, they can be very well organized and speak with a loud voice.

The most common argument heard among the resistance in our client clubs is: “What if we spend all this money and it doesn’t work – where are we then?”

This is certainly a legitimate question.

Despite myriad accounts by club leaders, club managers and professional consultants, including accountants that following a successful capital plan clubs universally enjoy dramatic upticks in revenues and membership counts, the doubting members continue to doubt – “But we are different – that won’t happen here.” This is their WHAT IF? Club leaders, managers and consultants can dedicate time and resources to educating members as to the positive results in other clubs – and they should do so with great vigor, but there is another WHAT IF? What if we do nothing? This is a question that should be asked of those who are unwilling to invest in the future of their club. No one will say that there are absolutely no risks in undertaking a major capital project. Recent history predicts success but cannot guarantee it.

What past experience can guarantee is that clubs who ignore the warning signs and do not make proper capital investments will have continued escalating costs, to be passed along to members, and considerable challenges in attracting new members.

Membership costs will be as high or higher than if they had supported a capital project with none of the benefits and no improvement in sight. Eventually they will be financially distressed, and their options will be grim. When doubting members ask, “What if…?” ask them right back, “What if…? B R Peter Cafaro is senior vice president, Studio JBD and director, business development, Jefferson Group Architecture Inc., Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He can be reached at (401) 365-1150 or via email: pcafaro@JBDandJGA.com

MA STER PLANNING

ARCHITECTURE

INTERIOR DESIGN

PROCUREMENT

Designing Traditions

Fairmount Country Club, Chatham, NJ

P R I VAT E C LU B S & H O S P I TA L I T Y

STUDIO JBD AND JEFFERSON GROUP ARCHITECTURE / Peter Cafaro / PCafaro@JBDandJGA.com / 401.721.0977

CHAMBERS | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Rick Snellinger

Phased Master Plan Sparks Success

T

oday, private clubs are continuously advancing in order to remain relevant. In 2016, members of the Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC found themselves at a crossroads.

Founded in 1966 as a centerpiece of the community, this quaint club has been about bringing families closer together since its humble beginnings, and the club’s leaders recognized they must develop a plan for the future. To assist, Chambers developed a phased master plan that focused initially on clubhouse dining spaces – staying within the existing footprint of the building, while reallocating space to create distinct areas for various age demographics.

A new lobby at the member entry creates an inviting first impression, drawing members past a double-sided fireplace into the new pub-style casual dining area. A horseshoe-shaped bar is the focal point of the space, surrounded by dining tables, curved booths, and high-top community tables – perfect for sharing a meal with friends or a pre-dinner cocktail.

Adjacent rooms were updated to provide a quiet upscale dining space on one side, and a family dining room (which doubles as a private event space) on the other. The new outdoor terrace connects two previous outdoor areas to create an inviting atmosphere accessible from all three dining spaces. In the evenings, the new fire pit area offers a peaceful retreat to gather with friends while overlooking the golf course.

Since initiating the program, satisfaction has increased 20 percent, food and beverage revenue projections show a 28 percent growth by year-end, and 15 percent membership growth has reversed the previous 10-year trend of annual net negative membership.

Future elements of the master plan will build on the success of this program to infuse similar energy into the pool and tennis facilities as the club prepares for future growth. B R Chambers is an award-winning planning, architecture and interior design firm that specializes in developing innovative solutions that enhance the member experience for private country, golf, yacht and city clubs across the country and abroad. For more informa­tion please visit www.chambersusa.com.

CROASDAILE COUNTRY CLUB Durham, NC

Bringing members closer together with designs that foster community and camaraderie.

STRATEGIC PLANNING MASTER PLANNING ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN PROCUREMENT

Lifestyle Design

TO ENHANCE THE MEMBER EXPERIENCE MD 410.727.4535 / FL 239.673.1790 / TX 972.253.3583 / DC 202.851.3201 / MN 612.295.0725

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BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE | PEACOCK + LEWIS ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS

by Brian D. Idle

Tradition ‌ Redefined

C

reating an exciting environment for golf-serious members and their guests arose from the vision, purpose and main goal established by the leadership responsible for the clubhouse renovation project at Bear Lakes Country Club, West Palm Beach, FL. The objective has been to encourage members and their guests to spend more time before and after golf, socializing and enjoying F&B, resulting in a membership waitlist and ultimately an increase in entry fees.

After evaluating several expansion and remodeling concepts, the leadership decided on a dramatic transformation of the existing clubhouse, on the same footprint with a new layout, special design features, and a new look.

The principal design objectives, all of which were achieved, included a comprehensive remodeling integrating a north-facing outdoor awning-covered patio (overlooking holes number 9 and 18) for casual dining and after golf camaraderie.

It also included reconfiguring the locker rooms to create gathering space for lounging and card playing; expanding and reconfiguring the kitchen for efficient production and delivery of cuisine to the reimagined F&B venues and creating a better member flow through and past the remodeled and expanded golf shop.

Pecky cypress ceilings were white-washed and indirect lighting added making interior spaces feel larger. Updated finishes, fixtures and furnishings in a transitional style breathe new life, throughout the club.

Raising an existing outdoor sunken awning-covered patio to the main level of the clubhouse, providing a permanent roof and a wall of folding glass panels creates a large gathering space with panoramic views of the golf course. This casual indoor/outdoor space is the perfect venue to grab lunch, have dinner with friends, or just gather around the bar for cocktails.

For additional information, please call Marius Ilie, general manager at Bear Lakes Country Club at (561)478-0001. B R Brian is president at Peacock + Lewis Architects and Planners, located in North Palm Beach, FL. He can be reached at (561) 626-9704 or brian@peacockandlewis.com.

Clubs of Distinction

BEAR LAKES COUNTRY CLUB, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

PEACOCK + LEWIS AIA MASTER PLANNING + ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR DESIGN

N PALM BEACH 561.626.9704

W W W . P E A CO CK A N D LE W I S . CO M

NAPLES 239.631.2332

JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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ROGERS MCCAGG ARCHITECTS, PLANNERS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS | BOARDROOM DESIGN FEATURE

by Kim Nathanson

As Club Memberships Evolve, So Must Clubhouse Design

O

ver the past 30 years, hospitality design has undergone a dramatic evolution. Here’s an example: while hotels once offered only the most basic services – check-in and somewhere to sleep – they now keep guests on the premises for countless hours with amenities like shared work spaces, upscale restaurants and bars, and state-of-the-art gyms. Clubhouse design has taken a similar path.

Clubs know that as they serve more varied and sophisticated membership bases, so clubhouse spaces need to reflect that.

Clubs today provide a full-day experience not only to single golf members, but to families who wish to explore separate interests and come together at the end of the day. Mom might spend her day playing tennis as Dad enjoys 18 holes, while the kids take swimming lessons before meeting their parents on an inviting terrace for dinner al fresco.

Clubhouses need to appeal equally to these vastly different demographics. Adding amenities like family-friendly outdoor dining and comfortable places for members of any age to relax, combined with fresh, welcoming interior design, makes clubhouses inviting to all.

But evolution doesn’t mean everything has to change.

We strive to embody a club’s unique legacy while injecting new perspective that appeals to the next generations of members. We can do so by combining a club committee’s ideas with my own to weave a thread that unites each clubhouse space and emphasizes the club’s spirit and traditions. When it’s done right, it’s an extremely rewarding experience.” BR Kim Nathanson has recently joined Rogers McCagg Architects, Planners and Interior Designers as director of interior design. Having a history tracing back some 40 years, Rogers McCagg continues to evolve with the times, while providing the highest standard of personalized, professional service our clients have come to rely on. www.rm-arch.com

ROGERS McCAGG | 44 NORTH MAIN | NORWALK CT | RM-ARCH.COM

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MATTHEW D. ANDERSON

RON CICHY

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Respected Perspectives Lead to Collaboration Two assistant club managers had been in a conflict that ended poorly. One of them shared the exchange with the GM/COO. The GM/COO’s response? “Perception is reality.”

“You see, each of you believes what you believe based on the sum of your life experiences. From your upbringing, to early education, to formative events, to higher education, to experiences with others throughout your life and in previous organizations,” the GM added.

“Neither of you are right nor wrong in this situation.

Each simply believes what they believe as a result of their perceptions of the world. Those perceptions become your respective realities. Each of you is neither right nor wrong; you are just looking at this situation from a uniquely personal perspective.”

“But,” the assistant manager countered, “How can neither of us be right? We’re not arguing about absolutes like what time it is. This argument is about a moral issue. There has to be some hard line that civilized people work from to find a solution.”

“Excellent,” the GM/COO replied. “You bring up an incredible point. Let’s walk through this together.

“You are responsible for controlling our liquor costs and have proven over the years to be quite good at it. Take an example from your context and responsibilities to decide where a moral hard line should be. We have members who are staunchly against consuming alcohol, yet we actively choose to sell it. Which side is right?”

“Well,” the assistant manager fumbled: “I mean, we’re not wrong. It’s legal to sell, and we have people who want to drink.”

“Exactly. Now, think of a time that we served someone who we felt was legally competent to drive away. If they were to get in an accident, who’s at fault?”

“It should just be them, but with the Dram Shop law, the club can be sued, too,” the assistant manager said with a frown.

“That’s correct. We have a legal obligation to ensure that our members are not overserved alcoholic beverages. Is it our moral obligation to prevent a member from drinking or getting drunk?”

“Hmm…,” the assistant manager paused to reflect.

After a moment, the GM/COO continued, “Almost 100 years ago, some American politicians saw, from their perceptions, an epidemic of alcoholism. Their solution to solve the moral problem was to institute prohibition.

“Times changed, and today you are responsible for making sure this club realizes profitability on the sale of that same product. Which is the correct moral hard line?”

The assistant manager shrugged, realizing that this scenario didn’t necessarily have one right answer.

“You see,” said the GM/COO, “in issues of morality, there is no hard line. No one is specifically ‘right,’ or ‘wrong.’

Even when there is a broadly accepted hard line, time can move or change it. So, instead of criticizing or arguing, we need to work to understand those with different perspectives.

“We must seek to understand why they believe what they believe. A saying that helps me in these types of situations is this: ‘The opposite of criticism is understanding.’ When we understand the other person, we may still not agree with them, but it’s difficult to criticize them. This allows us to instead learn from each other and to work towards a collaborative solution,” the GM explained.

“So, what should I do now?” the assistant manager asked.

“If it were me, I’d ask the other person to sit down for a beverage or meal and ask questions about why they believe what they believe. In the end, you may find that their stance makes more sense to you than it does now.

“You may also find that you simply have differing perspectives on the topic. After an adult discussion, you should both be able to leave with a mutual understanding and respect for the other. You may even find that together, your respected perspectives improve collaboration!” B R Dr. Ronald F Cichy, O.M. is professor emeritus, The School of Hospitality Business, Michigan State University. Matthew D. Anderson is chief brand officer, Engaged Education

JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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BoardRoom magazine Recognizes the Private Club Presidents of the Year

By Meghan Thibault BoardRoom magazine annually recognizes the world’s top private club presidents, captains and chairs as Private Club Presidents of the Year, for their outstanding work, their understanding of the industry, and role and responsibilities of the club’s board of directors. In this continuing series, BoardRoom introduces five of the top 25 presidents for 2018. The Distinguished Club President was featured in the January/February issue.

Private club board presidents play a huge role in professional operations of their clubs as a volunteer working diligently with their board of directors and general managers, striving for well informed, but not emotional decisions.

This recognition by BoardRoom magazine has attracted board president nominations from clubs and other nominators around the world.

These outstanding presidents exemplify the focus on the leadership responsibilities, the accountability and the management of the board providing a healthy respect for the club’s macro management. They are cognizant of the importance of working, effectively and efficiently, with their volunteer boards and the dedication required from everyone with whom they work.

Key elements of a “good” board include commitment, competence, diversity, collective decision making, openness, transparency, effective communication with the management and the membership, fiscal responsibility, development and establishment of the clubs’ mission, vision and policy direction, especially through establishment of a strategic plan.

A successful board president draws upon the expertise of other board members, the club’s institutional memory and stewardship of the club’s resources. As well the board president provides new board members and future board presidents with information they need to perform effectively as board members.

Congratulations to these outstanding private club board presidents.

TOP PRIVATE CLUB PRESIDENTS SPONSORS

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VIC MEMENAS , PRESIDENT | EL NIGUEL COUNTRY CLUB LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA

Inspire and Support Excellence In Board Governance Through Collaborative Governance

VIC MEMENAS , PRESIDENT

KIMBERLY WOOD, GM

President Vic Memenas has a passion for El Niguel Country Club (ENCC) and a strong commitment to continue the progress the club has made over the past several years.

He has served on and chaired multiple committees over the years.

Under his guidance and oversight as president, the club in Laguna Niguel, CA has completed two transformative renovation projects, including the championship golf course and both the men’s and women’s locker rooms.

The $4 million golf course project included a full bunker renovation, adding and removing bunkers to improve strategy, variety and accessibility. President Memenas attended every focus group, planning and town hall meeting, in addition to countless one-on-one sessions with members in the lead up to a membership vote in late 2017. The vote passed with 73 percent approval. Throughout the ensuing project, Memenas’ focus and drive continued to inspire those around him. In 2018, the project was completed on time and under budget and was met with unprecedented membership satisfaction. ENCC is now a more friendly course for some players and offers more strategy and risk-reward play for others.

“The project’s impact has been tremendous, greatly increasing member enjoyment of the overall golf experience, while simultaneously invigorating our memberships’ sense of community. The successful completion of this project will no doubt be a catalyst for future capital projects at our club,” said Memenas.

Another significant accomplishment has been a full operational review, resulting in the club hewing more closely to the Carver model of governance. Memenas advocated for the review and worked with management to examine policies and procedures. This change appropriately refocused the board’s time and attention on strategic vision and leadership, policy decisions and the long-term needs of the club, while allowing the club’s management to handle daily operations.

Kimberly Wood, the club’s general manager and COO, was able to initiate significant, yet difficult changes over the past 18 months. Memenas advocated for these changes, and defended her decisions and vision for the club, never backing away from difficult conversations with members.

“We are a better club today because of the changes we’ve made,” said Wood. “We’ve been able to build a team that can take the club exactly where the board and membership want to go.

“He has been steadfast with his support and encouragement, as we have worked toward our goals for the club as well as for my own development as a young general manager.”

Memenas is the CEO of TechSpace, a national platform of creative office spaces that foster entrepreneurialism, community and productivity. As an industry leader in the next wave of commercial real estate, he creates environs that promote positive customer experiences through thoughtful design, flexibility and collaboration. B R

Your board is critical to organizational success!

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We work to effect positive change with club boards and their committees. APCD helps your club: • Reduce micromanagement • Minimize board member liability • Nurture tax-exempt status • Create a shared playbook • Focuse on collaborative governance • •

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TIM KINGSTON, PRESIDENT | HAPPY HOLLOW CLUB | OMAHA, NEBRASKA

TIM KINGSTON, PRESIDENT

DAVID SCHNEIDER, GM

Dr. Tim Kingston has been part of a visionary leadership team realizing the need to update Happy Hollow Club’s strategic and master plan. He was instrumental in analyzing membership data from a membership-wide survey, consulting with industry professionals and key club department heads and conducting research to develop a successful vision for the club.

That vision culminated in a multi-phase, $10 million clubhouse renovation and the construction of an activity center that has enhanced the member experience and will attract new members for decades.

Under Dr. Kingston’s leadership, phase one of the project – the remodel of a significant portion of the main level of the clubhouse – was completed in the spring of 2018. The grand opening was met with tremendous fanfare by both members and their guests and as an objective measure of the outcome of the project, the club has already exceeded aggressive revenue budgets set forth for those departments.

Phase two currently is underway. The construction of an activity center housing fitness, tennis, golf instruction, pool, locker room and snack bar facilities, as well as casual dining, is due to conclude in the spring of 2020.

“Dr. Kingston has a levelheaded, collaborative, thoughtful leadership style that inspires others in the boardroom to be visionaries,” said David Schneider, the club’s general manager. “He challenges his fellow leaders to make hard decisions for the betterment of the club and not for any one constituency of membership. He inspires me to achieve more than I thought I could on my own. I enjoy being challenged in all facets of country club management, in a non-micromanaged environment. His style epitomizes that sentiment and I am grateful.”

Under Dr. Kingston’s leadership, the club has adopted more clearly defined roles and responsibilities between the board of directors, department heads and the general manager / chief operating officer. Dr. Kingston has refocused the board on mission, vision and setting policy as a best practice that is congruent with successful, private equity clubs.

Dr. Kingston has served on the board since 2015 and has been a club member since 1982. From Broken Bow, Nebraska, Dr. Kingston has been an M.D. of general surgery for 39 years. He lives in Omaha with Marilyn, his wife of 46 years. He is the father of three grown children and an avid golfer, traveler, reader and family man. BR

MARK LEAVITT, PRESIDENT | THE FOUNTAINGROVE CLUB | SONOMA COUNTY, CA

MARK LEAVITT, PRESIDENT

RON BANASZAK, GM/COO

Sonoma residents will tell you that 2018 was a remarkable year. The Northern California wine region was in the early stages of recovery from what was considered the most destructive wildfire in California history to date.

The Tubbs fire scorched the Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties of Northern California in October 2017. Following this extraordinary disaster, Fountaingrove Club President Mark Leavitt spearheaded the implementation of a “one club, one community” concept to unite the club around common goals.

Before the fires, the club had been facing challenges in uniting various membership classes. Fol58

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lowing the Tubbs fire, as the club has rebuilt, Leavitt has worked to ensure that all services, events, facilities and activities are inclusive for all membership classes and meet the needs of all members.

Through 2018, several large-scale projects were completed to improve the member experience. These included a full bunker renovation, water feature restoration, tree removal and replanting, cart path repairs and more. The Fountaingrove Club’s golf course, impacted by the wildfires, was finally able to re-open in a limited, five-day per week capacity in early 2018, just three months following the wildfires.

Throughout this period, Leavitt accepted information and feedback from a variety of sources, listening to the needs and wants of all members. He was able to make excellent decisions for the club while remaining highly involved in the rebuilding and recovery.

Leavitt provided oversight of the club’s by-laws and policies, new member approvals, as well as operating and capital budgetary approvals, in keeping with the club’s strategic plan. He worked collaboratively with the club board and COO to develop action plans for the club’s committees, and to fine-tune the club’s annual focus. He worked closely with all stakeholders towards the common good for the membership.

Leavitt is a CPA who has worked in the financial accounting industry for more than 25 years. He started his career in San Jose working in small-to-medium sized regional CPA firms. He now resides in beautiful Sonoma County with his wife Raylene and their two children, Andrew and Makena. B R

DEANNA MARCUM, PRESIDENT | COSMOS CLUB | WASHINGTON, DC

DEANNA MARCUM, PRESIDENT

MITCHELL PLATT, GM

Deanna Marcum, elected to membership in the Cosmos Club in 1994, served and chaired several committees before being elected president of Cosmos Club in May 2018 by an overwhelming majority.

It was the club’s first fully contested election in its 140-year history. By all accounts, President Marcum has done a remarkable job of turning around a controversial chapter in the club’s history.

Marcum and all the candidates put forth by the nominating committee were forced to run against a group of members who formed an alternative slate. Club morale hit a low point as members were dragged into an uncommonly contentious election.

After the nominating committee’s full slate won all slots, Marcum immediately began an essential

healing process, meeting with the alternative candidates and assigning them to club committees, thereby bringing them into the fold of the club’s governance structure.

“We made communication with members our highest priority. We organized different types of opportunities for members to speak directly with club leadership throughout the year. This helped re-establish trust and members now feel more involved in setting the club’s future,” said Marcum.

To this end, Marcum led a series of 22-member discussion groups with determination, patience and skill. These were held in-person, virtually and off-site in Los Angeles and Sarasota with more than 300 members, or about 10 percent of the membership participating. Marcum’s calming demeanor helped guide the club back to its purpose of intellectual stimulation and social exchange.

She also created a task force to begin the process of formalizing a strategic plan, which is now in its development stages. She has tackled the difficult task of building member confidence in the governance structure.

Marcum sets the tone by empowering the management team to lead operations while guiding the board’s focus to strategy and policy making. This has allowed the professional staff to focus on enhanced member service, amenities and operational improvements. Members have responded in a very positive manner and the club is now having a record year in attendance at club events and member dining.

“Ms. Marcum has run large organizations and understands organizational dynamics, board roles and responsibilities and her role as president. I have worked with over 20 club presidents in my career, and she is at the top of the list in terms of ability, performance and role knowledge, said Mitchell Platt, the club’s general manager.

Marcum has enjoyed a 50-year career in librarianship and non-profit organizations, culminating in her role as associate librarian at the Library of Congress and as managing director of a non-profit organization, Ithaka S+R, where she currently serves as a senior advisor. B R

MICHAEL MCNAMARA, PRESIDENT | FAIRMOUNT COUNTRY CLUB | CHATHAM TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY “Michael does not claim to know what he doesn’t know when it comes to club management.,” said Jim Gusella, FCC’s chief operating office and general manager. “I remember during the interview process Michael saying to me, ‘I want the board to get out of the day-to-day decision making and operations of the club. That will be the new COO’s job with no interference from the board, as we will concentrate on governance and strategy,’” Gusella continued.

“That was new for Fairmount and President McNamara has driven that change through the board and club. This change is the foundation from which Fairmount Country Club will build upon for many years to come,” said Gusella.

The second major initiative focused on construction of an additional clubhouse – a multi-million investment featuring a resort-style pool, golf simulator, year-round MICHAEL MCNAMARA , PRESIDENT JIM GUSELLA, GM/COO lounge, restaurant and bar and four state-of-the-art paddle tennis courts. An all-inclusive club that offered appeal and activities for the whole family stands as the With a vision to strengthen Fairmount County impetus for this progressive move.

Club’s position in the very competitive northern Fairmount’s new resort-style pool and children’s splash pad opened in June 2018 New Jersey/metropolitan New York market, board to rave reviews and in December of 2018, the club christened the Timmons House, member and now President Michael McNamara embarked on a multifaceted approach that included a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse offering year-round use and honoring the club’s founder, Francis X. Timmons. two major initiatives.

Timmons – as the facility has quickly come to be known – has proved to be a He set out with the strong support of vice presresounding success, bringing members out of their winter hibernation to share new ident Chris Cooper and the entire board to change experiences.

More than 200 members are participating in the club’s winter paddle the club’s governance to a chief operating officer management model that would direct all of the club tennis program and member feedback has been fantastic.

Michael McNamara is the senior managing director and global head of real estate operations under one person’s purview. The change has added a welcome structure and streamlined the investments at Manulife/John Hancock. He is responsible for the development and execution of the company’s global real estate investment strategy. BR club’s processes and decision-making.

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THOMAS B. WALLACE

BOARDROOM BASICS AND BEYOND

Thomas B. Wallace III, CCM, CCE, ECM, is a partner of Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, the most trusted name in private club executive placement.

He can be reached via email: Tom@kkandw.com

Capital Project Momentum Creates A Buzz Around the Club As I travel the country, I see three things generating positive brand momentum at clubs: Great people, great programming and great capital projects.

Great people and great programming create your culture, but nothing affects your brand more directly or more quickly than great capital projects either through renovation or new construction. From a fresh coat of paint to a new building, any facility enhancement can be marketed to create a ride of excitement leading to a better brand!

When clubs face the decision to take on a large capital project, it’s usually brought on by a need to compete and to remain relevant to potential and even existing members. Maybe your club needs to reflect the ever-changing tastes and expectations of the modern member. The risk of losing current and future members is too great and very real if you’re not continuing to better your facilities, amenities and offerings.

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

Don’t be afraid to tackle the daunting task of renovation or construction. There are many moving parts and much hard work involved in facility projects, not to mention, a lot of capital. But if done well, the return on the investment is well worth it. If executed and communicated well, the positive impact on your branding and marketing is immediate, long-lasting and positively affects the key components of your culture: great people and great programming.

Every renovation or construction project starts with member approval. Although getting capital projects passed can be a hectic experience with lots of pitfalls for the general manager, key executives and the board, it must be done.

The due diligence of surveying and promoting a complete understanding of the project must be fully vetted to get buy in from the beginning.

That’s when brand enhancement begins, with members excited about what is to come. Don’t neglect staff buy in as well. New construction has just as many pitfalls and benefits for them.

Your reputation as a club comes from staff as much as member experience.

COMMUNICATION AND OVERSIGHT

As soon as construction begins, you can feel the energy. Excitement builds with every jack of the hammer or stroke of the paint brush.

Staff will start to imagine what it will be like to work in a better, newer, more divine space free from some of the past challenges like lack of storage or outdated equipment. Members will begin to dream of a fresher club with no more tired carpet, furniture or cramped restaurants.

As the board, general managers and key executives pore feverishly over blueprints and budgets, it is easy to overlook the intangibles that new construction brings. With that new footprint, design, furniture, and fixtures comes a whole new perspective. You must have a strategic plan for addressing this new perspective and leveraging it to its fullest capabilities.

Most clubs stop at oversight. There’s so much work to be done just to get to the finish line. This is where some simply ride on the coattails of assumed success based on the new buzz a new project creates. But you can take it much farther.

It’s time to re-brand and take full advantage of the momentum for the longest lasting implications.

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR RE-BRANDING

The key to capitalizing on brand enhancement before during and after the project is mapping SEE BOARDROOM BASICS | 108 62

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JASON BECKER Jason H. Becker, PGA, is chief executive officer, Golf Life Navigators, LLC, Naples, Florida He can be reached at (800) 447-8707 or via email: Jason@GolfLifeNavigators.com www.GolfLifeNavigators.com

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Gated Golf Communities

Why Real Estate Should Be Top of Mind for You - And Your Board Did you know, during the summer of 1988 major developers such as Lennar and Pulte saw conversion rates of “home buyer to golf member” as high as 80-85 percent across the Sun Belt?

This was an exciting time for the club’s board of directors, and of course, a lucrative time for the club’s balance sheet. With 500 homes in a given community and 400 of those homeowners joining as dues paying members, life was good for all.

The “conversion rate” resulted in plenty of revenue to use for capital improvements, combating depreciation, etc. Today, if you asked those same developers what their projected conversion rates are for “home buyer to golf member” they would say between 15-20 percent. That being said, I think we would agree that a club community with 500 homes and 75 projected golf members is a recipe for financial disaster.

Indeed, these statistics are a disheartening reality of where the industry is today while searching for the allusive golf member. But, as long as we know what the future golf member is seeking, we can posture correctly and expand our focus to cater to their desires and help with the decision process.

The secret is to market your club around the real estate within and outside your gates because it is a bigger piece to the decision process than you think.

Consider these consumer buying trends from Golf Life Navigators (a virtual marketplace where consumers can be matched to their ideal private club and/or community.)

• In sample size of 16,000 prospective golf members to the Sun Belt, 70 percent plan to combine their search for the perfect club with the perfect home • Of those 70 percent of prospective golf members, it is a 50/50 split of what is more important, the club or the home • Those prospective golf members who would like to live in a gated golf community: 56 percent • Those prospective golf members who are seeking a non-resident membership: 44 percent • Average transition time of the 16,000 prospective golf members: 13 months.

My point to these statistics is this: The real estate decision process is a major one for prospective golf members.

Even for the die-hard golf enthusiast who cannot wait to be a member at a Sun Belt club, what home they buy is playing a major role in what club they join. Moreover, these trends should be playing a major role in how you should be posturing the club two to three years from now.

The fact of the matter is that an inflection point is on the horizon where the club will need to be involved in the real estate that is occurring inside the gates of its community.

On top of that the board or an equity owner will need to keep a pulse on the real estate within a 10-mile radius of the club because this is where your non-resident members will be coming from, should you introduce that membership option. But, as you know, a non-resident membership program could create a delicate shift in your current club culture.

Certainly, I am not saying to rush and open a brokerage to control the transactions (although that would be a great revenue opportunity for the club) but rather, to better understand the marketplace so the club can act upon it.

In addition to thinking through new home owner conversion rates and non-resident membership programs, I am sure that capital improvements to the club are on the table as well, which, probably includes an assessment to the membership.

There are plenty of stories surfacing of clubs who sought expert council from companies like Club Benchmarking to help educate the members of a correlation between the value of a club’s amenities and home values in the community. Sounds reasonable, if a $12 million investment goes into the club/amenities, there surely has to be an increase in home values, right?

Perhaps, but you will never know unless the board has a pulse on the current real estate market within the gates to determine what the market values truly are - and most importantly - what they could be against neighboring clubs, if a capital improvement plan is passed.

As an example, let’s look at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Florida, one of the top gated communities in SEE BECKER | 108 JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

STEVE GREEN

DAVID MACKESEY

FRANK CORDEIRO

Diablo Country Club member, chair of the 2018 strategic planning committee. He is also president, Chevron North America Exploration and Production.

Diablo Country Club member, vice-chair, 2018 strategic planning committee and retired president, The Wine Group, Inc.

Frank Cordeiro, CCM is chief operating officer, Diablo Country Club and can be reached via email: frankc@diablocc.org

Corporate Hybrid Governance Model Supports Continuity - Part III In the January/February 2019 edition of BoardRoom Magazine, we introduced the readership to the Diablo Country Club Member approved Corporate Hybrid Governance Model, a more functionally sound governance model for clubs with underpinnings from corporate best practice and business literature from around the globe.

This model replaces the most common governance model now found in clubs which can best be described as a “social governance model.”

The four principles of the Diablo Country Club Corporate Hybrid Governance Model are: 1) Board qualifications, 2) Manager operates – a misnomer), 3) Continuity, and 4) Micromanagement. The third principal, “continuity” is the focus of this article.

“Power meanders &continuity is fleeting… consider changing course” and adopting the principles of the corporate hybrid governance model.

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Every leader who has served in an executive or fiduciary capacity for a company or an organization of any consequence knows the value of continuity. In clubs with a social board, power meanders and continuity is fleeting. How do clubs move to a model that facilitates and supports continuity?

The board configuration varies from club to club, but a common industry model has one-third of the board transitioning annually. By definition, one-third of the board is brand new, one-third has one year under their belt and the final third is 12 months from leaving (lame ducks).

It’s illogical to assume that the continuity and discipline necessary to execute and fully implement a meaningful long-term strategy will be realized when 100 percent of the board responsible for establishing the strategy is gone years before the plan has a chance to be implemented and fully executed.

Ask a member of your club, any member, in their business, if they would transition the highest ranking official every year? Every two years? If they did either, how long would they be in business? Why do members accept this model in their club, since they would not in their business?

A common outcome that results in the absence of board continuity is turnover at the highest level of professional management. In fact, the tenure of the chief operating officer (chief executive officer/general manager) has been a topic of concern for generations, yet it has not improved. News flash…It’s not a coincidence that the average tenure of the COO mirrors the average term of a director. Needless 64

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to say, turnover at the highest level of governance and management is not conducive to continuity.

Statistics for corporations in the U.S. (nonprofit & for-profit) vary, but the tenure for both the CEO and a director is approximately double that of the club industry. Is it time for clubs to take note of modern governance practices as a guide and impetus for change?

As part of the transition to the Diablo Country Club member-approved Corporate Hybrid Governance Model, the director terms were increased from three to four years, the number of directors was reduced from nine to seven and the number of board meetings targeted at four per calendar year.

These simple changes have increased the board’s institutional knowledge, allowed the nominating committee to select only the very best candidates, and increased the pool of qualified candidates now willing to serve on a corporate styled board, rather than a social board. The outcome? Improved continuity and productive relationships among directors and between directors and the professionals.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Applying a thoughtful, data-driven, customer (member) centric strategic planning process into your organizational framework is a widely accepted business practice and an integral component of the Diablo Corporate Hybrid Model.

Ideally, a strategic plan should have a horizon of not less than five years, include market data, operational data, meaningful membership input and be facilitated by an independent third-party professional.

Many clubs have a strategic plan, but few actually govern strategically. How does your club set the agenda and goals for the board and management? If the process doesn’t include some form of strategic planning, power meanders, the agenda and priorities are forever changing, and continuity is fleeting.

Does the president arbitrarily decide the agenda and goals for the board and COO? Does each committee chairperson at your club set their own agenda? Does the agenda change each year AND for each committee? Do the majority of agenda items for the board and committees focus on issues involving increments of less than 12 months (by definition operational) rather than three to five years (by definition strategic)?

If the answer to most or all of these questions is yes, it’s highly unlikely that the organizational goals will be aligned with membership expectations and it’s even more unlikely that continuity, stability and success will result.

In the Diablo Corporate Governance Model, the agenda and organizational goals are set each year at the annual board retreat and the basis for the goals is the strategic plan. The retreat is a multi-day event, facilitated by the COO, and includes a thorough review of the strategic plan.

Once goals are established, they are assigned and dispersed among three groups (i.e. board, committees and management) and then published and distributed to the membership. Lastly, progress reports from goals the year before are shared with the membership at the annual meeting each year (the annual meeting is recorded and posted on the club’s website). This creates transparency, buy-in and accountability, all of which facilitate continuity.

STRATEGIC PLAN RESPONSIBILITY

Ultimately, the responsibility for driving a strategic process lies with the COO. The COO must have the skill to articulate the value a strategic planning process and the skill set to execute and lead it successfully. Once a strategic plan is adopted, the COO is the steward of the plan. The COO is best positioned to maintain the necessary continuity and discipline of managing strategically. Keep in mind, even with extended terms, directors are volunteers and transient by definition. In modern club governance, the COO plays a critically important role in planning, policy and strategy.

The days of “the board sets policy and strategy and the professional implements it” is a thing of the past. As we evolve the curriculum and competencies for our industry, they must include the skill set necessary to effectively govern strategy and lead the board, and not just the traditional operations related competencies of the past.

CONCENTRATION OF POWER

The proverbial “old boys’ network” and the concentration of power it creates, perceived or otherwise, undermines continuity. When a small group of members have unfettered and unchecked power, self-interest and agenda-driven governance will lead to poor decisions, turnover, controversy, waste and crisis.

Decentralizing power and creating a governance environment that attracts qualified leaders can seem daunting,

particularly in a traditional club environment where change is slow and avoided. Nevertheless, there are some structural changes that often have a positive effect.

Diablo’s member-approved Corporate Hybrid Model distributes power by permitting committees to be chaired by members at large (other than the finance committee, which is chaired by the treasurer). This has a dual benefit as it removes the board’s involvement in a tactical committee role and allows a broader and more robust opportunity for member involvement.

The nominating process is another effective way to distribute power and eliminate the “old boys’ network.” First, directors should be nominated though a merit-based nominating process, not an election.

The key to a successful nominating process, and to decentralization, is to have a qualification-based criterion for nomination and selection. As outlined in an earlier edition of this governance series, popularity, membership tenure and availability are not merit based.

Qualifications should include governance experience and specific governance-based criteria. For example, experience as a top-level executive reporting to a board, or serving as a director on a board of an organization with a revenue base and employee size equal to or larger than the club. Another specific qualification is experience reporting to a board or being on a board with a professional COO as a direct report, again, in an organization equal to or larger than the club.

THE OUTCOME

Adopting the Diablo Country Club member approved Corporate Hybrid Governance Model has had a significant and positive impact on the club’s future. It created an environment that has facilitated bold, strategic and transformational thinking. Specifically, in a period of less than three years under the new model, the membership approved and adopted a comprehensive master plan that included revising its membership categories and governance structure, and the approval of a $31 million investment.

Of this, $12 million has been allocated to restoring its iconic golf course and $19 million to upgrade its historic clubhouse and build a one-of-a-kind family wellness and activities center, complete with massage, treatment rooms, exhibition kitchen, indoor-outdoor bar, bocce courts, teen center, child care center, state-of-the-art fitness facility, and a dedicated golf teaching and development institute featuring multiple simulator bays and a separate hydraulic putting simulator. A bold agenda of this nature would not be achievable in a transitory social governance model with one third of the governance leadership transitioning annually and a new COO every three years.

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RITA B. CRAIG Rita B. Craig, president of Top Tier Leadership, is a leadership consultant, trainer and keynote speaker. She can be reached at (561) 775-3396. www. TopTierLeadership.com

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Clues to Creating a Consistent Brand How can you build a brand that tops the talent charts and attracts the the people you’re targeting, you may be missing out. Keeping an eye on your audience and underbest and the brightest? standing how it changes should be at the top of What’s the most important clue to recruiting and retaining the your priority list. standouts who will make you a topflight talent magnet? Brand conSeeing your audience clearly also helps you sistency! make your company or organization a talent magBrand consistency describes steadfast adherence to company net.

Such organizations attract and retain great principles and objectives. Experts say that consistent recognition of employees because they satisfy the key human how your corporate brand is perceived by audiences both external and internal is critical to maintaining the brand and getting the max- needs that influence performance and loyalty.

If that’s your goal, it’s admirable, and to hone imum benefit from it. That means consistency across all company your skills, pay attention to those who study talcommunication – website, social media channels, documents, official ent magnets.

Here are some of their reminders, letterhead, presentations and emails.

For companies seeking to create a consistent brand, there may be many of them cheap and easy.

• Recognize that many potential hires, espeno more important clue than demographics. Defined as data about cially younger cohorts, want work with purpose the characteristics of a population such as the age, gender and and meaning. They want to be proud of the orgaincome of the people in a group, knowing who they are and what nization they work for, eager to come to work and makes them tick is key to reaching them.

Yet it can also be a slippery subject because it’s constantly chang- more likely to do an outstanding job when they get there. In one study, pride was considered as ing. Interests change, needs change, available income changes as important as money and benefits. people age.

• Create and convey a corporate story that’s For example, Millennials, the giant group who are roughly 22 to compelling, that piques the interest of the kind of 38 years old, will soon pass the Baby Boomers in numbers as well as people you want working for you. Describe how aims and interests. But they’re also part of a national population that you support your employees to be all they can is changing in ways you should understand. be, such as offering access to senior management According to the Pew Research Center, many people now live in multigenerational homes, those with two or more generations. About that enables them to see opportunities for them32 percent of American adults are now part of the increasingly com- selves at that level. Highlight company policies mon “shared household”, in which at least one adult isn’t the head of that ensure fairness and create trust.

• Because the potential stars you hope to the household, the spouse or unmarried partner of the head, or an attract may crave work that is challenging and 18-to-24-year-old student. varied, let them know what you can offer in those Cohabitation among unmarried partners is also rising and includes a growing share of unmarried parents. Yet both mothers and fathers areas. Note company policies on balancing work and family. Remember that for the best-of-theare spending more time caring for their children, even as others best, meaningful work is important. spend more time working outside the home.

More newlyweds have a spouse of a different race or ethnicity. It’s also interesting that foreign student enrollment doubled between 2008 and 2016, far outpacing growth in overall college enrollment. Students from China, India and South Korea accounted for more than half of new foreign students pursuing higher education degrees in 2016.

Such shifts may make creating a consistent brand more challenging. But if this important emblem of your company doesn’t reach 66

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Once you’ve landed cream-of-the-crop hires, onboard them thoughtfully and mentor them constructively to ensure their success. Such personal attention compliments them and increases their loyalty. Remember that satisfied newbies are likely to tell others about their good experience.

It’s the kind of positive publicity money can’t buy.

It will also burnish your consistent brand. BR

PHILLIP MARTIN Phillip Martin is vice president, operations, Troon Privé.

Troon Privé® oversees a global portfolio of private clubs, providing an alternative to self-management by contributing resources and working collaboratively with boards, owners, and members to define and deliver each club’s unique vision. Visit www.troon.com/troon-prive/

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Hub and Spoke Approach to Strategic Planning The blueprint for operating a successful pri- shift in perspective may only be the beginning of a difficult transition, espevate club is centered on having thoughtful, cially when silos made up of operations leaders reporting individually to the long-term goals geared toward measurable board or a committee have already been firmly established.

Therefore, the move toward a centralized model has the best chance for future results. success when launched through a series of critical first steps.

While it’s critical these intentions be 1. Board retreat – Led by the general manager, a board retreat should be held focused on a balanced approach that annually in a private, comfortable space that is not where the group usually asintegrates member and associate satsembles. It should have audio/visual capability. A recommended agenda includes: isfaction with financials, it is equally a. Begin with the group identifying the club’s core values and defining why important that the goals be audacious the club matters to its members. enough to push the boundaries of what b. Next, the general manager presents a 360-degree review of the club that exists at the club today. assesses member experience, employees, financials, industry trends and Addressing any one of these areas has the club’s competitive set. the potential to move a club ahead of c. The collective group then develops a matrix of strengths, challenges, opits competition. But covering all three portunities and risks. within the strategic plan has been proven d. After a thorough review of these items, the group lists and prioritizes to deliver results that significantly outlong-term goals for the club. perform other similar clubs who may not seem as “lucky.”

2. Action plan – As a follow up to the board retreat, the general manager Considering the sometimes overestablishes the strategies necessary to accomplish each goal and creates an whelming role of a private club general action plan. Within each key area, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, manager, it can be difficult to prioritize and time-bound (SMART) goals are prioritized into 90-day increments and the development of a strategic business accountability is assigned to board members, committees, and management. plan while juggling a barrage of daily 3. Stakeholder engagement – The final approved action plan is summaemergencies along with myriad other rized by the general manager in a compelling and visually stimulating manner, responsibilities. But it is possible to make so that all stakeholders may easily understand the long-term goals and stratethe shift from defense to offense, once gies that have been established to carry the club successfully into the future. the fundamental workings of a hub and 4. Measured progress and transparent reporting – The club’s advancespoke have been applied. ment toward each goal can easily be tracked and shared in a progressive Pioneered by the transportation inscorecard report. This will also help to build excitement for the eventual celedustry and still evident in aviation, this bration of individual successes. classic business model works outward 5. Proactive next steps – With the annual action plan documented, stratfrom a central hub to the spokes of the egies assigned and scorecard in place, the club is on its way to a more suswheel in order to achieve a desired end tainable future, but now is not the time to rest! Execute on the established result. Instead of having multiple leaders priorities while staying alert for new challenges, such as shifts in the club’s all attempting to do the same thing, the competitive set, demographics, and industry trends. hub model establishes a hierarchy of control that delivers maximum efficiency, Following these same five steps each year will help to ensure that the club’s accuracy, and consistency. long-term strategic plan is not only anticipating the future but planning for it When implemented at the private club as well. When paving its path to success with preparation, a private club will level, the general manager becomes the significantly enhance its ability to attract opportunity, ultimately resulting in hub who leads the various spokes in a winning culture that both members and associates can be proud of – which the annual pursuit of accomplishing the may be very lucky indeed. B R club’s established long-term goals. This JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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GORDON WELCH

BOARDROOM PERSPECTIVES

Gordon Welch is the president of the Association of Private Club Directors (APCD), the only association representing the club’s board. He can be reached at gordon@apcd.com or by calling (949) 376-8889.

Board Members Know Your Responsibilities And What Your 501(c)(7) Status Means

“A 501(c)(7) tax-exempt club engaging in activities that could be detrimental to retaining its tax-exempt status is placing itself at a risk of one or all of these items coming into play. Section 277 taxable clubs must work to avoid an income tax liability with proper timing of the receipt of inMost private clubs are 501(c)(7) not-for-profit clubs! come and incurring expenses,” Stump added.

In many cases the only time this issue ever comes up is Many clubs fear advertising will jeopardize the 501(c) (7) either when a member wants to sell a stockholding memso I asked the question of Frank Lucas. bership in the newspaper or when the board asks if it can “If a club advertises for new membership it is our belief advertise locally. that this does not jeopardize the club’s exempt status. We The truth is, most board members don’t know or don’t would suggest that the club add a disclosure at the bottom care. The real truth is the paid management should review of the advertisement stating for example: ‘Please note: this topic every year at the club’s orientation. enjoyment of these amenities is subject to membership This is a basic but important issue, and here some of our approval.’ Advertising for non-members is something the industry leaders offer their thoughts and input on the topic. club should be cautious about as the club needs to avoid When asking job placement specialists if the 501(c)(7) anything that makes them look like they are open to the status ever arises during any of their company’s searches, public,” Lucas said orientations or discussions, the reply was: “I don’t have Stump suggests you can advertise from a tax perspective, many board members ask me about that status, or quesbut you should not advertise from a privacy standpoint. And tion what it means. I think more of them are unconscious he suggests you advertise with a lot of caveats, such as by when it comes to their roles and responsibilities as board invitation only, only qualified applicants should apply. members, including the 501(c)(7) requirements. I don’t The IRS has indicated in an informal request for informathink orientations in general are well organized or consistion that the answer can be yes. There is not a per se rule tently done.” on advertising for participation, availability or memberWhy is the 501(c)(7) status so important to private ship. The form and nature of the advertising for members clubs? Frank Lucas, CPA, Tax Senior Manager with RSM may well be permissible given the nature of the social club said: “As an exempt private club, a 501(c)(7) is exempt and its activities and operations. from paying tax on most income. One of the largest beneA concern for many years is risking the non-profit status fits of a 501(c)(7) organization is the exclusion of the sale by hosting non-member functions. Kevin Reilly, CPA with of exempt function assets if the proceeds are reinvested in the consulting firm PBMares in explaining the notion of other exempt function assets within a certain time period. “ non-traditional or unrelated business income, says most Mitch Stump, CPA stated, “There are at least six times in clubs are aware of this concern but if your club is unaware the life of a private club when being 501(c)(7) tax-exempt be prepared for an eye opener! can be extremely important. History has shown that for He explains it very well. While a club may be tax-exeach of these times, there can be a substantial income tax empt, it may be subject to tax on its unrelated business savings of $1,000,000 or more. activities. A club’s unrelated business income includes all “Conversely, Section 277 taxable clubs place themgross income except: selves at risk of a substantial tax liability unless they 1. Dues, fees, charges, or similar amounts paid by are attentive to these six times. Clubs that are 501(c)(7) members for services provided them, their dependents or tax-exempt should be aware of these times so as not to their guests; place themselves at risk of losing their tax-exempt status 2. Investment income set aside for charitable purposes, and at a critical time.

BoardRoom Perspectives, this time ‘round, is dedicated to knowledge, truth and facts that all board members must know, including the basics of your fiduciary responsibility and your club’s 501(c)(7) tax status.

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3. Gain on the sale of property used by the club for exempt purposes to the extent that the proceeds are reinvested in similar property within a period beginning one year before and ending three years after the date of sale.

The gain may also be used for capital improvements to other club property used for exempt purposes.

For clubs to retain tax-exempt status, the club must not receive investment and non-member income exceeding 35 percent of the gross receipts. These are defined for this purpose as receipts from normal and usual activities of the club including charges, admissions, membership fees, dues, assessments, investment income (dividends, rents, etc.), and normal recurring capital gains on investments, but excluding initiation fees and capital contributions.

A further restriction applies. No more than 15 percent of the club’s gross receipts may be from the use of its facilities or services by non-members. If exceeded, a facts and circumstances test is applied to determine if the club’s tax-exempt status should be revoked.

Receipts of unusual amounts from the sale of a clubhouse or similar facility are not included in calculating the 15 or 35 percent limitations. Income received from members of other clubs using your club under a reciprocal agreement is non-member income and is subject to the 15 percent limit as well as UBI tax.

Clubs may not engage in a non-traditional activity. This, in and of itself, can jeopardize the tax-exempt status.

However, the IRS has provided an unofficial five percent safe harbor for non-traditional activities. This five percent is part of the 15 percent mentioned earlier. For an example, the sale of alcoholic beverages by a club for off-premises consumption is non-traditional.

Finally, can the decisions of a board member can jeopardize your 501(c) (7) status?

Occasionally there are board members that have personal or business transactions with the club. As long as these transactions are at arm’s length and disclosed properly, they are permissible.

There is also the concept of inurement of benefits, a member or group of members cannot receive any benefits, in excess of any other members who are paying the same dues. If any board members receive any benefits which could be considered an inurement, this could jeopardize the club’s exempt status.

As you can see, club taxes are detailed and confusing.

We always suggest using a tax specialist and preferably one that understands private clubs and the many standards required by the law.

Your chief executive and controller should be well versed with the IRS 501 (c) (7) issues. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t know or understand. BR

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KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE

ANNOUNCEMENT

KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE is an executive recruiting and consulting firm providing services to the private club industry. The company has offices in Cleveland, Jupiter, Naples, New York, Scottsdale and Washington D.C. For more information, please visit www.kkandw.com

KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE With Staff Appointments Fine Tunes Customized Services Where there’s need, you fill it!

That’s the mantra for KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, the benchmark consulting firm for the private club industry.

KK&W provides operational assessments and auditing, team development, board governance and surveying, master planning review and long-range strategic planning.

The firm offers more than 250 years combined experience in country, golf and community club management and has successfully worked with more than 1,000 clubs since 1996. Team members are highly regarded and well respected in their individual areas of expertise.

As partners, Dick Kopplin, Kurt Kuebler and Tom Wallace during their industry travels are always searching for the next ace… the next customer demand. This time it’s more customized services for clients and the addition of talented team members to meet their clients’ demands.

“We’ve witnessed a need for greater training emphasis for mid-management professionals with private clubs through improved food and beverage programs and personal presentations,” said Kuebler. This emphasis on increased training and coaching of course, leads to an enhancement in a candidate’s personal career development.

The partners are announcing that two professionals, Michelle A. Riklan and Annette Whittley are joining the KK&W team.

Riklan of Rikland Resources, has a successful career management firm specializing in personal career marketing, outplacement and soft skills training.

Whittley, with extensive food and beverage training and consulting knowledge, spent 13 years with Four Seasons Hotels. She joins the firm from a more recent appointment at Congressional Country Club, one of the leading private clubs in the nation.

“We’re excited to have Michelle A. Riklan and Annette Whittley join our team,” all three partners emphasized.

“They have demonstrated, in their careers, the highest levels of competency and professionalism and we know our clients will benefit from their proven abilities,” added Kopplin.

“I see the addition of Annette and Michelle as the continued organic growth of our firm and is in complete alignment with our commitment to the success of our clients, the professionals we place or help develop and the industry that we love,” stated Wallace.

“Annette and her focus on pragmatic training and staff development is the backbone of high performance clubs and is underserved in the industry. Michelle has helped countless candidates do a MUCH better job of improving their presentation skills in resume and social media development as well as in many other ways. Additionally, her background in conducting executive searches will open new avenues for the firm, enlarging our candidate pool and the industries we serve,” noted Kuebler.

Wallace added, “Our team will continue to the lead the way in search and consulting and have fun doing it!!!” BR

Recognizing the client’s needs for career guidance and consulting, KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE is pleased to announce that Michelle A. Riklan and Annette Whittley have joined the firm.

Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC, CJSS Career Strategist, Consulting and Search Executive Email: Michelle@kkandw.com • Over 25 years experience in HR, employee relations, training & development and career management • 10+ years working with CMAA’s Career Services Team, hospitality executive leaders, and managers in the private club industry • Academy certified, professional resume writer, certified employment and interview consultant, and certified job search strategist.

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Annette Whittley Consulting and Search Executive Email: Annette@kkandw.com • Over 17 years of luxury hospitality experience • 13 years with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in city, resort and opening locations • F&B Director at Congressional Country Club • Former board member for Taste of Vail, Annual Food and Wine Weekend • Consulting and Search Executive specializing in F&B Director, F&B Training and Consulting.

“Lisa and Kurt, from our initial meeting to simply learn of the search process, to the hiring of KK&W, to the creation of our candidate profile, to the formation of our Search Task Force, to the scheduling of time lines and interviews, and throughout the selection process, KK&W was there to guide us, answer questions, and provide additional materials we requested. Whether a weekend, an evening, or early morning, you both were there - ready to meet our needs and ever-changing schedules and plans. You did so with positive attitudes, promptness, and clarity. Your guidance and professionalism were top-notch, and we now have the General Manager we wanted, to prove it.”

June Ricks, President Pelican Landing Community Association Board of Directors

RICHARD KOPPLIN

KURT KUEBLER

THOMAS WALLACE

LISA CARROLL

SAM LINDSLEY

LEN SIMARD

JACK SULLIVAN

ARMEN SUNY

Specializing in GM/COO, Assistant General Manager/Clubhouse Manager, Director of Food and Beverage, Executive Chef, Director of Golf/Head Golf Professional, Golf Course Superintendent/Director of Agronomy, Director of Tennis/Director of Racquets, Fitness & Wellness Director, Chief Financial Officer/Controller, Membership and Marketing Director Searches, and Strategic Planning and Consulting Services for Private, Resort and Developer Owned Properties, Clubs and Communities as well as Senior Living Communities and Property Owners Associations.

WWW.KKANDW.COM CLEVELAND

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JUPITER

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NAPLES

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NEW YORK

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SCOTTSDALE

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WASHINGTON D.C.

EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM OF THE YEAR 12TH YEAR IN A ROW

CMAA Governance Leadership Summits Register today to attend a truly remarkable “one of a kind” day of education, which continues to receive rave reviews from previous attendees. Visit www.cmaa.org and click on events.

September 5th at Philadelphia Country Club – Gladwyne, PA September 26th at Myers Park Country Club – Charlotte, NC

MARIAN MCGILL Marian McGill, CCM, is assistant general manager, Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club. www.superstitionmountain.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE COMMITTEE

Revitalizing Club Dining The number of active golfers has decreased by 20 percent between 2006 SPECIAL EVENTS While the introduction of the Culinary Club has and 2016, according to the National Golf Foundation. That’s the most recertainly been a great success, it’s just not enough cent data available. to offer great food at great prices. Members come Yes, the evolution of private golf clubs has been a much-discussed to private clubs to enjoy a specific lifestyle and we topic in and outside our industry. But it’s not all bad news. want them to look here before going elsewhere Recent reports show that more people, including non-golfing for their dining experiences. young adults, are expressing high interest in the game. Largely, this Over the past year we’ve incorporated several is because of the rise in popularity in off-course play – think Topspecial events into our food and beverage program golf. There are plenty of opportunities for private clubs to learn from and have had an overwhelming positive response. the preferences of the next generation of golfers.

Monthly food truck events tap into current In reviewing trends and statistics on a national level and inside our trends and bring local vendors into our commuown club, one thing has become increasing clear – to excel, private nity. Keeping to the level of luxury expected from clubs can no longer simply rely on providing an exceptional golf exour members, we set up covered tables and a perience. full outdoor bar for an interesting, but elegant, al Our general manager, Mark Gurnow, has said that private clubs fresco dining experience. are no longer in the golf business but have transitioned into the lifeSelect Saturday afternoons feature our “Brusstyle business. He’s correct, and as the times change so do the needs chetta & Bottle” event where members can relax of our membership. over a trio of bruschetta and bottle of wine. Our I’ve been especially focused on our food and beverage offerings chef delivers elevated flavor pairings for the brusin the past few years. Unlike many clubs, our memberships do not chetta boards such as goat cheese with butternut include a F&B minimum. This means it’s up to us to grow our dining squash and Dungeness crab with avocado. programs organically. Fine dining alone won’t cut it anymore. Casual dining and special events are becoming more and more popular CASUAL DINING among our members.

There’s certainly a time and place for fine dining and elegant wine dinners and we offer plenty of CULINARY CLUB opportunities for such at the club. However, we’ve In an effort to boost restaurant patronage among members, Suincorporated more casual offerings such as a reperstition Mountain created an exclusive Culinary Club program. occurring pasta bar and carry-out pizza specials Through the optional program, members pay a modest annual fee that have become member favorites. and then receive a 50 percent discount on all regular purchases at Because of the booming popularity of our Bocce the restaurant and bar – not including beverages. leagues, and increased participation with Culinary Being mindful of full-time and part-time (second home) members, Club, we’ve relaxed our dress code to allow denim both year-long and six-month Culinary Club memberships are availin the main dining room at all times. This removes able. Separate discounts are applied to special functions but are not any barrier for members who have dressed more offered in conjunction with golf event dining. casually for Bocce or work in a more relaxed Launched in November 2017, the Culinary Club enjoyed encourenvironment, to enjoy dinner at the club versus aging success during its first year. More than 190 members particlooking elsewhere. Many private golf clubs are ipated, which initiated an increase in food and beverage sales for steeped in tradition, linen tablecloths and formal the season. Now in its second year, the number of participants has dining programs…and so are we, but at Superstiincreased by 44 percent. tion we also believe in progress.

In addition to the club being lively and near capacity every day, inListening and adjusting – within reason – to the creased food and alcohol sales have resulted in a net financial impact wants and needs of our current and future memover $200,000 better than the previous year! bers has proven to be a recipe for success. BR 72

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PETER NANULA Peter J. Nanula is chairman of Concert Golf Partners, an owner, operator and all-cash buyer of private golf and country clubs. CGP specializes in recapitalizing member-owned clubs carrying too much debt, converting them to non-equity status, and maintaining the clubs as fully private. www.concertgolfpartners.com | (949) 715-0602 | pnanula@concertcapital.com.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Top 11 Signs Your Club May Need to Recapitalize With the economy trending up for the 10th consecutive year and boards having spent record levels on improvements, many private clubs are thriving. But there are clubs that continue to search for that elusive waitlist, the capital project that will create fresh interest in their club or a member recruitment drive that will lift the club above breakeven.

Here are 11 signs that a recapitalization may be the right option for your club: 1. We don’t have a wait list to join.

Most private clubs, even 10 years removed from the last recession, are not in this fortunate position. Aging demographics and loss of interest in golf may have created a permanent change in demand for clubs.

2. We do have a wait list to get a refund. Despite no longer offering refundable memberships, many clubs have a sizeable, and continually growing, wait list of former members who are owed some or all their original deposit back causing a long-term drain on cash flow and limits the club’s borrowing capacity.

3. Assessments cause pushback from members. Proposed assessments cause members to reconsider whether they are using the club enough to justify the cost.

The club may lose five to 10 percent of its membership because of assessments.

4. We have capital projects to do but are constrained from debt from the last ones. This occurs when a club finances its capital projects through debt rather than a one-time assessment or annual cash flow. As our friends at Club Board Professionals like to say, “Debt is a tranquilizer, not a cure.”

5. The basic member bill (dues plus assessments) has grown faster than two to four percent per year. Some clubs don’t pass a one-time assessment but rather spread it over 10-20 years so the monthly bill doesn’t increase dramatically. Done repeatedly, the annual cost just to put a tee in the ground has risen much faster than inflation – and the club may be “out of market” in its pricing.

6. Our average member age is rising. Clubs know they must replace their resignations with at least an equal number of new members each year. However, unless you add younger members – the club gets older.

7. Successive boards have tried many tactics, but we cannot seem to replace attrition. Board members say they’ve tried everything including discounts, member sponsorships and various sales tactics. However, the challenge may not be sales, but rather a lack of capital, aging facilities or debt that prevents the next round of capital improvements.

8. Initiation fees are down and don’t fund all our capital needs. In good times, initiation fees generate enough cash to make improvements. Many clubs are seeing lower initiation fees, so the club needs to assess its members or build a capital reserve from annual cash flow.

9. Annual cash flow does not fund a healthy capital reserve. Can we make enough profit to fund a long-term capital reserve? It’s complicated. Equity clubs are non-profits and have rotating boards with ever-changing priorities. It can be difficult to establish and fund a long-term strategic plan 10. A 10-year economic expansion hasn’t put our club in a strong financial position. What will happen when the next recession hits? Well, dues rates must be frozen or even lowered; fewer members join; member attrition spikes; members spend less and host fewer, smaller events at the club. In general, private club revenues drop and the club must adjust to its new reality.

11. The net worth of our club is stagnant or declining. If your club’s annual depreciation amount is greater than the amount of capital being re-invested into the club every year, the club’s net worth is likely declining, making it more difficult to maintain relevance in your market. Club Benchmarking is a valuable resource to calculate and monitor your club’s net worth over time.

How many of these boxes can you check? If you checked most of them, your club may be a candidate for an infusion of capital plus management that comes with a recapitalization. B R

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LISA CARROLL

ANNETTE WHITTLEY

HOUSE COMMITTEE

Engage and Retain Staff with the Stay Interview We are seeing more clubs these days implementing employee surveys as a vehicle for staff feedback and to measure the climate and level of staff satisfaction.

While this provides the club with overall data, it does not provide individual, employee-level feedback nor solutions to the issues raised.

Enter the stay interview, a tool that gathers individual employee input and feedback as well as delivering solutions. Simply put, the stay interview is a one-on-one discussion between manager and subordinate that takes place independently of the employee performance review. Instead of the employee being graded on performance, the stay interview grades the manager and provides invaluable input into what the employee needs to be engaged.

The stay interview promotes and delivers two very important strategies: Engagement and retention of your employees. In this work climate of low tenure and job hopping, engagement and retention are two very powerful forces to harness and promote.

There is a widespread school of thought that Millennials move quickly from job to job and this manifests as high turnover within this demographic of employees. In the book 5 Millennial Myths by Gabrielle Bosche, the idea that Millennials look at jobs like dating is used as an example of how Millennials will “try on a job” before fully committing. During the first few months, Millennial employees are more likely to commit to people rather than companies.

The faster you build a relationship with your new team member, the more likely they are to be loyal to you and the club. We know Millennials

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look for greater meaning in the work they do, and the stay interview provides another opportunity for relationships to develop and for them to feel special, important and valued by their new employer.

Stay interviews start at the top with the GM/COO interviewing each of their direct reports. This becomes the model for how stay interviews are conducted. Then the direct reports interview their subordinates and so forth.

It’s important that the direct report is interviewed by their immediate supervisor – for example, the executive chef interviews the sous chef. The sous chef should not have a stay interview with the human resources department or the food and beverage director (unless they report directly to the F&B director).

In fact, the HR department can assist with creating the templates and holding managers accountable for collecting and reporting the results, but the HR department should not conduct the stay interviews.

The stay interview builds trust (when completed correctly) between supervisor and subordinate –a very important factor in retention. The supervisor asks questions about the subordinate’s current experience and creates a strategy to continually improve. Taking positive action as a result of the interview builds a bond of caring and trust between the supervisor and employee.

According to Richard Finnegan, in his book, The Power of Stay Interviews (published by SHRM), there are five questions a manager should ask in the stay interview: 1. What do you look forward to each day when you commute to work?

2. What are you learning here now and what do you want to learn?

3. Why do you stay here?

4. When is the last time you thought about leaving us and what prompted it?

5. What can I do to make your job better for you?

Most of the questions are self-explanatory and question four is a sticky one, but it is an important to find that out when and why an employee was considering departure, without repercussions, so that the supervisor can correct the issue if possible or find alternatives. It also reveals the sense of urgency if the consideration to leave was recent.

Occasionally an employee may answer “I don’t know” to a stay interview question. That is acceptable, but the supervisor will need to follow up with the employee to ensure the question is eventually answered.

For the interview to be effective, the manager must truly listen, probe for clarification (which also checks for understanding and shows they cares) and take notes preferably in a template designed for this purpose. Leading effective stay interviews takes practice.

The manager is then held accountable to both the employee and their own supervisor by reviewing the feedback with both and designing a schedule and plan to meet the employee’s needs and perhaps a compromise.

In some situations, the employee may not trust the manager enough to tell the truth. The stay interview creates the opportunity for ongoing dialogue and a deeper, trusting relationship between manager and employee when the

manager truly listens and acts on the information gained during the interview. These discussions need trust as a foundation and the manager will gain a data point and discover how to earn that trust.

Finnegan does not recommend giving the questions to the employee ahead of time, but rather making it part of a verbal discussion that takes place. In fact, you don’t need to refer to it as a stay interview at all. You can call it a discussion, check-in or chat.

Difficulty finding employees and high employee turnover are the most frequent complaints we hear from clubs Adding the stay interview to your toolkit and teaching your managers how to use it effectively will yield impactful and lasting results in greater employee engagement and retention. B R Lisa Carroll, SHRM-SCP, is a search executive and consultant with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, LLC, a consulting firm providing executive search, strategic planning and consulting services to the private club industry. She specializes in GM/COO and executive chef searches. The company has offices in Scottsdale, Jupiter, Denver, Cleveland, Naples, and Washington, D.C. Lisa can be contacted at (561) 596-1123 and at lisa@kkandw.com.

Annette Whittley is a consultant with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, LLC. She specializes in F&B consulting. Annette can be contacted at (561) 827-1945 and at annette@kkandw.com.

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BRUCE BARILLA

HOUSE COMMITTEE

Bruce Barilla has a 20 combined years of golf locker room experience at The Greenbrier and Butler National GC. He is president of Locker Room Consulting: www.lrcgolf.com

Golf Locker Room Attendant

Standard Operating Procedures Checklist Here are some standard operating procedures to assist in a successful locker room operation. I recommend it be signed by the locker room staff and club manager.

• Be on time, work scheduled hours, flexible for shift changes and overtime without advance notice • Clean, neat, fresh appearance, club uniform, shined shoes, visible name tag • Be willing to take drug test without advance notice • No alcohol use or gambling allowed on the job • Smoke breaks outside only when no golfers are in the locker room when working alone • Theft is cause for immediate dismissal and possible legal action • Provide service that exceeds expectations because of wanting to, not because of supposed to • Avoid slang phrases, dirty jokes, silly talk, gossip, no horse play or coarse jesting • Proper use of English language is required with clear and understandable voice • Keep the employee/member relationship in tact without “crossing the line” by becoming too personal • Clean and polish all the lockers at start of season • Begin each day with a walk through. Clean and polish any shoes sitting out. Have a daily tee time sheet • All cleaning and stocking of amenities plus assigning of guest lockers to be done night before and main-tained continuously throughout the day • Keep inventory of all stock items and stay up to date on available amenities • Be visible when members/guests enter the locker room • Answer calls within three rings. Do not put caller on hold without permission and not longer than 30 seconds. Deliver messages on time. Provide details so caller does not have to repeat themself • Have list of emergency numbers, extensions, local clubs, restaurants, limo service, dry cleaners, etc.

• Use Mr. and Mrs. or “ladies” and “gentlemen” when addressing members/guests

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• Pick up all shoes to clean and polish or at least offer to do so • Ask the member first if you are allowed to take their shoes out of their locker • Anticipate guests’ questions such as location of bathroom, grill room, pro shop, golf range, etc.

• Walk guests to their locker opening the door and offering to do their street shoes • Take each guest’s shoes out of their locker for cleaning and polishing if they forget leaving them inside • Street shoes are to be returned to the locker top, placed inside or put on the floor with heels by locker • Greet golfers after finishing their round. Clean and polish their golf shoes returning them to their locker unless told otherwise. Place guest shoes in a shoe bag • Leave street and golf shoes at the shoe room only if told to do so by the member/guest • Change shoe laces and golf spikes without being asked • Agree to and abide by tipping policy and procedures • Know hours of operation and policies for other areas of the club • Plan ahead for outings with locker assignments, name tags and welcome gifts • Work together with supervisor and coworkers with the sharing of ideas for a better locker room • Direct concerns to immediate supervisor • Do not share problems or make excuses with members/ guests • Complete training in first aid, CPR and defibrillator use and know emergency procedures for the club • Watch for strangers in your work area and report them to club security • Refusing to sign this SOP and do your job is reason not to be hired and be fired • Management can modify this SOP from time to time as deemed necessary. B R

MACDONALD NIVEN MacDonald Niven, MA, MCM, CCE is with Niven Research and CEO of Lakewood Country Club, Rockville, MD and can be reached at (510)-439-8522 or via email: mac@niven.cc.

ON THE FRONTLINES

Budgeting: “Gotta Make Some Cuts” “OK, I appreciate all the effort you’ve made to create your first budget drafts.

I believe we are clear that what you have presented really creates a great program for our members. It looks as if we’re about $1.6 million over last year, so we have some work to do.”

GM Chris is addressing his team at their standard weekly meeting. Each department director has created their first draft representing their plan to provide the members with the very best service and product.

Stay positive and create the challenge that fits perfectly within each senior staff person’s emotional comfort zone. University of Michigan professor, Barbara Erickson writes in her paper, What Good Are Positive Emotions, “Experiences of certain positive emotions prompt individuals to…pursue novel, creative, and often unscripted paths of thought.”

Chris wants the senior staff to be positive about the process, to think deeply and clearly about how to accomplish the very best service and product and cut 23 percent. This is a tall order; keeping a positive outlook will be critical.

It’s also critical that the staff keep engaged because they will be the ones who make or break the budget. They must own the budget. Chris wants this to be motivating, not de-motivating. There needs to be a way to win the war on costs. And one way is to win small battles in order to win the war.

Chris needs to find the proper balance between a too tough challenge and a too easy challenge. Telling the staff to “cut 23 percent or we’re all fired”, may

Some staff will need to have the cost cutting challenges broken into smaller pieces that can be confidently attacked and defeated creating those small wins on the way to final victory.

Some staff may need coaching on the process and specific techniques; others only need to focus on the challenge. The keys to successfully engaging anyone on big problem solving is to first know your teammates and then create the challenges that match their abilities.

The problem Chris faces is that they are $1.6 million off from last year on a $7 million total budget – YIKES! They need to reconcile about 23 percent and that’s a tall order. A challenge of that magnitude is daunting.

Most senior staff are self-motivated, high-achieving individuals who want to perform well. As David McClelland of Boston University cautions in his seminal textbook, Human Motivation, a person high in achievement motivation will be de-motivated by a challenge that they feel is too easy or too great.

Chris has a problem – reducing a budget by this magnitude can seem too great. So, what’s the solution.

be too tough and too arousing to get good engagement. Senior staff needs to be concentrating on service and product, not on updating their resumes.

As Karl Weick of Cornell University writes in his paper, Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problem, “To call a problem minor rather than serious is to lower arousal, which is also appropriate if people don’t know what to do or are unable to do it.”

On the flip side, “High arousal can improve performance if it occurs after a person has decided what to do and after he or she has overlearned how to do it.”

Chris’ relationship with the senior staff now comes in to play. Knowing the degree of expertise is key to setting the correct level of arousal.

Some staff will need to have the cost cutting challenges broken into smaller pieces that can be confidently attacked and defeated creating those small wins on the way to final victory. Some staff may need coaching on the process and specific techniques; others only need to focus on the challenge.

The keys to successfully engaging anyone on big problem solving is to first know your teammates and then create the challenges that match their abilities. BR JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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BONNIE J. KNUTSON

MEMBERSHIP MUSINGS

Bonnie J. Knutson Ph.D. is a people watcher. A professor in The School of Hospitality Business, Broad College of Business, Michigan State University, Dr. Knutson is a member of the Country Club of Lansing and the Michigan Athletic Club. She can be reached via e-mail: drbonnie@msu.edu

Pickin’ the Pix! Unless you live under a rock, you know about Instagram. But if you are not really “into” Instagram, you may not appreciate its power from a club marketing perspective.

Instagram (or IG or Insta) is a social networking site that is now in our marketing lexicon. Developed in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, IG was sold to Facebook two years later and is now part of the Facebook empire.

At its core, Instagram is an app that enables its users to upload (“post”) photos and videos. These posts can then be viewed by other users who can “like” them, “repost” them, and “follow” the user. And believe me, users avidly count the likes, reposts, and followers.

Every user’s goal is to find, take and share only the best photos or video clips in order to attract more followers to its Instagram site and have them repost the photos or video on their sites. This results in a word-of-mouth effect – or as I call it, word-of-finger.

To better understand how being on Instagram can add value to your club, here are some statistics: • As of February 2019, there were more than one billion active IG users.

• As of February 2019, two million of them updated their posts every day.

• The U.S. boasts 120 million active Instagram users – 37 percent of the population.

• Those under 25 spend more than 32 minutes a day on Instagram, on average, while those age 25 and older spend about 24 minutes a day.

• Active users skew younger, with 64 percent in 18-34 range and another 25 percent between 35 and 54. That means about 90 percent are currently on Instagram. Like any new trend, the number of 55-plus users will increase as people grow older. Just look at the growth trend for other social media platforms or online service programs such as Facebook and Amazon Prime.

Add these business statistics: • 25-plus million businesses have a profile on Instagram.

• Of these, two million-plus use the platform to share visual stories and drive business. In fact, a third of the most viewed are business stories.

• 200 million-plus users visit at least one business site every day.

• 60 percent of people discover new products and services on the platform.

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LARRY HIRSH Larry Hirsh, CRE, MAI, SGA, FRICS is the president of Golf Property Analysts (www.golfprop.com), a leading golf and club property consulting, appraisal and brokerage firm based in Philadelphia. He blogs on variety of club and appraisal issues at http://blog.golfprop.com

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Clubhouses – How Much Is the Right Amount?

Coyle emphasized that efficiently planning Recently, Golf Property Analysts was retained in an interesting case where a dispute arose about the need for and size of a clubhouse to be constructed at a club the “back of the house” areas containing kitchens, loading and other areas unseen that had been using a temporary facility since its inception. by most members have become ever more Given the seemingly never-ending discussion in the club industry about important as space efficiency becomes more the size and finishes in clubhouses, I thought I’d explore the issue. of a focus. Many older clubs with multiple For many years, large and ornate clubhouses have been blamed for the kitchens are attempting to consolidate these economic failure of numerous clubs. In what have been challenging times for areas with strategic service placement. In the club and golf industries, it stands to reason that the overhead of a clubmany cases clubs will construct multiple house that’s too big or too elaborate can be economically devastating. How buildings with specific structures serving much clubhouse is needed? swimming, tennis, fitness, kids’ activities or a To understand this, I contacted my long-time friend and master clubhouse arcombination of those. chitect (now retired) Barry Coyle for his thoughts on planning clubhouse spaces.

Storage is also a primary concern, especially as many clubs have multi-function It’s important to understand your members and rooms that serve multiple purposes and their expectations... Having a desirable clubhouse use different furniture and equipment. is expected by members and prospective members These flexible rooms need to be easily convertible and expandable. and doesn’t necessarily add value to the club.

However, having an unattractive clubhouse can most certainly diminish the value of the club...

Clubs, like the rest of society have evolved. There are certainly some guidelines about the amount of space needed in ballrooms, bar/grille areas and dining rooms. For instance, those clubs that regularly host functions might require a capacity of 300, or more in the ballroom.

With a guideline of 12 to 15 square feet per person, a 300-capacity room would need 3,600 to 4,500 square feet of space. A bar/grille area is typically planned at 20-25 square feet per person, so an area requiring the ability to handle 80 people might need from 1,600 to 2,000 square feet.

Pro shops are typically in the 800 to 3,000 square feet range and golf carts (if stored in the clubhouse) require about 60-70 square feet per golf cart. Kitchen spaces would require about 30-35 percent of the banquet/dining areas.

At many older clubs, women’s locker facilities were often an afterthought and squeezed into tight spaces in out of the way locations. No longer.

Now clubhouses are designed with equal-sized locker facilities as clubs seek to become more gender neutral than in the past. A club with 300 men’s and 300 women’s lockers will require full height locker space totaling 6,000 to 7,000 square feet plus space for attendant, wet and lounge areas.

Depending on the club, the region of the country and the culture of the membership, there are now often large outdoor (porch) spaces, generally more economical to build that aren’t heated or air conditioned as people seek to be outdoors as much as possible. Most clubs also now cater to families and Millennials with areas for fitness, technology and child minding.

UNDERSTAND YOUR MEMBERS

Clubhouses aren’t cheap. The average private club clubhouse costs from $300 to $400 per square foot to build and some of the more elaborate can cost as much as $700 per square foot. In certain cases, Coyle says that tearing down the old and building a new clubhouse can be more cost-effective than renovating the old one.

It’s important to understand your members and their expectations. Regional cultures and climate are part of this and being sensible is critical. Having a desirable clubhouse is expected by members and prospective members and doesn’t necessarily add value to the club. However, having an unattractive clubhouse can most certainly diminish the value of the club from the perspective of membership development (expectations).

So far, we’ve only addressed the functional space needs of the modern private club. In the competitive environment of the SEE FINANCE COMMITTEE | 106 JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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ANGELA HARTMANN Angela Hartmann is GCSAA Associate Director, Communications.

She can be reached via email at ahartmann@gcsaa.org

GREEN COMMITTEE

GCSAA Funds Research Projects at Eight Universities in 2019 Research benefits every aspect of the game of golf – from enjoyment to effective course management, and that’s the focus of research planned for 2019 as research grants from GCSAA are supporting eight new research projects at universities across the country.

“GCSAA’s mission includes increasing the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf, and research is fundamental to the future of the game,” GCSAA Chief Executive Officer Rhett Evans said. “We are pleased to be funding new projects for the benefits of our members, their facilities and the game.”

The projects, which were selected by a committee that included two members of the GCSAA board of directors, superintendents, university researchers and the research director of the USGA Green Section, will receive a total of $127,500 from a block grant to GCSAA by the EIFG. The new research projects are: • Strategies to reduce winter-related injury and spring dead spot of bermudagrass fairways and tees in marginal regions of adaptation; Joseph Roberts, Ph.D., University of Maryland. Co-funded by the Mid-Atlantic AGCS, Eastern Shore AGCS and Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf Managers Association.

• Strategies to reduce winter-related injury and spring dead spot of bermudagrass fairways and tees in marginal regions of adaptation; David McCall, Ph.D., Virginia Tech. Co-funded by the Mid-Atlantic AGCS, Virginia GCSA and Virginia Turfgrass Foundation.

• Playing surface effect of surfactants on creeping bentgrass putting greens; Joseph Young, Ph.D., Texas Tech University. Funded through the EIFG’s Mark Kizziar Research Grant, which supports work that will help produce well-conditioned golf courses while minimizing consumption of water. Co-funded by the West Texas GCSA, North Texas GCSA, Central Texas GCSA, and Lone Star GCSA. • Risk Thresholds for Lance Nematodes on Ultradwarf Bermudagrass; William T. Crow, Ph.D., University of Florida. Funded through the EIFG’s Dr. Michael J. Hurdzan Endowment, which supports environmental research on golf courses. Co-funded by the Florida GCSA. • Soil water content and ethylene effects on Annual bluegrass acclimation to and survival of winter; Emily Merewitz, Ph.D.., Michigan State University. Funded through the EIFG’s Aquatrol’s Robert A. Moore Endowment, which supports research for optimizing the growing environment for golf course turf, while minimizing inputs of water, fertilizer and pesticides. Cofunded by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation.

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• Zoysiagrass Seedhead Development and Suppression; Jack Fry, Ph.D., Kansas State University.

Co-funded by the Heart of America GCSA and Kansas Turfgrass Foundation.

• Exploring Phosphite Fertilizer for Turfgrass: Fungicide or Fertilizer? Beth Guertal, Ph.D., Auburn University. Co-funded by the Alabama GCSA and Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation.

• Turfgrass Plant Water Status Influence on Herbicide Phytotoxicity and Efficacy; Ryan Goss, Ph.D.; New Mexico State University. Co-funded by the Rio Grande GCSA. Funding research has been part of Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s endeavors since 1955, when it established the GCSAA Scholarship and Research Fund, which eventually became the Environmental Institute for Golf.

In addition to individual and corporate gifts to the EIFG, innovative fundraising efforts like Rounds 4 Research have supported research around the country. Rounds 4 Research, which is an annual online auction of donated rounds for golf, has raised nearly $1.5 million for research since it began in 2012. While 80 percent of funds raised

by Rounds 4 Research is distributed to GCSAA affiliated chapters to support local research, GCSAA also annually contributes to university research. BR

STEVE SCHENDEL Steve Schendel is vice president/agronomist with Golf Maintenance Solutions.

He can be reached at (630) 220-5977 or via email steve.s@golfmsolutions.com

GREEN COMMITTEE

Automation

A Way to Improve Labor at Our Clubs The labor force, we find in our discussions with members, superintendents and gen- better efficiency and potentially fewer employees needed. eral managers, continues to be the challenge for golf courses across the country.

• GPS sprayers. Fertilizer and chemical With minimum wages rising, an economy that is offering more job opportuniapplications with individual nozzle control ties at higher wages than golf courses and a different mindset among a younger provide improved application methods that work force, hiring and retaining labor for golf courses is becoming more difficult lead to budget savings. every year.

• GPS tracking of equipment to maximize While there’s no one correct answer for solving this issue, there’s one thing time spent on task and improve employee we know – doing nothing is not an answer and will not help your club progress performance management. as times change. This is important because we often see properties doing noth• Faster and wider mowing equipment. ing different or making minimal efforts to adjust how things have been done Not only is new tech equipment helping in the past. There’s a direct correlation between providing quality golf course reduce the number of man hours needed maintenance standards consistently and having a full staff. to accomplish tasks, but it’s also becoming Too many times we see golf courses not fully staffed. Even being one or two more environmentally conscious and providpeople short of a full crew has a negative impact on the golf course experience for ing superior quality work. members and guests. Where is your club at today with staffing levels?

• Continued improvements to irrigation.

The answer to improving labor/staffing lies in how we can do things differMoney is saved in water usage and in labor ently while embracing how our industry and world continues to change. New needed to run/maintain systems. technologies that help reduce labor are a necessary part of golf course mainte• Moisture meters and apps that help nance in future. manage water usage for improved efficiency Sometimes this may be as simple as adding a new piece of equipment to help and budget savings. staff become more efficient. Golf course equipment can be expensive, but how • Not just mowing equipment, but also much labor money has your club saved over the past few years by being short other equipment that helps reduce labor staffed? Investing in new equipment and new technology is becoming more needs while accomplishing key cultural proimportant as labor is harder to find. Efficiencies that help reduce the number of cesses. This includes aerifiers, top dressers, people needed while maintaining quality maintenance standards are the future verticut mower/sweeper combos, etc. for sustainability.

• Bunker renovation/liners that reduce Automation is not just a fad. Grocery and retail stores have fewer tellers and washouts and improve drainage for labor more self-checkout lanes, airports have automated restaurants and checkouts, savings, and fast food restaurants have large tablets to order and self-pay, “Alexa” answers • Use of drone technology for various our questions and plays our favorite songs on our command. The examples go maintenance needs. on and on!

I’m not advocating that golf courses and businesses need to become fully auAutomation is being used in all of our evtomated, because the hospitality and entertainment industries still need human eryday lives. That’s the reality! Finding labor decision making and personal interaction. However, there are great advanceand achieving proper staff levels continues ments in technology that can help golf courses and course maintenance proto be a challenge for golf courses throughgrams merge into automation. out the country and automation technology Some examples include: resources are available.

• Use of electronic “white boards” and phone apps for scheduling employees There are upfront costs associated with throughout the day. This is a great tool for scheduling, training and overall efthese new technologies, but they offer great ficiencies. The days of driving back to the shop to change the dry erase board returns on investment and help solve labor should be gone. issues. It’s time to start doing something • Robotic/self-driven mowers. Yes, they need personal attention, but just like different to ensure labor challenges are regrocery store self-checkouts, fewer people monitoring robotic mowers equals duced at your club. B R JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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DAVE DOHERTY

GREEN COMMITTEE

Dave Doherty is president/CEO and founder of the International Sports Turf Research Center, Inc. (ISTRC) and holds three patents regarding the testing of sand and soil-based greens. He can be reached at (913) 706-6635 or via email: daveistrc@hotmail.com

Government Regulations for Military Golf Courses And How They Will Help Us All Editor’s note: Dave Doherty wrote this article about 10 years ago while working with air force golf courses to reduce the use of water and chemicals.

It is worth repeating today for environmental reasons, as well as looking for ways to reduce what is spent today on chemicals and water. The reduction in usage for each course participating in the program reduced their usage between 25 to 50 percent. Courses in the worst shape at the beginning of the program benefited the most, which was to be expected.

The military has been going green with its golf course greens and the results of their actions, monitored by ISTRC over the course of few years, indicate the program has been successful.

This has allowed us to provide the industry with the documented results of what each course was able to accomplish, and how each has been able to balance the physical properties of their golf greens.

I had participated in a week-long training session for golf course superintendents and general managers of air force golf courses at the air force’s main training center in San Antonio, Texas. My training session focused on the physical properties of golf greens and how to obtain balanced physical properties.

After my first session an edict was delivered … all military golf courses would reduce water consumption by 20 percent over a period of 10 years.

A similar edict for chemical usage had gone into effect a few months earlier. After the normal moans and groans, and after the new edict had been digested, I finished my session with statistics showing that balanced physical properties in golf greens result in more effective use of both chemicals and water.

If greens are too porous, they are incapable of holding and retaining nutrients and moisture. The chemicals that are applied move through our greens’ mix and into the greens’ drains. The same is true of the water that we apply.

When greens are out of balance with low infiltration/percolation rates, then the reverse is true and the water that is applied runs off the surface of the green. The chemicals that are applied cannot be effective as they cannot be taken up by the plant that is under stress from lack of oxygen.

The training session attendees, after much discussion came to the conclusion that they needed more information about what they were dealing with in their greens. The seriousness of the issue was evident to me because the discussion lasted into the early evening hours – and this at the end of their fourth day of eight-hour classes.

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The group agreed that wetting agents are a very valuable tool, but which one should be used?

A wetting agent that holds water or one that moves water?

The selection of which type needs to be determined by science identifying what type of physical properties exists in the greens.

By using a physical properties report based on science and by identifying what is in our greens in one-inch increments, we are able to determine how deep we should aerify and if we should fill the holes or leave them open, as well as considering the size of tine needed and the most effective spacing.

It is very possible that on some newer greens we might only need to use small solid tines to achieve the desired results.

Although the military courses were given 10 years to comply with the new edicts, many of the superintendents felt confident that they could accomplish the 20 percent water reduction in less time than 10 years, without sacrificing quality of product.

With what we have learned from working with your courses over these number of years, I feel confident that this project can be a major step forward in how we treat our greens now and in the future. B R

LEGAL COMMITTEE BY ROB HARRIS

Court Rules in Favor of Neighbors

Challenging the Residential Development of a Closed Golf Course A California court’s recent decision provides an illustration of the courts’ role in addressing disputes between owners of closed golf courses seeking development of the property and impacted neighbors who desire to maintain the open space.

In a case brought by the “Friends of Pine Meadow,” Superior Court Steven Austin ruled in favor of the neighbors, holding that the City of Martinez acted unlawfully in passing a resolution authorizing a developer to proceed with a 99 -unit housing project.

As is often the situation, the public statement of the victors here proclaimed the triumph of David over Goliath: “This is a huge victory for the citizens of Martinez, and a victory over those civic leaders and special interests who would further their own interests at the expense of what is best for our entire community…. Bringing a lawsuit against the City Council and a wealthy developer is a daunting undertaking, but the council’s and the developer’s actions in rewriting history would have set a dangerous precedent for manipulating our government. It is a shame that citizens have to go to such lengths to keep our leaders from taking actions that the court has ruled are not legal.”

In contrast, the judicial opinion–rarely reviewed by casual observers–demonstrates the methodical, meat and potatoes work required of the courts as they plod through decades of city council meeting minutes, applications, ordinances, statutes and rulings, attempting to bring order to what may have been overly informal and/or slipshod historical events.

As Judge Austin posited here: “Each side in this case has reason to be frustrated. The lack of clear documentation in the city’s records has contributed to years of litigation, multiple lawsuits, and, so far, three appeals … The court is under no illusion that its current ruling will end this dispute.”

It took Judge Austin 22 written pages to lay out the history, the evolutionary record and the application of that history to the current dispute. While his decision may or may not withstand appellate scrutiny, it demonstrates the challenges facing the courts in such matters, highlights the uncertainties facing the litigants, and begs the question of whether, in such hotly contested matters, there are realistic compromises to litigation that will enable competing interests to achieve partial victory and the certainty that comes with it. BR

BILL SCHWARTZ

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Bill Schwartz is the founder and CEO of System Concepts, Inc. (SCI). Based in Scottsdale AZ, SCI is a food and beverage procurement and inventory management consulting firm and the developer of the FOOD-TRAK System, which is widely used in club operations around the country. Bill can be reached at (480)951-8011 or bills@foodtrak.com

Make or Buy? Fabrication Benefits and Challenges Lately, I have been purchasing large cuts of meat and whole fish and breaking them down into meal-sized portions. I even purchased a band saw.

But the chamber vacuum sealer is perhaps the most valuable appliance in my kitchen because of the amount of money it saves by allowing me to freeze, without any significant loss of quality, all the portions we can’t immediately consume.

The ability to buy whole halibut at $10 a pound versus $35 a pound at the market makes sense even if I only get a 60 percent yield from the whole fish. The fish is fresher and better tasting than precut filets.

When it comes to fabrication, things get a bit more complicated if multiple products are created from the primal.

For example, breaking down a whole strip loin will usually result in one or two menu items, but breaking down a whole pig could result in many more. It’s much simpler to predict demand for a single menu item than for multiple menu items.

For clubs in particular, where dining attendance can vary considerably, it may make sense to avoid variability associated with primal cuts that result in multiple menu items. The idea that any excess can be used in soups or frozen for later use further complicates the process, and when it comes to profitability, may not be as helpful as once thought.

The trick is to establish the best possible yield and measure each fabricator against that standard. Every time the item is fabricated, a record (cutting chart or cut sheet) should be kept of the beginning and ending values to enable yield calculation and more effective control of waste. These records should be reviewed every day for maximum benefit.

The idea of saving costs through purchasing primal or sub-primal cuts of beef and whole fish is something I learned from my clients and their chefs over the years, although in their case the portions they got through fabrication were rarely frozen and almost always used within days.

In addition to cost savings, the reasons many clients went in this direction included quality control, portion control, multiple uses requiring different cuts and the ability to use the entire animal – the nose to tail concept.

The challenges associated with fabrication come in three primary areas: 1. Spoilage - Too much product on hand resulting in the need to freeze or discard.

2. Waste - Skill required for fabrication can result in varying yields.

3. Profitability - Menu item determination and costing can be tricky.

The spoilage problem is universal in foodservice and can only be addressed through good estimation of need.

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The waste issue in this case refers to fabrication yield loss. I define this loss as any portion of the initial product that cannot be used in menu items. In some cases, this would simply be trim, excess fat, or unusable parts.

Some clients say they use all these parts as well, typically in stocks or other prep. This is fine, but keep in mind that this trim cost exactly the same amount as the good stuff.

Unless this cost is added to the stock cost, or the yield is calculated without these components and the resulting higher cost is allocated to the primary menu items involved, the accounting and therefore profitability associated with the fabrication approach are faulty.

The waste calculation is simple. Take the initial weight of the item, butcher it, remove all parts that cannot be used or will be allocated at no cost to other products and weigh the remainder.

SEE FOOD FOR THOUGHT | 107

AARON DAWSON Aaron R. Dawson is general manager, Miramont Country Club, Bryan, Texas He can be reached at (979) 361-7233 or (979) 436-3851, cell or via email: dawson@miramont.cc www.miramont.cc

HR COMMITTEE

Finding the Right Tool for The Job Ask any handyman or anyone in the construction industry, and they will attest that having the right tool can make all the difference in completing a project effectively and professionally.

On the other hand, if you don’t utilize the right tool, you’re in store for plenty of frustration. For example, you don’t try to hammer a nail with a monkey wrench. Likewise, don’t use a screwdriver to pound nails, because it takes forever and wrecks the screwdriver.

Obviously, these are rather absurd and extreme examples. Even a novice knows not to attempt to cut a tree down with a utility knife.

In our day-to-day lives, however, many of us fail to understand that we all have toolboxes, so to speak. But in our communications with others, we sometimes don’t use our different tools. We keep hammering away…even though a tape measure might be what we really need.

Several years ago, I was introduced to the Birkman Method, a robust personality and perceptual assessment and after taking the assessment, received my strengths report. I learned about the tools that I used the most, along with the tools I needed to learn to use. I then became a certified consultant, helping others become more self-aware.

When coaching others, I always try to use the Birkman as a guide. It provides useful insights to helps us understand our behaviors. Usual behaviors are considered strengths… behaviors that clients typically use, because they are often effective. Consequently, the usual behaviors are a person’s most commonly used tools. There’s a danger, however, in always using the same tool.

As an example, a female client (the boss) was having a difficult time connecting with an employee. The employee was ready to quit her job, because she couldn’t relate to her boss. She described her boss as ‘cold and hard to read.’

I asked her if she had ever been praised for being candid and logical (her usual behavior, which is one of her strengths). She smiled and said “yes.”

We talked about how being candid and logical were her common and useful tools. I then asked her if she had ever been given feedback that she was perhaps cold or terse.

“Yes,” she said. “My mother says I should smile more. She says that I sometimes feature a perpetual ‘bitchface.’”

I asked her if it was possible that her employee might be having the same perspective. My client smiled (somewhat painfully) and said, “Oh, I understand!” We then discussed that perhaps her strength of being candid and logical was the wrong tool for the job in this particular case.

We discussed how a tactful, suggestive approach might work better while communicating with this particular employee and suggested that she really

Several years ago, I was introduced to the Birkman Method, a robust personality and perceptual assessment and after taking the assessment, received my strengths report. I learned about the tools that I used the most, along with the tools I needed to learn to use.

I then became a certified consultant, helping others become more self-aware. work on showing more emotion and being more expressive when communicating.

I also suggested that she ask a trusted co-worker to help her see this blind spot and arranged for this coworker to be her “mirror” and to observe her body language. We then asked the same co-worker to give her critical feedback on how she was being perceived.

My client was candid and open with the “mirror,” and by asking her for help, she instantly became more vulnerable and approachable. In other words, she used a different tool and gained the result she wanted.

I was certainly able to relate to that client, because I have often been praised for my tell-it-like-it-is candor and direct approach. These are strengths, and because of those strengths, I have been asked to SEE HR COMMITTEE | 107 JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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BILL BOOTHE

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE

Bill Boothe is president and owner of The Boothe Group, LLC, an independent consulting firm that helps clubs understand computer technology, make good decisions and receive the highest value from their technology investment. During his 28 years in the club industry Bill has assisted more than 400 private clubs. Bill can be reached at bboothe@boothegroup.com.

Why Private Clubs Are Targets for Cyber Attacks Phishing (generic) and spear phishing Because that’s where the money is! – Attributed to Willie Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks in the 1920s, although he subsequently denied (personalized) emails – An easy back door way for hackers to get around network secumaking the statement. rity. These emails are authentic looking and efIt should be obvious to private clubs why they are prime targets for fective in enticing unwary club employees into cyber attacks. But somehow the club industry continues to go along its opening the back door. merry way with little regard for the serious peril awaiting just around • 52 percent of data security breaches are the corner. Some facts that help support the need for industry-wide inadvertently assisted by employees of the concern include: business.

• Private clubs are small businesses No alarm system – Even if a hacker suc• 43 percent of cyber attacks are on small businesses cessfully invades a club’s network, standard • Many members of private clubs are affluent individuals monitoring methods are available to quickly • Private clubs maintain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) on identify intruder activity and choke it off. Sadly, their members very few clubs use such monitoring. This allows • PII of affluent individuals is highly-prized by hackers intruders to explore the network at their lei• PII is used by hackers to develop identity theft profiles sure, looking for valuable PII. • Stolen identities are used to open fraudulent bank and credit card No employee awareness training – Lots accounts, take out fraudulent loans and mortgages, etc. of companies offer training designed to teach staff how to identify and avoid phishing emails.

So, clubs fit the mold as excellent targets for cyber attacks intending Sadly, very few clubs (or other small busito gather PII. Is the typical club adequately protected? In my experinesses) utilize such training. No wonder that ence, not even close. Here’s why. more than half of all system breaches are asNetwork security – The first layer of protection. Most clubs have sisted by unwary employees. adequate firewalls, passwords, etc. to ward off a frontal attack from an outside intruder. Unfortunately, hackers know this and generally focus How real is the threat? During the past two their efforts on other attack modes. In other words, since the front years I’ve been asking club financial executives door is well protected, they focus on the back door for entry. attending my education sessions to fess up about the level of attacks they are experiencing. A disturbing 25 percent acknowledge that their networks have been compromised during that period.

Almost all have been ransomware attacks where (thankfully) the club has regained control of its systems by paying a ransom (sometimes as high as $10,000). But what’s even more troubling about those attacks is that very few of the clubs have any idea if member PII was copied/ stolen while the hackers were in their systems.

Bottom line – It’s wide for clubs to deploy employee awareness training to secure the back door and network monitoring to quickly choke off any intruder who manages to invade the network. B R 86

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KELLY GILLEY

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Kelly Gilley, PGA, is a PGA Career Services Consultant serving the northern and southern Texas PGA Sections. She may be reached at (832) 458-8112 or kgilley@pgahq.com.

Eye on Omni Hotels and Resorts In 2018, Omni Hotels & Resorts chose PGA Career Services to assist with the search for a ing to see this as the PGA Professional is the most important relationship to club general manager to oversee the Barton Creek golf properties in Austin, TX. the member. The PGA Professional is Historically, an area managing director had overseen both the resort as well as also the bridge-builder with other club the golf properties, but Omni felt this collection of golf facilities and its respective departments,” Eye stated. members and guests deserved a greater level of attention and service.

Eye believes the golf tournaments While Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is now open, the search process began and events hosted by a detail-oriented at a critical time as a $150 million renovation and expansion was already underPGA Professional require a great deal way. The newly transformed property is the most luxurious resort in the Lone of interaction with the agronomy, food Star State and features four championship golf courses including Fazio Canyons, and beverage, and club service teams.

Fazio Foothills, Coore Crenshaw, and Palmer Lakeside.

As a result of this interaction, the PGA PGA member and general manager Jerry Eye emerged as the successful candiProfessional develops a broad base of date and began his new role late last year. Eye’s move to Texas happened after a knowledge of other departments and five-year stint as general manager at The Citrus Club at La Quinta, preceded by what makes them successful. This is nine years as a director of golf at PGA West.

PGA’s continued relationship with Omni Barton Creek will be on full display as the club hosts the 29th PGA Cup and the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup. Omni Barton Creek also will be the site of the PGA of America’s two largest all-professional events, the 2020 PGA Professional Championship and the 2019 Senior PGA Professional Championship.

“There were several key factors that appealed to me about this position,” offered Eye. First, the Omni culture is of such high reputation. Additionally, the direction of the company is so positive. It’s clear to me the owners are truly invested in making the properties the best in the industry, and I wanted to be a part of something as magnificent as this renovation and capital investment.”

Eye is part of a growing contingent of PGA members being elevated to some of the top general manager positions in the industry. He feels PGA of America has done an outstanding job creating the environment to allow more PGA members to take on general manager roles because of expanded educational options.

As a PGA Professional Certified in General Management, Eye encourages his fellow professionals to take advantage of the tailored education for those interested in executive management roles.

PGA of America’s education now includes three levels of post-membership education, beginning with the Specialist, moving on to the Certified Professional and culminating with the Master Professional achievement.

Eye never really thought about becoming a general manager until discussions at The Citrus Club led down that path. It became clear through that process that he had gained a much broader base of knowledge of the business than he realized.

“I may be biased, but I don’t believe there is anyone more well-suited to take on the general manager role than the PGA Professional. Owners and Boards are start90

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tremendous preparation for the role of general manager.

Eye and his family have had an easy transition as they have felt welcomed in Austin. They love the friendliness and the culture.

PGA’s continued relationship with Omni Barton Creek will be on full display as the club hosts the 29th PGA Cup and the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup - the premier international competition for men and women PGA Club Professionals later this year.

Omni Barton Creek also will be the site of the PGA of America’s two largest all-professional events, the 2020 PGA Professional Championship and the 2019 Senior PGA Professional Championship. B R

NANCY BERKLEY Nancy Berkley is an expert on women’s golf and junior girls golf. Nancy shares news and her opinions about women’s golf on the www.lpgawomensnetwork.com, www.womensgolf.com and on her own websites: berkleygolfconsulting.com and nancyberkley.com. You can also follow Nancy on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nancy.berkley.98 and on Twitter @NancyBerkley.

NANCY’S CORNER

Promote Women’s Golf with a Golf Tournament It’s a Solheim Cup Summer!

The Solheim Cup has been played every other year since 1990 and is very similar to the men’s Ryder Cup played in the alternate years.

It’s a 12-player women’s team event between Team U.S.A. and Team Europe spread over three days. The 2019 Solheim Cup will be September 9-15 at the Jack Nicklaus designed PGA Centenary Course about an hour north of Edinburgh, Scotland.

A formula is used to select the teams based on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings plus “Captain’s picks.” The final teams are set mid-August. See www.solheimcup.com Here are several ideas to make the Solheim Cup or any major women’s golf event in your area newsworthy for your women members and highlight the excitement of women’s golf.

1. Ask your golf professionals to update your women members on the history and current standings of Team U.S.A. and Team Europe. Use email, newsletter or the old-fashioned bulletin board in the women’s locker room.

2. Introduce the formats used in the Solheim Cup at one of your weekly tournaments: Foursome (also called Alternate Shot using the same ball), Fourballs (two person teams) and Singles.

Depending on your women golfers, handicaps may be used – or not. Determine a fair way to establish two-person

teams in each foursome. This is a great time to ask your golf professionals to be out on the course greeting your members, answering questions and even taking a putt or two.

3. Follow up your Solheim Cup ladies’ golf day with a “watch party” (Nancy’s Corner, BoardRoom magazine, May/June 2019) of the actual Solheim Cup matches. Invite your women golfers to watch a few hours of the matches at a convenient time – either via live TV or recorded.

4. If in the right time zone, schedule a casual dinner event for your club during the Solheim Cup matches. Have each guest draw a Team U.S.A. or Team Europe ticket. Half of your members could be winners of a complimentary glass of wine, and it’s a great way to promote women’s golf.

The Solheim Cup was established by Louise and Karsten Solheim, the developer of the famous PING putter. Louise Solheim played a very important role in the company. I was fortunate to interview the granddaughter of Louise and share the story of her life and role in PING. She passed away a few years ago but every Solheim Cup has a walkway adorned with her picture. See https://www.womensgolf.com/louise-solheim Nancy will be at the Solheim Cup matches reporting for the media and celebrating her fourth Solheim Cup! BR

RAISING THE STANDARD TO

RAISE OUR GAME USPTA is the first and only USTA accredited tennis teaching professional organization.

Together, we will set a new standard of excellence and provide even more opportunities for those who teach tennis to grow and advance.

To learn more, go to usta.com/raisingstandards © 2019 USTA. All rights reserved.

INNOVATIVE

IDEAS

Nebraska Club Splashes Out Creative Thinking Funds Big Projects

When members at Champions Run in Omaha, Nebraska started talking about building a splash park at their club two years ago, it was a far-fetched idea, in the absence of a capital improvement project fund.

Within two years, the club’s leadership made it happen, using innovative methods driven by a desire to outmatch their competitors in the area with the best family-friendly offerings around.

A swimming pool lacked the “wow factor” they were looking for, and a little research revealed that a zero-depth entry swimming pool – the kind with a sloping side that allows for gradual entry, as at a beach – had the same price tag as splash park. That solidified the decision, and they went for it.

The club’s chief memory officer Ben Lorenzen said he was skeptical when the club’s general manager said, “Let’s do something crazy” and suggested a full-scale waterpark as a moonshot project. “We really didn’t have the money for that,” Lorenzen shared.

To fund the project, the club eliminated its monthly food and beverage minimum, with the idea that you should not have to force people to eat at your club. “We want members to come to the club because we have great service and great food,” said Lorenzen. “We actually saw our F&B revenue go up, instead of down.”

Next, the club launched a capital dues fund of $40 and $60 per month for social and golf members, respectively. In the ensuing two years, they have accomplished several capital improvement projects with the resulting bump in revenue.

“We basically did $3 million in new projects,” Lorenzen said.

“We built the better Billy Bunker method on the course. We also built a whole new fitness center, the splash park and added all new outdoor furniture around the pool. Over the course of three to four years, all of these will be paid off,” he explained.

“Between the splash park and the bunkers, we are definitely

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different from other clubs in the area. We want people to say, ‘These guys are doing it differently,’” Lorenzen added.

With the splash park, he continued, “We wanted to really tell a story. The splash park incorporates tennis, golf and swim features within it since those are all a big part of our club’s program.

“Within the splash park, we hid people’s names and embedded hidden messages,” he said of the kids who are memorialized in the park’s many panels – including those families who have been instrumental in growing the club’s youth program. “We think that’s really special,” he added.

The splash park has had the desired effect, both in attracting younger and impressing their junior members.

Has it worked? “Yes, absolutely!” said Lorenzen. “Our average age at the club is about 46, which is very young compared to most country clubs. We are on a waiting list for our golf membership.”

It’s so popular, kids seeing the splash park for the first time start screaming with joy and excitement. “My only regret is that we didn’t make it bigger,” laughed Lorenzen. BR

MEGHAN THIBAULT Meghan Thibault, Innovative Ideas editor, is a professional writer and communicator with a passion for storytelling.

A writer at heart, Thibault has been involved in the hospitality and club industry in Canada, the Caribbean and Hawaii.

She is currently a member and on the membership committee, at Mid-Pacific Country Club in Kailua, HI. To submit an idea or story for this section, please email ideas@boardroommag.com

Mass Notification Apps

Tools to Keep Your Members Safe & Informed With the Atlantic hurricane season just around the corner – beginning on June 1st and running through November 30th each year – many clubs now have risk management and updated hurricane action plans on their agenda.

Houston Racquet Club knows a thing or two about disaster preparedness. Located just 60 miles from Galveston and the Gulf of Mexico, and even closer to inland waterways fed by the Gulf, the club has experienced a few hurricanes in its 54-year history. In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dealt the city of Houston a serious blow, making landfall nearby as a Category 4 storm.

Always seeking new ways to improve communications with both employees and members, the club introduced a mass notification system to get timely messages to its staff and membership from any internet-connected device.

When disaster strikes, the Houston Racquet Club is prepared!

The club implemented a new alerting system and mobile app available to all employees and members, so they can be made aware of any imminent emergency situations, severe weather or disasters.

With safety and well-being in mind, the club launched the new value-added service to provide accurate information to all its constituent groups.

The club’s new emergency notification system delivers fast, timely

and efficient communication and can send alerts of any potential safety threat to Houston Racquet Club employees and members in just two clicks. The club can now transmit important, and possibly life-saving information in a matter of seconds.

A visit to Apple’s App Store or a Google search yields multiple options for clubs looking for the right app to fit your needs. Hint: We googled “apps that send emergency alerts via text to large groups” and came up with plenty of options. B R

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INNOVATIVE

IDEAS

LAAC’s Rich History Inspires a Truly Unique and Authentic Brand Refresh Founded in 1880, the historic Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is one of the oldest operating institutions in California. As reported in the September 2018 issue of BoardRoom, the LAAC attracted more than 500 new Millennial members in the first half of last year through a combination of strategic capital investments and rebranding.

For more than a century, LAAC has played host to generations of prominent Angelenos, including Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Johnny Weissmuller. World-renowned Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii, long considered the father of modern-day surfing, spent time in the LAAC’s stunning swimming pool.

“When the club was founded in 1880, the designers that created the emblem for the club were inspired by the Roman God Mercury,” said Cory Hathaway, the club’s assistant general manager. “That god represents speed, the protection of athletic venues, the protector of sports - it’s a powerful, ancient symbol...and that’s how the club’s logo was created.”

While digging through the club’s rich archives, Hathaway’s team unearthed historical papers and memorabilia that inspired the club’s refreshed brand, which debuted in 2015. Looking to the club’s original logo for inspiration, they hewed closely to its design when creating sharp new iconography.

Their new logo features the Mercury’s winged foot, resting on a crescent moon. Reviving one of the club’s earliest symbols, sculptor Richard Becker was commissioned to create a timeless, custom sculpture that graces the club’s lobby. The LAAC also rebranded its monthly publication, entitled Mercury, which was established in 1911 and is currently distributed to the club’s membership.

Becker captured Mercury in an athletic, striving pose, using an ancient process to create the life-size, alloyed stainless steel piece. The Roman God, in Becker’s interpretation, is reaching forever upwards. Becker imagines his artwork at the club 200 years from now – an enduring and powerful symbol that transcends time, bridging the past and future of the LAAC. “We think the Mercury statue really symbolizes what we see as the future of the club. It’s a contrast of old and new. It’s a historic, ancient figure but it’s done in stainless steel and has a modern edge to it,” said Hathaway. “We want to be at the crossroads of old and new and we want to be pushing the history forward.”

Blending elements from the club’s remarkable history with leading-edge, contemporary offerings that appeal to their target audience, the LAAC has landed upon an incredibly successful formula that appeals to Millennial members looking for the intersection of retro and modern, hip and authentic.

“We wanted to elevate our entire merchandise program and tap into the history of the club and do it in a way that is current and also in a way that aligns with some of the arts scene in downtown Los Angeles,” said Ha94

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thaway. The club’s sports shop features unique, locally produced athletic apparel and merchandise all branded with the club’s classic insignia that can’t be found elsewhere, including candles, towels, and scent diffusers.

“So many historic clubs are sitting on a treasure trove of history that when presented at a high level - it is so cool,” Hathaway added. “I would love to inspire other clubs to elevate the quality of their branding work.” B R

M ercury, origin al sculp t ure b y Rich ard B e c ke r © R i c h a r d B ecker S t ud io LLC 2 015, From Th e Los An ge l e s At h l e t i c Club collect ion . Used wit h p ermission .

MEGHAN THIBAULT Meghan Thibault, Innovative Ideas editor, is a professional writer and communicator with a passion for storytelling.

A writer at heart, Thibault has been involved in the hospitality and club industry in Canada, the Caribbean and Hawaii.

She is currently a member and on the membership committee, at Mid-Pacific Country Club in Kailua, HI. To submit an idea or story for this section, please email ideas@boardroommag.com

Salt Therapy Is Trending and Easy to Implement We’ve long recognized the many health benefits of breathing in fresh, salt air. Doctors have been prescribing curative trips to the seashore for centuries.

Now we understand that negative ions in salt air accelerate our ability to absorb oxygen and help our bodies to balance our naturally occurring, happiness-inducing serotonin levels, improving mood and lowering stress.

Members at Woodfield Country Club certainly understand the benefits of salt air, given the club’s desirable location in Boca Raton, Florida. The club recently reaffirmed its commitment to wellness with the launch of a unique concept – a salt therapy suite. Salt therapy is a holistic treatment that recreates the microclimate of a salt cave. The floor and walls

of the suite are laden with Himalayan salt bricks harvested from a salt chamber or cave.

Club members have been enjoying relaxing, 25-minute salt therapy sessions in the club’s new suite, which can be booked for individuals or couples as a stand-alone appointment or as an add-on to any of the club’s many spa treatments.

The low-humidity salt therapy treatment room is equipped with comfortable lounge chairs where members can relax and unwind, while simply breathing in the saltrich air. Warm neck wraps and blankets are provided for their comfort.

The suite was launched in conjunction with an education program at the club, which highlighted the benefits of salt therapy to the club’s members, who were treated to quick tours and special introductory pricing, to promote the new amenity.

Salt therapy is purported to benefit those with respiratory ailments and skin conditions, in particular, including allergies, asthma, eczema and sinus conditions. It’s also said to offer anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits.

Salt therapy may also provide increased oxygen flow and accelerate recovery from the common cold and flu, according to the team at Woodfield, who shared that the new therapy suite gets significantly more use during the winter months.

“Members have been very enthusiastic about the salt therapy suite,” said Brooke Dinsmoor, the club’s director of communications. “In peak season, as many as 20 members per day have sought out salt therapy treatment.” The club claims that low labor and maintenance costs make the suite a great investment while offering an innovative health and wellness benefit for members to enjoy. B R JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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GABRIEL ALUISY

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Gabriel Aluisy is the host of Private Club Radio and author of The Definitive Guide to Membership Marketing and The ABC’s of Plutonium Private Club Leadership. You can reach him via email: gabe@privateclubagency.com or (813) 344-4769.

Membership Marketing Ideas Crowdsourced from Top Pros - Part I But when you’re in the weeds, your staff is stretched thin and there are fires to put out they approach or incentivize the process. If you haven’t looked at today, it’s hard to get out and network with colleagues to find the ideas. your referral incentive in the last Here’s the good news: I’ve done some of the work for you by getting informatwo years, it’s time. tion from some top membership professionals around the country and what has Most clubs offer one month’s dues been successful for them in the last 12 months. to members when they refer. First Reintroducing the personal touch: In this impersonal world we live in, a perof all, that’s boring! Your members sonal touch can really stand out. Melissa Hansen of the Club at Olde Cypress in aren’t motivated by money. They alNaples, FL shares this unique tip on how to get more personal with prospects. ready have it, probably a lot of it, or “Studies show a personalized note can increase response to a marketing camelse they wouldn’t be there. So give paign by 30–50 percent and 64 percent of people are more likely to purchase a them something they don’t have - a product after watching a video. So our strategy was to combine them. once in a lifetime experience or speWe worked with BirdieBox.com to create a luxury video box, which, upon opencial recognition. ing, played a lifestyle video about Olde Cypress. The box contained four coasters Monique Waller of Hunter’s Green with pictures of the club, a split of champagne and a personalized note inviting Country Club, Tampa, FL was kind them to come experience the club as member-for-a-day. enough to share her member referral We targeted brand new home owners within three miles of our gates that had program. a home value over $650,000. As a result, we had a conversion rate over 60 per“We implemented a great memcent - the highest we’ve ever had. ber sponsor program called JUST 1.

It worked because our video shared our brand’s story, allowed viewers to expeThe message was simple. We asked rience the passion and excitement of our club and made them want to be a part our members to sponsor just one of the fun. The personalized note made them feel recognized, not just a number.” new member to the club in 2018. We posted signs all over the club, water Restructuring junior categories: If you haven’t looked at your membership coolers on the course, ice machines, categories in a while, it might be time to consider adjustments. A big trend has golf carts and more. been to increase the age of the young executive category. But what other ways We hosted a town hall meeting in can you re-imagine your membership categories? Here Silvia Lalinde of Myers January to introduce the program Park Country Club, Charlotte, NC shares what her club did last year. to the membership. When a member “We went from a maximum age of 35 to 39 so everyone from under 40 was sponsored someone, they received covered under the new junior program. We also changed the name of the catone complimentary draft beer, egory to associate resident in order to connect it to resident membership since house wine or soda every day at they became residents once they turned 40. the Member Grill, $100 club credit, In addition, we created dues tiers for ages 21-27, 28-34 and 35-39. It alJust 1 logo item and recognition lowed for those who were in their early 20s take advantage of a private club. on a member sponsor board, email Dues increased as their wealth increased. The only issue was that we had to and social media. We finished over take those members that were resident and between 35-39 and bring them $30,000 better PND than the previdown to associate resident. It ultimately caused a dues loss but in the long run, ous year!” B R it was a good move on our part.”

Revitalizing the member referral: Often clubs feel the well has run dry on member referrals. I’d argue it’s more likely they haven’t changed the way 98

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STEVE GRAVES

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

At Creative Golf Marketing, our goal has always been to provide the guidance and solutions to reinvigorate, promote and market the private club industry across the United States and Canada. If you would like additional information regarding membership retention or how to identify your own ‘at risk’ members, please call (800) 526-8794 or contact us by email at steve@creativegolfmarketing.com.

Owners Versus Customers It’s All In How You Think!

We, as consumers, tend to treat things we own substantially differently than things we rent.

There is a trend right now in the private club industry, which for some reason has private club members thinking of themselves more as customers at their club rather than owners of their club.

The difference between those two concepts may seem rather insignificant.

However, there’s an enormous difference in how these psychological concepts are thought of by members, and how it relates to their perceived relationship with the club. This difference has manifested itself in the governance of private clubs as well as the membership developments efforts of the club.

The attitude of being a customer rather than an owner suggests that the basic responsibilities of running a member-owned club are someone else’s obligation, including difficulty finding qualified individuals to serve of the board of directors/governors and certain critical committees (membership, finance, strategic planning, etc.).

You would naturally think that the members (owners) of their club would take enormous pride in the long-term advancement of their organization. And that as owners, they would make every effort possible to maintain the short and long-term success of their club.

Clubs have struggled in the storytelling and public relations efforts of instilling the belief and truth that private clubs are truly owned by the members. What you would think is a natural instinct of pride and ownership for each member of the club has become a necessary public relations effort for which management and leadership must take a more active role.

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Lately we have seen members abdicate their responsibilities of acting as an owner of the club. This is not because of a concerted effort to relinquish their ownership responsibilities to someone else but rather because of a lack of effort on behalf of club management and leadership to inform, educate and inspire them to consider themselves an owner versus a customer.

It is not the fault of the membership but rather the lack of efforts on behalf of clubs to properly educate members about their true relationship with their club and how they should act. When you become a member of a private club you immediately take on the privilege and responsibility of being an active participant in the short and long-term success of the club.

Again, you would think that would be instinctive but for some reason it takes more effort to instill that knowledge than one would think.

In a perfect world all members naturally would be inclined to understand the importance of their participation in furthering the success of their club. With this type of attitude, they would not be looking around the club for someone else to do their job but rather seeking to assist others in performing their collective job together. One club that we worked with used the following communication to help reiterate the difference between owners and customers: “We belong to _______Country Club and _______ Country Club belongs to us.”

We suggest you proudly say this out loud and see how powerful it sounds. Club leadership should take this ideology to heart. Members should be educated to the fact that they are owners of their club and should at all times act accordingly.

This attitude should be present in the willingness to serve in leadership roles as well as membership growth efforts. Both are cornerstone fundamentals of a truly successful private club.

Indoctrinating the owner versus customer concept begins on day one and should be initiated immediately upon joining the club. We believe that many clubs simply have failed to instill the proper attitude with new members upon their joining their club.

New member orientations are critical in how members are taught to think about their club. At their initial orientation it is critical for new members to understand they are now an owner of the club. The sooner you can educate, motivate and inspire a new member to take an active role in furthering the success of the club the better.

One of the most important elements of ownership is to further the financial success of the club. Certainly a happy and satisfied member is apt to recommend an entity to a friend. However, to ask a member to go through the effort to influence a friend to become a dedicated ➤

TED ROBINSON Ted Robinson is a partner with Private Club Associates and can be reached at (478) 741 7996 or via email: tcr@privateclubassociates.com

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Starting from Scratch - Part V

A Training Plan for the New Membership Director Completing the Competitive Market “Learning experiences are like journeys. The journey starts where the learning is now, and ends where the learner is more successful. The end of the journey isn’t knowing Analysis comes as homework assignment number four. You should have more, it’s doing more.” –Julie Dirksen, learning strategy and design consultant identified your true competitive set and “Train everyone lavishly. You can’t overspend on training.” - Tom Peters must always stay abreast of what that Developing a membership director’s job description Part IV focused on the competition is doing, what they are “core competencies” in an ideal candidate. Here Part V delves into a checklist for charging and their plans for the future. a training plan and program specifically for your membership director – after, of The CMA should be updated every six course, your “first day” training for all employees – human resources administra- months. Learning the club’s software tion, tour of the club, meeting the other department heads, etc. and the customer relationship manRemember the most effective learning comes from doing, so mix up your one agement program (CRM) in particular on one time with homework assignments and tasks that reinforce what you want is the focus for homework assignment the membership director to retain and accomplish. number five. The new membership diThe most important priority is gaining an understanding of and feeling for your rector must review each current prosclub’s unique culture – codified in your club’s vision statement, mission statement pect and begin adding their prospects and brand position statement. All three must be committed to memory, as well as into the system. The right experienced the club’s history and traditions – homework assignment number one. sales person will be ready to jump into Next comes the job description and membership marketing SOP and homeyour club’s CRM system. work assignment number two is learning, challenging and incorporating these For the first two weeks I recomdocuments into a daily work plan. (Of course, there are “nuts and bolts” issues mend that the new membership to be accomplished early: business cards (with the MD’s cell phone included), director meet each morning – then note cards, email address, and voice mail set up, etc.) at least once each week -same time/ Homework assignment number three is learning the product. The new memsame place – with the general manbership director must memorize the club’s membership products – the categoager who can monitor progress and ries, classes and related privileges, as well as the dues and fee schedule. It is also provide direction. In the beginning critical for for the membership director to know and understand the club’s rules you are in the direct supervision and the bylaws. mode and will move, as you witness Next priority is meeting the members of the board of directors and the comprogress and success, to close supermittees individually. The path to success is turning the entire membership into vision and then direction. the sales force – because the job is as what its title implies – sales director.

Whew! That’s really a lot of stuff The starting line is with the club’s leadership. Visit them in their offices – and – and there is much more that will leave cookies along with your business card behind. Get to know them – so they be shared in the next installment of know their responsibility is to introduce prospective members to you.

“Starting from Scratch”. BR consumer of that entity, if and when the member simply thinks of themselves as a “customer” would be quite a stretch. That same request is less burdensome to a member who thinks of themselves as an owner of the club.

All private clubs should rethink how they communicate with their membership (current, new and prospective) when

it comes to the success, growth and financial future. Having all members of private clubs thinking and acting as owners rather than customers will have a dramatic and noticeable impact on the success of each private club. It is definitely worth the effort to alter how your members think and act. BR

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ROSIE SLOCUM

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

Rosie Slocum, MCMP is director of membership & marketing, BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens Florida | www.ballenisles.org www.facebook.com/ballenislescountryclub www.instagram.com/ballenislescountryclub

Eye in The Sky A Bird’s-Eye View

Drone footage can be used in a num“Technology feeds on itself. Technology makes more technology possible . . . comber of ways. If you’re planning a golf fortingquotes.com” course, tennis courts, aquatics or club The use of unmanned aerial vehicle or aka “drones” have become a widerenovation, these are perfect opporly-used marketing tool in the club industry focusing on brand development. tunities to use the technology to sell Once utilized as a toy or hobby, marketers are now taking advantage of a capital project to the membership. streaming drone technology to tap into its potential as a marketing opportunity.

Once you’ve obtained your project apA drone with a camera shoots high-quality aerial video that can record from proval you can incorporate aerial footviewpoints that used to require a lot of time, work and money. The result ofage into interview updates from your fers the viewer a unique breathtaking perspective from a bird’s-eye view. general contractor, general manager Although, traditional marketing consisting of print ads, commercials, billor club president. board ads and internet ads is still highly effective, drone footage provides new You can keep your membership inengagement opportunities to reach target markets at a time when video is formed of your progress by producing well-regarded on the internet and social media. video updates and share them on a Digital marketing makes it easier with SEO (search engine optimization) dedicated renovation website, your and SEM (search engine marketing) but it can be expensive to reach the right social media, a link to footage in email number of people to get the most for your ROI (return on investment). communications and club app. Your In past, the only way to capture aerial views were from a helicopter, crane members will appreciate the quality of or cherry picker which included excessive costs. These were the times when your presentation using drone footage members needed to be notified not to be alarmed as they witnessed a helifor capital projects and having access copter flying sideways up the golf course fairways with a cameraman hanging to up-to-date information on club imout of the side ‘shooting’ the sweeping tee to green shot from high above. Or provements at their fingertips as work it may have been sending up a photographer in a cherry picker bucket to capprogresses. ture photographs from above the tree line!

If you’re in the process of creating Wow, how times have changed! Not only is it a lot safer but certainly less lifestyle marketing videos, using drone expensive as technology paves the way to modernize how we are able to provideo is the most effective way to capduce effective marketing platforms to share internally with members or exterture your club’s outdoor beautification nally with potential members on websites, club apps, social media and digital footage giving viewers a guided tour of campaigns. what you are offering and how it can Drones are very easy to use, compact for travel and use a “smart battery” change their lives. to increase overall flight hours to save time. However, best practice is to use a This is a call to action marketing professional who has drone skills in operating the device, experienced in obtechnique that results in an on-site taining necessary permitting or licensing, knowledgeable about FAA rules and visit from a prospect, ultimately enproducing cinematographer quality content. listing them as a new member to your Rolling out a new campaign is far quicker when a professional does the upclub. front work, leaving you to concentrate on the strategy of getting the results Get on board and tell your story in a out to your target market. compelling way with drone technology .

Drone technology can be viewed as a form of performance art to express . . The possibilities are endless. BR your brand in a meaningful way to make lasting impressions to your audience. This technology is fairly new and there’s no telling what the future holds. It can only get better as more and different ideas are introduced for various uses.

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MIKE PHELPS Mike Phelps is principal and co-founder of Pipeline, a brand marketing agency specializing in private clubs and communities. Learn more at www.pipeline.agency

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

A Duck Tale

It’s a Colorful story Enter the uniforms. Nike’s designers began churning out countless variations The University of Oregon football team has existed since 1894, but generof Oregon gear, in paints and color ations of fielding losing teams left the Ducks with no sense of heritage and no combinations not available to any other pedigree for talent. team. Suddenly, playing for Oregon A century of failure is hard for today’s fans to reconcile with the program’s sucmeant looking like no other football cess in recent years. It’s a turnaround largely credited to Oregon’s most famous player on the planet. and powerful alumni, billionaire co-founder and chairman of Nike, Phil Knight.

These new shiny, flashy, jaw-dropping After consecutive losses in the 1995 Rose Bowl and the 1996 Cotton Bowl, a uniforms captured the attention of refrustrated Knight met with the football program’s leadership to ask one question: cruits who would have never previously “What do you need from me to win?” considered Oregon and gave them a reaCoaches and the school’s athletic director told him what they needed to be son to commit. They also gave Oregon’s successful, and Knight generously responded, pouring over $300 million into fans what they had been missing for the university. over 100 years – an experience that not Autzen Stadium, the home of Ducks football, was renovated. A tutoring cenonly made them feel amazing but conter was built, and a state-of-the-art sports performance compound was connected them to the brand in a way that structed. Top recruits had long-shunned the idea of moving to Eugene to labor was unique to the Ducks. Oregon finally away for a losing program – now Oregon had facilities that surpassed any of had a story. A loud, green, yellow, and the SEC powerhouses. white – but sometimes black and grey, And, yet, the Ducks continued to lose. or a mix of white, metallic silver and The Oregon leadership failed to accurately diagnose their challenge. When a pink, or any of another 140 something brand needs to be reinvigorated, it’s easy to invest in product improvements, variations – story. Oregon could not or marketing that touts features and amenities. But today we live in an era of create history but could define the expost-marketing – and for a brand to succeed it must recognize that features and perience of playing for the Ducks. benefits are secondary to the experience it delivers.

Marketing today is driven forward by Phil Knight’s money bought what Oregon wanted, but it didn’t make the prothe experience, and the story that defines gram any better. Sure, recruits and alumni were impressed by the new facilities. it, not the product itself. We’ve found But marginally better features couldn’t compete against Alabama’s storied past, this to be the case with nearly every club national championships, and the Hall of Fame coaches who roamed the sidelines we’ve worked with too, especially the of Bear Bryant Stadium. And it couldn’t match Penn State’s roster of former lineones contemplating a capital investment backers who’d been first round NFL draft picks. Oregon was doing everything to help drive membership growth. “right” to build a great brand, but no one cared.

As the Ducks learned, brand commuFrustrated by his lack of return on investment, Knight turned to his team at nications that rely solely on “new” facilNike. Their outside perspective recognized what had been overlooked internally: ities and “enhanced” amenities barely Oregon was missing a story, the reason why a student athlete would want to suit move the needle anymore. By defining up for the Ducks. a compelling brand story for your club Nike helped identify a unique point of differentiation for Oregon. Where the and designing signature experiences powerhouse schools could rely on tradition as a differentiator, Oregon had to go around it, you’ll give existing fans in the opposite direction. something to connect with, and new Instead, they overtly embraced their lack of tradition. To cut through the recruits a reason to commit. clutter of college football, Oregon had to be undeniably known for something.

Do you know your club’s story?

Change.

Perhaps we should huddle. BR For 100 years, the Ducks did almost nothing but lose.

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GREGG PATTERSON Gregg Patterson is president of Tribal Magic and can be reached via email: GJPAir@aol.com

TRIBAL MAGIC

Chased by Demons There be DEMONS You’re a wanna be general manager. You know G.M.’ing will be different than assistant managing. There’ll be demons chasing you, making life miserable, making you sweat, tremble and shout out in anger. You’ve been told there’ll be traumas aplenty, that you’ll experience wide awake “3 A.M. moments”, that you’ll wear The Crown of Thorns 24/7, that you’ll be bleeding and weeping lots, and because of all this, you’re twitched and need guidance.

Best you know the Demons you’ll be facing…

THESE BE THE DEMONS

Every club manager is chased by the demons. Whether it’s a big club or a small club, old club or new club, member owned or owner owned, the demons are the same, smelling your fear, waiting to pounce. There are DOZENS out there in the managerial jungle but there are a handful of BIGGIES that’ll knock you down, wring you out and send you straight to management hell. Consider these Bad Boys….

Visibility blackmail: You know you need to be seen, “out there”, on the floor, pressing the flesh, kissing babies and spreading the love. But the paperwork needs doing, in the office, out of sight and out of mind. Can’t be everywhere, and you’ll feel the twitch at 3 a.m.

Going Guilt: You’ll be on vacation, soaking up the sun, and the entire time you’ll be thinking “I should be at the club, greeting members, answering emails, doing paper, solving problems, hiring people, firing people.” You groan – 25 percent on vacation and 75 percent at the club.

Going guilt will be with you while journeying, and you’ll be brooding about being gone at 3 a.m.

Communication fumbles: You’ll be asking yourself if you said the right thing or wrote the right thing to the right people in the right way at the right time. Did you slur your words while talking to the Prez? Did you grimace when you should have smiled? Did they misinterpret what you said or what you wrote? Communication fumbles will haunt you, and you’ll be re-speaking and re-writing your fumbles at 3 a.m.

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Front page failures: Your missteps will be seen by all, on the proverbial “front page” – and those missteps will hurt. You’ll tell everyone what you’ll be doing. You’ll do what you told ‘em you’d do. Then what you did, flops.

And everyone will know it. You’ll hear the laughter and feel the pain, and you’ll re-hash your front page failures at 3 a.m.

Micromanaging members: The house committee chairman tells you to buy xyz tea bags, the president tells you to reduce the size of the cocktail napkins and the buildings and grounds committee tells you to use duromold concrete for sidewalk repairs. Micromanaging members will annoy you to the Nth degree, and you’ll be grizzle-ing at 3 a.m.

“In your face” bitches and moans: There’s no escaping the members – they’ll be everywhere, every day, up close and personal. In your face. No protection. The toilet paper’s too scratchy. The soup’s too thin. The beer’s too cold. And they’ll be hostile – little stuff becomes a BIG DEAL. And you’ve got to take it, because they’re members. And you’ll be reliving The Bitches and The Moans at 3 a.m.

Experts who ain’t: Mr. X is in the mushroom business, and he’ll tell you the ins and outs of riparian law. Mrs. Y has a splash pool at home and will tell you which filtration system is a “must have” for the club’s Olympic-sized pool.

These experts who ain’t will know the answers and will let you, and ALL their friends, know “they know” what they really don’t know. And you’ll be analyzing why the experts ain’t at 3 a.m.

The fear of inadequacy: You’ll be asking yourself if you’re good enough to Do Good as GM. Can I complete this project, organize this event and hold my own with these uber-rich Ivy Leaguers? And you’ll be feeling inadequate at 3 a.m.

Second guessing: You’ll be doubting your decisions… often. Did you do the right thing the right way – deci-

sively? And the wondering and the second guessing will surface at 3 a.m.

Prioritizing: You list the 107 must dos that need doing.

Each of these must dos has an advocate who’s shouting and screaming and asking why this must do hasn’t been done. Who’ll bite first? Who’ll complain louder? Which will secure your job, and which will get you booted? And the prioritizing will give you the sweats at 3 a.m.

Status anxiety: You’ll be comparing yourself to the others. Are the OTHER clubs better than mine? Are the OTHERS making more than me? Are the OTHERS driving sexier cars and wearing nicer suits than me? Status anxiety will shake you awake at 3 a.m.

The LIKE factor: You know big like is a big deal in clubdom. You’ll be asking: Does the staff like me? Do the members like me? Does my spouse like me? You’ll be pondering your like factor and twitching at 3 a.m.

Job insecurity: Managers lose their jobs – lots. Great “people-people” get the boot. Great “numbers guys” get axed. You’ll be thinking: “Am I next?” And you’ll be wondering if your time has come – at 3 a.m.

There be Demons. Best you prepare.

Spank the demons. Consider these “paddles” for spanking the demons.

First– debrief lots and discuss the demons with your team, with your president and with your spouse. Lots of “talk-talk” will purge the demons.

Second – exercise lots and burn out the demons. Find an exercise regimen that creates a zone of tranquility – walk, bike, play tennis, wrestle with bears. The “sweat escape” will release the demons.

Third – write lots and eviscerate the bad boys, pen in hand. Start journaling. Write white papers, articles and essays. Lots of “scribble” will defeat the demons.

Fourth – read lots about others who’ve wrestled with and bruised the demons. Be comforted knowing that “you ain’t alone.” Good “reads” will arm you for combat.

Use the big four lots and you’ll find yourself spanking the demons before they spank you.

Every club manager is chased by the demons. Whether it’s a big club or a small club, old club or new club, member owned or owner owned, the demons are the same, smelling your fear, waiting to pounce. There are DOZENS out there in the managerial jungle but there are a handful of BIGGIES that’ll knock you down, wring you out and send you straight to management hell.

The rumor mill: Rumors will surface. They’ll say you sleep in the office. They’ll say you work two hours a day.

They’ll say you vacation 12 weeks a year. You’ll hear the rumors and they’ll hurt. And you’ll be brooding on the fabrications and falsehoods – at 3 a.m.

Life balance: You’ll be asking yourself if you’re spending too much time on the job and too little time with your family, with your passions and with your friends. You want the job, the spouse, the kids, the friends and the passions, and you’ll be wondering how you’ll have it all if you’re chained to the desk 24/7. And you’ll be pondering balance at 3 a.m.

CAGE THE DEMONS

Management is a crown of thorns. You’ll be “bleeding” …continuously. You’ll be feeling the pain…endlessly.

You’ll have demon haunted 3 a.m. moments …wide awake, heart racing, sweating and swearing.

There are dozens of demons.

Know them.

Discuss them.

Ponder them.

Cage them.

Spank them.

And after you’ve done all that enjoy the journey!!! BR JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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from BoardRoom Basics | 78

Recent figures show that the average person spends about two hours every day on social media – more time than they spend eating, drinking, socializing and grooming combined. This amount is expected to increase, as people spend more time on their mobile devices.

The time consumers spend on each social media platform is important because the amount allocated to each app means that, in general, people see more promotions on that app. The biggest battle among social media platforms, then, is for user attention.

This brings me to the marketing acronym, AIDA, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. This model begs the question about how your club’s Instagram post will break through the advertising clutter. The operative words are unique and story. The operative phrase is one picture is worth a thousand words.

Too many Instagram club sites seem to be clones of other club sites. To break through the clutter and grab attention, look outside the club industry for inspiration.

Here are four brands in other industries that can spark new ideas for your club’s future Instagram strategy.

One of my favorites is FollowMeTo. The site is filled with spectacular vistas from all over the world – from snow-capped mountains to the halls of Versailles. What makes these photos unique is the story they tell. In each picture, a woman is leading a man by the hand, making the continuity of the pose like a chapter in a book. The stance was made famous by Murad and Natalia Osmann for their #FollowMeTo project and is now well-known as a “how to do it right.”

In the retail space, Lululemon’s Instagram strategy centers around the notion of community built on its yo-

from Finance Committee | 79

modern club industry, there’s always the challenge of membership development.

Depending on the market (both geographical and cultural) of any club, all members have expectations of something they can be comfortable in, invite their friends to and possibly hold special functions like weddings and Bar-Mitzvahs. This can often result in over-spending to satisfy egos, sometimes contributing to the demise of a club. However, to remain competitive, every club has to understand what it needs to attract and keep members and thrive into the future. This is different for almost every club.

As it relates to the value of the club, the tax assessor will often presume that a new, modern and large clubhouse adds to the value of the club, sometimes in an amount equal to the cost. This is rarely the case since other than 106

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ga-themed clothing line. This aspirational brand incorporates great lifestyle shots showing how its products can be used outside of a yoga studio and specifically targets women wanting healthy and happy lifestyles.

It’s a good example of how a brand can expand its uses – in this case, from wearing Lululemon for a variety of daily activities that can range from shopping to a casual evening out.

No Your City began by producing a documentary series featuring untold stories about fascinating people from all over the world. The success of this series led to an Instagram presence highlighting the locale where people live, more than the individuals. Each picture follows “the best practices for taking great photos with your phone” such as “focusing on a single subject, using negative space, playing with reflections, or finding a unique perspective.”

The results are “consistently stunning,” building a strong brand following.

Finally, I love examples of small, independent “mom and pop” shops that have been around for a long time and are smart enough to embrace new technologies to compete with bigger competitive brands. One is King Arthur Flour.

Founded in 1790, the bakery is still an employee-owned company whose mission is to “inspire connections and community by spreading the joy of baking.” They post visuals of behind the scene shots of how flour can be used in different ways, by different chefs, in different seasons.

It keeps posts fresh to grab attention and innovative to keep interest.

“There’s no stopping Instagram!”, a recent article touted.

It concluded that social media marketing, especially on Instagram, can no longer be left on your club’s backburner. I couldn’t agree more.

Your bottom line will thank you. B R competing for membership development and retention, the added cost of a new or renovated clubhouse rarely contributes an amount anywhere near the cost. How much space does your clubhouse need? Coyle says that more golf centric clubs can comfortably use clubhouses with 10,000 to 12,000 square feet of finished interior space while country clubs with more activities should be looking in the range of 18,000 to 25,000 square feet of interior space, depending on the need for ballroom/function facilities and use of outdoor spaces.

According to Coyle, those much larger clubs with say, 1,000 members might need up to 35,000 square feet.

Generally, the days of the 50,000-plus square feet clubhouse appear to be gone in most instances. Again, the competitive environment may impact these guidelines, but common sense should guide the way. B R

from HR Committee | 85

from Food for Thought | 84

serve on boards and committees, lead projects and so forth.

On the other hand, I have also been called cold, terse and domineering.

Geesh! That is not what I intended.

In analyzing my own tool box, these my strengths: • You tend to be something of a natural authority figure; you can take charge when there seems to be a lack of leadership • You are decisive and are able to reduce more complex matters to simple terms • You are straightforward and find it fairly easy to speak your mind, even with superiors • You are structured and organized in your thinking and approach, and you bring these tendencies to the work you do.

Upon reading these attributes, they did, indeed, sound like me. But the reality is that not all people see me in those positive terms, because, quite frankly, practically everyone you meet or work with has different perceptions, needs, wants and personality traits.

Whereas one person might view me as a strong leader, another person may see me as a dictator. Here are my possible ineffective traits, as analyzed by my Birkman Method Report: • May start to argue loudly, become bossy, even aggressive • Can push too early for a decision; oversimplify complex issues • Can be dismissive of others’ feelings • Can lose focus and bring in irrelevant issues.

If the original weight was 20 pounds and the finished weight 15 pounds, the yield is 75 percent and the finished cost is $13.33 per pound. Skill matters here, since different staff members will get different yields.

The trick is to establish the best possible yield and measure each fabricator against that standard. Every time the item is fabricated, a record (cutting chart or cut sheet) should be kept of the beginning and ending values to enable yield calculation and more effective control of waste.

These records should be reviewed every day for maximum benefit.

Finally, the profitability challenge. There are only two ways to accurately allocate costs from fabricated items. Either all costs should be allocated to the primary portions derived (cost after removing trim and waste), or to all cuts equally, regardless of their use.

If the fish cost $10 per pound, the bones used in the stock cost $10 per pound. On the other hand, if the cost is allocated to the filets only, and the yield is 75 percent, the cost of the filet is $13.33 per pound.

Keep in mind that fabrication of this type involves the most expensive items in the kitchen – the proteins. Even small variances, because of less than ideal yield or overestimated demand, can result in significant losses as a percentage of sales.

Help is available through some high-end food and beverage management systems, which include functions and reports to manage fabrication by allocating costs based on cut sheets, tracking yields produced by individual staff members and calculating waste costs. This capability alone can equate to huge savings and shed light on make or buy decisions. BR

Obviously, there are two sides to every perspective. It’s important to know your strengths and your weaknesses.

And if you want to be the best you can be in the workplace or anywhere else, make sure you use the right tool for the right job. B R

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from BoardRoom Basics | 62

out strategic goals with metrics to measure your success.

Just as you mapped out the goals before construction began, you must map out the goals for the future and for the intangible. It’s time to re-brand and communicate.

Here’s a map for a dozen key ideas on developing your own internal and external branding and communication plan.

COMMUNICATION

1. Videos: Create brief visual updates for wide email distribution. Don’t forget drone footage!

2. Media updates: Distribute and post press releases and social media updates regularly.

3. Blog on your website: Create a construction blog!

MEMBERS

4. Create new policies to address the new space and design: Create the understanding for what new space means in terms of service, programs and offerings. It’s a great opportunity to level the expectations across all membership categories.

5. Grand opening party: Celebrate!

6. Offer a referral incentive: Now’s the time to tell your friends. from Becker | 63

the United States. In 2017, the real estate market in the 34108-zip code (where Grey Oaks sits) was stagnant, meaning 0 percent fluctuation from one year to the next.

However, after a $36 million capital improvement campaign, the homes in Grey Oaks’ gates experienced an average market value increase of 8.5 percent.

To the pleasure of the membership, it was determined that their decision to invest millions into the club and amenities paid off and significantly increased their home values compared to neighboring clubs and home owners within the 34108-zip code.

As much as real estate has always been a burden of a conversation to have in the boardroom, I cannot stress enough the importance of wrapping your arms around it immediately. from Executive Committee | 65

Not every club’s goals are the same and not every club desires or requires change of this magnitude. However, every club has an interest in maximizing the talents of highly talented volunteers and professionals for the purpose of delivering a coveted experience and value on behalf of the family of employees and the membership.

Quality governance is a necessary starting point for delivering on that fiduciary responsibility. B R 108

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STAFF

7. Everyone’s re-hired! Treat everyone as a new hire. Inspire them to embrace the changes with a fresh “rehiring” of themselves! Host a “new” employee party!

8. New club bonus: Now that they have re-hired themselves, give them a bonus. Even a small amount will drive home the renewed dedication you have in them and that they have in the club!

9. Update your employee handbook: New space and a re-brand might mean an update to the old methods.

BRANDING

10. Examine the look of everything! Change your logo, email signature, uniforms, colors, fonts. Look at creating a fresh start in your brand as well as your facilities.

11. Tell the world: Hire a professional photographer, update the website, create virtual tours, host open houses.

12. Raise your fees: Nothing says success like a club who is raising their fees versus lowering them. Give enough notice to existing members and the press so that as many as possible will take advantage of the lower fees before they go up. Include the new fee structure in your member referral program! B R

In the near future, I can assure you that these three factors will have one common denominator – and its real estate: 1. How you market and brand your club/community to buyers (the 70 percent).

2. Your decision whether to have a non-resident membership program (the 44 percent).

3. How the board will posture a capital improvement plan to the members by convincing residents it is a good investment (the 8.5 percent).

In all, the future golf member is telling us that real estate will play a vital role in their decision of where to buy and what club they will join. The sooner you can engrain the local real estate marketplace into your strategic planning the smarter your decision making will become on behalf of the club and membership. B R Steve Green is a Diablo Country Club member, chair of the 2018 strategic planning committee. He is also president, Chevron North America Exploration and Production.

David Mackesey is a Diablo Country Club member, vice-chair, 2018 strategic planning committee and retired president, The Wine Group, Inc. Frank Cordeiro, CCM is chief operating officer, Diablo Country Club and can be reached via email: frankc@diablocc.org

from Publisher’s Perspectives | 10

reduce the number of no shows,” added the KK&W group.

Pennell feels the onboarding process “must not only be focused on equipping the employees to be successful, but also immediately make them feel appreciated and valued.

“With the unemployment rate so low and hospitality suffering a debilitating labor shortage, creating an atmosphere where the employees choose to stay is critical. Employees stay if they feel valued and know they are in a company or team where they will have opportunities to grow, develop and be a high contributor,” Pennell added.

In Pennell’s opinion, there are specifics people need to know when being introduced to their new roles and responsibilities: • Clearly outline expectations – provide rules and regulations in a very clear manner (pay, scheduling, requesting days off, holidays, parking, breaks, professional conduct, etc.)

• Outline the responsibilities of the job – make sure they know how to be successful in that position and how it will be measured; • Orientation to the club’s culture – mission, vision, values, and what is expected of them in terms of personal interaction, resolving conflict, communication, service standards, member interactions, etc.

• Personally, I am a big fan of teambuilding and providing opportunities for the new employee to have an instant connection to someone they work with.

Social activities, games, competitions, etc. work well for this.

“New employees need a crystal-clear understanding of immediate and ongoing items to do their job,” Pennell stated. “Where to park, when and where to take a break, eat a meal, smoke, clock in/out, payroll schedule – how is it calculated, what benefits are they eligible to receive, where should they use the restroom, call in for a shift, submit a day

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from Publisher’s Perspectives | 109

off request, uniform policies, what is considered ‘prepared’ for work, where to go if they have issues or a problem, what is their expected training path, when will they be considered finished with training and what is their role to make that happen, what to do if they receive feedback from a member, who is their boss, who is on their team, team expectations, etc.”

Ricardo Catarino, vice president, operations, Troon Privé, feels there are essential elements that must be included in the onboarding process.

“The general manager must establish and share the club’s culture with associates (based on the vision statement established by the board). Defining the culture will help to establish the common thread that all departments can align with, despite the operational differences of each area,” he said.

“The GM should try to at least meet every associate as a final step before hiring to assure they have a ‘hospitality heart.’ All associates should have a thorough understanding of the goals at hand, what their specific job is and how they will do it and what is expected of them. New associates should shadow another proven associate before going out on their own.

“The process starts in the final stages of hiring really, as the prospective associate is made aware of the basic tenets, which can serve as a final assessment of fit - do their values align with the club?

“Today’s employees need to understand WHY they’re doing something, so managers must share with associates why their role is important to the success of the club and how they will impact the membership experience,” Catarino added.

“Onboarding when done well creates a positive, productive and lasting impression of the club. The goal is for the new hire to say, ‘I’m happy that I have joined this team,” said David Lacey, managing director, human resources services, Hirshorn Boothby, Philadelphia, PA, and member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

“With the labor shortage and unemployment rates, once a club invests the time and money to hire the right candidate, they MUST invest immediately in retaining the employee,” said Pennell.

“Good onboarding is the best opportunity to begin the retention process by validating the employee’s decision to choose the company and starts the culture indoctrination,” she explained.

“Along with the employee engagement and retention, the employees are also largely responsible for the member satisfaction and retention. If the employee does not have a successful, thoughtful and clear onboarding process, their potential negative behavior can be catastrophic to a club’s membership satisfaction. It can also potentially negatively 110

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impact the employment team overall, thereby affecting ALL employee retention and staff morale. No one should risk those effects of a poor onboarding process,” she added.

“Onboarding is the start of the engagement and culturalization process,” explained KK&W representatives. “Unengaged employees are there to get and engaged teammates are there to give. If clubs want to retain teammates, they must engage them. New teammates don’t just want to, they need to feel engaged. A satisfied teammate makes a personal commitment and an engaged employee makes a mutual commitment with the club.

“It’s no longer just what you do, it is why you do it that matters. Studies have shown that the number one way to boost engagement is for the team to trust their leader, followed by wanting leaders that are competent to have integrity and care about the people they lead. Trust building starts with the onboarding process.

“New employees need to get to know the culture. Without this sensitivity, employees cannot be retained. When existing employees are empowered to be part of this learning process, integration is much smoother. BUT we must make sure the existing employees have a good understanding of the culture in the first place,” the KK&W representatives added.

And there are different approaches. Pennell suggests “much of it depends on who is tasked to do it. Larger clubs have the benefit of an HR director or manager who can usher the new employee through the process. Smaller clubs reply on the general manager or designate to do the onboarding.

“Desert Mountain Club (in Scottsdale, AZ) has a superior process as I’m sure many large clubs with a good HR director do. The key is that the employee feels welcome, comfortable, important and understood – much like we would want a new member to feel.

“A superior onboarding process will address employee questions before they are even asked and give them specific items that will lead to success in their new role, which makes them feel understood.

“Some clubs are using private Facebook pages for employees to help with connectivity amongst the generations and the club. Personally, I love this idea! Using social media allows the club to unite employees through a communication mode they are already using daily,” Pennell added.

“The superior process is a wholistic approach, which starts at recruitment and never ends,” explains the KK&W representatives.

“We recommend an intentional, well thought out, structured onboarding program. The process starts from the second the potential team member submits a job application and continues past their 90-day anniversary. Every point from application to selection, to first day, to first week, to first 90 days should be structured and monitored.

“Great onboarding should cover every aspect of the new team member’s role. Do not assume anything. Create a new team member checklist. Ensure that they are trained on all standards, steps of service, process and exception. Test them each week, reward them, recognize them and stay close and re-train again if they are struggling,” the group offered.

“Onboarding is best when a new hire knows what is expected, has a strong sense of customer satisfaction, knows the names of key stakeholders and adopts best practices when considering what should be done from an operational perspective. An effective orientation process should be relational and member centric, and should never be paper-focused,” Lacey added.

And sometimes different approaches are required for people of different ages, such as Millennials.

“Like anything, it’s important to know your audience and how to best communicate with them,” emphasized Pennell.

“We use blended learning to boost retention and take into account the person’s age and probably learning style. Millennials and the next generation are accustomed to learning online, interacting with professors or teachers through websites, receiving immediate feedback, having in person and online ‘chats’, watching YouTube videos, or interacting in byte size (pun intended) conversations via Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.

“Onboarding must consider how they live and learn – it should be fun and engaging – people learn more when they are enjoying it and are engaged by the process,” she added.

“A well-crafted, 360-degree presentation of the club as part of the orientation session should check boxes for all ages and offer something for everyone; visual learners as well as tactile learners. Younger staff members will be more engaged by videos and interactive presentations,” offered the KK&W group.

“Everyone wants to feel important, but Millennials need to feel like they are making a difference. Emphasize how your club makes a difference for the members, staff, and community, environment, etc., and why what they do at THEIR club matters.

“After orientation, each new teammate needs to be onboarded and engaged by their department head a little differently, which is why a behavioral assessment before hiring is important, and can provide insight into an employee’s personality, competencies, and sources of motivation.”

Unique training programs, such as that at The Club at Admirals Cove in Jupiter, FL, often holds the key that makes the member experience so successful.

Admirals Cove University, as it’s called, offers programs that train, evaluate and measure the knowledge of staff members and also the level of service that will ensure member satisfaction.

“We have a culture of continuous learning and development, and our new and tenured employees go ➤

The First and the Only Association specifically for the education and advancement of Club Catering and Event Professionals in the Private Club Industry to elevate the Member Experience

Benefits Education for Maximizing both Member Event Experience and Private Event Revenues and Experience • Webinars • Coaching and Resources Monthly Educational Newsletters • Networking Events Club Catering Professional Certification Program

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ACCP 2019 National Conference August 25-27, 2019 The Broadmoor Resort, Colorado “I came back completely renewed and motivated! I can’t wait to implement all of the ideas” -Tricia Cummings, Blue Hill Country Club “This conference was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had!

I cannot wait until next year!! -Olivia Pollock, Great Oaks Country Club “This conference really gave me a fire in my belly to come back to my club and do more...I want to share that inspiration with my team and hope that we can take our club to the next level!” -Amanda McCleery, Ballantyne Country Club Educating the Club Industry. . .

One Catering Director at a Time

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JULY/AUGUST 2019 | BOARDROOM

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from Publisher’s Perspectives | 111

through both on-the-job training and motivational /soft skill training on an annual basis. Our goal is to keep our employees not just ‘happy and dedicated’ but motivated, engaged, committed and service-minded every day,” explained Kara Wiswall, training and development manager for the club.

“For us, the process begins at first contact with the new employee. Before arriving at the club, our new employees are granted digital access to the club’s mission and vison statement to ensure they understand our philosophy, culture, and the values that we expect. They also receive their department manual, which contains different information ranging from daily responsibilities and specific processes.

“For example, our food and beverage manual includes knowledge on our club philosophies, the amenities we offer to our membership, customer service tips, and the service expectations and standards of the food and beverage department. After each chapter, the employee takes a quiz that tests their base knowledge and allows us to see the skills we need to focus on once they begin.

“By contacting employees before their first day, we eliminate the first-day anxieties and allow the department managers a better understanding of how we can effectively train the new employee,” Wiswall added.

The club’s onboarding process continues with a full day new hire orientation, with the focus is on the club’s culture, member excellence and teamwork, which Admiral Cove calls, ‘lateral service.’ After the orientation, the new employee moves into their home department where they will learn on-the-job-tasks from their departmental trainer.

“Each department has their own set of responsibilities.

For instance, new food and beverage employees must go through safe food handling and alcohol safety certifications before interacting with members on their own,’ Wiswall explained.

“Also, our food and beverage employees go through an intensive two-week classroom training that focuses on the steps of service, proper verbiage, greeting and taking orders, menu knowledge and service etiquette.

“Since we have a multi-generational workforce, the classroom training is designed to capture each learner. Various training methodologies are used ranging from mock service, gamification, quizzes, presentation and activity books. We reward our trainees with participation awards to promote and maintain an energized learning atmosphere.”

The club’s onboarding process ends after the first 90 days and with the employee passing a knowledge test with a grade of 90 percent. However, the Admirals Cove’s training doesn’t stop there.

“Our employees are consistently audited by our training and development manager, who observes the departments and rates the performance of each employee,” Wiswall added.

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“After the conclusion of the observation, the training manager sits down with the employee and their direct supervisor, and she goes through each rating to ensure they have an understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.

“In the event an employee’s service falls short, they are brought back to training, where the standards are reinforced, and their knowledge is re-tested,” Wiswall said.

In an earlier interview, Admirals Cove General Manger John Herring said “the feedback from the membership has been overwhelmingly positive. As a result, we’ve experienced an increase in overall member satisfaction as measure through the comment cards that are completed by the membership.”

From a legal point of view, there are other factors to be considered.

“There are federal and state employment laws and clubs need to comply with both. Therefore, it’s always important for the club to understand its local laws,” explained Robyn Stowell, an attorney with Sherman & Howard of Scottsdale, AZ. “Some clubs have to deal with unions and others don’t, so we use a number of training sign-off processes that help protect the club down the road from employee claims that include an element of ‘I did not know/you did not adequately train me.’”

Stowell said, “Clubs should understand the extent of their options under law to limit employees’ disclosure of club or member information. For example, there are federal laws regarding employees’ right to discuss their employment conditions (so you cannot prohibit that), but if done properly you can prohibit them from posting pictures taken inside the club. Knowing what you can do and how you must document it is crucial for the club.

“Regardless of the onboarding process a club should be sure its employee handbook is up to date with provisions that help rather than hurt the club in many circumstances that might arise,” Stowell added.

Can a strong onboarding process contribute to retaining staff members and reducing staff turnover?

“Absolutely,” said Pennell. “If an employee feels valued, has opportunities for growth and is connected to others at work, the risk of turnover decreases exponentially.

“Statistics are everywhere on this: 20 percent of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days; near 70 percent of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years or more if they experience great onboarding; 23 percent of new hires turn over before their first anniversary, and there are also stats available for proficiency, productivity, etc.,” Pennell explained.

“Absolutely,” Ricardo Catarino of Troon Privé, answered in reply to the question.

“It’s no longer about ‘pay me.’ Today’s employees want purpose and to be fulfilled. Associates are happier em-

ployees when they know what’s expected of them and how they will do the job. And they’ll stay longer when they understand how they will be supported in the long-term with their own learning and development,” he added.

“Most new teammates decide within their first six months whether to stay or go. Sometimes it’s the small things that can make a big difference in a new teammate’s perceptions. An onboarding process that builds loyalty by engaging employees and making them feel appreciated from day one is well worth the effort,” suggested the KK&W representatives.

“New teammates who attended a well-structured onboarding orientation program, were 69 percent more likely to remain at a company for up to three years. Losing an employee because of their experiences of being confused, feeling alienated, or lacking confidence is a sign of poor onboard programming.”

So how does a club inculcate the onboarding process into the club’s culture?

“A great leader of an organization will drive great process development and implementation, which in turn will drive teammate engagement – the fuel for your club’s culture,” added representatives from KK&W. “The process becomes part of the club culture by: • Defining the culture • Providing training and development opportunities • Creating opportunities for employee recognition • Welcoming and providing processes for employee feedback • Providing opportunities for continuing education and cross-training • Reinforcing the process

A less-than-thorough onboarding process can certainly give the wrong impression of your organization and can often give the impression the organization is poorly managed and not a desirable place to work.

In other words, not investing in your onboarding process really does set the stage for an early exit.

First, make new staffers feel welcome. Be prepared for different generations of staff members.

Promote your club culture…immerse your new hires in the club’s history and traditions. Along with meeting staff members, every new employee should be given the opportunity to meet and talk with long-time club members to better understand the club’s history, and why people join private clubs.

This also helps give new employees a greater understanding of the private club industry itself.

Take your new employees on a club tour, and the golf course to help with their understanding of what their experience will be like at the club.

Lastly, educate new employees of the fact the most private club members generally will invest $200,000 or more over a period of 10 years at their club. And in keeping with providing members with an exceptional member experience, treat members as a $200,000 customer and not a $6 cocktail customer.

At least, that’s the way I see it. B R John G. Fornaro, publisher

“Like anything worthwhile that you want to install in others, there must be 100 percent buy-in from the top down – board members to employees,” emphasized Pennell.

“Management must model the behavior it wants and live the culture of creating a motivating work environment with engaged employees: celebrate success, foster hope/trust/ fun, provide regular feedback, create growth opportunities, encourage intelligent risk taking, etc.”

PUBLISHER’S FINAL THOUGHTS

A thorough onboarding process offers private club employers a prime opportunity to make a favorable impression on newly-hired team members. Remember, first impressions are vitally important, and it can obviously affect how a new team member participates as time go by, so you don’t want to leave anything to chance.

In the highly competitive world of attracting new team members, private club employers need to do everything they can to not only attract new employees, but also retain trained staff.

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WHITNEY REID PENNELL

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Whitney Reid Pennell, president of RCS Hospitality Group, is a celebrated management consultant, educator, and speaker. RCS has been recognized eight times with a BoardRoom Excellence in Achievement Award. RCS continues to offer innovative solutions through RCSUniversity.com. For more information, phone (623) 322-0773; or visit the RCS website at www.consultingRCS.com.

If Not for YOU “Good leadership requires you to surround yourself with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with you without fear of retaliation.” – Doris Kearns Goodwin Clubs attract the best and brightest to their board of directors. You – the board members – are community leaders. You are CEOs. You are pillars of industry. You are entrepreneurs. You are disruptors. Being you – the smart, savvy, successful you – you know that company culture eats strategy for lunch. So why then, do many clubs struggle with a weak company culture?

The best clubs – the best companies – have a strong culture. As a refresher, culture is: • Values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, behaviors and habits shared by a group of people – “group” meaning from the board to the committees to management to employees.

• A framework in which we communicate. Communication is so much more than sending out eblasts. It is connecting, interacting, problem solving and working together in a group ‘critical think tank’ when necessary.

• Is a competitive edge. Or it should be. There are many clubs with similar amenities and services. The competitive edge comes from the culture and the culture is what your members feel, see, hear, touch and smell. These are managed by your employees and managers.

• Is the embodiment of your strategy. Human capital brings strategy to life and gives the amenities a heartbeat.

• Is not a logo. A logo doesn’t connect with people unless the culture is strong.

Culture starts at the top – at the board level. One big topic on every manager’s mind right now is employee retention and attraction. A very large piece of attracting and retaining employees is the club’s culture.

If you have an unhealthy or dysfunctional team at the top, you can’t have a healthy company culture, and therefore, will have a tough time becoming an employer of choice. Here’s the measuring stick: Are you strategic? Do you know and live by your mission, vision, values and goals? Does your communication accurately reflect your culture?

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Are you smart? Are you leveraging technology, tracking the right financial metrics at the strategic level, and using an updated marketing and recruiting tools for member and employees?

Are you healthy? Do you have low turnover and high productivity? Is there minimal confusion and politics?

In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, author Patrick Lencioni, details what impedes a team’s progress: 1) absence of trust, 2) fear of conflict, 3) lack of commitment, 4) avoidance of accountability, and 5) inattention to results. Comparing that to a healthy team, where: 1. Trust is evident. Earning trust takes some vulnerability, courage and a certain amount of calculated risk taking.

2. Trust is established, then healthy debate and conflict can ensue usually ending with a common resolve.

3. There is 100 percent commitment because everyone had a voice, disagreements were expressed, conflict was resolved, and a decision was made. Everyone then speaks with one voice – a united front, not a political minefield.

4. It becomes easier to put strong accountability standards in place because expectations are crystal clear.

There are no blurred lines because everyone had a stake in the conversation and decision, encouraging 100 percent buy-in.

5. Management is empowered to enact disciplinary or coaching procedures for the benefit of the whole team and all club members. Now there is total focus on results.

As you gather for your strategic retreats, consider your part in the club’s culture. Take a look around and listen.

Your culture will show up in the language and verbiage used by employees and members, how people treat one another, the decision-making process, daily work practices and the feedback you receive.

Lastly, taking Doris Kearns Goodwin’s advice, consider the make-up of your board and committees – do they accurately reflect the entire membership providing club leadership with a diverse perspective or do they represent predominantly one particular segment? Asking for a friend…. B R

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Daniel Paul Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Denehy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Distinguished Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 & 97, 99 Eustis Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 FOOD-TRAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Gasser Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Golf Property Analysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 GCSAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 GMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Harris Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43 HFTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 High-End Uniforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Hilda Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Jonas Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 KemperSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE . . . . . . . . . . . 70-71 Lichten Architects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44-45

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BOARDROOM MAGAZINE COUNTRY CLUB INDEX Frank Cordeiro, CCM is COO, Diablo Country Club Aaron R. Dawson, GM, Miramont Country Club, Bryan, Texas Brooke Dinsmoor, dirc of communications, Woodfield Country Club, Boca Raton, FL Steve Green, Diablo Country Club member, chair of the 2018 strategic planning comm.

Cory Hathaway, assistant GM, Los Angeles Athletic Club Houston Racquet Club, Houston, TX Tim Kingston, resident, Happy Hollow Club, Omaha, NB Dr. Bonnie Knutson, the Country Club of Lansing and the Michigan Athletic Club Joseph Langford, GM, Country Club of Columbus, Columbus, GA Mark Leavitt, president, The Fountaingrove Club, Sonoma County, CA Ben Lorenzen, chief memory officer, Champions Run in Omaha, NB David Mackesey, Diablo Country Club member, vice-chair, 2018 strategic planning committee.

Deanna Marcum, president, Cosmos Club, Washington, DC Michael McNamara, president, Fairmount Country Club, Chatham Township, NJ Vic Memenas, president, El Niguel Country Club, Laguna Niguel, CA Nancy Levenburg, member, Spring Lake Country Club, Spring Lake, MI Ben Lorenzen, a self-described chief memory officer (CMO), Champions Run, Omaha, NB MacDonald Niven, MA, MCM, CCE, CEO, Lakewood Country Club, Rockville, MD Marian McGill, CCM, assistant GM, Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club.

Rosie Slocum, director of membership and marketing, BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

T he Bo ardRo o m m ag az ine

C E L E B R A T I N G 23 Y E A R S O F E D U C A T I N G T H E P R I V A T E C L U B I N D U S T R Y ISSUE 283

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