BoardRoom magazine May/June 2017

Th e Bo a rd Ro o m ma ga zin e

CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF EDUCATING THE PRIVATE CLUB INDUSTRY ISSUE 270

Vo lume XXI, Ma y/Jun e 2017

10 | PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE 28 | TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES 46 | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES 80 | FACTS AND FIGURES

THE BOOK

The Distinguished Club Experience

By John Fornaro and Molly Cox

|

VO LU M E X X I M AY / J U N E

DAVE WHITE

EDITOR’S NOTE

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.

A Springtime Potpourri Private club success – both for board members and the club’s paid management – mainly derives from how well these two groups mesh when considering the club’s planning, daily operations and the breadth and depth of the club’s member experience. It’s known as collaborative governance.

Still there are many challenges facing boards and managers running a member-owned private club. That’s the topic of John Fornaro’s Publisher’s Perspective this issue, which also features comments from three general managers – Mike Bado, general manager, Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, NC; Jeff McFadden, general manager/COO, The Union League of Philadelphia, and Terra S. H. Waldron, vice president/COO, The Desert Highlands Association, Scottsdale, AZ – on the challenges they face running a private club today.

A private club’s members are its customers and also its owners and employers…a strangely unique but interesting anomaly. This, of course, sets the stage for many challenges in running a member-owned private club.

The fact remains, good governance is the responsibility of a private club’s board of directors, which must take responsibility for recruiting, hiring and evaluating the performance of a club’s general manager.

“The key challenge for the general manager and the other leaders is to create a common vision that binds the members together into something that is bigger than the individual or a particular interest,” said Frank Vain, commenting in Fornaro’s treatise.

“Clubs ultimately exist to serve a community of members, but it takes work to hold the community together.

Hitting the sweet spot for each of the various departments is difficult, particularly when emotions run high and often result in a change of course.”

Part of the challenge, Fornaro explains, is the “getting the right people on the boards at the right time…boards that have the complete mix of personalities, skills, talent, experience and credibility to drive their clubs to higher heights.”

As Fornaro concludes, boards can ensure a club’s success by deciding to do the right thing (setting policy), And it’s the general manager’s responsibility to decide how to do the right thing…in the spirit of collaborative governance.

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BOARDROOM | May/June 2017

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And while we’re talking about boards of directors, Nancy Levenburg in her article, “Creating Family-Friendly Boards,” wonders how much boards reflect the current – or desire – composition of a club. As the country’s demographics change, so to, private clubs must change, to ensure their sustainability.

Of course, it’s not just the membership. “If the future of private clubs lies in attracting younger members, wouldn’t it make sense that they would want to have more – not fewer – younger members on the board?” Levenburg queried.

“And if referrals from current members are the number one source of new members, wouldn’t it make sense for clubs that are seeking to expand to court more younger members into leadership roles?”

The answer to both those question is a resounding ‘yes.’

Larry Hirsh, in his piece titled, “Time to Embrace the Three Ms”, also argues that “golf is not doing a good job of creating growth. Millennials, Minorities and Moms – The Three “Ms” – are under-represented and the game’s hierarchy is still focused on the age-old issues of cost, time and difficulty.

“If golf is to turn the tide and experience growth, which in turn will spur both economic success at existing facilities and new development, the game needs to embrace the Three Ms,” Hirsh maintains.

“For the Three Ms, golf and its venues have too many rules. In many cases, these rules are tied to time honored traditions. Where’s the happy medium? Hopefully, we’ll find it soon, because our game needs a shot in the arm.”

All points well made.

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And our features on BoardRoom’s top presidents for 2016 continue. Included are: Paul Fulmer, President, Hamilton Club, Lancaster, PA; Janet Ginsburg, President, Alpine Country Club, Demarest, NJ; Ron Hankins, President, Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, NC, and Steve Hokanson, Chair, Grey Oaks Country Club, Naples, FL BR

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

Chief Analyst

Heather Arias de Cordoba

Frank Gore

APCD Executive Director

Chief Information Officer

Bill Thomas

Jeff Briggs

Editorial & Marketing Director

Executive Director

Dee Kaplan

Bill Thomas

Account Manager

Contact Information

Dina Alleluia-Carr

www.DistinguishedClubs.com (949) 376-8889

Contact Information www.BoardRoomMagazine.com www.apcd.com (949) 376-8889 or (949) 365-6966

Subscriptions and Website Heather Arias de Cordoba www.BoardRoomMagazine.com (949) 365-6966

Featured Columnists Henry DeLozier Mary Dolan John G. Fornaro

Bonnie J. Knutson Kurt Kuebler Nancy M. Levenburg

Jerry McCoy Kevin F. Reilly Frank Vain

Dave White

Contributing Writers Heather Arias de Cordoba Chris Boettcher Bill Boothe Boyd Carr Lisa Carroll Molly Cox Rita B. Craig Michael Crandal, CNG Dave Doherty Dave Downing Todd Dufek

John Embree Steve Graves Susan Greene Rob Harris Jason Hazley Larry Hirsh David W. Lacey Rick Ladendorf Lynne LaFond DeLuca Macdonald Niven Robyn Nordin Stowell

Steven Poe Robert A. Sereci Rick Snellinger Mitchell L. Stump Gordon Welch Bruce R. Williams

Endorsements, 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 270 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 fax (949) 376-6687, email heather@boardroommag.com or johnf@apcd.com or visit the website at www.BoardRoomMagazine.com.

C O N T E N T S | M AY/ J U N E 2 0 1 7

PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE | 10

BOARDROOM BASICS & BEYOND | 12

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE | 14

RUNNING A MEMBER-OWNED PRIVATE CLUB

MAKE CLUBS GREAT AGAIN BY HARNESSING BEST PRACTICES

GREEN UP YOUR BRAND FOR MEMBER GROWTH

BY JOHN G. FORNARO

BY KURT KUEBLER

BY FRANK VAIN

The art of governing, or leadership, is as old as society itself. It’s the exercise of authority by an individual or group of individuals or organizations in what it does, and how and why decisions are made. Still private clubs are a quite separate segment of both the service and hospitality industries, and what works for one, might or might not work for the other.

While sitting in a long day of interviews for a new GM/COO at a significant nationallyrecognized club and listening to several top candidates talk about the achievements they’ve had at their current clubs, I couldn’t help but think about how many clubs simply fail these days.

Green practices can make your club a good steward of the environment and enhance your image, especially in the eyes of Millennials. The major demographic wave taking place in the United States poses both challenges and opportunities for private clubs.

On the challenge side, the Baby Boomers are moving into their senior years.

PLIGHTS AND INSIGHTS | 16

MEMBERSHIP MUSINGS | 18

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES | 46

CREATING FAMILY-FRIENDLY BOARDS

COWS OR CARS?

BY NANCY M. LEVENBU RG

BY BO N N I E J. K N U T S O N

STUDY SHOWS F&B TRENDS LEAD MANAGERS’ PRIORITIES

What does your club’s board of directors look like? No, I’m not talking about their height, weight or eye color (the stuff on a driver’s license). What do your board members look like in terms of their ages and gender? How much do they reflect the current – or desired – composition of your club? Here’s why I’m asking this question…

Here is a question for you – Which is the biggest culprit when it comes to generating greenhouse gasses – transportation or livestock? For most people, the answer is transportation. After all, the media is awash with articles about government mandates to increase fuel efficiencies, about electric cars, or about the need to increase public transportation.

BY HENRY DELOZIER

WINNING STRATEGIES | 54

CLUB FACTS & FIGURES | 80

TRIBAL MAGIC | 86

INSIDE THE BOARDROOM A BOOK REPORT

THEFT AND FLOODS AND FIRES, OH MY!

THE LUBRICANTS OF LEADERSHIP

BY KEVIN F. REILLY AND MARY DOL AN

BY GREGG PATTERSON

BY JERRY MCCOY

While not the type talked about above, clubs consistently run into issues with disasters, either natural or man-made. Property damage and destruction can be an overwhelming proposition, and it’s not just the repair and replacement process, but also the recovery of insurance proceeds and the proper accounting for those transactions.

Bob Boxwell, CIC (Cheese in Charge) at his coaching firm, “We’ll Tell You How”, has been hired by the board of the nine hole Up and Coming Country Club to coach their newbie club manager Joe Chuckles. Joe thinks the board’s wasting his time – and its money – on a leadership coach because his 3.9 GPA is the only leadership certification he needs to run a teeny-weenie small time club like Up and Coming.

During my research for writing the Director’s Guide for Understanding Club Governance, I used several quotes and examples from the book – Inside the Boardroom. It’s written by William G. Bowen has served as an executive or board member of many notable non-profits including Princeton University, the Smithsonian and the Mellon Foundation.

Changing food and beverage expectations, increasing labor requirements and pressure to use better data to inform their decisions are the leading issues facing private club managers. That’s according to results of the latest National Private Club Trends Survey compiled by club experts Michael Leemhuis and Fred Laughlin and Global Golf Advisors.

Leaders in F&B Innovation

MICHAEL S. WHEELER, CCE, CCM

MATT MCKINNEY, CCM

JAY DIPIETRO, CCM

MICHAEL G. LEEMHUIS, CCM, CCE, PGA

COO and General Manager Cherokee Town & Country Club Atlanta, GA

COO and General Manager Capital City Club Atlanta, GA

President and General Manager Boca West Country Club Boca Raton, FL

President Ocean Reef Club Key Largo, FL

CRAIG L. LOPES, CCM

BRAD JENCKS

NICK SIDORAKIS, CCM

PHIL KIESTER, CCM

BRETT MORRIS

General Manager The Moorings Yacht & Country Club Vero Beach, FL

General Manager Waialae Country Club Honolulu, HI

COO and General Manager Southern Hills Country Club Tulsa, OK

General Manager The Country Club of Virginia Richmond, VA

COO and General Manager Polo Club of Boca Raton Boca Raton, FL

Innovation is a key component of leadership.

These top executives have taken their clubs to a higher level by implementing a better approach for managing club food and beverage departments. Building on a foundation of best practices, checks and balances, and integrated business flows, they incorporated leading-edge food and beverage automation and reduced labor by tying all their systems together.

The controls, disciplines and reports produced by this approach make it possible to run food and beverage departments at peak efficiency, substantially reducing clerical labor and food costs. Innovation. A better way to do business Just what you would expect from leaders at this level.

Find out more. Call us at 800-553-2438.

Or just ask them!

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

PROCUREMENT • INVENTORY • CULINARY CONTROL

http://www.foodtrak.com

JAY DIPIETRO VENDOR OF THE YEAR

SECTIONS

DEPARTMENTS

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES. . . . . . . 28

DISTINGUISHED CLUBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

An App That Works for Your Club?

Cover Story - The Book: The Distinguished Club Experience

By Bill Boothe

By Dave White

CASE STUDY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Simple and Intuitive Purchasing Software

ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE CLUB DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Club Board Trends to Expect in 2017

CedarCreek Systems

By Gordon Welch

COURSE DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

CASE STUDY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

A Distinguished Wine for Distinguished Clubs: Q&A with John Komes, Proprietor of Flora Springs and Jon Nathaniel Wines

ASCGA Foundation Brings Longleaf Tee Initiative to Life

TENNIS COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Welcome the Net Generation

By BoardRoom Staff

By John Embree

ON THE FRONTLINES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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

Play Ball!

By Macdonald Niven

CMAA Honors Two New Master Club Managers

GOLF DISPUTE RESOLUTION. . . . . . . . 47

ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE CLUB DIRECTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

By Rob Harris

CULINARY AND CATERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

INNOVATIVE IDEAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

By Lynne LaFond DeLuca

2016 Top Private Club Presidents of the Year

Taxi Accident Injures Golfers but Does Wonders For One Victim’s Handicap

A Challenge, An Inspiration and a Lot of Fun… Creating an Interactive Learning Experience

Increasing Event Awareness Is Key for Montclair Golf Club

By Heather Arias de Cordoba INNOVATIVE IDEAS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Membership Surveys Offer Feedback for Champions Run

By Heather Arias de Cordoba

INSIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

The Value of Consistently Delivering These Two Words

By Michael Crandal, CNG

COMMITTEES HR COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

HOUSE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . 68

By David W. Lacey

By Todd Dufek

By Steve Graves

The Abusive Boss: Risk/Resolution Scenarios for Managing

Questions Clubs Should Consider About Its Locker Rooms - Part II

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . 26

GREEN COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

By Boyd Carr

By Larry Hirsh

Your Club…HACKED!

Time to Embrace the Three Ms

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. . . . . . . . . 78

Build a Team That Makes Others Green with Envy

By Rita B. Craig

WELLNESS COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . 34

Attitudes and Beliefs About Health, Wellness

By Rick Ladendorf

By Chris Boettcher

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . 48

Educate Staff to Reduce Cyber Security Risks

By Robyn Stowell

Questions Golf Clubs Should be Asking

By Dave Downing

The Green Committee What’s The Purpose?

By Bruce R. Williams GREEN COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

By Mitchell L. Stump

By Dave Doherty

Science Provides Options for Greens

WINE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . 66

By Steven Poe

By Ronald Cichy & John Flood

The Country Club Sommelier’s

Three Leading Questions

HOUSE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . 67

By Lisa Carroll

By Addison Craig

Ideas from the Restaurant World

Board Recognition Just Makes “Cents”

By Susan Greene

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . 72

The Perils of Membership Categories Part II

By Robert A. Sereci

GREEN COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

FINANCE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Food and Beverage Minimums

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . 70

GREEN COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

CLUB SERVICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

The Moon Shot at YOUR Club?

What Role Should Members Play in the Club’s Growth Efforts?

Tips to Win Over Millennials

PLANNING COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . 76

Honoring a Storied Past with a Vision Toward the Future

By Rick Snellinger

TENNIS COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Lasting Impressions - Part I

By Jason Hazley

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

Running a Member-Owned Private Club What Are the Challenges?

The art of governing, or leadership, is as old as society itself.

It’s the exercise of authority by an individual or group of individuals or organizations in what it does, and how and why decisions are made.

Still private clubs are a quite separate segment of both the service and hospitality industries, and what works for one, might or might not work for the other.

However, good governance is the responsibility of a private club’s board of directors, which must take responsibility for recruiting, hiring and evaluating the performance of a club’s general manager.

A private club’s members are its customers and also its owners and employers…a strangely unique but interesting anomaly. This, of course, sets the stage for many challenges in running a member-owned private club.

“Club management is something that on the surface looks easy, but it is very difficult,” expressed Frank Vain, president of the St. Louis-based McMahon Group.

“The notion of providing a great golf experience or restaurant is fairly straightforward, until you have to define ‘exceptional’ for a group of people and prioritize the use of their resources to make it all happen. As is the case with governments, club members tend to like programs and spending that directly benefits them, but they are highly critical of ‘wasting’ funds in other areas,” he added.

“The avid golfer can’t understand why the food and beverage program loses money they feel should go to the golf course, the pool users wonder why they can’t have towel service or better food, and on and on. Intergenerational issues related to programming, dress, services, and the big one, capital investments are ongoing and difficult to resolve. One member’s pet peeve can be another’s valued tradition,” Vain intoned.

“The key challenge for the general manager and the other leaders is to create a common vision that binds the members together into something that is bigger than the individual or a particular interest. Clubs ultimately exist to serve a community of members, but it takes work to hold the community together. Hitting the sweet spot for each of the various departments is difficult, particularly when emotions run high and often result in a change of course.

“Next year’s board may want to go in a new direction and management must sometimes go along to get along, or be bold and persuasive enough to stand up to rogue agendas.

It’s the intriguing intersection of politics, money and power,” Vain asserted. “While it might be a bit of a tempest in a teapot compared to trying to run a city or a town, it is a teapot that people care deeply about – and there is no shortage of opinion for how to fix all that ails it.”

Rick Coyne, managing partner of ClubMark suggests there are three specific areas that challenge private club management.

“First, boards are short term and in the absence of a process of working up through committees, boards have a scant three years to learn the business, the club, the processes and the market. That’s difficult at best,” Coyne remarked.

“Secondly, add any bias or personal agenda to the mix and you potentially have a recipe for disaster. When boards are elected, there is little opportunity to choose the best candidates based upon the needs of the club, their specific background and/or knowledge.

“While boards can be the greatest brain trust ever, poorly formed they can be a key ingredient to dysfunction. As Will Rogers once said, ‘There is nothing so stupid as an educated man, once you remove him from his field of education,’” Coyne added.

“Third, the board member is also a key user of the club facilities, often with a specific objective in mind for their term.

In my experience, fully one third of incoming board members will choose food and beverage as their ‘windmill.’ Really?

“How many of us would go out and build a $5 million restaurant in a town of 600 people? Often, when cash flow issues emerge, costs are the first line of offense, rather than dealing with revenue opportunities,” Coyne suggested.

“The equity club is unique, and I like to compare it to a church and its membership,” explained Gordon Welch, president of the Association of Private Club Directors.

“Sometimes I believe there is a ‘calling tree’ that takes place all week after a church service. Many members of the church (or club) have ownership and take pride in the facilities and staff. However, if the minister or priest is saying SEE PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE | 88

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KURT KUEBLER

BOARDROOM BASICS AND BEYOND

Kurt D. Kuebler, CCM is a partner with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, specializing in the national executive recruitment and club governance issues, strategic planning and other club consulting requests. Kurt’s office is in Jupiter, FL. He can be may be reached at (407) 864-6798, or through the website at www.kkandw.com

Make Clubs Great Again

By Harnessing Best Practices

Being immersed in our political scene these past many months, one can’t help but think about President Trump’s often spoken campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again!”

While sitting in a long day of interviews for a new GM/COO at a significant nationally-recognized club and listening to several top candidates talk about the achievements they’ve had at their current clubs, I couldn’t help but think about how many clubs simply fail these days.

Back in my early days of managing clubs, in my naiveté, I viewed the world of private clubs as being filled with high performing bastions of social and recreational collegiality!

While I eventually came to learn that my perspective wasn’t as much of a reality as I thought, I do think a much higher percentage of clubs and their members used to recognize the honor of serving the greater interests of the membership and took that honor to heart when serving on the board and on committees.

That isn’t to suggest that many club members still do so, but it just seems in our hectic, increasingly demanding world, club service has gotten the short end of the commitment ability for most people, and a larger number of leaders are those with agendas and/or well-intended, but misguided perspectives on governance, management and priorities.

So, thinking about what it will take to “Make Clubs Great Again”, here’s my list of what I’d like to see occur more often and more similar to those clubs that do continue to get it in today’s world.

While certainly not an all-inclusive list, or even one that fits every club, it would be my campaign platform were there to be a national club president elected every four years to lead every club out there!

My platform: • Every club is committed to a mandatory orientation/on-boarding process for each new member, each new staff member, each new committee member and each new board member!

• Every club is committed to a thoughtful, relevant and robust communication and “education” process for both members and staff. This process includes a means of advancing information in a proactive, informative manner on a regular basis in multiple formats including personally 12

BOARDROOM | May/June 2017

connecting with members, face to face, on a regular basis by the GM/COO. A commitment to appropriate “transparency” of messaging and information is in place.

• Each club is committed to developing, implementing and ensuring that a strong mentorship and professional development program is in place for the staff, including both line level and management team.

• Each club is committed to developing and implementing a strong talent acquisition, evaluation and retention program including the use of modern talent assessment programs. Clearly defined and measurable goals and objectives are established and thoughtful feedback is provided on a regular basis.

• Each club is committed to the development of and execution of relevant standards, processes and procedures to better ensure that an engaged staff is able to provide a high level of consistently memorable member experiences.

For members, standards to behavior and “club culture” is established and inappropriate behavior outside of these “norms and expectations” is dealt with swiftly and directly.

• Each club is committed to the establishment of a clearly defined mission, vision and core values that permeates the entire operation, from staff through members, and sets the staff for decision-making throughout the organization.

• Each club is committed to redefining the roles and responsibilities of the board, every committee and each senior staff position. Committees are provided appropriate goals and objectives that allow for consistent alignment with the board’s multi-year, rolling strategic plan. Committees are ‘right-sized’ and, through board tasking with goals, objective and priorities, meet when necessary and not simply because they are constituted. Each committee member has a term limit.

• Finally, each club is committed to an appropriate reevaluation of board service and defining the expectations of each board candidate if elected or appointed.

Terms for the president of the board are extended to more than a single year, but the “honor” of service is restored to the position, removing the “burden” it has become for many clubs and presidents to be elected to that position.

If we can harness the best practices, commitment to organizations to where it’s truly a privilege to be a member or to work at, we all could truly MAKE CLUBS GREAT AGAIN! BR

INTERIOR DESIGN | ARCHITECTURAL COLLABORATION | TURNKEY FURNISHINGS ACQUISITION AND INSTALLATION | COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

301.570.0098 | ltyler@ltcsi.com | Brookeville, MD

FRANK VAIN

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Frank Vain is president of McMahon Group, a private club survey, strategic and long range planning consulting firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. He can be reached at fvain@mcmahongroup.com

Green Up Your Brand for Member Growth Green practices can make your club a good steward of the environment and enhance your image, especially in the eyes of Millennials.

The major demographic wave taking place in the United States poses both challenges and opportunities for private clubs. On the challenge side, the Baby Boomers are moving into their senior years.

Unless your club is serving retirees in the Sunbelt, they are for the most part past the age when people traditionally join a club. They’ll remain very influential members and important sources of revenue in the form of dues and fees, but they won’t be your target new member.

On the opportunity side, with the leading edge of the 80 million strong Millennial generation hitting age 35 this year, there will be more people in their prime joining years (ages 35-45) than at any time since 1980s when the Boomers were in that position. For anyone old enough to remember those days, they triggered major changes in private clubs, driving the wave of strategic updates and facility expansions that took place throughout the 80s and 90s.

product. Your online presence and reputation – your brand, so to speak – is more important than ever. In addition, Millennials are more likely to support organizations that do good works. Whether it is community activities or giving back in other ways, they like to know that your club cares about its members and the world of non-members.

While there are many ways clubs can improve how they are perceived by current and prospective members, embracing many of the green initiatives. They can be good for the planet, good for the budget and good for brand enhancement.

Medinah Country Club outside Chicago has garnered a great deal of publicity by developing an organic garden featuring herbs, fruits and vegetables and edible flowers.

Their chicken coop, garden and other products have been branded under the name “Meacham’s Garden”, a reference to one of the families that once worked the land where the club now stands. It plays to both the trends in organic foods and “craft.” This is authentic branding, connecting members to what was once on their land and bringing it forward to today’s lifestyles and values. It is another way to

Adopting green practices alone won’t be enough to drive Millennials to membership, but they should be part of an overall strategy to make your club relevant in the eyes of the next generation of members.

As a father of three Millennial daughters, I can attest they approach things a bit differently than we did at their age. It’s not a revolution, however, and their approach to life probably varies from mine to about the same degree that mine did from that of my parents back in the day.

We won’t need to turn the whole club world upside down to attract and retain them, but there is clearly work to be done on things like gender equity, membership diversity, the type and range of activities and embracing technology to serve and communicate with members.

The Millennial generation is highly educated and selective, and while they are independent thinkers, they are also strongly influenced by referrals and endorsements. It’s all part of being raised in a world of online communities.

Facebook, Yelp, Google and others let them cut to the chase on features, benefits and value of any vendor or 14

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make the club’s story tangible and meaningful to today’s consumers.

The organic rooftop garden at The Jonathan Club in Los Angeles is a similar story, where in partnership with Farmscape, California’s largest operator of urban farms, the club grows seasonal herbs and vegetables in the heart of the city and features them on their menus.

Both initiatives have garnered attention throughout the club and external markets and changed perceptions in the community, and they’ve spurred a feeling of community within the membership too.

Adopting green practices alone won’t be enough to drive Millennials to membership, but they should be part of an overall strategy to make your club relevant in the eyes of the next generation of members. They promote sustainability, for the club and the world around it. BR

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 Nancy at: levenbun@gvsu.edu or (616) 331-7475.

Creating Family-Friendly Boards What does your club’s board of directors look like? No, I’m not talking about their height, weight or eye color (the stuff on a driver’s license).

What do your board members look like in terms of their ages and gender? How much do they reflect the current – or desired – composition of your club? Here’s why I’m asking this question…

REACHING OUT TO YOUNG FAMILIES

Countless private clubs across the country are reaching out to young families. The future of golf, they feel – as well as the future of the private club – resides in attracting young families as members.

poised to listen to the desires of Millennials’ hearts. Ideally, the club’s board is balanced in terms of their skills, talent, experience, expertise, contacts, credibility, affect, attitude, and so on. However, the traditional paradigm for the structure of club boards of directors has remained virtually unchanged since the turn of the century.

Some clubs, in fact, even stipulate that no more than a specified number of younger (or “junior”) members – and frequently, only one – can serve on the board.

Does this make sense? If the future of private clubs lies in attracting younger members, wouldn’t it make sense that they would want to have more – not fewer – younger members on the board? And if referrals from current members are the number one source of new members,

Ratchet up your technology skills so your committees can gear up for discussions to occur over email and Skype, rather than once a month on Tuesday evenings. And make sure your bylaws are as equally welcoming to younger members as your membership director is to take their checks.

Those who are part of the “Millennial” generation (born between 1980 and 1995) are now at – or just reaching – the age at which people traditionally join a country club (i.e., late 30s). As a large (75.4 million) and growing group with money to spend, clubs across the U.S. are serving up family-friendly programs to grab a share of this market.

To do this, clubs are changing. Many are becoming less golf-centric; they’re offering swimming, tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. They’re offering more family-oriented activities… and doing it year-round.

For wellness-minded moms and dads, they’re offering fitness facilities…personal trainers and spas, plus yoga classes and Zumba. For the kids, there’s sports camps, including golf and tennis, plus arts and crafts, nature hikes, swimming, soccer, kickball, and more.

To capture Millennials, clubs just have to offer the right amenities. And listen to what their (new) members want.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

So, how will they do this?

The club’s board of directors is – or should be – ideally 16

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wouldn’t it make sense for clubs that are seeking to expand to court more younger members into leadership roles?

Committees can provide an excellent entrance to integrate younger members into the club’s activities and planning, and they provide an excellent training ground for future club leadership. So, why not invite Millennials to join them?

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that because they’re younger – and likely to be extremely busy, working people – their lives are already jam-packed, especially when you add in the kids’ soccer practice and music lessons.

My advice… ratchet up your technology skills so your committees can gear up for discussions to occur over email and Skype, rather than once a month on Tuesday evenings.

And make sure your bylaws are as equally welcoming to younger members as your membership director is to take their checks. BR

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

Cows or Cars?

Here is a question for you – Which is the biggest culprit when it comes to generating greenhouse gasses – transportation or livestock?

For most people, the answer is transportation. After all, the media is awash with articles about government mandates to increase fuel efficiencies, about electric cars, or about the need to increase public transportation.

While there is no doubt that our love affair with cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks impacts the sustainability of the world’s climate, water, and natural resources, it is our love of meat that has an even larger impact. According to a baseline UN study, the livestock sector generates about 18 percent more carbon dioxide than transportation, and it also is a major factor in land and water consumption.

Now this isn’t a call for vegetarianism. It is certainly not an environmentalist decree. It’s not another call for recycling, low energy light bulbs, and conserving water either.

What it is, however, is a piece of the puzzle that can explain the consumers’ changing eating behaviors. And it

entirely from plants. They sizzle on the grill and even brown and ooze fat when they cook. More importantly, they actually taste like “the real thing.”

These burgers have debuted in high end restaurants across the country, where they were received enthusiastically by guests. The owner/chef of Jardiniere in San Francisco, Traci De Jardins, said that demand for the new burger has been so great and the line out the door so long that she had to start issuing tickets to try it. Could they have the same effect on your club’s menu?

Second, major meat producers – such as Tyson Foods – see the writing on the wall when it comes to the future of plant-based protein. They are investing heavily in the development, production and distribution of new meat alternatives that will stretch beyond “where’s the beef.” So, as the supply increases, consumer availability and acceptance will also increase.

Third, restaurants are jumping on the plant-based protein bandwagon too. Looking at this year’s industry hot trends, restaurant consultants, Baum and Whiteman, predicted that

I read somewhere that 2016 was the year of plant-based proteins and that they will continue to be a major food trend in 2017...

From Wendy’s to Chili’s, customers are seeing plant-based alternatives appear on menus. Taco Bell is even touting its vegetarian certified menu while Burger King promotes meatless Monday. WOW! This is quite a set of pronouncements for an industry long touting the 16-ounce steak, the full rack of ribs, or the four-decker hamburger. presents both challenges and opportunities for every food operation from the golden arches to private clubs, yours included. You might think of it as feeding the future.

I read somewhere that 2016 was the year of plant-based proteins and that they will continue to be a major food trend in 2017. To better appreciate this shift, it will help to understand what is driving it.

First, is the explosion technology that allows new plantbased protein to “bleed.” The two most notable examples are the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger. These burgers look, taste and smell like beef, but they are made

vegetables will “extend their domination of the dinner plate, shoving animal protein to the edges…or off the plate.”

QSRs and fast-casuals are not being left behind either.

From Wendy’s to Chili’s, customers are seeing plantbased alternatives appear on menus. Taco Bell is even touting its vegetarian certified menu while Burger King promotes meatless Monday. WOW! This is quite a set of pronouncements for an industry long touting the 16-ounce steak, the full rack of ribs, or the four-decker hamburger.

SEE PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE | 84

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The Distinguished Club Experience THE BOOK

BY DAVE WHITE, EDITOR

So, why a book on private clubs? Good question.

John Fornaro, publisher of BoardRoom magazine and CEO of BoardRoom’s Distinguished Clubs, researched and found there had never been a mainstream book published, based on the private club industry.

What? How was that possible? He thought it was about time that clubs were introduced to the world and embraced for their ability to fulfill a human need: to belong. But that’s not all.

Private clubs must offer a unique standard of service and engagement. They continuously provide experiences that ensure members want to stay members (a home-awayfrom-home).

While a restaurant, resort, hotel or frankly most businesses have to provide their product or service for a day or up to a week, private clubs must please their members Every. Single. Day. Often for up to 30 or 40 years! And the management must be at the top of their game, because there’s a lot at stake.

While there are hospitality business books on the market – The New Gold Standard based on the Ritz Hotel Company and The Disney Way for example – there isn’t a business book based on the best of the best in the private club industry. What’s the difference? Top clubs hire leaders who have already learned everything from the hospitality industry. That was just their starting point.

HOW TO GO ABOUT IT

When it came time to write the book Fornaro chose to collaborate with author and national speaker Molly Cox. He knew they would make a great team. Together they have more than 45 years of experience in the club and hospitality business.

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Molly and John met at a conference over 22 years ago.

John hired Molly to speak at his PCMA conference several times and they continued to stay in touch, always discussing what’s new and interesting in the private club, city club and athletic club industry.

The pair bounced ideas off each other and discussed best practices. Both natural connectors, they introduced their friends – in and out of the industry – to each other.

Always expanding their reach for ideas, talent and opportunities, with backgrounds that complement each other.

Molly is the former GM for a large athletic club, and helped write the phenomenally successful train-the-trainer program for the Fish Philosophy! The book Fish! by John Christenson, has sold over five million copies!

Molly presented the Fish! program at a CMAA national program to a wildly receptive crowd. She is also a Trust Edge certified instructor, and the co-author of the book, Improvise This! How to Think on Your Feet so You Don’t Fall on Your Face.” She has spoken and consulted for dozens and dozens of private clubs, such as the Stock Farm Club, Mendakota Country Club, and The Ocean Reef Club.

Fornaro and Cox could see a bright future in their collaboration.

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

John and Molly both have the critical eye needed for touring clubs, as well as a knack for asking just the right questions when interviewing general managers and chief operating officers.

With the help of Bill Thomas, executive director, Distinguished Clubs, Keith Jarrett, president, Distinguished Clubs, Jeff Briggs, chief information officer, Distinguished Clubs, and Frank Gore, Distinguished Club’s chief analyst, (who’s been to 4,023 clubs, but who’s counting?), about a dozen

“I absolutely love this book! For over 30 years I’ve studied extraordinary companies and how they differentiate. The Distinguished Club Experience captures the essence of how not only clubs, but any business of any kind can differentiate and create a competitive advantage through the customer experience.

The clubs that Cox and Fornaro write about all take a different path to excellence, yet there are universal lessons to be learned from each of them. The writing style makes this a great read. Buy this book! ~ Joe Calloway, author of Becoming a Category of One “The Distinguished Club Experience is essential reading for anyone who wants to increase loyalty, create a culture f care and lead with love.” ~ Jay DiPietro, president and COO, Boca West Country Club

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To purchase The Distinguished Club Experience, visit Distinguished Clubs.com and go to “Buy the Book.”

DISCOUNTS ON BULK PURCHASES

$

95

bottles of wine, and several hundred cups of coffee, they landed on the right formula for what would make this a standout book. One with lessons but also a great read. And, from all advance readers’ reviews. It is!

WHY 20 CLUBS?

They whittled down a list of hundreds of award-winning clubs, to just 20 to learn from. It needed to be readable, not just for brevity, but accessibility.

The clubs they chose opened their doors and offered over-the-top hospitality, and access to behind the scenes information, and interviews with their staff.

“We were constantly surprised by the level of not only hospitality, but the honesty the clubs’ leadership revealed to us,” remarked John.

They distilled club stories and best practices into representative examples of member and customer service, leadership, engagement, hiring, training, culture and story.

They wanted the experience from each club to come through as individually as possible, so that the reader can pick up the book and read any chapter at any time, without losing continuity. And when they finish, they’ll get a definite sense of the whole.

The book highlights what they saw as the most outstanding or unusual or teachable trait from each of the chosen clubs and put that item upfront-and-center. “In this way, the intangible “it” we talk about so often, won’t be so intangible. It will become accessible,” added Molly.

The goal of The Distinguished Club Experience is three-fold: • To share what amazing things the world’s top clubs do for their members, their employees and their communities. (Distinguished Clubs, LLC believes the book will help other clubs be successful.)

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The Distinguished Club Experience is more than a concept. It’s a way to transform your business.

Through stories, examples and dozens of actionable steps, Cox and Fornaro—with unprecedented access— take you behind the scenes of 20 award- winning private clubs from across the country.

• To shine a light on the private club industry and open the world’s eyes to the opportunities for work, and possibilities for a career • To help other businesses – not just those in the hospitality arena – to profit from these best practices • As a guide for clubs to use for discussion and talent development training, and for their members and boards of directors to read and to be proud of • Also, to open up the possibility of club membership to every reader who might not have considered joining a club. While reading the book, they may recognize the incredible benefits of membership!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

“Honestly with all the travel and research we had to do, we weren’t sure the book would ever get off the ground,” they laughed. But it did, and they’re thrilled!

The two are kicking-off the book release by speaking at the CMAA Golden State Conference and doing interviews. Molly will be speaking at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, Florida, among other clubs and resorts, as well as speaking at conventions and conferences.

The Distinguished Club Experience: A peek inside 20 award-winning clubs with lessons to ignite leadership, engagement and loyalty. Available August 15, 2017. B R To buy the book, go to Distinguishedclubs.com and search Buy the Book Now. *Discounts available for bulk purchases.

Molly can be reached at Molly@mollyspeaks.com | www.mollyspeaks.com John Fornaro can be reached at johnf@apcd.com

Benefits of The Distinguished Club Experience • • • • • •

Discover your story and use it to enhance your brand Build member/customer experiences that lead to loyalty Make word-of-mouth your most effective marketing tool Lead by example and create a culture of “family” Build and nurture your tribes through culture and engagement Revolutionize relevancy and create one-of-a-kind experiences

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DAVID W. LACEY

HR COMMITTEE

David W. Lacey is managing director, HR Services, The Hirshorn Company.

He recently completed his second board term at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.

He can be reached via email: dlacey@hirshorn.com

The Abusive Boss

Risk/Resolution Scenarios for Managing Abusive bosses enter our working lives from time to time, and private country clubs are not exempt from this phenomenon.

In fact, their behavior creates what is now referred to as a “hostile work environment.” These situations now account for slightly more than 50 percent of the pending cases before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Labor.

First, let’s define the behavior of an abusive boss. This person will: 1) belittle, humiliate or yell at you in private or in front of other employees; 2) use foul language and yell at you for no good work-related reason; 3) disrespect you and try to undermine your self-confidence, or 4) control you by monitoring every move you make during the work day.

These behaviors are intended to make a political statement that is, “I am more powerful than you. I can bully you so you do not feel safe at work.” An abusive boss is the sum total of wretchedness!

That said…what are possible approaches to manage?

This workplace situation is especially difficult because it asks much of the employee, both emotionally (feelings of self-doubt) and intellectually (what did I do to deserve this disrespectful reaction from my boss?).

A professional working for an abusive boss has four choices, which vary in terms of personal and organizational risk.

1. An interested and supportive colleague: This employee is a favorite of the abuser and is normally not touched by the behavior. It is recommended that you ask this person for help and to intervene with the abuser on your behalf. It is a low risk choice as long as you are confident the colleague will not take advantage of you.

2. A meeting with the abuser: An abuser is a bully who takes pleasure in intimidation. This one-on-one meeting has the purpose of saying to the abuser, “I am not afraid of 24

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you” and your behavior is setting limits on your reputation in the organization. You are not well regarded. Do you want that view of you to persist? Just like in the schoolyard, you are staring down the bully or abuser to determine what they will do. This choice has moderate risk because the employee does not know in advance the results of confronting the abuser.

3. Seek out a board member: It is best to choose a board member with whom you have worked closely and perhaps is a board committee chair. The purpose of your meeting is to invite the board member to investigate. It is always helpful to say this is not an example of a personality conflict – me versus the abuser. It is persistent, negative behavior affecting all of us on the hospitality team. This choice has high risk because the board member may dismiss you as a troublemaker. If choices one and two are tried but don’t work and you still want to be an effective employee at the country club, this level of risk may be worth taking.

4. Create a new professional persona for yourself: I describe this choice as becoming an actor. Acting like the abuser has no effect on you and cannot make you as a country club professional feel bad. The abuser does not have that power without your consent. If it becomes clear to the abuser that they cannot make you feel miserable, then this behavior will no longer be worth anything to them. Their pleasure from abusing ceases.

These four risk/resolution scenarios, when implemented, may limit or eliminate the abuse. Your choice depends on your risk appetite as a professional. Working for an abusive boss is one of the most difficult workplace situations.

There are no obvious or easy choices.

Only you can decide on the choice best for you. Sometimes you will try more than one!

If none of the management scenarios works, then there is the final decision – leaving. BR

“During our meeting you politely, but directly, pointed out that my plan for the future management of my club was not consistent with best practices in the country club community. You provided me reasons, data and a revised plan. I ended the meeting by asking if you would perform the search that I initially thought best and your response was ‘no’ you would not take on a search that you did not feel you could successfully accomplish. I left the meeting believing your firm was committed to providing its clients with great work and superior results. My belief has been confirmed by your entire process, your personal guidance and our result.”

Keith H. Berk, President Northmoor Country Club, Highland Park, IL

DICK KOPPLIN

KURT KUEBLER

TOM WALLACE

LISA CARROLL

JACK SULLIVAN

ARMEN SUNY

SPECIALIZING IN GM/COO, DIRECTOR OF GOLF, GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT, EXECUTIVE CHEF, COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGER , ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER , AND CLUBHOUSE MANAGER SEARCHES , AS WELL AS STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CONSULTING SERVICES FOR PRIVATE , RESORT AND DEVELOPER - OWNED PROPERTIES .

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DENVER

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JUPITER

EXECUTIVE SEARCH FIRM OF THE YEAR 10TH YEAR IN A ROW

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S C OT T S D A L E

BOYD CARR

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

Boyd Carr is the director of sales at Fortessa Hosting, Inc., a cloud-based hosting company helping clubs reduce their exposure to IT. Boyd can be reached at bcarr@fortessahosting.com or (949) 284-8808.

Your Club…HACKED! Has your board given any consideration to the club’s systems being exploited? There’s no time like the present.

Hackers understand that small to mid-sized businesses often lack the security expertise, data protections and response tools, which is why they account for most data breaches. What are the risks and the steps your club can take to avoid constant and, many times, unnoticed threats?

THE PRIZE

Clubs capture social security numbers, banking information, credit card numbers, names, birthdates, addresses, schedules, personal preferences, HR info, private emails, meeting minutes and much more. It’s understood that members of private clubs are likely wealthy and sometimes even famous. Anything and everything that’s captured can be compromised and PCI compliance is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the club’s liability. There’s likely

I can count on one hand how many times people have tried to verify who I am before giving me physical access to their computer. Usually, I walk up and ask if I can jump on for a minute and almost all move onto something else without any hesitation. No questions about who I am or what I’m doing. It may just speak to how accommodating people in the club industry are.

Whatever the case, a policy should be put in place to notify a department head someone is in the club and trying to gain access to its systems. The people element is hard to account for but is still the weakest link in your security profile.

Even if someone is logged out of their computer or gone for the day, you can bet on a Post-it-note stuck to their monitor, under the keyboard or even a big whiteboard in the middle of the office where passwords are documented.

Many avoid writing their credentials in plain sight and instead save them in their browser so they can simply tab through to log into any website.

Cybersecurity isn’t an IT problem, it’s a business problem. No matter what’s been implemented to protect and monitor your club, policies and procedures must also be put in place to further reduce your risk. well over 20 years of this type of data hiding out between old workstations, external drives, software, an old server and even likely on your new server.

THE OPEN DOORS

The top three entry points into your systems are hacking, malware and of course, social engineering, which has many flavors such as phishing, pretexting, etc.

Can a bad actor somehow unwittingly convince a staff member to click on a link and download what turns out to be malware? Or enter credentials on a website that appears to be legitimate? How would the club spot suspicious activity on its network or to its accounts?

Whose responsibility is this and what can you do if you were aware of it? Unfortunately, time to compromise and time to discovery are headed in the wrong direction, meaning systems are getting compromised faster today than a year ago and it’s also taking longer to discover the compromise.

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You can imagine how quickly actions like these can lead to a breach. And the costs of a data breach for a typical club likely exceed a minimum of $50-$80,000 in costs and charges and that doesn’t take into consideration loss of revenue, damaged reputation, etc.

WHERE TO START

Cybersecurity isn’t an IT problem, it’s a business problem.

No matter what hardware and software have been implemented to protect and monitor your club, policies and procedures must also be put in place to further reduce your risk.

Contact your IT provider and find out what systems are in place to protect your club. What recommendations have they made to shore up security? Can they help you clean up your systems and provide best practices to pass along to your team? And you may also want to consider adding a cyber insurance policy, because a monthly premium is a lot less expensive than a data breach. BR

BILL BOOTHE

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES

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. Bill can be reached at bboothe@boothegroup.com.

An App That Works for Your Club?

Editor’s note: The Boothe Group designed and conducted this survey in February with mobile app providers to the private club industry. The results and costs for this emerging technology are detailed in the information below.

Mobile apps - what’s available to private clubs? And what can they do for you?

Our survey conducted in February 2017, tells us there’s a wide range of applications…something that’s to be expected with a software solution so new to the private cub industry.

Most of the apps included in the survey have been in existence for less than three years. And the app developers are working overtime to add features and functionality. Many of the ‘no’ answers in this survey will be a ‘yes’ in a short span of time. This is a fast-moving technology arena and we will see major advancements over the next 12-18 months.

There is wide variation between the vendors on the usability of each feature offered. The same feature can appear very differently on different apps, and may offer minimal, average or very robust capabilities. Plus, the overall user experience of each app varies.

Some are extremely engaging and refined in their design, while others are less so. This all leads us to an important recommendation: If you are evaluating mobile apps for your club, arrange for a thorough demonstration of each app under consideration, to assure that you have a clear understanding of the depth and breadth of the features offered, as well as the overall user experience.

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Two types of apps are included in the survey results. The first includes apps provided by club management software companies. In most cases these apps require the use of the vendor’s website and/or club management product to make the app functional.

Certain app features may be dependent upon the website to function properly. For example, reservations features (dining, events, tee times, etc.) may simply consist of links to the mobilized website solution from the vendor. Other features such as member account management, bill pay and access to the club’s calendar of events may also consist of website links.

These features would be accessed through a single sign-on design so that the member would have no need to authenticate again to access them. In particular, features such as POS integration would most certainly require the use of the club management product.

The second type are apps provided by independent third party software companies. While these apps are separate from any club management software solution, they can offer links to those products, which allow for data to be passed back and forth.

In particular, reservations features (dining, events, tee times, courts) can be accessible on these apps through the use of a single-sign on link to the club management software solution.

However, such a link would need to be authorized and supported by the club management vendor. (For example, we have indicated an ‘N’ answer for reservations features if the app provider does not offer their own app res feature. However, using the links, those ‘N’ answers could become ‘Y’ answers.)

2017 Private Club Mobile App Survey The pricing presented by the vendors is effective February 2017 and is subject to change.

1. Buz Software: does not offer a mobile app, but does offer a mobile website. The cost of the mobile website is included in the club management solution from Buz. 2. Clubessential: $4,500 up-front cost includes branded custom app and training; $550 monthly cost; 5 beacon devices are included in this pricing.

3. Clubster/ClubTec: Less than 300 members = $250 up-front cost includes a branded custom app and training and $795 annual fee; 300-1,000 members = $300 up-front cost and $995 annual fee; Over 1,000 members = $300 up-front cost and $1,295 annual fee.

These costs cover the Clubster solution and the app.

4. CourseDriver: No up-front cost for a branded custom app and training; $399 per month with a 24month commitment; $50 for each beacon device.

5. Dove Valley Golf: Up-front cost starts at $495 for a branded custom app and training; clubs choose the features they want which dictates pricing; $1,600 annual cost. Beacons are not supported.

6. Expert Club Software: Declined to provide pricing information.

7. ForeTees: $900 up-front cost includes a branded app and training; $100 monthly cost for base features; Beacons have a $200 set-up fee and a $75 monthly fee; Beacons are $50 each to purchase the equipment; Food Ordering/Take-Out has a $200 setup fee and a $75 monthly fee.

8. EZLinks/IBS: Up-front cost starts at $495 for a branded custom app and training; clubs choose the features they want which dictates pricing; $1,600 annual cost. Beacons are purchased separately – no pricing provided.

9. Jonas Club Software: Up-front cost for club using Jonas mobilized website is $2,000 plus an annual fee of $1,300; Up-front cost for club not using Jonas mobilized website is $2,750 plus an annual fee of $1,900 (provides the club with the mobile site and the app).

10. MembersFirst: Up-front cost of $1,800 for a branded site and implementation; annual cost of $1,400 for maintenance and support.

11. myClubapp: Up-front cost of $500-$2,000; monthly cost is $200-$600. Beacons are not supported.

12. Northstar Technologies: Up-front cost of $2,000 for white label site and TBD for custom site; monthly cost of $250 for base features; monthly cost of $250 for beacons (equipment purchased separately).

13. OneClubNet: Up-front cost of $499 for a branded app and training; no monthly cost. Beacons are not supported.

14. Pacesetter Technology: Declined to provide pricing information.

15. TAI Consulting: Declined to provide pricing information.

MAY/JUNE 2017 | BOARDROOM

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Gordon Welch

ExEcutivE committEE

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.

Club Board Trends To Expect in 2017 It’s been a year of significant change – political upheavals such as Brexit and our own controversial new President; growing regulation and proposed governance standards, as well as persistent and destructive cyber security wars threatening everything from the outcome of the U.S. election to our daily club rituals.

For club boards tasked with guiding their clubs through these changes and the complexities that could arise in the aftermath of 2016, change is needed in the boardroom.

From expanding skillsets to greater accountability for clubs, here are five of the top trends that will make the biggest impact on club boards in 2017.

Individual accountability: Club board members will be measured by more than just financial performance, but also for their personal effectiveness, diligence and contribution to the club. Thus, it will be necessary for board members to evaluate the security of their personal and professional communications, and exercise best practices designed to protect the integrity of sensitive information, and ultimately, their personal, and the club’s reputation.

parency and collaboration to make key decisions. As the level of accountability grows, there will need to be a better line of communication between the club’s board and the club’s management. Through collaborative governance your club will benefit from a more effective operation, clear communication to staff and members and trust.

Cyber security becomes a board problem: In 2017, club boards will need to strongly consider adding individuals with cyber security experience. Cyber security is perhaps the single biggest risk to clubs today. With security cracks impacting business around the world daily, many private clubs are not ready for battle.

To help prepare, clubs will need to make it a priority to enhance public-private partnerships and use third party providers to leverage their networks. This will help solve fundamental problems like lax security, knowing where data is located and how new regulations may impact the club.

Your members are key targets in their own industries.

Keeping their private information secured is critical and it is your responsibility to assure members are protected.

Boards will need to change by attracting more women to the boardroom; attracting skill sets such as technology and security and commit to the adoption of technology in the entire club, including the boardroom.

As a member of the Association of Private Club Directors there are wonderful resources through the BoardRoom Institute. A learning module is available for you and your board regarding how to protect the integrity of sensitive information and ultimately, your personal, and the club’s reputation.

Diverse board members wanted: Club boards have often been criticized for lacking diversity and modern skillsets needed to compete in today’s fast-paced and technology-driven private clubs. Boards will need to change by attracting more women to the boardroom; attracting skill sets such as technology and security and commit to the adoption of technology in the entire club, including the boardroom.

Greater accountability calls for improved collaboration: In 2017, club boards must also have more trans32

BOARDROOM | May/June 2017

Political changes enter the boardroom: President Donald Trump promises to bring about a variety of changes to foreign policy, domestic practices and corporate governance. With our new President, clubs will need to keep an even closer eye on how they will be impacted. In fact, there’s already action taken to key legislation and swift immigration and labor changes. However, as a private club owner, President Trump will hopefully have a positive impact on the industry.

This will undoubtedly be a transformative year for many clubs and the boards that govern them. While time will tell how each of these trends will impact your board, I’m willing to bet that those that continue to evolve and adhere to industry best practices will outperform those that stick with the status quo. BR

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rIck ladendorf

wEllnEss COMMITTEE

Rick Ladendorf is the president of Prevo Health Solutions, a wellness solutions provider, executive producer of the AMERICA’S HEALTHIEST CLUB© wellness rating program and founder of the Wellness Project. Contact Rick Ladendorf at (949) 933-5470 or rladendorf@prevohealth.com

Attitudes and Beliefs About Health, Wellness and Longevity Impacting Clubs’ Cultures culture is the way of life for a particular group of people at a particular time. The question is, who decides what the club’s culture should look like?

Five years ago, I read an article published by Frank Vain in the McMahon Trends Report that described health and wellness in the private club industry as a megatrend. Paul Zane Pilzer (best-selling author, a worldrenowned economist, presidential advisor, college professor, and entrepreneur) was just releasing his book, The Wellness Revolution, and described wellness as the next trillion-dollar revolution.

Fast forward to 2017 and we can see they were both right in their prognostications.

Who makes the decision to change the club’s culture, the mission, the vision and most importantly the amenities?

In my opinion, it’s the board and the committees that influence the cultural shift. Many general managers won’t be at the club long enough to see the changes take place, whereas the board has a certain amount of continuity to stay the course, especially if a club has invested in strategic planning.

After visiting hundreds of clubs, interviewing thousands of general managers, department heads and members, I’ve concluded the general manager can be a great wellness cheerleader, but the ultimate decision to invest in resources and amenities depends on how supportive the board is of wellness.

Joanna Roche, a private club wellness director, consultant, speaker and writer explains, “Wellness is not a trend it’s a lifestyle, and positioning your club as a destination for healthy living and introducing wellness as a lifelong habit and marketing concept is the future. Our job as club leaders is to inspire members to be healthy, provide tools and information and access to world-class teachers, healers and programs to curate experiences that connect people to the tools that help them live longer, healthier and happier lives.”

And private clubs across the country are incorporating fitness, wellness and mindful living practices into the club culture as a way of attracting and retaining members and staff. More importantly, these clubs are seeing an increase in member usage and spending. And for some, they are controlling health care costs.

ShaPInG The fUTUre of The clUB IndUSTry

A club’s culture is the set of customs, traditions, and values of its members, an intangible difficult to describe and even more difficult to manage and measure. So how do private clubs morph from golf-centric to lifestyle-centric clubs while maintaining the club’s history and legacy?

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Cultures are built over time and it starts with the collective attitude of the board and the management team.

To help illustrate how important attitude is, let’s look at two clubs; Sea Pines Country Club, Hilton Head Island, SC and Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, OK. Sea PIneS coUnTry clUB, hIlTon head ISland, Sc

Robbie Ames recently accepted his first general manager position and moved his wife and kids from Scottsdale AZ to Hilton Head in 2017.

Ames, a PGA professional, played on numerous mini tours and caddied on tour for his brother Stephen Ames (4-time PGA Tour Winner including the 2006 Players ➤

from Wellness Committee | 34

Championship). Ames, a progressive thinking Gen Xer understands the importance of health and wellness and its impact on recruitment and retention.

“The board selected me to lead the club today but more importantly to lead into the future. The board has a vision and understands the importance of health and wellness and the effect it has on recruitment, retention and usage,” explained Ames.

“While golf and tennis may be declining, the trends indicate fitness, nutrition, and as a result, living longer are becoming more important to Millennials, Baby Boomers and beyond.”

Ames and Sea Pines Country Club are committed to creating a culture of health and wellness and have recently become a founding member of the Wellness Project™, an industry initiative spearheaded by America’s Healthiest Clubs.

The Sea Pines Country Club board had approved a $3 million expansion of the clubhouse and the membership supported an upgrade to the fitness center in phase two. Ames was impressed with the board’s direction to continue the legacy of being a family-friendly club that appeals to prospective members as well as the current membership (whose average age is 72). The club recognized that providing world-class amenities was critical to maintaining and attracting members. A $450,000 indoor and outdoor pool renovation project was completed in

Robbie Ames, GM/COO, Sea Pine s Co u n t r y C l u b.

Pictured below top to bottom: S e a P i n e s Co u n t r y Club clubhouse with pool; Sea P i n e s Country Club front entry.

April modernizing the existing saline indoor pool, 24-meter outdoor pool, spa and deck, and creating a new children’s splash pool - the Fun-Zone.

Sea Pines Country Club, like many other private clubs in the Hilton Head area, has a manned fitness center, a plethora of group classes, personal trainers and indoor and outdoor pools that appeal to all ages.

So how does Sea Pines differentiate themselves from the competition?

Wendy Kelly, interim fitness director, has been with the club for over five years and has implemented a number of unique and relevant wellness programs, including a monthly sunset yoga practice followed by a social hour, introducing different styles of yoga including Kundalini, restorative and chair yoga, and bringing meditation, essential oils, healthy whole-food recipes and homeopathic health and beauty recipes into special fitness programming. In addition to yoga, Wendy teaches Pilates, Tabata and stretch classes and is excited to explore innovative ways to engage more members.

Assistant director, Diane Campbell, who has been with the club over 15 36

BOARDROOM | May/June 2017

years, is the primary instructor for the club’s aquatic classes (that range from advanced to therapeutic), as well as teaching TRX and special workshops on balance and equipment usage.

The fitness team recently adopted new software to allow members to pre-register for classes online and has implemented a 21-day cleanse program that involves nutritional education, hands-on workshops, meal planning, culinary classes and minimal exercise and small group training.

Over several rounds of the program, over 40 members have learned more and enjoyed the benefits of cleaner eating. The team plans to continue to evolve the nutritional programming to support members in their active lifestyles.

The fUTUre IS BrIGhT

Club management is considering many improvements with the upcoming fitness center renovation planned for late fall 2017.

SoUThern hIllS coUnTry clUB, TUlSa, ok

Nick Sidorakis, general manager and COO of Southern Hills Country Club has spent the last 22 years building a culture of health and wellness that initially started with the staff and then expanded to the members and the community.

“The essence of who we are comes from the board’s relentless pursuit of the mission and vision statement, the core values and the culture of the club,” outlined Sidorakis.

“Everything goes back to these principles. Staff and members contribute to the culture and support employee engagement, community outreach and the need for capital improvements. This has been the bedrock and foundation for 81 years.”

The fitness center was built in 2004 and member usage has increased an average of eight percent per year over the last four years. Member services include personal trainers, 30 classes a week, physical therapy, massage, a nutritionist, guest speakers and a chiropractor.

Michael Stacks, general manager of Indian Hills Country Club in Mission Hills, Kansas explains, “We have picked up 150 new members over the last four years as a direct result of building a world-class fitness center.

Many of the sports members have upgraded their membership and have become some of our most active and loyal members. I am deeply grateful to my board for their unwavering support.”

The staff is enthusiastic about expanding wellness programming to enhance nutritional education in collaboration with the club’s chef, and expand the membership’s awareness of diverse holistic health practices including myofascial release, iridology, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and naturopathy.

Sea Pines Country Club has plans to add affinity clubs to better serve the myriad populations including foodies, fitness enthusiasts, walkers, bikers, runners, seniors and children, as well as offering more sports specific conditioning.

“I was impressed with the board’s vision, passion and most importantly the attitude toward health, wellness and longevity. We are in alignment as a team and understand the importance of the trends, and a growing interest in fitness, healthy foods, local sourcing and relevant programming for all ages. We will continue to improve the member experience and grow our successful legacy program.

“The club will embark on its first wellness project with the creation of an herb and vegetable garden. This is a winwin for both the club and the members. The new garden will have over 1,000 square-feet of organic herbs and vegetables.” concluded Ames.

The 10-year master plan includes a 22,000-square foot stand-alone building that includes a robust kid’s area. New members’ average age is 44, and the club has hired a youth director to run the youth camps, programming and child care to meet the needs of young families.

In addition to a comprehensive fitness center, Southern Hills offers a farm-to-table program that’s been part of the culture for years. The garden, which began three years ago, has quadrupled in size to over 6,000 square feet. The club’s horticulturist and the chef work together to maximize the yield and also get the members involved in the process.

The club also has 10 chickens and harvests local honey from the bee hives.

“We are not the only game in town for fitness, food and family fun and we know referrals from existing members are our biggest lead generator,” explained Sidorakis. “We are very proud of our amenities, but more importantly, blessed to have such a great team that have been intimately involved in the transformation from a golf club to a lifestyle and family club.” ➤ MAY/JUNE 2017 | BOARDROOM

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GoodWIll GoeS a lonG Way

Southern Hills is deeply rooted in the community and continues to help those that are less fortunate. Helping people is just part of the club’s culture.

Employees are eligible for scholarships funded by the members and administered by the Tulsa Community Foundation. To date, 59 scholarships have been awarded totaling $130,000.

Thirty-six employees volunteer twice per year at Irongate, a local food bank, where the club supplies and prepares the food and feeds 800 people. The local media love the story and have featured the club and the employees on the local news.

And for the last 15 years, the club has raised millions of dollars for First Tee, which has impacted over 50,000 kids. The annual golf tournament hosts 240 member and public players and donates 90 percent of the funds raised to the charity. Southern Hills Country Club raises over $100,000 per year for First Tee. key mIleSToneS

When it comes to employee health and wellness, Southern Hills is second to Nick Sidorakis, general manager, S o u t h e r n H i l l s none and rivals some of the best corporate wellness programs in the country.

Country Club. Pictured below to p to b ot to m : Southern Hills Country Club Fitn e ss Ce n te r ; S o u t h Summary of the key milestones ern Hills 18th Hole and Clubhouse.

• Health plan began as an HMO and has morphed in to a robust self-insured PPO. • Club signed on with CARE ATC, which has five clinics in town. The annual fee identify potential risks with the 131 is paid by club. No out of pocket costs when the employee visits the clinics and participants. no cost for prescriptions.

• For the last 13 years, the average • Employees contribute 25 percent of the health care costs. In exchange, they take the personal health assessment and provide biometrics, which help increase in health care costs rose three percent, compared to the national average of nearly 13 percent, resulting in true savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

When asked why other clubs have not converted to self-funding, GM Sidorakis said, “Other club managers don’t understand the self-funding model and stay away from it as they have may have heard horror stories.

“It’s complicated with some risks, but when you have access to the data and total control of designing the plan, the benefits outweigh the risk.” BR

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BOARDROOM | May/June 2017

casE study | cEdaRcREEk systEms

Simple and Intuitive Purchasing Software Westchester country club is an exclusive family oriented club located in rye, ny, approximately 40 minutes outside manhattan.

Westchester has been ranked 29th of 4,000 private clubs in the U.S. and maintains its status as a BoardRoom magazine Distinguished Club and a Platinum Club. Their facilities include two championship golf courses, a beach club on Long Island sound and comprehensive tennis and squash facilities.

Director of purchasing Robert Sanders is considered an industry expert with over 20 years in hospitality purchasing. Sanders now runs the procurement for all of Westchester’s facilities and outlets. He has a hotel background, where he first used CedarCreek’s software at the Plaza Hotel before joining Westchester in 2015, where they were also using the same purchasing software.

“When I first started in purchasing 20 years ago,” explained Sanders, “all orders were over the phone and hand written. I look back and see how time consuming it was.

Sanders continued, “Everything is documented and there’s accountability for all purchases and inventory now.

For example, for a holiday from last year, you can pull up an order to help set up your budget and know what you bought. Everything is at your fingertips, all rolled up into one centralized, cloud-based platform.”

A key element of CedarCreek purchasing is the budget impact visibility or Checkbook Drilldown feature. Every PO provides budget impact to forecast for the department placing the order.

The system prohibits the ability to unknowingly exceed your budget when ordering goods or services. Once the order is placed, an approval workflow sequence is initiated either via a mobile phone or within CedarCreek.

“I can look at a GL code and instantly know what we spent and what’s still pending,” Sanders said delightedly.

“Another useful tool is that I scan and attach my bid sheets to a PO in the system. This is very exciting as a purchasing manager!”

“This is the most efficient, productive system I’ve used. And, it’s extremely user friendly. When I first introduce the tool to a new user, they are often intimidated, but when they see how logical and intuitive it is, they realize the system is simple and straightforward. I don’t know how I would do my job without it.”

Robert Sanders, director of purchasing Now I have everything right in front of me: access to my suppliers, order guides, the ability to create and send a PO, the ability to see if the manager approved it and know that the vendor accepted the order.

“The system is very efficient. My supplier contacts are all there. My pricing is there, and it’s the most recent up to date pricing, so it’s accurate. The history and pricing of every order is available. Everything!” Sanders stated proudly.

Previously, these processes were all manual. He continued to explain that he and other managers can easily see discrepancies so there is no grey area on pricing now that everything is automated. The team can easily find backup and original price quotes and quantities.

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The Take aWay

“This is the most efficient, productive system I’ve used.

And, it’s extremely user friendly. When I first introduce the tool to a new user, they are often intimidated, but when they see how logical and intuitive it is, they realize the system is simple and straightforward. I don’t know how I would do my job without it,” rejoiced Sanders.

Westchester is now expanding their technology platform by adding CedarCreek’s latest product in mobile beverage inventory management. The club will be adding several cutting-edge mobile scanners to easily and quickly take accurate beverage inventory that connects to their POS system. BR

casE study | FloRa spRings winERy

A Distinguished Wine for Distinguished Clubs

Q&A with John Komes, Proprietor of Flora Springs and Jon Nathaniel Wines

By BoardRoom Staff John komes is the proprietor of flora Springs in napa Valley.

Owned and operated by Komes and his family since 1978, Flora Springs is known for a portfolio of estate-grown wines that includes Trilogy, its flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, Soliloquy, its proprietary Sauvignon Blanc, as well as critically-acclaimed Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Merlots. Recently, Komes and his son, Nat, started a new wine project, Jon Nathaniel Wines, which focuses on small production wines from the family’s own vineyards.

Komes, who has worked with Distinguished Clubs extensively during his career, believes that fine wine plays an important role in enhancing the member experience at private clubs. Recently, Komes talked about Jon Nathaniel Wines and the very special wine he’s created just for Distinguished Clubs: the Jon Nathaniel Distinguished Clubs Cabernet Blend.

Where are the wines from?

They’re grown in Napa Valley, in vineyards our family has owned for decades. Because they’re made in such limited quantities, Nat and I are able to be very hands on with these wines. We’re constantly tasting through the barrels and winnowing them down to the absolute best. Jon Nathaniel is all about quality over quantity.

Tell us about the Distinguished Clubs Cabernet Blend.

As a winery owner, I know that one of the best ways to instill loyalty among customers is by offering them something special, something they can’t get anywhere else. This bottle, which we created exclusively for Distinguished Clubs, provides clubs with a unique offering that is only available to their members.

The bottle is so unusual; where did you find it?

My wife Carrie and I happened to be visiting a winery in Nova Scotia when I saw the bottle in the tasting room. I knew immediately I had to have it for Distinguished Clubs.

What strikes me is how elegant it is in a dining situation.

It’s got a flat side so it can sit on a table horizontally as well as vertically, there’s no need for a wine cradle. Because of its shape, we have to fill and label each bottle by hand; it’s a pretty meticulous undertaking.

Tell us about the wine.

How did Jon Nathaniel Wines come about?

Having overseen Flora Springs for so many years, I was anxious to start again with something smaller, a project that would allow me to focus on a few very high-quality wines from our family’s vineyards. I also wanted the opportunity to work closely with my son Nat, who grew up with Flora Springs and is the winery’s general manager. At its core, Jon Nathaniel represents a return to our roots.

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I’ve always said that single-vineyard wines are a gift of nature, but blended wines are the creation of the winemaker. This one is a blend of classic Bordeaux varietals, it’s a fruit-driven wine, silky on the palate with a lingering finish. It’s picked up complexity from aging. It’s ready to enjoy now, but it can easily age for another five years. BR To learn more about the Jon Nathaniel 2013 Distinguished Clubs Cabernet Blend, or to schedule a winemaker dinner with Flora Springs, contact Richard Tiedemann at RTiedemann@florasprings.com.

macdonald nIVen

on thE FRontlinEs

MacDonald Niven, MA, MCM, CCE is with Niven Research and general manager of Almaden Golf and Country Club, San Jose, CA. He can be reached at (510)-439-8522 or via email: mac@niven.cc.

Play Ball!

“Time,” Chris called to the umpire. Johnny looked at Chris and slowly walked over to the coach standing between the dug-out and batter’s box. “OK, Johnny, we’re going to get you on base. This pitcher can’t get the ball over the plate. You’re going to get on base. Johnny… listen to me…,” Chris looked Johnny squarely in the eyes, “Don’t swing.

Do you understand, he can’t get the ball over the plate. Just don’t swing, he’ll walk you, and you’ll get on base. OK?” Johnny nodded and walked slowly back to the batter’s box.

This was the fifth game of the season for the team of first-year ‘Kid Pitch’ Little League. Johnny had been up to bat nine times so far this season, had struck out all nine times, and never even came close to his current 3-2 count; and the two came from Johnny swiping at bad pitches.

But, here they were, a moment for all of history, Chris was going to get Johnny on base. The pitch was thrown, Chris was correct, the ball came in a foot and a half above Johnny’s head. Just as the ball got to the catcher’s glove, Johnny swiped at it! “Strike three,” murmured the umpire, more question than statement.

Johnny walked slowly back to the bench, a perplexed Chris patting him on the shoulder, “Good cut, Johnny, you gave it a good swing.” In Chris’ mind, there was a different conversation going on.

“John, thanks for meeting with me. I want to give you a heads-up on some budgetary changes to the golf course.”

John’s jovial smile vanished at GM Chris’ reference to budgetary cuts and golf course. “We’re experiencing some weakening in revenues and I need to adjust the budget so that we don’t get into the red.”

“You can’t be cutting the course budget, Chris. It’s our pride and joy. Without the course, we’d be… well, out of business. Take away from food and beverage, it’s been a loser since I can remember. Get that thing straightened out” Motivation is a difficult task. Chris’ desperate goal was for Johnny to get on base, and there were good reasons: Chris’ own personal sense of accomplishment, a positive experience for Johnny, pleasing Johnny’s parents, the pull of the crowd, and many other deep secretive reasons. What Chris didn’t grasp was Johnny’s goal. Chris wanted Johnny to get on base; Johnny wanted to get back on the bench.

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Club GMs face very similar challenges. Chris thought that board director John would support cost cutting measures to keep a balanced budget. It is the board’s fiduciary responsibility, and John is certainly very responsible.

What Chris didn’t consider was the fierce peer pressure that John, as chair of the green and grounds committee, was under from his fellow golfers to maintain the highest standards.

Cornell University Professor Samuel Bacharach suggests in his book, Get Them on Your Side, that, “You want others to see your idea as you see it. In order to do this, you begin … by viewing your proposed change from the perspective of those people you want to buy-in.”

Perhaps Chris couldn’t solve young Johnny’s problem of playing baseball, when he didn’t want to play baseball.

But, Chris might have prepared director John by talking with John about his goals and what was important to him.

Rather than diving right into the cuts, Chris could have started by assuring John that the high course standards are vitally important to Chris and the club members.

Once Chris clearly showed recognition of the importance of the course, common ground is established, Chris may have described the cuts throughout other departments and then talked about what was planned for the course. Cuts needed to be made, but sharing the cost concern with John, along with club-wide remedial action, might have allowed John to get on board with the measures.

Gaining another’s perspective can only come from talking openly and listening carefully with the other person.

Understanding the other’s perspective is helpful in crafting an argument and it is particularly important when trying to persuade someone of equal or greater power. BR

couRsE dEsign

ASCGA Foundation Brings Longleaf Tee Initiative to Life can the game of golf be gender and age neutral, while still providing player enjoyment and improved pace of play? The american Society of Golf course architects thinks so.

golf more enjoyable for all players, and the club’s bottom line is much improved. The results were immediate and profound.”

The ASGCA Foundation has introduced the Longleaf Tee Initiative, a joint partnership with U.S. Kids Golf Foundation that increases course playability and golfer enjoyment. The program helps golf course operators strategically expand existing tee complexes and, as a result, increase rounds and improve pace of play. The goal is for all players to enjoy the game while maintaining the design integrity and challenge of the layout.

The initiative is modeled off of the learnings from the highlysuccessful renovation of Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina. With the assistance of Bill Bergin, ASGCA, Longleaf added multiple tee locations – as many as seven per hole – at yardages that encourage players to tee off from locations based on how far they carry their drive.

“This is no longer theory, it is proven data,” said Dan Van Horn, U.S. Kids Foundation founder and Longleaf Golf & Family Club owner. “Scaling our course with seven sets of tees makes

“Distinct signs on the practice range make it simple: hit a few drives, see where your ball lands, and play from the corresponding tees on the course,” Bergin said. “The charts and illustrations found in the pro shop, on the range, first tee and scorecard elevate this over other tee initiatives. It’s packaged in a way that encourages more players to play from the correct tees.”

“The beauty of this system rests in how it promotes fun,” said ASGCA Foundation President Clyde Johnston, ASGCA. The Longleaf Tee Initiative is not a “cookie cutter” program.

Since each golf course is unique, the implementation of the tee system will vary based on course design and layout.

“It is vital that courses work with an ASGCA member from the start,” said John Crowder, USKGF. “No two courses are the same. And to design and implement a system for all players – not just kids, women or older players – you need the expertise of a golf course architect.” BR

hoW IT WorkS

henry delozIer Henry DeLozier, a recipient of the BoardRoom magazine Lifetime Achievement award for 2014, is a principal of Global Golf Advisors. You can contact him at hdelozier@globalgolfadvisors.com.

gloBal pERspEctivEs

Study Shows F&B Trends Lead Managers’ Priorities changing food and beverage expectations, increasing labor requirements and pressure to use better data to inform their decisions are the leading issues facing private club managers.

That’s according to results of the latest National Private Club Trends Survey compiled by club experts Michael Leemhuis and Fred Laughlin and Global Golf Advisors.

Results of the survey were based on opinions from 150 club managers (primarily COOs and GMs) with an average of nearly 20 years of experience at topperforming U.S. and Canadian clubs.

Survey respondents ranked trends affecting their clubs on a scale of 1 to 4, from the least to the most important.

Based on their rankings, the foodand-beverage experience (3.14), human resources management (3.10), food-and-beverage menus (2.97) and business intelligence (2.89) are club managers’ top priorities (see table).

“The latest research underlines the fact that trends affecting consumers and businesses at a macro level are also very prevalent inside today’s private clubs,” said Leemhuis. “Club leaders need to not only be aware of these trends, but also have a plan to – in some cases – take advantage of them and in other cases make sure they do not negatively impact their club.”

According to the survey, there is increased demand for dining options, including dining concepts (especially casual), menus and styles of service.

Increasingly popular are to-go/takeout, pizza ovens and pub/tavern style bars. In addition, more diverse foodand-beverage menus are being offered that include farm-to-table, organic and gluten-free options, as well as upscale cocktails.

These preferences are encouraging clubs to redesign and renovate their kitchens and dining spaces to enhance

the member experience and to stay competitive in their markets.

Changes in Department of Labor requirements have placed greater pressure on clubs to allocate financial and human resources to maintain regulatory compliance. With the quantity of work required of HR departments increasing, some clubs say they are struggling to keep up. As a result, clubs have increased HR funding and staffing.

Comparisons to benchmarks and competitors in other business segments – especially in compensation, benefits, pricing and staffing – are putting pressure on club leaders and boards to seek more quantifiable data on which to base decisions. Eightyone percent of respondents said they needed more advanced business intelligence as they seek comparative benchmarks and competitive reference points.

Club leaders ranked a greater emphasis on governance (2.80) as the fifth-most important trend. Laughlin, an expert in non-profit governance practices, noted the growing pressure on club managers and boards to remain focused on the club’s strategic plan while dealing with day-to-day operational issues.

“Clubs deliberate as many and govern as one,” Laughlin said. “This requires open and candid discussion.

Members today expect greater transparency and frequency in board communications.”

In addition to these trends, greater emphasis on governance (2.80), capital improvements for evolving lifestyles (2.80), member-facing techSee GloBal PerSPecTIVeS | 85

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lEgal committEE By RoB haRRis

Taxi Accident Injures Golfers but Does Wonders For One Victim’s Handicap an Irish court just received evidence in a lawsuit brought by three vacationing golfing friends arising out of an accident brought about by the taxi driver taking them away from Spain’s la manga Golf club.

As reported, according to golfer John Moroney, “he and friends Michael Lynch and Mark Lawless had just finished a round of golf at La Manga and hired a taxi to take them to their hotel.”

“The driver took off very quickly, even before we had time to put our seat belts on,” Moroney told Mr. English.

“He continued to drive at an alarming pace and hit a crash barrier as he tried to overtake another car in the middle of the road.”

“Mr. Moroney said he had been knocked unconscious and only woke up when he arrived strapped in a wheel chair at the local Santa Maria hospital where a surgeon had operated to remove part of a golf club shaft from the back of his head.”

So, what are the permanent effects of having your skull impaled with a golf club shaft? Mr. Moroney has “been left with a permanent three-inch scar at the base of his scalp

and had significant soft tissue injuries to his face, arms, shoulder, shins, ribs and chest.”

As for his golf, Mr. Moroney explains that “even today I suffer pain in my left knee especially during the onset of cold weather. I strap it up and take painkillers if necessary when playing golf.”

And what of his golfing compatriots? Mr. Lynch “said, it was an unbelievable, frightening experience and to this day he would experience back spasm. He had played golf three or four times a week before the accident but had never returned to playing the game.”

However, every cloud has a silver lining. The third member of the group, Mark Lawless, was knocked unconscious and woke up covered in blood and with a swollen knee. As for the aftermath? He testified that ”he had a handicap of 18 at the time of the accident but now played to a handicap of 14.” A small price to pay to carve four strokes off a handicap. BR

roByn nordIn SToWell

lEgislativE COMMITTEE

Robyn Nordin Stowell is a partner in the law firm of Sherman & Howard L.L.C. in Scottsdale, AZ. Robyn may be reached at (480) 624-2736 or by email at rstowell@shermanhoward.com.

This article is for informational purposes and is not legal advice. Joseph Saracino may be reached at (516) 932-0317 x311 or by email at jsaracino@cinoltd.com.

Educate Staff to Reduce Cyber Security Risks my recent articles on cyber security risks and insurance have led many clubs to ask what steps can be taken to immediately make their environment safer.

The club can implement employee training and updated club policies that help quickly, but remember they do not replace qualified cyber security vendors and appropriate cyber insurance.

“Statistics show that only three percent of malware target technical flaws, while 97 percent target end users. In other words, your employees are the intended target,” said Joseph Saracino, president of CINO Security Solutions, a cyber security consulting firm. “Continuous end user education is one of the most crucial proactive elements in keeping your cyber environment secure.”

Employee training is absolutely necessary. This training requires repetition over multiple training opportunities, which can be provided in annual training, employee line ups, employee newsletters, and other regular communication.

Teach employees that names of children and pets, or dates of birthdays and anniversaries, all of which are likely posted on Facebook, are not strong passwords.

Passwords can be made up of lower case letters, upper case letters, numerals and special symbols, and a strong password has at least three of the four. There are many ways to create a strong password that employees can remember. For example, a young parent might choose “Old McDonald” and their password might be “omhafEIEIO!” The employee can remember this strong password without writing it down. When they change their password, they can remember the new one by humming the new familiar song.

Clubs should consider a no downloads policy. While downloading free songs or free games from the internet may be tempting, it should not be allowed at all. Consider prohibiting access to Facebook and other social media from the club’s computers. Clicking through on a post could download a virus or worse.

Employee training is absolutely necessary. This training requires repetition over multiple training opportunities, which can be provided annually, in employee line ups, employee newsletters, and other regular communication. Take time to show examples of phishing emails and point out hints that the email is a fraud.

Take time to show examples of phishing emails and point out hints that the email is a fraud. I recently received an email from a bank (I don’t have an account) advising I could not use my ATM card until I contact the bank (urgency!).

There were odd phrases (grammar and language mistakes) and multiple opportunities to click a link. It stated the bank must authenticate my identity, so I should provide my social security number and birthdate. In addition to these red flags, banks never ever send these emails. Seeing many specific examples helps everyone learn. Walk through the warning signs of other types of hacking email, such as unexpected attachments.

Consider updating employee policies (and employee handbook). Require employees to change their password regularly (such as every three months) and that they not post or keep their password at their work station.

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Employees should not plug their personal devices into any club computers. Charging your phone or iPad by plugging it into a computer opens a pathway for viruses or other hacks through the phone into the club’s system.

Consider a better process for how invoices come into the club. A common hack is one that sends a past due invoice (for flowers to the catering director or equipment to the pro shop). Alert employees, but also create a policy that works for you, such as requiring all invoices to go to a single address (without an employee name) in accounting.

The club should have policies regarding wiring funds. A wire transfer should not be originated based on an email from the general manager to accounting because email can be hacked. All wires should require supplemental confirmation or face-to-face communication.

Cyber risks are real, so start addressing them now. BR

John emBree John Embree is CEO at the United States Professional Tennis Association and can be reached via email: john.embree@uspta.org.

tEnnis committEE

Welcome the Net Generation The United States Tennis association, the governing body of tennis in the U.S., has launched a brand new youth initiative this year that will redefine youth tennis and usher in a new era of tennis in america.

Net Generation is dedicated to welcoming millions of

new players into the game by focusing on empowerment, unity and play. Through a comprehensive program of adaptable curricula, teaching and learning tools, promotional and communications materials, and player and provider incentives, Net Generation aims to capture the imagination of kids of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels, and bring together parents, coaches, teachers and volunteers throughout the country.

With the rollout of Net Generation, registration, beginning with providers, commenced at the USTA annual meeting in late March in Orlando, Fla. The USTA gave tennis providers a sneak preview of the website and registration system, program materials, marketing assets, etc., leading

up to the World Tennis Day and the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden.

At that huge tennis event, the USTA had the unique opportunity to present and share a preview of the new brand with mainstream media outlets.

The new website, netgeneration.com, is now live. The USTA has begun registering kids for local programming and tennis professionals who wish to be a part of this comprehensive program to engage all areas of our sport. Every club and every tennis department is highly encouraged to jump on the bandwagon and be a part of this endeavor to attract, retain and engage tennis players from all backgrounds and geographies.

The USPTA is highly committed to supporting this effort.

After all, our overarching mission, which mirrors that of the USTA, is to grow the game. That can only happen at the grassroots where clubs and our members are the biggest stakeholders. Thanks for encouraging your team to join this massive campaign. BR

mitcheLL L. stumP

finance committee

Mitchell L. Stump, CPA is the author of Club Tax Book and Club “It’s All About Golf” Book and encourages honest dialog on this and other Club issues. Mitch can be reached via email: mitch@clubtax.com.

Food and Beverage Minimums Giving Some Thought and Consideration “Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” -Voltaire Many clubs have instituted a food and beverage minimum, and I’ve been subjected to a “minimum” charge myself on occasion, causing me to step back and give some thought and consideration to this practice.

Some clubs have come to rely upon this revenue paid by members, that have for any number of reasons, not been able to use the club’s dining room during a designated period. Some say that income from food and beverage minimums is essential to make a club’s budget. Thus, the club cannot do without these funds.

Why would a club penalize and risk losing a current dues-paying member simply because they were not able to use their club’s amenities? This minimum theory seems to follow a line of thinking that the best club member is the member that pays club dues and never comes to the club.

May I suggest that members that consistently have not made adequate use of their club, and are reminded about it at each quarterly minimum billing, can usually be identified as a “former” member.

Additional musings: • Attorneys have suggested that there should not be a food and beverage minimum as it may not be prudent to be seen encouraging members to consume a great deal of alcohol on the final day of the minimum usage.

Thus, if a club were to have a minimum penalty, it should only be a food minimum.

• It has always been mind boggling that a club would create a food minimum as a revenue stream, forcing members into the dining room where most clubs lose money on each sale. Club Benchmarking has created a great analysis of this subject: F&b Net iNcome/Loss As A PerceNtAge oF gross ProFit

• Some argue that the club’s F&B losses would be even greater if there was not the collection of food minimums. This needs to be made a part of the discussion and analysis, and proven.

• Consider a food minimum from a member’s perspective. If you, the member, have found it difficult to get to the club during the time period covered by the food minimum, you may find it disconcerting on two fronts. > First, there is a personal penalty for not being able to enjoy the club for which member dues have been paid. > Second, there is a financial penalty for the same unfortunate circumstances when a food minimum is assessed.

• Some clubs have made their food minimum a club house minimum whereby the member can use the minimum to acquire bottles of wine, foodto-go, golf and tennis merchandise and any other product or service offered by the club. I thought the food minimum was instituted to encourage members to come into the dining room where club staff were waiting to attend to the members’ needs. Thus, if it is a club house minimum, it blows the theory of generating funds to cover F&B expenses.

A better ideA?

based on national club industry data *Source: Club Benchmarking Article “Food and Beverage Profitability” www.clubbenchmarking.com/resources

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• What if your club did away with a food minimum totally and raised the member dues by the same amount, then offer the first several meals at the club complimentary, just for showing up?

Think about this for a minute. I believe it may get the club the same amount of net cash, but with a different tone. Reward ➤

steVeN Poe Steven Poe is a master sommelier, beverage director at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, CA and can be reached at (949) 706-5270 or via email: spoe@bigcanyoncc.org.

wine committee

The Country Club Sommelier’s Tasks Are Many

the sommelier is uniquely situated to have a positive effect on your food and beverage operation – perhaps more so than any other single individual you have on staff.

The responsibilities of this position cross categories of wine list creation and inventory, salesmanship, vast wine and beverage knowledge, education, overall profit generation, and increased member satisfaction.

When all categories are properly addressed, an effective sommelier can change the beverage culture of your organization.

The construction of a wine list, for example, must be carefully considered based on the clientele. The temptation of the modern sommelier is to fill the list with fanciful selections from the trendiest regions.

Note to the Somm – some people will never fully appreciate or understand sherry. Get over it. In the service industry, we can never make it about us – we must constantly work towards improving the member experience based on their wants and needs. If there is one element of a country club that is never in short supply, it is ego. Please leave yours at the door.

Remember that the wine list makes a statement about how the club sees itself and its members – conservative or adventurous with a limited or wide variety of tastes and styles – and will likely serve as a talking point while guests are at the table and when they leave to tell others about their experience.

A good wine list is only as good as a member’s ability to read and comprehend it. Therefore, the salesmanship of the sommelier is crucial in passionately describing the nuances and food pairing possibilities of wines from all over the world. Eloquence is born of passion and sincerity. your member for being a supporter of the club versus penalizing your members for not showing up.

• If a golf club were to insist on having a minimum charge of any type, why not consider instituting a golf guest fee minimum where golf members must bring a guest to play golf monthly, or three guests quarterly? > How much of a golf guest fee goes to the bottom line? 100 percent!

Being an effective wine professional starts with a genuine love of wine – its places of origin, how it is made, memories associated with consumption among friends and loved ones, and being able to share those experiences with club members and guests.

Soon members will become greedy for the sommelier’s time and attention to further enhance their dining experience – to listen to stories behind family-owned wineries in France that span generations and survived two world wars; to explain the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’. Many people can talk about what is in the glass, while very few know why or how those flavors came to be.

Education of the staff is crucial in maintaining momentum with your wine program. The sommelier’s job includes creating a training module that covers proper wine serving mechanics, food and wine pairing basics, and general wine tasting terms that reflect wine regions and styles in a way that makes them sound delicious. The sommelier is just one person – you need a team of motivated servers that your members can trust. Can you hear the cash machine cranking in the background? There is serious profit potential here, folks.

And, one of the most crucial, yet least talked about, aspects of an effective sommelier is good business sense.

Your wine program should be a revenue generating machine. Therefore, it is essential that this individual possesses a clear understanding of how to organize and control inventory, how to manage wine costs and profit margins, and how to balance a spread sheet.

Finally, the sommelier must remain gracious and humble, personable and professional at all times. Be gracious and grateful with everything you do in the service of others.

Cheers! BR

> How much of a golf cart fee goes to the bottom line? Almost 100 percent! > What do golf members and their guests usually do after a great round of golf with friends? Drinking and snacking?

Thus, if a club feels that it must institute a minimum usage charge at a club that has a golf course, why not make the minimum fee profitable to the club? BR MAy/JuNe 2017 | BOARDROOM

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LisA cArroLL

house committee

Lisa Carroll is a search executive and consultant with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, LLC. he specializes in executive chef searches. The company has offices in Scottsdale, Jupiter, Atlanta, Denver, Cleveland, and Naples. Lisa can be contacted at (561) 596-1123 and at lisa@kkandw.com.

Ideas from the Restaurant World Staff Feedback and Engagement

We, in the private club industry, can learn so much from our colleagues in the restaurant world – especially now that club restaurants are competing more with local restaurants than they are with other clubs.

So, in the next few articles, I’ll share “things I’ve learned about leadership from the restaurant world.”

Here we focus on understanding what motivates your employees.

Chris Hall of the restaurant group, Unsukay, shared his ideas recently at The Culinary Leadership Summit, which focused on “leadership tools and topics for private club executive chefs and those aspiring to be.”

For Chris, having music in the kitchen during prep time is a great motivator for his kitchen team. If the previous week’s online ratings were high, one of the cooks can select the music to listen to in the kitchen during prep time.

It can also be used as punishment if the ratings were not as high as expected – think Neil Sedaka instead of Metallica.

Chris also found that kitchen workers preferred tshirts to chef’s coats. So, his staff members can wear pressed black t-shirts and ball caps – they still look neat, but they are more comfortable. Little things can make a big difference.

There are also some great tools and processes that Sam Lindsley, chief operating officer of Michael Symon Restaurants, uses successfully to engage and motivate his teams.

Lindsley has found that real-time feedback and twiceyearly reviews have been invaluable tools to engage and motivate the teams– both FOH and BOH. For his twice a year reviews he uses a form containing sections entitled: Appearance and neatness, attitude and manner, work capacity and teamwork, work habits and dependability, work quality and attention to detail, care of supplies, product and equipment, ability to follow directions, and initiative and motivation.

In each category, employees fall into one of the following rankings: Excellent, above average, meets expectations, below expectations, or poor. Of course, you want all employees to score at or above “meets expectations.”

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Employees are then given an overall evaluation score and, at the end of the review, the employee sets three goals with their manager to be achieved by the next review.

By reviewing all employees twice a year, your team members know where they stand and also what they are doing right and what they need to improve upon.

Sam also provides real time feedback – both positive and constructive – the day that the feedback is warranted. He doesn’t wait until the next meeting or the six-month review. In the case of constructive feedback, it should be based on processes that weren’t followed and not personal.

It should also be done out of sight of peers and presented as a learning moment Certified Executive Chef and Millennial Maria Campbell has developed “The Stay Interview” as another process to engage and motivate your team (Committing to Your Culinary Program Strategies to Attract and Engage Millennials – BoardRoom magazine, July/August 2016.)

Maria describes the Stay Interview as a “guide detailing eight questions created for food industry managers to empower leaders to engage in a new kind of conversation with the team.” The Stay Interview provides a proactive way to engage Millennials in shaping their future at the club.

In the case of positive feedback, feel free to celebrate individual and group success with the team! After big events, celebrate with donuts or pizza. Look for ways to do something special for your staff – to say thank you in real time so they know it is special.

Stay tuned for future articles featuring more “Ideas from the Restaurant World.” BR Sam Lindsley is the Chief Operating Officer of Michael Symon Restaurants, an independent restaurant company based in Cleveland. Sam partners with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace on search and F&B operations consulting services. If you would like a copy of Sam’s form in Word format, email him at sam@kkandw.com to request it.

He also can be contacted at (216) 509-2250.

Maria Campbell can be reached at: chefmcampbell@gmail.com if you would like more information about the Stay Interview

todd duFek Todd Dufek is the president of the Locker Room Managers Association with 400 - 500 members at over 200 member clubs nationwide (www.yourlrma.com).

He is the locker room manager at The Country Club at DC Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ Contact Todd at tmdufek@cox.net for information about membership in the LRMA.

house committee

Questions Clubs Should Consider About Its Locker Rooms - Part II Are the locker rooms at your club seen as, “a restroom and a place to change clothes” or “the heart and soul of your club?”

How does the board see the locker room manager and his staff? how you answer these two queries might determine the success or failure of the largest, and one of the most important departments in your club.

Locker rooms are an integral part of your facility, and if you add the square footage of the locker rooms together it’s likely bigger than most other departments in your club. And if you throw in the fitness center and related areas, which is often overseen by the locker room manager, it’s obviously the most prodigious area in the clubhouse proper.

So, are the locker rooms at your club seen as, “a restroom and a place to change clothes” or “the heart and soul of your club?” If it’s the former, chances are management hasn’t invested a great deal in either locker room with staff or amenities. The manager and the attendants, if there are any, are viewed as maintenance personnel that keep the locker rooms clean and plumbing/lighting up and running.

Shoe service of any kind may be sporadic or non-existent.

after golf. And a place to answer nature’s call. They view the locker room manager and staff as part of the housekeeping charged with keeping the locker rooms clean and tidy.

Then there are board members who see it the way Sandy Tatum, former president of the USGA views them: “The locker room is not just a mere dressing room, it is an institution. Here is the birthplace of lasting friendships; here is the garden where club spirit is fostered and develops . . .”

Board members who hold this opinion also believe their locker room manager deserves to receive ongoing education and training, and will support their staff’s membership in an educational association.

You may be wondering which view of the locker rooms is predominant at golf and country clubs across the nation.

From what I’ve been able to learn, the “soul” view is in the majority. The evidence? Many clubs across the country have either remodeled their locker rooms in the last decade or plan to in the next five years.

It is important to note that in many cases the membership requested that the locker rooms be renovated. Not only that,

“The locker room is not just a mere dressing room, it is an institution.

Here is the birthplace of lasting friendships; here is the garden where club spirit is fostered and develops . . .”

Sandy Tatum, former president of the USGA If, however, your club views its locker rooms as “the heart and soul of the facility”, the club will provide an experienced locker room manager with excellent customer service, shoe care and amenity management skills. The club, in tandem with the manager, also provides the highest quality personal hygiene products while making sure the spacious locker rooms have beautifully appointed bathrooms to further enhance the member experience in the department.

How does the board see the locker room manager and his staff? Not surprisingly, the members of the board will likely fall into the two camps, seeing it as a dressing room or place to switch from street to golf shoes and back again before and

when it came to a redo of the women’s locker room, the members with interior decorating skills got directly involved in the development and execution of the plans.

And a final question: If your locker rooms are a place to change shoes with staff as housekeepers, why not invest in this area so that it enhances member experience and serves as a powerful reason for them to stay, pay their bills and support the future of the club? BR My thanks to Mitch Stump, CPA for allowing me to use ideas in this article from his soon to be released book, Club “It’s All About Golf” Book 2.0 (www.clubtaxnetwork.com).”

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Jerry mccoy

winning stRategies

Jerry N. McCoy, MCM, is the president of Clubwise, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, master planning, operational audits and governance issues.

He can be reached at www.clubwiseconsulting.com or CMAAMCM@msn.com

Inside the Boardroom- A Book Report Advice from a Non-profit Governance Genius

during my research for writing the director’s guide for understanding club governance, i used several quotes and examples from the book – inside the boardroom

It’s written by William G. Bowen has served as an executive or board member of many notable non-profits including Princeton University, the Smithsonian and the Mellon Foundation.

In the Preface of the book he notes several things about governance: • It has to do with power and accountability • Who exercises power on behalf of whom and who is controlled • It is a complex web of personal and institutional relationships • It provides insights into human frailties and strengths.

The funny thing about governance - it seems that everyone thinks they are an expert. So what are the real issues? I have related in the past that the key aspect of good governance is first to understand member opinions when it comes to driving member satisfaction, and then putting a strategic plan in place that will focus on positive change.

The only way a board can insure that the strategic plan is implemented effectively and in a timely manner is to have a plan management system in place.

Bowen notes that non-profit boards have much to learn from disciplines characteristic of corporate boards … including the constant monitoring of discrepancies between results and planned outcomes. What are the responsibilities of club boards of directors? Bowen believes that all boards serve six basic functions. They are: 1. To select, encourage, evaluate and, if need be, replace the CEO. 2. Review and adopt long-term strategic directions and to approve specific objectives, financial and other.

3. To insure, to the extent possible, that the necessary resources, including human resources, will be available to pursue the strategies and achieve the objectives.

4. To monitor the performance of management.

5. To insure the organization operates responsibly, as well as effectively.

6. To nominate suitable candidates for election to the board, and to establish and carry out an effective system of governance at the board level, including the evaluation of board performance.

This last point is very interesting in that we have been promoting board self-evaluation for 15 years. However, it is not very common in the club industry. You may also note that policy making is not listed as a basic function.

Bowens states, in both sectors boards almost never “make policy” in any foregoing way, although that is one of the responsibilities ascribed to them.

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clubs, the committees. I have spoken to many boards and very few of them understand this concept.

Here are some other critical functions he applies of non-profit boards. They seem specifically associated with private clubs and address weakness commonly seen in our industry.

• Resist actions that serve only to placate some noisy constituency.

• Be willing to say no and take some of the heat.

• Help mobilize support for decisions, especially controversial ones.

• Management evaluation can be a painful task. Do not postpone or avoid it altogether.

• Avoid over involvement in the operations of the organization. It is always the tendency of boards to fill management voids. see WiNNiNg strAtegies | 85

For more information on the MCM designation and its requirements, please visit www.cmaa.org/Certification.aspx.

executive committee

CMAA Honors Two New Master Club Managers two more club general managers have achieved their master club manager status to join 20 other mcms worldwide.

The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) honored Carlos W. Cook Jr., MCM, CCE, GM/COO of North Hills Club in Raleigh, NC, and MacDonald A. Niven, MCM, CCE, GM of Almaden Golf & Country Club in San Jose, CA, at the CMAA’s recent 90th World Conference.

This honor represents the highest level of achievement in CMAA’s lifetime professional development program. The MCM designation recognizes the importance of the significant, longlasting contributions made by club managers to their clubs, their professions and their communities. In addition, the MCM designation in club management provides the means by which experienced club managers can make a significant written contribution to their industry. In 1990, the CMAA board of directors delegated the task of developing its MCM designation to its certification committee. Since that time the requirements and procedures which comprise this MCM portfolio have been implemented to yield a meaningful and challenging, but achievable, professional development for CMAA’s membership.

The Master Club Manager program assumes extensive knowledge and experience in the club industry, but also re-

quires that MCM candidates give back to the industry and their local communities. Individuals must fulfill all requirements, including becoming a Certified Club Manager (CCM), attaining membership in CMAA’s Honor Society and successful completing two levels of advanced coursework through CMAA’s Business Management Institute, plus additional educational coursework.

After successfully completing these requirements, individuals submit a Master Club Manager profile documenting their extraordinary efforts toward providing professionalism, integrity and major contributions to the club industry and community.

Finally, the process culminates in the successful completion of a monograph. This document looks at the broader aspect of the club management profession and provides a lasting contribution to their peers and their industry. BR The topics of the newest MCMs help to expand the library of pertinent and valuable research for the entire industry. Cook’s monograph is entitled Aquatic Risk Management and Best Practices for Clubs, and Niven’s monograph is entitled GM/COO Board Relations: How Can a Club’s GM/COO and its Board of Directors Effectively Work Together to Accomplish the Club’s Vision and Goals? You can access the complete text of the MCM monographs at www.cmaa.org/MCM.aspx.

BoardRoom magazine Recognizes the Private Club Presidents of the Year

By Heather Arias de Cordoba, Associate Editor, BoardRoom magazine 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 four of the top 22 presidents for 2016.

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.

Three club president profiles on page 58 and 59

Sponsored by

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Paul fulmeR, PResident | hamilton cluB | lancasteR, Pa

PAuL FuLmer, PresideNt

PAtrick cAsey, gm

“President Paul Fulmer demonstrates in his leadership the remarkable and rare capacity for laser-like focus on detail, while not losing perspective on the larger picture.”

That, in a nutshell, is how David Teply, secretary of the Hamilton Club of Lancaster, Lancaster, PA describes the attributes of Paul Fulmer, one of Boardroom’s top president for 2016.

The club, through President Fulmer’s leadership, initiated and championed a zero-based budgeting process, developed and implemented an

event-costing tool, and developed and implemented the Affinity Group structure.

“It is astonishing that few clubs know if they are making or losing money in their event/catering programs,” expressed GM Casey. “Since Hamilton Club has no other revenue streams to subsidize its food and beverage programs, our success as an organization required us to run our club like a business.”

And based on the club’s document entitled, “Governing Principles Fostering Partnership and Collaboration between the Board and General Manager,” that’s exactly what happened under the guidance of President Fulmer.

This document clearly defines the roles of the board, the executive committee (called the house committee at HC), and the general manager. The distinct roles are clearly enforced: the GM has a collaborative relationship with the board, and is empowered and entrusted to run the club in a manner that is open and transparent.

The decision to retain and empower a professionally trained administrative staff (divesting decision-making authority away from operating committees) has proven to be the correct decision for Hamilton Club. And the fact the club received “wonderful membership satisfaction scores on its last survey”, underscores the correct decision.

“Paul Fulmer is a visionary and transformational leader. He is not afraid of making bold or difficult decisions, and is happy to live with the consequences (good or bad),” added GM Casey.

President Fulmer has been a Hamilton Club member for the past 19 years, and he and his wife elizabeth (Liz), have two sons, Daniel and Carver. BR

Janet ginsBuRg, PResident | alPine countRy cluB | demaRest, nJ

JANet giNsburg, PresideNt

chris huLL, gm/coo

Sometimes an economic downturn can turn into something beneficial… and with a deftly led transition, that’s just what happened with the Alpine Country Club in Demarest, NJ. “President Janet Ginsburg had the vision to realize the club was evolving into a business and the leadership needed to become more progressive,” explained the club’s general manager/COO Chris Hull.

“We were no longer a $5 million dollar golf club. We were growing into an $11 million dollar business and we needed leadership with specific business acumen to ensure the health of the club.” And in President Ginsburg’s vision, it all had to start with the club’s board of governors.

She knew the nomination process had to change so the club’s governance dynamic would become more businesslike.

“Janet championed an active search within the membership to seek board level talent that would provide the club with legal, financial, marketing and business professionals,” Hull added. Once the board “chemistry was specialized”, she wanted to realign the professionals running the club and transition to a true GM/C.O.O model.

That transition has been completed successfully and the club is currently developing a long-term strategic plan. Alpine’s leadership model consists of 58

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a board of governors and ancillary advisory committees. The board creates all club policy and is focused on continually driving membership and strategic goals. An accountability matrix defining the roles and responsibilities of the board and general manager/COO has also been adopted.

“The matrix is a one-page document that clarifies the hierarchy of responsibility and decision making for the club, and it has turned us into an efficient organization,” expressed President Ginsburg.

“Our board meetings are one-hour long, period,” added GM Hull.

“The club’s membership experience has improved in many ways. First, the members are enthusiastic about the future of the club now that they are part of the strategic planning process,” Hull added.

President Ginsburg and the GM Hull host small (20-person) focus group meetings once a week to talk about the club in a casual setting without any agendas. These “fireside chats with Janet & Chris“ have generated many great programming ideas and really provide for open dialogue between the leadership and the membership. ultimately, this interaction has allowed the membership to trust the leadership and diminishes the cynicism regarding board transparency. The new and exciting programming builds camaraderie and pride within the membership and members really enjoy the new social opportunities that have been created.

Alpine continues to become more family centric and the club instituted a “Kids” board, which has provided a completely different approach to the club’s family programming by giving the kids a voice.

“Janet is a consensus builder. She builds multi-talented teams, seeks feedback and opinions, builds consensus and makes tough decisions,” opined GM Hull.

Janet and Howard Ginsburg joined Alpine Country Club in 1997 and after serving as a club officer for a decade Janet became president in 2015.

Along with her husband Howard (director of pediatric surgery at Nyu Langone Medical Center), they helped conceive the new Nyu Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, which is currently under construction.

The Ginsburg’s have two sons who are married and living in Connecticut. Their three granddaughters are the light of their life. The Ginsburg’s love to travel. They are planning a trip to Antarctica when Janet leaves office later this year. BR

Ron hankins, PResident | myeRs PaRk countRy cluB | chaRlotte, nc President Ron Hankins served during a time of transition at Myers Park Country Club…a time that especially tested his skills, knowledge, and dedication to the club.

The Charlotte, N.C. club is steeped in tradition but finds itself at a crossroads as it updates its facilities to meet its multigenerational membership, while at the same time remaining true to its rich history and past.

“The club undertook a multi-phased master club enhancement plan that included extensive roN hANkiNs clubhouse renovations and remodeling that shut down an entire floor and kitchen of the clubhouse,” explained the club’s general manager Mark Bado, “and the golf course construction project entailed shutting the course down for the summer.”

The club’s 25-year general manager also retired and the club embarked on a search for a new GM. There were numerous concerns regarding the general manager’s hiring process, but under President Hankins’s guidance, leadership, and patience, the board and pertinent committees kept the membership informed and dealt effecmArk bAdo, gm tively and efficiently with members’ questions and concerns. He also worked with the club’s management staff to ensure that everyone from the wait staff through the management team and the membership had a comfort level with the construction project during the transition.

“As a consummate leader, Hankins always kept the mission and club’s strategic plan in mind as he continued to guide through myriad of decisions that had to be made regarding the future of this historic club,” Bado added.

Hankins, board members and committee chairs provided members and staff with updates and outlines detailing the exact nature and timeframe of anticipated projects, changes and schedules. Because of this information, the membership and management team feel comfortable and accepting of changes being made at the club.

“As a testament to the membership’s satisfaction, despite all the construction, closures of areas of the clubhouse and course, and change in management, the membership rosters remain full with a wait list for future membership.

“Hankins serves as the conductor of our board. His passion, ability to mediate, professionalism and communication skills allow him to provide direction and guidance to those with whom he serves. He maintains a continual focus of the club’s long-term goals, remaining true to the history while at the same time providing enough innovation and change to embrace the diverse and dynamic needs of the membership,” Bado enthused.

The club’s current president echoes these thoughts.

“Ron brought just the right combination of strong, firm-handed leadership and delicate touch that our Club needed at a critical time in its history,” remarked W. edward Poe, Jr. When the club’s new GM, Mark Bado, assumed his position in late 2016, President Hankins was a vital proponent of developing a comprehensive club governance manual.

“President Hankins helped identify goals, standards and role matrices for the board, the committees, and the staff. As an immediate past-president and chair of the strategic planning committee, he also assigned various sections of the 2012 strategic plan to committee members to evaluate where we are as a club five years after its implementation. Their reviews will be used as a guide for reevaluating and formulating the club’s next strategic plan,” Bado expressed.

Ron Hankins, born in Charlotte, NC, lives with his wife, Vicki, in the Myers Park neighborhood. He is the proud father of three sons and an even prouder grandfather of four grandchildren. He’s been a member of Myers Park Country Club since 1979. BR

steve hokanson, chaiRman | gRey oaks countRy cluB | naPles, fl Steve Hokanson, as chair of Grey Oaks Country Club, spearheaded multiple initiatives as part of a $34 million dollar capital improvement plan. The first, and most significant, focused on a comprehensive construction effort upgrading the Club’s facilities.

The Grey Oaks board approved 22 specific amenity improvements, as part of a 22-month capital improvement plan. This included a tear-down reconstruction of the pool café, the addition of a new golf performance center, and the reconstruction of the tennis facilities, including eight new lighted tennis courts, a new tennis pro shop, new tennis locker rooms, a new resort pool, new parking lot, short game practice facilities, and a new children’s playground.

The plan also included regrassing of one of the club’s golf courses, and the addition of Pickleball and bocce courts in recognition of the growing popularity of these sports.

The club also improved its membership offerings with casual dining that members had requested in the club’s yearly satisfaction survey.

“President Hokanson, leading our project team, selected the architect, contractor, engineer, and interior design partners for these projects,” explained the general manager Jim Butler.

“His biggest challenges came from the permitting process and the inspection process from our municipalities. There were several instances in the middle of the projects where adjustments had to be made. Steve gave our team the discipline it needed to complete the projects,” Butler added. “every project needs to go through the process of visioning, planning, and executing. No shortcuts are allowed, or the end product will suffer,” President Hokanson commented.

He also led the initiative to buyout the original developer, which allowed the club to be able to move forward. This has provided an improved membership experience with casual dining offerings, based on the emerging trend toward more casual dining, and in response to member requests in the yearly satisfaction survey.

This has also allowed the club to recruit and hire the best staff, and ensure they are provided the tools to create the highest level of service to members.

“Our kitchen renovations provided the chefs and staff with more efficient processes for the restaurants. The addition of the golf teaching facilities now also allows the golf team to offer proper club fitting and state-of-the-art golf instruction.

“In my 16 years as general manager at Grey Oaks, I’ve never had such a close partnership with a president before. Without this dynamic partnership, our goals would not have been accomplished, and quite seamlessly based on his steVe hokANsoN direction and experience,” Jim Butler added.

Other board members agree.

“Steve has given an incredible amount of time and effort, including flying down at his own expense, working full time to ensure that facilities were built quickly, within budget, and up to the Grey Oaks standard,” suggested one board member.

Steve partnered with GM Butler in making joint decisions and coordinating the implementation of board directives under its strategic plan.

The GM managed the staff while President Hokanson managed the members. They made Jim butLer, gm collective decisions, and it was a true partnership that required constant communication.

Hokanson’s leadership qualities can be found in the satisfaction of the club’s members. “Grey Oaks Country Club has far surpassed the standards of Southwest Florida through our additional amenity offerings and we couldn’t be happier to be members here,” expressed one member.

All good reasons why Steve Hokanson is one of BoardRoom’s top private club presidents for 2016. BR

LArry hirsh

gReen committee

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

Time to Embrace the Three Ms there are mixed signals out there.

Recently I visited Orlando for the Golf Industry Show, National Golf Course Owners Association Conference and the Club Managers Association of America conference.

Usually, along with the recent PGA Merchandise Show, these events are a good opportunity to “take the temperature” of the golf course industry. But there are mixed signals.

On the positive side, I spoke with several golf course architects and builders, who while not doing much in new course development are busy with renovations and restorations. Membership at many private clubs is up, with some of the more prominent clubs having waiting lists for the first time in a long while. The last couple of years has seen increases in rounds played at daily-fee facilities, albeit still at competitive rates.

Conversely, according to the National Golf Foundation, in 2015 there were more than 1.6 million fewer golfers in the U.S. than just four years earlier. Participation is down to 8.2 percent from nine percent.

Participation among minorities (non-Caucasians) has dipped from 5.4 million to 4.7 million. Not long ago, we learned that the 45-55 age group after years of being golf’s largest player, the largest segment has shifted to those 55-65.

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That’s a bad sign because it means we’re not doing a good job of attracting the next generation. Of particular interest to us at Golf Property Analysts is the nature of recent assignments – three separate assignments involving golf courses that have ceased operations and are seeking approval for redevelopment to alternative uses.

In at least two of those cases, there is potential market depth to accommodate these facilities, but since they now require redevelopment for golf, the cost is too high to justify the project and other uses are being pursued.

The mood at each of these industry events generally has been upbeat, except for the CMAA event, which seemed larger than past events to me, the PGA and GIS were noticeably smaller and appeared to have fewer attendees, if only from the “eyeball” perspective.

What is the impact of these observations on the economic viability or value of golf course properties?

In recent years, there has been an ever-so-slight decrease in capitalization rates from golf course sales. Some say simply that values are increasing. Recent surveys and sales analysis of gross revenue multipliers shows a very steady pattern with little movement. All this would suggest that golf property values are pretty stable relative to income characteristics.

It stands to reason that courses that do survive should ultimately gain market share as more and more courses close. And, while I haven’t seen the numbers yet, I’m told that the U.S. last year lost a net of about 150 courses. Some predict this number could be higher if development restrictions were to ease on many of these properties, which developers are pursuing regularly.

Golf is not doing a good job of creating growth. Millennials, Minorities and Moms – The Three “Ms” – are underrepresented and the game’s hierarchy is still focused on the age-old issues of cost, time and difficulty.

If golf is to turn the tide and experience growth, which in turn will spur both economic success at existing facilities and new development, the game needs to embrace the Three Ms. For the Three Ms, golf and its venues have too many rules. In many cases, these rules are tied to time honored traditions. Where’s the happy medium? Hopefully, we’ll find it soon, because our game needs a shot in the arm. BR

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dAVe doWNiNg

gReen committee

David S. Downing II, CGCS is a past president of GCSAA and southeast agronomist for Golf Maintenance Solutions – The team at GMS stands ready to help you determine your wants. David can be reached at (843) 241 7250 or via email: dave.d@golfmsolutions.com

Questions Golf Clubs Should be Asking We had just completed the opening of a 72-hole resort golf club and a new partner had joined with the owner to drive to the finish line.

The chief financial officer was looking at our maintenance budgets and there were some significant differences among the four courses. As we were talking he was not aware that the acreage, the number of bunkers, the size of the greens, the waste areas, grass types, owner expectations and golfer expectations all factored into the budgets.

He asked, “Who are the efficiency experts for golf course maintenance?” I told him it was really the superintendents at each course that should know their property well enough to drive the efficiency.

We also would talk with other superintendents to implement their successes, but he was curious how our budgets, especially labor dollars compared to a large resort facility in a neighboring state.

We reported that our cost per acre was lower compared to their top courses, but their overall dollars on the course were lower because the acreage was smaller, the greens were smaller, and there were fewer bunkers, etc.

We are now operating with smaller mowers and we are now expected to pull over and stop mowing when golfers are near. We have become less efficient.

As we discussed before, there needs to be a master plan… a plan synergistic with the operating philosophy of the club.

Clubs need to determine how to implement the plan in such a way that the course maintenance standards are met.

I’ve learned in my travels that I’ve only been scratching the surface on efficiency and it’s important that each superintendent stays open-minded to feedback outside their “circle of trust.”

Every club and every course should be taking a hard look at how they operate day-to-day.

• How is each dollar being spent?

• Are we applying the most cost effective chemical?

• Do we really need to water that much?

• Do we need 18 full time people?

• Are there fertilizers that can deliver similar quality for less money?

• Do we have the right equipment?

• Do we need to eliminate bunkers, if so which ones?

As we discussed before, there needs to be a master plan…a plan synergistic with the operating philosophy of the club. Clubs need to determine how to implement the plan in such a way that the course maintenance standards are met.

The location of the maintenance building added to their cost was, because it was remote in comparison to ours.

This however was not the first time anyone had questioned me about labor dollars, total budgets etc. I’ve always had to justify the budget and be aware of how it fit into the operation of the property.

But this marked the first time I’d been asked about having someone come in and look at our operation from another perspective to see if there were ways we could be more efficient.

Today golf is struggling with time and costs of playing the game. Maintenance costs have risen with cost of fertilizers, chemicals, fuel, water, and the higher conditions expectations of golfers and management.

These times remind me of the late 1970s and 80s, when courses were improving conditions but they were doing it with smaller crews and budgets by comparison to now.

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• Do we need to be dark green and lush?

• Should we be reducing turfed areas, and • Are we doing the cultural programs that need to be done to maximize and even reduce the number of inputs needed to create the desired conditions?

Every club should be asking these questions and looking hard to find the most efficient and effective way to operate each day. Golf has changed a lot in the last 25 years and has become more of a business. Businesses at all levels engage consultants to help them become better and more efficient in how they produce products and bring them to market.

Golf has been slower to “think outside the box” and open to learning about ways to become more efficient. The time is now for each golf course management team to look at how they operate and ways to maintain a product quality with efficiency in all areas of their business. BR

bruce r. WiLLiAms Bruce R. Williams, CGCS is international marketing manager for Grigg Bros./Brandt and a past president of GCSAA. He can be reached at: brucewms1@hotmail.com

gReen committee

The Green Committee

What’s The Purpose?

most private golf clubs have either a green committee or a golf course advisory group, and records over a century old refer to this body of individuals as a group that provides input into the evaluation and needs of the golf course. this can also include the overall grounds and property management of the facility.

Over those last 100 years there have been a variety of interpretations and definitions of the purpose and function of the Green Committee, so hopefully we can clear up some things that may better serve a club’s purpose in meeting its goals and long range plan.

Members of the green committee should have a keen interest in the golf course. They should be selected from a good cross-section of the membership including men, women, young, older, and low and high handicappers.

The fact is, if a club chooses only one select group then it will potentially change the whole culture of the club and result in unhappy members. Preferably a group of individuals should work together to develop plans, programs and standards that will gain consensus with the vast majority of the membership.

Golf course management is a complex subject. Everybody wants a champagne product on a beer budget.

Rarely does a club not say they expect a “10” on a scale of 1-10 yet they staff, fund equipment and budget at only a “5” or average level. Herein lies the problem with expectations of green committees. It’s more important to have realistic expectations that match the ability to provide the resources.

More than a few times I have heard green committees members comment that “all our golf course superintendent ever wants is more people, equipment and money.” The fact is, that the higher the expectations, more additional resources are required to take a golf course to the next or higher level.

Before 2009 many courses could raise the bar with the resources they had. Unfortunately, most budgets were cut significantly, which resulted in fewer workers, fewer equipment purchases and budgets reduced by as much as 40 percent.

Superintendents worked marvels to keep golf courses in good condition but expectations not only remained the

same but rose in many cases. While recent years have seen some small increases, most superintendents have adopted to the “new norm” of golf course maintenance.

A green committee should work as a representative group of the membership under the direction of the green chairman who is also a member of the board of directors. In such a leadership role, the green chair should seek input and feedback from the green committee to give direction in the overall maintenance and conditioning of the golf course.

Any direction should take into consideration resources required to accomplish the stated goals. Unfortunately, too many people selected to be on the green committee feel they have been chosen to bring up complaints about the golf course.

It is definitely better for the green committee to act as a filter for the comments from their fellow members, and that should include praise as well as constructive criticism.

Remember that any requests for improvements should be aligned with reallocation of resources or increased resources.

Years ago I worked with the USGA to develop a set of guidelines for the green committee, and I strongly suggest the committee include the following: • A committee should contain a broad cross-section of the membership • A committee should have both continuity and also some turnover • A committee should discuss challenges on the golf course • A committee should develop solutions to challenges • A committee should be ambassadors and communicators about the golf course operations • Once programs and standards are put in place then committee members should support them and the golf course superintendent.

Green committees are of great value to a club when formed and managed properly. By sharing your club committee’s function, it will ensure consistency and continuity in the proper direction of your golf course. The green committee is only one part of the team that includes membership, management, staff, and working as a cohesive unit is imperative to the success of any club. BR MAy/JuNe 2017 | 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 e-mail: daveistrc@hotmail.com Web page: www.istrc.com

Science Provides Options for Greens it’s not unusual for the physical properties of mature golf greens that are 10 to 20 years old to be the same at the four-inch to 12inch depth, as they were the day they were constructed.

I’ve heard over the years that greens get old and need to be rebuilt every seven to 10 years. THAT’S HOGWASH. I shudder to think of the amount of money we, as an industry, have wasted by rebuilding greens without knowing what the physical properties were and what was causing the turf to be stressed.

It is so easy to say, “Well they are over 10 years old, what more can we expect from them.” Let me give you something to think about that is based on analyzing thousands of greens from thatch to gravel over the years.

Sand particles in golf greens do not normally change with age. The four inch to gravel or drain depth properties are, in the vast majority of cases, the same as when the greens were originally built.

The number one cause of green failure is organic material that is deposited by the root system. This material is Mother Nature’s gift to us and when managed properly can be one of our greatest assets in maintaining a healthy turf system. It’s when this gift is not managed properly that we have problems within our turf system and our quality of turf (putting surface) starts to decline.

We need organic material in our greens mix to provide [1] food for our microbes, [2] nutrient holding and, [3] moisture retention. It’s important to understand that when organic material absorbs water it swells, and when it swells it decreases the air pores where the roots and microbes are living, thus reducing the amount of the oxygen supply that is needed by the roots and microbes.

As the greens age, the process of compaction begins and the loss of air pores continues. The process of our root system producing organic matter continues to take place, and in most cases, once our air pores decrease to around 10 percent and our organic matter increases to 2.5-plus percent, we start to have stressed turf problems.

Put quite simply, we do not have enough air pores to accommodate the roots, or the oxygen needs of the microbes.

The following picture is of a six-month old green. The dark layer that is visible is organic matter produced and deposited by the root system. This organic material is contributing to the establishment of the turf system by holding nutrients and water for the turf as needed.

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This next picture is of a four-year-old green with one of the new bent grasses that was aerified with needle tines and small one-quarter inch hollow tines only, over a fouryear period.

The displacement of organic material over the four-year period by aerifying was insufficient to keep up with the production of organic material produced by the root system of the turf in the top 2.25 inches. The organic matter completely shut down the respiratory system of the greens mix.

The infiltration rate of this and its sister greens was zero.

The organic matter was of such a high concentration in the top 2.5 inches that when it absorbed moisture and swelled it filled the air pores and sealed off the greens. Below the 2.5-inch depth, the root zones were in excellent condition.

The root system of turf plays a role similar to that of the respiratory system of humans. The roots take in oxygen and release CO2. With the turf system sealed off and unable to exchange gasses, the turf will, over time asphyxiate itself.

In order to live in a sealed off environment, the roots will become shallow, as the only oxygen available to them ➤

LyNNe LAFoNd deLucA Lynne LaFond DeLuca is executive director of the ACCP and an industry consultant. In 2014, Lynne was named “One of the Most Influential Women in the Private Club Industry”

by BoardRoom magazine and in 2016 she was awarded the Gary Player educator of the year Award from BoardRoom magazine. Lynne@TheACCP.com, or visit www.TheACCP.com.

culinaRy & cateRing

A Challenge, An Inspiration and a Lot of Fun… Creating an Interactive Learning Experience When talking about niche, specialty education and how best to effect change through an interactive learning experience, the go-to person right now is Lynne LaFond deLuca, executive director of the Association of club catering Professionals (AccP) and boardroom magazine’s 2016 gary Player educator of the year.

Every August, the ACCP hosts one of the most talked about conferences in the private club industry, and this year, the 2017 National Conference, August 27-29, is generating even more excitement because of the iconic location – Napa Valley, CA. It is now attracting not only the event and catering professionals in private clubs, but club managers, food and beverage directors and chefs.

Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCE, and general manager/COO at The Country Club of Little Rock, goes to the conference every year and brings his entire team because of the unique learning environment and quality of the experience and education.

“This conference is the most creative thing in our industry right now,” Burgess opined.

The conference is always a welcome challenge for Lynne and the ACCP team members as they strive to take the experience and the education to new heights every year. The goal is to create inspirational experiences and a sense of innovation for the attendees as they come ready to take amazing ideas back to their clubs and of course, it is always a lot of fun for everyone.

“We are planning an event for people who plan events for a living. This is what they do every day. It is their passion. When we do it for them, it needs to be over-the-top incredible,” expressed Lynne.

Just the way that the entire conference is orchestrated

is at the surface. Brown or tan colored roots are a good indicator that we do not have enough oxygen available to our turf. Turf roots will be white when the plant is healthy.

After having a complete physical analysis performed on the above featured green including having the materials [sand and organic] evaluated in one inch increments, an aerification/displacement plan was implemented that was acceptable to all parties involved.

and designed – from the educational speakers, to the cutting edge culinary presentations, to the trending décor, to the type of seating they will provide for each event – is taken into consideration to provide the maximum learning opportunity.

For example, the general session meeting room seating last year was a series of “levels” in the room, starting with lounges and sofas in the front row, to classroom style in the middle and tall farm tables with barstools at the back of the room. It not only was more visually appealing but also provided the attendees with the thought that there are so many unique ideas for seating for an event beyond the traditional. Again, learning opportunity, even in the most subtle, subliminal way. BR The conference this year is being limited to the first 250 registrations and space is still available. Register at www.TheACCP.com.

You can also contact Lynne at Lynne@TheACCP.com

Science provided options to the club instead of just rebuilding. let’s stop talking the number of aerifications and start talking displacement based on science.

The initial version of this story was published in BoardRoom, May/June 2007.

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executive committee

roNALd F. cichy

JohN FLood

Ronald F. Cichy, O.M. is a professor at The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State university

John Flood, vice president/general manager, Further Processing Business unit, Wayne Farms, LLC

Three Leading Questions What Are Your Answers? members oF boArds oF directors Are VoLuNteer LeAders.

LeAdiNg is AN ActioN AdJectiVe. LeAdiNg requires AskiNg ANd ANsWeriNg three LeAdiNg questioNs:

•Do my beliefs/values align?

• What do I want to build?

• Am I adding value to myself, other people in my life, and the club?

Do my beliefs/values align? Values are beliefs. People behave based on their values. For example, you strengthen your beliefs when your values (your actions, behaviors) line up with those of the club in which you volunteer as a leader.

alize the dream. Recognize achievements along the way toward realizing the B1G DREAM. And most importantly celebrate “WE got there!” with the members.

Am I adding value to self, other people in my life, and the club? Other people in my life experience value when they are appreciated. When asked, no one says that they have all the appreciation they could use each day. Members want to know that you are willing to listen as they communicate. Members want you to be empathetic. Empathy is a compassionate practice of leadership wherein leading takes the form of walking in the other’s shoes, and knowing and feeling where the other is “coming from.”

When a board member practices leading versus managing, all members of the board are listened to, sharing the same vision and values, being trusting and trustworthy, and inspiring each other because every member’s input is heard.

When you rush into accepting a volunteer leadership role that does not fit who you are, one of two results: 1) You will compromise your values; you may or may not be successful and most likely you will not like who you have become, or 2) You will not compromise your values, and your directors will sense that you are not “all in” as you cannot fake beliefs and be true to yourself. However, while you likely will fail, you will be able to look in the mirror and be proud of who you are because you did not compromise.

What do I want to build? Your ability to successfully lead begins with a clear understanding of what you want to build. Your B1G DREAM is specific and measurable. If you do not know where you want/need to go, what direction to follow, and when you need to be there, it is impossible to satisfy your dreams.

The most effective leaders recognize that people by nature want and are motivated by self-satisfaction that comes from achieving their dreams. Share with them your vision and include them in the planning on how best to re66

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Some have led clubs as volunteers and achieved favorable results (short-term) by using managing (not leading) styles such as dictating, creating fear, and just doing it on my own through sheer force of will.

When a board member practices leading versus managing, all members of the board are listened to, sharing the same vision and values, being trusting and trustworthy, and inspiring each other because every member’s input is heard.

We do recognize that we are human and that, while we will occasionally slip up, we quickly admit it, address it, and move forward.

Not only is this practice of leading more fun and fulfilling, it has proven to drive better, longer-term results.

Long-term results are the focus of many clubs.

Leading a private club as a member of the board of directors requires asking and answering three leading questions: You must say “YES” on all three to have the best possibility for long term-success. A “no” on any of these will often result in short-term success through personal compromise or failure. We all have choices in life. DREAM B1G!! BR

AddisoN crAig Addison Craig, a Millennial, is the owner of ADDGOLF LLC, a golf instruction business.

Addison works as a golf instructor at the Jim McLean Golf School at Trump National Doral, Miami, FL and works as a golf professional at The Bridge Golf Club at Bridgehampton, Ny. He can be reached via email: addison.c.craig@gmail.com

memBeRshiP committee

Tips to Win Over Millennials i’m a millennial, one of those young Americans born between 1982 and 2000 who have been in the news lately.

By the numbers, we’re 83.1 million, a generation larger than our Baby Boomer parents. We’re also very different than our parents, especially when it comes to interests in sports. Many Millennials aren’t out there swinging a golf club and that worries clubs’ boards and managers.

Recently, the number of golfers dropped from 24.7 to 24.1 million, according to the National Golf Foundation.

However, it’s also reported that there are 12 million Millennial non-golfers interested in playing the game. Sounds like a great opportunity for clubs!

So how can clubs win over Millennial and introduce new players to this great game? Here are some great tips: 1. Offer clinics and lessons targeted at Millennials. Using a variety of games, music, food and drink during clinics, has been very successful in targeting Millennials, especially those who are new to the game. Offer specials such as reduced cost food and drinks. Create a great entertainment experience – think of TopGolf’s success.

2. Use social media smartly by developing a marketing plan. Highlight the game’s most exciting players and put pictures of Millennials on your website. Consider the fact that Millennial golfers spend $5 billion a year on golf. It’s also worth it to get testimonials from Millennials and spread it online through social media and your website.

3. Make a commitment to attract Millennials by starting a task team responsible for gathering information and developing strategies to help increase the awareness about golf, the benefits of playing and how much fun it is!

4. Show that golf is inclusive. In this generation, about 44 percent are part of an ethnic group or minority race, a change in just the last decade. The generation right behind them is even more diverse. It will be the first majority-minority group in the country.

5. Millennials like feedback. Say you appreciate them coming to play the game. Put a feedback system in place to gather information from them that will drive participa-

tion, as well as give you insight into what they want. Millennials will assess their overall experience while also considering if they will return. By taking the extra initiative to reach out to them to solicit their feedback, you can build loyalty and repeat golfers.

6. Research suggests that Millennials don’t like some of the rules of golf, including the strict dress code. It’s up to the clubs to decide whether to change some policies to attract Millennials. But if it means more young people joining those who already love the game, it may be worth it.

7. Take inventory of your equipment and facility to be sure that you are maximizing the use of technology. You want them to believe your club is on top of the latest and greatest technology.

8. At times, people make negative assumptions about Millennials. Staff should be trained to appreciate all ages to ensure your brand is not tarnished.

9. Prepare a list of benefits of the game of golf, highlighting how it builds skills, the benefits in business and how it helps in building your network.

If it means more young people joining those who already love the game, I suspect implementing these suggestions will be worth it! BR

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steVe grAVes

memBeRshiP committee

Steve Graves is president of Creative Golf Marketing. The company specializes in membership development strategies to enhance membership growth, membership retention, and financial success for its private club clients. Contact CGM via email at www.CreativeGolfMarketing.com or 800-526-8794.

What Role Should Members Play in the Club’s Growth sitting in more than 60 private club board rooms every year, while performing our membership strategic planning workshops, allows us to peek behind the curtains to see the issues club officials continue to face throughout the industry.

One of the most relevant issues in today’s private club continues to focus on the involvement, or lack thereof, in defining and understanding what role current members play in the club’s membership growth efforts.

We hear a common theme from club officials – some members are apathetic and indifferent when it comes to participating in the club’s membership growth efforts.

They either are too busy, or simply have no interest in participating. Or, worse yet, for some peculiar reason they simply do not feel that is, in fact, their responsibility to participate in their club’s membership growth efforts.

While most private clubs are keenly aware of how important member involvement is to the membership growth process, they struggle with how to engage and educate their members regarding the importance of their efforts, and how they can play a key role in the continuing success of their club.

Clubs need to be aware of the members’ mindset and be prepared to react accordingly. If a club truly feels that the current members are no longer advocates and therefore unwilling to help the club grow and flourish, communication and education are a great place to start.

Members need to know your goals. Goals are good.

Clearly defined goals are better. Sharing those defined goals with your membership is great. Goals aside, the mere fact that you take time to share the direction of the club, provide details, update progress, and keep in touch with your membership, are all these tiny actions will create a connection.

A club should emphasize how achieving new member growth goals will positively impact each club member. We all know about the strategy of the “carrot and the stick.”

The stick is seldom very successful in discussing what cannot be done without membership growth. But, the carrot can be very successful in simply outlining the continued and specific benefits the members will enjoy if certain specific new member goals are achieved.

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toWN hALL meetiNgs

Most private club officials are terrified of town hall meetings. They are afraid of how negative a meeting can get as members tend to play the “blame game” rather than the “solution game.” As a good rule of thumb, do not call a town hall meeting unless you can identify both the problems currently facing the club and the solutions which the club wants to share with the membership.

At 56 town hall meetings in 2016 alone, facilitated by Creative Golf Marketing, in front of over 6,000 members, the primary message centered on how important the members’ involvement was in furthering the club’s membership growth efforts. Club culture, if properly embraced and practiced, will eventually become second nature. boArd eNthusiAsm ANd iNVoLVemeNt

A club’s board and management team have a responsibility to create enthusiasm and pride. The board members should be out there promoting the club just as much as they are telling the other members to invite their friends.

If members don’t see their own leadership helping, why would they feel obligated or motivated to get involved?

No longer can private club leaders simply be involved and engaged at their “once a month” board meeting.

Board members must consistently and constantly be encouraging their members to support the club, the board, the committees and the staff, as efforts are put in place to further the club’s continued success.

Leaders need to be leaders and sometimes “cheerleaders” when it comes to providing enthusiasm and support for the continued improvement and growth of the club.

Establishing a culture where members understand and embrace their role in the club’s membership growth efforts will have far reaching benefits far beyond the scope of a single membership referral campaign.

To be successful in club life there needs to be sustained efforts at both the club leadership and membership level to maintain long term membership growth and financial success. But, it’s all very well worth the effort. BR

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SUSAN GREENE

MEMBERSHIP committee

Susan Greene, MCMP, is a 29-year veteran in the private club business, and director of membership and marketing for The Oaks Club in Osprey, FL. She serves as the national president of PCMA (Professional Club Marketing Association). She can be reached via email: sgreene@theoaksclub.com

Board Recognition Just Makes “Cents” Appreciation is a fundamental human need. Employees respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms their work is valued. When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work.

Praise and recognition are essential to an outstanding workplace. People want to be respected and valued for their contribution. Everyone feels the need to be recognized as an individual or member of a group, and to feel a sense of achievement for work well done, or even for a valiant effort. Everyone wants a ‘pat on the back’ to make them feel good.

Measuring the direct impact on profitability is difficult because it is only one of many factors influencing employees in every workplace. However, case studies make a persuasive case that bottom-line benefits have been achieved through recognition schemes.

The Walt Disney World Resort established an employee recognition program that resulted in a 15 percent increase in staff satisfaction with their day-to-day recognition by their immediate supervisors. These results correlated highly with high guest-satisfaction scores, which showed a strong intent to return, and therefore directly flowed to increased profitability.

Recognition is a key success factor even at higher levels of management. Dr. Lawrence Hrebiniak, professor of management in the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, states, “What’s absolutely critical…is that the organization celebrates success. Those who perform must be recognized.”

Does your club have an employee recognition program, and as a board member, do you contribute to the “at a girl” or “at a boy” approach?

Do your leadership team members feel that the board supports them through the budgeting process in the education line items? Recognition comes in many forms.

Make certain your leadership teams know that they have your support, that you encourage them to participate in leadership roles within the industry, and that their education is an important to the board.

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When was the last time your board considered nominating your leadership team for industry recognition?

BoardRoom magazine offers its Distinguished Top Presidents’ program, honoring the top board presidents in the private club industry, The McMahon Group co-sponsors the Excellence in Club Management Awards for General Managers; the Professional Golf Association recognizes golf professionals at a host of levels, as does the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

If team members plan to attend the national conferences of their respective disciplines, talk with them about the takeaways they learned and the overall experience. Your team will appreciate your interest in their success.

Now that your leadership team feels appreciated and recognized, does your club have a member recognition program that involves the board?

Most clubs have some sort of recognition from the membership department for a new member referral, and some clubs have frequent diner or frequent user programs. But, as a board, what do you do to assist in retention of members through board recognition?

The Oaks Club’s board chairman hosts an annual volunteer’s reception, thanking the members who give of their time to serve on committees. Does it make “cents” to have the board members sign a thank you card to fellow members who nominate someone to membership, whether that individual joins or not?

Does it make “cents” for the board to personally thank members who sponsor events at the club?

Does it make “cents” for the board to thank members who take the time to recognize the employees and staff?

And does it make “cents” for the board to congratulate the winners of various sports related competitions within the club?

Members and staff crave positive feedback, recognition that they put in extra effort, acknowledgement of leaders and peers, and the glow that comes with knowing an achievement has been seen, appreciated, and celebrated. The board’s involvement in this process just makes “cents.” BR

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ROBERT A. SERECI Robert A Sereci, CCM is GM/COO of Medinah Country Club, located in Medinah, Illinois.

He can be reached at (630) 438-6825, or via email: rsereci@medinahcc.org

MEMBERSHIP committee

The Perils of Membership Categories - Part II So, your membership just approved the multi-million-dollar renovation, or the addition of new amenities, and both the board and your membership is starting to second guess the decision.

One knee jerk reaction is to create additional membership categories to fill in the spaces, or generate enough revenues to justify the spaces and/or expenditures. There are numerous potential benefits of making additional categories (Part I, BoardRoom, March/April 2017), so now I want to share some of the perils of doing so.

Devaluing the full membership and your brand equity: Membership categories are akin to different car models. A more affordable model, offering similar quality but fewer options at a lower price, replaces the model that was once desired as the standard bearer for quality and prestige.

A good example of this lies with the current classes of Mercedes Benz Cabriolet automobiles. A C-Class at approximately $50k, or an E-Class at approximately $60k, is obviously not quite the same as owning the S-Class at approximately $132k, but they are still part of the Mercedes brand. However, the more attractive prices of the C and E classes makes them nice substitutes, substitutes that are affordable for those who can never hope to own the S-Class.

In country clubs, by offering more segmented membership categories at lower prices, you devalue the regular membership by inviting current and future members to shop and compare under the same roof, thereby diluting your brand equity. In many cases, you are trading in the full membership for a lesser membership category, and as a result, leaving many membership dollars on the table.

For the member, whether you are a regular or social member, you’ll have the same club brand associated with your persona, so why pay more if you don’t have to? But for the club, attaining the lesser membership category member comes at a significantly reduced value, since that member adds equally to the population, but adds proportionately less to your capital budget, which ultimately strains your resources and service model.

Amenity use: When your team and your board put together the project, your motivation is to increase and/or

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maximize utilization in the targeted areas. However, contrary to your initial position, it is common for your board or membership to begin to question the direction and assume low usage before you even put a shovel in the ground, particularly if you are adding additional dining spaces or completely new amenities, like a gym or racquet center.

The point of contention might sound something like this: “Our dining rooms are not filled now, how is something new going to change that?” Exactly!

One of the main reasons why your dining rooms are not full is because they are old and outdated and people do not find them attractive enough to visit frequently. Human nature dictates that one’s use only goes as far as how well their expectations and requirements are being met.

But, a word of caution, the state of “new” will create an automatic uptick in use. Everyone wants to see what is new, and when that time comes around in any country club, you had better have the space needed to accommodate the member demand.

Event/holiday guest capacity: Another issue to consider when enlarging the population base through additional categories is guest usage. In our case, our members enjoy bringing guests to our various member events and holiday gatherings.

Last year, we had to change our guest policy to address overcrowding at the pool. The Fourth of July party experienced record crowds. At Halloween, we had to turn people away, and our Christmas Party quickly had a waiting list.

To me, this is a strong indication that we do not have a population shortage. Again, your concern should be, if adding additional bodies through category expansion, do you run the risk of overfilling existing spaces and stretching resources during events (such as during holidays) when your existing members most enjoy using the club? BR In Part 3, we’ll take a look at other issues that could wreak havoc on the psyche of your membership and lead you down the path of a diminished club community.

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HEATHER ARIAS DE CORDOBA

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Heather Arias de Cordoba is the associate editor of BoardRoom magazine.

If you have an innovative idea or a story suggestion, please send Heather an email to: heather@boardroommag.com or call (949) 365-6966.

Increasing Event Awareness Is Key for Montclair Golf Club Montclair Golf Club, a BoardRoom magazine Distinguished Club, is situated just 20 minutes from New York City in West Orange, New Jersey…a very busy area and residents are never short of something to do.

With Manhattan just across the Hudson, and many activities and offerings in the surrounding area, marketing to Montclair Golf Club’s members remains a top priority.

With a membership diverse in age, and conscious of the fact that, while we now live in an ever-developing digital age, not everyone walks around with their cellphones glued to their hands. Still the club doesn’t want its members to miss a beat!

So Montclair has gone to something more ‘unconventional’ to let members know what’s happening.

The club has instituted an upcoming events insert page in the dining menu. The dining rooms are high-traffic areas and the club wanted to find a subtle way to increase event awareness without having ads or flyers posted throughout the space. Thus, the upcoming events insert page.

Members see upcoming events listed on the inside cover of the dinner menu, which is updated every week or two, depending on the club’s event schedule. Montclair’s front

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of house and wait staff remain informed of new events and details, to be able to answer any questions from members.

After dinner, members receive their chit as a recap of what will be added to their account, and at the bottom is a reminder about Montclair’s most important upcoming event. This notice changes as per the club’s need to increase registration for a particular event.

This special insert is part of the club’s plan to keep its members well informed. With two clubhouses and a large membership, members are kept in the loop on upcoming events and happenings through various efforts by the club.

This includes monthly newsletters, both in print and online, to eye-catching poster boards at the entrance of each clubhouse, event sign up lists and flyers in the locker rooms, and dedicated event emails with a fixed cross marketing section; rotating banners on the homepage of our website, and website calendar listings with detailed event flyers and online registration.

News articles on the website homepage featuring the event flyers and a link to the calendar/online registration and listings in the fixed cross-marketing section of each web page are also included. B R

HEATHER ARIAS DE CORDOBA Heather Arias de Cordoba is the associate editor of BoardRoom magazine.

If you have an innovative idea or a story suggestion, please send Heather an email to: heather@boardroommag.com or call (949) 365-6966.

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Membership Surveys Offer Feedback for Champions Run Membership surveys help tell the tale, and they’ve had an impact on Champions Run in Omaha, NE. The club has wanted to gather feedback on members’ perception of the club, and to do so, developed an extensive membership survey.

“We developed the survey with questions pertaining to all aspects of the club, including the golf course, dining and other departments. Then it was sent to members,” said Andy Reetz, CEO and general manager.

The club received feedback…both positive and negative, along with suggestions from members of how their

club could improve. The information has been analyzed, passed along to department managers, and the club has developed a strategic plan for each department, highlighting the immediate needs, along with planning for future improvements.

Managers also meet with member-based committees to develop a strategic plan for each area.

Data from all departments has been compiled into a master document.

“This has helped our leadership team understand the immediate needs of the club, along with future projects and goals,” Reetz continued. The committees, comprised of club members, allows members to have a direct impact on the club’s future, while also focusing on a collaborative relationship between the club’s members and staff.

To stimulate the feedback from members, the club offered a drawing for one month of free dues, among members participating in the survey. BR

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RICK SNELLINGER

PLANNING committee

Rick Snellinger is president and CeO of Chambers, the largest planning, architecture, and interior design firm in the country with a singular purpose of working with private clubs.

Headquartered in Baltimore, Chambers has additional offices in Dallas, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. For more information, email Rick directly at rsnellinger@chambersusa.com.

Honoring a Storied Past with a Vision toward the Future For over 120 years, one of the South’s most historic country clubs has provided its members with outstanding amenities, exceptional service, and countless memories – a true home away from home for generations of members.

Since the Greenville Country Club’s inception in 1895, three different clubhouses had been built to serve its members. In 2009, the Greenville, South Carolina club began to make plans for additional improvements to the third Riverside Clubhouse on Byrd Boulevard, which was originally built in 1954.

However, initial plans for renovation were not resonating with the membership, and the club’s leadership recognized the need to reevaluate their plans for the club’s future.

“Our facilities needed to respond to the needs of our members – both past and present – but we couldn’t properly define those needs until we fully understood our direction,” says Greg Hobbs, GCC’s general manager. “We needed to take a step back and think about the bigger picture from a broader, strategic perspective.”

In 2011, the club hired Chambers to assist in the development of a strategic plan that would establish a roadmap for future success. With a keen understanding of GCC’s storied history and an eye toward the future, the strategic planning team focused on all aspects of the club– membership, governance, management, dining and social aspects, golf and recreational activities – to develop a vision that embraced changing lifestyle trends and a multi-generational membership with diverse interests.

The most important aspect of this strategic process? The members! Through committee meetings, member focus groups, town hall meetings, and a comprehensive membership survey, club leadership encouraged members to provide insight on what they hoped to see in the future.

This inclusive process led to the development of an actionable strategic plan that redefined the overall mission and vision of GCC, and ultimately led to the development of a comprehensive long range strategic facilities master plan to address the club’s entire campus.

Using member insights and Chambers’ knowledge of private club industry trends, the planning committee studied various options for renovating or rebuilding the Riverside

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Clubhouse. In the end, the committee determined the clubhouse was built in the correct location, but renovating the existing structure wouldn’t respond to membership needs.

Most importantly, the committee recognized the need to establish a sustainable funding model to fund future capital improvements. The final master plan ultimately proposed to establish a long-term capital fund and rebuild the Riverside Clubhouse – the fourth clubhouse constructed in the club’s 122-year history.

“We were thrilled that the program was approved by a significant majority of the membership,” said Rick Snellinger, Chambers’ president and CEO. “After all, it is the members’ club, and the plans respond to their vision of Greenville’s future.”

GCC’s new clubhouse, a southern take on a classic revival style, is an impressive sight, spanning 45,000 square feet with a scenic arrival sequence and breathtaking golf course views.

The interiors are characterized by versatility, elegance, and sensitivity to the club’s history, blending existing furniture, decorative lighting and artwork with renewable flooring and natural products to create a nostalgic, collected look.

Numerous cutting edge amenities have also been incorporated into the new building, including an expansive outdoor terrace, wine locker display, child care space, café/turn area, and a 2,500-square foot fitness center with indoor/outdoor group exercise areas.

Club leaders generated anticipation for the project by sharing the construction process through member communications and social media. “Both new and life-long members are excited for things to come,” says Hobbs, “In fact, we actually gained 85 net new members during construction. Everyone was eager to see the big plans come to life.”

Through strategic planning, master planning and implementation, the planning, building, and design teams never lost sight of the club’s vision. The Greenville Country Club embarked on a journey to uphold its traditions while redefining its future – and this exciting process captured the club’s long standing legacy, while adapting its purpose for generations to come. BR

MICHAEL CRANDAL, CNG The letters after our author’s name Michael Crandal, CnG stand for: Certified nice Guy. Self-certified, by the way. But, a nice guy nonetheless. Michael provides meaningful interim GM/COO services and employee development programs. He lives in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, GA. www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcrandal or (760) 464-6103.

INSIGHTS

The Value of Consistently Delivering These Two Words Imagine a captive Magic Genie in a bottle that promises to grant four wishes satisfying your member’s greatest aspirations. The only stipulation is that each wish must be in the form of a singular word. What are your four words?

The purpose here is to offer meaningful definitions of two or your predictable words. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to the other two shortly.)

When presenting to business leaders, I ask what they deem most critical in differentiating themselves from the competition. Invariably two words ultimately surface.

What is interesting, is that when polls are given to potential customers/clients (consumers) asking what is most critical to them, the same two words reign.

Of course — the words are: (No. 1) Quality and (No. 2) Service.

Great! Everyone agrees on the importance of these two words. But it seems that nobody seems to agree/know what those two words mean.

Sooooo, let’s start with meaningful definitions of these two words.

QUALITY is: “Conformance to requirements.” But, this definition is not yet complete! So, let’s be clear about the “Q” word!

“Quality is conformance to requirements – the requirements of the consumer!”

SERVICE is: ”A managed or orchestrated perception, left on the mind of the consumer, about the manner in which you go about your business.”

Let’s break down several key concepts in our definition of service.

•... managed or orchestrated … Here it’s implied that it can be controlled and therefore, is a function of management. It means it can be presented in an orchestrated fashion and not randomly. It means it is intentional.

• … perception … Here is where it comes to life in the minds and hearts of those receiving it! And, since perceptions cannot be kept in inventory, perceptions are delivered very much “real time” right on the spot at the very moment of need.

• … the mind of the consumer … Here is where decisions are made. Was a transmitted message received at all? If so, did it conform to my personal requirements? Do I want

to experience this again, or not at all? Was I under or overwhelmed?

Bean Counters oftentimes have difficulty in evaluation of service as it cannot be inventoried, pointed to in the operating statement, or amortized. Yet, it is priceless. Without it, any business becomes irrelevant in the marketplace.

In order for communication to happen, it requires a transmitter and a receiver. It is easy for CEO-types or marketing firms to focus on only the transmitter component of the equation. Oftentimes they rationalize that since they are transmitting quality stuff, their job is over. It’s not.

• 80 percent of CEO’s believe their company delivers a superior customer experience. But, when surveyed, only eight percent of their customers agree!

• Over 60 percent of customers scored themselves as satisfied on surveys, preceding their defection!

Obviously, in the mind of the consumer, superior consumer experiences are not rooted in fancy slogans, or catchy tag lines. Those things are nice, and may even win Addy Awards, but, not the hearts and minds of consumers. (Remember – we call them ‘members!’)

Of critical importance is not the intended transmission. Instead, it’s all about the consumer (MEMBERS!) since it is they who will define whether or not Quality and Service was received at all.

Postscript: But – what about those other two words?

Value is always wished for. But, this word is completely driven by perceived quality and service. If both these are there, the corresponding price point (value) becomes favorably relevant. But, in the absence of quality and service, there is no perceived value at all − at any price.

Consistency: Mission critical! Without consistency, you have nothing! Insert the word “inconsistent” in front of quality, service or value and any favorable perception in the mind of the consumer is empty, null, and void again, at any price.

From this point on, whenever you imagine the words quality and service at your club think of them in the these terms. If your club grants these two wishes of your members, the other two words value and consistency become more than just wishful thinking.

The club Genie is out of the bottle. BR

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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

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Build a Team That Makes Others Green with Envy Team building has had a bum rap, and that may be because of poor planning or lack of a clear vision.

Some organizations may have falsely considered it a quick fix for unproductive teams, or perhaps the activities chosen were just plain boring. Whatever the reasons, it hasn’t always brought people together and inspired them to create a successful team.

Yet smart team building is the most important investment you can make in your club.

Let’s face it: In today’s competitive environment, you need to stand out. But how? What if everyone in your organization – board, managers, employees – shared a common passion for teamwork? Think that’s a pie-in-the-sky objective?

Not if you’re determined to improve productivity. Not if you’re ready to use team-building activities – and there are a lot of them — to improve organizational performance.

The late university psychologist Bruce Tuckman studied group dynamics for years and summed up his theory for the path to high performance as “forming, storming, norming and performing.”

In “form,” people are positive, polite and excited about team building. In “storm,” conflict develops and team members may question their involvement. In “norm,” conflict is resolved and commitment to teamwork begins. In “perform,” the team is working hard – together.

What path are you following? Do you want to attract and retain top talent and create a highly motivated, enjoyable workplace? How about improving collaboration and communication among the board? Would you like to see a spike in results, and an increase in your bottom line?

The key is doing it right.

Start with good planning. Set a team goal and have members collaborate on ways to reach it. Articulate an unambiguous vision. Do it enthusiastically and make sure everyone understands and shares it. Work with a stated purpose such as improving the team’s problem-solving skills. Encourage a relaxed environment, but establish ground rules such as turning off phones and respecting the comments of others.

Appreciate diversity. Teams today may include men and women with differing languages, customs and approaches to solving problems. Rather than being a stumbling block, this can have significant value. A mix of opinions and expe78

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riences stimulates creative thinking. Millennials bring a healthy dash of modern ideas.

Attitude matters. To the extent possible, make sessions enjoyable, even fun. Remember the saying, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?” Some exercises, if not carefully chosen, can indeed seem like “medicine.” Avoid them like the plague. Events shouldn’t feel like a day at the office but like experiences they’ll remember for some time to come. Make good use of their time. The team will respect you for it.

Team building. Recognize that well-planned team-building is a form of socializing, which fosters successful collaboration. Studies show that when people are more engaged, morale and productivity increase, so give members the chance to practice and evaluate their own communication skills. Stress that sharing clever ways to improve group functioning is valued and rewarded. Creative ideas are solid gold to clubs.

Be realistic. A one-time team building event won’t change a culture any more than a one-time practice creates a marathon runner. Your long-term goal is to create an environment that attracts top talent, so keep the message alive. Integrate it into your hiring process, performance evaluation and rewards systems.

To maximize members’ potential, incorporate it into your weekly routine and encourage members to discuss differing issues. This helps build trust. Develop a list of values that are important to you and put team building high on that list.

It’s understandable if some employers and supervisors don’t feel they have sufficient team-building skills to make the impact they seek. If this is you, consider a facilitator to guide conversation in ways that encourage open communication and mutual trust. Keep in mind that team-development is one of the most effective ways to improve organizational performance.

Finally, as you build a team that makes others green with envy, remember that “greening” also means “transforming,” because that’s what you’re doing with smart strategies. You’re transforming your people into a premier team.

That sometimes may feel like a challenge, but it’s worth it, because smart team building is the best investment you can make in your club. BR

JASON HAZLEY Jason Hazley is head tennis professional at the new Orleans Lawn Tennis Club.

He can be reached at: jasonh@noltc.com.

TENNIS committee

Lasting Impressions - Part I Every day in America, a new lesson opportunity presents itself to an area tennis pro. In addition to giving a great lesson, how the teaching pro treats the new customer before, during and after the lesson directly affect the likelihood of establishing a repeat client.

First impressions can make or break any relationship. A friendly, professional and timely response to the customer’s phone call is the first step in establishing a long-term client. All communication whenever possible warrant a reply within 24 hours.

The message should be upbeat, positive and express a genuine interest in meeting the new customer. The great game of tennis is an elective activity offered at multiple facilities in most cities, so differentiating one’s self from the competition through service, communications and a personal connection is essential to securing a long-term client.

But this is only the start of his ‘first impression’, because the next phase is in the first face-to-face meeting.

Come lesson day, is the pro’s image in unison with his line of work? Combed hair and fresh breath are all becoming of any professional, but what about the pro’s dress and footwear?

A pro draped in baggy clothes, an untucked shirt, and an array of other accessories often seen at skate parks and basketball courts doesn’t exactly say, “Hi, I’m a professional.”

When the teaching professional shows up for the customer’s first lesson in a clean and tucked in tennis shirt, tennis shorts and tied tennis shoes a clear statement is issued.

Attention to detail further demonstrates the teaching pro’s commitment to the customer’s needs. The environ-

ment on and around the court should be clean, tidy and free from debris and clutter. A comfortable place to sit and rest are nice little bonuses that show a true care for the customer’s experience.

The teaching pro should take the opportunity to find out more about the new customer and listen closely for any avoidances because of injury or personal circumstance.

To learn how the lesson should unfold the pro can ask, “What would you like to do this session?” However, asking the client about his weakest shot may invoke an accurate answer about his tennis game, but the player may not be interested on working on his “Achilles heel.” Instead asking “What

would you like to do today?” is preferred because shot selection or getting a good live-ball workout may be more his areas of interest. Many people take tennis lessons for purposes other than to improve their technical proficiency.

A positive atmosphere is essential in providing a top-notch lesson, because much of the student’s experience is based on how something said as opposed to what was said. Thus, body language, facial expressions and tone of voice all affect how a client receives the pro’s message. It is essential all parts of the communication say the same thing if the pro is to make a personal connection. BR

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CLUB FACTS & FIGURES

KEVIN F. REILLY

MARY DOLAN

Kevin F. Reilly is a partner in the firm of PBMares, LLP. He may be reached at (703)385-8809 or by email at kreilly@pbmares.com.

Mary F. Dolan, CPA is an assurance manager at PBMares, LLP in the hospitality niche. She can be reached via email: mdolan@pbmares.com

Theft and Floods and Fires, Oh My! It’s a recipe for disaster when your country has an obesity epidemic and a skinny jeans fad.” -unknown

While not the type talked about above, clubs consistently run into issues with disasters, either natural or man-made.

Property damage and destruction can be an overwhelming proposition, and it’s not just the repair and replacement process, but also the recovery of insurance proceeds and the proper accounting for those transactions.

Every claim is different and many factors will influence the outcome of your insurance claim, including, but not limited to: • Type and extent of damage • Management’s response • Language in the policy • Laws in your state • Experience of the adjuster assigned to your claim.

The most common examples of involuntary conversion or mandatory liquidation of assets relate to theft and natural disasters, such as hail storms, flooding, fire, etc.

In terms of recovery for property losses, the receivable and revenue should be recognized, to the extent of the loss, only when the realization of the amounts is probable. This is defined as “likely to occur.”

If the realization is only reasonably possible, defined as the likelihood is “more than remote, but less than likely”, the amounts should not be booked. When the recovery proceeds are legally stipulated in a contract and the claim amounts are not in negotiation, the funds are likely receivable. Naturally, the process of insurance recovery is a business negotiation, so a reasonable approach could be to wait to record the proceeds until they are received or an agreement is reached.

To the extent recoveries exceed losses, amounts can only be recognized as a gain when realized. Many times this will include amounts in the club’s insurance policy allowing for business interruption recovery. With the number of natural disasters over the last five years, insurance companies have been much more aggressive in

To the extent recoveries exceed losses, amounts can only be recognized as a gain when realized. Many times this will include amounts in the club’s insurance policy allowing for business interruption recovery. With the number of natural disasters over the last five years, insurance companies have been much more aggressive in challenging these claims and clubs often collect much less than expected.

Accounting for recovery of damages in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) is called “involuntary conversion of nonmonetary assets to monetary assets.” That’s definitely a mouthful and sounds very complicated.

In reality, the process, when broken down, is much easier to understand. It is imperative to address each step in the process even though the club might have to reinvest any proceeds received. The most common mistakes occur when clubs attempt to combine all transactions into one.

PROCEEDS FROM INSURANCE

Proceeds from insurance should be booked in accordance with the technical rules surrounding contingencies.

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challenging these claims and clubs often collect much less than expected.

It is notable that the loss from expected business while the club is closed is not recognized on the statement of financial position (income statement). Policies may also cover other expenses such as duplicate rents because of relocation and other fixed costs still being incurred on the property.

Disposal of assets: Disposal of damaged or destroyed assets should be recorded in the period in which the damage occurred. Assets should be specifically identified in a depreciation listing, to the extent possible, and written off at net book value. Additionally, the club should take into account any possible salvage or resale value.

Replacement and repair of assets: When assets are replaced or repaired, they should be capitalized and depreciated in accordance with the club’s existing accounting policies.

Classification of cash flows: The accounting rules require any cash received related to property plant and equipment be classified as investing activities. Cash flows from operating income include proceeds from insurance settlement not directly related to investing or financing activities. Therefore, evaluate cash received carefully.

It is likely the majority of the claim relates to property damage. Accordingly, the cash inflow would be allocated proportionately. However, if insurance proceeds are used for items that do not meet capitalization criteria (i.e. repairs and maintenance), those should be classified as operating revenue.

It is quite common for the damage to occur in one year and the related insurance recovered to occur in the following year. Insurance claims can take anywhere from a few months to a few years depending on cause. To ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible: • Read your policy carefully.

Among the things to keep in mind: • Amount of deductibles • Limits for recoveries • Formulas for proceeds calculations • Defined dates of business interruption period • Keep clear and concise records.

Know where your receipts and estimates for repair are; use independent reputable sources. Be ready to pull historical data and provide records as soon as reasonably possible when requested.

• Don’t be rushed. It may be tempting to cash the settlement immediately; however, it may be that depositing the payment signals acceptance of the settlement offer. Read the claim paperwork carefully and do not accept payment with words like “full” or “final” unless you are absolutely sure you concur with the findings. B R MAy/June 2017 | BOARDROOM

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from Memberships Musings | 18

Now, don’t get me wrong, beef, pork, chicken, as well as the venerable hot dog and bratwurst, will probably always be a part of your club’s menu…just maybe not as big of a part in the future. Or as the Wall Street Journal reported, “Anchoring a plate with a massive hunk of animal protein is so last century.”

Fourth, grocery store across the nation are expanding their “healthy” sections to include these new alternatives.

As in restaurants, consumer demand is high. At one Whole Foods Market, for example, the Beyond Burger sold out in an hour. Or as National Public Radio (NPR) reported, “Even carnivores are putting more fake meat on their plates.”

Finally, governments are getting into the act – both directly and indirectly. Across the globe, governments are issuing guidelines encouraging people to reduce their meat consumption. They are also investing in research that supports plant-based protein.

This is particularly important as the world’s population grows, develops, and demands more and better food. And, of course, they are increasing regulatory pressures to address the relationship between food and health, as well as

icantly reduce the calories in their drinks to “counter health concerns...and respond to changing consumer preferences.” And make sure you have plenty of bottled water on hand. It is already the second largest beverage category, by volume, in the US, just behind carbonated soft drinks, and it is projected to become the number one beverage in 2017.

The intersection of health, nutrition, and sustainability will become more important and more challenging as populations age and grow. In fact, there is a whole new facet to medical education called Culinary Medicine. Led by The Tulane School of Medicine Teaching Kitchen (the first of its kind in the US), this new field focuses on the unique combination of nutrition and culinary knowledge to help consumers achieve and maintain optimal health. Just think about the unique opportunities such a mindset has for the club industry.

The upshot is this: Consumers – i.e. your members – want to live longer healthy vibrant lives. To do this, they are changing their lifestyle habits, including what they eat and drink. So, as they change, can the Beyond Burger be far behind what you offer on your menu? I suspect not.

There is an additional and pragmatic benefit for your

PepsiCo Chair and CEO Indra Nooyi announced her company’s new sustainability efforts to significantly reduce the calories in their drinks to “counter health concerns...and respond to changing consumer preferences.”

And make sure you have plenty of bottled water on hand. It is already the second largest beverage category, by volume, in the US, just behind carbonated soft drinks, and it is projected to become the number one beverage in 2017. the impact that food production has on sustainability issues.

There is growing evidence that obesity and associated medical risks (and costs) are directly related. A recent study across 170 countries found that meats contribute about 13 percent to obesity. Animal proteins, in general, and red meats, in particular, are taking the brunt of this criticism for their negative impact on health, as well as their large carbon footprint.

The issue of sustainability is impacting the beverage side of your club’s menu too. That 170-country study also found that sugar contributes another 13 percent to obesity. So, it is no wonder that major soft drink brands are under the same nutritional microscope as meats. This has forced the major players to examine their product mix.

For example, PepsiCo Chair and CEO Indra Nooyi announced her company’s new sustainability efforts to signif-

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club to embrace more sustainable trends such as plantbased protein. It saves money.

Research found that vegetarians save about $750 per year versus those who eat meats. Now, you are not going to save $750 for every member, and you will always have the steaks, ribs, and burgers for you purely carnivore members. But all trends suggest that alternative protein items will continue to grow in popularly and populate restaurant menus across the country.

“Plant protein is in.” wrote Meatingplace, noting that 70 percent of meat eaters substitute a non-meal protein at least once a week, and 22 percent are doing it more often today than a year ago.” Your members are no different.

So, move over, cows, here come the club industry!

Your bottom line will thank you! BR

from Global Perspectives | 46

nology (2.79), environmental stewardship ( 2.71), importance of family (2.71) and intergenerational issues (2.68) rounded out the 10 leading issues identified by the research. Highlights from these issues include: • Club managers feel there is a need for increased transparency and communications from the board to membership, particularly surrounding major club decisions.

• Popular capital improvements include renovated and expanded dining areas, driving ranges, short game areas and par-3 courses to give members more utilization options.

• Clubs are creating dedicated teams or staff resources to for plan and execute communications strategy.

• Clubs are adopting different means of environmental efficiency, including changing grass types, converting to native areas through turf-reduction programs, reducing pesticide use, conserving water through irrigation reservoirs and decreased overall use, recycling, composting, banning plastic containers and cups, buying locally and renovating/reconstructing facilities for more conservative use of water and energy.

• In recognition of the importance of families, many have developed entertainment committees or have hired fulltime activity directors who focus on managing youth programs, children’s activities, and junior events. Many managers say being family-friendly is vital to recruiting

from Winning Strategies | 54

• It is a common practice to procrastinate on difficult decisions. Don’t postpone needed actions.

Another area he didn’t focus on was having the board speak with one voice. In government, elected officials opinions on issues are well communicated. Most club board meetings are not open to the membership unless they are communities with HOAs where board decisions may have a financial impact on real estate, i.e. Florida sunshine laws.

It is a club governance best practice that, no matter how contentious the discussion, directors are elected to insure that policy is successfully implemented. No matter which side of an issue the director was on, once a policy is passed, it is now their job to make the final decision work for the benefit of the club.

One of the critical issues facing clubs today is that members run for the board because they either have a single agenda item they are concerned about or they want to represent the opinions of their individual social circle or group. Bowen says that if a board member is to have influ-

new members and retaining existing members. Changing club demographics have required clubs to review and update activities and programs that are attractive to mothers, who are the key to private club growth and retention.

• Intergenerational concerns are a new matter of focus for many private clubs. With some clubs now servings four generations of club members, the need to serve and honor the most tenured generation while retaining and engaging the youngest generation require changes in governance for matters of category descriptions and the financial impacts of change. In addition, more robust financial analysis is required to project the financial impacts of such age adjustments.

Noting that the trends and issues identified by club managers have remained relatively stable since the last survey three years ago, Derek Johnston, a partner at GGA said he expected brand identity and management will increase in importance in the coming years.

“As in any business today, success comes down to a value equation. Clubs whose brands are known to provide the experience and amenities members want for a price they consider a strong value will continue to be successful,” Johnston said. BR Mike Leemhuis is president of the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. Fred Laughlin is a director at Global Golf Advisors; Henry DeLozier is a principal of Global Golf Advisors. You can contact him at hdelozier@globalgolfadvisors.com.

ence, individuals must think for themselves and be perceived by others as concerned about the best interests of the organization as a whole. This is a tough one because each individual brings baggage to the table.

To help counter this problem requires developing a clear set of governance policies, and once they are in place, the club can provide an extensive board orientation that communicates these policies. It would be a great practice to require each board nominee to review what the policies are, and then commit to abide by them, before officially being nominated for election to the board.

Bowen ends on a high note. He says: “Success depends in no small measure on the willingness of talented directors…. Since monetary rewards are … usually nonexistent, we can be grateful that so many people seem genuinely to believe that working hard for a good cause is its own highest reward and privilege.”

That’s the type of director that all clubs should seek out and then nominate. To understand how difficult being on some club boards is, just have a five minute conversation with the average member. BR

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GREGG PATTERSON

TRIBAL MAGIC

Gregg Patterson served the Beach Club of Santa Monica as its general manager for 33 years before retiring in 2016. He’s also a recipient of Boardroom magazine’s Award of Dedication for his timeless, energetic and dedicated service to the private club industry.

Patterson is president of Tribal Magic and can be reached via email: GJPAir@aol.com

The Lubricants of Leadership LUBRICANTS NEEDED

Bob Boxwell, CIC (Cheese in Charge), The Big Dog and sole employee at his coaching firm, “We’ll Tell You How”, has been hired by the board of the nine hole Up and Coming Country Club to coach their newbie club manager Joe Chuckles in the art and science of leadership.

Joe Chuckles is fresh out of hotel school armed with his LTL (License to Learn). He’s read all the books, digested all the articles and listened to all the lectures on leadership.

He thinks the board’s wasting his time – and its money – on a leadership coach because his 3.9 GPA is the only leadership certification he needs to run a teeny-weenie small time club like Up and Coming.

But Joe ponders, eats his ego and decides, “Why Not, the board’s paying the coach, they’re paying me, it’s raining cats and dogs and there ain’t nobody here.”

So, an appointment’s made, Bob Boxwell arrives, pleasantries are exchanged and the two of them settle in for a lesson in leadership.

Bob clears his throat and gets right to the point. “Joe, leadership is all about the poetry of people and the machinery of stuff and using the two to make things happen, and the poetry of people is greased with the lubricants of leadership. Tell me, how many classes have you taken addressing the Lubricants of Leadership?”

Joe stares. Gulps. Moans. Drinks deep from his cup of fresh roast, fresh ground, guaranteed sludge in the bottom of the cup mug of Up and Coming house roasted caffeine, hesitates, turns red, blows his nose, begins to sweat and fesses up, “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

Bob stares. Joe stares. Joe blinks. Bob speaks.

“Joe, leaders lead people and relationships matter when people get led. Leader-team relationships are bound together with emotional rope and the lubricants of leadership are the tactics used to make rope happen.

Joe stares. Bob Stares. Joe blinks. Bob speaks. “Joe, let’s talk Lubrication.” And they begin.

lubricants are the tactics leaders use to smooth the process that forges the chains that bind people together.

These tactics break down into three categories – Presence Tactics, Connecting Tactics and Communicating Tactics.”

Bob leaps out of his chair, tosses his navy blue certified country club approved sports coat on the floor, loosens his tie, shakes himself like a water-logged dog and strides to Joe’s COO-endorsed flip chart.

He inspects the markers, chooses big black and begins scribbling and yapping. “Joe, note taking focuses the brain, stimulates the brain and makes brain stick happen.

So…look, listen and prepare to write!”

Joe opens his notepad, clicks his pen and primes himself for some serious scribbling.

PRESENCE TACTICS

“Leaders need to be seen and heard. They need to have presence whenever they’re present. Here are some tactics for lubricating presence. Write ‘em down and listen to my explanation.”

• Warm up before arrival. Do something that makes you feel GOOD, something that you LOVE doing, before you show up on the doorstep. Read. Exercise. Write. Howl at the moon.

Put yourself in a good mood and get energized, because the moment you’re seen the team needs to feel your BUZZ.” • Show the flag. Avoid being an office cat. Walk and talk.

When it’s busy, position yourself in the center of the action – visible and engaged, shoulder to shoulder with the team.

• Be buzzed. When showing the flag, show enthusiasm for the club, for the members, for the staff and the business of club.

• Laugh lots. Laughter is a tonic for the soul. Laughter bonds people together. Laugh lots, often and loudly with the team.

• Be Approachable. Your body language needs to signal “let’s talk.” Avoid wearing resting bad boy face.”

• Walk the talk. People are watching. Do the right thing, publically and often.”

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Bob clears his throat, leans forward and gives Joe the look. “Leaders who understand the poetry of people and the lubricants of leadership appreciate the power of emotional connections in creating the magic that’s team. The 86

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Bob stops, wiggles, twists and grunts. “Am I making myself clear, Joe?” Joe nods and responds, “Yup.” Bob flips the chart and resumes scribbling and yapping.

CONNECTING TACTICS

Leaders need to connect with their people. Here’s how.

Listen close and start writing.

• Bump lots. Make a point of bumping into and then engaging people during your walk and talk.

• Look ‘em in the eye. Be focused and in the moment.

Turn off the phone. Focus on them. Make eye contact.

• Know them. Remember the faces, names and particulars of each team member. When you bump, get personal.

• Touch them. People want to be touched by the big cheese, shake their hand, high five, tap them on the shoulder.

• Enlist them in the search. When something needs doing and a problem needs solving, bring the team together, get their input, enlist them as partners in co-discovery.

• Break bread together. Visit the break room, sit, yap, then eat and drink with the team” • Enter their space. Visit team members on their home turf – in the kitchen, in the caddy shack, in the pro shop.

Go to them when a meeting’s needed.

Bob stops, wiggles, twists, grunts and drinks deep from The Mug. “Am I making myself clear Joe???”

Joe nods and responds, “Yup.” Bob flips the chart, inspects the blank page and resumes scribbling and yapping.

• Give symbols of caring. Give the team tangible stuff they can look at, show their families, stick on the wall and ponder in the future hand written birthday cards, congratulations on your promotion letters and thanks for making good stuff happen notes.

Bob stops, wiggles, twists, grunts and drinks deep from his super-sized triple.

“Am I making myself clear Joe?” Joe nods and responds, “Yup.” Bob stops writing. Stops talking. Day one’s done.

LUBE THE ENGINE

Bob takes a last, big gulp from his mug of caffeine. “Joe, you need the Lubricants of Leadership to create the team and smooth the journey. Using these tactics will help you do leader better.”

Joe looks at Bob. Bob looks at Joe. Joe says, “Got it”.

Bob stands, walks to the door, turns to Joe and says with enthusiasm, “Use the lubricants. Build the team. And always remember…

“Enjoy the journey!!!” BR

COMMUNICATING TACTICS

Leaders create emotional rope by communicating with their team in substantive ways. Here are a few of the basics.

• Address the BIGS. Tell them what’s important – often.

• Tell lots. Tell them everything. Tell them early. Tell them often.

• Ask often. Be curious, pose questions, listen closely, repeat their answers.

• Signal. Body language signals emotion. Be conscious of your facial expressions, posture, hand movements, because motions matter.

• Simplify. Explain things clearly and simply. Avoid big words and esoteric lingo.

• Celebrate lots: Cheer the victories. Find excuses to celebrate, and do so creatively.

• Tell stories. Tell stories that are current, personal, local, meaningful and entertaining.

• Welcome input. Solicit and enthusiastically welcome feedback from the team. Embrace the bitches and moans and consider them gifts.

• Listen artfully. When listening, lean forward, look ‘em in the eyes, nod your head, recap what they said and respond.

• Proselytize. Pound home the vision. Explain your club’s why, what, how and who, and repeat the why, what, how and who often.”

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from Publisher’s Perspectives | 10

the wrong thing from the pulpit the members will leave or ask for their removal from the church. There is a lot of ‘buy-in for the GM (minister) and if something is going astray the parishioners like to talk,” he offered.

Welch suggests that managing an equity club as opposed to an individually owned club raises a number of differences, and he’s managed both.

“There are many differences to whom you cater to as a general manager and who has authority or can persuade the board or owners,” he commented.

“Collaborative governance should rule the equity club. It all begins at the executive board and should trickle through the board, committees and be communicated to the membership.

“I believe the successful operation of the equity club and personality differences are the key to thriving or being eliminated at an equity club. If you can manage those two areas well and have the proper support from the board and staff you will have a ‘good’ journey. If you can’t manage gossip, micromanagers and your support staff you’re in for a difficult and emotional process,” he lamented.

It’s also a fact that managing an equity club differs significantly from managing a traditional hospitality business such as a hotel.

“In the traditional, corporate owned business, there are standard operating procedures, realistic budgets, strategic plans, capital plans and responsibility grids that provide a roadmap for day to day as well as strategic objectives,” Coyne explained. “Standards of performance are the norm.

Staffing is a planned exercise to capably provide for the sales, marketing and delivery of services.”

Private clubs are a completely different business model, added Vain.

“First and foremost, the customer base of a club – the membership – is far more engaged and interested in what it offers and does than the guests at a hotel, resort or restaurant. This is related in part to the fact that they are at some level owners, even to the point of being financially responsible for the club’s successes or failures. It is much more than that, however, encompassing much larger emotions like pride, prestige, community and branding,” Vain stipulated.

“A club is that ‘Third Place’ in a person’s life, where they go when they aren’t at home or work to socialize with friends and fellow members, to entertain guests or host important family events, to serve as a family center. As opposed to the ‘one and done visit’ that constitutes the bulk of activity at other hospitality properties, beyond even that of the regular customer who visits frequently, members are financially and emotionally invested in their club.

“It is a much deeper part of their lives and they can’t choose next week to try a different club if they are somehow disappointed with the one they have. As such, they are going to express opinions much more readily and push for changes they want to see. They have a voice and they are willing to use it.

“The club member’s relationship with their club is much more of a civic arrangement than that of a customer.

They’ll get deeply involved in things, just as they do at other important institutions in their lives, like churches, schools and work. They care,” Vain stressed.

Q&A: What Challenges Do GMs Have Running a Member-Owned Club?

Mark A. Bado, general manager, Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, NC The three main challenges a general manager faces are (1) finding, developing and retaining outstanding staff (2) meeting the dynamic needs of the membership, and (3) conducting the club with proper club governance as you navigate the maze of responsibilities, authority and rules of governance.

With club governance, the constant turnover of board members and the board executive committee makes it difficult to maintain a level of continuity in expectations and an understanding of the roles and responsibilities that tie into the membership demands.

Because of this turnover, you must rely on the club’s strategic plan, working and planning with this in mind as a roadmap to the mission and vision of your club. By establishing these foundations of the goals of the club and the path to reach them, you ensure that everyone is pulling in the same direction.

While it is human nature to try to be responsive to everyone’s needs, it become extremely difficult to meet these demands in a multigenerational legacy club where you have members who are new to the club environment and those who have been members since birth. Because of these dynamic and diverse expectations and needs, a general manager 88

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and his team must constantly balance the need for change with the value of tradition. It is important to provide value for your membership but also for your staff. A successful management team will invest in its team members both personally and professionally in order to improve retention and become an employer of choice.

The better you groom and mentor your staff however, the harder retention becomes in some instances as you grow your staff to take on the next level of challenge that may or may not be at your club. you must continue to grow your mind and your staff to continue to be relevant in today’s market and make your club a point of destination.

At the end of the day, these people come to enjoy their club and you want to provide them the best experience possible. We are not in the golf business or the fitness business – we are in the experience business and we need to make that as memorable as possible.

Jeff McFadden, general manager/COO, The Union League of Philadelphia At The union League of Philadelphia, we are fortunate to enjoy a unique dynamic with a truly symbiotic relationship between the board and the executive management team. Working together, we have created incomparable success in a short amount of time.

“The club is a family, albeit a dysfunctional family, but they (the members) share their lives with you good and bad,” Welch injected.

“Club general managers will have knowledge of families that no one else may know. They must be very diligent with the privacy of the club culture. All other areas of hospitality can have a close relationship with customers – but the club doesn’t have customers – they are, in a sense, family members.”

So are there advantages or disadvantages to each of these models? Absolutely!

“In either system, some people get too close to their members. I’ve seen general managers play golf every day or play cards with the members weekly and that usually doesn’t have a good outcome. It can work for a while but it isn’t a good idea,” Welch explained.

“It does depend on the club culture but there is a fine line between close relationships and too close. You will share the birth of a child and the death of loved ones in the club and those relationships are exceptional. But when you begin to be friends with members you must be very careful of what is shared.

“The club governance is better in an equity club. Most owners don’t put much weight behind an advisory boards input,” he suggested.

“Obviously, from a business perspective, the private club is more challenged than corporate hospitality situations. The intangible is that in the private club it’s all about the members,” Coyne explained.

There is true deference for the League proudly displayed by our members and employees. Our professional management team is incredibly dedicated to providing the highest quality of service for our members. The average employee tenure is 15 years of service with the executive management team averaging 14 years. The greatest challenge is to continue excellence with the highest quality in all that we do.

We have set our own bar so high and we must continue to blaze new trails while never losing sight of our foundation and heritage and the needs and wants of the members of today as well as tomorrow.

We must continue to be transparent and open with the membership as we take on new ventures, develop our current amenities and continue to foster incredible relationships. The board’s willingness to trust the employees and the employees’ commitment to delivering, without exception, is paramount to the success of The League.

Great clubs happen because of careful planning and thoughtful leadership. I’m so proud of my team who fully support new ideas and embrace each new undertaking with passion and commitment. I am equally thankful to the board and the membership at large for believing in our vision, supporting the process, trusting us when ideas seemed a bit crazy and celebrating our successes.

We have been fortunate to spot trends early on and develop carefully calculated plans to achieve some out-of-the-box ideas, but it hasn’t always been easy or popular. It can be challenging to balance and tough to know when to take risks, but I feel very confident moving the League

“We get to know our members and host many of their most precious moments in life…births, weddings, and even death. They become family to us and we to them.

“Rather than a revolving door of strangers in a hotel, we are privileged to know each family member, their likes and dislikes. If we are diligent in these processes, we can make remarkable memories and create experiences that only a private club can provide,” Coyne added.

“Advantages include the opportunity to leverage the loyalty and emotional investment members have, to affect people on a much deeper and more meaningful level than what is possible in an overnight stay or one-week vacation, to get to know them on a very personal level and serve them over a long period of time. Members are part of a club for 20 or 30 years, their parents or children may also be members,” Vain offered.

“The disadvantages are that the customer – the member – is going to come back again and again. It requires that the executive work to understand them, reacts effectively to complaints and responds to evolving demands.

Memories are long,” Vain expressed.

“A hotel guest may simply choose not to visit a property after a poor experience. A club member is going to voice their concerns, and if over time other members feel that way, they are going to change the executive rather than leave the club.

“This requires an elevated level of responsiveness, communication and problem resolution. Of course, if that energy is channeled in the right direction, new programs

➤

forward because of the people I get to work with. I truly have the finest team and the very best membership and I look forward to continuing to grow the League of the future together.

Terra S. H. Waldron, vice president/COO, The Desert Highlands Association, Scottsdale, AZ As the general manager’s (COO) role has evolved, one challenge has become aligning the various committees to stay focused, following board governance and if the club has one, the strategic plan.

What is meant by the evolution of the role of COO? The COO in today’s club is educated and informed to guide and lead the club as a business, unlike the days of the three-tiered committee reporting system.

Committees should be composed of members with a job description who are advisory in their capacity to assist the club and COO in executing the big picture. Too often members are allowed on committees to bring forth a single-issue agenda item for a small vocal group of members. Alternatively, they benchmark from their own business experience, extremely different from the club environment, forgetting their club committee orientation and purpose.

For the COO this creates a culture of walking the fine line of having members feel valued, insulating staff from needless work, analysis and working on behalf of all members. BR MAy/June 2017 | BOARDROOM

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or facilities will result and the club will move to a whole new and better level,” Vain added.

Because these differences exist, what can a private club’s board and management do to work together more effectively and efficiently?

“There must be a structure in place that builds trust and enables the staff and board to collaborate,” Welch explained. “It requires strong leadership from the club’s president and general manager. Clubs that have this trust and leadership have tenured GMs and happy members.

“The challenges arise when you may have a disgruntled member and the ‘calling tree’ takes place. The chatter that can grow can quickly end a GM’s career if it is not dealt with directly. This is also when micromanagement begins to take place.

“Strong leadership, commitment, trust and hard work are the best ingredients in a club,” Welch recommended.

“Club boards are often criticized for micromanagement and managers are fired for failing to perform to expectations. Interestingly, both problems arise from the same circumstance – a failure to work together to identify the club’s vision and key issues and develop an effective strategic plan and appropriate operating plan,” Vain indicated.

“There remains a lot of emotional decision-making at the leadership level instead of working from plans sourced in

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facts and data. Too many boards are willing to say they know what the members want without ever really asking them, and managers can be tone deaf to the vocal minority that may be reaching a critical mass.

“Despite a structure that allows them to get close to the customer, personal agendas can prevail. To be successful, the leadership needs to work together, balance competing agendas in an atmosphere of respect,” Vain concluded.

A ‘magic wand’ might work suggests Rick Coyne, but in reality, “boards would be chosen on the basis of their background and experience and they would go through a process of committee work in preparation for serving on the board and they would have six year terms.

“They would have a carefully crafted strategic plan that each year, at a retreat, is evaluated on the basis of completed tasks, tasks left to complete and any market changes that would alter the plan.

“They would have a responsibility matrix, which clearly delineated the lines of authority for general manager, board, and committees. The general manager would have an extended term ‘no cut’ contract, allowing them the latitude to manage, unencumbered by fear of offending the wrong person.

“Working strategically, with a plan, squarely places the burden of performance on the staff with boards concentrating on philosophic and/or strategic direction.”

PUBLISHER’S FINAL THOUGHTS

If we go back to my first thought, “Governing is the exercise of authority by an individual or group of individuals or organizations in what it does, and how and why decisions are made.”

How is this relevant to running a private club today? Well, we can start with the board of directors itself, and so often we see private clubs wandering through the wilderness simply because their governance system…their boards are not established to govern. They don’t know what their supposed to be doing and often don’t have the people on their board to drive the club to higher aspirations.

It all starts with the board of directors and the need for clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In my travels visiting private clubs across this country, we have often encountered clubs where there are no written job descriptions for directors, for the board itself and also committee members.

So how can boards and board members critically evaluate what’s happening in their clubs if they have no clearly defined roles or responsibilities themselves? Thank goodness this is changing as more and more clubs methodically decide who and what they are, and how they should be governed.

Clubs face a challenge in getting the right people on their boards at the right time…boards that have the complete mix of personalities, skills, talent, experience and credibility to drive their club to higher heights.

The trick here, of course, is to identify and recruit the right people to meet the current needs of the club. This includes people of all stripes who have skills, talent and experience they can offer. In fact, this is why so many more clubs today are now nominating only individuals who can clearly make a difference for a club. These people are being sought out, and urged to devote time and energy to their club to help create a well-balanced and influential board.

Gone are the days of boards with members pushing personal agendas, with members who feel obligated to ‘friends’ on the board, or rogue board members with their disruptive tactics creating havoc. These board members create nothing but grief, leading to endless meetings where board members wander aimlessly for hours, accomplishing little.

Good governance today demands collaborative governance…where boards and a club’s paid management cooperate in creating and driving a successful private club.

We’ve heard it before, but I reiterate: The role of the board of directors is to ensure the success of the club’s success by deciding the right thing to do (setting policy).

The general manager’s responsibility is to decide how to do the right thing, as effectively and efficiently as possible… to ensure a memorable member experience at their club.

At least, that’s the way I see it. BR John G. Fornaro, publisher

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~ Stock Farm Club, MT

Molly works with companies to create legendary guest experiences and promote a positive work culture, resulting in increased loyalty and retention of employees, members and customers.

Her customized content and impactful messages give people the tools and the motivation to take immediate action. She’s a master storyteller with a reputation for spot-on observational humor.

She’s a national speaker and the co-author of the book Improvise This! How to Think on Your Feet so You Don’t Fall on Your Face, and The Distinguished Club Experience—A Peek Inside 20 Award-Winning Clubs with Lessons to Ignite Leadership, Engagement & Loyalty.

START THE CONVERSATION. CALL 651.336.9896 VISIT HER WEBSITE AT MOLLYSPEAKS.COM MAy/June 2017 | BOARDROOM

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CHRIS BOETTCHER

CLUB SERVICE

Christopher Boettcher, proudly a CCM and CCe, is the GM/COO at Burlingame Country Club near San Francisco, CA and a regular contributor to BoardRoom magazine.

He can be reached at chris@boettcher.com.

The Moon Shot at YOUR Club?

Elon Musk has recently offered two really lucky people, who must be really wealthy, spots on the Space X flight around the moon in 2018. This has me thinking about the real moonshots in our club industry in the past decades.

Stuff that worked and other things that, well, missed the moon. For those who don’t live as close to Silicon Valley as I do, the term “moonshot” is referring to any project that reaches greatness while risking failure.

The original moonshot, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission that landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Sea of Tranquility, serves as both model and pacesetter. What club board or club manager wouldn’t want to contribute to one giant leap for mankind - or clubdom - especially if it grows or enhances the club in the process?

I look back on many old-line clubs, and there have been many great leaps. But the questions have been - what’s next? Right? And is the moonshot based on good data or just a fad that sticks?

The good thing for clubs is that, recently, that fad has been turning around. I know many clubs now are raising their entry fees and reaching near full capacity.

So how do board members know if they are taking another moonshot or basing the next capital expense on a fad that may not work? I’d suggest taking the advice of publishers like John Fornaro, president and CEO of BoardRoom magazine, or Dan Lamella from Club and Resorts Business who both believe in the chief operating officer concept and the need for boards to strategically plan ahead.

Using the GM/COO to run the club business – and leaving the board to plan ahead – will use everyone’s abilities to the best outcome.

Well-run clubs, with good governance practice, and forward thinking boards, remind me of Apple in the Silicon Valley. Sure, companies like Tesla, Google and Virgin Galactic are making the moonshot risk moves, but Apple is taking its sweet time.

Well-run clubs, with good governance practice, and forward thinking boards, remind me of Apple in the Silicon Valley. Sure, companies like Tesla, Google and Virgin Galactic are making the moonshot risk moves, but Apple is taking its sweet time.

The introduction of family programs may not seem like a big deal but back in 1957 at an old-line club, it was a moonshot of sorts. So was fitness for some clubs. And that moonshot of fitness, based on a fad or trend, may not be good for the club and its unique culture.

While reading pieces about the most influential fads of the modern world, I discovered unfortunately, smoking was one of them. It was a fad that influenced the world of cool.

Like rock n’ roll, it was a cool thing to be doing and be part of. The bad side - smoking will kill you - was an unforeseen side effect, right? And sooner or later it will be gone.

Well, fitness or family programming are not bad for you like smoking, but some clubs looked at them, from a risk assessment, because of their old-line culture. Another example is discounting of memberships and cutting, slashing or eliminating entry fees. That sort of precedent setting trend has been tough on clubs. It definitely was a fad in one market in which I worked.

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Unlike its peers, Apple seems content to make small adjustments to its existing products…making them bigger or smaller, removing their wires, or connections or ports. Not unlike clubs, it may seem like hubris, but I think its thoughtful, well governed leadership, allowing their staff to bring the best forward.

In return, Apple is building a 2.8 million square foot main building and new surrounding campus for their 12,000 local employees with a price tag of around $5 billion dollars. In an industry full of companies around them taking pot-shots at the moon, Apple is being thoughtful, slow and deliberate.

Club boards should heed the same - look for opportunities to improve slowly and carefully while giving your professional staff support and confidence to bring the options to the table and run the business. That way, instead of a crazy moonshot, you and your club can Lead ON! BR

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Food Service Equipment & Design

PPPPPPP PPPP Contact Jose Poleo VP PPPPP PPPPPPP for your free consultation!

PPPPPPP D.E.I. FOOD SERVICE PPPPPPP PPPPPPP EQUIPMENT & DESIGN PPPP US TOLL FREE PPPPPP 800.779.3028 PPPP PPPP JPOLEO@DEIKITCHEN.COM T/ 954.920.9499 PPPPPPP PPPP F/ 954.920.9802 PPPPPPPPPPP

Du Val International, Inc. specializes in the recruitment and placement of CHEFS only. Established in 1972, DVI works with the finest chefs worldwide and has placed many master chefs.

Maxine Du Val, President/CEO

334.298.5550 M A X I N E @ M A R C U S D U VA L . C O M C E L L : 7 0 6 . 6 6 2 . 4355 W W W . D U VA L I N T E R N AT I O N A L . C O M

POOL, BEACH AND PATIO FURNITURE

Steve Berlin (954) 614-1505 xhibtz1@xhibtz.com www.xhibtz.com

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APCD MOST TRUSTED VENDORS & CONSULTANTS N D O R

It’s the Association of Private Club Directors’ Most Trusted Vendors & Consultants and APCD and BoardRoom magazine are evaluating companies and vendors in the private club industry by the most important factor of all: How much do their customers trust them! Great businesses in the private club industry choose to invest their time and effort in creating meaningful and sustainable long-term customer relationships based on TRuST – the most precious commodity and transaction of them all.

These are businesses that put their customers first and do not focus solely on profit at any cost.

Amenities

2536 Manana Drive Dallas, TX 75220 P: 214.351.2834 Toll-free: 800.969.8008 F: 214.351.2834 www.sportssolutionsinc.com

Consulting 500 Skokie Blvd #444 northbrook, IL 60062 P: 847.480.4844 C: 847.421.4537 B.R. Koehnemann brkoehnemann@kempersports.com www.kempersports.com

Locations in Phoenix, northern Virginia, Atlanta, Chicago and new york C: 602.684.0251 P: 623.322.0773 Whitney Reid Pennell, president whitney@consultingRCS.com www.consultingRCS.com

executive Search 7730 e. Belleview Avenue., Suite. A-101 Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 P: 720.266.2582 www.mai-architects.com

North Palm Beach Office 1295 uS Hwy One north Palm Beach, FL 33408 P: 561.626.9704 F: 561.626.9719 Peacock + Lewis Naples Office 1610 Trade Center Way, Suite 5 naples, FL 34109 P: 239.631.2332 F: 239.300.6402 jon@peacockandlewis.com www.peacockandlewis.com

Architects | Planners | Interior Designers 44 north Main Street South norwalk, CT 06854 P: 203.354.5210 www.rm-arch.com

3908 n 29 Avenue Hollywood, FL 33020 C: 954.805.7935 P 954.920.0737 sales@deikitchen.com www.deikitchen.com

Furniture

Architects 6 West 18th Street 9th Floor new york, new york 10011 P: 212.229.0200 ext. 120 www.lichtencraig.com

Foodservice

P.O. Box 842 Ashburnham, MA 01430 P: 978.827.3101 sales@eustischair.com www.eustischair.com

501 Kings Highway east #300 Fairfield, CT 06824 P: 203.319.8228 Dan Denehy dan@denehyctp.com www.denehyctp.com

5 Hwy 82 West Magnolia, AR 71753 P: 800.221.0408 sales@southernaluminum.com www.southernaluminum.com

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace Southwest Office 7349 Via Paseo Del Sur, Ste. 202 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 P: 480.443.9102 F: 480.443.9642 Dick Kopplin, partner dick@kkandw.com www.kkandw.com

11071 Indian Lake Circle Boyton Beach, FL 33437 P: 954.614.1505 Steve Berlin XHBITZ1@XHBITZ.COM www.xhibtz.com

Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace East Coast Office 132 Tulip Tree Court Jupiter, FL 33458 P/F: 561.747.5213 C: (407) 864-6798 Kurt Kubler, CCM, partner kurt@kkandw.com Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace Cleveland Office 20373 Scott Drive Cleveland, OH 44149 P/F: 440.783.1268 C: 412.670.2021 Tom B. Wallace III, CCM, partner tom@kkandw.com

Game equipment 3780 Rippleton Road, Route 13 South Cazenovia, ny 13035 P: 888.647.2778 F: 315.655.2033 custserv@cornilleauusa.com www.cornilleauusa.com

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It’s the Association of Private Club Directors’ Most Trusted Vendors & Consultants and APCD and BoardRoom magazine are evaluating companies and vendors in the private club industry by the most important factor of all: How much do their customers trust them! Great businesses in the private club industry choose to invest their time and effort in creating meaningful and sustainable long-term customer relationships based on TRuST – the most precious commodity and transaction of them all.

These are businesses that put their customers first and do not focus solely on profit at any cost.

Golf Course Architect

14332 Justice Road Midlothian, VA 23113 P: 804.897.8600 F: 804.897.8603 Lester George, president lester@georgegolfdesign.com www.georgegolfdesign.com

Interior Design

95 Reef Road Fairfield, CT 06824 P: 203.259.2555 Craig J. Smith studio@c2Limited.com www.c2limited.com

Lockers

Real estate

1825 West Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 110. Irving, TX 75038 P: 972.815.4000 Toll Free: 800.433.3630 F: 972.815.2921 info@hollman.com www.hollman.com

212 Old Quitman Annex Road Adel, Georgia 31620 P: 229.896.1492 C: 678.429.7997 Toll free: 888.324.5020 F: 229.896.1180 Hilda W. Allen hildahwa@gmail.com www.hildawallen.com

Menu

uniforms

2046 Castor Avenue - 1st Floor Philadelphia, PA 19134 P: 215.535.6940 steve@the-polar.com www.the-polar.com

Pear Tree Plaza Building D 289 Hwy 33 east Manalapan, new Jersey 07726 P: 800.711.5885 F: 732.792.0111 Martin Klein www.ambassadoruniform.com

Photography 700 School St. unit. 2 Pawtucket, RI 02860 P: 401.365.1171 F: 401.721.2238 Peter Cafaro pcafaro@jbd.cc www.jbd.cc

3186 e. La Palma Avenue Anaheim, CA 92806 P: 800.653.5766 www.eaclubs.com

5442 Gateway Plaza Drive Benicia, CA 94510 P: 707.746.7011 Debbie Surani info@highenduniforms.com www.highenduniforms.com

Kid’s Camps

821 executive Drive Princeton, new Jersey 08540 P: .877.671.2267 ext. 500 info@kecamps.com www.kecamps.com

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BOARDROOM MAGAZINE ADVERTISING INDEX ACCP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Flora Springs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43

Peacock + Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Addison Law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

FOOD-TRAK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Par Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Ambassador uniforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Fortessa Hosting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

PGA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Big John Grills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

GCSAA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Polar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

C2 Limited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

GMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Procraft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

CeadarCreek Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41

GRIGG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Rogers McCagg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Chambers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

GSI executive Search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

RSM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

ClubIQ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

HFTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Salbury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Clubster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

High end uniforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

SlimFold Grills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

ClubTec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

HInT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

St. Timothy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Concert Golf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Kopplin Kuebler and Wallace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Style upholstery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Creative Golf Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Lichten + Craig Architecture + Interiors. . . . . 61

TeZ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Denehy Club Thinking Partners. . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Louis Tyler Creative Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Troon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Distinguished Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82-83

McMahon Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

uSPTA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Distinguished Clubs Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Molly Cox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Welch Tennis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

eustis Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

northstar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

eZ Links. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

PCMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

BOARDROOM MAGAZINE COUNTRY CLUB INDEX Robbie Ames, general manager, Sea Pines Country Club, Hilton Head Island, SC

David W. Lacey, member, the Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, PA

Mark A. Bado, MCM, CCe, general manager, Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, nC

MacDonald niven, MA, CCM, CCe, GM, Almaden Golf and Country Club, San Jose, CA

Chris Boettcher, CCM, CCe, GM/COO, Burlingame Country Club near San Francisco, CA

Jeff McFadden, CCM, CCe, eCM, general manager/COO, The union League of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Blaine Burgess, CCM, CCe, general manager/COO, The Country Club of Little Rock,

Montclair Golf Club, West Orange, nJ

Rob DeMore, senior vice president, operations, Troon Privé Todd Dufek, locker room manager, The Country Club at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona Paul Fulmer, president, Hamilton Club, Lancaster, PA Janet Ginsburg, president, Alpine Country Club, Demarest, nJ Ron Hankins, president, Myers Park Country Club, Charlotte, nC Greg Hobbs, general manager, Greenville Country Club, Greenville, SC Steve Hokanson , chairman, Grey Oaks Country Club, naples, FL Dr. Bonnie Knutson, the Country Club of Lansing and the Michigan Athletic Club

nancy Levenburg, member, Spring Lake Country Club, Spring Lake, MI

Gregg Patterson, member, The Beach Club of Santa Monica, CA Robert A Sereci, CCM, GM/COO, Medinah Country Club, Medinah, IL nick Sidorakis, general manager, Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, OK Rosie Slocum, MCMP, director of membership, BallenIsles Country Club, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Terra S. H. Waldron, CCM, CCe, vice president/COO, The Desert Highlands Association, Scottsdale,AZ

Th e Bo a rd Ro o m ma ga zin e

CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF EDUCATING THE PRIVATE CLUB INDUSTRY ISSUE 270

Vol ume XXI, Ma y/Jun e 2017

10 | PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE 28 | TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVES 46 | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES 80 | FACTS AND FIGURES

THE BOOK

The Distinguished Club Experience

By John Fornaro and Molly Cox

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VO LU M E X X I M AY / J U N E