The Rob Report

June 2022 marks the 16th annual Ideas Issue for Club + Resort Business. Over the years, we’ve gathered some of the most innovati ve events and acti viti es from across the industry. Last year, for instance, we showcased the Millennial Membership program at Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville, Pa. Thanks, in part, to the program off ering lower monthly dues to single members under the age of 30, the club’s membership numbers went from 175 to 325 in just fi ve years.

In another success story, The Country Club of Jackson (Miss.) began off ering a one-stop shopping experience for customized merchandise that can promote members’ own businesses. The sale of customized products through the golf shop has not only built bett er relati onships between the members and staff , but it has also provided the club with additi onal revenue.

At Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria, Va., the Fitness Manager wanted to provide a fun, safe environment for teaching fi tness basics to kids, ages 4-10. The club created a strategic approach to building sports performance while testi ng endurance. As a side benefi t, the new program also yielded a surge in adult programming.

This year, see how River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas hosted a “Paint the Pool Party,” (page 20) which marked the fi nal poolside event before kicking off a $29 million improvement project. To make the outi ng especially personal, members were invited to grab a paintbrush and say goodbye to the summerti me hot spot.

Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. is no stranger to the Ideas issue. With a popular seventh-inning-stretch acti vity in mind, the club hosted its own Mascot Races (page 41). Champions Run’s primary mascot is Kraken, an orange octopus wearing a pirate hat, but the club has four other mascots: a green gator, a yellow sea dragon, a red ray, and a blue barracuda. Lifeguards donned the costumes and raced one another on the pool deck— involving members and treats from the snack bar.

Club Communicati ons have always been an important way of keeping members informed, but (nearly) gone are the days of printed monthly newslett ers mailed to the home. E-mails are much more convenient, ti mely and cost-eff ecti ve, but today’s younger members are open to even quicker forms of communicati on. Champions Run has them covered, too, in the form of TikTok (page 36). Raychel Reed, Social Media & Marketi ng Intern at the club, says “TikTok is great in the sense that you can catch and keep their att enti on for the span of your 15-3060 second videos.”

Tree clearing can be a point of contenti on with golfers and non-golfers, alike. While one side enjoys the shade, privacy and natural habitat the trees provide woodland creatures, others argue that they can be the enemy of healthy turf. But when a pest, such as the emerald ash borer, infests the property, tree removal is a must. The Peoria, Ill. Park District made the best of a bad situati on at the Newman Golf Course by hiring a local chainsaw arti st who carved the PPD logo into one felled tree—providing a nice additi on to the grounds. Great idea!

Ideas come in all shapes and sizes and don’t always originate in the U.S. I recently read a story out of the U.K. where the owner of a private 9-hole course (Hollyville) was off ering free golf in exchange for help with maintenance.

In Lostwithiel, Cornwall, UK, every square yard of non-playing surface at Gillyfl ower golf course will be used to grow fruit and vegetables or encourage fl ora and fauna. It is being billed as a unique “edible” and green golf course. There are even three Tamworth pigs kept on site to help trim undergrowth in a more natural manner.

I want to know what innovati ve ideas you are introducing at your club. Shoot me an e-mail and we can work together on sharing your creati ve soluti ons with colleagues across the country … and the “pond.”

Rob Thomas • Editor

rthomas@wtwhmedia.com

I LOVE THE MOVIE “Apollo 13.” I could watch it again and again. My favorite aspect of the 1995 Tom Hanks/Ron Howard fi lm is its celebrati on of human ingenuity in the face of an extraordinary challenge.

I think the best quote in the movie is from actor Ed Harris, who portrays NASA Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz. In one scene, NASA engineers argue about the safest way to bring the astronauts home. Aft er an engineer notes the lunar module was specifi cally designed to land on the moon, Harris says: “I don’t care what anything was designed to do. I care about what it can do.”

The fi lm then shows how the brilliant minds at NASA craft new procedures to conserve power on the Odyssey and work with the crew to bring them home safely. It was a heroic eff ort that was kickstarted by a leader who challenged his employees to think diff erently about the resources they had at their disposal.

Human ingenuity and creati vity have been on display at country clubs, too, as leaders have fi gured out ways to innovate during the last few years. Club leaders had to recalibrate in response to both the COVID-19 pandemic and new trends in their industry.

For this month’s Annual Ideas Issue, I spoke with several club leaders about new events and programs they’ve implemented due to rapidly changing circumstances. I was impressed with both their ideas and how they executed them.

At Salisbury Country Club in Midlothian, Va., Reindeer Run was created in 2020 as a safe, outdoor acti vity during the pandemic, but was so well-liked by members that it now has become an annual event. A couple days before Christmas, members of all ages go for an easy run on the cart path through a 9-hole secti on of Salisbury’s 27-hole golf course. Employees dressed as holiday characters appeared on the fair-

ways and interacted with the runners. The event ended with a snowball fi ght using cott on balls, followed by a post-run party, complete with hot chocolate, gingerbread waffl es, a DJ playing tunes and beverages for all.

Dan Jordan, Clubhouse Operati ons Manager at Salisbury Country Club, tells me a large number of young families have joined his club in the last fi ve years and Reindeer Run is one of many events that cater to that demographic.

When the pandemic was restricti ng att endance numbers at events in 2020, Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, Pa. hosted fi ve separate acti viti es shortly aft er the 4th of July. Members could choose from events such as partying at the pool, having drinks in a golf cart on the fairway, or enjoying a formal dinner on the club’s pati o. Att endees at each event capped off their evening watching a fi reworks show.

Just like their counterparts in Virginia, Philadelphia Country Club leaders tried to off er something for every member of the family.

Phil Keren • Associate Editor

pkeren@wtwhmedia.com

Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. launched Adventure Camp in 2021 to off er summer acti viti es for 11 to 15-year-olds, a group that is someti mes overlooked.

Shockley’s program was well-received, and will conti nue this summer.

The pandemic, as well as the changing demographics of members, have prompted club leaders to re-examine, reassess and revise the programs and acti viti es they off er. Just as the Apollo 13 engineers had to think of new ways to use their spacecraft ’s equipment, club leaders are reshaping their organizati ons with heft y doses of both imaginati on and hard work.

This month’s issue will show the positi ve outcomes of these new ideas. I hope you enjoy reading the stories and perhaps fi nd some inspirati on. In the meanti me, please conti nue to let me know about your innovati ons at pkeren@wtwhmedia.com.