T H E S O U R C E F O R P R I V A T E C L U B E X C E L L E N C E™ AUGUST 2026 McMahon Report® THE The Growing Importance of Wellness/Fitness for Attracting Members 3 How Strategic Surveys & Strategic Refreshers Keep Clubs on Track 4 Taking the Long View: Stewardship Over Experience 7 Using Surveys Effectively to Assure Good Membership Input 8 "Dos and Don'ts" for Successful Club Improvements (Part II) 10 Strategic Planning: Is it Just For Today, or Should it Shape the Future? 13 Little Harbor Club’s Secrets to Seasonal Staffing Success
FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT Dear Club Leaders, This issue of The McMahon Report centers on a single, connecting idea: The strongest private clubs are built not by reacting to the moment, but by planning deliberately for the future. Across every article, our experts return to the disciplines that separate clubs that merely keep up from those that endure—research, strategic planning, thoughtful facility design, and a culture that people want to be part of. We open with a look at the growing importance of wellness and fitness, now the amenity with the broadest appeal across every member group, and the practical question of how smaller clubs can keep pace with full-service commercial competitors. From there, our cover story visits Little Harbor Club in Harbor Springs, Michigan, whose thirteen-week season and $2 million in food-and-beverage sales rest on a remarkable seasonal staffing model—proof that culture and recruiting are as much a part of a club's success as its facilities and amenities. The heart of the issue turns to planning itself. In my article, I discuss the case for stewardship over short-term thinking, reminding us that deferral is still a decision. Scott Fairbairn explains how Strategic Issues Surveys and Strategic Refreshers keep a Master Plan alive rather than shelved. Bill McMahon, Jr. details how to use membership surveys effectively without overusing them, and how good research becomes real direction. Glen Selligman continues our architecture series with "dos and don'ts" for fitness/wellness spaces and casual bars—the areas members most want to see improved, according to our latest Pulse Survey. And Bill McMahon, Sr. asks whether your strategic planning is only fixing today's problems or genuinely shaping tomorrow's. We close with highlights from our recent "Planning for Success" webcast with the National Club Association, where our principals answered the questions club leaders are asking most—about scope creep, survey fatigue, capital thresholds, and knowing when renovation gives way to rebuilding. Whether your club has a waiting list or is working to build one, the message throughout is the same: Take the long view, involve your members, and plan with discipline. We hope this issue helps you do exactly that. Sincerely, David Dew, CCM, CCE Vice President of Club Consulting ABOUT MCMAHON GROUP Our Mission: “To be the premier club consulting firm dedicated to private club excellence by providing clubs and their management with the best possible strategic and facility planning expertise. We are committed to identifying the key trends impacting the club industry, enhancing the profession of club management and to assisting presidents and Boards with adopting the best practices to foster effective governance to create successful clubs.” Family- and managementowned since 1983 with an outstanding professional staff. We have served clubs and communities throughout the world in all aspects. OVER 2000 CLUBS SERVED OVER 150 HOA’S SERVED McMahon Group, Inc. 670 Mason Ridge Center Drive, Suite 220 St. Louis, Missouri 63141 • 314.744.5040 info@mcmahongroup.com www.mcmahongroup.com www.clubmanageraward.com www.mcmahoncommunity.com WHATWE OFFER • Strategic Planning and Implementation • Facility Planning and Funding Programs • Membership Surveys and Research • Existing Facilities Condition Analysis • HOA Community Consulting • McMahon Quality Index™ Rating Program $3.5 BILLION RAI SED 40+ I N BUSI NESS YEARS 2 The McMahon Report® For more information or to schedule a First Impressions Visit, please contact Alison McMahon at amcmahon@mcmahongroup.com. CONNECT WITH US ONLINE FOR VIDEOS, BROCHURES AND EVEN MORE UP-TO-DATE CLUB INFORMATION! Florida | Illinois | Missouri | New Hampshire | North Carolina | South Carolina
By Bill McMahon, Sr., AIA, OAA Founder The McMahon Report® 3 facilities than country clubs, as an indoor activity that is better suited for their operations. These urban clubs are supported by larger memberships, which in return can make it possible to provide much better wellness/fitness offerings and facilities. Clubs like the Missouri Athletic Club, University Club of Chicago and many others can provide advanced fitness programs on a larger scale because of their membership size. Are Fitness-Only Memberships the Answer? An even more aggressive approach to the expansion of wellness/fitness can be seen in many new gated and non-gated residential communities, like The Grand in Surprise, Ariz. (a Phoenix suburb). This 10,000-home former Del Webb community offers its homeowners 46 different club activities, including extensive wellness/fitness facilities that continue to expand and be improved for The Grand’s active, age-restricted resident base. But many clubs still can’t seem to provide enough space now for all of the residents and members who want to live healthy and active lives. In the St. Louis market alone, the fitness offerings of Life Time show that private clubs need to continue to keep up with good commercial clubs that are now achieving full memberships with waiting lists to join. The challenge for the smaller country club with 500 or so members is having enough members to support a major fitness offering that can match what are becoming full-service commercial fitness clubs. A possible solution may be to add wellness/fitness-only memberships, like many clubs now do just for dining, as an option to traditional full country-club memberships. T oday’s gym, wellness and fitness offerings at clubs of all types have never been more important to members and families at all age levels. While golf, tennis, pickleball and swimming activities appeal to more-specific interest groups, wellness/fitness offerings appeal to all user groups and the full range of people who just want to live longer and enjoy life better by staying healthy and fit. In the private-club world, we have always largely followed the lead of commercial wellness and fitness clubs like Life Time, LA Fitness, etc., for what we offer to members in those areas. But nowwe have an opportunity to break out of our own limited facilities and make our programs cutting-edge and more friendly to more members. We continually see more expansion opportunities for fitness programs in our clubs, more than for any other club activity. Clubs in the city and athletic segments have traditionally provided better and larger wellness/fitness Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com The Growing Importance of Wellness/Fitness for Attracting Members WELLNESS/FITNESS OFFERINGS APPEAL TO ALL USER GROUPS AND THE FULL RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO JUST WANT TO LIVE LONGER AND ENJOY LIFE BETTER BY STAYING HEALTHY AND FIT. FITNESS/WELLNESS
By Scott Fairbairn, CCM, ECM, Vice President of Club Consulting F or General Managers and private-club Board members, a lack of ideas is never the problem. Rather, the challenge is deciding which ideas matter most, and when to act on them. Private clubs operate in a constant state of evolution, balancing member expectations, capital demands, and governance transitions. In this environment, even the best Facility Master Plan can lose momentumwithout a disciplined process to revisit priorities and maintain alignment. This is where the Strategic Issues Survey (SIS) and Strategic Refresher play critical roles. Together, they ensure that a club’s Master Plan remains relevant, actionable, and aligned with both leadership and membership. The Reality of Facility Master Planning in Private Clubs A Master Plan is designed to provide long-term direction. But private clubs do not operate in static conditions. Board composition changes. Member preferences shift. Financial conditions evolve. New opportunities and pressures emerge, sometimes quickly. Without a structured way to reassess priorities, clubs often drift. Projects that once felt urgent lose clarity. New ideas compete for attention. Leadership teams can find themselves revisiting the same debates without resolution. For General Managers, this creates operational uncertainty. For Boards, it creates inconsistency in decision-making. Over time, this can erode confidence in the plan itself. A Strategic Refresher that follows a Strategic Issues Survey addresses this directly. It is not a restart, but a disciplined check that keeps the club focused on what matters most right now, while staying grounded in the long-term vision. The Role of the Strategic Issues Survey At the center of an effective Refresher process is the Strategic Issues Survey. This is a simple but powerful tool that aligns leadership before the planning conversation even begins. Board members and the General Manager complete a short survey that identifies what they believe are the most important strategic issues facing their club. The results are then synthesized into clear themes, allowing the planning session to focus immediately on the highest-priority topics. This step solves one of the most common challenges in club governance. Too often, valuable meeting time is spent trying to determine what the issues actually are. The Strategic Issues Survey eliminates that inefficiency, by bringing clarity and focus to the conversation from the outset. Just as importantly, the SIS ensures that every voice is captured so the full leadership perspective is heard, not just the most vocal or influential. This creates a more balanced and productive discussion. The Power of a Focused Planning Session The Strategic Refresher is designed to be efficient and high-impact. 4 The McMahon Report® Course Correction: How Strategic Issues Surveys and Strategic Refreshers Keep Clubs on Track TOGETHER, A STRATEGIC ISSUE SURVEY AND STRATEGIC REFRESHER ENSURE THAT A CLUB’S FACILITY MASTER PLAN REMAINS RELEVANT, ACTIONABLE, AND ALIGNED WITH BOTH LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP. WHEN EXECUTED WITHIN A THOUGHTFUL PLANNING FRAMEWORK, THEY TURN STRATEGY INTO ACTION AND KEEP CLUBS MOVING FORWARD. August 2026
Because the Strategic Issues Survey has already identified the key priorities, the session itself can focus entirely on discussion, decision-making, and action planning. Instead of broad, unfocused conversations, the group works through a defined set of issues. The outcome is not just alignment, but clear direction: What are the priorities? What actions need to be taken? What should come first? This level of focus is especially valuable in private clubs, where time with Board members is limited, and the cost of indecision can be high. Clarity, Alignment and Discipline For General Managers, the Strategic Refresher and Strategic Issues Survey create clarity. Instead of navigating shifting priorities from meeting to meeting, the GM operates with a defined set of agreed-upon areas of strategic focus. This improves decision-making, resource allocation, and communication with staff and members. For Boards, the benefit is alignment. Board turnover is a constant in private clubs, and with it comes the risk of changing direction. The Refresher process reinforces continuity and ensures that new leaders are aligned with existing priorities, while still allowing space to address emerging issues. The process also encourages discipline. By focusing on a limited number of critical issues, Boards avoid the common trap of trying to do too much at once. This leads to better execution and more visible progress, which in turn builds member confidence. Adding Muscle to the Master Plan A Master Plan should not sit on a shelf. It should guide decisions consistently over time. The Strategic Refresher and Strategic Issues Survey ensure that it does exactly that. Together, they provide a structured way to revisit assumptions, confirm priorities, and adjust course when necessary. This keeps the plan active and relevant, rather than static and outdated. The result is a planning process that evolves with the club, while maintaining a clear sense of direction. Why the McMahon Group Stands Apart The keys to making the Strategic Issues Survey and Strategic Refresher approach effective lie in how they are executed. The strength of the McMahon Group lies not just in the tools themselves, but in how they are integrated into a broader facility planning methodology. Our approach is built on a clear understanding of private-club dynamics. We recognize the importance of governance, the influence of membership, and the need for financial discipline. The Strategic Issues Survey and Strategic Refresher are designed specifically for this environment, not adapted from another industry. We also place a strong emphasis on preparation and facilitation. The survey is carefully structured to surface meaningful insights. The results are analyzed to identify true priorities, not just surface-level concerns. The Refresher session is then guided in a way that keeps discussions productive and focused on facility needs. Equally important is our commitment to actionable outcomes. The process does not end with conversation. It produces clear direction that can be implemented, supporting both the General Manager and Board in moving forward with confidence. Our experience across a wide range of private clubs allows us to bring perspective to each engagement. We understand common challenges, recognize patterns, and help clubs avoid missteps while capitalizing on opportunities. Moving from Discussion to Direction For private clubs, the difference between ongoing discussion and real progress often comes down to structure and discipline. The Strategic Issues Survey and Strategic Refresher provide both. They ensure that leadership is aligned, that time is used effectively, and that decisions are grounded in a clear understanding of priorities. For General Managers and Boards committed to making their Master Plan a living, guiding document, this process is not just helpful—it is essential. Bringing Facility Plans to the Finish Line Private clubs succeed when leadership is aligned, priorities are clear, and decisions are made with confidence. Master planning provides the foundation, but it requires ongoing attention to remain effective. The Strategic Issues Survey and Strategic Refresher offer a practical, proven way to maintain that focus. When executed within a thoughtful planning framework, they turn strategy into action and keep clubs moving forward. For clubs looking to strengthen their planning process and maximize the value of their Master Plan, our approach represents a clear and compelling path forward. The McMahon Report® 5 THE STRATEGIC ISSUES SURVEY IS A SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL TOOL THAT ALIGNS LEADERSHIP BEFORE THE PLANNING CONVERSATION EVEN BEGINS AND ENSURES THAT EVERY VOICE IS CAPTURED AND HEARD, TO CREATE A MORE BALANCED AND PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION. Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com
L ittle Harbor Club (LHC), in Harbor Springs, Mich., is a generational family club that operates for 13 weeks each summer. For each season, General Manager/COO Jed Avery, CCM, and his team recruit, hire, and quickly train a full complement of seasonal employees—fromwaitstaff to culinary staff—to provide exemplary service and experiences for the club’s 650 members. Once the club opens, there’s non-stop activity, with food-and-beverage sales now reaching $2 million for the short season. Little Harbor Club sustains its success year after year by fostering an environment of community and opportunity among a carefully curated staff of college students from the U.S. and abroad (with J-1 visas) and by maintaining a robust recruiting program. To effectively and efficiently train staff to deliver high-quality service from day one, Avery says, it’s essential to have a balanced blend of new and returning employees, effective management, and a nurturing culture. A solid recruiting program is crucial for developing such a team. Many staff members, drawing from their experiences, not only return year after year, but also actively recommend their friends to join the Little Harbor team. Referral bonuses are offered to returning team members who introduce high-quality candidates. At the conclusion of each summer, recruiting for the following season begins in earnest. LHC staff members travel to over 20 universities and colleges during the school year, beginning as early as mid-September. This includes not only schools in-state and in neighboring states, but other leading hospitality and culinary institutions and organizations. Any money spent on recruiting will have a positive impact, Avery says; there is no effort that is too small or too costly. From Summer Job to Full-Fledged Career LHC’s strong commitment to job fairs has yielded many quality employees, including Lily Zelenak, the club’s current Events and Dining Room Manager. “As a sophomore at Michigan State University [MSU], I attended a career expo in 2024 searching for a summer internship,” Zelenak says. “Although I knew little about the private-club industry, I chose to pursue an opportunity with Little Harbor Club. As MSU's leading recruiter within the club industry, LHC offered benefits and experiences few employers could match, including complimentary housing, employee meals, competitive pay, and valuable professional development. “What began as a summer job ultimately helped to shape my career path and became one of the most impactful experiences of my college career,” she adds. “Beyond the financial benefits, I found a supportive community where co-workers became close friends and mentors invested in my personal and professional growth. The leadership team encouraged me to explore career interests, challenge myself, and build lasting relationships with both members and fellow employees. "The experience inspired me to return for a second season in 2025 and ultimately influenced my decision to pursue a career in hospitality and the club industry,” Zelenak adds. “I became actively involved in the MSU Student CMAA chapter, helping to recruit and mentor future club-industry students. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Business, I have now returned to Little Harbor Club to continue learning and growing. Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunities, mentorship, and friendships that helped shape both my career path and who I am today.” A Focus on Culture and Core Experiences Another crucial component of LHC’s year-to-year success, Avery adds, is the understanding demonstrated by LHC’s Board and membership for the value of not only providing housing to the seasonal staff, but also encouraging and supporting continuous improvement and upkeep of the lodging through generous investment. “It’s about more than simply staffing all positions,” says Avery. “It’s about building a culture that allows your employees to not only succeed in their jobs, but also grow and thrive. It’s providing leadership and core experiences while helping them create memories for a lifetime.” 6 The McMahon Report® Little Harbor Club’s Secrets to Seasonal Staffing Success By Martha McMahon Acker - President “It’s about more than simply staffing all positions. It’s about building a culture that allows your employees to not only succeed in their jobs, but also grow and thrive.” —Jed Avery, CCM, General Manager/COO
By David Dew, CCM, CCE Vice President of Club Consulting When visiting private clubs across the country, I often hear members speak about their club in terms of service, dues, amenities, dining, and value. That is understandable. Members should expect excellence. But in a member-owned club, the member is not simply a customer. A customer asks, “What am I getting for what I pay?” An owner asks, “What are we building, protecting, and passing on?” That difference is at the heart of club stewardship. Private clubs are multi-generational institutions. Today’s members enjoy facilities, traditions, reputations, and cultures that are often shaped by decisions made long before they joined. Clubhouses were built, golf courses improved, harbors maintained, dining rooms renovated, courts added, pools constructed, and capital reserves funded because prior generations accepted responsibility beyond their own immediate benefit. Stewardship asks today’s private club members to do the same. Resisting the EasyWay Out The challenge is that short-term thinking is often easier in club governance. It is easier to defer investment, avoid assessments, satisfy the loudest voices, or postpone difficult decisions to the next Board. However, deferral is still a decision. While buildings age, systems fail, and member expectations evolve, the best clubs continue to improve. The McMahon Report® 7 What appears to be financial restraint in the moment can become far more expensive later, both in capital cost and in lost relevance. The strongest clubs understand this. They do not confuse tradition with standing still. They respect the past while planning for the future. They recognize that a club must continually earn its place in members’ lives, not only through service, but through facilities, programming, and experiences that remain meaningful across generations. This does not mean chasing every trend or funding every wish-list item. Stewardship requires discipline. It requires understanding what members value, what the club truly needs, and how individual projects fit into a larger vision. A dining renovation, marina improvement, golf course project, wellness facility, racquet investment, or clubhouse expansion should never be evaluated only as a standalone request. Each should be considered in terms of how it strengthens the club as a whole. Moving from Reaction to Stewardship Thoughtful planning moves clubs from reaction to stewardship. Strategic planning clarifies purpose. Member research separates consensus from anecdote. Facility master planning turns priorities into a disciplined roadmap. The better question is not, “Do I personally use this?” It is, “Will this make our club stronger for the future?” Private clubs endure because they offer belonging, shared experiences, and genuine connection; those qualities must be protected and renewed. The club we enjoy was shaped by those before us. The club that future generations inherit will be shaped by the decisions we make now. That is the long view. That is responsible ownership. That is club stewardship. Taking the Long View: Stewardship Over Experience CLUB MANAGEMENT Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com STEWARDSHIP DOES NOT MEAN CHASING EVERY TREND OR FUNDING EVERY WISH-LIST ITEM. IT REQUIRES DISCIPLINE AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MEMBERS VALUE, WHAT THE CLUB TRULY NEEDS, AND HOW INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS FIT INTO A LARGER VISION.
By Bill McMahon, Jr., Vice President J ust what are membership surveys, and what are their purpose? Are they worth doing, and what should we be trying to find out through them? Membership surveys have been around for over 40 years. Over that time, they have proved effective for achieving a variety of objectives, including: • testing member satisfaction and perceived value for the club overall; • developing specific satisfaction and importance ratings for facilities, amenities and activities, including golf course conditions and operations, dining and many other areas; • assessing the performance of the Board and club management; • testing facility projects prior to voting; • testing controversial issues for member input, • and more A key to success with membership surveys is not overusing them to the point that members will no longer answer them. It is also important to know how to best use the survey and the questionnaire itself. The most effective surveys are customized for specific purposes, but are not leading and controlling to get biased answers. Maintaining objective survey research is a key to survey credibility—and one of the advantages of working with a club consultant like McMahon with 40+ years of experience, to help frame unbiased questions and interpret the results objectively. From Simple to Strategic The simplest club surveys are those done annually to monitor changes in member satisfaction and issues of importance to them. They can be done by a club’s staff to produce comparable satisfaction results on a club’s basic offerings. Some clubs survey members more frequently, to monitor recent changes in offerings or conditions and determine if progress has been made. Beyond annual check-in surveys done internally, clubs also utilize surveys for facility planning or strategic planning. These surveys are more in-depth, gathering members’ input on major issues such as facility improvements, changing bylaws, addressing the size of the membership, merging/acquiring, etc. Because they are often potentially more controversial, they require different steps to develop the most effective questionnaires. 8 The McMahon Report® Using Surveys Effectively to Assure Good Membership Input THE MOST EFFECTIVE SURVEYS ARE CUSTOMIZED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, BUT ARE NOT LEADING AND CONTROLLING TO GET BIASED ANSWERS. MAINTAINING OBJECTIVE SURVEY RESEARCH IS A KEY TO SURVEY CREDIBILITY—AND ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF WORKING WITH A CLUB CONSULTANT LIKE MCMAHON. SURVEYS August 2026
For these surveys, it is usually best to have initial focus-group meetings with volunteering members (typically segmented by age), to develop a better understanding of issues before trying to describe them in a survey. The focus-group research will help get a proper reading of membership sentiment on new or controversial issues, so they can be described properly and clearly in a survey. For the full membership survey, it is important to get input from all members, including spouses, to get a complete picture of how the club is used and viewed by all adults in a family. Questions should also be asked to get full profiles of respondents so the results can be sorted by many demographics (age, gender, membership tenure, family size and other important factors). Working with McMahon Group, the results can also be benchmarked against comparable clubs and communities, as reflected by our vast database of survey findings. Survey Before You Build Of all the major decisions a club faces, facility improvements carry some of the highest stakes—and the highest potential for member discord if handled poorly. In today’s club world, we at McMahon Group strongly recommend beginning any major facility-improvement project with a specially crafted initial set of focus groups, followed by an in-depth survey of members. This should be done before developing any capital-improvement plan for member approval. Once that survey is complete and a plan has been developed for member review, the club should utilize a facility-opinion survey. This is a totally different type of survey instrument than the in-depth surveys described above. A well-developed opinion survey about facility projects can provide vital upfront intelligence, to help avoid the controversies involved with deciding which facility projects should be done, the willingness of members to pay extra dollars for them, the disruption issues that could be caused during construction, and the possibility of increased operating costs. Turning Results Into Direction Collecting survey responses is only half the work. The real value comes fromwhat happens next — turning hundreds of data points into findings that the Board and management can actually use to make decisions. This is where the experience of an outside consultant matters most. A consulting firm specializing in club research brings more than fresh eyes; it provides an established analytical process, refined across hundreds of similar projects, for cutting through the chatter and identifying what truly matters to members, versus what's simply loud noise. At McMahon, we know how to cross-tabulate results by member segments— age, tenure, family status, usage patterns—to spot differences in sentiment that a simple top-line summary would miss entirely. And, as an outside organization not embedded in the club's day-to-day politics, we can interpret results objectively, rather than through the lens of who's pushing for what. Artificial intelligence has become a valuable addition to this toolkit, helping to organize the thousands of written comments that members provide and surface the themes that matter most. Used this way, AI is a powerful complement to experienced human analysis, not a replacement for it. Statistics That Tell the Full Story The end product of this process is a report that does more than recite statistics—it tells the club's leadership a coherent story about what members value, where they're divided, what they're willing to support, and what the data suggests about the best path forward. That kind of clarity, built on objective analysis and years of comparative experience, is what makes the difference between a survey that sits on a shelf and one that actually shapes a club's decisions. When all of these tools are used, the success of survey research in helping to improve clubs is very evident—but only if the survey is done the right way for the issues involved, and the results are translated into meaningful insights by people who know how to read them. While they shouldn't be overdone, when used properly surveys are very important for sustaining clubs' success. The McMahon Report® 9 THE END PRODUCT OF A PROPERLY CONDUCTED SURVEY PROCESS IS A REPORT THAT DOES MORE THAN RECITE STATISTICS—IT TELLS THE CLUB'S LEADERSHIP A COHERENT STORY ABOUT WHAT MEMBERS VALUE, WHERE THEY'RE DIVIDED, WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO SUPPORT, AND WHAT THE DATA SUGGESTS ABOUT THE BEST PATH FORWARD. Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com
Here are some thoughts for the next two on the list: fitness/wellness and casual bars/lounges. As always, keep in mind that a key metric for successful facilities of any type should always be to create them in a way that offers opportunities for members to have meaningful social interactions around the programs and activities that the facilities provide. Fitness/Wellness DO: Provide multiple group-exercise rooms. At peak times of day, one or even two group-exercise spaces may not be enough to accommodate members’ demand. Remember, the fitness program is another way the club can provide opportunities for creative programming to engage the membership year-round. The flexibility that multiple rooms offer for programming pays off in that creative engagement. Provide open space. Leave room for the plan to breathe. Remember, for group classes, people will arrive and leave at the same time. Set a deliberate plan that engages members before and after programs. Every opportunity to help members extend their stay and enjoy something extra builds community, loyalty, and support. We constantly see increased demand for space for personal trainers to work with members through bodywork, stretching, and sports-specific offerings. Consider your wellness program carefully. Spas may sound enticing, but members often have set wellness regimens that they aren’t anxious to give up. Wellness in some cases may not require much extra building space while in others it may require thousands of square feet of building additions, as the potential services are many and varied. Vet a list of potential services with your staff and members. Use professionals to help ensure that you have, or can develop, the proper space to accommodate the desired services. Make sure the proposed services fit your club’s mission. If you are a neighborhood club, is it in your mission to have a five-star resort spa? Or should you focus instead on offering a good massage and stretching program that supports your other athletic offerings? By Glen Selligman, AIA Director of Architecture 10 The McMahon Report® A s part of its annual “Outlook” Pulse Survey for 2026, McMahon Group asked club managers and Board members to identify the capital-improvement areas (beyond the golf course) that they feel are important for their club but have not yet been addressed. As shown in the table at right, survey respondents cited a number of different areas in their responses. In the April 2026 McMahon Report, we provided some “dos and don’ts,” based on our experience helping clubs with their facility planning, that should be kept in mind for capital-improvement projects in the two areas (dining-room updates and adding/expanding pickleball) that are at the top of the list, to give them the best chance for success. "Dos and Don'ts" for Successful Club Improvements Part II CLUB ARCHITECTURE Capital Improvements % Dining-room updates 49% Adding/expanding pickleball (including indoors) 31% Fitness/wellness 30% Casual bar/lounge 29% Sports simulators 28% Resort-style pool 23% Children’s activity room 20% Adding/expanding platform tennis 7% Adding bocce 6% Wi-Fi café 6% Beyond the golf course, what are some capital-improvement areas that you feel are important for your club that have not been addressed? (Mark all that apply.) August 2026
Be flexible. Plan improvements to your building to enable flexible use and changes in their purpose. Rooms may even vary in how they’re used from hour to hour throughout the day. There can also be seasonal changes, as different programs are put in place to create additional excitement and support club activities as they come into season. Plan to accommodate long-term changes, in response to trends and new activities, that should also be considered. Storage, sound insulation, and isolated controls for HVAC and sound area also important facility-design factors. DON’T: Chase trends. Fitness and wellness can be very trendy, with new activities, regimes, and treatments seemingly arriving weekly. In a club environment, where capital spending may require a significant capital campaign, improvements often occur over longer intervals. It’s important to identify the programs and activities that will engage many members over the long term. Forget the long-range view. Fitness and wellness programs usually don’t spring up fully formed at clubs. It often takes a longterm commitment to build these programs over the years. We have seen many clubs start with a single room in the basement, converted from an old file-storage room or locker room. After several years in the basement, they decide to go all in and build a new, dedicated space. The new space often creates excitement and demand for even more facilities. So it is very important, no matter where your club is in the cycle, to take the time before undertaking an improvement project to think through the programming, size, and location of the ultimate facility. Casual Bar/Lounges DO: Plan for more than one bar. A single main bar can rarely meet all of your members’ social needs. The best clubs we work with create a family of purpose-driven bars that match the way different member groups gather—a golfers’ grill bar, an outdoor pavilion bar near the pool, a casual lounge bar near high-traffic member amenities, and a more refined bar adjacent to upscale dining. Each bar plays a distinct role, and together they help build the club’s inner culture in ways that no single bar ever could. continued on next page The McMahon Report® 11 Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com
12 The McMahon Report® August 2026 Plan for the outdoor connection. Covered outdoor bars, tiki-style bars at the pool, and pre-function ballroom bar service all extend the bar's role in club life. Think about year-round usability with retractable walls or doors, heaters, ceiling fans, and shade so the bar doesn’t become a three-season feature. Convenient adjacencies— restrooms, water and ice stations, and food service—are essential to keep the bar functioning as a true gathering place, rather than just a drink-pickup window. DON’T: Treat the bar as an afterthought to the dining room. Avoid placing a bar against an interior blank wall or tucking it into leftover space behind the dining room. A bar that exists only to keep dining guests occupied while their tables are being prepared misses the larger opportunity. The casual bar should have its own identity, its own programming, and its own social rhythm. Designing it as a standalone destination—even when it sits adjacent to dining—pays significant dividends in member usage and overall clubhouse activity. Try to make one bar do everything. A single bar that is asked to serve golfers, families in sports gear, and couples dressed to the nines will inevitably disappoint someone. Match the size, ambiance, and finishes of each bar to the audience it is meant to serve, and recognize that your club will be richer for having more than one gathering space. The strongest clubs we work with embrace the idea that members in different groups deserve their own gathering places, even as they change their expectations, and who they’re with, throughout the day. Forget that great bars are about more than space. The physical bar is only the framework. An engaging, conversational bartender with strong drink-mixing skills, combined with programming that coordinates with the dining schedule, wellness trends, and the season, are what turn a bar from a room into a true gathering place. Plan from the beginning for the staffing model, the drink menu, and the programming—not just the architecture. Underestimate the cultural role of the bar. Members often say the bar is where the clubhouse becomes a club—where friendships are formed and the inner culture takes shape. Treating the bar as a small line item, or value-engineering it down to the bare minimum, sells short one of the smallest clubhouse areas with one of the largest impacts on member engagement. A well-conceived casual bar is among the most cost-effective investments a club can make in its long-term social health. In future issues of the McMahon Report, our Architecture column will continue to take in-depth looks at the “dos and don’ts” for other areas of the club that showed up on the Pulse Survey’s capital-improvement “wish list.” (It should be noted that the respondents to the Pulse Survey added many other areas to the list that they would also like to see improved, including: ballroom space, the golf shop, kitchens, the lobby, maintenance facilities, office space, overnight accommodations, parking lots, and tennis facilities and courts, both indoors and outdoors.) And don’t forget, McMahon Group experts are always available to come take a look at any area or facility at your club that you’re targeting for improvement, as part of our complimentary First Impressions Visit that includes a report with recommendations for how to best approach making an effective change. For more information and to schedule your First Impressions Visit, e-mail or call Alison McMahon at amcmahon@mcmahongroup.com or 314-744-5040. continued from pg. 11 Give the bar a prime location. Casual bars work best when they enjoy great views, natural light, and direct access to outdoor patios, pavilions, and pool decks. The most successful club bars are destinations in their own right—anchoring the casual social life of the club rather than serving as an appendage to another space. Design for interaction. A center-room bar in an oblong, island design encourages members to face one another, sparking the casual conversations that turn acquaintances into friends. When the bar shares space with a la carte dining, a three-quarter-screen wall or comparable architectural element can separate the standing and barstool areas from the lower seating areas, allowing each space to thrive without intruding on the other. Mix the seating—high-tops, lounge groupings, and traditional barstools—so members can linger, gather in groups of varying sizes, and extend their stay. Brand the experience to your club. Use the club’s logo, colors, and traditions throughout the bar to make it feel uniquely yours. Curate a signature cocktail list, name a featured drink after a long-tenured member or a beloved hole on the course, and tie the accessories, finishes, and artwork to the club’s broader story. Members remember the places that feel personal, and a well-branded bar is one of the strongest cultural touchpoints a club has.
STRATEGIC PLANNING SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATIVE AND FORWARD-THINKING PROCESS THAT INVOLVES A CLUB’S MEMBERS, BOARD AND MANAGEMENT, TO LOOK OBJECTIVELY AT WHAT THE CLUB IS TODAY AND ENVISION WHAT IT CAN AND SHOULD BE TOMORROW. By Bill McMahon, Sr., AIA OAA Founder Strategic Planning: Is it Just For Today, or Should it Shape the Future? The McMahon Report® 13 the highest-quality offerings, while others just want a basic/affordable club that they can support. Adding to the complexity of what a club should be, as members age and change with the times, so does their viewpoint of what the club should be for them. In other words, a Mission can change, and this must be monitored to achieve a club’s lasting success. The Need for Strategic Planning is Now The complexity of a club’s membership amid the changing times we are in makes the need for club strategic planning more essential than ever. Strategic planning should not be a “one and done” process. It has to be flexible to adjust to the society of members it serves, by being an everyday part of a club’s governance, management and membership communications. To do this, a club must keep in touch with its members. Interestingly, today’s strategic planning for clubs seems to focus on two optional directions. One direction seeks to primarily improve existing club issues such as governance, management, finances and operations, to achieve a better club experience for members today. We call this “strategic planning for the present.” It is all about fixing today’s problems at the club, and it is needed. But this isn’t true strategic planning. It is well worth doing to improve today’s clubs, but it is not strategic in the context of truly understanding a club’s Mission and Vision for its future. It only fixes today’s problems. Visionary Strategic Planning Shapes the Future The other version of club strategic planning focuses on the future, and how to achieve it. This is truly visionary strategic planning and is a more challenging task for clubs, as it takes dedicated and forward thinkers to plan for a future that is uncertain. But if a club is truly concerned about its future, it needs to plan for it and invest in it, to avoid someday discovering that it is no longer the club of choice in its marketplace. In today’s post-COVID world, about half of clubs are doing well with membership waiting lists. But the other half is struggling without them. The clubs with strong waiting lists need to conduct visionary strategic planning to stay full, while the struggling clubs must use visionary strategic planning to change their ways and become more viable and attractive to members. For everyone, it is only by having a futuristic strategic plan that Boards and managers can protect their clubs by maximizing their opportunities for success with a good vision of the future. T oday, the buzzword for clubs seems to be strategic planning. But just what is it? For private clubs, strategic planning should be an investigative and forward-thinking process that involves a club’s members, Board and management, to look objectively at what the club is today and envision what it can and should be tomorrow. The planning should be conducted through a visionary process that studies the past, present and future and develops a roadmap for where to go in the years ahead by answering four key questions: 1. Who are the members that the club serves (men, women, children, golfers, families, etc.)? 2. What must the club provide for those members (golf, racquet sports, fitness/wellness, aquatics, dining, social activities, year-round services, affordability, luxury, etc.)? 3. What quality level must the club strive to achieve with all that it does? 4. What makes the club unique and special in its marketplace? Answers to these four questions provide what a club’s Mission and Vision should be. Mission and Vision Are Critical A club must clearly know its Mission/ purpose if it is to be able to achieve it. Thus, first and foremost, the Mission has to be established, so the specific goals and action plans in strategic planning can work to accomplish it. And when we say a club must know, we mean that the membership, Board and leadership must all be on the same sheet of music if the Mission is to be achieved. Many times in today’s club world, the members, Board and management are not unified on what the club’s Mission is. Some say the club is only a golf club. Some say it is a full-service family country club. Some want Contact us today at 314.744.5040 or www.McMahonGroup.com STRATEGIC PLANNING TODAY OR TOMORROW
14 The McMahon Report® FOR GLEN SELLIGMAN: Q: What’s a good strategy for effectively expanding facilities/ amenities when there’s limited available land or space? Almost all of our projects face this exact challenge. There are very few clubs that have the excess property to accomplish their facility-expansion goals without some compromise. In these cases, the right strategy is to develop, through research, a detailed program of spaces and member priorities, so that underused and underutilized spaces could be abandoned in favor of new, higher-priority demands. Understanding these needs and studying the potential solutions should be assigned to a special ad hoc committee drawn from the general membership and Board. The General Manager will sit on the committee as an ex-officio member to make sure the plans are operationally feasible. The committee should then be led by outside professionals through a series of meetings to first develop the programmatic needs of the club, and then study alternative planning solutions for how those needs can be met. It is the committee’s responsibility to develop a consensus around the best way to expand facilities and amenities at the club, and then report those findings to the Board. Q: What factors need to be evaluated to determine if the wrecking ball is the right solution? Great question. It typically comes down to four things: • structural/code assessment (can the building be retrofitted at reasonable cost?) • cost-benefit analysis (renovation vs. new—including hidden costs) • program requirements relative to the existing site (does the footprint allow your future vision?), and • member timeline tolerance (can you phase work, or do you need full closure?) The Spring 2026 issue of Club Trends, the quarterly publication produced by McMahon Group and the National Club Association (NCA), was featured on June 2nd in a special webcast, “Planning for Success,” that was hosted by the NCA and included comprehensive presentations on keys to effective facilities master planning—and how to avoid costly missteps. Specific presentations by McMahon group principals included: • The Case for Master Planning: Building the Infrastructure of Community Frank Vain, Chairman • The Essential Facilities for Modern Club Success Glen Selligman, AIA, Director of Club Architecture • Where Master Plans Go Wrong—and How to Optimize the Essential First Steps David Dew, CCM, CCE, Vice President of Club Consulting • “Surveys Say”: Members Must Drive Facility Master Plans Scott Fairbairn, CCM, CCE, Vice President of Club Consulting • Exclusive Pulse Survey Results on Planning Practices Within the Club Industry ChristianW. Coulter, CCM, ECM, Vice President of Club Consulting (All presentations were based on articles in the Spring 2026 issue of Club Trends; for a copy of the issue and subscription information for Club Trends, as well as a link to a recording of the webcast, contact Alison McMahon at amcmahon@mcmahongroup.com) The webcast drew unprecedented interest, with nearly 450 club managers and Board members registering. An extended Q&A session was conducted after the presentations; here are some of the questions that were asked and the responses that McMahon Group presenters provided: FOR FRANKVAIN: Q: When working with an established club, how do you recommend creating or sustaining a community feeling and effectively integrating new facilities with existing ones? The architectural vernacular and traditions of a club matter deeply, and a good plan extends them into new facilities, rather than competing with them. Merion Cricket Club, founded in 1853, is a wonderful example—the club has thoroughly modernized its member experience, adding world-class fitness and building the first swimming pool in its history barely a decade ago, yet these additions feel as though they've always been there. That's the standard. Achieving it takes a strong Master Plan, implemented by local professional firms who know the marketplace and an interior design teamwith native sensibilities to carry the vision through execution. Above all, the key is planning itself—not rushing to complete a project, but thinking through options, evaluating alternatives, and paying close attention to what works today. That discipline is what produces a plan your club will still be proud of in 50 years. Q: Amenities are important, no question. But how do you go about having programming that brings them to life—isn’t that what drives real engagement and community? What are the best ways to be sure you’re committing to effective programming that’s as intentional as the design itself? You've hit on one of the key reasons to improve a club's facilities: to make it possible for the management team to plan and execute the programming that engages members. Staff can incubate programs in substandard spaces for a while; we've seen clubs run fitness classes in event rooms during off-hours, for example. But if a club trulywants to meet evolving demand for functional training and wellness programming, it eventually needs purpose-built space to do it properly. As for what to offer, the answers come frommember surveys, committee dialogue, and attention to industry trends—in short, staying in touch with your members. In nearly four decades of this work, we've rarely seen a well-planned space sit idle for lack of programming. Far more often, clubs and their members know exactlywhat theywant to offer—they're simply prevented from doing it by lack of space. Planning for Success: Your Questions Answered STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL CLUBS SPRING 2026 u VOLUME 13, ISSUE 2 McMAHON GROUP u NATIONAL CLUB ASSOCIATION CLUB TRENDS The Case for Master Planning: Building the Infrastructure of Community Essential Facilities for the Modern Club Where Master Plans Go Wrong Pulse Survey: Clubs’ Current Capital Intentions And More PLANNING for Success August 2026
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