Master Plan Extends Vision and Value at Field Club of Omaha Full Case Study on Page 6 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™ MARCH 2025 McMahon Report® Celebrating 35 Years of Publication! THE
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 For more information or to schedule a First Impressions Visit, please contact Alison McMahon at amcmahon@mcmahongroup.com. WHATWE OFFER • Strategic Planning and Implementation • Facility Planning and Funding Programs • Membership Surveys and Research • Existing Facilities Condition Analysis • HOA Community Consulting $3.5 BILLION RAI SED CONNECT WITH US ONLINE FOR VIDEOS, BROCHURES AND EVEN MORE UP TO DATE CLUB INFORMATION! FROM THE CHAIRMAN 40+ I N BUSI NESS YEARS Dear Club Leaders and Industry Colleagues, As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of The McMahon Report®, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey our industry has taken. Through economic challenges, cultural shifts, and most recently a global pandemic, private clubs have consistently demonstrated their resilience and ability to adapt. The stories featured in this issue highlight that spirit of innovation. The Field Club of Omaha's Master Plan showcases how thoughtful facility improvements can enhance both member experience and club value. Their approach—engaging members throughout the process and maintaining their commitment to value—offers valuable lessons for every club. We're also witnessing significant shifts in the private club landscape. The emergence of family-focused recreation clubs without golf amenities represents an exciting opportunity for growth. As David Dew notes in his article, commercial organizations like Lifetime are already capitalizing on this trend. Traditional private clubs would be wise to consider how they might evolve to serve this expanding market. At McMahon Group, we continue to be guided by our core belief that successful clubs are built on understanding member needs and preferences. The Club Pelican Bay case study demonstrates this principle perfectly— when club leadership truly listened to their members, approval ratings for their renovation project jumped from 53% to 97%. As we look to the future, I'm encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm I witnessed at the recent CMAAWorld Conference in Tampa. Our session on effective club communications played to a full house, confirming that clubs are increasingly recognizing the importance of strategic communication across all member demographics. Thank you for your continued trust in McMahon Group as your partner in club excellence. We remain committed to helping you navigate industry changes and creating vibrant member communities. Lastly, the 2025 National Club Conference in New York from April 27-29 promises to be an exciting gathering, and it’s a great opportunity for networking and sharing ideas. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2025 Excellence in Club Management Awards Dinner and Gala! Warm regards, Frank Vain Chairman, McMahon Group 2 The McMahon Report® Cover Photos by Brad Anderson/Architectural Photography Inc. Florida | Illinois | Missouri | NewHampshire | North Carolina | Pennsylvania | South Carolina
By William P. McMahon Sr., AIA, OAA T he world is changing and we in the private club world must change with it. And with common-sense leadership at the top, private clubs can expect to prosper as never before. This has become more and more important for American society as the disruptive non-leadership of the past disappears. Private clubs will benefit from pro-growth business policies, more families will be able to afford club memberships, the divisiveness of the past should disappear and we can go back to being a harmonious nation of hardworking, adventurous people. Not a nation divided, but one of unity. And the opportunity to have more clubs of all types serving more people of all backgrounds can be realized. Today, we have a club industry of basically 3,000 true private clubs. In ten years, we can grow that number as churches decline in attendance. This change in society alone and the new direction for our nation is a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to grow our club industry and develop new club types and to better serve our society. So it is up to us who love our clubs to find better ways to serve members and families, as the COVID era proved was possible. But we have to have clubs that serve more than the wealthy. There is a much greater percentage of our population that needs ways to socialize and find purpose in their lives, and an expanded club world is one of the best ways to achieve this. Let’s use the Trump presidency to make our clubs better and more available to many more people. We now have a President who belongs to clubs, owns clubs and will support clubs. Golf and Country Clubs owned by the President Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster - Bedminster, NJ Trump National Golf Club, Charlotte - Charlotte, NC Trump National Golf Club, Colts Neck - Colts Neck, NJ Trump National Doral Golf Club - Miami, Fla. Trump National Golf Club, Hudson Valley - Hudson Valley, NY Trump National Golf Club, Jupiter - Jupiter, FL Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA Trump National Golf Club, Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C. - Washington DC Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach - West Palm Beach, FL Trump National Golf Club, Westchester - Westchester, NY Trump Ferry Point, New York City (previously owned) - New York City, NY Trump Turnberry - Turnberry, Scotland Trump International, Scotland - Aberdeen, Scotland Trump International Golf Links and Hotel, Doonbeg - Doonbeg, Ireland Trump International Golf Club, Dubai - Dubai, United Arab Emirates Looking forward to a new era and success of clubs. The Trump Presidency Potential - How It Will Help Our Clubs The McMahon Report® 3
strategy. They are providing their members with good facilities and programs that society needs and wants at an affordable price. We in private clubs are seldom innovators. Look at how our fitness/ wellness and pickleball programs started, by following the outside, commercial-club world. Now it’s time again to follow the innovators on the commercial side. We T he private club industry should be growing, but it isn’t. Now more and more clubs of all types are being started by business-focused, for-profit organizations, as true private clubs are slow to act. We believe that within the next 10 years, our society will need many more private clubs of all types, and most of themwill not have golf. Where will they come from? Starting a true private club is not easy; in recent history, club growth has come primarily from new residential community developments. But now organizations like Life Time are aggressively growing. They are offering a non-golf, family-recreation focus for year-round, indoor and outdoor use. In St. Louis alone, Life Time is buying up privately owned, non-golf clubs to expand its already strong presence in serving this prime club marketplace. We can learn something from Life Time clubs and their expansion by David Dew, CCM, CCE - VP Club Consulting need more private clubs that serve the greater population, as Life Time is doing. We have had our growth in country/ golf clubs by serving the wealthy 5%. We now need a private club offering of family recreation and social clubs that serve the other 95% of society. Let’s work together to make this happen. Get Ready for the Future, Private Clubs “Life Time is Coming” CLUB NEWS 4 The McMahon Report®
Frank Vain, Todd Bruen and Joe Krenn CCM, CCE, ECM enjoying their time at the 2nd Annual City Club Summit at the Yale Club of New York. We recently worked with McMahon Group on a significant facilities improvement plan for our club, and the experience was excellent from start to finish. Their team demonstrated a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by private clubs, offering thoughtful guidance throughout the process. They didn’t just offer a one-size-fits-all solution but tailored their approach to our club’s specific needs, member dynamics, and long-term goals. McMahon’s expertise in member engagement was particularly valuable. They helped us navigate through surveys, feedback, and communication strategies, ensuring our members felt heard and well-informed. Their ability to distill complex data into actionable insights played a key role in building consensus for our plan. In addition to their professionalism, McMahon was always responsive and easy to work with. They maintained clear communication, met deadlines, and brought a sense of partnership that made a complex project feel manageable. We’re thrilled with the outcome of the improvement plan, and much of that success is due to McMahon’s strategic guidance and expertise. I would highly recommend McMahon Group to any club looking to enhance its facilities and member experience. “ Zach Cardais, CCM - Olde Providence Racquet Club The McMahon Report® 5 WELCOME! David Dew, CCM, CCE - McMahon Group is excited to welcome David to our team! He brings over 30 years of distinguished experience in hospitality and private club management, with a career focused on creating exceptional member experiences within both developer-owned clubs and equity-owned, Board-governed environments. David now brings his knowledge and expertise to the McMahon Group as Vice President of Club Consulting - Welcome Aboard David! McMahon Group News
by Chris Coulter - VP of Club Consulting 6 The McMahon Report® As early as 1900, as FCO expanded its golf course to 18 holes, it also added seven clay tennis courts, bowling alleys, and even a baseball diamond and grandstand. A pool followed in 1927. Staying True to the Mission Fast-forward nearly 100 years, and FCO is once again demonstrating how it’s staying ahead of the times. While the club has experienced the same post-pandemic membership boost that has rejuvenated most of the industry, it didn’t have to wait to benefit from that fortuitous development. Even in the years prior to the COVID outbreak, when many clubs saw troubling attrition rates, FCO’s membership ranks showed steady growth, thanks to innovative programs such as a new Junior membership structure that successfully attracted Millennials, an attractive new policy for Legacy memberships, and enhanced incentives for existing members to sponsor new ones. T hroughout a rich history that traces its origins to 1900, the Field Club of Omaha (FCO) has lived up to its mantra of being a place “where tradition meets modern.” From its earliest days, the club has been an innovator out in front of changing club-industry trends, while also maintaining a proud legacy that embraces its status as one of the oldest clubs in Nebraska, one of the oldest west of the Mississippi and one of the oldest Omaha businesses still in operation (and still situated on some of its original land). Even in its earliest days, as it changed from the Omaha Cricket Association to the Omaha Amateur Athletic Association and then the Field Club, FCO foresaw the value of providing a variety of recreational and social amenities that could attract families seeking a sense of community and a dedication to relaxation in a convenient location (the city’s Midtown neighborhood). After weathering the initial COVID storm, FCO also maximized its next surge in membership through a program that offered complimentary golf lessons, and with a new Clubhouse membership that offers introductory access to dining and other club amenities. All told, the club’s membership ranks have been on a steady upswing, with significant increases every year since 2017. That has now taken FCO’s total membership to 1,025 member families, according to General Manager Greg Gilg, CCM, CCE, PGA, with wait lists for its primary Golf and Social categories. A key to attracting that growth has been FCO’s adherence to a time-honored tradition that has taken on even more meaning and relevance in today’s modern club environment: providing a genuine value proposition to all members. Value, in fact, is a featured component in the club’s Mission Statement, which affirms FCO’s goal of “[serving] the greater Midtown community as the friendliest, best-valued, inclusive FACI L ITY SPOTL IGHT Master Plan Extends Vision and Value at Field Club of Omaha 6 The Mc ahon Report® Photos by Brad Anderson/Architectural Photography Inc.
as well as how they would be executed and funded, through “Renovation Talk” videos featuring Gilg and club leaders that were posted on a special Master Plan section of the FCO website, along with other information. In addition, town-hall presentations were held, update letters were e-mailed, posters were displayed and booklets were made available at the club, and another survey was conducted to collect members’ opinions about what they’d seen and heard that could help to refine the final plan. Through all of these communication efforts, members not only gained a clear understanding of exactly what the clubhouse and grounds phase would entail, but also a precise timeline and details of how the club would continue to function during construction. Assurances were made that there would be no disruption of FCO’s popular Fall Festival, which attracts some 2,800 attendees, or other traditional events like the Santa Brunch or Easter, even if they had to be offered more frequently and with smaller caclub providing social camaraderie, recreation and lasting memories for its members and their families in the heart of the city.” To continually enhance that value, FCO has also always recognized the need to stay ahead of how its membership growth can impact club operations and facilities. Before the current decade was even half over, it had already implemented all components of a Capital Improvement Master Plan for its golf course, pool and clubhouse (see box next page) that was originally drafted prior to the pandemic. While many clubs hit the pause button on capital projects as they sorted out the pandemic’s stops and starts, FCO saw the importance of “taking the benefits that came from COVID and running with them,” Gilg says. “We didn’t want to waste the opportunity.” Fully Engaged After golf course improvements and a pool renovation were completed in 2022, the final phase of the Improvement Plan focused on FCO’s surrounding pool area, clubhouse and grounds. A survey of the membership in 2021 and subsequent focus groups had identified clubhouse aesthetics, including upgrades of the dining, bar and lounge areas that would include expanded outdoor dining, as a priority enhancement. Club committees, with the assistance of the McMahon Group, then began to study and make recommendations for how to provide those changes, while the Finance Committee devised a funding plan for them. Notably, even though the club’s governance structure gives its Board the power to have projects proceed without member approval, FCO then began an extensive communications campaign that would include additional member input and lead up to a member vote. “We felt that was the right thing to do, because of who we are and howmuch emphasis we place on our value proposition,” Gilg says. Members were given ample opportunity to gain full understanding of what the next phases would involve, pacities. It was also made clear that member dining and bar service would continue as normally as possible by being moved to different locations around the construction activity. For questions about the funding for the estimated $5 million cost of this phase, FCO was fully transparent, sharing projections for revenues and member equity and the plan for retiring the debt acquired through the bank-financing portion of the project cost. Most importantly for the members, there would be no upfront assessment, with their contributions instead coming from a creative program that would replace their semi-annual food minimum with a capital-dues charge, and only amount to a net increase of $5 or $10 a month. All of these efforts to fully engage the membership in the process led to a ringing endorsement when the vote for the final phase was taken. It was approved by over 81% of those who voted—and even if non-votes were also counted as “no” votes, Gilg notes, it would have still passed with a 53% majority. The McMahon Report® 7 We’ve outperformed the first six months [of projections]. Overall we’ve seen more acceptance, more quickly, of every new area and feature. - Greg Gilg, CCM, CCE, PGA, General Manager “ “
Eager Acceptance Once construction was underway, FCO continued its engagement of members by offering “Toursday”, on-site walk-throughs on selected Tuesdays. Members’ interest in getting a first-hand look as the changes took place was “more than expected,” Gilg reports, with he and his staff usually conducting over a dozen individual tours on those days. With those tours helping to build up further excitement and buzz, FCO members were ready and eager to begin to use and enjoy all of the club’s new features and amenities upon completion of the project. “We’ve outperformed the first six months [of projected post-construction activity],” Gilg reports. “Overall we’ve seen more successful acceptance, more quickly, for every new area and feature [created by the renovation] than we anticipated.” In particular, the use of three new golf simulators located in the same space as a new Goodman Pub (named for Johnny Goodman, the FCO member who won the U.S. Open in 1933 and U.S. Amateur in 1937) has been “a huge success that’s far exceeded expectations,” Gilg reports. Available for half-hour sessions from 9 AM to 10 PM, six days a week, the simulators (pictured below) have seen over 90% usage that’s continued through the winter months and created “a new attachment” to the club for many members, Gilg says. “It’s not just the same people who are always coming to use them,” he notes. Gilg also graciously credits the McMahon Group’s role in helping to generate the member engagement that led to enthusiastic approval of the final phase of the Master Plan and the successful results that have followed. “McMahon provided credibility, because of its experience with doing projects like these in so many different types of clubs,” he notes. “The renderings that [Director of Club Architecture] Glen Selligman and his team provided were fantastic, to show exactly what the changes would look like—and they were also vital for keeping the vision consistent, even when the makeup of our internal design team had to change along the way. “McMahon’s greatest value was that it didn’t just try to apply a cookie-cutter approach and understood that this was a project for a club where resources don’t fall off trees,” Gilg adds. “Its people really took the time to identify and accentuate the unique things that would add to our value proposition, and to help us execute how that could be carried out successfully in our particular club space.” 8 The McMahon Report® 8 The Mc ahon Report® Field Club of Omaha Capital Improvement Master Plan Phase One, Golf Course Improvements, 2021-22 • New putting green and warmup hitting bays on reservoir • New #2 green • Lengthening of 3rd hole • Significant drainage, bunkering & cart path improvements • New tee complexes for #14 and #15 Phase Two, Pool Improvements, 2022-23 • Deck improvements for grass area of pool deck • New raised deck with six cabanas (fully furnished with TV, fan and refrigerator and available for reservation) • Improved lighting and electrical charging stations • New zero-depth entry baby pool with four splash features • Renovated main pool with newmechanical systems separating main and baby pools Phase Three, Clubhouse and Grounds Improvements, 2023-24 • Main Floor: - Expanded indoor and outdoor casual dining - Indoor/outdoor bar - Expanded, fully connected dining deck - “Cry Room” (card room) relocated • Lower Level: - Reconfigured golf shop and offices - Simulator roomwith Goodman Pub - “Lucy Lounge” (private bar area) relocated • Relocated 19th Hole bar and expanded kitchen • New restrooms • Newmid-level after-golf patio
The McMahon Group Team at our booth kicking off the 2025 CMAAWorld Conference: (Back Row L to R) Chris Coulter, Bryan Beckmann, Bill McMahon, Sr., Joe Barks, Frank Vain, David Dew and Christian Clerc (Front L to R) Alison McMahon, Lexi Shipp and Martha McMahon Acker CMAA Communications Session Plays to Full House McMahon Group’s Frank Vain, Chris Coulter, CCM, ECM, and Joe Barks were joined by Joe Krenn, CCM, CCE, ECM, CEO & General Manager of Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va., for a presentation on “Developing Effective Club Communications for All Age and Use Groups” at the recent Club Management Association of America World Conference in Tampa. After Frank Vain provided guidance on setting the right communications strategy, Chris Coulter shared insights from membership surveys conducted by McMahon on which communications approaches work best, and which fall short. Joe Krenn then provided details on proven techniques used effectively at Farmington CC, and Joe Barks showed examples of what other clubs have done to sharpen all forms of communication tools, print and digital. Attendance was standing-room-only at the session and many attendees requested a copy of the presentation slides and other followup information, with one General Manager noting “it was a great presentation on what is a challenging area of the club’s operation.” 2025 CMAAWorld Conference The McMahon Report® 9
an expanded new project costing $6 million more, they voted overwhelmingly (97% approval) to build the larger, better project. The lesson was simple: Give the members what they want, not necessarily what the Board wants. The results, unsurprisingly, were a much better project, satisfied A fter an $11 million clubhouse project barely passed with an unpopular clubhouse plan, members voiced their concerns. Why weren’t we involved in the planning? Yes, it got approved, but barely, and members were upset. Fortunately, the Club Pelican Bay in Naples, Fla., brought in a new manager who quickly sensed the problem. The Board’s original projects were flawed, and members knew it. Thus, Ryan Shaw, as the new General Manager/COO, and a new Board brought in McMahon Group to involve the entire membership with a Club-wide survey that asked, what did members really want to do the clubhouse project right. And guess what happened? The members wanted more upgrades and improvements, not less. So with by Bill McMahon Sr,. AIA, OAA - Founder members, and a long list of potential members waiting to join. The moral of this success story is listen to your members and involve them in the planning process. They are much smarter than we think. And remember, it is their Club. How a Project Went From 53% Approval to 97% - The Club Pelican Bay Success Story CLUB SUCCESS NAPLES 10 The McMahon Report®
A Tribute to a Great Club Leader and Consensus Builder - Michael Liesmann Serving and leading great clubs in ST. LOUIS, LONDON, NEW YORK and NAPLES. Every once in a while there comes along a real dedicated leader, someone who can make a real difference for his or her club. Someone who truly understands what private clubs are all about and is willing to serve to make a difference for each club they join. And such a someone is Michael Liesmann, a finance guy, a CPA, a golfer, a squasher and a fellow who loves a challenge. A person who uses his skills in leadership and consensus-building to guide a major accounting firm for Corporate America, but also someone dedicated to helping his own clubs. Whether as a club President, Board member or a committee member, Michael has made a difference. Michael’s service to his clubs has seen him lead the Racquet Club of St. Louis as President and Treasurer; Missouri Athletic Club―Board of Governors and Secretary; Sunset Country Club―Chair of the Tennis Committee and member of the Membership Committee; Racquet Club Ladue―Board member and Treasurer; Bonita Bay Club―Member of House Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, President of the Board of Directors; Bellerive Country Club―Member of Sports Committee and special appointed Finance Committee. Other clubs where Michael had the opportunity to be a member: Springbrook Country Club―Morristown, NJ; Country Club of Missouri―Columbia, MO; The Queen’s Club―London, England; Basking Ridge Country Club―Basking Ridge, NJ; Park Avenue Club―Florham Park, NJ. We tip our hat to a great club leader. 2025 National Club Conference April 27-29 New York Athletic Club Excellence in Club Management® Awards Sunday, April 27 The University Club of New York The McMahon Report® 11
BoardRoom magazine’s industry peers and experts reviewed and selected McMahon Group as one of the outstanding suppliers and consultants, representing various aspects of course and club operations. Winners, each year, are selected for overall excellence in their respective fields, achievements, innovation, vision for future growth and continued impact on private club operations. Strategic Planning, Clubhouse Master Planning & Membership Survey Firm of the Year! 13 Years in a Row! We Can Help Make Your Club Successful Click to download our brochures today! OVER 2000 CLUBS SERVED $3.5 BILLION RAI SED Scan to view all of our online brochures 40+ I N BUSI NESS YEARS
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