Who Says Private Clubs Can’t Have Outstanding Dining?
The old line about club food is always the worst compliment we ever hear: “It is pretty good for a club”. But today, our clubs are achieving great success in their dining programs as is evidenced by what is being served, how it is being served, and the rave reviews we are seeing for clubs such as The Army and…
Read MoreEssential Role of Governance
We are about to enter our sixth year of publishing Club Trends with the National Club Association (NCA), and we continually strive to make it one of the best industry publications available to club leaders. The information provided in Club Trends is not only there to assist managers with the daily operation of the club,…
Read MoreA Strong Relationship Between the Club General Manager and Board is Established Through “Beginning with The End In Mind”
Do you, as General Manager, know or feel your club could be performing better? Do you hear grumblings from some Board members that your club is not achieving or executing at its best? Do you want to do more, and you hear some of your members want the club to be more? Could the financial…
Read MoreThe Dining Survey
Our survey research has shown that among all types of private clubs, member dining is consistently ranked as the most important club activity to members. Even at traditional golf and country clubs, member dining ranks up there with golf in its importance to members. Our research has also shown that there is a very strong…
Read MoreThe Clubhouse – New or Renovated?
Every older club sooner or later has to deal with this issue. Does the club pour good money into an older clubhouse or does the club replace it? More and more clubs today are faced with facilities approaching the end of their useful lives. The cost to transform these older clubhouses into compliance with current…
Read MoreThe Capital Improvement Program Opinion Survey
You’ve involved the membership in the facility planning process through focus groups and possibly a comprehensive membership survey. Your Long-Range Planning Committee has worked hard for months, with the assistance of a club planning consultant, assessing member priorities and using the results of the member research to develop an improvement program that will meet with…
Read MoreCreating The Governance/Management Partnership That Is Essential For Club Success
Does the Board at your club work together as a cohesive group? While lively debate and deliberation at board meetings are signs your Board members are seriously invested in their responsibility as governors of their club, do Board members speak with a single voice outside the boardroom once the Board has voted on a particular…
Read MoreThe Best Offense Wins
“The best defense is a good offense” is an old adage you’ll frequently hear during Sunday afternoon football telecasts. The original source for the quote is unknown, but it is more often attributed to George Washington than Bill Belichick. Projecting an aura of strength was one of Washington’s key principles as his ragtag Continental Army…
Read MoreYour Club’s Ultimate Success Today and in the Future
It is always rewarding when an article you’ve crafted resonates amongst our industry peers. My article articulating the nine rules all clubs must live by in order to be successful, that was first published in the Winter 2018 edition of NCA’s Club Trends has done just that. Quite honestly, this article is my manifesto, developed…
Read MoreUnity Within the Community
There are clubs and then there are gated community clubs. The similarities between the two are obvious, but they are also starkly different entities. While almost all country and specialty sports clubs draw members from nearby, it is essential that clubs located within gated developments draw support from all residents. First, a club set behind…
Read MoreComprehensive Membership Survey
In McMahon Group’s arsenal of survey and research tools for private clubs, the mainstay is the Comprehensive Membership Survey. Clubs tend to initiate Comprehensive Surveys in cycles of three to five years. In many cases, the initial impetus to conduct such a survey is a major issue the Club is facing, perhaps at the outset…
Read MoreThe Essential Relationship Between Strategic & Facility Planning
Club facility planning for major capital projects is probably the most challenging task a private club manager and Board will do. Good facility planning sets a club up for success or lost opportunities. But interestingly, true facility success is more dependent on initial strategic planning than on architectural elegance. Historically, clubs have approached facility planning…
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