Before I took on my current role as CEO of Club Benchmarking, I served for 17 years as President and General Manager of a large, gated community club in Naples, Florida. I clearly recall sitting in my office reading a story in an industry trade
In terms of FAQs related to club finance, the volume of inquiries we get about debt is second only to questions about food & beverage profitability. The most common question on debt is “how much debt is appropriate?” Discerning the answer to that question begins
PHASE ONE1997: North Golf Course, Grill Room and Fitness CenterTotal Capital Investment: $12 Million According to General Manager John Schultz, the seeds of transformation were really planted in 1997, six years prior to his arrival, when the club adopted a member-approved “Facilities Improvement Program” and embarked
Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., has an energy and vibrancy that is truly unique in the private club industry. Its membership is on the younger side and they are very active, both physically and socially. Even under COVID-19 limitations, members have turned out in
My first exposure to private club governance was as a board and committee member at my own club. I served for 10 years, the last three as president. That experience was the catalyst for launching Club Benchmarking, and it continues to inspire my work as
Prior to joining Club Benchmarking as CEO in 2017, I enjoyed a wonderful career in club management that began in 1984. Along the way I had the benefit of many exceptional teachers, but when economic turmoil began to shake the club industry in 2007, I
Since 1914, families in the San Francisco Bay Area have been drawn to Diablo Country Club (DCC) at the base of Mount Diablo, where the vistas of the Las Trampas Range are nothing short of stunning. The club is touted as the first to be
Experienced club managers are well acquainted with the metrics on their club’s income statement, and equally familiar with how intensely boards focus on those metrics in their monthly meetings. That focus on the income statement fuels frustrating debates about low-impact issues like the financial results
GOLF SEASON will kick into high gear soon for clubs north of the Sunbelt. Discussions about golf course maintenance budgets often involve factors such as cost per hole or per acre, and characteristics ranging from type of grass to geographic location. To understand how these
Butler is a 200-year-old Western Pennsylvania city 35 miles from Pittsburgh. It is home to 14,000 residents who relish the small-town vibe and proximity to a thriving metropolis. Since the early 1800s, Butler has been home to many family-owned farms and has a diversified economic