At the northern tip of Scottsdale, Ariz., sits The Mirabel Club, one of many premier clubs in a city known for its luxury golf courses. Mirabel was developed by Discovery Land in 2000 and sold to the members in 2009. A top priority of the
Their photos adorn the club’s hallway, usually aligned in chrono-logical order and offering a timeline of male business dress over the club’s history. They are the past presidents. Their recognition on the wall underscores the prestige of the office, the highest rank a club member
A Strategic RoleAn organization’s culture can be defined as the values honored at all levels of the organization. At a private club, its values must be shared and honored by staff and members alike. Clubs are often given labels that reflect their culture: friendly, exclusive,
Capturing Member Perception of the Club’s Board of DirectorsEach year, GGA Partners conducts scores of member focus groups and member surveys to help clubs understand the views of their members on a wide range of topics from the condition of the fairways on the golf
Presidential AuthorityThe bylaws of almost all clubs assign a president to be their highest- ranking officer and the board chair. In many cases, the president is granted wide-ranging authority, as seen in one club’s bylaws, “The President shall be the chief executive officer of the
The Board is the “Bus”In his immensely popular book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins posits five characteristics of “great organizations.” He starts with the principle of getting the right people on the bus, i.e., “Those who build great organizations make sure they have the right
You would be wrong if you think of Greensboro Country Club (GCC) as a sleepy, tradition-bound club within a tradition-bound community. Not only is Greensboro, N.C., a steadily growing city, but its eponymous country club is also expanding as evidenced by its recent $19 million
When speaking about club governance, we distinguish between principles and practices. Principles are those elements of a governance model that are to be held inviolate. The five principles that are critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of a club governance model are: Clarity of authority
Two decades ago, Jim Collins wrote the best-selling book “Good to Great,” which identified characteristics of companies that significantly out-performed others in their respective industries. First among the characteristics was “First Who, then What,” a chapter on getting the right people on the bus. The
Defining a high-performing board, how it is formed, what it does, how it does it and how it is measured are fundamental challenges becoming more relevant as members seek efficiency, effectiveness and transparency from their boards. Drawing on data from hundreds of clubs, scores of