Very recently, our team and I lost an industry colleague and friend in which he sadly lost his life to depression. I had not been in contact with this man in a few years and so the shock of learning of his journey was also
The Butler Cabin at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club becomes a focal point each spring, when the Masters champion is awarded the famous green jacket by the previous year’s champion in front of a portrait of the club’s founder, Bobby Jones. Just a chip shot
EVERYONE SEEMS to be searching for the holy grail of best practices for a particular club issue or process, but how many times is there just one best practice? Most of these issues are situational—driven by that club’s culture, membership, economics, demographics, leadership skills, crises,
The 2022 Member Survey Says … The National Club Association (NCA), in collaboration with GGA Partners, recently completed a survey of club leaders and board members covering the topics of governance, strategy and communications. A total of 274 clubs participated, of which 82% were from
As clubs look to attract and cultivate the next generation of board members, there are many factors to take into consideration. The very best volunteer leadership candidates often don’t raise their hands or jump to be considered for the positions. Those who are eager to
Recently, I was asked by the president of a National Club Association (NCA) member club what types of benefits clubs typically give to their leadership. The honest answer was that I hadn’t the slightest idea. This lack of understanding sparked the idea to do a
As we begin to emerge from this pandemic and learn to live and manage with COVID-19 and its subsequent variations, the club industry has used the last year and half not just to survive but to chart a path of thoughtful strategic planning. I have read more interesting strategic plans in the last 12 months than I read in my 32 years of club management. I have seen a
There are many good reasons for private membership clubs to conduct background checks on applicants for employment as well as on applicants for membership. In the case of employees, background checks may even be legally required in certain circumstances: For instance, industry-specific laws require background checks for employees in
Each year a substantial percentage of clubs experience a change in board members and officers. The result is an annual adjustment period as the new president, new officers and a board of several new members establish themselves in their respected positions. Often club bylaws will
We have both been businessmen, financial professionals and financiers over the course of our careers, so we are very familiar with the use of debt in a corporate setting. As it turns out, even that considerable knowledge and hands-on experience did not prepare us when