Today’s managers shouldn’t limit themselves in how, or where, they look for new ideas and approaches that can help their properties continue to grow—and that can help the managers themselves grow professionally as well.
A few eyebrows were raised when we first introduced the concept of a publication that was intended not only for the management staffs of private clubs, but also those who worked for resorts and other properties that are open to the public. In 2005, when we started C&RB, some pretty distinct lines were still drawn between not only private clubs and semi- or fully public entities, but also between the various types of private organizations. City clubs, in particular, were not only thought (incorrectly) to be a dying breed at that time, they were also felt to have virtually nothing in common with private golf and country club operations.
A lot has certainly changed in 10 years, and no one really blinks now at the idea of managers of clubs and resorts being brought together, be it for a publication’s circulation list, at an industry meeting, or into a pile of resumes when properties are searching for a manager who can take them to the next level. Just as significantly, there are plenty of city clubs around that are not only still alive and well, but are taking the lead in dispelling perceptions about the “types” of management organizations that might still remain.
Take a look at the first two items in the News section of the July issue. The Union League of Philadelphia, which is about as “city” of a city club as you can get, continues to make impressive progress with its plan to provide attractive “golf and country club” amenities and services (at a property that’s still within the Philadelphia city limits) for both existing and new members.
When The Union League’s General Manager, Jeff McFadden, accepted his 2011 Excellence in Club Management Award from the McMahon Group and C&RB, he made a point of saying, as part of recognizing our publication, that he finds the content we provide about resorts’ activities to be as valuable, if not more so, than how we cover other city, golf or country clubs. His point was that today’s managers shouldn’t limit themselves in how, or where, they look for new ideas and approaches that can help their properties continue to grow—and that can help the managers themselves grow professionally as well. And clearly, Jeff has since been continuing to put that philosophy into action.
Also in the June issue, we report on the new partnership between The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club and Cleveland Racquet Club. Mayfield Sand Ridge is already the product of a groundbreaking merger that we featured as a cover story in March 2009, to bring together a traditional country club (Mayfield) with a newer-breed golf club (Sand Ridge). It has been a success for both clubs and their memberships—and now the combined entity is seeking to take things a step further and into another largely untested territory.
“This creates the opportunity for both current and future members [of Mayfield Sand Ridge and Cleveland Racquet] to belong to a ‘super club’ if they so choose,” reports Ned Welc, who took on dual responsibilities as General Manager/CEO of Mayfield Sand Ridge through that merger, and is now serving as interim GM of the Racquet Club as well. “It is not a merger, but we are starting with this partnership and will see where it will take us.”
Based on the changes we’ve already seen over just the past 10 years, there seems to be little doubt that it will “take us” to another exciting new place—and that everyone should pay attention as it does.
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