The majority of the golf and club market is enjoying a period of stability that is a welcome relief from ten years of contraction, consolidation, and member attrition/transition.
Plan Strategically, Measure Regularly
When I meet a GM whose business card also carries the COO title, it is pretty much a lock that he or she is affiliated with a successful club.
Thoughts for the New Year
Trump’s promise to deliver regulatory relief should translate to a more favorable business climate—particularly for small businesses, like clubs.
Joe Cool
Arnold Palmer single-handedly took golf out of country clubs and into the mainstream. Quite simply, he made golf cool.
Just Shoe It
Nike learned a lesson in the 14 years it sold golf equipment that took me 30 years to figure out: You can’t buy a golf game with a new driver or set of irons.
Plan B
Happily, the majority of clubs have righted their ship by committing to Board governance focused on strategy and an empowered, skilled management team.
Military Precision
When it set out to restore its classic clubhouse, the Army Navy Country Club set a goal of transforming it into “the nation’s premier advanced-technology and energy-saving clubhouse.”
Dressed for Success
The Country Club of Virginia’s photo guide for front-of-the-house employees leaves few questions unanswered about the club’s food-and-beverage uniform standards.
On the Rise
Shawn Wilkes’ contributions to major improvement projects at Carmel Country Club earned him “Rising Star” recognition through the Excellence in Club Management Awards—and the opportunity to take the helm of another distinguished club.
Golf for Life
Golf is a game for life, and men and women with a penchant for athletics and competition will be drawn back to the game sooner or later if they learned it early on.
California Dreamin’
If your club has made a serious commitment to an enhanced food-and-beverage experience for your members and guests, your executive chef should attend his or her own event.
NGCOA Announces Course Of The Year Finalists
The National Golf Course Owners Association will announce the winner at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego in February, from a group that includes Forest Dunes GC, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC, TPC Boston and Heron Point at Sea Pines Resort.
The More Things Change…
A successful club is analogous to “Cheers” for its members—a place you want to go where everybody knows your name. Some years, you get the weather right—but every year, you need to get the “Cheers” factor right.
Thumbs Up
Some clubs invest a few million dollars to reinvent themselves, some a lot more. All of them are seeing a good return on investment, and none of them are being managed the same way as in the past.
3D Printing: The Future of Luxurious Dining
The latest 3D food printing technology can bring high-end foods to the public without taking away the fine dining experience. Eustacia Huen of Forbes.com examines how 3D printing will affect the future of fine dining in a 4-part series. The first part, 3D Food Printing: Is It Ready for Luxury Dining?, opens the series by exploring the current state of 3D…