The good news is Phil Keren’s position here at Club + Resort Business is opening the door for him to be “on the air” again, albeit in a more 21st century style.

I started my journalism career working in radio broadcasting at an AM news/talk station in Michigan. I primarily worked behind the scenes as a producer and board operator, but I occasionally delivered the news on the air and even filed some reports from the field. I also worked as a sideline reporter for high school football broadcasts. There was rarely a dull moment and I typically experienced an adrenaline rush when delivering a live news report.

About two decades ago, I switched to print journalism because I liked writing and felt there were more opportunities available in newspaper and magazine work. While I’ve enjoyed my time in this field, I recall my five years in radio broadcasting with a lot of pride. Now and then, I still have the itch to sit by a microphone and start talking.

The good news is my position here at Club + Resort Business is opening the door for me to be “on the air” again, albeit in a more 21st century style. Last year, I joined C+RB Editor Rob Thomas as a panelist on a podcast called Club + Resort Talks. Prior to my joining C+RB in April of 2022, Rob had already been doing the podcasts. On one of the episodes, Rob interviewed legendary golfer Gary Player. Given my past work in radio broadcasting, I was excited to join Rob on the podcast.

Rob and I put together a few episodes in 2022, but we are now making a more concerted effort to have the podcast become a regular, ongoing feature on our website at clubandresortbusiness.com. The podcast is typically 20-25 minutes long and consists of two segments. Rob and I spend the first 8-10 minutes discussing recent news stories in the club and resort industry, and then the program transitions to a previously recorded interview conducted by one of us. Our guests have been: Brian Friederichs, CEO of Capstone Hospitality; Jarred Gomez, Marketing Manager of KemperSports-Portland Region; Greg Gilg, General Manager of Field Club of Omaha in Omaha, Neb.; and Joe Meglen, Director of Player Development at StoneWater Golf Club in Highland Heights, Ohio.

Friederichs discussed the top issues that clubs should think about when trying to attract new members. Gomez shared information about YA! Golf PDX, a social golf community designed for twenty-somethings. Gilg talked about his club’s successful initiative of offering complimentary golf lessons to golf members in an effort to boost membership. Meglen discussed his strategies for bringing newcomers to golf, as well as longtime players who took a hiatus but were now looking to return to the game.

Club + Resort Talks also had its first non-human guests. A recent episode featured a video taken by Rob of a Flyaway Geese demonstration that happened during the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Conference and Trade Show in Orlando, Fla., in February. The presentation showed how the geese help train dogs to keep geese, ducks and other creatures off golf courses. It was fun to watch and it was great to share the footage with our audience.

As the year unfolds, Rob and I will continue to produce more episodes of Club + Resort Talks that will feature conversations with country club general managers, head golf pros and other people in the industry. We are taking a flexible approach to the program, but I think we will develop a clearer identity for the show as time moves along. That said, Rob and I welcome suggestions for guests and topics for upcoming installments of Club + Resort Talks. If you would like to offer some ideas, feel free to e-mail us at [email protected] or [email protected].

 

 

 

Phil Keren,
Senior Editor