There’s ample evidence that city clubs have learned their lessons as well as any properties about what family-oriented club management should be all about.
In journalism schools, business-to-business or “trade” publications like Club & Resort Business are usually given far less attention than what are seen as the sexier sides of the industry, such as TV, The New York Times and today, the Internet. Which is a shame, because publications like ours can offer aspiring writers great opportunities to cover a wealth of interesting and important subjects and personalities—something that many realize only after discovering that other, more highly touted areas of journalism may not be nearly as glamorous or rewarding or as easy to succeed in as they were led to believe.
A similar situation exists in hospitality schools, with private clubs often getting little emphasis or exposure in comparison to careers in hotels, restaurants and resorts/casinos. Tom Spellman, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Genesee Valley Club in Rochester, N.Y., and the 2010 winner of the Excellence in Club Management Award in the City Club category (see “Smooth Ride,” April 2011), says instruction about the club business was “definitely not a major component, involving just a couple of courses” of his education at Cornell.
This too is a shame, because while Spellman and others like him have still managed to find, and make the most of, great opportunities in the club business, you have to wonder how much other potential talent has missed coming to our industry, just because it was never pointed in our direction.
It’s also disappointing to see that when club management does get some attention, be it in schools or professional circles, the opportunities and rewards that can be gained in city clubs like Genesee Valley often get especially short shrift, because they are thought to lack the glamorous appeal of a golf courseand are seen as otherwise outdated and out of touch with today’s club experience.
Our report on Tom Spellman and what he’s helped the Genesee Valley Club to achieve—and avoid—is just the latest example of how misguided this characterization can be. Yes, there have been troubled city clubs in the past decade, just as there have been troubled country clubs and golf courses. But there’s also ample evidence of progressive approaches and great ideas that show how city clubs are learning their lessons as well, if not better, than any other properties when it comes to what the next generation of family-oriented club management should be all about.
Speaking of great ideas, if you were expecting to get our Annual Ideas Issue this month, as has been the case for the last four Aprils, don’t worry, it’s still on its way—we’ve just pushed it back so it will now be in June.
And that means you still have time to tell us about any unique and successful ideas you’ve implemented at your property recently, to help add new excitement, efficiencies and revenues in these Ideas Issue categories: Special Events; Facilities Design & Operations; Food & Beverage; Course & Grounds; Technology; Golf Operations; Family & Kids Programs; Membership & Marketing; Recreation & Fitness, and Management.
Send a note to [email protected] about the success you’ve had with any great ideas in any of these areas—or any other aspects of your operation—and we’ll get right back to you to get the details we’ll need to include them in our Fifth Annual Ideas Issue, coming in June.
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