“Club Selection” Comes Down to Service

How the prestigious DMSF Golf Classic chooses the event’s locales.

by April Miller (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
May 2007
 

James Murphy James and Robert Murphy founded the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation in 1980, to honor their late father’s efforts to provide his children with a high-quality, private education. The Chicago-based Foundation’s mission is to provide four-year private high school scholarships and educational support services to eighth-grade students who are economically disadvantaged and demonstrate academic potential. The Foundation has provided more than 1,300 scholarships to date, with more than 95 percent of scholars going on to college. Robert Murphy The Foundation’s involvement with golf is two-fold. Its summer Caddie Program gives a number of Murphy scholars the opportunity to caddie at Chicago-area clubs, while the DMSF Golf Classic serves as the organization’s primary annual fundraiser. Caddies from the program whose school years have ended when the Classic is held are given the opportunity to work at the outing. For more information, visit www.dmsf.org

Many Murphy Scholars help with caddying duties for the Foundation’s 300-player Classic.

Over the years, the event has been held at a number of country clubs in the Chicago area; this year it will be held June 4 at the Onwentsia Club, Shore Acres Country Club, and Knollwood Club, which will hold the post-tournament dinner and auction. Each course will host around 100 players, with all attendees convening at Knollwood post-play.

Each year’s clubs are selected by the DMSF Golf Committee, which looks for attractive courses that will entice players and are in close proximity to one another, with at least one that can accommodate all 300-plus guests for the closing festivities.
“We like to rotate to different courses, so participants are given new and exciting venues,” says Allison Gonsowski, DMSF Special Programs Coordinator. “Chicago is a hotbed of great golf, allowing us to select top-rated courses that provide fantastic service and have the resources to host our auction and dinner.”   

Club selection, adds David, ultimately comes down to knowing how to deliver great service. The Foundation works closely with the GM, golf pro, caddiemaster, catering manager and chef at each club to prepare for the Classic. “If all club staff members understand how our event is organized and operated,” notes Gonsowski, “it assures that all aspects are run smoothly.”

Host clubs also need to work well among themselves. Alan Slatin, now at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Ill., was General Manager at North Shore Country Club in Glenview when it was one of the courses hosting the 2004 Classic. The clubs had to coordinate pricing structures, communicate effectively and on a timely basis, and keep service levels and the overall experience for each player consistent, Slatin says. The primary lesson that he learned from his DMSF Classic experience? “Preparation and planning in advance makes for great events.”
From his perspective, James Murphy says the key for participating clubs is to be successful in treating all Classic participants like members.

“Think of all the things you do for members and treat [Classic players] the same way,” he advises. “Don’t put the tee markers up at 6,000 yards and assume they can’t play. All of our golfers are members of private clubs; some, in fact, are spending $1,000 to play at their own club.” —AM

The July issue of C&RB will include a detailed report on how participating clubs prepared for, and executed, their roles for this year’s DMSF Golf Classic events.