Family Ties

Family Ties The days of the male-dominated clubhouse are gone. Today’s properties must offer social and recreational options for the entire family.

by Diana Mirel (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
April 2006
 

Summing It Up It’s important to give kids—and their families—what they want and enjoy. It’s not enough to simply tolerate them. Family events that involve multiple club departments, such as golf and F&B, tend to be the most successful. It’s OK to borrow ideas from other successful clubs and add your own twists. Remember that family-friendly does not mean kids have to be allowed everywhere at all times. Balance family events with adults only events, to keep from alienating either group.

“In the old days, it used to be that the club was just a place for the guys to come play golf, and maybe they’d bring their wife once a month,” says Bill Wendt, General Manager of Onion Creek Club in Austin, Texas. “But that’s not the case anymore.”

Wendt is certainly not alone in noting this change. Every club and resort manager knows that because time is now everyone’s most precious commodity, many adults won’t consider joining a club, or traveling to a resort, unless they see how it can offer ways to spend quality time with their children or grandchildren. Knowing that their futures hinge on their ability to increase family memberships, clubs and resorts are creating programs and special events that cater to the entire family and offer social and recreational options for adults and children alike.

“The family as a whole has grown more together and wants to do more things together,” confirms George Rees, General Manager of Wetherington Golf & Country Club in West Chester, Ohio. “I believe [family clubs] are the next generation of clubs, because we’re seeing the families participate in sports together, and also dining together more often.”

Making a club “family-friendly,” though, requires much more than simply adding a swing set here or kiddie pool there. A talented and creative staff, and a passionate membership, must be brought together to create seamless—yet entertaining— special family events and programs.

“Our mission is dedicated to families and golf, and everyone on our staff loves kids,” says Bob Bodman, Membership Director at Morgan Creek Golf & Country Club, Roseville, Calif. “We look for people who don’t just ‘put up’ with kids, but actually understand how they operate.” Patience and energy are key personality traits that every staff member must have, Bodman adds.

It All Starts with Sports Children, especially the youngest ones, are not likely to behave as “proper etiquette” often demands. So family events should be a time for everyone to “let loose”— be it through a disruption on the golf course, or a bend in the rules. If kids enjoy their experiences, they’ll be much more likely to use the club as they mature.

Today’s family clubs have evolved beyond men’s-only golf games, venturing into all-inclusive territory. As social sports, golf and tennis are conducive to family events. And while many clubs offer junior sports programs, multi-faceted special events that combine food, beverage, recreation and activities can give a club an edge.

“We do a take-a-parent-out day, where kids can bring their parents to play a nine-hole golf tournament together or a couple of rounds of tennis, and then they’ll end up at the pool café for a meal,” says Rees, whose club also hosts nonsporting events like an annual Easter Egg Hunt. Wetherington also attracts teenagers to the club by hosting a monthly teen night at the clubhouse, where teens can bring a guest for no fee and enjoy food, beverages and music.

Planning events for the whole family can be tricky, though. They need to be both entertaining for kids and still appealing to adults. At the Cheval Golf & Country Club in Lutz, Fla. (outside Tampa), nothing brings the family together better than a good meal. “We do a lot of food and beverage events to bring in children,” says Billie Merritt, General Manager. “For example, we have family nights every Wednesday where we have a $9.95 entrée for the mom and dad and for every one of these entrées that they purchase, they get a free children’s meal. That way there is something for the whole family, and four people can eat for about $20.”

For major holidays, the club hosts large-scale parties, such as a Santa Brunch where parents and children enjoy a buffet, visit with Santa, and decorate cookies.

Morgan Creek G&CC hosts monthly children’s events—like story-time or magic shows—through its Kids Club. The club also goes all-out for holidays. Its large St. Patrick’s Day party is complete with dinner, green beer for the adults, an Irish band and storytellers, arts and crafts activities, and educational programs about Ireland.

Morgan Creek also plans off-site activities for its members. “We take kids to the local ice skating rink, and we do bowling parties,” says Ken Kelley, General Manager. “We also do family events at the lake, where we rent half-a-dozen ski boats and jet skis and have picnics.”

Thinking Young

Wetherington G&CC relies on committees—comprised of members, staff and several of the members’ children—to come up with new ideas for its special family events. “It’s a collaboration among all of us,” says Rees. “A lot of our ideas come from word-of-mouth, and we get really great ideas from our members.”

For example, at a pool committee meeting several years ago, a new member told of seeing other clubs host “dive-in movies,” where a projector and screen are set up on the pool deck to play family movies. Wetherington gave it a try and, sure enough, it was a huge hit. Now, the once-a-month event draws about 150 kids and parents.

Honing the club’s family programs and events is a group effort at Cheval G&CC, too. “We have a staff meeting once a week where we pick each other’s brains,” says Merritt. Having an experienced staff makes it easier for the club to create new and improved events, he notes. “If you listen, your staff will happily tell you different experiences they’ve had and different ideas that work or don’t work, or how events can evolve,” he says.

Merritt’s comments highlight the keys to effective family event operations: staff involvement and good communications with both staff and members.Without consistent and effective communication, all the creativity in the world won’t make a difference. And that extends well beyond a simple events calendar on the bulletin board.

Events like magic shows work well on their own or as the entertainment to accompany a brunch or dinner. Just make sure the children have a good vantage point and are included in the action. No child should feel left out.

“Usually our whole team is involved in some aspect of every event,” says Rees of Wetherington’s efforts. “We keep the staff updated on what is going on, because a lot of times they have to be at the different committee meetings.”

Onion Creek Club went a step further and hired Michelle Gioia as Membership Relations Coordinator. Working for the Membership Director, she helps to plan events and keep members in the know through flyers, e-mail blasts, and an up-to-date Web site.

Still Rating With Adults

While attracting families is now the top priority in many clubs, offering enough adults-only activities is still an important reality. “It’s a matter of balancing out the activities you have,” says Rees. “You need to make sure you’re meeting the needs of the family and kids—but you also need enough activities just for the adults.”

That’s why Wetherington’s fine dining room is reserved for those 18 years or older. The club also opened another restaurant/ lounge last year called the Pour House. Children aren’t allowed to enter after 9:00 PM, offering older members a kid-free, late-night venue. Along with food and beverage options, Wetherington also creates adults-only events such as Trivial Pursuit nights. But whenever there’s an adult event in one part of the club, a family activity is available in another area.

Morgan Creek G&CC also tries to find a balance between adult parties and all inclusive family functions. It often creates two separate events, so parents can drop their children off at one and then enjoy the other, without having to find a babysitter. For adults, the club has hosted poker nights, monthly ladies’ nights and couples golf tournaments.

With an average member age of 50 years old, Cheval G&CC knows the importance of keeping its adult membership happy. Thus, Friday nights in the dining room are “adult nights,” with families typically eating and leaving earlier in the evening. The club then hosts a cocktail hour before dinner and brings in a small band for dancing. Cheval also hosts social activities specifically for the adult crowd; last month, it had an adults-only karaoke night, and served light hors d’oeuvres with an open bar.

A New-Look Bottom Line

While the goal of reaching out to families is primarily to attract new members, the bottomline is always top of mind. “At the very least, we try to make sure we’re breaking even,” says Rees. “If we do that, we figure we’re actually profiting, because it means that the more we get members to the club, the more it becomes their number one recreational and social venue. If they continue to enjoy themselves and use the club, that’s good for business.”

Other club managers agree that the goal of family events is member participation and satisfaction, rather than profit. “Our goal is to break even and get people to the club,” says Wendt. “Our focus is on [member] retention, under the thinking that if we can keep [existing] members, it’s a lot cheaper than trying to get new ones.” C&RB

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