At the PGA Fashion & Demo Experience in Las Vegas this past August, educational sessions led by golf course owners and top executives in the industry spoke enthusiastically about alternative golf facilities, as a new way to immediately grow clubs’ bottom lines.

We have to keep changing with the times, to make sure clubs are taking into account what families in their local communities desire in terms of a full range of amenities and recreation activities. 

“Thanks to everyone for your support and friendship over the years, and I hope that our paths cross again at some point down the road—I will be the one in shorts, flip-flops and a golf shirt.” -Dan Ramella

Here are some best practices to help engage audiences on both a digital landscape and a more traditional targeting format.

A food-and-beverage New Year’s Resolution that all clubs can keep would be to invest in continuing education for their chefs and enhance the overall member/guest dining experience at their properties.

The shift to the “family” has forced clubs to invest and become ultra-creative in providing facilities and amenities that appeal to everyone, young as well as older. “The Times, They Are a-Changin’,” as Bob Dylan famously sang back in 1964. That truly resonates today in many facets of our lives. Dylan said it was “A…

Whatever the budget comes down to, be transparent with the membership and clearly define the reality of the club’s operating and capital needs. The news may not be welcome; however, it’s important to remind everyone that no one ever saved their way to prosperity. Here we go again. As the leaves move from turning colors to falling off the…

In today’s combination of political correctness and virtue signaling , clubs can easily make policy decisions based on one complaint that do more to appease the complainer than address the real problems. I live in a downtown Chicago condo six months of the year. It’s a big building with a doorman and pretty good security.…

With discerning members expecting more from their club experience on a constant basis, it will be interesting to observe the next wave of transformation that comes about as a result of smart clubs staying on the move. Will Rogers had it right when he opined, “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get…

First, the good news. The booming economy means that the demographic that would join a club will have more disposable income, and membership may actually grow. Every economic indicator says it will. Now, the challenges. First and foremost will be hiring and staffing. With an economy that has more jobs available than people to fill…

Mike Keiser and his family members are playing an increasingly influential role in the game of golf. And keeping their glass more than half-full in the process. Is golf’s glass half-full, or half-empty? Readers of the recently released Annual Golf Industry Report from the National Golf Foundation (NGF) will tell you that, despite the ongoing…

If you are paying a premium for seasonal help above the regional average, you become the place people want to work, as opposed to where people are willing to work. As the club season kicks into full gear, we are going to be faced with something we haven’t faced before: full employment. I cannot walk…

The next club I hear of that solved its membership problem solely with a low cost of entry and reduced monthly fees will be the first one I hear of.

Any club can afford cash bonuses and other training incentives that can lead to better service, more professional and motivated staff, and higher-quality food.

With attracting new members at the top of every club’s strategic agenda, having an abundance of up-and-coming management talent will help to keep the industry relevant. We went to press with our March issue just before heading off to San Francisco and Seattle, for two events that have had remarkable growth over the past 10…