From planning to programming, what should your club be doing right now. Suggestions from the Chambers team.

•  Update your patio with some new cooking equipment that will enable you to expand your menu offerings for the summer.  How about gourmet hotdogs will all the fixings?!
• Accommodate your increasingly health conscious members — and make it easier for folks to stay the day poolside.  Consider more shade options, from umbrellas to tree cover.
• Rearrange the furniture. Easy — and free!  Freshen things up by rearranging dining room seating areas.  Consider changing table settings for a lighter, summery look with inexpensive, lighter glassware, fresh plan white plates and new color linens

A new regular feature from Chambers, based on responses to the Club ’22 – Club of the Future survey.  Ideas, trends, best practices and otherwise all-around good ideas from clubs around the country for social events and programming.  We’ll feature a few each issue.  Submit your ideas here!

• Combine fun and function – host instruction sessions over cocktails and appetizers.  For the summer, invite professionals to come talk on home repair, gardening, lawn care and more
• Anything that includes the whole family:
  • Drive-in movies or movie nights by the pool
  • Campfire and s’mores (you can pull this off in the summer, still, in many climates)
  • Oyster roast or clambake
• Themed, instructional (and fun) food & beverage events:  Scotch tastings, outdoor cooking/grilling classes, create your own signature cocktail instruction (and tasting!)
• Remember these?  Kick-the-can, kickball games or tag games and tournaments

Have social program ideas to share?  Comment below or email us.

So what happens when you ask a pretty tradition-steeped industry to take the restraints off and tell us what you think the future of the private club industry should be?  No bungee jumping, that’s what!

Okay, we didn’t expect that radical a departure.  In fact, your incredibly generous responses to Chambers’ Club ’22 – The Club of the Future survey will help us collectively shape and prepare for what’s to come.  Here’s a snapshot of some of your responses to our forward-looking questionnaire.  Look to CLUB ROAD in future months for more highlights and a deeper dive into many of the issues and opportunities facing the industry. We’d venture that the industry is at a pretty critical juncture in its evolution.  As Skip Avery comments in On the Road with…, it’s time to “embrace a tradition of flexibility.”

½ predict clubs will have centralized, technology-controlled infrastructure systems

43% envision a club with e-commerce options available for food & beverage, clothing, wine and more

46% expect to embrace more modern and contemporary design

32% predict a more transitional approach

8% will continue to embrace their wainscoting and hunter green walls

“The aspiring member doesn’t want to be stuck in a time warp.”

“ ‘This is how we’ve always done it’ just isn’t going to sustain the club of the future.”

46% predict the use of environmentally preferable technologies

65%:  “We do our part but we could do more.”

What You’re Doing

Current sustainability efforts largely comprise:

• recycling
• composting
• material selection
• energy efficiency
• water management
• solar power
• locally sourced food

And what you find will be most important for the future

“very important”:

• 93% energy efficient equipment
• 89% water management (recapture & reuse)

“very” or “somewhat important”:

• 85% LEED qualified
• 80% solar power
• 70% green roof
• 67% geothermal

“Old thinking and refusing to adapt will doom clubs.”

58% will hire classically trained chefs and encourage more creative menu selections and dining choices

“Chefs have to become marketers, too!”

91% think locally sourced food will likely be the way to go.

And where else you expect clubs will focus in the future:

• more outdoor dining
• more progressive and inventive menus
• carry-out dining
• more interesting dining room design

A resounding number suggest that DENIM will make it’s way into club dining spaces across the country.

93% expect marketing to become more important than ever — and expect to invest in it

The two biggest areas of focus:

• social media
• mobile websites

“People want access to information immediately.”

“It’s easier to get in touch with members with so much more available technology!”

• 50% GM or COO
• 16% Club board president, committee member
• 11% Club managers & directors

Location

• South:  41%
• North Central:  20%
• West:  20%
• Northeast:  18%
• Non-U.S.:  1%

Type of Club 

• Country:  50%
• Golf:  18%
• Gated Community Country:  16%
• City:  5%
• Yacht:  2%
• Athletic:  1%
• Other:  8%

Membership Size

• 1,500+:  9%
• 1,000-1,400:  10%
• 750-999:  12%
• 500-749:  28%
• 250-499:  30%
• <250:  11%

Initiation Fee (incl equity)
for Primary Membership Category

• none:  12%
• < $5,000:  22%
• $5,000-$9,999:  14%
• $10,000-$19,999:  13%
• $20,000-$49,999:  23%
• ≥$50,000:  16%

Clubhouse Size

• >10,000sf:  10%
• $10,000-$24,999:  26%
• $25,000-$39,999:  28%
• $40,000-$54,999:  17%
• $55,000-$69,999:  10%
• ≥$70,000:   10%

Gone are the days when a club can rely solely on the exquisite taste of one or two of its members to ensure  the club’s interior design meets the demands and sensibilities of an increasingly diverse membership.

As executives, owners and boards consider their options for updating or even overhauling critical club spaces, Chambers Chairman and Lead Interior Designer Bob Hickman takes a few minutes to share his 18-point checklist for kicking off any design project thought process.  A little behind-the-scenes insight from the industry veteran who has created designs for hundreds of America’s best and most dynamic clubs:

1. Location. Location always drives design. What’s the surrounding environment like? Light considerations? Traffic patterns to be aware of? “This is never a one-size-fits-all process,” says Bob.
2. Club Views.  We are always looking to capitalize on great views! Interiors are meant to complement and enhance the view — not compete with it.
3. Age and Demographics.  First we need to understand the club’s make-up.  Then we can balance our design solutions for the broadest appeal.
4. Previous Successes and Failures. What works well with the current experience and environment? What doesn’t?
5. Flexibility. How is it used…and how can it be used? We always look to maximize space usage, very often creating flexible spaces that members can use in a variety of ways.
6. Architectural Constraints. Is there a big column we have to keep because it’s from the 1870s and the membership couldn’t bear the thought of moving it? Are there low ceilings we’re forced to work with or perhaps a load-bearing wall that would impact our ideas? All of these things affect design and member experience in the end, so we need to know about them up front. Planning on the front end saves time and dollars.
7. Traffic Flow. We like to have an understanding of traffic patterns throughout the footprint of a club. It’s also our job to ensure that the staff experience is just as positive as the members’.
8. Desired Experience. What end experience does the club envision? Is it child-friendly? Formal? Energetic? Relaxed?
9. Acoustics. There are so many elements that go into decisions on noise control. We need to understand where sounds come from (voices, equipment in the next room, music from down the hall, steps across the floor overhead, etc.). Then we can develop solutions that may include a mixture of carpeting, wall treatments, upholstered ceilings, window treatments…
10. Lighting. One of our most important design considerations, lighting is critical to creating the right “experience.” And there are so many ways to introduce lighting into an interior…overheads, natural light, wall sconces, table candles… The possibilities are endless and all contribute significantly to an interior.
11. Budget. This is an obvious one. Dollars impact every decision we make. We’re always figuring out how we can get the biggest impact at the best value. As an example, we look carefully at how we might be able to leverage current furnishings and/or reuse assets, versus bringing in new ones.
12. Performance. Performance also influences virtually every choice we make. Not everything in a club has to perform at the same level.
13. Growth. Can our ideas support growth of different kinds down the road?
14. Technology. We always need to have an idea of technical needs. Will the space have computers in it? Are there business needs we have to support? Will the club be using technologies that need to live in the space?
15. Home Away from Home. How do we design it to make this space a home away from home? We are always striving to create spaces that have warmth and friendliness but can also hold up to commercial standards.
16. The Environment. Whenever possible we’re considering products and/or design solutions that are more healthy for our environment. As the market evolves, we fully expect to have more and more options for consideration.
17. Club Culture. In each project, we try to interpret the overall culture of a club.  If we have a clear understanding of the membership’s collective taste sensibilities, we have more success throughout the decision-making process.
18. Sense of Arrival. This is so key when working through designs. We always want members and guests to know they’ve entered the club and aren’t wandering around trying to figure out where to go. 

Traditional, transitional or contemporary, lighted used or heavily trafficked, for the old guard members or suitable for the youngest generation…every design project begins with a few key questions.

Can Bob help you with a design challenge?  Email him at clubroad@chambersusa.com.

Competition, Convenience, Technology Drive Club Retail

Pro shops, fine dining and poolside cocktails have been the staples of private club commerce for decades.  At the same time clubs are increasingly competing for member time and attention, they’re also finding opportunity to increase member value and, with it, revenue, with a broader definition of “retail” and a host of new enabling technologies.

Jill Philmon, General Manager and COO of Ballentyne Country Club in Charlotte (On the Road With, CLUB ROAD January 2012) is on the front end of a trend we see gaining momentum:  retail markets for members. “We would watch people drive by our club every day on their way to pick up wine or food and it dawned on us that we could meet this need if we have a more convenient and accessible place for it.” Ballentyne is in the midst of redesigning its clubhouse and plans to add a gourmet market where members can buy everything from wine, seafood and meats to pizzas and pre-made appetizers. The market will have a separate entrance, enabling it to dispense with dress codes and other club formalities that could otherwise hinder convenience. “We’ll provide it as a convenience to members,” says Philmon.

On the expansion of retail opportunities, says Chambers President & CEO Rick Snellinger, “The goal is to make it easy for members to choose the club when they’re making decisions about how and where to spend their time and money.” Snellinger led Ballentyne’s recent Master Planning effort and is working closely with Philmon to realize her vision for a more full-service club.

Perhaps one of the greatest enablers of expanded retail opportunity for private clubs of every type is the plethora of technologies out or in development.  We took a look at a few high potential products designed specifically for the club space:

• Northstar Technologies, which develops club management software, is developing a new technology that will enable clubs to target their marketing communications to member preferences by monitoring their Facebook likes and preferences.  “This will help clubs with their retail businesses, programming and activities planning,” says Northstar Vice President of Marketing Donald Moro.

• Northstar is joined by Jonas Software and other providers developing enhanced mobile capabilities that will enable clubs to do everything from schedule tee times to make dinner reservations.  According to Paul Gillard, Jonas’ Vice President of Sales & Marketing, right now “it’s all about remote ordering and faster service via wireless tablets.” The company has introduced tablet technology at more than 200 clubs to date, says Gillard.

• Mobile point-of-sale, or POS, is also increasing in popularity at clubs (like an Apple store, where roving sales reps who can ring up your sale, process a credit card and give — or email — you a receipt from a handheld device). Club Prophet Systems is one provider of the mobile systems. CEO Rick Robshaw says the mobile devices don’t simply make the transaction simpler and faster, “They get staff out from behind the counter to interact with customers on a more personal level.”  Club Prophet has also developed an incentive-based data collection application for member prospecting and an iPad-based hostess system for reservations and table layout.

Clubs will continue to look for ways to enhance member value — it’s the backbone of our enhanced service industry.  With increasing outside competition for member dollars, they’ll also continue to expand their offerings to maintain and grow their share of their members’ discretionary spending.  Technology will enable clubs to do both with considerably greater ease.

What opportunities do you see in club retail?  Share them here.

Skip Avery, General Manager/Chief Operating Officer Fox Chapel Golf Club, Pittsburgh, PA, President, Club Managers Association of America

We caught up with Skip just before the recent CMAA conference where he was about to officially take the reigns as incoming president of the association.  Congratulations, Skip — and thank you for sharing your insights!

 Embrace a rich tradition
of flexibility!

CR:  As President of CMAA, people will undoubtedly look to you to help define the Club of the Future (COTF).  What’s your vision?

SA:  There are a lot of people saying you have to look first at opportunities for young families — that what’s driving the future is mothers will children.  I’d say we have to think multigenerationally.  There are very different needs and niches we should be thinking about.

CR:  Clubs are seemingly facing more competition — and becoming more competitive.  What defines “competitive” in the COTF?

SA:  It’s best we start by understanding not we’re competing against but rather what we’re competing for.  And that is discretionary time.  We have to demonstrate there’s a perceived value to the time our members invest with us. The value used to be status — belonging to a club was simply “what you did.”  It’s different now.  Members want to know what they’ll get out of their membership — for themselves and for their family.  They’ll ask, “Is this how I want to spend my time?”

CR:  What challenges will clubs face as they look to define themselves for the future?

SA:  Their own cultures.  I suggest we ask ourselves, “Are our rules and regulations handicapping us?  Our history and tradition are important — but are they strangling us?”

CR:  How do you balance that history and tradition — which many clubs hold dear — and the need for change?

SA:  It’s important we understand what is truly tradition versus simply a habit.  Does it serve the mission of the club, or is it maybe the result of bad policies and procedures that became part of the “tradition?”

CR:  As incoming president of CMAA, what influence do you want to have?

SA:  Over the last five years, we’ve seen people pulling back.  It’s time to get back in the game.  Take risks, take advantage of what’s available to you.  If you’re afraid to fail, you won’t grow.  It’s time to be progressive.

CR:  How does a club decide what to embrace?  There are so many options.

SA:  We’re in the “it” business:  I want what I want when I want it.  Today it might daycare or the spa or fitness.  Tomorrow it could be sandlot volleyball and soccer.  You don’t necessarily want to become trendy, but you have to pay attention to trends.  And be prepared to change, to take calculated risks.  More than real or perceived “tradition,” you have to understand the culture of the people coming in.  Embrace a rich tradition of flexibility!

CR:  Is there anything radical you’d offer clubs by way of advice as they consider the future?

SA:  They’re not radical but they’re so important they need to be said over and over:  Look at your governance model.  Does it clearly delineate roles?  Hire well and let them do their jobs.  Make sure you have a strategic thought process — not just a plan that sits on a shelf.  One that lets you not only survive but thrive.  You have to have a long-range plan — who you are and what you want to be.

CR:  Any parting thoughts?

SA:  When clubs in certain areas hurt, we all hurt.  We have to make sure the industry is strong; we have to support and help each other.  CMAA is good at networking, but we’re even better at netgiving — giving of our time and experience, making sure that we all succeed.

That’s Chambers’ Director of Architecture Ken Hart’s prediction for the Club of the Future. “It will be a luxury community center that is ‘off the grid,*’ ” he says.
Chambers’ Top 5 Sustainable Practices for the Club of the Future:

Resource use and reuse – for grounds and clubhouse alike, clubs will capture and reuse water, compost organic materials, grow rooftop gardens that provide energy savings and capture runoff that might otherwise pick up contaminants on the way to groundwater sources.  Waste management will be an increasingly integral part of their

sustainability practices

Native landscaping – clubs will opt for indigenous plant species that provide greater wildlife habitat and require significantly less water and maintenance than non-native options. Plantings will also focus on mitigating water runoff and naturalizing outdoor areas

Off the grid – clubs will generate their own natural power via onsite solar and wind energy that will replace reliance on municipal services

Design for sustainability and efficiency – architectural styles, interior design features and building materials will be carefully considered to minimize energy use and incorporate renewable resources where at all possible. Operational technologies will maximize energy use and lower costs

Food production – many clubs will begin growing many of their own fruits and vegetables — truly locally grown

“Off the grid” refers to an existence completely independent from traditional public utility services.

The Club of the Future — Self Sustaining

In addition to the feel good or even community responsibility aspects of pursuing green building and operational practices, there are a few very compelling reasons we expect to see private clubs making major strides toward greater sustainability in the coming decade.  Namely:

• Sheer acreage. Country and golf clubs cover a lot of ground.  Which means their impact on the environment — good or bad — is significant
• Long-term value. “Generations of members buy into the long-term value clubs provide,” says Chambers Director of Architecture Ken Hart.  Sustainability is a long-term commitment to the environment, the community and a club’s members.  Hart anticipates a move toward a fully self-sustainable club
• A holistic approach to wellness.  Clubs have become increasingly focused on overall member health and wellness.  From efforts to reduce negative impacts on local air and water supplies to the selection of whole and locally grown foods, clubs will continue to find ways to marry their operational efforts to their philosophical approaches to personal health
• An evolution of the definition of “luxury.” “We expect the club community will experience a mental shift on the idea of luxury in the future,” says Chambers Managing Director Patricia Sampson.  Though responsible environmental practices aren’t relegated strictly to a notion of “luxury,” certainly those who seek (and can afford) luxury should expect — if not demand — them as a benefit of their commitment to their club as a primary fixture in their personal lives

“The next decade will be a period of pretty radical change in the private club industry,” predicts Chambers’ own President & CEO Rick Snellinger. Chambers has been integrally involved in the evolution of the business for more than 60 years. 

Still, we think the Club of 2022 will look quite different for many, as the next generation of people, technology and societal shifts creates great opportunity for clubs to become even greater resources for their members.  And, frankly, may threaten those not ready to take on the inevitable. “Relevancy is going to be the most critical driver of change,” says Snellinger.

Luxury resort, retail center, fitness hub, social epicenter, boutique enclave…just what will that Club of 2022 look like?

Help us define and even shape the Club of the Future.

As the leaders and visionaries of the private club industry, we want your insight.  What do you see as the ideal club of the future?  Here, we’re launching our most comprehensive survey yet on the evolution of clubs with a series of questions that touch on several
topic areas:

• Facilities & Design
• Sustainability
• Programming & Social Events
• Membership Recruitment, Retention & Communications

Take on a section or the whole survey (we estimate the full survey would take up to 30 minutes).  We have just one request (other than asking you to take the survey, that is!):  Take off the constraints.  That is, let’s look at what clubs can become.  No “But my board would never…,” “We’d never find the funding…,” “Our members would balk.”  We can address those issues another time.  If you could build the ideal club that would serve the purpose of your membership for the next 100 years, what would it include?

In exchange, we’ll give you complete access to all full survey results, be happy to schedule a consult with your club on your best course of action going forward, and will share some of our exclusive “best practices” reports being published over the next year on topics from most creative social activities to financing options and working with boards to navigate through change.

Survey highlights will be published in the March issue of Club Road.  Thanks for participating in our exclusive Club ’22 / Club of the Future survey!

Chambers’ surveys reach more than 3,000 general managers, COOs and other top club executives around the country.  For the Club ’22 Survey, we’d also like to gain insight from club boards of directors, board presidents, committee members and club directors, including those for food & beverage, fitness, membership, marketing, golf, tennis and more.

PASS IT ON.  Forward the Chambers Club ’22 Survey.  Results will be tabulated by participant type, so we’ll be able to show you perspectives from inside and outside the club management world.

Jill Philmon, General Manager/ COO of Ballantyne Country Club in Charlotte and National CMAA Director

Under Jill’s leadership, Ballantyne Country Club is in the midst of a master planning phase for what is likely to be a significant transformation of its 15-year-old clubhouse.  With visions of specialty retail, flex office space, daycare and other resort-like amenities, Jill is clearly a visionary within the ranks, ready to challenge established norms.

“Tradition is important,” says Philmon, “but you can’t hang your existence on it.” We talked with Jill recently about her vision for the Club of the Future.

CR:  You’ve already begun the planning process for transforming Ballantyne into a club ready to take on the next generation (or three).  Broadly, how would you describe your vision for the club?
JP:  Certainly multigenerational, a city club within a country club, more resort-like, and, finally, a “home away from home.”  That has never been more important than it will be in the future.

CR: What sorts of amenities are you considering?
JP:  We’re looking at services that will generate additional revenues by creating greater value and serving a greater variety of needs for our members.  Office space and services for home-based businesses, including a modular office area, FedEx delivery and copying services; full meeting facilities for company events; in-club shopping — a Dean & Deluca-like place where you can get a great deal on wine, appetizers, and prepared dinners.  (Ballantyne already sells fresh seafood and meats to members at its Butcher Block, as well as wine.)  We’re also looking at the possibility of providing real daycare services for members.

CR:  What’s the driver behind some of the bigger ideas you’re pursuing?
JP:  We have to constantly strive to be relevant. That means looking far beyond just our members’ needs right now.

CR:  What do you see as the greatest impediments clubs face in realizing this potential?
JP:  Leadership has to be open minded. And yes, they might have to be willing to reconsider their tax status from a 501(c)7 so they can shift their revenue models. Frankly, I see too many clubs avoiding change and using their taxes status as an excuse.

CR:  Will environmental sustainability be important for the club of the future?
JP:  The club of the future has to be green. Or we won’t be here.

CR:  You came into the club world as a second career, I understand.  What draws you to it?
JP:  There are so many opportunities!  Clubs are always changing, always moving.  I love the diversity of the work we do every day.  And that it’s always been and will always be a business built on relationships.

CR:  How important are those relationships in recruiting new members?
JP:  Immeasurably.  The sizzle and the show and tell gets them in the door and excited.  The people and creating a place that feels like they belong — that’s what turns them into members.

CR:  What’s changing about the business?
JP:  Clubs used to be more about “eliteness.” That’s still there — there’s something really nice about being able to say you’re a member at a nice club.  But now it’s more about finding a place that has something every member of the family can enjoy.

CR:  How have you been able to break through traditional confines to be able to consider some of your more radical ideas?
JP:  I have the most wonderful board.  Open minded, no personal agendas, really committed to looking at what we want to be in 20 years.  They realize the club of the future is very different from where it is now.

CR:  What advice do you offer a club considering change?
JP:  Service will always be the top priority of any club.  I look at more amenities as, simply, more service.  And everything I can do to keep them there means they’re not spending their money elsewhere.