Problems & Issues Associated With Private Club Management

Private Club Management:

A private club is simply defined as any club that is not open to the general public. Generally, the club’s board accepts new members after being "sponsored" or recommended by other member. A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. The new member usually pays an initiation fee in addition to monthly membership dues. Within the club management industry, clubs are predominately country, golf, athletic, city and yacht clubs. Within these categories are sub-sets that may include seasonal operations or cater to a specific culture or ethnicity.

The private club industry is in a state of change. The pressures to retain and find new members are many and varied…coming from all sides. The industry today faces huge challenges from the growing golf marketplace, an overabundance of golf courses and clubs, changing demographics, a slumping economy and a stock market ever fluctuating. These factors all create uncertainty, but in reality, there are other major issues. 

Depending on your background, you might start as an Assistant Banquet or Dining Room Manager. The next step might be Catering Manager or Assistant Clubhouse Manager. In many respects, the successful manager is a chameleon. He or she takes on the persona of the club. Casual, formal, discrete or visible members of the local community. It just depends on the club culture. Many successful club managers have fallen into the trap of acting like members and attempting to become the social equal of the folks who provide the paycheck. There is no such thing as regular hours for most Club Managers.

Best feature

• High quality environments and facilities abound. Club management can afford you a professional income and many opportunities for advancement to larger clubs and facilities around the world. The foods are of the highest quality and the wine lists extensive. 
• Once the membership is signed there are not much payments done through the accounting office. This is done right at the beginning at the time of membership.
• A close bonding takes place between the staff and the management and their personal interest is taken in to account.
• Importance is given in knowing member names, memorizing their likes and dislikes and ways of getting new ideas for providing different facilities.

Worst part

• Private clubs are most often directed by boards and operated by managers. Boards have high levels of turnover (usually 1/3 of the directors' turn each year). Members get elected to boards.
• A lot of club managers and employees work at their location for long periods. They frequently train and employ their own managers from within - they are familiar with the club structure and membership, which can be more tricky to learn than the food and beverage organization. 
• Private clubs, hardly advertise to promote the club and its amenities, from outside sources due to their tax status 

The benefits of working at a private club far outweigh the disadvantages so if you ever are offered the opportunity to work at a country club or city club, it is an experience where a manager can learn the ultimate in customer service and retention.

What can be done: Get feedback from the members as to their comfort or discomfort with the various assets that may need to be renovated. Just as growing grass is the domain of the superintendent, so too should membership marketing be the domain of the professional membership director.   Committees should set the policies, approve new applications, act as ambassadors making connections for new members for both new members both with staff and other members.  Committees should not be in the sales role. Good training is essential for the success of any department head.