Tag: recruit

Executive Search: General Manager at Granite Golf Club

Date:

GENERAL MANAGER
GRANITE GOLF CLUB

Granite Golf Club:

Granite Golf Club is an exclusive 18-hole championship private golf course complete with practice academy, located in the Stouffville area, just thirty minutes from Toronto.  Built in 2000, the golf course and clubhouse offer the finest facilities and uncompromising service to our discerning membership.  We offer the best elements of a family golf and social club through varied programs and amenities.

The Position:

Reporting to the Club President and Board of Directors, the General Manager is responsible for leading and directing all long-term and day-to-day activities associated with the Club, including creating a member-focused environment by building and maintaining relationships with members, guests, employees and the Board of Directors.

Specific accountabilities include:

  • Work with the Board in the execution of the Strategic Plan, from the Strategic Plan, construct a Business Plan and a Marketing Plan that drives Club revenues and achieves the agreed upon financial results.
  • Effectively manage and oversee Club Operations. Senior Managers who report directly to the GM and are responsible for the day-to-day activities and processes. Although the GM will rely on the Senior Managers to operate the daily activities, the GM will be ultimately responsible for overall performance metrics and service.
  • Develop and implement an effective sales and marketing strategy to increase membership and awareness of Granite Golf Club
  • Promote Granite Golf Club within the local community and support our valued relationship with the Granite Club
  • Design, implement and maintain operating policies and procedures that align and support the Club’s policies as defined by the Board of Directors
  • Conduct an ongoing evaluation of Club programs and events to ensure the consistent provision of outstanding services to meet the needs and expectations of members, guests, and employees
  • Represent the Club to members, staff and external agencies. The GM is engaged in new member recruitment and onboarding.
  • Manage the development, implementation and ongoing monitoring of the annual operating and capital budgets and the Club’s overall financial results
  • Maintain effective communication with the Board on Club operations, financial reports, risk analysis, compliance, asset management, membership initiatives and capital projects

Candidate Profile:

Given the leading role this individual will be expected to play in achieving the strategic objectives of the Club, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following core competencies, experience and attributes:

  • A dynamic leader with the ability to build strong teams by motivation and lead by example. Has the ability to provide direction and expectations, performance feedback and recognition that leads to positive outcomes;
  • A post-secondary degree in business or a related discipline is required;
  • A minimum of 5+ years’ experience operating at a senior level in a private golf club or other similar athletic/social facility;
  • Strong professional deportment with a clear commitment to member service through an open and transparent member/customer approach;
  • A strategic thinker with strong business acumen with the ability to “grow the membership” through traditional and innovative sales and marketing techniques;
  • A definite business presence complemented with personal drive, resourcefulness, maturity and sound business judgment, with integrity and ethical conduct in words and deeds;
  • A self-starter approach, results oriented work style combined with excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
  • An innovative and decisive professional who possesses a positive demeanor;
  • Experience reporting to a Board that has adopted a club governance structure and processes to lead the Club and GM to collaborative success;
  • A strong golf background, preferably with an excellent profile in the golf industry.

Note:
The position becomes vacant on November 15, 2019.

Compensation:
The Club will offer an attractive compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary and benefits.

Inquiries:
IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit resumes along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by Sunday, November 17, 2019. Those documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, Granite Resume” and “Last Name, First Name, Granite Cover Letter”) respectively to: execsearch@globalgolfadvisors.com.

George Pinches
Director
Global Golf Advisors Inc.

For more information on Granite Golf Club: www.granitegolfclub.ca

A Better Way to Communicate

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Churning out communications to your members with little thought for who you are speaking to and what medium you are using is not a recipe for success.

As GGA’s Henry DeLozier explains, putting a little more thought and attention to detail into your communications is an impactful, and cost effective, way to make your members feel valued and included.

“Communication in our club is poor”

A phrase that is commonplace in surveys and focus groups we run on behalf of clients across North America – often despite the best efforts of club leaders to improve communications at their clubs.

As much as we would like to prescribe a formula that is guaranteed to improve member relations, the reality is that the communications world evolves continuously, including the ways members consume and exchange information, and the platforms on which they do so.

While this can present a challenge, the evolution in communications technology has also brought opportunities to the fore: opportunities to increase the relevance of your communications, learn more about your members habits and preferences, and branch out to networks of potential new members.

With that in mind, there are some tactics you may wish to consider to enhance your communications relationship with members and club stakeholders:

1. Keep your club website relevant.

As Linda Dillenbeck, a director at Global Golf Advisors and a communications expert, observes, “Most clubs’ websites are outdated, disconnected, and dysfunctional.” Dillenbeck estimates that a private club website has a relatively short shelf-life of around three years. When did you last update your website?

Incremental improvements which factor in the latest in web technology enhancements can increase the aesthetic appeal, user-friendliness and accessibility of your site ten-fold.

Think too about regular updates to your image portfolio and news sections. Investing the time and not letting them become dormant shows members that you care and invokes a sense of pride and belonging.

2. Empower club members to communicate.

The advent of mobile camera technology has handed the power for members to become regular content creators, some of whom may produce high quality photographs and videos of your club.

While you cannot control what they say or post, compelling content drawing on the attributes of your club and amplified to member and stakeholder networks can enhance the club’s reputation among members and the outside world.

Vindicate their efforts by engaging through club social media channels, via email or otherwise. It shows you are interested and supportive, and gives a sprinkling of kudos to what they have produced.

3. Organize information into communication “bites”.

The relative attention span of most recipients is shrinking, so the club should look to communicate in small “bites” – morsels of interesting activities, friends enjoying mutual interests or snippets from club events. Keep it short and to the point.

4. Use tailored media.

Rather than indiscriminately provide all things to all members, ask them to personalize their information expectations and preferences into a member profile so that the club may communicate with each member on the member’s terms.

Regular prompts to update their preferences can provide useful insights into any trends developing over time and how this should be translated to what and how you provision information to them.

5. Measure effectiveness.

Monitor engagement levels from all outgoing communications. Track which members are – and are not – receiving and engaging with information from the club.

By doing so you can start to build out segments of members (starting with engaged / not engaged) and begin to increase the relevance of your communications methods and messages.

 

Crafting the right messages takes time and attention, as does knowing how to communicate them. By better understanding what methods and messages are most influential to members and stakeholders, you can start making meaningful progress and increasing engagement.

In any case, make it personal.

Stop Thinking ‘Retention’, Start Thinking ‘Relationship’

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Retention is something of a time-selective phrase in club management.

Its definition has, arguably, become too closely rooted in taking action (usually) at the time of membership renewals to ensure as many existing members continue their membership as possible.

While that is a plausible (and at times necessary) position to take, the side effect is that it can begin to build a perception among members that you only care about them when it is in the club’s financial interest to do so.

So how can you go about changing that?

By facilitating meaningful relationships. From the moment they join, for the life of their membership.

The relationships your club cultivates for and with members are essential in developing and maintaining relevance – a key factor in positioning your club to achieve high levels of member satisfaction, retention, and recruitment.

Create the Social Links

Your priority in the early stages should be to integrate the new member into the social fabric of the club.

It’s easy to slip into thinking a member’s perception of the club’s value to them will revolve around the golf course or particular amenities and services you provide. But these tend not to be key factors in deciding whether to stay or leave, especially if they can experience them elsewhere.

What really sets your club apart is the existing membership base: the internal club networks and friendship groups that have established over time. This is the one thing that no other club can imitate. The more you can nurture and facilitate these inclusive and accessible networks, the stronger the emotional connection you can begin to create between new members and the club.

With that in mind, here are some useful ways to help facilitate the kinds of relationships that will instill loyalty and exceed the expectations of new members:

  • Invite them along to new member events (where they can get to know other new members).
  • Identify other like-minded members or members of a similar age to engage or play a round of golf with the new member.
  • Encourage or create opportunities for their family members to engage with the club at an early stage, through new member events, social events or simply by inviting them along to experience the club.

Develop the Connection to Expectations

Fast-forward the clock. These new members are no longer new members and have settled into life at the club. Hopefully, by this stage, they will have established meaningful relationships with fellow members and will be enjoying all aspects of membership.

Now is not the time to become complacent.

As Michael Gregory, GGA Director of Private Club Services, points out, “If you’re not exceeding the expectations of a member, then they are an ‘at risk’ member.”

But how do you keep exceeding expectations? Here’s some thoughts to consider:

  • Assess their satisfaction through a general member survey, or even through a dedicated survey for those of a similar member profile.
  • Identify areas of improvement through the survey and act on them. There is nothing worse than providing a forum by way of a survey but not following through on what your members are telling you.
  • Monitor individual engagement with the club, and look out for any profound changes of usage and utilization. Where there are changes, take the time to understand these and go the extra mile where it’s appropriate to do so.

Deepen the Sense of Belonging

Once members notch up 10 years or more, it’s safe to assume the club has become an integral part of their social life and, hopefully, their family’s too. They have likely forged a number of friendships, become attached to internal networks, and continue to enjoy the services offered by the club.

In this case it would likely take a significant event or set of circumstances to cause their departure.

However, as with any member, this should not reduce how attentive you are towards to this group. This is a group that will likely engage most with the club and have a greater sense of belonging, but also carry a greater influence – and this can be positive and negative.

So how do you manage this group effectively?

  • Have them play an active role in welcoming new members to the club. This will continue to enrich their relationship with the club, bestow a sense of trust in them, and retain a feeling of freshness.
  • Make them feel special. Organize specific events or social opportunities such as father / son or mother / daughter competitions, themed nights or games nights geared towards enhancing the emotional connection they have with the club.
  • Give them a voice – at this point in their member lifecycle they have a wealth of experience to draw from. Ignoring their suggestions can result in the emergence of vocal minorities, so give them every opportunity to serve on committees/boards and take an active role in the programming at the Club.

Retention is something managers focus on when renewals come around; relationships are something they develop year-round. If you can switch your focus to building and developing the relationships your members have with and at your club, you can continually exceed their expectations and create a sense of belonging that they will find difficult to live without.

 

This article was authored by GGA Manager Ben Hopkinson. 

Creating A Better Environment for Workers … and Potential Hires

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This is the second of two Golf Course Industry Game Plan columns focusing on becoming an employer of choice.  For more, check out the previous article “Become an Employer of Choice”.

“… And what do you do, Mike?” the guy grilling the burgers at the neighborhood barbecue asked casually.

“I’m the golf course superintendent at Laurel Lake Country Club.  It’s an amazing place to work.  I have a great team and my manager really appreciates the job we do.  If you’re thinking about joining a club, why don’t you come out as my guest one day?”

Is that the kind of answer one of your staff members would give in a similar situation?  If it is, you’re in an enviable position in this tight labor market — you’re what’s known as an “employer of choice.”  Employers of choice enjoy higher retention rates, better productivity from their teams and a healthier workplace culture.  What’s more, they don’t have to search as hard for top talent because the best people come to them, hoping to join their team.

So how do you create that kind of reputation for your club?  It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can start with the ways in which you promote job openings.  Here are five keys to positioning your club as a place where top talent wants to work:

1. Show your colors up front. Describe who you are and what your course or club represents. This description of your values and the high standards to which you hold team members is attractive to top performers.  Stating your values and the significance of the position helps prospective employees know if your club is one where they would be proud to work.

2. Describe the job benefits clearly. Benefits are an important differentiator in today’s workplace, but don’t think of them in limited terms. Beyond health insurance, sick leave and vacation days, benefits include respect, being part of a winning team, and the opportunity for continued professional learning and development.  Make sure you help prospective employees understand the full range of benefits that you offer.

3. Tell what the job entails. Pay attention to the language you choose to describe the job and its responsibilities. And don’t be hesitant to describe the job in demanding terms. Top performers want jobs that challenge them and ones that matter.  Describe the team that the prospective employee would join, its work ethic and its team spirit.  Being a part of a great team is a strong incentive to employees who enjoy collaboration and sharing.

4. Know your competition. Being an employer of choice requires that you do your homework to know how your compensation, benefits and culture compare with the competition. In a tight job market, it’s also important to realize that your competitors include more than golf clubs and other golf operations courses.  You’re also likely competing with landscape companies and hospitality positions for top talent.  Knowing what competitive organizations offer helps you structure benefits and comp attractively while being mindful of the budget.

5. Tell stories of valued performers. Stories of performance, customer service, overcoming adversity and teamwork give new employees insight to the organization and the culture they are part of. Think of it as a window into your team room, which allows you to describe the human components of the job that are not a part of the formal job description.

In his book, “Attracting and Retaining Talent: Becoming an Employer of Choice,” Dr. Tim Baker emphasizes the importance of standing on trustworthy values.  “In plain terms, being an employer of choice means establishing a business that is a great place to work.  If companies don’t genuinely act to become an employer of choice, then good employees will simply vote with their feet and move to a forward-thinking employer who offers them what they want.”

Remember the story of the janitor at the Johnson Space Center in Houston who, when asked by President John. F. Kennedy about his role, said, “Mr. President, I’m part of the team that is putting a man on the moon.”

Don’t you wish that janitor worked for you?

This article was authored by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier for Golf Course Industry Magazine. 

Is Your Club Relevant?

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If your club is relevant, it is closely connected to members’ lifestyles and appropriate to their wants and needs. But how do you determine if your club really is relevant? GGA’s Ben Hopkinson offers three points of guidance to help you self-evaluate and a handful of tactics to deploy in response.

Longevity requires relevance.

Survival in the modern club economy hinges on your club’s ability to remain relevant, both to existing members and prospective ones.

While building relevance is often the easy part, sustaining it is trickier. If left unmonitored, relevance diminishes as the years pass and the club’s value proposition suffers alongside member retention and satisfaction.

What does it mean to be relevant?

A relevant club is closely connected to members’ lifestyles and appropriate to their wants and needs; it’s the ability of a club to instill the notion that, by being or becoming a member, it will enhance their own and/or their family’s lifestyle.

It’s a simple equation. The more relevant you are, or become, the better placed your club is to achieve high levels of member satisfaction, retention, and recruitment.

But how can you understand and become more relevant? Here’s some pointers:

1. Gain a deep understanding of your market and membership

Who are your members really?

The first step to becoming more relevant is knowing your members fully and dispassionately. A thorough understanding of your membership’s demographic, psychographic, and emotional characteristics allows for a tailored Club experience.

This means knowing the answers to questions such as: Where do members live? Where do they work?  Do they belong to other local clubs or have vacation homes? Do they have children or grandchildren? What are their ages? How do they use the club?

Tracking utilization of each facility and space at your club allows you to understand the importance (and appropriateness) of each of them, helping to drive the strategy towards becoming more relevant.

Where does your club stand in the marketplace?

Get to know your potential market i.e. your members of tomorrow by sourcing demographic, psychographic, and participation data to quantify the number of candidates that match your member profile. Your market research should help you understand:

  • Relative to your competitors, how are you positioned in terms of cost to join, payment plans, and annual cost to belong?
  • What features and programming are your competitors offering that you don’t? And vice versa.
  • How do your attrition rates and sales compare with industry targets or, if available, those of competitors?

This exercise allows you to understand your club in the context of the marketplace better and helps establish your competitive advantages and points of differentiation. Leveraging that knowledge, you can enhance or develop your club’s strategy around demand and where it has room to grow.

2. Focus on enhancing individuals’ lives (and the lives of their families)

While understanding your members and marketplace should be your primary starting point on the road to relevance, this is a snapshot of the successful shifts in the approach of clubs across North America in a bid to enhance what they offer:

One-of-a-kind experiences

Members have an appetite for experiences they can cherish and share with their families and friends, so offering tailored, unique and memorable opportunities can not only help build relevance, but the emotional connection members have with your club. Examples might include: tickets to the special events such as the PGA Championship, concierge-type experiences that only your club can facilitate, or access to speakers they would not be able to get in front of otherwise.

Intentional member networks

Offering clubs-within-the-club are very important in today’s environment because building communities and networks drives engagement and connection within the club.

Think about a robust speaker series, associating your club with other clubs or professional organizations in exclusive relationships, creating a wine club or travel groups.

Some clubs have developed virtual membership clubs with their speaker series or programming where members can pay a small monthly fee to participate remotely. It promotes continued engagement and also drives a new revenue stream with no impact to your facilities.

Diverse wellness programming

Physical health, in the form of fitness and wellness, remains highly relevant. The decision to add fitness is a leading trend that clubs are considering, particularly in seasonal and winter climates to keep members connected year-round.

Beyond adding a fitness facility, newer trends in wellness programming that are highly relevant include group exercise classes, off-site activities and excursions, ‘socializing’ fitness activities into events, and increasing the variety of fitness offerings and their frequency of change.

Your club’s wellness programming should not be limited to physical training. Mental exercise is just as critical as physical exercise in keeping one’s brain fit and healthy, introducing more wellness programming around brain health is relevant to your club’s longer-tenured members and can connect them with what are often construed as ‘young people’ activities.

Amenities that support year-round use and lifestyle

The ultimate goal is to make your club the third most important or relevant place in members’ lives, next to home and work. Amenities that best support year-round use and lifestyle benefits go beyond traditional sports to focus on the clubhouse and socialization aspects of membership.

The top amenities that our clients are considering include:

  • Contemporary bar/sports lounge
  • Multiple dining experiences
  • Health and wellness facility
  • Indoor golf teaching area with a bar and HD simulators
  • Outdoor casual dining with fire pits
  • Tennis/pickleball courts
  • Outdoor pool featuring a modern children’s area and adult area with outdoor bar
  • Babysitting/children’s play areas

3. Measure, evaluate and act

Member feedback is key.

Soliciting member feedback tightens the connection between the club (as an organization) and its members (as individuals). Capturing member feedback generates actionable insights to improve all aspects of the club experience, while also helping to isolate which are most critical to their wants and needs.

Relevance can be measured in many ways and the best indicators to watch are attrition levels and the demand to join your club. Constant member feedback is needed to be proactive and instill a culture of measuring, evaluating and acting.

 

The relevant club of tomorrow

Think about relevance on a spectrum. One that changes through different actions or developments.

For instance, introducing new family amenities shifts and broadens the spectrum more towards a younger demographic of members and prospective members.

Similarly, the introduction of mental health training shifts and broadens the spectrum more towards an elder demographic.

In any case, the objective should be to find your club’s sweet spot on this spectrum. As we already know higher relevance = higher levels of member satisfaction, retention and recruitment, so find and occupy a position which is relevant to as many stakeholders as possible. This, ultimately, will be your club’s gateway to longevity.

For help and advice on making your club more relevant to existing and prospective members,
connect with Ben Hopkinson.

Inspiring Member Introductions

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New members can be difficult to come by, especially during times of economic turbulence. But your existing core membership can hold the key to unlocking a wave of new members. GGA’s Michael Gregory explains how.

Why are your current members a valuable avenue for new members?

Members who have developed an emotional connection with your club will be proud to show it off to friends and peers. Friends and peers who will typically be of a similar income bracket, age and family profile.

Since the club’s membership proposition already appeals to those existing members, its relevance to their friends and peers is naturally much higher than it would be for a typical prospect.

Add in our findings; surveys of over 50,000 private club members each year reveal that ‘friends and family who are members’ is consistently one of the top three factors in the decision to join. For millennials, it’s even more important. All of a sudden, the importance of existing members comes into focus.

But what is it that gets these prospects over the line?

Ordinarily, a club employee will be the one selling the benefits of membership to prospects. In this case, however, its existing members. They’ll be your best advocates, your best sales men and women. They can express what it means to be a member, told through the eyes of the members themselves. A compelling and convincing message, and an effective mechanism to generate new members.

Should there be an official referral scheme in place to incentivize current members?

Before developing a formal or informal scheme you should scrutinize the current numbers. How many member referral leads do you generate? In our experience, over half of member leads usually come from referrals. If your number is far lower, you first need to ask why.

A member satisfaction survey can provide the answers. If satisfaction is low in areas central to your club’s value proposition, then existing members will not be as forthcoming in promoting the club to their friends and peers.

After your survey, isolate the areas in need of improvement and build these into your strategic plan. With the root causes of dissatisfaction being addressed, the club will organically become somewhere that members have a stronger connection with, and in turn a place they are more likely to recommend to potential new members.

It’s true that a catalyst may still be required to supplement this process and to help overturn a culture of non-referral. But a word of caution on this: a referral scheme should not be rolled out as a short-term solution to get more members. It could come across as desperate, distorting the value perception of membership at your club, and you could give too much away if not carefully developed.

We have found that recognition can be just as motivating as monetary incentives. So, before opting for the financial route, give some recognition to those who have referred members in a given month or year (which could be as simple as acknowledging the individuals in the club newsletter), then see if this spurs on more to act.

Is there something else club managers should be doing to ‘activate’ their members?

A lack of satisfaction can be one cause of low member referral numbers, but it might be as simple as not having created the opportunities for referrals to happen.

The good news is there are some simple and effective tactics you can roll out to create a fertile referral environment:

Golf days – the most obvious but often overlooked. Open days, invitation days and corporate days are a great way for prospects to experience what the club has to offer and provide the opportunity to spend some quality time on the course with other members.

Social events – allow members to invite guests along to select social events. It will introduce them to the club environment, they’ll get to meet other members and begin to feel what it’s like to be part of the membership community.

Crucially, welcome families along to these events too. We know how important spouses can be in the decision to join a club, so they need to get a first-hand look at how membership could enrich their life.

Discovery days – host a discovery day for existing members to bring along selected guests. Put together a dedicated itinerary where prospects can experience what it’s like to be a member, and give them the opportunity to join at the end of it.

Membership toolkit – arm your members with a “membership tool kit”. This can provide them with clear guidance on what to do should any of their friends or relatives want to visit or even join the club.

Is it all a numbers game?

The thing to remember is, a typical club’s attrition rate stands at around 20-35 members. With conversion rates between 8-12%, that means a club will need at least 200 prospects on any given year just to replace what they lose.

So the numbers are important. Your current members should be your most important pipeline for new members, and if less than half of your prospects come from your existing members, it’s time to pay attention and act. Your future depends on it.

Become an Employer of Choice

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The order of the day went straight to the point: “England expects that every man will do his duty.” In the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, one of England’s more decisive naval battles, Admiral Lord Nelson called upon the sailors of his island nation to ward off an attack by the combined French and Spanish navies. It was a battle to the finish and one in which Nelson was mortally wounded. When told of eminent victory, among his final words were, “Now I have done my duty.”

Golf course managers today are charged with myriad duties, maybe not with life and death consequences, but critical nonetheless. Foremost among them is the recruitment, training and retention of a qualified and motivated staff. There is no more important role to the financial and operational well-being of courses simply because so many moving parts require near constant attention.

What’s more, the job is getting tougher. The U.S. has more job openings than unemployed people, a situation known as “full employment.” The U.S. economy added 216,000 jobs in April, notching a record 103 straight months of job gains and signaling that the current economic expansion shows little sign of stalling. The Labor Department reported in July that the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 percent, the lowest since 1969.

What we should glean from those statistics is that the war for talent continues unabated across U.S. businesses, making it even more challenging for leaders to build a staff with the highest quality workers. Becoming an employer of choice in your market is now a business imperative. Here are five ways to distinguish your facility:

1. Prioritize. With labor costs representing slightly more than half of operational costs at most facilities, making your course and club attractive to job seekers is a smart use of resources. Start by deciding the selection criteria for each position. Thinking through on-the-job performance standards helps to establish the search criteria for each position. This careful job description serves to focus the employer’s intentions and expectations. Detailed job description and criteria also clarify the opportunity for prospective employees, so they know going in what is expected of a successful candidate.

The process seems simple, but many employers fail to prioritize the time and thought process to describe what is needed from a specific position.

2. Organize. Employees want to know what will be expected of them in the job. An organized approach to describing the position makes sure employer and employee are on the same page, reducing surprises and establishing an understanding on key aspects of employment. Carefully organizing the position description signals that you know what you want and will keep searching until you find the best candidate.

3. Standardize. Your search process is a miniature branding effort. Using consistent and professional formatting, job and benefits descriptions and comprehensive summaries of expected annual income guide prospective employees to you. Remember, you’re not simply searching for someone to fill a position – you’re searching for the best possible fit.

Describe the culture of your team with words that demonstrate commitment and dedication. For most people, work is an emotional relationship before it is an economic consideration. In a December 2018 study of employees’ attitudes, Clutch, a B2B search firm, noted that “workplace values are essential to recruiting, retaining, and motivating quality employees.” In the same study, employees emphasized the importance of fair treatment and compensation alongside ethical treatment. While compensation is obviously important, how people feel about themselves in their jobs is even more valuable.

4. Recognize. To keep top performers, celebrate their successes. To many workers, the respect of their co-workers is highly important. Create a culture that recognizes the efforts and successful performance results of teammates. There are many examples of employee recognition successes, but most important is keeping the recognition fair, transparent and generous. Recognition will prove to be one of your best investments in time and money.

5. Evolution-ize. Create a recruitment and retention process that evolves with the workforce, your club and employees. Most staff members want to work where there is a fresh and invigorating environment. Traditions are extremely important and should be balanced with the need of employees to see change and growth in their jobs and lives.

This article was authored by GGA Partner Henry DeLozier for Golf Course Industry Magazine. 

Community… and How To Build It

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A member’s relationship with your club will feel infinitely more connected, more substantial and more emotional if they are part of a community. But how do you create a community at your club? Can you create a community? GGA’s Henry DeLozier has the answers.

It is a genuine sense of community – and the opportunity to be a part of it – that attracts members to a private club.

Members need their club to be a safe place, populated by people with shared lifestyle expectations, and built on experiences that create a feeling of fellowship.

But how does a club create an authentic community?

The foundation of any community is shared values, and for a private club these may be values such as safe haven and healthy lifestyle.

In private clubs today, this culture of common attitudes, interests, and goals cannot be left to chance – it must be facilitated and fostered by the club leadership.

Successful club leaders and managers understand that this requires an intentional plan of action; one which establishes and sustains several key elements within the club’s culture:

Setting the Standard

Clearly stated standards of conduct are essential to establish a shared understanding of the community’s behavioral norms. Members rely upon a common understanding of acceptable – and unacceptable – behavior.

In clubs today, such standards of decorum include dress, usage of technological devices such as mobile phones, and personal conduct. In the main, club members are highly supportive of rules and rule enforcement… for others at least.

How can club leaders effectively implement respected community standards?

  • Engage input from many members when formulating and updating the club’s rules. The more members who participate in establishing the community’s standards, the more widely the standards are supported.
  • Communicate the commonly accepted standards for all to see, question, refine, and accept.
  • Make such standards the backbone of new-member orientation and communicate to existing members that new members are being so informed.

At The Ford Plantation near Savannah, Georgia, the sense of community is a point of pride among club members.

CEO Marc Ray observes, “Everything we do, including our Mission Statement, refers to Ford as a community of “friends and neighbors”. The members, and the staff, genuinely care about each other, and it is a culture that permeates the community.

“We travel together, dine together…and sometimes cry together. There is nothing fake or contrived. It is an ingrained culture that people want to, and get to, belong to. Something bigger than themselves.”

Firm but Fair

Establishing a sense of unity and togetherness is a powerful asset for any club, and this is something that needs to be protected.

From time to time, there will of course be people who do not honor the standards set, and knowing how to address those individuals and the situations that arise is critical to uphold the standards of the community.

How should clubs approach these situations? The best are consistent and firm in the enforcement of community standards with very few exceptions. So too, top clubs enforce their rules evenly regardless of status, tenure or importance.

“If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything” is a commonly referenced quote with mixed attribution and, yet, its aptness is clear. Members like to know that their community and its traditions stand for something worthy of their respect and support.

Behind the Curtain

Employees are a vital component of club communities. In many clubs, it is the staff that hold the club together and keep it the safe haven on which members rely.

This is particularly prevalent at Desert Mountain in Carefree, Arizona, as Damon DiOrio, the Club’s CEO, describes, “Establishing a safe, positive, healthy and energized work culture, built on trust and respect for your employees, is the first step in developing a strong and inclusive brand.

“Having a united and caring culture for your team is critical to forging an environment that emanates membership loyalty and a sense of community. As leaders, we can only fulfil the dream of having pride and harmony in our membership by being open, honest, engaging, transparent and authentic.”

The Power of Tradition

A sense of community also relies upon treasured traditions which celebrate friendship, family, and fun. These are key ingredients to a feeling of “belonging”.

Traditional special events and celebrations at many clubs help to crystalize the community’s values.

Take the ‘Big Little Show’ at Westchester Country Club, for instance, where family is the tradition placed front and center every summer with the club’s vibrant talent show.

Events which celebrate patriotism and love of country are other popular examples that serve to bring club members closer together through shared, cherished moments.

Your club could have all of the facilities and amenities in the world, but it is the sense of community – of being a part of something dear to them – that makes members proud and dedicated to their club for generations.

Facilitate and foster the emergence of this community, and it could fast become your club’s strongest asset.

Executive Search: Chief Operating Officer at Scarboro Golf & Country Club

Date:

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

The Club:

Scarboro Golf & Country Club has a truly unique and prestigious history which dates back to 1912. The Club is a private member club in eastern Toronto, Canada and has an 18-hole golf course that is consistently ranked among the top 100 courses in Canada with a grand Edwardian clubhouse which opened in 1914.

The course was originally designed by George Cummings and was extensively changed in 1924 under the direction of A. W. Tillinghast. The golf course went through a further renovation in 2010 which was overseen by famed golf architect Gil Hanse. Mr. Hanse designed the golf course in Rio to host the 2016 Olympics. He has designed and worked on many other world-renowned golf courses and performed numerous Tillinghast restorations.

Scarboro has been proud host of the Canadian Open golf tournament four times. Past Champions include Sam Snead, Bobby Locke, Dave Douglas and Doug Ford. In hosting the 1958 Canadian Amateur Championship, a first-round casualty was an 18-year-old Jack Nicklaus. In 1961, the course was one of 25 that hosted the World Series of Golf matches between Masters and British Open champions, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. In fact, Mr. Palmer was so taken with the golf course, he included Scarboro’ s signature par 3 Hole # 14 as one of his all-time favourite holes. Numerous other professional and amateur events have been conducted on the Club’s fairways over the years including the CPGA tour championship in 2012.

The Position:

We are looking for a Chief Operating Officer (/COO) reporting to the Board of Directors to oversee the Club’s operations. The COO has full responsibility for all aspects of operations including sales and marketing at the Club, effectively managing all resources to deliver a consistently excellent member experience. The COO, with oversight from the Board, will guide and assist the Board in the development and implementation of Club policies and programs.

The COO will be responsible for the following:

  • The consistent delivery of a member experience commensurate with specified member expectations as well as member recruitment.
  • The performance management for the Club’s financial results, sales, marketing, operating processes and senior management performance. Senior Managers who report directly to the COO and are responsible for the day-to-day activities and processes. Although the COO will rely on the Senior Managers to operate the daily activities, the COO will be ultimately responsible for overall performance metrics and service, member growth and retention and revenue growth.
  • Representation of the Club to members, staff and external agencies. The COO is engaged in new member onboarding.
  • The execution of the Scarboro Golf & CC Strategic Plan and resulting Business Plan, Membership Development Plan and overall marketing strategy.
  • The supervision of the entire Club operation including food and beverage operations, membership services, golf services operations, golf course maintenance, Club facilities and administrative services.
  • The execution of Board policy and strategy.

Candidate Profile:

The COO reports to the Board. Given the leading role this individual will play in achieving the strategic objectives of Scarboro Golf & Country Club, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following core competencies, experience and attributes:

  • A leader with the ability to build strong teams by motivation and leading by example. Has the ability to provide direction and expectations, performance feedback and recognition that leads to positive outcomes;
  • Previous experience as a senior leader at a private club or other similar facility is desirable, experience in the hospitality industry beneficial;
  • A self-starter and results oriented work style combined with excellent collaborative, communication and interpersonal skills with all the Club’s stakeholders;
  • Strong professional deportment with a clear commitment to member service through an open and transparent customer/member approach, demonstrates integrity and ethical conduct in words and deeds;
  • A strategic thinker with strong business acumen to maximize revenue potential through aggressive member acquisition as well as effective retention programs;
  • Politically astute. Able to identify potential issues and deal effectively with them while exercising tact and diplomacy;
  • An entrepreneurial style combined with a background in all aspects of business management including business development, finance, information technology, human resources, risk management and performance management;
  • Readily accepts and responds to challenges. Directly confronts problems, seeks help when needed and is solution oriented;
  • Incorporates succession planning by preparing staff for key leadership roles;
  • Ensures compliance with all regulatory and matters affecting the Club;
  • Experience reporting to and collaborating with a Board that has adopted a club governance structure and processes to lead the Club and COO to success;
  • A post-secondary degree in business or a related discipline preferred;
  • A Certified Club Manager designation (CCM) is preferred.

Note:
The position is currently vacant.

Compensation:
The Club will offer an attractive compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary and benefits.

Inquiries:
IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit resumes along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019. Those documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, Scarboro COO Cover Letter” and “Last Name, First Name, Scarboro COO Resume”) respectively to: execsearch@globalgolfadvisors.com.

George Pinches
Director
Global Golf Advisors Inc.

For more information on Scarboro Golf and Country Club: www.scarborogolf.com

Executive Search: Controller at Scarboro Golf & Country Club

Date:

CONTROLLER
SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

The Club:

Scarboro Golf & Country Club has a truly unique and prestigious history which dates back to 1912. The Club is a private member club in eastern Toronto, Canada and has an 18-hole golf course that is consistently ranked among the top 100 courses in Canada with a grand Edwardian clubhouse which opened in 1914.

The course was originally designed by George Cummings and was extensively changed in 1924 under the direction of A. W. Tillinghast. The golf course went through a further renovation in 2010 which was overseen by famed golf architect Gil Hanse. Mr. Hanse designed the golf course in Rio to host the 2016 Olympics. He has designed and worked on many other world-renowned golf courses and performed numerous Tillinghast restorations.

Scarboro has been proud host of the Canadian Open golf tournament four times. Past Champions include Sam Snead, Bobby Locke, Dave Douglas and Doug Ford. In hosting the 1958 Canadian Amateur Championship, a first-round casualty was an 18-year-old Jack Nicklaus. In 1961, the course was one of 25 that hosted the World Series of Golf matches between Masters and British Open champions, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer. In fact, Mr. Palmer was so taken with the golf course, he included Scarboro’ s signature par 3 Hole # 14 as one of his all-time favourite holes. Numerous other professional and amateur events have been conducted on the Club’s fairways over the years including the CPGA tour championship in 2012.

The Position:

We are looking for a Controller reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. The Controller manages the financial operations of the club, supervises the accounting functions and provides analytical support to and participates with the COO, Board, Finance Committee and others for planning, budgets and solutions to business problems. The Controller recommends, implements and maintains the Club’s financial plans and policies, its accounting practices, fiscal records and the preparation of financial reports. The Controller makes decisions in accordance with Club policy on administrative or operational matters and ensures the operations’ effective achievement of objectives.

The Controller will be responsible for the following:

  • Recommends and implements policies to control and coordinate accounting, auditing, budgets, taxes and related activities and records; develop, establish and administer procedures and systems pertaining to financial matters. Responsible for the Club’s internal controls and compliance to same.
  • Prepare financial statements, forecasts and analysis for all administrative and managerial functions. Maintain all accounting records; develop, analyze and interpret statistical and accounting information.
  • Manage the annual audit.
  • Evaluate operating results for costs, revenues, budgets, policies of operation, trends and increased profit possibilities. Serve as liaison to finance, insurance and pension committees. Supervise the staffing, scheduling, training and professional development of department members.
  • Responsible for the development, implementation and operation of all accounting and information systems support; for the administration, management and maintenance of the equipment systems employed in the collection of information and for the training and supervision of staff related to (but not limited to) the Administrative area.
  • Development, analysis, and interpretation of statistical and accounting information in order to appraise operating results in terms of profitability, performance against budget, and other matters bearing on the fiscal soundness and operating effectiveness of the organization.
  • Responsible for evaluating the performance of personnel in the Administration Department. This individual recommends training requirements, has the duty to keep the staff at the highest level of skill necessary to meet Club needs and objectives, and may recommend that personnel be hired or removed from the Department.
  • Establishes major economic objectives and policies for the Club and prepares reports that outline the Club’s financial position in the areas of income, expenses, and earnings based on past, present, and future operations.
  • Coordinates and directs the preparation of the budget, business plan and financial forecasts, institutes and maintains other planning and control procedures, and analyzes and reports variances.
  • Is responsible for tax planning and compliance with all federal, provincial, and local corporate, payroll, and other applicable taxes.
  • Furnishes internal reports, revises and updates reports to be more useful and efficient, and furnishes external reports as necessary.
  • Evaluates and recommends insurance coverage for protection against property losses and potential liabilities.

Candidate Profile:

  • CMA, CA
  • Five to seven years of professional accounting experience with at least two years as Controller; Not-for-profit experience an asset
  • Excellent management, leadership, analytical and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to design and implement a control reporting system. Experience in systems integration, flowcharting, documentation and key control analysis required. Experience overseeing information technology operation and electronic data transfer between systems
  • Strong communication skills
  • Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations.
  • Knowledge and understanding of retirement plans and benefit programs.
  • Knowledge of pertinent Ontario and federal employment laws and practices.

Note:
The position is currently vacant.

Compensation:
The Club will offer an attractive compensation package, commensurate with experience, which will include a competitive base salary and benefits.

Inquiries:
IMPORTANT: Interested candidates should submit resumes along with a detailed cover letter which addresses the qualifications and describes your alignment/experience with the prescribed position by Tuesday, June 25th, 2019. Those documents must be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save as “Last Name, First Name, Scarboro Controller Cover Letter” and “Last Name, First Name Scarboro Controller Resume”) respectively to: execsearch@globalgolfadvisors.com.

George Pinches
Director
Global Golf Advisors Inc.

For more information on Scarboro Golf and Country Club: www.scarborogolf.com

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