Focus on the Facts

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Silence is Golden: Why Confidentiality is Key for Private Club Boards

In our work with private club boards, we have met many officers who are concerned about maintaining the confidentiality of boardroom discussions. Their harrowing tales about the messes that ensue when those efforts fail are the inspiration for this...

Cause and Effect: The Link Between Governance and Financial Success

In our 2023 Club Governance Survey Report, we noted gaps in board education and alignment across the industry. For clubs that did not embrace comprehensive board education, the result was inconsistent practices and understanding in such key areas as...

Lead Us Not into Temptation…

Like It or Not, Dues Increases are the Appropriate Response to Inflationary Pressure.

Labor shortages and other inflationary pressures are budget busters. In the current environment, private club leaders are scrambling to cover current year...

Succession Planning in Private Clubs

Originally published by the National Club Association in the Experts Corner section of Club Director Magazine (Spring 2022)

CLUB BENCHMARKING has conducted a Club Governance Survey annually since 2017. In every survey, succession planning for...

How Top-Tier Clubs Get Ahead of Competitors and Stay There

Originally published in the Winter 2022 issue of National Club Association's Club Director magazine

If you are a leader of a top-tier private club (or a club that aspires to be top tier), you understand that relevance is not just a buzz word—it is...

Long-Term Debt in Private Clubs

Taking on long-term debt at a private club is one of the most important decisions a board can make. The long-term consequences of taking on debt will limit the flexibility of the club and future administrations for many years to come.

The Annual Agenda: Mapping Your Path to Success

After more than a decade of supporting private clubs on the journey to strategic governance, we are convinced that it would be impossible to overstate the importance of planning in that process. For those who might question our conclusion, we ask...

Board Orientations: The Formula for Effective Governance

Private clubs operate in an industry that is highly fragmented and they are far more complex than revenues might suggest. Constitutions, bylaws and operating practices tend to be homegrown. Board member terms are relatively short by commercial...

Transformative Investment: What's This Going to Cost Us?

Transformative investments of millions of dollars are reshaping private club campuses everywhere, and “What’s this going to cost?” is a question often raised in member forums and club board meetings. Club leaders need to put in the work and be...

Market Update: Residential Real Estate in a COVID Economy

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

I don't sail much any more, but that adage definitely speaks to me as I reflect on what we've all been faced with over the last six weeks. I am a self-confessed data geek who has been...