Even the most high-demand golf clubs with long waiting lists rely on their members to succeed, ensuring members are engaged and feel valued, respected, and integral to the culture. One of the best ways to improve transparency is to ensure communications are clear, providing members with reporting and opportunities to have their say, without any secrecy around how decisions are made, by whom, and how this impacts the club.
Member retention is often a top priority, and involving members in the country club election process, publishing an agenda for forthcoming meetings, or inviting members to respond to surveys and polls can all contribute to an environment of integrity and openness.
These membership-based organizations provide facilities, events, and often dining, spanning well-maintained golf courses, driving ranges, swimming pools, tennis courts, and private tuition or family programs. Many golf clubs find that, without seeking membership input in country club decision scenarios, they lose track of what matters most to their members or the aspects of the club that first attracted members. Examples might include:
In each of these circumstances, members may object based on the perception that their views were not sought or that decisions have been made based on priorities that do not align with their own. Putting in place effective financial governance country club policies can avoid this contention, where members know how club funds are being spent, how they can influence these decisions, and how boards function to protect the interests of the membership.
The conventional structure of a golf club often meant that governance was considered secretive, where members had limited input, could not participate in voting or meetings, and were unaware of capital expenditure decisions until they had already been made. The support of club membership is imperative, not only to ensure sweeping decisions are well received but also to ensure that members trust in the credibility of their elected committee or representatives to uphold their views.
This level of engagement and communication becomes even more important for golf clubs that are owned by management firms or other third parties, which members may consider as a step removed. Withdrawing any element of secrecy or siloed information sharing can profoundly impact the way members feel about their membership, transitioning a vacuum of decision-making power into an open organization that welcomes views and ideas–making a club inclusive, democratic, and transparent.
All members should understand membership rules, club policies, and the financial management regulations in place. Creating membership packs and access to online databases and resources can help to communicate:
The convention of holding closed committee meetings, publishing outcomes of votes after the fact, or not disclosing proposed changes to membership dues can mean members feel they do not have a say or that governance and elections are tightly controlled without due oversight. Taking active steps to include members, introduce the highest levels of transparency, and ensure all members know how and by whom operations are managed is an excellent way to prevent members from becoming disenfranchised.
Open communication, full membership voting or surveys, and providing convenient access to digital polls are just some of the many ways to ensure golf club operations are highly transparent and members have the space and opportunity to have constructive input. Rather than assuming members will have the time to read lengthy documentation or seek out information that affects their membership, the onus is on the club and its governors to set the standard for outstanding communication.
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