By developing and implementing a strategic digital communications approach to the club’s marketing and communication, Cathy Zehms has created a content ecosystem at the Green Bay Country Club not seen in most private clubs. In her first 4-years membership increased more than 160%.

What does it take to keep your private club membership thriving during a crisis? Engagement and innovation. That's what Dave Porter and his team at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, AL did when the pandemic swept the country in 2020. Listen to how he helped lead his staff and membership through this incredible time.

When Minnesota golf courses were forced to close at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Joel Livingood was already preparing for the next step. It's what he's done since taking over as GM at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, MN in 2017. With solid financial footing and a steady hand, Livingood led his team and membership through one of the most extraordinary years in U.S. history.

At the start of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, private clubs, like most businesses were cast into a future of uncertainty. One role that proved to be critical at Bethesda Country Club is that of the membership director. Kris Butterfield, Director of Membership Marketing and Communications expanded her responsibilities in ways she never would have expected and it paid off for her club and for her professionally. 

If the goal of private club marketing is to influence thinking and behavior, then a basic understanding of the brain can increase the chances of success. In this episode, we speak with Laura Leszczynski, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy at Strategic Club Solutions.

Industry experts will tell you that clubs that have strategic plans in place are more inclined to have wait lists for prospective members. Coincidence? Not according to Ryan Doerr, CEO of Strategic Club Solutions.

Chris DeConna is a marketing coordinator and graphic designer at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster, CO – and he’s changing the game for club communications. Even though he’s spent about 4 years working in private clubs, Chris’s background is outside the industry. His most formative communications training coming while working in college athletics as a media relations specialist. By following and observing what athletic departments were doing, Chris recognized they were on to something.

Getting your club to buy into social media and participate with meaningful content is difficult. Chris Tritabaugh, Superintendent at Hazeltine National is elevating his club's prominence, engaging members and building his personal brand through his Twitter. Chris started his account in 2009 when Twitter had established itself for those "in the know", but for most people in the club space, it was perceived as risky. Tritabaugh began setting fire to a community of avid golf fans and turf experts.

Proactive communication using social media and video kept the team at Pelican Isle Yacht Club ahead of the conversation when it came to a multi-million dollar remodeling project. It was also a key part in a record-setting membership drive that occurred once the renovation was complete.   We connected with Pelican Isle's Kathie Pedit, marketing sales and membership director, and Megan Somerville, membership coordinator, to learn their secrets to success.

You want a younger membership yet you need to retain your existing legacy members. Each demographic values things like luxury, status, and relaxation differently. While some of your older members may go to the club to get away from work, your younger members may want a place to hunker down and treat the club as a second home or office. In this episode of Crushing Club Marketing, Amy Lynch, CEO of Generational Edge breaks down all you need to know about marketing to different generations.

In this week's episode, we take a look at The Country Club's communications overhaul from a club leadership perspective. Assistant General Manager Kristen LaCount shares how clear vision and strong leadership have propelled the Country Club on a steady path of embracing and implementing change.

In this episode of Crushing Club Marketing, we talk with Golf Life Navigators Co-Founder and CEO Jason Becker, who shares valuable insight from the service's matching process and how it can help club marketers position themselves to potential members.