By Kurt Kuebler , CCM^*

Does Your Golf Club Pass The "Cobweb Check?"

My partner Dick often chides me when we walk into a club for the first time, as I will always stop to look up at the underside of the Porte cochere to do my “cobweb check”.

He and I have discussed and noted how often there is a strong correlation from cobwebs there to dysfunction and chaos inside the clubhouse, and even in the boardroom. Clearly, in our minds, the ‘Details’ necessary for success in the club world are often being overlooked and the cobweb buildup is my own personal sign of what we’re likely going to encounter!

My next stop is usually the men’s room, where after spotting cobwebs outside, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to see dirty corners, trash on the floors, and so on. And, of course, if it’s got granite countertops, I’m likely going to see a nice, plastic wall-mounted industrial soap dispenser next to the motion activated plastic hand towel dispenser. As I then continue further into the club, I’m likely not greeted by anyone, but rather have to wander around until I get someone’s attention and asked where to go….and, have them point to a door and say, “He’s probably in there, but I haven’t seen him today, so he may not be around.”

You know the drill…. the ‘signs’ are everywhere. And, there are literally signs, too. They are likely taped to the glass door telling me about a sale in the golf shop…. only it ended three days earlier. Or, as I’m then walking through the door that is supposed to lead me to the manager’s office, I have to walk around the excess storage that somehow can only be accommodated in the office hallway.

How come no one has ‘sweated’ these kinds of details?

We’ll then reach the meeting. Be it with the manager or board members at this type of club (the ones where we inevitably experience something like the above, and usually much more, but for brevity, I’m eliminating more “detail), we usually hear a pretty strong perspective of, “We’ve continued to lose members and have to find someone who can help us market the club!” Or, “We’ve tightened things up everywhere we can and we’re still having trouble generating enough income to cover our expenses!”

Any doubt why this is the case?

Clearly, every club needs to be focused strategically and understand what the end game vision is for the club. Many don’t do that. But, even those that do will forget that in order to get there, you must focus on the details! And, in my mind, those details are the cobwebs, the plastic dispensers, the lack of a receptionist, the storage room member ‘hallway’, and so on. All of that sends a message to every constituency that comes in contact with the club---members, prospective members, staff, vendors, guests, family members, etc. And, if the details aren’t done well, those constituencies become the communicators of what they saw and experienced.

As Dick so aptly reminds me, “They are all ‘Moments of Truth!'" They all tell a story---positive, negative or neutral. The clubs that consistently make the details a strong focus to support that big picture strategy are, in most every case, head and shoulders outperforming the competition in their respective markets.

Let me give you an example of how great it can be when someone has actually obsessed over the details…

I recently had the good fortune and opportunity to be able to visit the Charlotte Country Club (CCC) and my good friend, CMAA Board Member Damon DiOrio . Now, I’ve known Damon a long time and have heard many great things about CCC, but I’ve never had the chance to visit. My visit just happened to be over the holidays and on one of their busiest days of the season (great timing on my part!); there were functions occurring in every room in the recently renovated and expanded clubhouse.

When I pulled up to the gatehouse for the very first time ever, in a rental car, in the passenger (not the driver’s seat), with several other function goers in front and behind me, the gatehouse greeter, Buster Ledford, walked out and exclaimed, “Mr. Kuebler, welcome to Charlotte Country Club!” He then gave us clear instructions where to park, which door to use, and asked if there was anything we needed before proceeding.

Do you think Damon and his team ‘Sweat the Details’! I guarantee they do!

When we then walked through the clubhouse a short time later with several other folks, touring the new facility, every staff member we encountered stopped when we were within ten feet or so, asking if there was anything they might do to assist us? When we had to leave before a scheduled lunch, one of Damon’s capable staff asked if I would wait just a moment. When he returned, he had ‘to go’ lunch bags for each of us, along with bottled water and all the accompaniments we’d need for the road!!

I saw several other “details” being obsessed over while touring the club that day---and a team of associates who have a clear mission and understanding of what’s important to drive member and guest satisfaction. And you know it absolutely drives their own internal satisfaction as well!! The pride was evident within the entire team…I walked the kitchens, storage rooms, etc., interacting with a number of team member along the way.

When questioning Damon on how he does it, it was clear and obvious that is was simply an obsession with first identifying the vision and then focusing on the “details” to successfully achieve that vision. And, you know what, it really doesn’t cost his club anything more than what might be considered average for a training budget. But, it truly gains them a whole lot more in terms of member satisfaction---and staff satisfaction because they clearly feel genuine appreciation and respect from their members for executing on the “details”!

As Ken Blanchard suggests, the ultimate goal is to create a whole cadre of “Raving Fans” who tell your story and promote your brand. Can you imagine how many times I’ve related this story and my experience to club managers and their boards around the country? And, I just did it again!!

Clubs in today’s club world that set themselves apart simply “Sweat the Details” in all that they do. Not just the manager and his or her team, but the Board and others who have responsibility to do their part in the success plan.

In conclusion, as I looked up while walking into the Charlotte Country Club, do you think I saw any cobwebs on the Porte cochere, or anywhere else for that matter? Heck, it looked like they just painted the place…….just for my visit!!

At least that’s how the experience made me feel!!!

Kurt D. Kuebler, CCM and Richard M. Kopplin are Partners with Kopplin & Kuebler, specializing in the placement of General Managers/Chief Operating Officers, Directors of Golf and Golf Course Superintendents. They may be reached at 407-864-6798 or through the website at www.kopplinandkuebler.com.

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Credits

Originally posted by KurtKuebler on 21 Sep 2010.
All contributors: KurtKuebler,

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