Understanding Club Culture - The Turning Point
By Gregg Patterson, GM, The Beach Club

A piece of land adjoining our club has become available for purchase. Beach front property. Prime location. Expensive. Assessments will be needed. Debt will be needed. Dues will be raised.

And we’ve never had an assessment, never had debt, never raised the dues precipitously. We’ll have to now. We’ve lived frugally, kept our appetites in check, watched every dollar. It’s been our culture. But things will be different. The culture will change.

We may have arrived at a juncture in the club’s century long journey. New roads will be taken. We’re at a turning point.

Change makes the directors nervous, the members nervous, the management team nervous. Turning points are scary. Comfort and security and “the same old, same old” were a warm blanket, a soothing embrace. We now find ourselves “in a dark wood, on a lost road.” And we’re twitching.

Members will yowl and howl in favor of the purchase. “No brainer---we’ve got to buy it. We’ll be changed irreparably if we don’t and we’ll go to hell in a hand basket overnight.”

Members will yowl and howl against the purchase. “No brainer---don’t even think about buying it. It will change us irreparably if we do and we’ll go to hell in a hand basket overnight.”

The Board will be attacked by the Buy Crowd for cowardice in the face of opportunity. For being wimps. For listening rather than leading.

The Board will be attacked by the Don’t Buy Crowd for moving the club away from its roots, fracturing the community, embracing excess, forgetting the eighty seven years of history that made the club great. For abandoning the good, the cherished, and the beloved for some flashy, money fueled yuppie conception of “hip.”

Members will align themselves into warring factions. Verbal cudgels will be raised, blows will be delivered, psychic injuries will be sustained.

Members will resign.

Members will celebrate their resignation.

Is it worth the pain?

We’re bumping up against a turning point.
Turning Point Types

Turning points come in many shapes and sizes.

There are CAPITAL LETTER turning points when a new direction is taken that makes an impact right now, earth shaking, smacking down the old culture, introducing the new, changing the club in a big and significant way. The decision makers decide knowing full well that big changes are in the offing. Admitting women. Admitting minorities. Going from “non profit” to “for profit.” Going from propriety to equity. Big stuff. Get ready. Change is coming. The culture has shifted. “We’re buying the property next door and the assessment is coming.” A CAPITAL LETTER turning point.

There are continuum turning points. Turns that are consistent with a series of turns previously made. Another in a long string of decisions pointing in the same direction. It starts innocently enough with the hiring of a young and enthusiastic manager. Then a professional designer is hired to decorate the clubhouse, and the president’s wife is retired. Then a “fire in the belly” youth director is hired. Then the old grill is torn down and a new one built. Then a high octane chef is recruited. Then a food and beverage director is hired. And along the way the price of membership climbs and the waiting list grows. Each decision is a small turning point, each understated at the time but dramatic in reflection, each consistent philosophically with those made before. Part of a continuum. “We’re buying the property next door and the assessment is coming.” Nothing more than a continuum turning point.

There are exclamation point!!! turning points. Turns that are consistent with earlier turns, but a truly Big Deal!!! The new manager, the professional decorator, the new grill, high octane chef, great youth director. And now you decide to tear down the clubhouse!!!, assess the members!!!, go into debt!!!, raise the dues!!! and build up a facility consistent with the talent you’ve hired and the expectations you’ve created over time!!!!!!! “We’re buying the property next door and the assessment is coming.” The decision is consistent with turns already made, but bigger. It deserves an exclamation point.

There are should have been but never were turning points. Turns that the directors thought were being made, but, in reflection, changed nothing despite all the hubbub surrounding the decision. Turning points that never were. “We’re buying the property next door and the assessment is coming.” No-one resigns, finances are adjusted, the wait list grows, life goes on. A should have been but never was turning point.

There are could have, should have turning points. Moments when decisions were made not to turn, when what “might be” was rejected as too radical, too much of a stretch. Why was the board so short sighted??? Why didn’t the club buy that land??? How could the membership have been so stupid way back then??? Why didn’t they think of the future??? “We were going to buy the property next door but we didn’t. How could the board have been so stupid???” A could have, should have turning point.

There are unintended consequences turning points. Should the club buy the land, assess the members, go into debt, raise the dues, go for the yuppie market? The club investigates the upside and the downside of the turn. White Papers are written. Forums are held. Committees are engaged. The club has thought of everything. But they didn’t. “The Board has decided to buy the property next door.” Then---the land was purchased, the market for beach clubs collapsed, the club hustled for members, standards were lowered, people were admitted who should have been kept out, the membership grew to support the debt, the sense of community dissolves, the “old members” begin to war with “the new members,” board members were elected who cared more about “cashing out” than “cashing in,” developers made an offer, the new majority wanted the money, the board decided to sell, and the club was sold, a footnote in the history books. Who would have thought??? An unintended consequences turning point.

There are here’s hoping that this is a turning point turning points. Losing members. Deep in debt. An aging demographic. Time for a transfusion and a dose of “a new direction.” Let’s tear down the clubhouse, hire a young manager, get a marketing director, buy the best pro money can buy. And hope that a turn will be made, a new culture built, that new members will join, those who join will use, and those who use will tell their friends. The bank account will fill, the debt will evaporate, and the dining room will be filled. The board hopes. “We’re going to buy the property next door and an assessment is coming.” A here’s hoping that this is a turning point turning point.

Type determines tactics. Best you know.
Is it or Isn’t It???

Every decision has future consequences. Some of those consequences represent a new direction for the club culture, a turning point that routes the community down a different road. Some don’t. Who knows?

The board ponders. The manager ponders. Is this a turning point?

If so, what type?

History will be the judge.

And enjoy the journey---------------------