Last Update :12/15/2015

1757 Club's Huebner Named Daily Fee Operator of the Year by Golf Inc.

Golf Inc. Operator OF THE Year 2015

Golf Inc. honors 15 operators who are using innovative tactics to increase rounds and revenue – and in some cases, bring courses back to life. We honor them here.

BY LAIRA MARTIN

Gary Huebner, General Manager, 1757 Golf Club in Sterling, Va.

It’s been said that every great challenge comes with equally great opportunity. When golf courses began to struggle under the weight of the Great Recession in 2008, it created ample opportunity for golf course operators to turn facilities around.

Although many courses have continued to languish, a handful of savvy operators have combined good management principles with innovative thinking to turn struggling properties into moneymakers.

Gary Huebner is one of those operators.

“Two of the biggest things we found ourselves up against, which we still do to some extent, is the [belief] that we are only a place to play golf, and because ‘club’ is in our name, everyone thinks we’re private” said Huebner, general manager of the 1757 Golf Club in Sterling, Va.

So Huebner rebranded the facility, placing a greater emphasis on inclusiveness and inviting people to come for the restaurant. The move has paid off.

Huebner is one of 15 golf course operators that Golf Inc. is recognizing in its inaugural Operator of the Year competition. He won first place in the Daily Fee category, one of four categories the contest spotlights. The others are: Private Club, Resort and Municipal. The competition is designed to celebrate golf course operators who substantially improved their facilities during the past year.

Golf Inc. sought nominations from around the globe. To be eligible, each candidate had to be the top on-site leader at a golf course and be nominated for his or her role with a single facility. Golf Inc. judged the nominees on financial improvement, capital investment and innovation, with each category focusing on the specific metrics that mattered most.

While Golf Inc. has long celebrated great developments, renovations and clubhouses, this is the first competition to compare the performance of general managers, golf directors and other on-site leaders. The following 15 professionals have demonstrated outstanding business skills, sometimes overcoming great challenges, such as bankruptcies and closures.

DAILY FEE

1st Place

GARY HUEBNER

1757 Golf Club

Sterling, Va.

When Gary Huebner joined the 1757 Golf Club three years ago, he quickly realized the Billy Casper Golf-managed facility needed to be rebranded. People often mistook the daily-fee course for a private club.

“Wed get regular calls to our director of sales, to our restaurant, to our golf shop, saying, ‘Can I eat there? Can I have an event there? Can I play golf there if I’m not a member?’” he said.

To promote inclusion, Huebner dropped the words “Golf Club” from some of the club’s apparel and from advertisements. He also revamped the restaurant to get more non-golfers on the property.

“Since there’s only a certain population that golfs and, last I checked, 100 percent of the population eats, we thought wed try to attract people to our clubhouse to eat, because our food is exceptional” he said.

Then he redefined the company culture to emphasize hospitality that matched the newly improved restaurant.

“Every single person on this property has the exact same job” he said. “Our job is to help our guests enjoy the time they spend with us”

His efforts paid off. In 2015, total revenues are projected to show an increase of approximately 13 percent, with growth in all components of the business. Food and beverage revenues alone are close to the $2 million mark, and 1757 has set records in both banquets and restaurant sales. Golf rounds are up 12 percent from 2014, far outpacing the competition in the area.

By the numbers:

12 percent increase in rounds from prior year

13 percent increase in total revenue projected

$2 million in F&B revenues

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