The Union League Club of Chicago recently opened its modern 2,000-square-foot first-floor lounge providing an informal meeting setting for member’s daily activities. The space, nicknamed by members as “ONE”—short for “meet me on one”—is equipped with a coffee bar and casual lounge that doubles as a Wi-Fi supported work area. The club also renovated its outdoor space launching a 900-square-foot terrace on its eight floor, furnished with seating, a marble fireplace and weather-proof TVs. Club & Resort Business.

Two new reports are out on private club finances and operations from RSM US and PBMares.

2018-19 Trends in Private Clubs and 2018 Clubs in Town and Country.

Generation X was hit the hardest by the housing crisis, losing 38 percent of median net worth from 2007 to 2010, compared to a loss of only 26 percent and 14 percent for Baby Boomer and Silent Generation households. However, Gen X is the only generation to fully recover from these losses, with their median net worth rising 115 percent since 2010. This resiliency was due to a strong recovery of home equity, dramatic increases of financial assets and being in a prime working age group. Pew Research Center.

Golf Digest recently released its ranking of the 50 greatest golf locker rooms, in America ranging from the well-preserved space at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Fla. (ranked first), featuring a classic 1929 Donald Ross design, to the raucous locker room at The Madison Club in La Quinta, Calif. (ranked fifth), with rock music, a sports ticker and widescreen TV. Golf Digest.

Founder of The Private Club Agency Gabriel Aluisy has offered a free membership calculator to learn how much a new member is worth to a club. The calculation is based off of 14 questions regarding initiation fees, monthly dues, meals purchased and other key metrics. Aluisy.

A dining outlet in a club is an amenity for members, not a business plan that can be quickly fixed and generate revenue. On any given night in a club, 100 percent of diners are repeat customers. That principle, along with expected quality, staffing, pricing and accommodations are some of the many ways in which clubs do not compare with public restaurants. On average 16 percent of a member’s dues goes toward subsidizing F&B operations. Private club restaurants should be regarded as an amenity, and in that context the golf course probably “loses” money too. RSM.

While every private club is unique, larger forces can play a significant role in how individual clubs and the industry as a whole perform. On Thursday, Sept. 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Jim Hankowski and Matthew O'Dell from Condon O'Meara McGinty & Donnelly will discuss these trends and provide expert insights and benchmarks into critical club areas for their leaders to analyze at their own operations. Register for the webinar here.

(NCA webinars are free for members and $35 for nonmembers.)

The 16th annual National Club Conference will be held Sunday, April 28 - Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Club leaders from around the country will gather to enjoy three days of expert speakers, networking opportunities and social events. Stay up to date on the latest conference news and announcements by subscribing to our mailing list.

Join the National Club Association today to get expert guidance from our wide variety of premierperiodicals, publications and education programs focusing on industry trends, human resources, operations, and governance and planning topics. 

Take your club to the next level and join the NCA network of more than 750 clubs and industry leaders around the nation. Please contact Stephen Peeler for more information.