Junior golf, club culture among topics at 11th Presidents' Council
PAOLI, PA. - The Golf Association of Philadelphia held its 11th Presidents’ Council on March 25 at Waynesborough Country Club. More than 100 GAP Member Club presidents, general managers and club officials attended the seminar, which aims to educate key personnel on pressing topics affecting the golf industry on both regional and national levels. The first speaker of the morning was Philip Newman of McGladrey LLP, a national public accounting firm with a specialty practice in serving private clubs. Newman presented attendees with post-recession success tips geared toward clubs operating under a business mindset while also delivering on their mission, vision and strategy. “When the recession hit, people tried to respond by slashing costs arbitrarily and made some pretty bad mistakes by cutting the wrong costs instead of trying to be laser-like and very precise. They cut things that affect member value, and once you affect member value, people start to question why they are still a member of that club,” Newman said. “You need to really understand how your budget is built. You figure that out, you’re going to solve a lot of financial problems for the rest of the year.” The next segment featured a Junior Golf Panel headlined by Mark Peterson, GAP Executive Director; Kevin Duffy, Riverton Country Club Director of Golf, and Eric MacCluen, Applecross Country Club Director of Instruction/Girls Golf Revolution. The panel shared keys to cultivating a club culture that allows for Junior program and membership numbers to flourish, followed by a Q & A. “One of the first questions from perspective members I always get, especially young families, is whether or not we have a Junior program. It’s really nice to present a robust Junior program to them,” Duffy said. “It’s an unbelievable selling point for a prospective member.” Steven Schloss, the USGA’s Chief People Officer, was the final speaker of the morning. Schloss’ presentation took an in-depth look into the USGA’s organizational structure, in addition to stressing the importance of cultivating overall leadership skills and the next generation of golf industry talent. “The message I wanted to convey today, both through the experience that we’re going through at the USGA and my own career experiences, is the fact that everyone attending should recognize and create pathways for growth and development for those in the golf industry, whether it’s at the club level, state and regional level, at the local level, the global level,” Schloss said. “We have a responsibility. I want to make sure we’re all looking at what we can do for the future, and to ensure there is a continuum of leadership for the game.” Golf Association of Philadelphia Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
