Strategic Services and Club Operations
Strategic Planning ❖ Club Audit ❖ Facility Planning ❖ Membership Surveys ❖ Marketing Consulting ❖ Crisis Management ❖ Event and Tournament Planning
Just as the broader world is rapidly and profoundly changing so is the world of private clubs. Today's golf and country club members have higher expectations and different needs from those who came before.
Given significant demographic changes within club memberships and the dramatic increase in competition both within the industry itself and with almost endless alternative forms of leisure and entertainment, the need for strategic planning is greater than ever.
Club leaders must look deeper to determine how to position their facility in the market and to ensure its long-term viability and financial sustainability. A service culture must be developed that not only attracts members but also makes them feel welcome, important, comfortable, and understood. A narrative must be employed that propels excitement, interest, and opportunity for members, customers, staff, managers, and all stakeholders.
That's where RCS comes in. We are masterful creators of plans that build on existing strengths, mitigate weaknesses, anticipate future threats and opportunities, and help you blend 21st century management approaches with the timeless values that are at the heart of the private club experience. Whether you are looking for a transformation of your club's operations, want a better understanding of your members' needs, seek help in making decisions about facility design, need to plan a top-notch tournament or program your club's activities, or face a crisis that requires immediate attention, the RCS Hospitality Group is able to provide award-winning, best-in-the-industry service today.
Strategic Planning
Purpose Driven
The strategic plan is based on a defined mission and true competitive advantage
Integrated
Each element of the plan supports all others
Systematic
The plan results in a series of executable, interlocking pieces rather than one large document
Dynamic
designed to be a baseline for decision making and not a straightjacket inhibiting flexibility
Strategy is a club's game plan for winning. A solid strategic plan maps out the moves
a business must make to outwit the competition, captivate customers, increase
long-term member value, and ensure bottom-line success.
RCS combines expertly coordinated workshops, solid research, and a thorough knowledge of the hospitality and club world to lead a sensitive strategic decision-making process characterized by both long-term visioning and a commitment to accountability. We work with you to identify the best process to each your objectives.
“[Whitney’s] vision showed us the way to developing and mapping out our club business with strategic methodology, performance-based management solutions, and integrated operating structures that will transform us from a small neighborhood club to a successful family-oriented golf and country club that will compete with the top clubs in Los Angeles.
The RCS team are true visionaries of business and hospitality, whose years of hands-on experience and leadership have propelled our club to the next level. We were extremely satisfied with the process and found the approach to be both customized to our needs and responsive to our concerns.”
Greg Sullivan, CCM, General Manager, Rolling Hills Country Club
Take a look at the RCS strategic planning process!
The RCS Club Audit
360° Operational Mapping
The RCS Club Audit is a powerful tool for assessing the current status of your club and preparing you to take the steps necessary to ensure future success in a changing world with a new generation of club members. The audit includes a comprehensive food and beverage evaluation, along with our signature Facility Mapping Tool to determine your club's overall strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for growth and change, and the who-what-where-when-and-why of the internal and external forces shaping your bottom-line success.
The audit process provides invaluable information about your internal processes, management and accounting systems, service standards, and implicit service beliefs. The result is a roadmap for the implementation of management and personnel systems that can help you reach financial performance targets.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Step 1: Preliminary Analysis
10-14 business days from receipt of pre-audit worksheet
The RCS Club Audit begins with a detailed analysis of membership information; financial information from the food and beverage, golf, fitness, tennis, and recreational services aspects of your operation; organizational structure; food and beverage operations; member communication and the annual calendar; and your competition. This information is collected via a pre-audit worksheet which you fill out and return for analysis.
Step 2: On-Site Visit
2-4 days
The second step in the Club Audit is a two to four day visit from RCS staff.
Sample Onsite Schedule
DAY ONE
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Tour of club (two hours)
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Meet with general manager (one hour)
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Lunch at club
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Meet with food and beverage director (one hour)
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Meet with membership director (one hour)
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Meet with controller (two hours)
DAY TWO
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Meet with executive chef (two hours)
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Meet with golf/tennis director (two hours)
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Lunch at club
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Meet with fitness/spa director (one hour)
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Dinner at club
DAY THREE
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Meet with events manager (one hour)
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Observe golf course processes (two hours)
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Observe lunch at club (front and back of house)
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Follow-up meetings
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Dinner at club
Step 3: Report Preparation and Delivery
14 business days
The third step is a detailed report preparation and delivery to you.
Club Membership Survey
RCS conducts comprehensive satisfaction, membership engagement, strategic alignment, needs assessment, and national trends surveys.
Our surveys identify hidden opportunities within your operation and uncover member usage patterns, expectations, and desires -- all essential knowledge in managing a club capable of responding to and attracting the new generation of customers and members.
There are four basic steps in the RCS member survey process:
1. SURVEY PREPARATION
The survey is crafted and tested in close collaboration with club management with a clear understanding of objectives, core club values, and member characteristics.
2. MEMBER COMMUNICATION
RCS lays the groundwork for the survey by drafting your initial communication with your members, assuring them of confidentiality, and spelling out the survey's objectives. At the end of the process, a summary of findings is prepared to maintain transparency and to build awareness of the club's goals of enhancing the member experience.
3. SURVEY EXECUTION
Our surveys use a combination of email communication and web-based response mechanisms, and generally remain live for two weeks.
4. THE FINAL REPORT
Your final report includes an assessment of overall satisfaction and engagement with cross-tabulation by gender, age, and usage frequency; identifies dining behaviors and service expectations; offers a detailed snapshot of your members' demographic characteristics; and provides recommendations that serve as a roadmap for your club's future growth.
"Our annual membership and strategic planning survey demanded a high level of customization, research, and detail. RCS went out of their way to make sure that the huge amount of data they collected was clear, concise, and easily understandable by all Board members. The final report was well designed, had very useful deliverables, and gave us excellent feedback and summaries. The Board of Directors was able to clearly see that the outcomes were actionable, which had been a point of concern for them. It was a pleasure working with the RCS team."
Michael J. Fay, CCM, General Manager, Chartwell Golf & Country Club
RCS Also Provides...
Event Programming & Major Golf Event Planning
RCS can help you assess your current programming plans and develop an event and programs schedule that better meets your members' needs and expectations. We also are experienced in planning and executing tour events and can help make these complex endeavors a complete success.
Financial Crisis Management Support
In the face of a financial crisis that threatens the viability of the club, RCS can help develop a structured business recovery plan focused on essential functions and cash-flow management, with a clear vision toward reinvention and long-term sustainability.
Turnaround Management
Our management experts can assist in challenging the transition process when ownership changes, and also can serve as a liaison to banks and private investors during the sale or purchase of distressed properties.
Brand Management & Marketing Consulting
RCS can help you enhance your brand by advising on ways to present products and services, communicate with members, market to the broader community, and create an environment that reflects your values.
“RCS has successfully developed several marketing plans for our company that have resulted in increased revenue. During their tenure, we saw an increase in profits in excess of 40%. The new revenue was a direct result of the plans implemented by RCS. Whitney was also extraordinarily helpful in other areas of the operation. In addition to writing effective training modules for myself and my staff, Whitney assumed a leadership role in sales meetings, inspiring and motivating other employees as well. I highly recommend RCS for Consulting.”
Tijeras Creek Golf Club, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA