More than 100 managers, superintendents, golf professionals and other club officials gathered at Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston, N.Y., on March 18th for a symposium convened by the Metropolitan Club Managers Association (MCMA) entitled “The State of the Club Environment, Round 2.” Guest panelists included Jay Mottola and Charlie Robson, executive directors of the Metropolitan Golf Association and Met PGA, respectively; Richard Spear, the superintendent at the Piping Rock Club on Long Island; Randy Ruder, the Club Managers Association of America’s National Director, Todd Zorn, president of the MCMA, and representatives of TD Bank Long Island. Brad Steele of the National Club Association (NCA), a Washington-based group, also gave a presentation on the legislative issues affecting clubs.

The symposium was a follow-up to the December 10th economic forum held at Pelham Country Club in Pelham, N.Y., where club leaders discussed the economic downturn, the impact of upcoming Congressional legislation and the new Presidential administration on private clubs, and the availability of credit in the banking industry. The recent symposium touched on many of the same topics, but now that the new administration and the 111th Congress have been in office for nearly two months, there were more specific details about impending legislation, tax policies and other financial matters important to the private club industry.

Richard Spear, one of the leading superintendents in the Met Area, began his presentation by posing the provocative question, “Is Golf Broken?” He cited the rising costs of playing, unchecked slow play and the over emphasis on the game’s difficulty as reasons that the game has become a financial and social burden for some who have taken up golf in recent years. Spears stressed that golf’s leadership should take steps to change some of these characteristics of the game if they want to continue to attract new golfers. He also gave details about how courses can be set up and maintained to improve playability and pace of play, and also reduce the maintenance budgets of clubs.

Jay Mottola’s presentation centered on a recent MGA survey asking clubs how they plan to react to changes in membership trends. The survey results revealed a mixed bag of expectations, with approximately 7 percent of Met Area private clubs expecting an increase or no change in the number of members in 2009, while approximately 25 percent expect a decrease of some sort. But there was positive news as well, as clubs are becoming more creative with their services and amenities in an effort to attract and retain members. Mottola stressed that communication with members is a key component of how clubs will successfully survive the economic downturn, the idea being that members are willing to accept change if they know it is coming.

The large attendance and high degree of audience interaction with the expert panelists show that there is a great deal of interest about the future of private clubs in the Met Area. Club officials are looking to organizations like the MGA, MCMA and NCA to provide insight and guidance on how they can best get through difficult economic times, and perhaps come out even stronger than before. Events such as these will continue throughout 2009, and many important articles will be posted in the “Golf & The Economy” section of www.mgagolf.org.