CMPMarApr2014_Final

CLUB MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES
Managers at Work
O
n November 30, 2013, Traditions
Club in Bryan, Texas, broke
a Guinness World Record
by building the World’s Largest
Gingerbread House. The house was
built on Club grounds and was open to
the public for two weeks to see, touch,
visit Santa Claus, and sneak a bite!
There was a nominal fee charged, and
all net proceeds went to help build the
new St. Joseph Trauma Center in Bryan.
We pooled together over 200 volunteers
made up of Club staff, Club members,
hospital staff, and public wanting to help.
We started with a vision of building the
World’s Largest Gingerbread House;
however, our mission was always to
raise as much money as we could for
St. Joseph Hospital. What happened
next was totally unexpected – media,
and lots of it! I had hoped that the local
media would have an interest, and they
did. This news quickly went statewide,
then nationwide, then worldwide. Every
local, national, and world media outlet
picked up this story. To name just a
few – The Today Show, CNN, Fox
News, Huffington Post, People, Live
with Kelly and Michael, KAZA China,
NTN24 Mexico, Jewish News One, Irish
Examiner and Luxury Trump. Good
Morning America listed it as one of
the top five “must see” sights in the
world for the holidays! This went out
to over 30 countries and in 21 different
languages. I actually gave an interview
live at 4AM to a reporter in Australia.
We raised over $200,000 for St. Joseph
Hospital and the checks are still coming!
We gave a day’s proceeds to Special
Olympics, and at the end, gave all
Bill Horton
General Manager, Traditions Club
(pictured above) in Bryan, Texas
the building materials to Habitat for
Humanity which will be used to help
build two homes for deserving families.
But the “icing on the cake” (pun
intended) was when Bill Schulz reached
out to see if I would be interested in
being featured in the “Managers at
Work” segment for Club Management
Perspectives. My exact response was,
“Of course - would love it!”
So … he wants a “letter about my life.”
Hmmm, I am a General Manager at a
private club. How did it come to this?
Ha!
I have always loved food. As a young
boy, I enjoyed cooking. I knew that I
wanted to be a restaurant owner, likely as
a result of my dad, who used to pull me
aside while he was marinating his steaks
and share his cooking secrets with me.
My parents separated when I was 10,
and I was raised by a working mom who
managed a flower shop, working long
hours. Because my mother worked such
I’M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR
YOUR ANGER (part two)
by Martin Grunstein, www.martingrunstein.com.au
continued from the January-February issue of CMP
W
hat I find amazing in this
day and age is how few
companies have trained
their staff in the skills needed to
deal with complaints. Whether a
small business or an international
hotel group, companies simply can’t
afford NOT to be ready for the day-
in, day-out complaints that inevitably
come with the territory. When a
customer complains, he wants three
things: to be heard without being
interrupted; to be acknowledged for
the inconvenience; and he wants the
assurance that the person listening
will do what it takes to make it
better.
Let me give you a real-world
example of the difference this can
make to profitability.
Quite a few years ago, I ran some
seminars for a company called
Pierlite that sells professional
lighting solutions. Their policy was
that if a delivery didn’t arrive on
time via road train and the client
complained, they would airfreight
the delivery the next day. This was a
very expensive exercise because the
cost of airfreight almost always took
away all the profit on the job.
I taught the frontline people the
basics of complaints handling.
Let the customer vent without
interrupting them. Then apologize
for the inconvenience they have
continued on pg. 3
A Publication of Master Club AdvisorsMarch/April 2014 Volume XVI, Number IV
continued on pg. 9

Master Club Advisors
“Search Consultants to the Private Club Community”
2
Partner’s Perspective
Five Things You May Not Know About Norm Spitzig, MCM
by Norm Spitzig, MCM
• As a Principal and Senior Partner
of Master Club Advisors, I have
the honor and privilege of working
with hundreds of fine private club
owners, boards of directors, and
senior managers both here in the
United States and all around the
world on assorted operational and
governance issues. Let’s just say
that not everyone I work with “gets
it.” Soul on Nice, the newest of
my four books set in the world of
private clubs and golf, is my latest
attempt to use humor and sarcasm
as an enjoyable, easy-to-understand
teaching tool for implementing
appropriate improvements to one’s
private club. I am proud to say that
my books all continue to sell well,
so I must be getting something
right!
• When I was a boy, I dutifully
received Holy Communion nine
first Fridays in a row, thereby
“guaranteeing” me (in accordance
with the arcane rules and rituals of
Catholicism in force at the time)
admittance to heaven. Yes, it looks
like I may slip past the Pearly
Gates, but it will only be on a
technicality.
• I am “only” about 12,000 miles
away from logging one hundred
thousand running miles over the
course of my lifetime. Pretty
weird, I know.
• I am a “closet philanthropist.”
I like secretly, and typically
anonymously, helping people
financially when and as
circumstances permit. Giving
publicly is, in my view, often
dangerously close to self-
promotion.
• In recent years, I have rediscovered
the critical importance of being
active politically. I sense that
more and more Americans of late
have similarly awakened from
their stupor of naiveté toward,
and/or purposeful avoidance of,
politics – a good thing, to be sure.
(As Plato so wisely observed over
two millennia ago, “One of the
penalties for refusing to participate
in politics is that you end up being
governed by your inferiors.”)
Factual knowledge of American
history and the accompanying
pride in our country’s many great
accomplishments and contributions
to humankind seem to have been
conveniently forgotten or, worse
yet, purposefully dismissed by
a world of political correctness.
Rational, hardworking, and
patriotic American citizens can
no longer sit idly by while our
rights and freedoms, as set forth
in the United States Constitution,
are systematically assaulted on
all fronts. I believe it is our
moral right as well as our civic
duty, no matter our varying
political persuasions, to become
actively involved in regaining
control, actively monitoring,
and significantly reducing the
size and influence of all levels
of government. By so doing, we
substantially increase our chances
of preserving all that is uniquely
good in America as well as making
continuing reasonable (and well-
reasoned) improvements to our
collective lives consistent with
those core principles so superbly
enumerated and forever preserved
in our landmark Constitution.
In This Issue
Managers at Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
I’m Not in the Mood for Your Anger (Part Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Partner’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
MCA Symposium Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Ask Mr. Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CMAA 87th World Conference Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Top Ten Food Trends in the Private Club Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Idea Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2014 MCA SYMPOSIUM
SCHEDULE
GATED COMMUNITY CLUBS
Boca West CC, Boca Raton, FL
September 15 - 17
♦
GREAT COUNTRY CLUBS
OF THE SOUTH
River Oaks CC, Houston CC
& Lakeside CC, Houston, TX
September 30 - October 2
♦
GREAT COUNTRY CLUBS
OF THE MIDWEST
Happy Hollow CC & Omaha CC,
Omaha, NE
October 13 - 17

WWW.MASTERCLUBADVISORS.COM 3
Managers At Work continued ...
continued on pg. 5
a demanding schedule, I had to learn
to cook for myself. But I never simply
warmed a can of soup; I had to add my
own spices and doctor it up a bit! I even
made and bottled my own salad dressing
– mixing a little vinegar and oil with
various fresh herbs and spices – in a used
salad dressing bottle with a taped paper
label. And voila ... “Horton’s Salad
Dressing!”
I had various jobs as a kid wanting his
own money – paper routes, handing out
flyers, etc. But my first real job was
at 13 years old as a busboy at a family
– owned Italian restaurant in Dallas
making the then minimum wage of $1.45
per hour. I found out early this was a
“real” Italian restaurant, as my first night
that I worked, they locked the doors for
a private “Italian Family” function. I
ended up working at this restaurant all
through high school and until I was 20
years old. I worked in every capacity in
that restaurant from busboy, dishwasher,
waiter, salad station, to sous chef. But
in truth, I really made pizzas, veal
parmesan, or anything fried. I had done
pretty much everything I could do at
this family-owned restaurant and was
treated like family. However, my last
name WAS different from the one on the
sign outside. Also, now at 20 years old,
something great happened. I met the
best person in the world, my future wife
Tracey. After a quick courtship we were
married with family – a son, Johnny. I
then realized it was time to get serious
about my career.
Although I knew I wanted to stay in the
restaurant business, I needed to change to
something with more career possibilities.
It was 1982, and I answered an ad for
a new exclusive private city/athletic
club in the Galleria area of Dallas,
managed by what was then known as
CCA. The position I applied for was
Executive Chef. Well, they were very
kind, but I did not have that experience
level. However something about me
caught their eye, and they offered me
a job – in the snack bar! I took it and
quickly realized after joining them that,
even with all my previous experience, I
had only learned how to boil spaghetti.
Though I had little experience, I jumped
into my new role as Snack Bar Attendant,
always making it known that I wanted to
be in the main kitchen. During this time,
I was meeting new people and realizing
what a huge company CCA really
was. There appeared to be many great
opportunities available to me.
During the first few weeks of my
employment, I met Robert H. Dedman,
the founder of CCA, a very successful
entrepreneur and true-blue billionaire. I
was very enamored with Mr. Dedman,
the company itself, and those who
worked for the company. I knew this
was what I wanted to
do, and where I wanted
to be. I started going
to college at night,
taking both culinary
and business classes.
In the meantime, I was
moved to the kitchen and
became the AM Garde
Manager. I went to school at night and
actually came back to the Club, as I
also assumed the role of Night Steward;
and my hard work started paying off.
The Corporate Chef at ClubCorp, Ed
Mitchell, asked if I would like to go to
Canyon Creek Country Club as the PM
Sous Chef. Of course, I said yes! But
I was trying to be a provider, and soon
after was offered a job with Hilton Hotel
as a Purchasing Agent (from another
ClubCorp relationship), and accepted
that position. All this was happening
and it was only 1984. Then I received a
call from my former Food & Beverage
Director at University Club, Peter
Gushanas, now General Manager at the
Landmark Club, another city/athletic
club with ClubCorp. He needed a Snack
Bar Manager, and convinced me that this
was a great opportunity to transition from
back of the house to front of the house. I
would get to be back out with the people
which I enjoyed, do a little bit of cooking
which I enjoyed, and operate a full bar.
My dreams of being an Executive Chef
morphed into, “I want to be a General
Manager!” And managing this snack bar
really was a great start to learning all the
basics. I had my own small staff, food
and beverage responsibilities, became
a department head, and the “face” of
the Player’s Lounge aka “snack bar,”
still managing to fit in as many college
classes as I could.
After a year, I was asked to move back
to the University Club as the Maitre’d.
I was like, what? At that time, the
University Club offered very formal
service and I knew very little about it.
In addition, I was going back to where
I started and although most knew me as
a hard worker, I was also the guy that
was in the snack bar and the salad bar.
However, I knew I needed to make this
move so I did. I just decided I would
work harder than everyone else and
depend on my food knowledge versus
my lack of service knowledge. So at
my first line-up, I talked and asked
questions about food, trying to show my
“What impressed me the most about Bill was his ability to come
up with new ideas or new approaches to old ideas, get the staff
and membership as excited as he was about the event, and
execute to the point that you could hardly wait until the next
year to see what crazy twist would be waiting.”
Ed Mitchell
Corporate Executive Chef, ClubCorp
Living Room in one of the luxury
Casitas at Traditions

4
Response #1 - Bill Schulz, MCM
Colleen Barrett
has it right in
that managers
must invest time
in their staff. As
a Club General
Manager my time
commitment was
about 60% as
unlike for Colleen, clubs have members.
There are Boards to be responsive to,
and committees to nurture, as well as
finding time to be visible to the general
membership. Employees are the direct
link to members (customers) so it is vital
that they are well prepared, happy in their
work, present a good image, and carry a
positive message to the membership. In
my opinion, the greatest single motivator
is genuinely caring for your staff, making
sure each employee feels like they are
important to the operation and that their
contribution is truly appreciated (which
they are). It also helps if the members
have an inclusive feeling and appreciate
the staff as well.
When I was with Houston Country
Club, there was a good employee benefit
program in place; and the staff was
reviewed annually for wage increases.
However there were four programs that
we implemented that were very special to
me and well-received by the staff. They
included the Employee Scholarship
Program, an Employee Relief Fund, Wall
of Fame Recognition Program, and the
Twenty-Year Club.
1. Employee Scholarship Program –
In conjunction with the Houston
Community Foundation, the
Club set up a program to allow
members to make tax deductible
contributions. The Club distributed
15 to 20 scholarships annually to club
employees, children, or grandchildren
of employees. Funds were generated
through a voluntary assessment
one year; and on the odd year, an
Employee Scholarship Golf Outing
was held. The Golf Outing brought
members and employees playing golf
together with one employee in each
foursome. Members contributed with
tournament fees, buying a hole, or
donating an item to an auction that
occurred the night prior at a reception
where members bid on the employees
playing in the tournament. It was
widely successful.
2. Employee Relief Fund – Although
we did not use it often, and always
with discretion and real purpose, we
maintained a fund to help employees
in their time of need. The Board was
very supportive and distributions were
made with the approval of department
heads.
3. Wall of Fame Program – Because we
felt employees contribute in their own
special way, this program recognized
five employees quarterly in various
categories: Leadership, Team Player,
Best Backup Supporter, Quality
Service Star, and Safety. Candidates
were nominated by a department head
and voted on by the Employee Action
Committee. The winners were given
several perks including their picture
on our Wall of Fame, a cash stipend,
eligibility for our big prize drawing at
the Employee Christmas Gathering,
and a special luncheon with the
General Manager. This was a great
way to get to know the employees as
we always had great discussions.
4. Twenty-Year Club – The members
relished the fact that the Club had a
staff with a good amount of tenure. To
exemplify this, we set up the Twenty-
Year Club to recognize employees
with twenty or more years of service.
Employees in this honored group had
special name tags proudly displaying
the Twenty-Year Club designation;
and a dinner was held with the Board,
employee and spouse. Table gifts
were presented. It was always great
listening to the stories of long-time
employees, and they were very proud
to be part of this event.
continued on pg. 8
Ask Mr. Manager
Many of you remember and enjoyed this column’s three-manager format several years ago. We thought the time was right to return to
that format and bring in a new face, Luke A. O’Boyle, CCM, CCE. “Perspectives” is what CMP is all about and we look forward to get-
ting Luke’s perspective and insight on various topics of interest throughout 2014.
Since February 2004, Luke has been the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the Chevy Chase Club, in Chevy Chase,
Maryland. Prior to arriving at his current position, Luke held General Manager positions at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton,
New York, and Greenville Country Club, Greenville, South Carolina. A member of the Club Managers Association of America since
1990, Luke was inducted into the Association’s Honor Society in 2005, and most recently served CMAA as a National Director. Luke
is a graduate of Widener University and currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Hospitality Management Program at
Widener.
Colleen Barrett, former President of the very successful Southwest Airlines, spoke at the Wharton College Leadership
Conference a few years ago. She expressed the following, “eighty-five percent of my time is spent on interaction with
employees and on delivering proactive customer service to our employees.”
As managers, we recognize that positive interaction between member and employee is vital; however the same interaction
between management and employee is also critical to a successful operation.
Please list examples illustrating this positive interaction between management and employee, be it in events, programs,
meetings/outings that you have created or promoted during your career, that may be unique to other clubs.

continued on pg. 6
intelligence – hey, I’m not an idiot! And
basically I used this as my safety net until
I learned the ropes of service.
About nine months into this position
the Banquet Captain quit, just before
the holidays! I knew this was a great
opportunity to learn another facet of
the business and show my willingness
to jump in where needed. When I
approached the Food & Beverage
Director about this possible change he
was a bit hesitant, but
timing was on my side.
We ended up turning that
December into a record
revenue month.
In 1986, a new fine dining
club was being built in
Las Colinas, La Cima
Club. This club was slated
to be the flagship dining
club within ClubCorp.
Their Board of Governors
was often referred to as the
“Billion Dollar” Board, with names like
Bum Bright (then owner of the Dallas
Cowboys), Ben Carpenter (real estate
tycoon and namesake of Carpenter
Freeway), John Stemmons (oil and
namesake of Stemmons Freeway),
Donald Zale (Zale jewelers), Trammell
Crow (real estate mogul) and even Robert
H. Dedman. When I was offered the
opportunity to be the Service Director at
La Cima Club, I couldn’t turn it down. I
focused on learning as much as I could;
and it was at this position that I also
started teaching. ClubCorp recognized
my strengths and began to send their
General Managers-in-training to me
for service training. At that time, we
called them Associate Managers. I also
became part of the review process for
these managers, meaning I asked most
of the Food & Beverage technical and
situational questions in a Board scenario.
These review boards would be the final
determination as to whether they would
qualify for a club.
During this time, La Cima was growing
fast both financially and in reputation.
In 1988, after being open only two
years, our club was named Club of the
Year in a company that had over 200
clubs; and I was proudly named Service
Director of the Year. It was around this
time that I started asking if I could get
into the Associate Managers Training
program. I had the support of my
General Manager, Larry Rodgers, and
my Regional Manager, Tom Tripoli; but
I was having a tough time getting past
Human Resources. It was currently their
policy to recruit General Managers with
experience from outside ClubCorp since
the learning curve was generally faster,
and the only real need was to hire them
and teach them the ClubCorp culture. I
asked Tom and Larry if I could create
my own training schedule so I could
train on my own time. They were very
supportive and said yes. I put together a
syllabus that allowed me to train during
my off-time in every section of club
management with the best department
heads available in the Dallas area. I
would go through each section and have
them sign off. I scheduled my own
Operating Statement Manual Test, took
it, and passed. It was about this time that
Tom came to me and said, “I have a little
City Club in Bryan, Texas,
we would like you to
manage.” I would still be
an Associate Manager until
I completed all my training
and my review board. It
was an opportunity for
me to work with one of
the better managers for a
couple of months before
he was promoted to a large
country club in Dallas.
That Club Manager was
Craig Schaner, who was
not only my mentor then, but continues
to be my mentor to this day, some 30-
plus years later. I learned many things
from Craig, but probably my number
one takeaway from him was time
management. At the end of each day, we
would take time to plan for the next day.
A few months later in 1989, I became a
Certified Club Manager. An additional
great memory for me was the birth of my
daughter Laney in 1989.
In 1992, I was asked to come back to
La Cima Club as the General Manager.
During my time at La Cima, I led a
team that grew the Club from $200,000
to over $600,000 in operating profit,
while consistently earning top rankings
among ClubCorp properties for member
satisfaction. Our team maintained the
lucrative Microsoft events account,
catering and producing a themed event
for 1000+ attendees which generated
$100,000 in revenue for the Club.
Additional events at La Cima included
a five-day, 10,000-attendee equestrian
event that garnered $175,000 per year
Bill Horton and Culinary Olympic Team at Traditions
“I had the privilege of working with
Bill in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Bill
possessed the necessary skills to be
successful. He was and still is creative,
visionary, inspirational, and motivational
with his employees and members, but
more than anything Bill is one of the most
likeable people I know. It is no surprise
to me that he has developed into an
outstanding leader in the club business.
In addition to being a club leader, Bill is
a strong family man. I have always been
impressed with the way he has maintained
this proper balance over the years –
another important characteristic to being
successful in this business and in life. Bill
is truly one-of-a-kind.”
Craig M. Schaner, CCM
General Manager, Lakeside Country Club

6
member-owned club. It has a unique
blend of young families; retirees from
the oil industry; many of the state’s
better, low handicap golfers; and quite a
few tennis players who enjoy the indoor
tennis facilities. The golf course has a
reputation for fast greens that lend plenty
of room for both the serious golfer and
relaxed family outings. However years
of no financial discipline, no plan, and
no accountability had caused the Club
many problems; mainly cosmetic as
capital spending had come to a halt.
My task was to grow membership and
put control systems in place. I had to
start by telling the Board they were not
what they thought they were, meaning
we were not as expensive a Club as
they thought and that we needed to
take a few steps back before we could
move forward. That was difficult as
there was a lot of pride in owning a
high initiation fee number. However no
one was joining, and the physical plant
was not appealing. Fortunately for
me, the staff was great and eager. We
put together a One Million Dollar plan
where we listed one million dollars in
improvements. These improvements had
something for everybody: new bunkers,
the typical country club amenities: 18
holes of golf, three swimming pools, six
tennis courts, fitness center, and a marina
with 220 boat slips. Ridgewood is a very
active family club with many second
and third generation members. The Club
was already very financially stable, with
almost 1,300 members and approximately
$7M in revenues. However not without
problems, and I realized very early that
my extensive training with ClubCorp
was going to come in handy. I loved
working at Ridgewood, but soon realized
that Waco was not home. Shortly after
my Golf Pro left Ridgewood to accept
the same position at Pine Forest Country
Club in Houston, he called to let me know
of the GM opening there. My wife and
I realized that Houston could offer many
more opportunities for me and our family,
so off we went.
My arrival at Pine Forest was similar to
Ridgewood in that it was a great club
with great activity from a very supportive
membership and with decent revenues.
PFCC was established in 1945 and is a
in revenue for four years. I spearheaded
numerous functions for politicians and
dignitaries. In addition to my GM role,
I served as ClubCorp training manager
while chairing numerous regional task
forces. As part of my duties at La
Cima, I oversaw testing of new service
programs for the company. I also served
as Regional Manager for five local clubs
with $15 million in combined annual
revenue and guided each of the General
Managers on meeting revenue and profit
goals, while improving service and quality
at their clubs. My mentor during most
of this time was Dan McIntyre, a Vice
President within ClubCorp. I learned
many things while working with Dan, but
the three things I remember most are:
1) No surprises; never walk into a
Board meeting, or any meeting, either
unprepared or not having educated the
Chairman of what you will be reporting.
No surprises!
2) Always listen to both sides –
recognizing that the truth lies somewhere
in the middle.
3) When a decision can go either way, if it
affects someone good or bad – always err
in the member’s or employee’s favor.
After spending nineteen and a half years
with ClubCorp, I decided it was time to
venture out into a member-owned country
club environment. I took a job with
Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas,
as their General Manager. Ridgewood
Country Club was established in 1947
and is the social hub of Waco, with all
Night photograph of World’s Largest Gingerbread House on Traditions’grounds
“I have known Bill for over 25 years and was immediately impressed with his positive can-do
attitude. He is a very hands-on manager, involved in all aspects of the club, and is respected
by everyone because of his commitment and willingness to do whatever it takes to make his
club successful. Bill’s positive attitude, creativity and drive to satisfy are always well received.
He has a knack for planning fun, special events that go way beyond normal expectations. Bill
is extremely hard-working, a true leader, and a very honest person who is always forthright
with his communication to both membership and staff. I have been in the club business for
over 40 years and consider him to be one of the best in the business.”
Dan McIntyre, Former VP ClubCorp
Owner, Walden Golf Course and Northgate Country Club
“Bill has an incredible way to
communicate with members and under-
stand their way of thinking. When it comes
to member events and satisfaction, he is
always on the cutting edge of making their
experience as good as possible. And let us
not forget Bill’s impeccable clothing style
which is his trademark!”
Jimmy Cunningham
PGA Head Golf Professional
Pine Forest Country Club

expanded driving range, fitness center
and equipment, new awnings, paint
throughout, carpet, and a new cart fleet
that we put on a lease that didn’t affect
our $1M program. We coupled that with
a membership program that reduced the
initiation fee to a competitive number,
and a number in which we could be true.
In six weeks, we added 85 members.
Excitement was back at Pine Forest.
While at PFCC, I also witnessed one
of the most amazing displays regarding
teamwork. In 2009, the city of Houston
was hit by Hurricane Ike. Pine Forest
experienced almost $2M in damages
and was without electricity for 14 days.
Wading through the gates in knee-high
water with my Board President at the
time, Pat Murphy, was very, very sad.
We looked around and asked, “Where do
we start?” Getting contractors out for
different tasks was almost impossible
as communications were down in many
places across the city. Thus a lot of the
early cleanup of debris and water was
done by the staff. Seeing these folks
coming together from every department,
working together, eating together, all
while having their own personal “Ike”
stories at home, was so uplifting. I will
never forget those times. It even affected
our insurance adjuster who said he was
inspired by the camaraderie, and that our
early efforts helped in expediting our
claims.
I enjoyed my time at Pine Forest, but
eventually left when I was approached by
one of the partners purchasing Traditions
Club in Bryan, Texas. He targeted me as
the potential GM early in their purchase
process. Since I was already familiar
with Bryan, having spent a few early
years of my career with ClubCorp there,
we knew the area would be our last
move. I left Pine Forest on good terms,
acting as the search consultant for my
replacement and still have many great
friends there. In fact, many Pine Forest
members have even purchased homes at
Traditions and are members here now.
continued on pg. 9
Traditions Club
Bryan, Texas
Year Club Was Founded:
Club was founded in 2003, with Jack Nicklaus golf course, swimming
pool and Casitas. Clubhouse was built in 2010.
Number of Members: ......................................................................................826
Initiation Fee: ............................................................................................$10,000
Initiation Fee Income: .............................................................................$325,000
Annual Dues Income: ................................................................................ $ 1.7M
Food & Beverage Sales: ............................................................................. $ 1.8M
Golf Revenue: ...................................................$ 574,414 (includes merchandise)
Clubhouse:......................................................................................... 28,000 Sq. Ft
Fitness Center: ..............................Separate Men’s and Women’s Fitness Centers
Swimming Pool:
3 Pools, Beach wading pool with geysers and fountains, 1,200 sq.ft.
sport and leisure pool, 25-meter lap pool with striped lanes, Pool Grill
with covered awning terrace, six shade gazebos with, fans, Wi-Fi, and TVs
Golf:
Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II 18-hole golf course with a 19th practice
Hole. From the tips is 7,146 yards and is the home of the 2009 National
Champion Texas A&M Golf Team. The Aggie Learning Center is poised at
the top of the driving range and is one of the premier college golf facilities in
the country. The facility includes locker rooms for the golf teams, offices for
coaches, a players’ lounge, and individual study stations with computers. The
teams have access to a double-sided driving range, six separate practice holes,
three practice greens (two Bermuda and one Bent Grass), four covered hitting
bays, and two indoor bays with state of the art computerized swing analysis
equipment.
Accommodations/Lodging:
Architecturally inspired by the 2006 Southern Living Idea House, the
13 two-bedroom luxury Casitas and the 4 four-bedroom Cottages overlook the
spectacular Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II Championship Golf Course.
In addition, 15 more three-bedroom Game Day Casita duplexes on the newly-
opened Heisman Drive are being built.
The Club’s Most Difficult Challenge:
Keeping up with the fast pace of a growing facility is the biggest challenge.
Since new ownership took over in 2010, and clubhouse construction began,
526 new members have been added with 179 of those this year. With this
kind of growth comes adding and training the staff, growing events, creating
our own culture, and continuing punch list items – quickly!
Something Unique and Special About the Club:
As the Traditions vision statement says, “We will Revolutionize the Country
Club Experience.” This means nothing will be ordinary. We are unique
because we are fun and constantly push the envelope to be different. We
listen to all ideas and believe in saying “why not?” instead of “why?”

8
Response # 2 – Norm Spitzig, MCM
Early on in my
club management,
I instinctively just
knew the critical
importance of
hiring, keeping,
and motivating
a talented and
caring staff. I
realized my own success at the fine
private clubs I managed was intricately
intertwined with, and ultimately dependent
upon, the success and happiness of my
staff. (I suspect that this is one of the key
lessons I just naturally learned working
as an assistant manager for the great Don
Hayes during my formative years at Scioto
Country Club.)
Accordingly, I was always asked to
do new things to keep my senior staff
enthused and engaged. (Yes, I certainly
had my share of flops and failures,
and also tried, at some point, most of
the “usual” things I picked up from
other general managers and in assorted
seminars.) To build teamwork, I would
occasionally ask the people on my senior
staff to give the weekly staff meeting
report as if they were running a different
department. For example, the chef
would give the agronomy report and the
superintendent might talk about the state
of the club’s finances. You’d be surprised
how seriously people prepared to make
sure they knew what they were talking
about! Not only did everyone have a
better understanding of, and appreciation
for, what their fellow senior staff members
did, but this format was always good for a
laugh or two.
I also remember early on in my career
asking for staff volunteers to anonymously
complete the following sentence: “If I
were the General Manager here, the one
change I would immediately make is
BLANK.” While I did get my share of
silly and/or “financially irresponsible”
responses, I also remember getting lots
of candid, honest feedback that allowed
me to quickly make simple, effective
Ask Mr. Manager continued ...
improvements to club operations, things
that I had never thought of myself. It
also showed the employees that I was
always open to implementing good, new
ideas.
The private club management
business, at the end of the day, is the
happiness business. The goal of senior
management is to set a tone whereby
the entire staff has the opportunity and
motivation to continually make the
members truly enjoy their experiences at
the club. The rest is easy.
Response # 3 – Luke O’Boyle, CCM
Southwest
Airlines
President Colleen
Barrett clearly
understands
the long-held
leadership
principle that
serving the needs
of your employees is an effective way to
position them to best serve the needs of
your members. Why then do we often
get bogged down in the day-to-day,
forgetting to take ample time to engage
our employees and share our appreciation
for their contributions?
Over the course of my career, I have had
the chance to see some innovative ideas
at various clubs. The ones that I have
found to be most valuable involved the
elements of teamwork, service by senior
management to mid-managers and line
staff, a personal benefit to the employee,
and a celebration or recognition of work
well done.
I have tended to favor more traditional,
conservative events whose character is in
keeping with the clubs where I have been
employed, but always looking to add a
new twist or spin.
Until recently, I had resisted using the
Club’s athletic facilities for such an
event, but at my current club I found
both a culture and an enthusiasm by the
Board for allowing this on occasion.
One such event is our summer employee
picnic. Held off-site for years, we
decided in 2009, during a downturn in
the economy and as we were about to
open our new outdoor pool complex, to
allocate a Monday evening in August
for an employee picnic at the Club. It
was so successful we have continued
the tradition. Our summer interns
choose a theme and organize the event
in collaboration with our HR Director.
Our mid-managers and administrative
staff volunteer in shifts to cover various
assignments. Servers and culinary
staff are brought in from a neighboring
club. Having the event at the Club, it
became much more convenient for those
finishing work late in the day, or for those
who take mass transit. As a result, our
attendance is twice what it was previously.
Besides recreational swimming and
interdepartmental relay races, we provide
a DJ and a few themed lawn activities.
Raffle prizes are donated by vendors or
purchased by redeeming the rewards
points on the Club’s credit card.
Our twist on that event this year was to
have our senior staff prepare the food for
the event, by dividing up into two teams
and facing-off in a culinary competition
format. Each team chose three items to
prepare in the form of a slider or taco.
And each team chose a secret ingredient
available only to their team. The actual
planning and execution were great senior
staff morale boosters, while the employees
loved eating the fruits of their manager’s
labor and really enjoyed the role reversal
of judging their boss’s performance.
Another event that serves to foster an
environment of teamwork is adopting
an “Olympics” style activity within
a particular department. This can be
popular in the year and season in which
the actual Olympics are taking place, but
should not be limited to only that time.
Late last summer, we conducted such
an event within our golf maintenance
operation. The experience included a
variety of events, many of which were
designed to reinforce to our staff the
continued on pg. 9

Ask Mr. Manager continued ...
proper way to complete tasks. Events
included rolling hoses, successfully
navigating equipment through an
obstacle course of cones, quickly and
safely lining up golf carts, etc. Done at
the end of a hot work day, staff enjoyed
the break and celebrated with their peers
by sharing fresh-cut watermelon and
popsicles.
Two other events that I have recently
seen and look forward to adopting in
our club environment are an employee
yearbook for staff similar to what
you might receive in high school or
college, with individual head shots by
department, and then a variety of action
and candid photos throughout. Given the
low cost today of taking digital photos
and the online resources available for
putting together an album, the cost of
implementing this on an annual basis, or
in significant club years, should be easily
managed. Lastly, I have been impressed
by those clubs that offer language,
cooking, personal finance, or other life
skills instruction to their employees.
These clubs are making an investment in
their employees as people, and I have no
doubt their efforts will be rewarded.
I look forward to contributing to “Ask
Mr. Manager” throughout this year and
I welcome your feedback and comments
on my perspective.
I’m Not in the Mood continued ...
been caused (an apology for
inconvenience caused is not a
legal admission of liability; it is an
empathy statement), telling them you
understand how that has affected the
running of their business.
Then, instead of agreeing to
airfreight the job the next day, I
suggested they ask the customer
(after pacifying them), “What can we
do to put it right?”
It turned out that over 80% of the
clients did NOT need the delivery
airfreighted the next day. They would
say things like, “Just make sure it
doesn’t happen again,” or “Make sure
it’s on the next road train,” or “Tell
the dispatcher he’s a dickhead.”
Pierlite arranged for the delivery to
go on the next road train and with
the top 20% of clients they included
a nice bottle of red and a card from
the customer service person saying,
“I am terribly sorry you were stuffed
around, I hope you’ll accept this
bottle of wine with our compliments
as our way of saying sorry.”
Two things happened that affected
profitability.
They saved airfreight costs in over
80% of cases of complaints. And
they picked up referral business
from word of mouth because
their competitors, who also made
mistakes, did nothing to pacify and
acknowledge their customers when
they got it wrong; and some of them
moved all their business to Pierlite.
The most important impressions
in business are first impressions
and last impressions. Do you want
your customers’ last impressions
after a complaint to be the apology
and the bottle of wine – or what
happened to me during my stay in
the five-star Australian hotel that
you read about in the last issue
of CMP – the memory of being
INCONVENIENCED, INSULTED,
or IGNORED??
My time at Traditions continues to be
satisfying and exciting. There are so
many great things happening here, with
the continued growth of Texas A&M
University and the development of the
Bio Corridor and Health Science Center.
The Club is fun and active, and I am
allowed to use my creativity. We feed
the A&M football team before every
home game, and yes, we get to see
Johnny Manziel.
As I look back on my career of almost
40 years in hospitality, of course I have
many stories. As with any old timer,
that means I have lots of advice! I
think the main reason for any success I
have experienced is that I have always
worked hard and been honest. I have
told staff many times that it’s ok if you
don’t know something, but be truthful
about it. Your relationships with Boards,
committees, and staff are built on trust,
period. If you haven’t been honest, how
can you expect anyone to follow you?
Admitting your wrong on topics, asking
forgiveness, being polite … well, it is
refreshing!
As I have mentioned previously my
mentor, Craig Schaner, taught me the
importance of having a daily plan. I do
it every day and it’s so easy! I am still
a legal pad and pencil guy; you simply
jot down your daily “to dos” for the next
day. Now the hard part – you draw a
line through each one as you DO IT!
Always take care of the hard ones first,
or the big rocks (you know, the calls to
the angry member.) And now, I take
planning to the extreme as I never go to
bed until all my clothes are pressed and
laid out for the next day. Some would
diagnose me with OCD! I just know I
hit the mattress with a clear head and
sleep like a baby most nights.
continued on pg. 10
All good managers have one thing in
common. They have great staffs! That
has nearly always been true for me. It
starts at hiring. Do you have a process?
I believe in first looking for nice people
with great attitudes. One of Robert
Dedman’s favorite sayings was, “Attitude
affects teamwork; teamwork affects
members; members affect paychecks;
paychecks affect attitude.” For me,
attitude over aptitude is a guideline in
every future employee consideration.
Do you have an employee orientation?
It is so critical that every new employee
“If I had one word to describe Bill, it
would be Enthusiastic – yes, with a
capital E! He inspired, encouraged, and
supported all of us, all of the time.”
Theresa Edwards, Fitness Director

10
is properly introduced into your club’s
culture. I liken the first day at a new job
to being much like the new kid at school.
Many of you can relate. Along these
same lines, I think clubs should be fun.
Happy staff makes for happy members!
As Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty
fame says, “Happy! Happy! Happy!” A
fun club helps attract those with good
attitudes; once you attract them, you
motivate them and reward them. Being
able to recruit and retain good people is a
compliment to your current staff.
You may have noticed that I make
mention of Robert H. Dedman a lot.
Much will be said of him, good and bad,
that comes with success. But he was my
hero; I loved him. Managing clubs in
Dallas, I was around him at clubs, at the
corporate office, and at his home, as I
handled most all of his personal events.
He was always teaching and coaching,
and he was funny! I sure have learned
that a good sense of humor is crucial in
this business. I have so many one-liners
planted in my head from him. One that
always stuck as he was “coaching” me
was, “Bill, you never take a man’s wine
glass, and you never let it go empty –
that’s his security blanket.” However
my lasting memory was when we were
catering a big event at his house for
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Mr. Dedman knew I enjoyed pictures of
celebrities so he came into the kitchen to
get me and said, “Come on Bill. Gather
your group; let’s get a picture.” Mr.
Dedman paused the party, to the horror
of many, as he positioned us around the
judge and motioned the Dallas Morning
News photographer to come over. He
then lifted his glass and said, “Smile,
fellas. It doesn’t get any better than this!”
Opportunities always come knocking.
Through hard work, time management,
and empowerment of employees, you
can make a success out of each and
every one of those opportunities.
As I reflect on my career, I recognize
that the club business can be very
humbling; and there are many times
that I have fallen down on my knees, or
my face, for that matter! I have to say
that I wouldn’t be where I am without
my faith. There are dozens of people to
thank in my life. But I know the source
of my understanding, and my belief and
inspiration, are all from above!
continued on pg. 11
12th Man Dining Room at Traditions
(portrait of 12th Man, E. King Gill, over mantel)
A Few Smiling Faces from CMAA’s 87th World Conference

Top Ten Food Trends in
the Private Club Business
by Don E. Vance, CCM, CPC
It’s always interesting to know
what the experts of Nation’s
Restaurant News predict are
the top ten trends in the coming
year. What some thought might
be a passing fad – nutrition
(that tastes good) – is here to
stay. In addition, the farm to
the table concept, or locally
sourced meats, seafood and
produce, along with other menu
items is a vital part of what
your members expect. What
we are seeing at our clubs is
an aging demographic who
is very interested in health
and wellness, which includes
nutritional foods. In addition,
the younger generations who
are raising their children at our
clubs have a heightened sense of
concern as it relates to feeding
their children foods that are
nutritious.
Top 10 Food Trends for 2014:
1. Locally-sourced meats and
seafood
2. Locally-grown produce
3. Environmental
sustainability
4. Healthful kids’ meals
5. Gluten-free cuisine
6. Hyper-local sourcing (i.e.,
restaurant gardens)
7. Children’s nutrition
8. Non-wheat noodles/
pasta (i.e., quinoa, rice,
buckwheat)
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Farm/estate branded items
“Probably the one thing about Bill that stands out
the most is the ‘duck principle’... calm on top of
the water and paddling like hell underneath. He
never seemed stressed or in a hurry, but he sure got
things done. At the end of the first Board meeting
Bill attended, he just looked at everybody and said,
‘You people are working too hard ... I will take a lot
of this work away from you.’ And, he did. Bill is
a great organizer and knows how to prioritize. He
demonstrated this trait by taking our Club from a
financial deficient to a positive in a year’s time.”
Ron Van Gilder, Former President and Member
“As Chairman of the Membership Committee and as
Vice President of our Board of Directors at PFCC,
as well as a 16-year member of the Club, I knew
Bill quite well. He is blessed with boundless energy,
tremendous creativity, inspirational leadership skills,
and outstanding team skills. Bill worked hard to put
a face on his role as GM, constantly looking for ways
to be where his members were. In that way, Bill had
a strong sense of the pulse of the membership, always
focused on member satisfaction and feedback. Bill
actively sought ways to do things differently, to add a
personality and a unique twist to heritage activities,
and to create new events and activities which would
result in incremental participation and reinforce the
Club image. Many times we, as leadership, would
be presented with ‘another of Bill’s ideas,’and every
idea was considered and debated. His creativity
seemed endless. Bill recognized his fiduciary
responsibility and was a strong manager of the Club’s
financial results. Pine Forest survived a devastating
hurricane, one of the state’s worst droughts, a global
economic downturn, and the rerouting of the Club’s
entrance off a major Houston road largely because
of Bill’s leadership, the rallying of his team, and
his dogged commitment to succeed. Pine Forest’s
performance in the most difficult of times was the
envy of many area clubs and Bill deserves much
of the credit for that. Bill volunteered for the US
Open, invigorated Pine Forest’s marshaling of a
hole at the Houston Open, solicited communication
with area media outlets, and improved the Club web
and social media presence, all with a marketing eye
towards greater Club visibility. Bill understood the
opportunities available from an effective mix of sales,
marketing and financial control, and Pine Forest
prospered as a result. He’s bright and witty, he’s fun
and positive, he wears his loyalty and commitment
to his club on his sleeve, he is tough when he needs
to be, but someone you would seek out for a quiet
drink at the bar as well. Pine Forest has continued to
grow and prosper, and is no longer ‘West Houston’s
Best Kept Secret,’and Bill Horton’s role as our GM
provided a foundation on which the Club continues
to build.”
Lee Stranathan, Board Member
Membership Chairman, Pine Forest Country Club
“Bill Horton came into an operation at PFCC that
was rift with issues and personnel problems. Within
a year, he had solved most of the issues. Staff morale
was improving. Bill had a way of getting out front
with his people, encouraging them and setting the
tone. At large events, he was always helping to serve
the members, often in a tuxedo handing out roses to
the ladies as they entered. As with many clubs, we
were faced with a declining membership and financial
issues. Bill tried various innovative ways to get more
folks to join the Club while recognizing we needed
to get costs under control. I found him positive to
such changes. If we needed to cut monthly costs by
5%, he said this is the way to do it. And would then
implement the change without belaboring the issue.
I worked with him on budgeting and cost analysis.
We recognized the profit contribution we could get
with large events, often for guests of members. He
provided great support to our banquet manager and
soon doubled our income from these outside events.
This helped us weather the economic downturn in
2008 and 2009.”
Dick Humphreys, Former Board Vice Chairman
Member, Pine Forest Country Club
“Bill has been our General Manager at Traditions
since July 2010. The growth and success of our Club
would not have been possible without the talents
of Bill Horton. His vision for hospitality and his
drive to ‘transform the country club experience’are
revolutionary. The Gingerbread House project is one
of many ideas that he has implemented at Traditions
to offer our members a one-of-a-kind experience. For
the past three years, he has also been instrumental in
offering a Top 100 Wine Dinner to our members that
has featured at least three of the Top 10 Wines from
Wine Spectator paired with amazing dishes from our
Chef Michael Menchaca. However, the best thing
about Bill Horton is his “outfits.” Bill’s personality
and ability to fill a room with happiness should be
enough; but he combines that with checkered pants,
funny hats, off the wall colored jackets, and numerous
other ‘props’to give our members a sense that
Traditions is not just a golf course and social club.
It is FUN! Bill is a pleasure to work with and makes
being an owner much easier.”
Michael D. Rupe
Owner, Traditions Club
More On Bill Horton

PRINCIPALS & SENIOR PARTNERS
Bill Schulz, MCM
713-252-2753 • bill@masterclubadvisors.com
Norman Spitzig, MCM
352-735-5693 • normspitzig@hotmail.com
International Partner
Rod Bogg - RBGolfconsult
702-788-8309 • rodneybogg@yahoo.com
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
David Meyers Associates Ltd.
Executive Chef Placement
847-705-6700 • meyersdgm@comcast.net
Club Benchmarking
Ray Cronin • 617-803-0676
Russ Conde • 603-553-8958
www.clubbenchmarking.com
Links Systems
Darryl Rejko
561-324-3297 • linkssystems@bellsouth.net
Club Insights by SureVista
Peter McCarty
517-336-4454
pmccarty@surevista.com www.clubinsights.com
“FRIENDS OF THE FIRM”
Club Managers Association of America
Dedicated to providing education and
advancing professionalism
National Club Association
Advocates for private clubs
Club Essential
Leader in interactive websites for clubs
CLUB MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES
Editor & Publisher
Patti Stanwood
281-686-1382 • starbuckprincess@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 941238
Houston, TX 77094
Executive Placement • Symposiums • Consulting
Idea Fair
by Vincent J. C. Tracy, CCM, CCE
General Manager/COO • Town & Country Club • St. Paul, Minnesota
CMAA 2014 World Conference Idea Fair
This year, Town & Country Club submitted several ideas to the CMAA Idea Fair and
came home with two first place entries! Our “Farmers Market with the GM” took first
place in the Staff Management category and our “Green Restaurant Certification” board
brought home the blue ribbon for Environmental Impact.
Entry Process
Our marketing team, Liz Schoenecker and Jessica Root, set out to create a template
that could work across all the categories, making sure to keep consistent with Town &
Country Club’s brand standards. In addition to providing a consistent look, the template
had to be versatile enough to accommodate the unique support materials for each entry.
A bulletin board-style provided just the vehicle to unify a look for all boards. Each
board defined the purpose or challenge that brought about the idea, an explanation of
how the idea was implemented, and finally, any results that were achieved. The Idea Fair
is a forum for sharing ideas, so our marketing team decided to make it easy to share ours.
A QR code was included on each entry, allowing viewers to scan the code and link to
copies of all the boards.
First Place Category #6: Staff Management|Farmers Market with the GM
For years, Town & Country Club has emphasized locally
sourced and organic ingredients. Our on-site garden provides
some of our produce, but we need to supplement with other
sources. Each week, our chefs and I visit the local farmers
market to purchase any additional produce needed. I came
up with the idea for “Farmers Market with the GM” after
recognizing a need to get all Club employees educated on our
efforts to use locally-sourced ingredients in our kitchen. I
wanted a fun way to encourage everyone’s involvement and
support. Periodically throughout the year, staff members are invited to go with me to the
farmers market. Employees enjoy breakfast with me, then are given shopping lists from
the Chef. They spend time shopping the market for produce and flowers, both for their
personal use and to bring back to the Club. These shopping days are well-attended and
provide a fun, educational experience for employees. They return to the Club with a full
belly, fresh produce, and a better understanding of local food sourcing.
First Place Category #15: Environmental Impact|Green Restaurant Certification
Our Club continually strives to find green, earth-friendly ways
to provide our member experience while maintaining the high
level of service and quality our members have grown to expect.
In an effort to improve ourselves operationally and be more
environmentally responsible, we set out to achieve certification
from the Green Restaurant Association. To meet the rigorous
certification requirements, we instituted policies to increase
use of sustainable foods, improve energy efficiency, and reduce
waste throughout our facilities. Our efforts include use of local
food suppliers, transitioning to bio-degradable to-go containers and silverware, onsite
bee colonies for honey production, and our own brood of egg-producing chickens. Our
Chef and his staff harvest vegetables and herbs from their own garden located on Club
grounds. In spring of 2013, Town & Country Club became the first private golf club to
be awarded Green Restaurant Certification.
CMP congratulates Vincent Tracy, his staff and club, for their excellent and enviable
contributions to improving day-to-day member enjoyment (not to mention employee
satisfaction!) in the private club environment. A personal thanks to Vince for his
quick response to our last minute information request on his winning achievements,
allowing us to publish this in our March-April issue.

CMPMarApr2014_Final

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