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“If you force people
to use the social
venues, some folks
are bound to have fun
and make friends!”
– Hendrick van der Geld, General Manager,
Dundas Valley Golf & Curling Club
Joyel, your club is exploring a change. What are the
key considerations before making the change?
JS: Our key issues are around the “off-season” – we are considering
weighting our minimums with higher quarterly minimums from
May to October, for example. We’ve also been asked to look at ways
of incentivizing our members who spend more than their minimum
each quarter or annually.
How do you foresee F&B minimums trending
industry-wide in the years to come?
HvdG: Member clubs will continue to re-evaluate the minimum
systems. I believe this really comes down to the percentage of
revenue that is generated by member dues. If the revenue percentage
is high (50 per cent or more) from dues and the club is not as
dependent on discretionary spending, there can be greater influence
toward a business model without minimum spends. This is
simply a strategic exercise to consider raising dues to cover variable
business in F&B.
The other consideration is social and cultural. If your membership
is such that the community at your club is a big part of the
value proposition, I would encourage maintaining minimums. If
you force people to use the social venues, some folks are bound to
have fun and make friends!
JS: It’s hard to speak for the industry, but for our club, the
minimums are the way in which a full year opening is sustainable.
We don’t have the local or neighborhood traffic to naturally drive
member usage in the off-season, so we could not count on F&B
spending when the course is closed.
We have been working on our off-season programming,
including the introduction of simulators this winter, so we can
offer more enticement for members to use the club.
GS: The F&B operation at Ashburn is an important part of our
club, and our 2,100 members enjoy our facilities. It is vital that we
offer fantastic food and service, as our members are spoiled by the
amazing restaurant and bar scene in Halifax. I feel the minimum
is important – we need the support of our members to hire and
maintain a quality staff. It is a balance of wanting the members to
come out and enjoy their experience at the club and without making
them feel obligated to come out just to spend their minimum.
BD: Clubs will need to make a change. There are so many
options for entertainment dollars, and people/members will want
choice. Also, clubs will need to control the hours of operation better
due to labour changes, especially on the F&B side.
Editor’s Note: Before press time, Hendrick van der Geld left his position
at the Dundas Valley Golf & Curling Club. He is now director of
operations for Wyndance Golf Club.
10 § The Canadian Society of Club Managers § www.cscm.org
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