Claim OwnershipLet's Talk Club Management
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Let’s Talk Club Management is a show dedicated to giving an in-depth look at the club management profession. With insider stories of first-hand experiences to best practices from your Association leaders, CMAA looks to provide you with the best information (with a side of fun).
154 Episodes
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It’s that time again! The 2026 World Conference is just around the corner and in this episode, we’re chatting with our team members about registration, events and networking, education, and our NewBee activities. Kyle and Melissa will take you through the important things you need to know for the week, and they pick up some guest hosts along the way.
Access the Conference FAQs: https://www.cmaa.org/learn/meetings-and-events/conference/faqs/
Read blog from Skip Avery, CCM, CCE, CMAA Fellow: https://stonegrouparchitects.com/planting-seeds-for-success-making-the-most-of-your-cmaa-world-conference-experience/
City clubs face unique governance challenges, including balancing the needs of an increasingly diverse membership, managing complex urban operations, and navigating a tumultuous socio-political environment. On this episode, we’re joined by World Conference speaker and CMAA National Board Member, Charles Johnson, CCM, CCE, to preview his session on the best practices in city club governance, including strategic alignment and the relationship between management and volunteer leadership.
Catch Charles’ session at the 2026 World Conference & Club Business Expo on February 20, from 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Collaborations with celebrities, professional athletes, influencers, and media production companies can elevate your club's visibility and create powerful market momentum—but only if you've selected your partnerships well and negotiate carefully. On this episode, we’re joined by World Conference speakers Adam Rieck and Matthew Martin to preview their session on navigating celebrity, influencer, and media partnerships at your club.
Catch their session at the 2026 World Conference & Club Business Expo on February 20, from 1:45-2:45 p.m.
On this episode, we are thrilled to be talking to the 2025 Club Executive of the Year, Randy Ruder, CCM, CCE, CMAA Fellow. In November, Club Management magazine named Randy the 2025 Club Executive of the Year. He currently serves as the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, NY. In this episode we get to know randy a bit better though the eyes of three of his mentees from across his career. We’re joined by Qian Yang, CCM, Batu Catalkaya, and Sam Lipp, to hear more about Randy’s impact and influence on their career paths.
In this episode, we dive in to talk about ethics and its impact on decision-making in the club industry. Researchers from Michigan State University have been exploring this topic for 35 years. The research was first undertaken in 1989, revisited in 2010, and again in 2024. In this research, club executives were asked to measure their responses to 15 ethical scenarios. We’re joined by Jeffrey A. Beck, Ph.D.; Raymond S. Schmidgall, Ph.D., CPA; and Richard A. Bruner CCM, CCE, with The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University to discuss this interesting research!
You can access the articles about this research in the November/December 2025 edition of Club Management magazine: https://www.club-mgmt.com/clubmanagement/library/item/2025november_december/4304808/
At your club, there are two individuals who share one goal but have differing responsibilities that might seem to be cross purposes at times, the Golf Professional and the Superintendent. These individuals and their teams are responsible for delivering an exceptional golf experience. How can club management professionals support these individuals and help them meet the mission? In this episode, we’re joined by Paul Levy, PGA, and Armen Suny, Search Executives with Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, to share their insights into how all parties can grow in this existing gap.
Please join us in welcoming one of our newest CMAA team members, Haley Habosky! Haley is CMAA’s new Manager, Student Development and joined CMAA after a stint in the club world. She joins us in this episode to chat about her background and passions and what she is most looking forward to doing with CMAA. Please welcome Haley!
We are thrilled to welcome back to our podcast, our favorite cybersecurity experts at Pulsar Security, a CMAA Education Partner, for answers to our questions about current cybersecurity trends. Pulsar is a company whose mission extends to protect clubs and their members against malicious attacks. The company is a Veteran, privately owned business built on vision and trust, whose leadership has extensive military experience enabling it to think strategically and plan beyond the problems at hand. We are excited to welcome back the CEO and Founder of Pulsar Security, Patrick Hynds and Chief Technology Officer Duane Laflotte.
Please join us in welcoming one of our newest CMAA team members, Udokamma Ebulu! Udokamma (or Udo) is one of CMAA’s Staff Accountants – but that’s not his only interest. He’s truly a man of many talents and he joins us in this episode to chat about his background and passions and what he is most looking forward to doing with CMAA.
When you think about golf cars and personal transport vehicles, your first thought probably centers on transportation. But there is a lot more to consider – golf cars can improve the member experience, expand accessibility, enhance your service opportunities, and provide vital support for maintenance and other daily operations. In this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Brad Schaufert, one of our partners at E-Z-GO, to talk about this important club component.
E-Z-GO is a globally renowned leader in the design and manufacture of golf cars and personal transport vehicles, known for its innovation in sustainable electric vehicles and powertrain technology.
Each summer, hospitality students have the opportunity to intern at some of the most impressive clubs around the country. In this episode, we chat with Kelsey Burke, about what her internship experience was like. Kelsey is a CMAA Student Member and interned at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, NC. Kelsey shared what she learned and some of her advice for future interns. We talked a lot about the importance of authenticity and trying new things.
You may have seen the social media trend where individuals are asked to try to identify different voices. We’ve seen it with supervisors, teachers, coaches, among others. And it’s now made it to the club industry. Melissa was recently catching up with members on LinkedIn and caught a cool take from Grace Mwirigi, CCM, the Assistant Manager at Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park, IL. Beyond creating the video, Grace turned this TikTok trend into a leadership lesson. We asked Grace to join us to talk about what she learned from this activity and her goals as a leader.
Watch Grace’s take here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/grace-muchiri-ccm-rethinking-culture-through-strategic-poa9c/?trackingId=uqU0zch0ET9gtJFndVzPrA%3D%3D
Each summer, hospitality students have the opportunity to intern at some of the most impressive clubs around the country. We wanted to hear what that experience was like, so we invited Alexa Esquivel, a CMAA student member and intern at Houston Country Club, to the podcast to share more about her experience, what she learned, and her advice for future interns. We talked a lot about having courage and being brave enough to try new things, even when it’s outside of your comfort zone.
On July 4, HR 1, the 2025 tax legislation was signed into law. The measure features the extension of several expiring tax cuts passed in 2017 and new tax reductions including new federal tax exemptions for qualifying tip and overtime income. There’s a lot to unpack here for clubs. In this episode, we’re joined by Brad Steele, a longtime collaborator, to talk more about what this means for the club industry. We’ll explore what we know about these two impactful changes and learn what details remain to be released with further regulatory guidance.
In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Bloom and Rachel Ridgeway, SHRM-CP, of Bloom Golf Partners to discuss Bloom Golf’s 2025 Workforce Trends Study. Released earlier this year, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the current landscape, uncovering the expectations of workers in the golf industry, their views on career opportunities, and their thoughts on the key factors influencing their job satisfaction and retention. With a focus on both recruitment and workplace culture, this study offers valuable insights into how golf course leaders can adapt to the evolving workforce.
Access the study here: https://bloomgolfpartners.com/research/
In June, GGA Partners and CMAA released the 2025 Club Leaders Perspective Report, a report that benchmarks operational data and examines current trends across a wide spectrum of private club facilities. On this episode of the podcast, we dive into that report and other research with Michael Gregory from GGA Partners. Access the full report on CMAA Connect: https://connect.cmaa.org/viewdocument/gga-partnerscmaa-club-leaders-per-1?CommunityKey=43e436dc-e513-4cc6-94b0-34a8e734968f&tab=librarydocuments
It’s never a bad time of year to take time to review your club’s policies and procedures. They are essential for managing effectively and making sound decisions for your members, employees, and volunteer board members. What are these policies and what are the best practices for implementation? Let’s find out!
In this episode, we are diving into the article “Seven Essential Policies for Your Private Club in 2025”. We are excited to have all three authors from PKF O'Connor Davies with us today to dive into this important topic.
It is Hurricane season for our members on the Atlantic coast, running from June 1 to November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-normal 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. It’s the perfect time to talk about disaster preparedness specifically when it comes to communications. Marc Ray, MCM, CCE, CHAE, is an expert in this area and we are so glad to have the opportunity to tap into his knowledge today. His monograph, Hurricane Communications with Internal Audiences in Private Gated Communities, provides communication guidance outlining recommendations for general managers to use in the event of a hurricane and addresses communication before and after a hurricane event.
You can read Marc’s monograph here: https://connect.cmaa.org/browse/mcmdocs
Advocate for the PAR Act: www.clubindustryvotes.org
We are thrilled to welcome back to our podcast, our favorite cyber security experts at Pulsar Security, a CMAA Alliance Partner, for answers to our questions. Pulsar Security is a cybersecurity company whose mission extends to protect clubs and their members against malicious attacks. The company is a Veteran, privately owned business built on vision and trust, whose leadership has extensive military experience enabling it to think strategically and plan beyond the problems at hand. We are excited to welcome back the CEO and Founder of Pulsar Security, Patrick Hynds and Chief Technology Officer Duane Laflotte.
In this episode, we’re joined by our 2025 Shark Tank competition winners: Molly Passow and Katherine Foerg from Niagara University. Their entry, Schedule Genie, uses Artificial Intelligence to assist in schedule coordination and management. You can view their whole presentation at World Conference (along with the other finalists’ presentations) on CMAA’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYkor-0fuvM
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