Whatever an existing structure looks like, golf clubs should undertake regular reviews to make sure it continues to be appropriate for the staff, volunteers, and owners, aligning it with the objectives and vision to help the club continually improve.

Learning from other clubs and understanding what ‘best practice’ looks like, in both members-owned and proprietary golf clubs, is an essential element of this process, as well as undertaking regular internal reviews and evaluations.

Each club will have important groups that are responsible for setting the strategic direction. This could be an owner in a proprietary golf club, or a Board of Directors or Management Committee in a member-owned golf club.

Whoever is responsible for this element of the business must remain focussed on this role and undertake regular reviews to make sure the strategy is working, and the objectives set for the club are still appropriate and relevant.

Ensuring that there is a clear separation between direction and delivery enables a club to give appropriate focus to achieving their ambitions, always remaining competitive and able to easily adapt to changing market conditions or customer preferences.

To support the Strategic Groups, your club may have sub-committees or working groups, usually comprising a mixture of the employed management team and volunteers with the appropriate skills and experience.

Some of these groups will be project-based, so will dissolve once their target has been achieved, and others will be standing groups who may be tasked with providing advice guidance and recommendations to the decision-makers.

Whilst these groups may have some clearly defined authority, they should remain overall accountable to the Board or management committee and will likely be chaired by a member from one of these groups. Its important for them to understand their remit so the use of terms of reference to help clearly define their role is essential.

When used correctly, these groups will add significant value to the overall effectiveness of the club.

To ensure individuals undertake the tasks assigned to them in a manner which the golf club expects, there must be documentation in place to clearly define the expectations of the club.

The board of directors, all committees and working groups must have clear Terms of Reference and all individuals must have either Job Descriptions (if they are employed) or Role Descriptors (if they are club officers or volunteers) and must be asked to sign a Code of Conduct, which outlines the expected behaviour they will be asked to follow.

Clubs with good governance will utilise a Code of Conduct for their Board and committee members to help regulate and manage their behaviour, and which directly links to the organisations identified values. This can help to foster an environment where open and controlled debate is welcomed, with meetings structured in way that makes the experience much better for all those in attendance.