Competitive Intel for Clubs: What Your Members Really Compare You To

When clubs think about competition, they usually look at other clubs within a 20-mile radius. They benchmark initiation fees, compare golf course rankings, and of course, who's got a waitlist. It only makes sense - clubs compete with other clubs. The only thing is, that's not their only competition.

Between now and 2045, our country will experience the greatest generational wealth transfer in history. Younger people will have money to spend, but they don't want their grandfather's country club. And if a club can't attract these prospective members, they may not just go join a different club. They'll spend that money on completely different experiences that align with what they actually value.

Three Levels of Competition

Direct club competitors are the obvious ones. Other clubs in your market. The ones you already track. This isn't useless—clubs should know what's happening at clubs nearby. But the real competition is bigger than that.

Lifestyle alternatives are what you're really up against. Think about boutique fitness clubs like Lifetime or Equinox. Premium facilities, childcare, social programming, community. Or consider how younger families can piece together an à la carte recreation strategy: a ski pass for the family, reservations at amazing and sought after restaurants, youth sports leagues, and maybe a tennis club membership. The bottom line - they can build the lifestyle they want without writing a five or six-figure check to join your club.

When someone's considering that kind of investment, you're competing against every other way they could spend that money on experiences for their family.

Experience benchmarks set the bar for what members expect when they walk through your doors. Your members aren't comparing your dining room to the club across town—they're comparing it to the restaurant they drove 45 minutes to last Saturday. They're looking for Ritz-Carlton caliber service with family programming that’s seamless, frictionless and accessible from apps they use every day.

Private club members pay a significant amount of money to join and belong. They expect a premium experience. And their reference point isn't just other clubs.

Gathering Competitive Intelligence

Kris Butterfield-Cance, Director of People and Culture at La Cumbre Country Club, has straightforward advice: ask every new member why they joined, then actually listen to what they say. Sounds simple, but here's what she's noticed—new members often share exactly what they want and what you're competing against. Clubs just don't always pay attention to those answers.

Same thing with member surveys, especially from younger members. Ask what they wish the club offered. Find out where else they spend their recreation dollars. Pay attention to what they choose when they leave the club for dinner or activities. Clubs should not be trying to copy what others do. They need to understand what experiences members value enough to pay for.

What This Means for Capital Investments

A lot of clubs are investing heavily right now. Boards are making decisions based on keeping up with neighboring clubs. The club down the road added pickleball courts, so maybe we need pickleball courts. They renovated their locker rooms, we should probably do the same. Here’s a better question: what experiences do your target members actually value?

This might lead you to different conclusions about the needs of your existing and prospective members. The challenge, however, is you can't abandon legacy members while courting younger ones. Capital decisions need to bridge generations when possible. But what you invest in now signals who you're building the club for and that matters.

Communicating Your Competitive Position

For prospective members, your messaging should acknowledge what they're actually choosing between. Show them you understand they could piece together their recreation à la carte—and plenty of people do. Then help them see what makes the club different. Community. Belonging. Multigenerational connections. A place their kids will remember decades from now.

Look at your current messaging. Does your website speak to lifestyle alternatives or just list club features? Are you showing experiences or empty facilities? Does your positioning acknowledge the real choices prospects are making, or does it assume club membership is the obvious answer?

The clubs that will thrive over time are the ones willing to expand their definition of competition beyond the country club down the road. They're paying attention to how young members with families spend time and money and then investing in experiences that align with their  values. And they recognize the fact that membership competes against every other premium experience their prospects can access.