The Journal

Industry News & Trends

Club Assessments Explained: Capital Dues, Special Assessments and What Members Actually Owe in 2026

Capital dues, operating assessments and special assessments are not the same thing. How each is levied, what members actually owe in 2026, and what separates a

July 9, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Member-Guest Economy: Turning Your Signature Invitational Into a Membership Pipeline

Member-guest season is peak prospect season. Why your signature invitational’s guest list is the highest-density membership lead list your club will assemble

July 7, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Crest Economy: Everyone Is Reading Club Logos Now

The most exclusive brands in America don’t advertise. They don’t sell in stores. Most of them barely have websites. And yet right now, thousands of people w

July 6, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Waitlist Monetization Playbook: What Your Most-Wanted Membership Is Really Worth

Most clubs treat the waitlist as a holding area. The ones gaining ground treat it as the highest-leverage revenue and brand instrument they have — with struct

June 27, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Country Club Dues Explained: What Your Monthly Bill Actually Covers in 2026

Initiation is paid once; dues arrive every month. Here’s what operating dues, capital charges, F&B minimums, and the fees nobody mentions on the tour actually

June 26, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Summer Guest-Pass Strategy: Turning Member Guests Into Your Fall Pipeline

Summer is peak season for member-guest traffic — and the highest-density window of pre-qualified prospects your club will see all year. Here’s how to build

June 25, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Summer in the Mountains: How Alpine Clubs Own the Green Season

The best mountain clubs don’t close between ski seasons — they change the conversation entirely. Here’s how the most sophisticated alpine properties progr

June 24, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Beach Club at Peak Season: Cabana Economics & the Summer Waitlist Playbook

The beach club compresses almost all of its annual revenue into a 90-to-120-day window — and the operators who maximize it treat the cabana tier, the day-pass

June 23, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Father’s Day at the Club: How Top Programs Win the Weekend (2026)

Father’s Day is the one Sunday of the year when the private club has every advantage — if it shows up prepared. Here’s how the best programs turn June 21

June 19, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Country Club Jobs 2026: The Highest-Paying Roles and How to Land Them

From the GM/COO to the executive chef and superintendent, here’s what the top private-club careers actually pay in 2026 — and the credentials and moves that

June 18, 2026

Industry News & Trends

U.S. Open 2026 at Shinnecock Hills: Inside Golf’s Founding Private Club

As the 126th U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills, a USGA founding club hosting its sixth Open, the championship offers a master class in the kind of prestige

June 16, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Modern Country Club Summer: Programming the Under-45 Family Actually Shows Up For

Twelve weeks of summer is the whole retention argument for younger families. The clubs getting it right aren’t running one signature event — they’re build

June 13, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Where America’s Billionaires Actually Golf: The Private Clubs of the Business Elite

The business elite don’t golf where money talks — they golf where money can’t get you in. Inside the invitation-only clubs that prove status outranks net

June 12, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Summer Wellness Surge: Longevity Suites & Recovery Revenue for Clubs

Recovery science and longevity programming have become the fastest-compounding category private-club members spend in. Here’s the demand data — and the reve

June 4, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Mid-Year Marketing Audit: 7 Metrics Every Club Board Should Review Before Q3

June is the last practical moment to course-correct before Q3 planning locks in another year of assumptions. Here are the seven funnel metrics — from inquiry-

June 2, 2026

Industry News & Trends

Summer 2026: 10 Trends Reshaping Private Club Programming

71% of luxury travelers are planning cross-generational trips. Gen X is the primary heir to a $2.4 trillion U.S. real estate wealth transfer. The low- and no-al

May 22, 2026

Industry News & Trends

What KSL Will Do With Invited Clubs: 5 Predictions From Industry Watchers

Apollo was a generalist financier. KSL is a hospitality operator. Five predictions for what changes at Invited Clubs — top-tier rebrand, multi-year capex cycl

May 20, 2026

Industry News & Trends

The Member Acquisition Funnel: From First Tour to First Anniversary

54% of clubs have a waiting list — but a waiting list is a buffer, not a strategy. The disciplined member acquisition funnel from first tour to first annivers

May 18, 2026