What Members Mean When They Talk About Value
A Viewpoint on Governance, Operations, and What Surveys Are Telling Us
If you read enough member surveys across private clubs, a familiar pattern begins to emerge. Satisfaction scores are often solid. Members generally like the course, the dining, the team, and the overall condition of the club. And yet, when the question of value appears, the scores tend to soften. That disconnect frustrates boards and leadership teams because it does not seem logical. If members are satisfied, why does value lag behind?
The answer is that value at a private club is rarely a financial calculation, even though surveys often frame it that way. Members are not sitting at home dividing dues by rounds played or meals consumed and arriving at a neat conclusion. In fact, when a member starts tallying cost per round or cost per visit, it is usually a sign that something else has already shifted. Value has become harder to feel, so the mind looks for numbers to explain it.
In my experience, member value can be understood through two simple questions. Can I use my club when and how I want to? And when I am there, do I feel welcome and special? When the answer to both questions is yes, value rarely becomes a concern, even when dues or fees increase. When either answer begins to drift toward no, value erodes quickly, regardless of how strong the amenities or service might appear on paper.
This is why value often benchmarks lower than satisfaction in surveys. Surveys capture outcomes, but value is shaped by conditions. Members may be generally satisfied, but value reflects how easily the club fits into their lives and how it makes them feel when they arrive. Access friction, inconsistent recognition, rigid policies, or small moments of inconvenience all accumulate quietly. They rarely trigger complaints, but they do influence how members respond when asked about value.
Where this becomes more complex is that value is not created solely by operations, nor is it defined solely by governance. It lives in the overlap between the two. Boards govern policies, priorities, and constraints. Management operates within those boundaries to deliver the daily experience. Members do not experience these as separate functions. They experience one club.
Access is one of the clearest examples of this overlap. Boards often make policy decisions intended to protect the experience, such as limits on tee times, dining reservations, or guest access. Operations is then responsible for implementing those decisions while still making members feel welcome. When governance and operations are aligned, policies feel fair, team members understand the intent behind them, and members feel protected rather than restricted. When alignment is missing, managers and team members become rule enforcers, members feel friction without context, and value quietly declines.
Culture follows a similar pattern. It is often described as an operational responsibility, but it is shaped just as much by governance. Boards influence culture through the tone they set, the behaviors they tolerate, and how they engage with leadership. Management translates that tone into daily interactions, training, and service recovery. A board that governs with trust enables management to operate with warmth and flexibility. A board that governs with control often forces operations into rigidity, even when the intention is to protect quality.
Financial decisions also play a role, though members rarely see them directly. Staffing levels, training investment, and programming flexibility are all shaped by governance choices. What looks like a budget decision in the boardroom often shows up as a service moment on the floor. Operations can only deliver value within the framework governance creates. When resources are constrained or priorities are misaligned, value suffers even when effort remains high.
When boards look at survey results and see value lagging behind satisfaction, the instinct is often to adjust pricing, messaging, or the survey itself. A more productive response is to pause and ask whether the club is being governed and operated in a way that supports ease of use and genuine connection. Are policies enabling members to enjoy the club, or are they unintentionally creating friction? Are leaders aligned on the experience the club is meant to deliver?
Member value is not defined by what members pay. It is defined by how easily they can use their club and how they feel when they do. When governance and operations are aligned around those two questions, value becomes self-evident. And when value is clear, survey scores tend to follow.
