A Case Study from Baton Rouge Country Club
By Ned Welc
My colleague Tara Osborne recently wrote about the ways GSI goes the extra mile to understand your club’s culture. Her article reminded me of a recent GM placement I made that illustrated how understanding a club’s culture as well as the culture of its surrounding community can lead to an outstanding outcome.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana has many great things to offer. In addition to being the state capital, it is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers. LSU provides a vibrant college-town atmosphere within a successful business community. In addition, the city is home to one of the finest country clubs in the south: Baton Rouge Country Club.
Founded in 1916, BRCC has 1,067 members and a gross annual revenue of $17.5 million. It has maintained a waiting list of applicants for years. The club prides itself on being a true family club with traditional values, and its mission is to provide the best possible experience for all family members in all areas of the club.
The club’s General Manager, Michael Masson, was retiring after 27 years, and Michael and the Board reached out to me and GSI to find the perfect replacement. The club and its members had enjoyed a wonderful experience under Michael’s dedication to members and staff.
After being chosen for this responsibility, I visited Baton Rouge for the first time, meeting with Michael, the Search Committee, various Board members, and each of the department heads. I even attended a family night at the club, and was able to see how far Michael and his team went to exceed expectations for the moms, dads, grandparents and especially the children.
The Search Committee made it clear that they were looking for a candidate who had excellent credentials, a proven track record, extensive family club experience, and — critically — understood and embraced “southern hospitality.” They wanted a leader who would continue to honor the traditions and culture that the club embodied, and the members counted on.
I had placed many General Managers over the years, mostly in Ohio and Florida, but my deep south experience was limited. I have been to New Orleans twice for CMAA National Conferences but had not ventured far from the conference. In fact, the Committee and I joked about how a Yankee like me had been chosen for this task!
Another first for me was that there were three internal candidates who expressed an interest in the opportunity. I had never had three internal candidates before or since. All three were tenured, well-liked, and respected. The internal candidates were put through the exact same process as the outside candidates that I brought to the club’s attention. Two of those internal candidates became finalists.
Meeting with everyone associated with the club helped me understand the culture, as they knew the club well, were positive advocates, had a deep appreciation for everything BRCC, and exemplified southern hospitality — which I could tell was critical for this placement. To a person, everyone was polite, engaging, respectful and kind to others. Those attributes were significant components of my candidate search.
Because I made two trips to Baton Rouge, staying multiple days each visit, I found myself in conversations about BRCC with people working in other industries within the community: airport desk employees, hotel workers, restaurant employees and bartenders (because, as I learned early in my club career, bartenders know everything!). I asked them about their perceptions of BRCC to understand how the club was seen in the community. The people I spoke with all held the club in high regard. They respected the club and described it as having high-level service, prestigious members, and a reputation for contributing to the community through volunteering. This helped further refine my understanding of the ideal candidate’s “DNA.”
After an extensive national search that cast a wide net, expanded across the industry and considered many candidates, we identified a top candidate. I sat with Joe Burden, CCM, PGA, CAM at a Starbucks in Fort Myers, FL to discuss this opportunity. Joe was the GM of a club in Fort Myers but was looking to relocate to the A-list traditional club in the south. Although I did not expect to find a top candidate in Fort Myers for a move to Baton Rouge, Joe’s values and club principles were a strong match with those of Michael Masson at Baton Rouge Country Club. Joe had once been on the golf team at Mississippi State University and loved southern culture. He not only checked all the boxes — he demonstrated an understanding of appreciation for the culture of BRCC and Baton Rouge.
After a lengthy interview process, Joe was chosen to become the club’s new General Manager. Now, years later, Joe is still doing a great job at the club and he and his wife are happy in Baton Rouge.
When I reflect on this experience, from first shaking hands at the club’s front door with Michael Masson, to the congratulations handshake with Joe Burden as I left the club, I can only think how fortunate I was that this Yankee had the opportunity to meet and get to know the people I met during this ten-week process. There is something to be said for southern hospitality: you know it when you see it!
