By Tara Osborne
Before working in executive search, I spent years on the operations side of private clubs, on the floor, behind the scenes and in planning meetings where programming decisions were debated line by line. I saw firsthand what worked, what fell flat and what brought clubs to life.
What I learned then, and what rings truer than ever today, is that clubs thrive when multiple generations show up together and keep coming back.
Today’s private clubs are serving more generations under one roof than ever before. Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z are all active members, each with different expectations of how they spend their time and what they value from their club experience. Most clubs are seeing a noticeable decline in average member age, resulting in an influx of young families and a growing need for programming that supports multi-generational engagement.
From an operations perspective, this can feel overwhelming. I have sat in meetings where teams worried that they were either catering too heavily to long-tenured members and losing younger families, or chasing trends that unintentionally alienated core members.
When programming becomes siloed by age, or reactive instead of intentional, engagement drops. Events feel forced. Attendance becomes unpredictable. The club loses something harder to quantify: connection.
Clubs do not thrive on amenities alone. Clubs thrive on shared member experiences.
The events that consistently succeed are the ones in which grandparents, parents and children participate together, sometimes actively, sometimes just in the same space. That's when the dining room buzzes. Those are the weekends member talk about for weeks.
Generational programming builds:
The long-term results are easy to see. When families build memories at the club, retention takes care of itself.
The most successful clubs do not try to please everyone at every event. Instead, they create a thoughtful programming rhythm. Some events are designed for shared participation, while others naturally overlap generations.
The best operational strategies follow a few consistent principles:
When this mindset is present, participation follows naturally.
Here are a few concepts that consistently deliver value.
Family Forward Signature Events
Generational Sports and Recreation
Food and Beverage as the Connector
Tradition Driven Experiences
Casual Touchpoints
Even the best ideas fall flat without the right leadership in place. As clubs welcome younger families and expand multi-generational offerings, successful programming requires dedicated ownership and coordination.
Clubs that do this well typically have a leader whose role includes planning, communicating and executing events across departments. Depending on the club, this position may be titled Member Activities Director, Member Experience Manager, Director of Member Engagement or Family and Recreation Director. Regardless of the title, the responsibility is the same: ensure events are thoughtfully planned, well-staffed and consistently delivered at a high level.
When the right leader is empowered to own member engagement, generational activities move from one-off events to meaningful traditions that strengthen the club community year after year.
After years in operations, one thing is clear. Generational activities are not just programming. They are a strategic investment in a club’s future.
When members of all ages feel connected to the club and to each other, they do not just participate more. They stay longer. They care deeper. And they bring the next generation with them.
That is the difference between a club that survives and a club that truly thrives.
