Beechmont Country Club

We met with Mr. Downey at Beechmont Country Club. He was extremely kind and wanted to help us out. He began by saying that each club is very different culturally. Therefore, the wants of each culture is different so a general manager has to adjust. Beechmont is a primarily Jewish club so Mr. Downey says the main focus of his members is dining as opposed to golf.
Beechmont is a medium sized club with 381 members and Mr. Downey told us that there is a $5.5 million annual revenue. The economy hit Beechmont hard but not as bad as other clubs. He said that some members were even effected by the Bernie Madoff scandal. Mr. Downey estimated that Beechmont had a net loss of 20 members during the economic commotion.

Family Club:
Beechmont has an average age of 54. It really includes the children through the various activities and its extremely popular Camp Beechmont. They are involved in 'Super Clubs' which is a group of clubs around that have competitions in various sports, ranging from volleyball to golf, with young adults. Mr. Downey as a GM is very personal with the children through his involvement and passion with the camps.
Food and Beverage:

Mr. Downey explained that with a Jewish population the dining is the main attraction. Members look to their club as the number one option to eat and entertain friends and business. Therefore, the club has to offer the best dining facilities and accommodations for the members. The chef is very personal and has mastered the Jewish pallet, perfecting staples like brisket or matzo ball soup. Since the food dynamic is the focus at Beechmont it is hard to compare it to other clubs.
Golf is still an attraction to Beechmont. The course is extremely nice but could not hold a high end golf tournament. The expense is extremely high for the course but Beechmont claims that they are smart with how they spend their money. Mr. Downey says they know how to stretch a dollar but still offer a good value to the members.

Mr. Downey plans to eliminate the club's debt over the next few years. He wants to improve the club physically by spending money on the course and main building. He is pleased with how his club has handled the economic crisis and he believes in a good future. The people of Beechmont are proud of their club and should stick by it for a good while.