I have always felt very uncomfortable with what I perceive to be a very common culture of treating club employees with rudeness at worst and patronising attitudes at best.  I think the movie Caddyshack is so funny because of the accurate way in which it parodies that behavior.

I found the atmosphere at Sand Hills very refreshing in this respect.  I was told that a small number of members were kicked out for treating employees rudely early on in its existence.  Combined with strong leadership setting norms, eliminating members that do no meet those norms may be the best way to bring about change.  

I think the Sand Hills example is important.  

A small group of bad apples can make life miserable for the majority at a club it they are allowed to.  

Even in tough times it is sometimes important to hand a bad member a check, show them the door and in no uncertain terms make it clear that they and their behavior are no longer welcome.  

I have been a member at a club that was too easy on misbehavers and it eventually was a large part of the neat failure of the club.  Community members got wind that this was not a good place and membership dwindled.  Fortunately, a tough President took control in the last twelve months and while we hold our breath we have had very few resignations at the end of the season, our social events are sold out, and the bottom line is showing marked improvement.  

It took conviction and balls on the part of the leadership to try this though.

W.H. - I don't follow your reference to Sand Hills.

Bob

Wayne,

I think you have a couple of experts in town on changing ethos with free time.

T.O. and Drew.

Sorry Eagle fans it was to easy to pass up.

On a more serious note, as other people have said it all starts with leadership setting the tone.

Wayne,

Unfortunately, in many cases, tenuous financial conditions dictate membership policies.  And, as many clubs have experienced adverse financial conditions, they pay for it in the long run vis a vis substandard memberships.

Jason Topp,

The majority of clubs have rules that specify that members are not to address issues with employees, but rather, with the club manager, department head or Board.

Members who abuse employees and/or fellow members are usually suspended.  Repeat offenses usually result in dismissal from the club.

Wayne & W.H. Cosgrove,

Sand Hills is a terrible example.

It's essentially a non-resident, highly seasonal club.
Guests come from far away and are specifically selected for the trip by the hosting member.  If a member shows a pattern for hosting difficult guests, my guess is that they won't be a member for very long.

However, Sand Hills is a great example of how dictatorships work better than democracies at golf clubs.

No committees, no nonsense.  That's the way it should be.

Wayne,

Clubs are merely a reflection of society.

The next time you get on an airplane look at how your fellow passengers are dressed and how they behave.

Look at the signs, that border on vulgar, that appear at stadiums, with children and their parents waving them.

When individual members feel that they are more important than any other member, or the membership as a whole, that's where the problems begin.

Etiquette, on and off the golf course has become extinct.

There are only a few Jedi Knights left.

I have long thought and once brought up at a club board meeting that Boards of clubs should be required to choose one member for explusion each year.

I also supported expelling the doomed member's original sponsor but was willing to settle for just the one.

Very insightful, fellows.  Thank you very much.  I think the recruiting problems that Mike touched on are evident now and may be down the road.  Dramatic financial difficulties in the 1970s led to a nearly complete relaxation of admissions scrutiny at a number of Old Guard clubs in our area and thirty years later many of these guys formed blocs and are in charge upsetting the harmony and in some cases making poor decisions for the overall membership.  

I hope that the clubs today that are experiencing financial difficulties keep in mind that the long-term good of the club is strongly based upon the make-up of the membership.  It is a tough balancing act.  Clubs where the barrier to entry is the ability to pay may end up with problems at some point if there are more memberships than members for a protracted period of time.

Some may think that diversity and harmony cannot coexist.  I strongly disagree as long as there is no diversity in common sense and courtesy.

rgkeller,

I don't believe that there should be a mandatory expulsion of one member and sponsor on any systematic basis but clubs should be more willing to expel someone for just cause.  It seems like too many things are overlooked.  At least in my experience.  I agree with Rich that in many cases it is the ones governing that need to be setting the hightest examples but rather are often among the lowest.

A high ranking corporate guy was at my office about a month ago and said something interesting about building a stong work force.
He said that who you fired had a lot more to do with success than who you hired . . .

-Ted

Here's another approach. New member is seen urinating on the course. He receives a disciplinary letter from the Club's leadership. All disciplinary letters are available for review by all members. The letter is seen by his freinds and colleagues in the Club. New nickname "The Urinator." He's been shamed and ridiculed so he stays away for a while and he eventually comes back more mindful then ever of his behavior. His wife doesn't want to be with "The Urinator." The tone was set early for the new member and he now enjoys the club and is a positive force.

How about fights between members?  How about rude and abusive language in front of children and women?  How about a pattern of cheating?  How about systematic abuse of employees?  

Wow, I guess I'd want them gone too. I just wanted to make sure I was imagining what you guys were talking about.

Here is one for you all.

What if a member of a club does something "off campus" that is wrong, illegal or immoral.  That same person is somehow known as a member of XYZ club.

Question 1.  Should the offender be disciplined by that clubs governing body?

Question 2. Should those he offended, let's for argument sake say it's an owner of a bar, restaurant or god forbid police force feel like they can even call said clubs governing body to demand action?

Cheers

This is a true story from an unnamed club somewhere in the US that I used to be a member of.

A female friend of mine was trying to get gender-equity tee times.  She has every right to push for it as a full member of the club.

But she was lambasted.  She was ridiculed.  She was shunned.  

Worst of all, a really dumb male member left a message on her machine threatining to burn her house down.  Get this - the idiot didn't turn off his caller ID, so the cops knew who it was.  He was apparently arrested for making terrorist threats.

This club also had members throw things at each other.  And I witnessed scenes that would have been considered sexual harassment where I worked.

It amazes me how much better the culture is where I'm at today (French Creek).  We're certainly not perfect, but we're a million times better than where I used to be.   We have essentially unrestricted tee times, kids are welcome, we all laugh a lot, and any disputes are handled like adults.

And we have a diverse membership.  Get this - it works!

Heck, my wife Laura is even a full member of the green committee, and her opinion is respected and the guys ask her questions as to how women would respond to a given proposal.

To me, a club that allows families should be safe for kids.  It should be a totally fun experience.  A haven, if you will, from the boorish behavior so commonly seen in today's cuture.  

A place where being a gentleman is still accepted and appreciated.