An interesting topic, I have no experience as to how the North American clubs are run, but I believe all clubs have a fundamental problem which starts and ends with the membership. Apathy this decimating disease spreads like wildfire and can render clubs ineffective within days.
Committees are elected form a list of interested parties, however are there enough Members interested to spare some of their precious time to sit on these Committee, how many have to stay on board because insufficient interest at the end of their term it can be a thankless task.
The UK has Club Secretaries/Managers, while there are some good and high efficient Ladies and Gentlemen who run a tight ship, many fall by the way side due to lack of assistance (perhaps due to tight budgets). Letters and certainly e-mails never get acknowledged let alone answered. It is classic Catch 22 you need to answer your incoming mail whether electronic or standard mail, potential visitors who could help assist on improving revenue uptake are being ignored and perhaps seeking alternative venues to play.
These clubs have not enough income to pay a Management Company to take overall control.
As for Management Companies, on the most part they are not part of the club they are first and foremost part of the outside MANAGEMENT and dont always have the same inner drive to work for the good of the other Members.
I for one do not believe in outside involvement, you automatically take a chunk of revenue and remove it outside the club in the form of payment for their services. Also you have created whether you like it or not a potential problem of Them and Us syndrome i.e. it might be good for the Club, but is it what the Members actually want?
The answer, if there is one is to start on breaking down the Apathy. Perhaps every member will be expected to sit on one Committee, once every so many years (like jury service expected as part of ones duties). I have been in clubs that have re-elected the same people year on year to sit on the various Committees due to total lack of interest, then whispers start spreading about how the club is being run small pockets of discontentment, but no one wants the responsibility to try and change the status que.
IMHO Clubs should be run by the local Members who know the people and region well, perhaps Members should be asked to contribute a little more but not in the form of Money. Clubs need to be run as a business but that should not stop them putting their membership interests to the forefront. One thing I have been very keen on for years is for facilities or local activities to be made available for No golf players, however some Clubs in the UK are still believers in the Victorian Age and Gentleman Only.
Beat the Apathy Card and the world is your oyster, but dont then give the pearl to an outside company. Fresh blood and ideas from fellow members is what is required