Actual Case Study Example 1:

Mr. Irwin was engaged by an upper Midwest company and well respected private country club. He was asked to assist the club in creating a business plan to return the club to profitability, and to improve member services. Starting with a thorough operational audit, Mr. Irwin determined that a complete re-structuring of the club's Standard Operating Procedures was required. This included changes in the purchasing department, where inappropriate activity was discovered.

Other changes included creating standard recipes and cost cards for the kitchen, surveying members to determine new menu items, and making changes in key kitchen staff. New training programs for the servers and other front-of-the-house staff resulted in significantly improved levels of member satisfaction.

Another program that was created involved getting better utilization from the golf course for Monday outings. Instead of booking only one group for the day, with coordinated scheduling, it was possible to book two or more groups on Mondays. The net result was an annual increase in golf revenues of more that $800,000.

Overall, the club improved from a $500,000 loss to a $450,000 profit in 18 months, with only a 4% increase in dues.

Actual Case Study Example 2:

A club in North Carolina hired Intergolf to improve the financial performance of the club. The owner of the club was going to be required to sell the club to the members for a multiple of 8 times annual earnings. At the time that Intergolf became involved, the club was on target to lose $700,000, which would have required the owner to give the club to members for $0.

Mr. Irwin conducted an operational audit and developed a business plan that would create a $1,000,000 profit by the end of the turnover year. By combining responsibilties of certain jobs, Mr. Irwin was able to eliminate 12 employee positions. This resulted in an annual savings of over $600,000. An employee training program was implemented, improving employee efficiency and member service. New menu and members' programs were also created, with the overall effect of having higher member utilization rates at the club.

Another program created was the development of a housing rental program, which created a market for corporate retreats and golf outings. Villa units, which were adjacent to the club, but used very infrequently by the owners, were utilized to create a new revenue stream not only for the club, but the villa owners as well. This resulted in more that $700,000 in annual net revenues for the club.

Another program that was also developed involved hiring a sales and marketing person to market and sell banquets, weddings and golf outings. This program created additional revenues, which, when combined with the other changes/enhancements, brought the club to a $992,000 profit for the year.