Focus Group Survey Report

Carmel Country Club

Results and Analysis

June 2004

focus group research

Survey results and analysis

carmel country Club

The following is a summary of the survey results and

McMahon Group’s interpretation of the results:

SECTION I. EXISTING FACILITIES, OPERATIONS

AND SERVICES

Question 1. Please indicate your “overall” satisfaction with Carmel Country Club.

Overall Satisfaction Carmel Country Club Other Clubs

Very Satisfied 38% 22%

Satisfied 52% 56%

Neutral 7% 14%

Dissatisfied 2% 7%

Very Dissatisfied 1% 1%

* 101 clubs surveyed by McMahon, 2001-2003

Overall, 90% are satisfied or very satisfied with the Club, which is well above the average of 78% at other clubs surveyed by the McMahon Group in recent years.

(See also Figure 1 in the Data Tables section of this report for a complete display of response data cross tabulated by age group, gender and membership classification of respondents.)

Question 2. Respondents were asked to respond to the following statement:

“I receive good value for the cost of my membership (dues and fees) at Carmel Country Club.”

Good Value Carmel Country Club Other Clubs

Strongly Agree 23% 15%

Agree 50% 46%

Neutral 22% 23%

Disagree 5% 13%

Strongly Disagree 0% 3%

Seventy-three percent (73%) of respondents agree they receive good value for the cost of their membership in the Club, which is above the average of 61% at other clubs surveyed by the McMahon Group. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of respondents under age 46 agree they receive good value for their memberships, compared to 53% in the 46 to 55 age group, 76% in the 56 to 65 age group, and 85% of respondents over age 65.

(Figure 2)

Question 3. Please indicate how important each of the following activities or facilities is to you and also how satisfied you are with each. (5=Very High/1=Very Low)

Activities/Services

Importance

Satisfaction

Golf / 4.6 / 4.4
Dining / 4.4 / 3.5
Clubhouse facilities / 4.3 / 4.1
Fitness / 4.1 / 4.3
Club social functions / 3.3 / 3.6
Private parties / 3.2 / 3.7
Children’s activities / 3.1 / 3.6
Swimming / 2.9 / 3.5
Tennis / 2.4 / 3.4

The most important activities or facilities to respondents are golf (important to 88%), dining (important to 92%), the clubhouse facilities (important to 83%) and fitness (important to 75%). No other Club activity is important to a majority of respondents.

For activities of highest importance to members, the McMahon Group recommends that clubs achieve satisfaction ratings of 4.0 or higher, with at least 80% of respondents satisfied and no more than 10% dissatisfied. It is a very positive sign that three of the four most important Club activities or facilities achieve this recommended level of member satisfaction: golf (4.4, 94% satisfied, 3% dissatisfied), clubhouse facilities (4.1, 83% satisfied, 6% dissatisfied), and fitness (4.3, 88% satisfied, 2% dissatisfied). Dining received a satisfaction rating of 3.5, with 56% of respondents satisfied and 17% dissatisfied.

(Figure 4)

Question 4. Please indicate your satisfaction with each of these aspects of the Club’s facilities, operations and services: (5=Very Satisfied/1=Very Dissatisfied)

Facility, Operation or Service

Mean Rating

% Dissatisfied

Golf
Practice range / 4.4 / 3%
Pro shop facility / 4.3 / 1%
Lessons / 4.3 / 2%
Overall level of member service / 4.2 / 0%
Junior Programs / 4.2 / 3%
Short game practice area / 4.2 / 4%
Overall condition of course / 4.1 / 1%
Men’s programs / 4.0 / 4%
Availability of restrooms on course / 4.0 / 8%
Women’s programs / 3.9 / 3%
Pro shop merchandise selection / 3.9 / 12%
Tournaments/Events / 3.8 / 7%
Tennis
Pro shop facility / 4.3 / 0%
Number of courts / 4.2 / 0%
Women’s programs / 4.0 / 0%
Junior Programs / 4.0 / 0%
Condition of courts / 4.0 / 4%
Lessons / 4.0 / 5%
Pro shop merchandise selection / 3.9 / 4%
Overall level of member service / 3.8 / 4%
Men’s programs / 3.7 / 6%
Tournaments/Events / 3.4 / 15%
Swimming
Condition of pool / 4.0 / 2%
Overall level of member service / 3.8 / 7%
Swim team program / 3.8 / 7%
Condition of deck / 3.7 / 13%
Snack bar – service / 3.5 / 16%
Restrooms/Locker rooms / 3.4 / 18%
Snack bar – menu variety / 3.4 / 21%
Snack bar – food quality / 3.3 / 18%
Amount of shade / 3.0 / 39%

(continued)

Facility, Operation or Service

Mean Rating

% Dissatisfied

Fitness
Appearance of facility / 4.5 / 0%
Overall level of member service / 4.5 / 2%
Personal training services / 4.3 / 2%
Variety/Selection of equipment / 4.2 / 5%
Size of fitness facility / 4.2 / 10%
Group exercises classes / 3.9 / 7%
Dining
Ambiance of dining areas / 4.0 / 7%
Food quality / 3.9 / 11%
Turn Rooms / 3.8 / 8%
Value for the price of meals / 3.8 / 11%
Overall level of member service / 3.8 / 12%
Menu variety / 3.6 / 20%
Speed of service / 3.3 / 26%
Staff professionalism/training / 3.2 / 27%

As shown above and on the previous page, respondents are very satisfied with most aspects of the Club’s facilities, operations and services. Most of the satisfaction ratings are 4.0 or higher, with corresponding low levels of member dissatisfaction. The lowest ratings (and highest levels of dissatisfaction) are for dining, and in particular dining service (speed of service and staff professionalism/training). Other areas of relatively high member dissatisfaction include the dining menu variety (20%); the pool restrooms/locker rooms (18%); the Pool Snack Bar menu variety (21%) and food quality (18%); and the amount of shade at the pool (39%).

The survey asked respondents to rate the “overall level of member service” for each activity. A summary of these ratings is as follows:

Activity Mean Rating % Satisfied % Dissatisfied % Neutral

Golf 4.2 89% 0% 11%

Tennis 3.8 64% 4% 32%

Swimming 3.8 66% 7% 17%

Fitness 4.5 96% 1% 3%

Dining 3.8 73% 12% 15%

(Figure 5)

Question 5. Please provide any comments or suggestions you may have regarding the Club’s existing facilities, operations or services, and in particular any areas where you feel improvement is needed.

These written comments can be found in the Written Comments section of this report. Among these comments include the following:

· Wait staff should be better trained.

· Service in the Grill Room is inconsistent – sometimes it’s great and at other times it can be awful.

· Pool snack bar service/quality not consistent with rest of the Club.

· Some changes in casual dining space could provide a more comfortable experience.

· It might be nice to break up the larger portion of the mixed grill into smaller sections.

SECTION II. FUTURE and STRATEGIC ISSUES

Question 6. Listed below are examples of changes to the Club’s facilities or services that could be implemented in the future. Using a scale from “5” (Very Important) to “1” (Very Unimportant), please indicate how important you feel each item is to the future of the Club.

As shown in the chart below, none of the potential improvements were rated important by a majority of respondents. Improvements rated important by at least 35% of respondents (but less than 50%) are shown in bold print.

Potential Improvement

Mean Rating

% Rating Important

% Rating Unimportant

Clubhouse
Provide an awning structure, complete with fans and lighting, over the Patio outside the Club Lounge / 3.3 / 49% / 23%
Provide an outdoor covered area on the Honors Terrace / 3.2 / 41% / 24%
Provide a mixed lounge for after-golf socializing / 3.0 / 37% / 30%
Renovate the banquet and meeting spaces to be consistent with the finish levels of other clubhouse areas that have been previously renovated / 2.9 / 31% / 32%
Upgrade and expand the Women’s Locker Room to include the addition of spa-type facilities such as steam, sauna, etc. / 2.8 / 29% - all
39% - women / 40% - all
33% - women
Renovate the Men’s Locker Room and Grill to be consistent with the finish levels of other clubhouse areas that have been previously renovated / 2.5 / 19% - all
24% - men / 48% - all
40% - men

(continued)

Potential Improvement (continued)

Mean Rating

% Rating Important

% Rating Unimportant

Golf
Make a substantial investment in the South Course to make it a “top 100” course / 2.8 / 28% / 40%
Renovate or replace the Turn Rooms / 2.6 / 23% / 43%
Improve/Expand the practice facilities / 2.5 / 13% / 49%
Provide additional restrooms on the course / 2.5 / 12% / 48%
Replace the course rain shelters / 2.4 / 7% / 45%
Tennis
Provide indoor courts / 1.9 / 10% / 78%
Pool
Provide more shade at the pool / 3.1 / 42% / 30%
Reconfigure and landscape the deck area / 2.6 / 17% / 47%
Other
Provide spa facilities and services / 2.6 / 28% / 47%
Provide on-site babysitting services (on a fee basis) for children of members while their parents are on Club property / 2.8 / 27% / 37%
Provide valet parking services / 2.2 / 12% / 64%

Respondents rated the following as their highest priority potential improvements:

Potential Improvement % Rating Important

Provide an awning over the Patio 49%

Provide more shade at the pool 42%

Provide outdoor covered area on Honors Terrace 41%

Upgrade/Expand Women’s Locker Room 39% of women

Provide a mixed lounge for after golf socializing 37%

As might be expected, providing babysitting services would be much more important to younger members than it would be to older members. Providing such services would be important to 62% of respondents under age 46, compared to 40% of respondents in the 46 to 55 age group, 21% in the 56 to 65 age group, 13% in the 66 to 75 age group, and no respondents over age 75.

Providing spa facilities and services would be considerably more important to women (important to 56%) than to men (important to 21%). (Figure 6)

Question 7. Please provide any comments or suggestions you may have regarding future facilities, programs or services at the Club:

Member suggestions included the following:

· Should be considered only after a sound debt repayment plan is in place.

· The present facilities are very good and only need proper maintenance and small improvements.

· Complete the financial plan to reduce current debt before adding new capital projects.

Question 8. Funding Improvements. Listed below are three possible methods that could be used by the club to fund potential future improvements. Which of the following funding options would you prefer for funding improvements you personally felt were necessary?

Option A – Monthly Capital Dues for 15 years 36%

Option B – One-time, Partially Refundable Assessment 46%

Option C – One-time, Non Refundable Assessment 18%

(Figure 7)

Question 9. If needed Club improvements were funded by a Monthly Capital Dues Payment (Option A), how much of a monthly capital payment would you be willing to pay?

Among respondents who wrote in amounts, the average monthly capital dues payment they would be willing to pay to fund needed improvements would be $46. (Figure 8)

Question 10. If needed Club improvements were funded by a One-time, Partially Refundable Assessment (Option B), how much would you be willing to pay in such an assessment?

Among respondents who wrote in amounts, the average one-time, partially refundable assessment they would be willing to pay to fund needed improvements would be $2,980. (Figure 9)

Question 11. If needed Club improvements were funded by a One-time, Non Refundable Assessment (Option C), how much would you be willing to pay in such an assessment?

Among respondents who wrote in amounts, the average one-time, non refundable assessment they would be willing to pay to fund needed improvements would be $2,494. (Figure 10)

McMahon’s experience has shown that members respond conservatively to funding questions on surveys, but are more willing to fund improvements when a specific plan that incorporates their highest priorities is professionally developed and presented to them.

Question 12. Membership Issues

A. What do you feel are the strengths of Carmel Country Club as we attempt to attract new members in the future?

Strengths listed most often include:

· Two golf courses

· Fitness center

· Location

· Beautiful facilities

· Family oriented

· Friendly people

B. In your opinion, what are some of the possible reasons your friends, associates or others may choose not to join Carmel Country Club?

Among the reasons provided by Members include:

· Dues and initiation too high

· Location

· Size of membership

· High, non-transferable initiation fee

Question 13. Please provide any comments or suggestions you may have regarding any aspect of the Club:

These 34 comments and suggestions can be found in their entirety in the Written Comments section of this report.

SECTION III. ABOUT YOU

Question 14. What is your membership classification? (Figure 11)

Membership Classification / % Responding
Resident / 64%
Social / 0%
Senior / 33%
Legacy and Associate / 2%
Other / 1%

Question 15. What is your gender? (Figure 12)

Gender / % Responding
Male / 77%
Female / 23%

Question 16. What is your age category? (Figure 13)

Age Category / % Responding
Under 36 / 1%
36 – 45 / 15%
46 – 55 / 17%
56 – 65 / 20%
66 – 75 / 32%
Over 75 / 15%