Rejuvenating an institution — Cape Girardeau Country Club

The members of the historic Cape Girardeau Country Club, now in its second century of operation, are facing the future with newfound confidence — thanks to a decision made three years ago.

The club, which celebrated its 100th year in operation in 2021, made a far-reaching choice to break with a time-honored way of doing things in a bid to turn the club's fortunes around.

By all measures, the change has worked.

Paul Belcher is the tip of the spear of the transformation, recruited in January 2019 from Pecan Plantation Country Club in Richmond, Texas.

Belcher found a challenging situation when he arrived.

"I'm going to say the situation was very difficult. The club was going down the wrong road and, to its credit, saw it could no longer keep running the organization the way it had for the past 10 to 15 years," said Belcher, who came to the club as general manager but voluntarily stepped back in July to assume the role of director of sales — yielding the role to current club GM Brian Burdick.

"The club had been run by the board of governors who did not have the day-to-day presence to run the operation and there hadn't been a superintendent on the premises for at least six months. It was being operated via a monthly board meeting and the management philosophy hadn't changed. The decision was made to bring in a professional general manager to run the club and to try to turn the business culture around and head it in the right direction," Belcher said.

Belcher's first step was to hire a new superintendent, Matthew Moser — who led the effort to improve the club's signature golf course.

"The golf course is a club's key asset; let's face it. You can have great food and a great swimming pool but without a well-conditioned and great golf course, it doesn't matter," Belcher explained.

Membership stepped up

"We were able to successfully sell debenture bonds that allowed us to repair bunkers, fix the pool, convert tennis courts into six state-of-the-art pickleball courts — and all of this is because the members have been willing to get behind their club and make this stuff happen," Belcher said.

Additionally, Belcher said the membership-owned club came up with an infusion of cash.

"There was a group of 60 to 65 members, we call it the Centennial Club, that put in, cumulatively, an additional $100,000 out of their own pockets in 2019 and 2020 that kept this club afloat. Without that money in those two years, finances would have been very tough."

Growth

"I cut my teeth in this business as a membership director and membership is the life blood of any country club," Belcher said.

"In this club's situation, once the facility's conditions were addressed, what needed to happen was to focus on growing the membership."

Membership at Cape Girardeau Country Club has grown from 211 at Belcher's arrival to approximately 450 today.

Belcher said informal talks with the membership yielded another idea implemented during his tenure — changing the terms of the club's social membership.

"We went from a monthly food and beverage minimum to an annual minimum that could also include golf shop merchandise," he said.

"If you're a family, the cost is $500 a year; for a single member, it's $250 a year. We say the money can be used for food, for beverage, for the golf shop between April 1 and March 31. Not having the requirement of coming to the club every month was a very positive change because if you're gone for six months, then you're basically writing a check while you're away and giving it to the club."

Looking ahead

"We're going to get to a point very soon where we'll have to look at capping the membership — and what that number is, that sweet spot, I can't say. Will we achieve it this year? Anything is possible," Belcher said.

Belcher said if a country club's membership grows too large, the club will not be able to accommodate current member tee times, dining reservations and ability to use the pool.

"If you don't control this, you'll be doing a disservice to your current members."

Reflection

Belcher gives credit to club membership for recognizing a problem and taking the necessary steps to address it — and offered a word to describe what has happened to the club in the northeastern part of the City of Cape Girardeau.

"I think the best word is rejuvenation. I did not foresee, in my wildest thoughts, that the club could more than double the membership in two-and-a-half years — and the members drove all these changes."

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