Dedham Country and Polo Club (DCPC)
Dedham, MA
General Manager (GM) Search
The Club
The Dedham Country and Polo Club came into existence in 1910 as a result of a merger between the
Norfolk Country Club and the Dedham Polo Club. The Dedham Polo Club, founded in 1887, was
devoted primarily to polo and was located near the center of Dedham. Although they had three polo
fields, there was no room for expansion, as land in this area became more and more scarce.
The Norfolk Country Club purchased 83 acres near the Dedham/Westwood town line in 1902. This
club offered nine holes of golf, tennis, polo and a clubhouse. The polo field is now the driving range.
Famed golf course designer, Donald Ross designed nine holes in 1912, but the 5 th green appears to be
the only surviving green of his design.
In 1920 the club reorganized and purchased more land. In 1923, the renowned architect Seth Raynor
was hired to design 10 new holes on this land. He also revised the original 9 holes into a new layout
of 8 holes. The present signature 17th hole is a classic reverse Redan and the 14th a Biarritz. By May
1925, the course was ready for play and the Dedham Country and Polo Club had a challenging 18
holes of golf.
Since that time there have been some changes to the course. The back tee was added on the 8th hole
when the irrigation pond was built. Geoffrey S. Cornish and William Robinson redesigned the 2 nd hole
in 1968 and a new green was constructed. During 1988-1999, the 6th hole was lengthened and a new
green constructed. Cornish & Silva were the architects of this project.
In 1996, the Dedham Club undertook to create a Master Plan for the course and hired architect Craig
Schreiner of Kansas City, Missouri. The tees on the 3rd hole were moved down the hill and bunker
restoration was completed. Drainage improvements are ongoing along with the plan of bringing back
some areas of green that have been lost over time. One of the goals of the Master Plan is to restore
the course to the original 1923 design of Seth Reynor. This includes enlargement of several greens to
a rectangular form by our present agronomist, under the guidance of course architect and restoration
specialist, Brian Silva.
The Club has hosted one National Championship. The USGA Girls Junior Championship was held in
August of 1975. The Club has also hosted the 1995 Women’s Eastern Golf Association Championship,
the 1989 New England Women’s Golf Association Championship and the 2001 Women’s Golf
Association of Massachusetts State Championship, as well as the 1999 Massachusetts Golf Association
State Father-Son Championship and the 2000 State Junior Championship.
In August of 2002 the Club completed a master plan/renovation for the Clubhouse, new pool and
bathhouse, entrance & parking and two new outdoor tennis courts and pavilion. Several additional
improvements have occurred since that time, and the Board is anxious to continue to ensure that
Dedham Country and Polo Club is relevant for both its current and future members.
Today, Dedham is a very family oriented, respectful, ‘amenities-diverse’ operation in a highly
desirable part of the Boston suburbs. Its close proximity to one of the most unique and desirable
cities in the U.S. (12 miles from downtown Boston), its schools and universities, its history and
recreational opportunities, its iconic sports teams and so much more…...all while retaining a more
rural ‘feel’ to the club location is unique. The overall environment is highly attractive for a manager
looking to create a longer term ‘home’ where both members and staff feel part of a larger “family”
environment.
Club Amenities:
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The Club’s key amenity is its historic Seth Raynor designed course, as well as its excellent
practice facilities.
There are eight meticulous HarTru tennis courts, four outdoors and four indoor, which offers
DCPC excellent year round use and activity.
3 Paddle Tennis Courts and Warming Hut are provided with colder season use; this facility
doubles as a summer children’s activities building.
The Club has an excellent Olympic-sized competition pool and smaller adjacent kiddie pool,
along with an active snack bar operation and outside café seating.
In the winter season, the Club offers ice-skating and hockey on a pond located on Club
property.
On the far side of the practice range, trapshooting is offered at limited times throughout the
year.
The clubhouse has dramatic views of the course and features a number of small dining and
pre-dining seating areas, along with a second floor ballroom with exterior decking that seats
upwards of 180 guests. The ‘Pub’ area of the clubhouse was renovated and updated recently,
and that more casual space is the most active area within the dining operation.
Club Facts:
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The Board has 16 Governors, each serving three-year terms.
The Club has approximately 460 members in all categories, and is very close to its ‘cap’.
Gross revenues of the Club are approximately $6.0M.
The Club has approximately $3.0M of long-term debt related to several capital projects over the
past few years. Initiation fees are the primary source for debt reduction. For a Regular
Member at the prime age membership category, the initiation fee is $40,000, reduced from
there for other age and ‘special’ category membership. Dues for that top membership type, at
present, are $8,100 annually, inclusive of capital contributions.
The Club has a quarterly minimum charge for food purchases ranging from $300 down to $0,
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depending upon membership type.
The Club has upwards of $1.25M in capital reserves at present.
The F & B operation generates approximately $1.6M in gross revenues, with a loss of
approximately $270,000 on those sales.
The Club’s Sports Professionals each own their own shop operations.
At present, the Club has 20 standing committees, with several being relatively inactive and with
a desire to reduce this number in future years.
To learn more about Dedham Country and Polo Club, please view their website at:
www.dedhamclub.org
The Role
In early 2013, the Board of Governors of the Club commissioned a group of members to review the
Club’s governance structure and return to the Board with a recommendation to improve its relevancy
to both current and future members. Key recommendations adopted from this review include:
 A move from volunteer operational leadership to a General Manager form of organizational
management.
 Moving the Board of Governor’s focus from operations to strategic, master and long range
planning efforts, and to an ‘accountabilities and metrics evaluation’ of management as
opposed to volunteer responsibilities in various departments.
 A need to redefine Roles and Responsibilities for each committee, board and key staff role in
the organization.
 A refocused approach to budget development and an evolution to a fully integrated process,
emphasizing both revenue enhancement and continued operating efficiencies.
Consequently, the Club is transitioning to a General Manager concept operation, desiring to have a
true club professional to “run the show”, and oversee an operation of accountability, responsibility,
consistency and professionalism throughout a cohesive and support management staff and team.
Further, the Board is looking for a leader who can ensure clarity of a member-centric, mutually
supportive and interdependent team ‘mission’ for all departments, eliminating ‘silos’ and setting
clearly defined standards, and roles and responsibilities for each arm of the operation. Eventually, it is
the Boards’ desire that their General Manager essentially “partner” with them on the overall
strategies and plan formulation for long term relevancy and success, recognizing that this will be a
‘process’ and not simply and overnight change.
The new General Manager will have full responsibility for all aspects of club operations, reporting to
the Club President and the Board of Governors. To be successful, he/she must demonstrate the ability
to successfully navigate Board and committee relationships and overall governance; communicating
candidly, directly and effectively, as well as proactively providing thoughtful solutions, options and
professional guidance while building trust and establishing needed standards of operation during the
transition. Possessing an intuitive style of perseverance, patience, sensitivity to the dynamic of
‘change’, diplomatic but firm and fair skill sets, as well as a laser focused drive for success are
critical competencies in the new General Manager.
The management team and staff in general will require a dynamic and motivating leader to provide a
unified and interconnected team, which in turn is expected to provide a seamless member-focused
service culture throughout DCPC. He/she must have a verifiable history of excellent team
management skills that include providing staff members with regular, effective feedback, coaching
and management development, as well as installing necessary and valuable ‘process’ and overall
procedures and standards of operation. He/she will supervise the management team that includes
long tenured and newer senior staff: Controller, Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Manager, Head
Golf Professional, Golf Course Superintendent, Dining and Catering Managers, Facilities Manager, Pool
Director, Junior Summer Program Director and Director of Racquet Sports. The General Manager will
also indirectly supervise all employees of the Club, and is expected to exemplify a “lead by example”
style leadership role.
It is expected that the General Manager will be the ‘face’ and overall ‘ambassador’ of Dedham
Country and Polo Club, supporting the goals and strategic plans he/she works with the Board to
identify and implement. With full P&L responsibility, the position requires a skillful food and beverage
foundation, along with a successful track record and verifiable success in presenting innovative
solutions to invigorate overall club member support, as well as driving increased member usage and
satisfaction in each operating entity within DCPC.
Candidates must possess strong communication skills, both written and verbal, excellent financial
acumen and highly functional business planning and budgeting skills, and demonstrate the ability to
advocate for and execute initiatives and club projects successfully with Board support and approval.
As noted, ensuring that consistent operating procedures are in place to set expectations and
accountability of staff for the successful delivery of consistent and top quality member experiences.
Outstanding and highly preferred candidates will have a track record of developing and implementing
a cohesive and ‘collectively responsible’ team service culture, offering a seamless and supportive cross
departmental effort; an especially important critical success factor is to develop a sincerely
collaborative and supportive senior staff, who in turn lead their respective teams to do the same.
Engaged visibility is important to the membership as well as someone who is particularly focused on
“details” and the overall presentation of the house and grounds. DCPC has a demographically
changing (getting younger) membership for whom this transition will also need to be ‘managed’ in a
sensitive, patient, respectful manner, but with the determination work through the transition process.
The Board unanimously supports taking personal charge, responsibility and overall accountability by
the new General Manager for all operational areas, but as with all transitions, the need for
transparent communications, clearly defined and articulated plans and enthusiasm for the process are
important. The staff and Board are looking to establish a “one boss” philosophy and need a strong,
but compassionate leader in order to do so. An outgoing, sincere, diplomatic and personable
professional who is comfortable being in front of the membership on a regular basis is required, as is
someone who is able to effectively interact with member personalities and expectations. It is also
critically important that the new General Manager be self-motivated and takes the lead on building
strong relationships with each constituency.
The “Ideal” Candidate for Dedham
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A true club professional with 5 – 7 years progressive management experience at a similar,
member owned private club operation. Experience with one that was transitioning to its first
time, true General Manager role would be especially helpful. Alternatively, the Club will
consider verifiably strong Assistant General Manager candidates who have mentored under
well-regarded GMs in a similar family-centric club environment.
A tactical thinker, who can demonstrate such abilities and successes in current or past club
roles, and who has the clear ability to “tell the Board what it needs to hear, not what he/she
thinks they want to hear”. Being able to “run the business” of DCPC is critical if the transition
is to be a sustainable success for the new General Manager.
Verifiably strong F & B skills, along with a solid foundation of staff recruitment, training and
mentorship. Having a robust and exceptional service culture is the ultimate goal at DCPC;
providing factual information to support the ability to do so will be necessary.
Having a strong, positive, enthusiastic personal presence, along with the ability to effectively
communicate both verbally and in writing.
Must be a person who understands and effectively functions in a non-profit, volunteer Board
and Committee environment, recognizing the need for someone who is a strong consensus
builder and facilitator, and who embodies the behavior and skills one needs to be successful in
this type of governance model, especially important at the front end of the transition to the
GM concept. A strong, true and valuable ‘resource’ professional in this area is critical.
A proven businessperson with strong financial and budgeting skills that have yielded verifiable
results; demonstrated record of success in this area is critical. In particular, the candidate must
enjoy and embrace the challenge of strong fiscal management, especially during these
economic times and in a very ‘member-competitive’ part of the country, while at the same
time delivering the quality and range of services and innovative activities to enable the Club to
continue to attract and retain members.
Having good skills utilizing current technology in the club industry, and be knowledgeable as to
future trends in this area, as well as the best use of such resources in communicating with
members, prospective members and staff, as well as using technology to improve the delivery
of member services while continuing to be a ‘high touch’ service environment. Staying
“engaged and connected” with members is of critical importance, and directing the use and
design of the Club’s website and related social media and digital technologies is critically
important.
Strong knowledge of, and practical experience with standard operating procedures, human
resource management, training and staff recruitment, retention and motivation.
A verifiable record of positive career movement, as opposed to unplanned or difficult to
explain career changes.
Someone who is known as a “positive”, “motivating”, “team supportive”, “mentor”, and who
recognizes the time commitment and professional demands of the job.
Salary: Open and commensurate with qualifications and experience within the local market. The Club,
along with the typical CMAA benefits, will offer a competitive bonus and benefits package, including
relocation, if necessary.
Inquiries:
Interested candidates should submit resumes along with a thoughtful, detailed cover letter outlining
one’s alignment with the above noted qualifications and expectations for the position, no later than
September 30th.
IMPORTANT: Those documents should be saved and emailed in Word or PDF format (save, for
example, as follows: “Last Name, First Name Resume” and “Last Name, First Name Cover Letter”,
and, “Last Name, First Name Professional References” respectively) to:
Click this link to upload your resume and cover letter (Word or PDF format).
Or Email to:
[email protected]
Lead Partner on this retained search:
Kurt D. Kuebler, Partner
Kopplin & Kuebler, LLC
561-747-5213 (Office) – Florida
480-443-9102 (Office) - Arizona
[email protected]
www.kopplinandkuebler.com