Club Beyond: No Boundaries. All Belonging
- Eric Ruehlmann
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
How Private Clubs Can Extend Relevance Into the Real Lifestyles of Their Members
The Member Lifestyle Has Changed — Has the Club Experience Changed With It?
Private club members once lived within a single community, relied on the club as their primary social hub, and returned week after week for connection, recreation, and belonging.
Today, that model is evolving. Modern members:
travel more frequently
maintain multiple residences
work remotely across time zones
belong to more than one private club
integrate travel, business, wellness, and leisure into a blended lifestyle
Yet at many clubs, the member experience still ends at the property line. Golf, tennis, dining, and social events remain essential pillars of a club’s identity, but they no longer represent the full life of the modern member.
To stay relevant, clubs must now answer a new question:
Can belonging travel with your members, or does it stay behind when they leave the club?
The Club Experience Beyond the Clubhouse
Forward-thinking clubs are expanding member value beyond physical amenities by offering benefits that travel with members wherever they go. This shift represents an important evolution:
From: a Location Experience ------> To: a Lifestyle Enhancer & Convenience Experience
From: Amenities & Facilities ------> To: Travel, Access, Ease, and Global Belonging
Real Member Scenarios: Belonging in Motion
These examples represent what clubs are already providing with loyaltyrewardSELECT™, memberVIP, and the Living Easy philosophy:
1️⃣ The Traveling Executive
A member is called to a last-minute meeting across the country. They open their club-powered travel portal and book a 4-star hotel at member-only pricing. They think: My club just saved me money on my trip.
2️⃣ The Disney Family Vacation
A family uses club-enabled travel concierge services and saves hundreds on their vacation, enhancing the experience without stretching the budget. They return saying: Our club made this possible.
3️⃣ The Anniversary Celebration
A couple receives support in planning their trip and upgrades accommodations using their club’s benefits program. They feel recognized, cared for, and valued. The club helped create milestone memories. The members feel special and share with others: Our club values us.
These are not transactions.They are stories members retell, and stories are the most powerful driver of member loyalty and referrals.
The Strategic Advantage for Private Clubs
Clubs implementing a beyond boundaries membership experience are seeing advantages such as:
Increased member retention and loyalty
Greater relevance for younger and globally mobile members
Increased perceived value of dues
Strong differentiation from peer clubs
More compelling messaging for prospective members
This is not about replacing the club experience. It is about completing it.
In this era when members compare the clubs they belong to -- not the clubs they left -- differentiation is more important than ever.
Introducing: No Boundaries. All Belonging.
Club Beyond is a New Operating Philosophy for Clubs
With platforms like:
🔹 loyaltyrewardSELECT — member-centric global travel savings & benefits
🔹 memberVIP — member-only concierge services and booking access to 1.3 – 2.5M+ houses, clubs, hotels/resorts, and experiences
🔹 The Living Easy Philosophy — a friction-reducing service and convenience culture
A club should support more of a member’s life, not just the part lived on property.
Clubs can deliver a portable sense of belonging that increases the emotional, social, and lifestyle value of membership.
What This Means for Club Leaders
Private club leaders, boards, and general managers now have an opportunity to evolve membership from:
☑ Local Amenities → to Global Belonging
☑ Fixed Geography → to Flexible Value
☑ Facility-Based Relevance → to Life-Based Relevance
The clubs that embrace this shift will be the leaders in the next chapter of the club industry.
Final Thought
Belonging once lived at the clubhouse. Now, it has the potential to live wherever members go.
Private clubs are not losing relevance... they are being invited to expand it and future-proof it.
In this era of mobility and the time-constrained modern lives we all lead, membership value and the membership experience do not need to stop at your club facilities or with the amenities you offer.
We encourage you to consider extending your club's relevance further. Go boundariless and embrace the 'Club Beyond' service philosophy and convenience culture.
Because when belonging travels... your club becomes part of your members' lifestyle and life. Your club is no longer simply an address they visit when in town.
Ready to build relevance beyond the club?
Consider starting with our most popular solutions:
loyaltyrewardSELECT™
Living Easy Club Training™
These programs are designed to:
Strengthen staff recognition & service culture
Improve member retention & emotional loyalty
Transform onboarding & everyday moments into belonging
#ClubLeadership #MemberExperience #ClubInnovation #ClubManagement #ClubBeyond #ClubBelonging #ClubLivingEasy #LoyaltyRewards #ClubBenefits #BuildABetterClub
---
About the Author: Eric Ruehlmann is a versatile business executive with over 25 years of service in the club management industry. Eric's knowledge and experience is broad having held advisory positions and worked on projects in a variety of fields such as; consumer research, loyalty & rewards, travel & leisure, and lifestyle products & services. Eric is currently focused on sharing his knowledge with club leaders and club boards about club innovation, enhancing the member experience, and loyalty & rewards. Eric Ruehlmann is the founder of Build A Better Club and a managing partner of Privat-VIP- Travel & Rewards.
Comments