Why Professional Management? Why Bobby Jones Links? 10 Reasons Why!

More than sixty years ago, Bob Dedman, founder of Invited (formerly ClubCorp), famously observed: “The club business is nobody’s business because it’s nobody’s business.”  

For many clubs, that statement still rings true today. Modern member and customer expectations, rising labor and supply costs, regulatory complexity, and increasing competition have made specialized professional management less of a luxury and more of a strategic necessity.

1. FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT AND DEPTH OF EXPERTISE

All management companies offer expertise and resources. We offer these in spades, having developed them over 25 years, including functional support in every department.  

Our management platform is continually updated and taught by the Bobby Jones Links Leadership Center, ensuring that our club leaders and department heads always have access to the best tools, systems, and resources.

2. FOOD AND BEVERAGE MASTERY

Food and beverage is one of the most challenging aspects of club operations and a primary reason clubs seek our assistance.

Outside of a handful of ultra-elite private clubs where F&B losses are intentional, Bobby Jones Links applies disciplined portion controls, smart labor scheduling, menu engineering, and purchasing efficiencies to transform F&B from a chronic loss leader into a profitable, well-managed amenity that enhances member and customer satisfaction.

3. HUMAN RESOURCES EXPERTISE AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Clubs are ultimately people businesses. We create cultures where employees thrive through consistent training, clear expectations, and career pathways.

We establish detailed Standard Operating Procedures for every touchpoint—ranging from how a cart attendant greets a guest to how a server addresses a kitchen error. Equally important, our multi-club platform enables talented professionals to grow within the organization, helping clubs attract and retain top-tier staff who might otherwise leave for better opportunities elsewhere.

Our human resources team also acts as a compliance shield by managing labor law, workers’ compensation, benefits administration, alcohol licensing, and safety requirements—reducing liability and administrative burden for boards and owners.

4. DATA AND BENCHMARKING

Independent clubs often work in isolation, relying on intuition instead of data. A professional management company like Bobby Jones Links offers clarity and a multitude of useful data.

We benchmark key metrics—such as maintenance cost per acre, labor as a percentage of revenue, and departmental profitability—against comparable clubs by size and market. This data-driven approach removes guesswork from budgeting, capital planning, and long-term decision-making.

‍

5. PURCHASING POWER THAT INDEPENDENT CLUBS CAN’T MATCH

Single clubs don’t have the purchasing leverage of a national management platform. By aggregating demand across our portfolio, Bobby Jones Links secures preferred pricing on items such as fertilizers, chemicals, food and beverage, maintenance equipment, golf carts, and pro shop merchandise—often at levels unattainable for standalone properties. This scale also extends to bundled insurance programs and vetted service providers, reducing risk and cost across everything from agronomy to operations.

6. SPECIALIZED SALES, MARKETING, AND REVENUE MAXIMIZATION

Modern club marketing is highly specialized, targeted, and predominantly digital.

For private clubs, Bobby Jones Links uses market analytics and data-driven recruitment strategies to identify and attract ideal prospective members. For public and semi-private facilities, dynamic pricing tools adjust tee-time rates in real time based on demand, maximizing revenue during peak periods while driving utilization during slower times.

7. SOPHISTICATED AND SPECIALIZED FINANCIAL REPORTING

Top-tier management firms like ours offer integrated technology platforms and unified POS systems that connect golf, dining, and member billing, as well as specialized accounting software that delivers accurate, timely financial reports. The result is greater transparency, faster decision-making, and a clearer picture of club performance at every level.

8. FREEDOM FOR BOARDS AND OWNERS

One of the most immediate benefits of professional management is role clarity. Boards and owners can step out of day-to-day operational details and focus on strategy, governance, and long-term vision—working on the business rather than in it.

Management companies can also act as a neutral third party when tough decisions are needed, helping to protect personal relationships among members while professionally implementing necessary changes.

9. EXTENSIVE GOLF COURSE AND CLUBHOUSE CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION EXPERIENCE

Most club management companies have some experience in this area. In Bobby Jones Links’ case, this includes at least $400 million of experience, building many clubs from scratch and renovating many existing courses and clubhouses.

10. INNOVATION AND CHANGE

Forward thinking management companies like Bobby Jones Links stay on the cutting edge by adopting the latest industry trends while continually recommending new solutions and innovative ideas to their clients. Because most companies like ours have been owners too, they have learned to think like entrepreneurs and owners, always trying to stay a step ahead of the competition.  

THE TAKEAWAY

In today’s environment, professional club management isn’t about giving up control—it’s about gaining expertise, efficiency, and peace of mind. When done right, it allows clubs to honor their traditions while operating their clubs as businesses, as Bob Dedman noted many years ago.  

‍

The benefits of Bobby Jones Links’ professional management far outweigh the fees. In every engagement, the financial gains and operational improvements delivered by Bobby Jones Links far exceed the management fees we earn.  

‍