I Need Ideas for Starting a Good Club

In a previous thread I mentioned that I needed some ideas to raise funds to improve an existing course. One of the great suggestions that I received was to start a course club so that we could raise money through dues and tournaments etc. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I wondered if anyone out there has any ideas on how to start and run a good club.

[Nascar Dave]

Search prior discussions as to not reinvent the wheel. Here's what I did when we started ours. Identify the local players and build a core group through communication. Once they join you on the improvements in concensus, then the actual formation of your club will be second thought.
Good luck.

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

Get an electronic work space of some kind, which you can invite others who want to organize and manage the club.

You could (a) start a Club in here and make it private, so that you can limit access to those who are club leaders. Inside a Club you can have discussion threads, email the membership, and attach documents to posts.

If I were starting a new club right now, I would do that, and I would also create a (b) public Club in here. That way you can post and share things where anyone can browse through and see them, plus list events on the calendars in each site.

Don't overlook (c) Google Documents as a great tool for collaborative writing, planning, and spreadsheet work.

Once you have a group of volunteers, (d) set a regular F2F meeting time and location so that people can work their calendar around it.

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

...also consider what benefit it could be...to be a member of your club....figure out a reasonable membership fee and what it entails....get input from the others you try to pull in. And take advantage of Terry's suggestions and this site.

A couple of ideas for benefits are.....Personalized Membership cards, Keeping track of Member Stats or Handicaps, Club Member only events...like a cookout or party. Once you start running a league...and if you incorporate a club fee in the entry...offer discounts to members. Carry an Ace Pool....(this and the discount are good ones for motivating folks to join your club)....non-members get half.