Renovations can upgrade a golf course, but they can also wreck trust if you miss the human side. I sit down with my friend Brian Tulk, a former club caddie who worked his way up to General Manager, to talk about what it really takes to deliver major private club improvements while members still expect everything to feel effortless.
We get into the nuts and bolts of golf course renovation planning at a member-owned club: phased projects, a successful assessment vote, bunker work, irrigation uncertainty, and the constant pressure to protect weddings, dining, and day-to-day operations. Brian shares how the first domino drops in the boardroom, why committees can actually help when they are set up well, and how transparent member communication keeps expectations realistic without killing excitement.
Then we shift to one of the most overlooked engines of club culture: the caddie program. Brian explains what makes a great program work, how to earn real member buy-in, and why the Evans Scholars connection turns caddying into a pipeline for opportunity and leadership. We also look ahead at the future of private clubs, from legacy membership programs to robotic mowers and precision turf technology.
If you care about private club management, member experience, golf operations, and building a club culture that lasts, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a club leader, and leave a review with your biggest renovation or caddie-program question.
Follow us on the socials
Private Club Radio Instagram
Private Club Radio Linkedin
Denny Corby Instagram
Denny Corby Linkedin
