What would an entertainer who's performed at 400+ private clubs actually do if he became a GM? In this episode, Denny Corby breaks down the five things he'd tackle in his first 30 days as new club leadership — no management degree, no BMI, just a raw outside perspective built from years on stage inside these clubs.

From a full top-to-bottom cleanliness overhaul to getting a real pulse on disengaged members, Denny covers what he'd prioritize, why, and how his unique background shapes every call. He also gets into staff culture in member spaces, rethinking your events calendar, and the one unconventional move that gets a new leader genuinely connected to their membership fast.

If you're a GM, department head, or aspiring club leader, this one's worth a listen — even if you disagree with everything he says.

Topics covered: new GM strategy, member engagement, club culture, private club leadership, onboarding, event programming, staff management

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Your first year as a country club GM can feel like you’re flying the plane while rebuilding the runway. I’m joined by Jordan Mezzerole, General Manager of Doylestown Country Club, for a candid year-in-review that starts with an unconventional career path and ends with the kind of real-world leadership moments you never forget.

Jordan didn’t come up through a traditional hospitality track. He moves from journalism and TV into marketing communications, then lands in private club management as a membership and marketing director. We talk about the choices that turned that “side quest” into a serious GM runway.  Finding mentors, getting involved with the board, learning club governance, and saying yes to the hard work that builds trust over time.

We also dig into the tactical stuff that helps clubs thrive. Jordan shares how an $11 million renovation becomes a leadership accelerator, why clear member communication matters during construction, and how his weekly Hard Hat Minute videos improve transparency and member engagement. From there, we get into operations, including stepping up to run pool season to sharpen food and beverage management skills.

Then it gets real: emergency calls, AED readiness, safety training, and three pipe bursts in six weeks. Jordan breaks down what surprised him most about the GM role, how coaching becomes a daily requirement, and why prioritising a few critical systems beats trying to prove everything in the first six months. If you care about private club leadership, member experience, and what the GM job actually demands, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a club leader, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking from Jordan’s story.

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You can love private club work and still be running on fumes. I’m sharing a straightforward reminder for golf and country club professionals: reward the effort, protect your energy, and make time to be fully present somewhere outside the club. 

We talk about what real recovery looks like for hospitality leaders and club managers, especially after holiday stretches and nonstop seasons. Sometimes that means friends and family. Sometimes it means doing something solo. The goal is the same: pick activities that bring you joy, spark creativity, and get your brain out of the constant loop of payroll, debriefs, and member issues. I also dig into why certain hobbies and endurance-style challenges work so well because they demand total focus, the kind that quiets everything else and leaves you feeling reset. 

Then I share a “treat yourself” option that blends adrenaline with professional development: 

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If you've worked in private clubs long enough, you know this moment. The RSVPs slow down, the numbers look lighter than you hoped, and suddenly the question on the table is: do we pull it or push through?

In this episode of Private Club Radio, Denny Corby shares a real situation — a club, a soft turnout, and a decision that reveals something most club leaders never talk about out loud. Because when a club keeps canceling events due to low attendance, they think they're protecting the budget. What they're actually doing is training their members not to show up.

30 people is not a failure. 30 people laughing, having dinner, leaving saying "that was amazing" — that matters. That's belonging. And belonging doesn't only get built in packed rooms.

Denny breaks down why low turnout is rarely the real problem, what canceling events is quietly teaching your membership, why the worst thing you can do for turnout is cancel because of turnout, and what it actually means to show up for the members who said yes.

If you've ever stared down a soft RSVP list and wondered what the right call is — this one's for you.

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Mini golf is not just windmills, clown heads, and beach town nostalgia.

In this episode, Denny talks with Katie and Sal Conaboy of Harris Golf about how modern mini golf can become a real amenity for clubs, resorts, and golf properties. They get into how premium custom courses can create more family engagement, give clubs fresh programming ideas, and turn underused space into something fun, beautiful, and genuinely useful.

They also talk about why clubs need to get more creative, how mini golf can work for camps, family nights, tournaments, and events, and why putting style courses are becoming part of the conversation too. Plus, Katie and Sal share what stood out from the PGA Show and what they are seeing as golf properties continue to evolve.

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In this episode of Private Club Radio, Denny Corby breaks down why anticipation, excitement, and staff energy play such a huge role in the private club member experience.

After performing back to back shows at clubs across the country, Denny shares what he sees again and again, the clubs with the best events do not just put something on the calendar. They create emotional momentum around it. From the front desk to the bar staff to department heads and club leadership, when the team is genuinely excited, members feel it.

This episode explores how great club managers and club professionals build buzz before an event, why personal invites and internal promotion matter, how staff buy in impacts turnout and engagement, and why fun is not fluff, it is a strategic part of club culture. Denny also shares practical ways private clubs can improve event promotion, member engagement, club energy, and overall experience without needing a massive budget.

If you want better events, stronger club culture, and members who feel more connected to your club, this episode is for you.

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In this episode of Private Club Radio, we shares a man on the street montage from conference, where we asked club pros and club leaders one question, what is the hardest part about your job that nobody sees.

You will hear real answers about the invisible load behind private golf and country clubs, emotional labor, constant feedback from members, time management, staffing challenges, curveballs that test leadership, and the pressure to keep the club experience smooth on the surface.

This episode is for general managers, department heads, golf professionals, and anyone in club management or hospitality leadership who wants an honest look at what great teams carry quietly, and how to lead with consistency, empathy, and culture, without burning out.

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We recap the 2026 CMAA World Conference in Anaheim through the lens of this year’s theme, Plant Seeds for Success.

After tons of conversations and quick expo hall interviews, one idea kept repeating, connection, but the real difference maker is connecting people, not just meeting them.

This quick episode is a practical follow up kick in the pants for club leaders and vendors, with a simple challenge to turn conference energy into real momentum back at your club in the next 24, 48, 72 hours.

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CMAA World Conference is the Olympics of human behavior, the lobby is a safari, the bar is a documentary, and the expo hall is a very polite casino. In this quick Private Club Radio episode, Denny Corby shares simple, real world body language tips to help club professionals read people and read the room fast, so you can join the right conversations, help your friends join the right conversations, and escape the long ones without faking a phone call. You will learn how to gauge the vibe and energy before approaching a group, why feet and hips reveal engagement and exit signals, how to use eye contact and micro cues to know when it’s a good time to enter, and the classic tell, “when the lips disappear, trouble may be near,” plus how to pivot the conversation to avoid the pothole. Denny also shares why your circle matters, and how to use these skills to help friends who are stuck or trying to dip out. Bonus, visit Denny at Club Data Services Booth 403 on Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to noon to answer “5 Questions in 60 Seconds” for Private Club Radio content and get entered to win a pair of Ray Ban Meta glasses that Denny is giving away personally.

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CMAA World Conference is like the Super Bowl for club professionals, positions get earned and lost, deals get made and quietly die, and reputations get built in hallways and at dinner, not just in ballrooms. In this quick episode, We share four simple goal buckets to help you stop gliding through conference and start coming home with real, tangible wins you can use right away. You will learn how to set friend goals, professional friend goals, club goals, and vendor and expo goals, plus smart questions to ask, how to take notes in the moment, and why one hallway conversation can save months of trial and error.

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