Illini Country Club
A Case Study on Illini Country Club
The Brief
Illini Country Club is a private member-owned country club where I joined in April 2015 as Member Communications Director, reporting directly to the General Manager. When I arrived, marketing was functioning as bare-minimum communications: monthly newsletters, basic email blasts, and a website that was difficult to navigate.
Members were accustomed to getting information slowly, and the club hadn’t yet built the infrastructure to meet members where they increasingly were: on their phones, expecting timely and easy access to information. Within months, my role evolved into Marketing Director as it became clear the work I was doing, transforming communications into actual marketing strategy, exceeded the original scope of the position.
Members were accustomed to getting information slowly, and the club hadn’t yet built the infrastructure to meet members where they increasingly were: on their phones, expecting timely and easy access to information. Within months, my role evolved into Marketing Director as it became clear the work I was doing, transforming communications into actual marketing strategy, exceeded the original scope of the position.
What I Made
My first priority was the monthly newsletter. Country clubs tend toward tradition and an older membership, so eliminating it wasn’t the right move, but I could modernize the format, bring the most important information forward, and add a photo recap page that shifted the tone from “come buy a ticket to this event” to “look at the community you’re already part of.” The shift was subtle but strategic: it reinforced membership value rather than just selling programming.
The harder early win was the website rebuild. Leadership pushed back initially on the time and cost involved, so I came back with examples of comparable clubs with responsive, modern sites and reframed it as a dual argument: a better site serves current members who are increasingly on mobile, and it gives prospective members researching the club a first impression worth having. The rebuild got approved.
From there, I built out the full marketing infrastructure from scratch, every ad, every email, every social post, while collaborating monthly with the GM, Head Chef, Head Golf Pro, Clubhouse Manager, Controller, and Bookkeeper to keep programming content accurate and timely. I also implemented the club’s first-ever member app.
In June 2016, the club offered me a remote arrangement when I relocated to a neighboring state for my husband’s career, a reflection of the trust built in that first year. I ran the full marketing operation remotely for six years, with semi-annual on-site visits, working closely with the GM, Head Chef, and Head Golf Pro throughout.
When I returned on-site in July 2022, I stepped into an expanded dual role that added full Golf Shop operations alongside my marketing responsibilities. In collaboration with the Golf Pro, I co-managed a team of 9 (two assistant pros, three golf shop attendants, and seven bag boys) while also owning shop inventory ordering and management, budget and GL coding, staff scheduling, and daily course opening operations Tuesday through Saturday. I also co-managed a multi-day Member-Guest event and smaller couple events throughout the season.
The harder early win was the website rebuild. Leadership pushed back initially on the time and cost involved, so I came back with examples of comparable clubs with responsive, modern sites and reframed it as a dual argument: a better site serves current members who are increasingly on mobile, and it gives prospective members researching the club a first impression worth having. The rebuild got approved.
From there, I built out the full marketing infrastructure from scratch, every ad, every email, every social post, while collaborating monthly with the GM, Head Chef, Head Golf Pro, Clubhouse Manager, Controller, and Bookkeeper to keep programming content accurate and timely. I also implemented the club’s first-ever member app.
In June 2016, the club offered me a remote arrangement when I relocated to a neighboring state for my husband’s career, a reflection of the trust built in that first year. I ran the full marketing operation remotely for six years, with semi-annual on-site visits, working closely with the GM, Head Chef, and Head Golf Pro throughout.
When I returned on-site in July 2022, I stepped into an expanded dual role that added full Golf Shop operations alongside my marketing responsibilities. In collaboration with the Golf Pro, I co-managed a team of 9 (two assistant pros, three golf shop attendants, and seven bag boys) while also owning shop inventory ordering and management, budget and GL coding, staff scheduling, and daily course opening operations Tuesday through Saturday. I also co-managed a multi-day Member-Guest event and smaller couple events throughout the season.
Deliverables
Marketing
• Monthly newsletter design and production (full tenure)
• Programming ads (average 5–7 per month)
• All member email communications, from monthly statements to event promotions
• Social media content (static and Reels), including launching the club’s first private member Facebook group
• Full website rebuild and ongoing maintenance in Jonas Club Software
• Implementation of the club’s first member app
• Quarterly a la carte and special event menus
• New member guide, special event packets, and golf event booklets
• Streamlined junior sport and Member-Guest Lottery registration forms
• Job postings and onboarding documentation in Paylocity
• Weekly invoice backup for bookkeeper
Golf Shop Operations (July 2022–June 2023)
• Co-ownership of golf shop budget, inventory ordering, and GL coding
• Monthly physical inventory (clothing, footwear, equipment, accessories)
• Staff scheduling for 9-person team
• Daily course opening operations (driving range setup, tee sheet prep, shop opening)
• Event coordination from one-night couple events to a three-day Member-Guest tournament
Results
• +1,500% Instagram traffic growth and +120% Facebook reach increase (timeframe: 2022 vs. 2023)
• +7% increase in golf rounds in 2023 over 2022, driven by three operational changes: keeping tee sheets continuously updated for accurate availability, coaching Golf Shop Attendants to engage members more conversationally, turning a missed tee time into a rebooked one, and running an efficient bag staff that made the on-course experience worth repeating
• 6-year remote arrangement offered by GM, unsolicited, based on performance
• Continued part-time contract through December 2025 until replacement was hired
• Monthly newsletter design and production (full tenure)
• Programming ads (average 5–7 per month)
• All member email communications, from monthly statements to event promotions
• Social media content (static and Reels), including launching the club’s first private member Facebook group
• Full website rebuild and ongoing maintenance in Jonas Club Software
• Implementation of the club’s first member app
• Quarterly a la carte and special event menus
• New member guide, special event packets, and golf event booklets
• Streamlined junior sport and Member-Guest Lottery registration forms
• Job postings and onboarding documentation in Paylocity
• Weekly invoice backup for bookkeeper
Golf Shop Operations (July 2022–June 2023)
• Co-ownership of golf shop budget, inventory ordering, and GL coding
• Monthly physical inventory (clothing, footwear, equipment, accessories)
• Staff scheduling for 9-person team
• Daily course opening operations (driving range setup, tee sheet prep, shop opening)
• Event coordination from one-night couple events to a three-day Member-Guest tournament
Results
• +1,500% Instagram traffic growth and +120% Facebook reach increase (timeframe: 2022 vs. 2023)
• +7% increase in golf rounds in 2023 over 2022, driven by three operational changes: keeping tee sheets continuously updated for accurate availability, coaching Golf Shop Attendants to engage members more conversationally, turning a missed tee time into a rebooked one, and running an efficient bag staff that made the on-course experience worth repeating
• 6-year remote arrangement offered by GM, unsolicited, based on performance
• Continued part-time contract through December 2025 until replacement was hired
