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One of the leading NCAA Division I female coaches and one of the nation’s leading teaching professionals, Shir Azran joins the podcast. Azran is just off a summer at Sippican Tennis Club in Marion, Massachusetts where she served as Assistant Director of Tennis. Now at well-known Boston area club Weymouth, Azran is coaching the number one junior prospect in the USA, Chloe Anthony, who is currently ranked number 4 in the world in the 12 and under age group. Azran was the leading Israeli junior when she left her native Israel for the Auburn University women’s tennis team. Completing her college career at UNLV, she knew that coaching was in her blood. She is only the second female coach, and the first since 2016, in the history of the NCAA D1 to be the head coach for both a women’s and men’s team and lead them to the conference tournament championship game. Her Wagner men’s team went on to win their conference and punched their ticket to the big dance where they lost to Texas A&M. Azran has worked at some of the leading racquet clubs in the country, including Pretty Brook Tennis Club in Princeton, NJ, New Canaan Field Club in New Canaan, CT and the famed Sippican Tennis Club in Marion, MA. She takes us through how she goes about understanding the differences between clubs and then the change in coaching college juniors compared to club juniors. She discusses how she adapts her work based on the strength of her director, the student, the adult or junior, and how to approach members socially and competitively. One of the leading coaches in the country joins the BTB Podcast.

Magnus traces his unlikely journey from growing up as an aspiring ice hockey goalie in Uppsala, Sweden, to playing collegiate tennis at Ferris State University and beginning his professional career under legendary tennis director Mike Rahaley in Vero Beach. He also recalls accepting his first director’s position at just 26 years old—despite having never played platform tennis and knowing little about squash—and learning quickly that succeeding at a private club requires far more than technical expertise. Now in his 14th year at Louisville Country Club, Magnus discusses how the club has evolved from a traditional golf club with a seasonal tennis program into a year-round racquets destination. That transformation has included the growth of platform tennis, eight dedicated pickleball courts, year-round ClayTech tennis courts, a major court renovation and an increasingly active membership.

Ben Nichols, President of Padel22.com, joins host Ed Shanaphy to investigate the American market for padel. The global sport is coming to America, but is America to insular with its own sports such as baseball and the NFL? Does competitive tennis have a stranglehold on the young racquet player? Join us and find out.

In this episode of the BeyondTheBaselines.com podcast, host Ed Shanaphy welcomes listeners back for another insightful conversation exploring the latest developments in the private club and hospitality industries. This installment turns the spotlight on a fundamental—but often overlooked—component of racquet sports facilities: court fencing and surrounds. For decades, chain link fencing and windscreens have been the standard. But as the sport evolves, the question arises—are these traditional solutions still the best fit for modern clubs? Joining the podcast are two industry innovators from Pickletile: Matt Rineberg, Vice President of Sales, and Brooks Wiley, Head of Strategic Partnerships. Shanaphy first encountered the Pickletile team at the PGA Show and later at RacquetX in Fort Lauderdale, where their comprehensive approach to court development stood out. Pickletile is not simply focused on building courts—they are rethinking the entire playing environment. From planning and permitting to construction and performance optimization, their work addresses one of the most pressing challenges in racquet sports today: sound and wind mitigation, particularly in the rapidly growing pickleball sector. In this conversation, the group explores why traditional fencing may no longer meet the needs of today’s facilities, and how emerging acoustic solutions—now recognized by USA Pickleball—are reshaping the landscape. They also discuss key growth markets across the country, including South Florida, Texas, and the unexpectedly strong demand in Chicago. Beyond infrastructure, the episode delves into the future of pickleball as a professional sport, examining what is needed for long-term growth and sustainability. Topics include the relationship between amateur and professional play, and whether greater alignment with tennis platforms such as UTR could unlock new opportunities. For club operators, developers, and industry professionals looking to build, upgrade, or future-proof their racquet sports offerings, this episode provides valuable perspective and forward-thinking insights. With that, listeners are invited to enjoy the discussion with Brooks Wiley and Matt Rineberg of Pickletile.

Louise Fahys, co-founder of Plan2Play Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept in club management — it is already reshaping how private and commercial clubs operate. But according to Louise Fahys, we are only scratching the surface. Fahys is the co-founder and CTO of Plan2Play, a court and sport booking platform built by people who understand both software engineering and the realities of club life. Her view is clear: the next generation of club operations will be driven by intelligent, conversational interfaces — think ChatGPT-style applications — where members interact directly with technology to book courts, schedule lessons, manage guest play, and personalize their club experience. AI Is Going to Change Everything in Club Management AI is already easing the workload for Directors of Racquets, Golf, and Operations. Tasks that once required hours of manual setup — like creating round robins, allocating courts, or balancing player levels — can now be handled in seconds. Names go in, constraints go in, and AI produces fair, efficient scheduling by level, gender, or randomization. And that, Fahys says, is just the beginning. The real shift will come through dynamic pricing. Much like airlines adjust pricing based on demand, clubs will increasingly use AI to price court time, tee times, lessons, clinics, amenities, and guest fees in real time. One-hour bookings will replace fragmented half-hour gaps. Utilization improves. Revenue becomes more predictable. Member experience improves. Data Will Confirm What Clubs Already Suspect AI will also validate long-held assumptions in club operations. Fahys notes that most club professionals already understand that the average lifetime value of a pickleball participant differs from that of a tennis member — and that tennis often differs again from padel or squash. AI won’t just confirm those differences; it will quantify them. That data will influence everything from facility development to membership structures, programming decisions, and long-term capital planning for both private clubs and commercial operators. The End of the “Fiefdom” Era One of the most challenging areas for clubs, particularly member-owned facilities, is change. Software transitions are often resisted — not because the technology isn’t effective, but because long-standing habits and informal traditions are deeply ingrained. Unspoken court ownership. Preferred time slots. Long-tenured directors controlling access “the way it’s always been done.” AI introduces transparency. And transparency challenges tradition. As clubs move toward data-driven scheduling and access, those informal systems may begin to fade. For some, that will feel uncomfortable. For others, it will represent progress — fairer access, clearer policies, and a better overall member experience. Looking Ahead Fahys believes the clubs that embrace AI thoughtfully — using it as a tool to enhance service rather than replace hospitality — will be the ones that thrive. The technology is not about removing people from the equation; it’s about freeing professionals to focus on what matters most: relationships, programming, and experience. The future of club management is arriving faster than many expect. And for those willing to engage with it, the opportunities are significant.

As we enter our seventh year behind the microphone, it’s still remarkable to say those words out loud: seven years of conversations, insights, and shared experiences across the private members club and hospitality landscape. What began as a passion project has grown into a trusted forum for club leaders, operators, and professionals who care deeply about the future of our industry. Jeff Isbell, Renaissance General Manager There is no better way to kick off the first Beyond The Baselines podcast of the year than with a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation with Jeff Isbell. Jeff brings a grounded, operator-first perspective that resonates strongly with where clubs find themselves today — balancing governance, culture, staffing realities, and evolving member expectations, all while staying true to their mission and identity. In this episode, we explore themes that will define much of the year ahead: leadership presence, communication across departments and boards, and how racquets, hospitality, and project management increasingly intersect within a modern club environment. These are the same issues that surface week after week in our work with clubs, boards, and executive teams — and the same topics that sparked such strong engagement during The Monday Morning Club Quarterback. That series will return next fall, but the conversations never really stop. What continues to energize this podcast is the community around it — from professionals navigating career moves and immigration questions, to general managers and board members trying to make thoughtful, sustainable decisions for their clubs. We hear from you regularly, and those real-world challenges shape every episode we produce. As always, we welcome the dialogue. If you have thoughts sparked by this episode, questions about the industry, or simply want to connect, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or call 508-538-1288. We are always willing to listen — and when appropriate, to help. Thank you to our listeners, partners, colleagues, and the many clubs and professionals we are fortunate to work with. We are proud to be private members club consultants, and even more grateful to be part of such a thoughtful, evolving industry. Here’s to a strong year of conversation ahead — and to starting it with Jeff Isbell.

The private club world and the boutique resort world often feel like parallel industries—adjacent, similar, yet fundamentally different in culture, expectations, and operations. Every so often, we meet a leader who straddles both worlds daily, offering a rare perspective on how racquets programming evolves when a facility must serve two distinct audiences at once. In this week’s BeyondTheBaselines.com podcast, we sit down with Dave Neuhart, Director of Racquets at Innisbrook Golf Resort on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Innisbrook is not your typical resort. While it welcomes a steady flow of guests who stay for a week or two and move on, it also maintains a robust year-round membership. The result? A racquets environment that blends the pulse of a resort with the continuity of a private club. Dave walks us through how he manages this hybrid model—running programming simultaneously for resort guests and full-time members across pickleball, racquetball, table tennis, tennis, and soon, padel. From themed live-ball sessions built around holidays to the planning of club championships, he shares how he keeps both groups engaged without compromising the identity of either. We also dive into the strategic side of racquets management. Dave discusses the growth of league play at Innisbrook—seventeen teams strong—and how his “Awesome August” initiative boosted participation with four weeks of tactics-and-strategy sessions and creative prize incentives, capturing 60 percent of all league players. Finally, Dave offers insights into reporting into a corporate ownership structure under Salamander Investments, and what profit-and-loss scrutiny means for departments that straddle hospitality and sport. We even explore the broader industry landscape, including the acquisitions of Peter Burwash International and Cliff Drysdale Management by Troon, and how such consolidations may shape the future of racquets operations nationwide. It’s a thoughtful, engaging look at what it means to operate at the crossroads of resort hospitality and private club culture.

In the next episode Beyond The Baselines Podcast, we sit down with Maxwell Shteyman, Director of Culinary and Clubhouse Operations at Montammy Golf Club, to discuss how innovation in food and beverage can sometimes go too far. “Too much fusion leads to confusion—and to a messy plate,” Max says with a smile. In a world where every dish seems to chase the next trend, Shteyman believes that simplicity and clarity still reign supreme. Food, after all, mirrors life: the more ingredients and variables you add, the more complex—and often problematic—the outcome becomes. But this episode goes beyond the kitchen. Max believes that food and beverage in private clubs is in deep transition. He suggests that the traditional role of Executive Chef may be nearing its expiration date. Instead, he envisions a model where each dining outlet has its own director, all reporting to a single Culinary Director—a structure that reflects today’s diversified member expectations and multi-outlet club environments. Mentorship, too, plays a central role in Max’s philosophy. Leading younger staff in hospitality requires patience, vision, and courage. As he notes, “There will always be those who can’t or won’t work as a team—and sometimes, dismissals are simply part of maintaining excellence.” It’s a candid, insightful discussion about the future of private club dining, the art of leadership, and the delicate balance between creativity and clarity.

by Ed Shanaphy, CMAA We often say “mentoring,” but what we really mean—especially within private clubs—is advancing. Mentorship is not simply guiding or teaching; it’s creating an environment where your staff can grow, achieve, and in turn, enhance the member experience. Every interaction between staff and member is an opportunity to refine skill, build confidence, and elevate service. A club manager’s greatest legacy is not the number of events executed or budgets balanced—it’s the people they’ve advanced. Let’s explore the three pillars that define true mentorship and the art of advancing your team. Delegation: The Art of Staying Away It’s never easy to step back. Club managers often feel compelled to solve problems immediately or answer every member’s question directly. But effective delegation is a deliberate act of trust. By creating space between yourself, your employee, and the member, you give staff the autonomy to think, act, and grow. This “space” is the classroom of real-world learning. When staff handle member concerns—without you stepping in—they develop confidence, accountability, and ownership. It may be uncomfortable at first, especially when mistakes occur, but that discomfort is often where growth begins. True mentoring means allowing your team to make—and learn from—those mistakes while providing them a framework to succeed the next time around. Education: The Time Required to Teach Both Staff and Membership Mentorship isn’t only an internal process. In the private club world, education extends to the membership itself. Members often view every staff action as a direct reflection of the manager. Therefore, when staff are learning and developing, transparency is essential. Mentorship isn’t only an internal process. In the private club world, education extends to the membership itself. Educating the board, committees, and membership about your mentoring approach helps manage expectations. It allows members to see the broader purpose behind delegating responsibility or giving a new team member more visibility. This communication builds understanding—and trust. When members recognize that your club is cultivating leaders, they become partners in that mission rather than critics of the process. The result? A more collaborative, supportive environment where both staff and members are invested in each other’s success. Advancement: The Extra Credit Work of Great Leaders Here’s the unspoken truth about being a great mentor: it means you’ll be hiring more often. When you invest deeply in staff development, you inevitably create talent that’s ready to move on—sometimes to new roles within the club, often to new opportunities in the wider industry, and occasionally to entirely new careers. That’s not a loss; it’s a sign of success. Each advancement reflects your ability to identify potential, nurture it, and prepare it for the next challenge. Your club gains a reputation as a place where professionals grow—and that attracts even stronger candidates in the future. Yes, mentoring creates more work: more coaching, more recruiting, more onboarding. But it also creates a culture of excellence and a network of alumni who carry your leadership principles into every role they take on. Conclusion: Mentorship as a Legacy To mentor is to advance—not just your staff, but your club’s culture and future. Delegation allows learning to occur. Education aligns staff growth with member understanding. Advancement ensures your leadership extends far beyond your own tenure. A great manager measures success not by how indispensable they are, but by how capable their team becomes in their absence. Mentorship, then, is the art of making yourself unnecessary—because you’ve built a staff strong enough to lead without you.

This week on the Beyond The Baselines podcast, we welcome Dave Henion, a man who has spent his life immersed in the culture of private members clubs. Dave’s journey began as a young caddy at Rolling Hills Country Club in Connecticut, where he learned early on how golf and business often meet on the fairway. From there, he worked his way up — serving as assistant golf professional, head professional, and eventually Director of Golf at some of the country’s most respected clubs, including Woodway in Darien, Siwanoy in Bronxville, and the elite Apawamis Club in Rye, NY. After years in club management, Dave transitioned into technology and healthcare, bringing with him the lessons learned from years of member service and operations leadership. Today, he serves as President of Marietta Country Club, where he is focused on bridging the gap between staff and membership and enhancing the overall member experience. In this episode, Dave shares candid insights about the financial realities of private clubs — from the subsidized golf course to the food and beverage losses members actually notice — and why the bond between staff and members is what truly drives satisfaction. He discusses strategies for tee time and tennis reservation management, the competitive nature of member-guest events (including the all-important merchandise “arms race”), and the bold changes he’s overseen in both the clubhouse and on the golf course, including the re-turfing project at Marietta. This conversation is packed with perspective from someone who has seen club life from every angle — staff, member, committee chair, and president — and offers a fresh look at what makes a club not just function, but thrive. To donate to the BTB podcast, please Click Here! We can’t do it without you!

Rafael Coutinho, Director of Racquets at Rumson Country Club on the Jersey Shore, joins the BeyondTheBaselines.com podcast. With just two tennis courts and four pickleball courts, it had been the platform tennis courts that were the pride and joy of Rumson. With over 20 social events during the paddle season, platform tennis was at the heart of Rumson’s winter activities. But with grand designs and planning, and the club having the great idea to incentivize Rafael to build participation across tennis, there are four new tennis courts and a new racquets shop in the plans for 2026. Rafael has gone deep into the club's software and has measured usage across various fields and demographics. Across all the racquet sports, Rumson, he found, had 325 members step on one of the three various courts - tennis, pickle or platform - in the past year. He took the data, met with the committee and the board, and showed the board the need for an expanded racquets facility. The club responded. The Task of Educating We discuss the need for department heads and management to allocate and spend time educating the member board and various committees. Through discussion, Join Rafael and our very own Ed Shanaphyh as we discuss using the data and educating the board to gain a bigger budget, add employees, both fulltime and part-time, and to earmark capital campaigns and funds for the racquets facility. Here’s an executive who understands that reporting is just as important as a racquet path.

Capturing the essence of an athlete—let alone defining a career within the grand tapestry of a sport’s history—is no easy feat. As the era of the "Big Three" nears its close, Rafael Nadal’s reign over clay courts and his unprecedented dominance at Roland Garros stand unmatched—and perhaps forever unrepeatable. On the latest episode of the Beyond The Baselines podcast, renowned journalist Christopher Clarey—former international sports correspondent for The New York Times and International Herald Tribune—offers a multifaceted look at Nadal’s legacy: athletic, historical, and deeply human. His new book, The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay, has garnered praise for its insightful, elegant portrayal of the man behind the legend. The book embraces the romance and comments on and depicts the discipline Rafa brought to the tour, but especially to Roland Garros and the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Clarey paints a picture of Rafa and Roland Garros that would make even the great French impressionists proud. Monet could not have painted a better canvas, as Clarey calls one of his chapters, using the red brick dust to create a pastel in words that tracks and notates an historic and incredible career. In the book, Clarey explores the profound discipline and emotional depth Nadal brought to the game, particularly in Paris’ storied Bois de Boulogne. While Nadal will always be synonymous with clay, Clarey is careful to position him within the broader context of tennis history—not merely as a surface specialist, but as a transcendent champion. Nadal’s legendary intensity is captured with charm and detail—whether on court or playing fiercely competitive games of Parchisi behind the scenes. Drawing from over three decades of tennis coverage, Clarey delivers not just facts, but a textured portrait worthy of the greatest French impressionists. Indeed, in a chapter inspired by Monet, Clarey uses the red dust of Roland Garros as his palette, crafting a vivid narrative of a once-in-a-generation career. Though anchored in clay—with a staggering 14-0 record in French Open finals—Nadal’s résumé extends far beyond. His eight Grand Slam titles on other surfaces equal the career totals of Connors, Lendl, and Agassi. Clarey deftly examines how evolving surfaces shaped Nadal’s journey and what those shifts meant to his enduring greatness. Ultimately, The Warrior is more than a biography—it’s an artistic tribute to one of the sport’s most iconic figures. Nadal’s legacy, etched in grit, grace, and red clay, comes alive through Clarey’s masterful storytelling.

The podcaster sits in the hot seat. Private Club Radio’s Denny Corby joins the Beyond The Baselines podcast and talks everything private member clubs. If a listener gets one thing out of just one of his podcasts, it means the world to Corby, the host of the biggest podcast in club management. “Your vibe attracts your tribe,” says Corby who took over Private Club Radio several years ago. Denny Corby As personal friends, Ed Shanaphy, our host, and Denny talk movies and fashion through to club management and the two organizations, the CMAA and the NCA, which dominate the industry. We ask the question if clubs actually compete against each other. As an industry, management shares more and more each year, but perhaps clubs and members see it differently. Various factors are behind how prospective members look at possible membership at clubs and future members may have various motivations to join a social group. Clubs are rebranding themselves with an eye toward legacy and the younger generations. And in attempting to attract that younger-aged member, clubs have been relaxing the dress codes and looking for more family-friendly events. We discuss how rebranding a club can, in an odd way, be similar to rebranding our respective podcasts. Clubs usually find a niche and present themselves within that special market. Most podcasts survive within a niche. And Corby has found his crowd for sure as his podcast is the leader in the private members club arena. We have both realized that the CMAA World Conference is so grand that, for business reasons, it’s truly important to also attend the various chapters conferences to get even further inside the community of club managers, vendors and association members.

You’ve heard of the points guy, but this is the gift card guy, or as Larry Rubin calls himself, the gift card guru. This recording is aimed at marketing for both of our client subsets, private members clubs and boutique hotels. Usage, Revenue Streams, Departments Inspected And Enhanced Through gift cards, clubs and hotels can track usage of new and returning members and guests when given free money or points. Marketers can introduce a club or a hotel property at really no cost if the gift card is combined with a payment toward membership - many clubs already give statement credits to members who bring in new members, there's no difference with a gift card. Or a hotel, during a light time of year, can use gift cards to offer free rooms, adventures or services. All would add more revenue and find business they wouldn't have had otherwise. Rubin, who is president of SwipeIt.com, has been doing this for decades and now sees a new trend in which you incentivize the use of a gift card by giving another gift card upon arrival. Imagine getting a prospective member to the club through a gift card with funds toward a summer membership. Upon presentation and use of that card, that guest receives two free rounds of golf - no cart or caddie fees. An incentive upon an incentive. Pickleball, Hard To Monetize, Can Be A Revenue Stream With Gift Cards In what is fast becoming a digital domain, private members clubs, boutique hotels and resorts are turning toward digital wallets. Rubin uses as an example a new pickleball facility within a retail mall. Through gift cards available throughout the mall, possible new members were enticed to the restaurant and retail store within the pickleball facility, adding revenue. And here’s a statistic we all know is true through our own use of gift cards: 90 percent of gift card users spend more than the value of the gift card. That’s found money for a hotel restaurant, private club food and beverage outlet. or golf or tennis pro shop. Clubs are revaluating their marketing strategies. Through membership apps, newsletters, revamped websites and text and push communications, clubs should perhaps look at building already existing revenue streams, or possibly finding new ones, through the use of gift cards. Here's why, and just how to do it - right here on the BeyondTheBaselines.com podcast. If you love our podcast - and we love our listeners - please feel free to donate to our BTB Podcast fund to help defray travel and recording costs. As we our in our sixth year of broadcasting, we are looking at expanding to a weekly release through the second half of 2025. Thank you for listening! Please donate here!

How did an international trade and finance student from Mexico come to head up Red Bank New Jersey's Navesink Country Club's Racquet Program? It's a long and winding road, but one that is full of insights into the private members club industry. Victor Vidal knew he was not suited to work behind a desk. As Navesink’s Director of Racquets, Vidal runs a year-round program boasting tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. With a team of 5 certified professionals and four collegiate players along with a retail manager, Victor is on the courts, but as his staff grows, his time behind that desk grows also. Victor started his career at the famed Belle Haven Yacht Club in Greenwich, CT. Belle Haven has one of the most active tennis programs in the country. Born in Mexico, he soon realized that yacht clubs can be a misnomer with racquets, rather than sailing, the main source of revenue after food and beverage. Racquets usually provides one of the biggest revenue streams at a yacht club – not always so at a country club, where racquets tends to be an add on, or an amenity, says Vidal. Family Time Imposing Itself On Summer Activities Either way, whether its golf, sailing or racquets, family time is shortening the activity or experience at private members clubs. “One o’clock is pushing it…” says Vidal when holding a tournament. “Folks like to start at 8.30am and be done by 1pm and move on to family activities.” The era of weekend-long tournaments on the tennis courts at least, might be over. Programming follows the same suit. Live Ball has become Victor’s most popular clinic program. It’s an hour and a half, non-stop tennis, which gets the member to hit “a ton of balls” in a short amount of time, fitting into their weekend schedule. And “105” will be the new focal point for the upcoming summer. With lights on the court, Victor has more social-focused clinic programming in the evenings with adult beverages to follow. Although he doesn't always enjoy his time behind the desk, Victor is limiting his hours on the court. He still relishes his time on the court. He enjoys mentoring his staff when he is off the court. He tends to look for those who want to stay in the industry as possible candidates. “I want them to move up and spread their wings,” says Victor. That’s how we make our industry better.