502: Layers Of Ambiance

Welcome To Private Club Radio

Denny Corby 0:00

Welcome to the Private Club Radio Show, the show where you get the scoop on life inside private golf and country clubs. I'm your host, Danny Corby, and each episode is a real conversation with club leaders, the pros, the people and partners who help clubs thrive. We talk leadership, culture, food and beverage, member experiences, member engagement, marketing, governance, and so much more. If you want practical ideas, better teams in a club experience, members actually feel and talk about. You are in the right place now. Welcome

How Deep Does Ambiance Go

Denny Corby 0:30

to the show.

0:30

In this episode, I wanna talk about the layers of ambiance. How deep does your club experience actually go? Not how nice the lobby, how nice is it when you first walk in, but Or not even how does it l- how does the room look for the board meeting, any of that, but Not the Instagram pictures I mean, like how deep does it really go at your club? Does the layers of ambiance, and not just for the club, but also the events and everything that you do at your club, whether it's the marketing, the branding, the communication, anything, how deep of the layers does it really go? Like, does the ambiance stop at the front door? Does it make it to the bathrooms? Does it make it to the locker rooms, the parking lots, the staff areas? And not just The quick visuals, but like the, the, the details The music, the lighting, the menu, like the small, the small things. The signage, the sound, the flow, 'cause that's where the magic is And today is just a quick reminder, a quick episode about the layers of ambiance. The little things, the big things, and the things that members may or may not notice and may or may not say out loud. But it's the things that they should notice, and when they do, they give you the head nod, right? You

A Themed Restaurant Done Right

1:49

get the hat tip, and that's what we're looking for So I've been thinking about this a little bit recently, is like the layers of ambiance and how deep do you really wanna go and how deep do you care about things And I was at a themed restaurant recently at a, at a, at a friend's wedding, and went to the restaurant that was close by to the hotel as the, the wedding party was getting ready, and it was a, it was a themed restaurant, and it was sort of like Alice in Wondery themed-ish. But they made it so it all worked, right? The music matched the style and the ambiance, and it wasn't just a couple of small things, right? They went deep on the entire experience, from the menu to the food items. And, and not in, like, an overly corny way. In a nice tastefully done way. But just to even to when you walk into the bathrooms, and the fixtures, and, like, everything was just on brand and on point. And I think sometimes we forget about that stuff. And not just for the grand picture of how we design things whether it's a pop-up or other things, just like, what are the levels and the layers that you're gonna do? It's not just about the decor and the in-interior design w- is what I was trying to get at. But it's, it's more about Experience consistency And how, how

The Expectation Gap Hits Fast

3:08

far down into the layers of a member experience are you willing to think and take? And how far can you actually go, and are you allowed to go? I think that sometimes that's why people get, get frustrated is not because things are bad, but also because right there's, there's the mix- mismatch, there's that mix-up. It's that, you know, they, they... it's, it's the expectation gap Cause when you walk into a premium environment, you start building premium expectations almost immediately before anybody even says, says hello. Um People are al-already judging and watching and waiting Cause for certain people, everything tells them something. The driveway tells them something, the grass tells them something, the food, the smell, the l- everything tells them something And, and when they see those things and there's, there's a disconnect, the disconnect tells them something too beautiful place, but there's a funk or a smell, like that's an automatic little bit of like a flag I can go off on tangents on the smells and things and the entrances and openings walking in, you know, and just, you can just tell it just needs a good power wash and it hasn't been in years, right? It's not just like a year's worth of caked up stuff. It's like, you know, multiple years. Just, what is it? Co- couple grand. Just get it power washed. Such a big first impression Right. It's just that expectation gap Cause as members, members in the, the expectation gap could be dangerous because we know members aren't paying for access, they're paying for belonging, comfort, trust of, of, of a real place that they feel valued at, where, where their, their word matters and they're considered And also when, when, when I'm talking about ambiance, you might,

Ambiance As A Full Sensory System

4:51

you may have automatically thought of lighting, candles, music, decor, scent. Um, but ambiance I think is bigger than that, right? It's a total emotional environment. It is how the space makes people feel. Is it visual? Is it sound? Is it smell? Is it temperature? Is it touch? Is it pace, tone, energy, staff energy, people energy? Is it cleanliness, right? How things are arranged Is it, and it should be what people hear when they walk in, what they smell when they walk in, the feeling when they sit down, when they turn a corner It's anything and everything you want it to be. And it's hard having clubs as your place because you have so many challenges of of a club. 'Cause they're living, breathing, operational things. They're not just one room, right? There's so many different elements and components Really all I'm trying to get at is think about the layers of ambiance you are trying to do and have, whether it's for an event, something popping up, a tournament, a show. Think about all the details, all the layers, the music, the smell, the vibes, and the layers that you're putting people through or that you want people to expect. It's always those hat tip moments are always a really

A Case Study In Total Consistency

6:11

nice touch. Also, I think a really great place that does this well is the Monticello Motor Club, uh, which ironically is where Management in Motion is at. But the Monticello Motor Club does that really well, 'cause obviously it's a profession- it's a, it's a driving club, right? It's for members, and everything is to the detail. So in the bathrooms, there's carbon fiber fixtures, right? There's like the little things that obviously should be there are there, but not just in the member area, not just in the public where everybody sees. Also in the staffing area. When you go to where the staff housing is, it feels very modern. It has the same style fixtures, it has the carbon fiber things, it has the black couches, it has all the screens. It feels very F1 drivey style and vibe. And that's what it's about. It's, it's those little details that go to the nth degree, those layers of ambiance.

Management In Motion 2026 Invite

7:10

If you wanna come check out the Monticello Motor Club, you can, uh, because we're doing Management in Motion there, #shamelessplug. You didn't think it was coming. It was coming. We're doing it. Management in Motion 2026, we are almost sold out Come for a day full of education, fun, connection, and adrenaline. We're gonna be ripping up BMWs, M2s, 3s, and 4s, drifting, drag racing, high-speed laps. So much fun, so much excitement, and then mixed in between is education from your fellow peers talking about their motions, right? 'Cause that's the whole thing is motion. And what is motion? We all have different motions, and it's how they take their motions and how they bring it to their lives both personally and professionally every single day. I have Ed Ronan and Alfredo Hildebrandt, both amazing club leaders, club managers, who are gonna talk about their motions and how they bring it to their, to their lives and work. I'm so stoked. You wanna learn more, DennyCorby.com. You'll see it right at top, right on top We have less than 20 seats left. It's

The What If Mindset

8:11

a hoot. Anyway So if you want a little takeaway, think about your layers of ambiance at your club, how everything is working and moving. Are there any discrepancies? Are there any Are there any expectation gaps Just don't stop thinking when you're getting creative. If you're thinking about something, just always think, "What if? How can we do this a little bit different, a little bit better? Just what if?" Don't stop thinking Have fun and get creative. Just think about how you can take a l- a different layer, add a layer, enhance a layer. What's, what's a layer at your club you can enhance this week?

Entertainment Plug And Sign Off

8:47

Want to enhance the entertainment layer? Hashtag shameless plug number two. You have the Denny Corby experience. There's excitement, there's mystery. Also, there's magic, mind reading, and comedy. A ton of laughs, gasps, and holy craps. Couple of fall dates left, but booking into 2026 right now. If you wanna learn more, head on over to DennyCorby.com That's this episode I'm your host, Denny Corby. Until next time, catch y'all on the Flippity Flip