Published Articles

Distinguished Clubs

Ideas Summit 2016

Union League – Philadelphia, PA

Rick Ladendorf was a featured speaker at the Distinguished Club Idea Summit September 18, 2016 hosted by Jeff McFadden from the Union League of Philadelphia. Mr. Ladendorf spoke on the subject of Alternative Funding for Capital Improvement projects with a focus on creating foundations i.e. 501c3 non-profit as the vehicle.

Senior Retention

2013

CMAA Golden State Chapter

Published in 2015, for the CMAA Golden State Chapter, Rick Ladendorf identifies the three steps to creating the ultimate senior retention program that includes: 1. Survey the members with a specific focus on Health & Wellness 2. Design programs and activities which meet the senior members needs 3. Support the member on-site and on-line The top five things a club needs to embrace wellness: 1. Secure management & board level commitment 2. Offer multiple seminars, webinars, workshops, classes, events and activities for golfers and non-golfers 3. Promote “Healthy Options” on all menus 4. Implement a club branded wellness online portal which provides relevant and fresh content, challenges, measurement & progress tools, event calendar and tools. 5. Educate the staff

Farm Fresh Trends

Spring 2015

NCA/McMahon Club Trends

Frank Vain from the McMahon Group interview America's Healthiest Clubs in 2015 to get our thoughts on the trends in the farm-to-table movement. This Club Trends publication highlights a number of certified America's Healthiest Clubs and their best-practices

Farm To Table

March 2017

BoardRoom Magazine

Featured in this article: Terra Waldron adn Executive Chef Dan Chagolla from Desert Highlands - Scottsdale Arizona, Jim Schell and Executive Chef Jay Alfes from Venice Country Club - Venice FL, Robert Sereci, the Meacham Garden, a chicken coop and the Food Truck from Medinah Country Club - Medinah IL and last but not least, Jim Sargeant and Executive Chef David Hoffman from the Town & Country Club - St. Paul MN. .

Dedicated Wellness Manager

January 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

In this article Rick Ladendorf lists the Top five reasons to hire a dedicated wellness manager: 1) Member demand for fitness, nutrition and prevention programs, 2) Lowered costs associated with workers comp, claims and absenteeism, 3) Incremental revenues justify the investment, 4) Improved recruitment and retention of staff and members, and 5) Wellness integration and overall management for greater synergy.

Workplace Wellness

January 2014

BoardRoom Magazine

This article lists a few wellness solutions that should be offered to the staff: • Health risk assessments • Wellness task-force to prioritize, design, and implement wellness programs • Challenges, competitions and incentives • Inclusion of family and/or significant others • Weekly behavior change tasks • Simple tracking systems • Educational communications via voice, text, email, print, direct mail and face to face.

Brokers role in Health Care

January 2015

BoardRoom Magazine

Health care costs are skyrocketing and in this article, Rick Ladendorf explains the options that include; Fully-insured, Self-insured and individual plans.

Wellness Committee

January 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

In this article, Rick Ladendorf explains why it is important to have a Wellness Committee. The most important reasons include; Recruitment, Retention, Rising Health Care Costs and the Member Experience.

Purpose driven Wellness

January 2017

BoardRoom Magazine

Featrued in the article; Jimmy Lynn Wyndemere Country Club - Naples FL, Dan Miles Bonita Bay Club - Naples, FL, Carmen Mauderi The Club at Mediterra - Naples, FL and Achal Gaswami - Frenchman's Creek Beach & Country Club - West Palm Beach, FL.

Wellness Revolution

March 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

Studies show that nearly 80 percent of $2 trillion dollars are spent treating chronic illnesses, most of which are treat-able with proper nutrition and regular exercise. With that in mind, here are three low to no-cost suggestions to improve the health and well-being of your senior members while at the same time improving member usage and retention. 1. Healthy take-out menu. Offer prepared healthy meals as part of a nutrition and fitness plan and as members complete their workout or rehab session. 2. Partner with third party wellness service providers. The club provides the facilities and the member population, while the service provider brings the expertise, credentials and certifications. Start slow and expand as needed. 3. Offer Recipe Rehab cooking demos. Invite local nutritionists to work with the chef to “rehab” select menu items, get member feedback and have some fun with the process. BR

7 Elements of a Wellness Program

March 2014

BoardRoom Magazine

Seven element of a highly effective Wellness Program include: Health Assessment, Wellness Portal, Incentives, Challenges, targeted communications, Onsite education and personal interaction.

When to invest in a Fitness Center

March 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

Warning signs and trends to consider before you embark on a new fitness center• When new fitness centers are opening up in your marketing area • When new homes are being built within 20 miles of your location • When golf rounds begin to decline or stagnate See NGF estimates below) • When attrition is on the rise • When member feedback and demand increases • When surrounding golf clubs are closing or are being acquired by management companies

Creating a Wellness Program

May 2012

BoardRoom Magazine

Featrued in the article; Jimmy Lynn Wyndemere Country Club - Naples FL, Dan Miles Bonita Bay Club - Naples, FL, Carmen Mauderi The Club at Mediterra - Naples, FL and Achal Gaswami - Frenchman's Creek Beach & Country Club - West Palm Beach, FL.

Strategic Wellness Plan

May 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

Three suggestions to get started on a Strategic Wellness Plan. 1. Create a task force or sub-committee. Include department heads, wellness enthusiasts and members. Brainstorm and create a wishlist of programming to help increase member usage. 2. Do your research. Read trade journals, collect data, visit CMAA.org and look at CMAA’s idea fair submissions, join WELCOA.org and do your research of the latest trends, best practices and club benchmarking data. 3. Hire a wellness consultant and do a SWOT analysis. Define your goals and objectives, identify the key performance indicators (KPI) and metrics you want to measure and draft a three-year pro forma and executive summary. As they say, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

Reduce the Net Operating Loss

May 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

Marty Miller from the Mizner Country Club explains how he increased revenues and reduced the net operating costs.Offer free fitness/movement assessments, Be sure to incorporate newer fitness trends and incorporate small group personal training:

Attitudes, beliefs and the Culture

May 2017

BoardRoom Magazine

Featuring Joannaa Roche fro the Westmoor Club, Robbie Ames from Sea Pines Country Club, Nick Sidorakis from Southern Hills Country Club and Michael Stacks from Indian Hills Country Club.

Workplace Wellness 

July 2012

BoardRoom Magazine

FIVE WAYS TO REDUCE HEALTH CARE COSTS 1. Offer incentives in exchange for participation in employer sponsored health expos, seminars, workshops and Lunch n’ Learns. 2. Create challenges, measure and recognize efforts. 3. Offer a web portal to manage participation, nutritional tips, content, event calendar and progress. 4. Communicate frequently and recognize participation and behavior change. 5. Customize company-sponsored events based on surveyresults and participation. Offer programs, which address

PGA and Fitness

August 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

ACCORDING TO THE PGA’S GOLF 2.0 INITIATIVE “IT’S PERSONAL” PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PLAYBOOK, THERE ARE THREE CORE STRATEGIES: 1. Retain and strengthen the existing core golfers 2. Engage the 61 million “lapsed” golfers who still have an interest in playing 3. Drive new players

Create a Farm-to-Table Experience

July 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

Five things you can do to create a farm-to-table experience that will improve the members experience, attract new members and help retain existing members. 1. Contact local farmers and buy seasonal produce direct. 2. Contact local hydroponic growers and custom order ingredients to better plan menus in advance. 3. Communicate where the club is sourcing local ingredients - in the newsletter, on the website, in the member emails, on the menus, on the mobile app, on social media sites and information inserted in the membership packet. 4. Educate the servers as to the sources of food along with the nutritional benefits. Members appreciate where their food comes from and knowledgeable servers that share these insights will help to improve the member experience. 5. Contact your local media to see if your story is newsworthy. Earned media is a great way to get “picked-up” nationally, which for many clubs drives new membership interest.

Technology and Wellness

September 2012

BoardRoom Magazine

Five suggestions to help reduce health care costs and increase revenue 1. Implement a web-based wellness platform and offer it to staff and members 2. Create challenges, incentives and wellness programs to engage members 3. Form groups and invite like-minded members to join 4. Offer nutritional and fitness workshops, seminars and classes 5. Provide the necessary training and support to keep members engaged.

Myzone Drives Engagement 

September 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

Technology is helping clubs grow local, pesticide-free food, manage employee wellness and most importantly reach prospective members where they live work and play.

Hydroponic Containers

September 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

ACCORDING TO THE PGA’S GOLF 2.0 INITIATIVE “IT’S PERSONAL” PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PLAYBOOK, THERE ARE THREE CORE STRATEGIES: 1. Retain and strengthen the existing core golfers 2. Engage the 61 million “lapsed” golfers who still have an interest in playing 3. Drive new players

Four Wellness Trends

November 2013

BoardRoom Magazine

Four wellness trends shaping the private club industry.

4 Clubs Shaping the Club Industry

November 2016

BoardRoom Magazine

Matthew Allnatt and Executive Chef Jason McClain, Mike Hestera from the Denver Athletic Club, Paul Malonson and Eric Eccles from the Vineyards Country Club and Bob Jones from Desert Mountain.