Hillcrest Country Club (Boise, Idaho) was beginning to think about its future, but General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Nolan Halterman, CCM, PGA, believed planning required more than identifying projects.
“The club didn’t have a strategic plan, so we started there,” says Halterman.
The process prompted Hillcrest’s leadership team to reexamine many of the traditional planning exercises clubs often undertake.
“Everybody comes up with mission statements, vision statements, core values, and brand statements,” says Halterman. “We got rid of all of that and said, ‘Okay, we’re starting over. Who is Hillcrest?'”
The answer became the foundation for everything that followed. It led to a purpose statement focused on creating a welcoming community where friendships thrive, families connect, and exceptional experiences are the standard. From there, the club identified five priorities that would guide future decisions: financial sustainability, member experience, membership structure, brand and value proposition, and governance and communications.
For Halterman, those priorities became the foundation for everything that followed.
Today, those priorities inform a facilities master plan and golf course master plan that will help shape the club over the next 10 to 15 years. Potential areas of focus include fitness and wellness, racquet sports, family activity spaces, and golf course improvements. The planning process has also influenced how the club approaches governance and communication.
Hillcrest restructured its nominating committee into a year-round nominating and leadership development committee and expanded onboarding for new board members. The club also established a communication strategy that provides regular updates to members as planning efforts progress.
“We communicate consistently with members so they understand the plan and what comes next,” Halterman says.
The objective is to create alignment around a shared vision for the future and ensure that major decisions remain connected to the club’s priorities as boards change over time.
That long-term perspective extends beyond current members.
“We’re building the club for their kids and their grandkids,” Halterman says. “Over the next 10 to 15 years, this is what they’re going to want out of the club.”
For Hillcrest, future planning is about more than determining what gets built next. It is about creating a club that remains relevant to the generations that will inherit it.
