The LaRocca Bio
Richard L. LaRocca, CCM (Certified Club Manager), CCE (Certified Chief Executive), was elected the 2025 Chair of the Club Management Association of America (CMAA) at its 2025 World Conference and Club Business Expo, held in Tampa, FL, in February.
He was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2018 and re-elected in 2021. He currently serves as the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer of St. Clair Country Club in Upper St. Clair, PA. LaRocca is a Youngstown, OH, native, and a graduate of Youngstown State University. LaRocca first joined CMAA in 1986.
He earned his CCM designation in 1997 and achieved his CCE designation in 2008.
The LaRocca Story
The beginnings of me and club management started at a really young age. My parents, their house was open, and hospitality was freely given. Family was most important, and parents showed their love through their passion. My mom showed her love through how she cooked and entertained. The words – did you eat – are three words but at our house it came out “djit.” That has lived on forever. We knew the hospitality gene was in us.
I entered the caddy yard, from the caddy yard to the clubhouse. As I finished College in 1984, Brian Schultz hired me as his Assistant General Manager where I worked from 1984 to 1987.
And if I had any doubts that this industry was not for me, I married my wife, Christine. Her mom was an incredible entertainer, as she is today. Hospitality is part of us. Those three are what molded me and led me to where I’m at today.
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You wake up in the morning — what’s the driving passion?
I am very fortunate that I work with a great Board, membership, and staff at St. Clair Country Club. Every day I have the privilege of affecting someone’s life in a positive way.
Whether it’s somebody on my team or for a member’s child’s wedding, I get to make an impact.
You’ve been elevated recently to the position of Chair for the Board of Directors for the Club Management Association of America (CMAA). What does it mean to you and what important initiatives are you looking to see enacted?
It means quite a lot that I have been selected by my peers to lead our association this year. My vision, in anticipation of heading into our Centennial Celebration in 2027, is to start to tell the story of how rewarding our field is in the hospitality industry.
There are so many positive stories my peers have either encountered or steered that need to be shared. My peers come with extraordinary talents and lead very successful club operations. They are innovators, leaders, and really good people.
I am also enjoying my time working with our team at CMAA, led by our CEO Jeff Morgan. This group is committed to furthering our education and providing us all with the opportunity to proactively improve our skill sets for continued success, now and for the future.
How has the industry evolved – from pre-pandemic time to what is happening now?
COVID brought about an awakening not only within the club world but across all industries. The game of golf grew substantially faster than any of us could have imagined, coinciding with the employment crisis we all faced.
Additionally, club members increased their usage of clubs, as they provided a safe environment for families to enjoy. In summary, we had more members using their clubs and fewer people available to service that demand.
What I find remarkable about my club management peers – managers, golf professionals, golf course superintendents, club chefs, and others – is that we all reacted to fill these voids. Everyone recognized the challenges and reported them to the clubs’ volunteer leadership, beginning to plan ways to address these issues. The best clubs Boards found the resources to empower their management to build and execute a plan.
Today, we have all come to realize that our old model of club management needed to change quickly. We needed to listen to those entering the field and understand their motivators. Once that was completed, we began to evolve this new model of employment for our industry.
Is it perfect today? No, but the work will continue to find harmony for all our staff.
The most important skillset for a club manager to have is what?
Adaptability is the first quality that comes to mind. Today’s club managers must have a plan for their day or week, but they must also be ready for unexpected changes in a moment’s notice.
Empathy is crucial for leaders. It’s important to recognize all the challenges individuals may be facing both at home and at work, and to support them through these difficulties.
Financial management skills are essential for managing large capital expenses. Clubs today are investing significantly in their facilities, and we need to ensure that we operate the club effectively while simultaneously overseeing multimillion-dollar capital projects.
What’s the biggest mistake clubs make when both hiring a club manager and in retaining one?
Every club must align itself with a culture that fits its unique identity. Club managers come with families, and decisions affect all involved. When clubs find the right cultural fit, they create alignment that leads to long tenure.
Club managers need support through both good and challenging times. When a club manager feels that support, their performance and that of the club will continue to improve.
Clubs routinely tout the importance of member service. Define the term and the approach you personally follow at St. Clair CC?
Our approach at SCCC began when our team established our vision: “Expectations of Excellence.” This vision allowed us to review our service models to be certain we lived up to that statement.
We collaborated with our staff to provide them with the resources they needed to meet our vision. Once that was established, we trained, mentored, and educated the team on what this vison meant to them.
We reviewed all touchpoints and focused on the details to be certain that each member enjoyed their visits to the club. It is rewarding when the team buys into the vision, as they begin to exceed expectations and create new levels of excellence.
For many years baby boomers dominated the roster of club membership. A new generation of members is now blossoming. How is the latest generation both similar and different than the previous one and how should club managers deal with this clear reality?
In our business, the similarity is that all generations enjoy a great member experience. The difference lies in the current generations’ time commitments; for example, they may have less availability to volunteer for club service.
Club management skill sets are evolving into more Chief Executive roles, with all departments partnering with club membership to make operational and capital improvements, moving away from a purely volunteer-driven approach.
Another difference is in programming. Today’s club offerings, whether recreational activities like golf or social programs, must appeal to multiple generations.
During my 40 years in this field, I’ve seen clubs’ activity calendars become more robust than ever.
If you could change one thing in golf unilaterally – what would it be and why?
Golf is an incredible sport that I have enjoyed since my youth as a caddy, and I still love it today. The one thing I would change is the time commitment required for a round of golf. In today’s society, four-hour rounds are challenging for young families.
Biggest challenges facing the association are what – short and long term — and what responses are needed for each?
Short term: Recruitment in the industry is a challenge across all areas of club operations. Those entering the field need to visualize their career trajectory, which includes balancing personal time for other interests, including family.
Long term: There is a need for resources to recruit and retain top talent, as well as resources to keep the club relevant for current and future members.
Complete the sentence — Richard LaRocca is –
A husband and father. Also, a mentor who hopes to showcase the best in our profession by sharing my experiences and listening to others’ experiences so I can continue to grow.
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