In our Meet the Boards & Commissions series, MyRye.com will introduce readers to the boards and commissions of the City of Rye and the residents who run them. All volunteers, these residents give their time and expertise to keep our city running. The series is intended to bring visibility to what each board and commission does, its priorities and what might prompt a resident or another person or company to interact with the group.
We have made our best efforts to reach out to each board and commission chairperson directly or via City officials. If you are a board or commission chair and have not been contacted, or if you are a reader with feedback on this series, please get in touch with MyRye.com.
Meet the Rye Golf Club Commission and its Chair Terry McCartney.
Your Name: Terry McCartney
Board or Commission: Rye Golf Club Commission
Your role: I serve my fellow members as the chair of the Rye Golf Club Commission by helping set priorities and policy initiatives, advising the RGC general manager and city leaders regarding important decisions impacting the club and leading our commission meetings.
MyRye.com: What is the charter for your Commission?
McCartney:
- Although we are an entirely self-sufficient enterprise fund, we actively participate in the annual city budgeting process.
- We ensure that our membership has a high-quality experience when using the club and is kept informed about club policies, events and news through our website, emails and other forms of communication.
- We advise the general manager and superintendent regarding golf course and facilities improvements, events and capital projects.
Looking at 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
McCartney:
- We are studying all of our facilities to determine the best ways to deliver a high-quality experience to our members in the future.
- We are constantly improving the course; we just finished the third year of a multi-year program to renovate our bunkers and greens. We will continue to work on that until it is complete in another year or so, depending on the weather. We continue to follow greener initiatives by using environmentally friendly products on the golf course.
- We are always working to balance the quality of the experience on the golf course and pool for our members while also trying to reduce the growing waitlist.
Would you be supportive of your meetings being broadcast and recorded by the City for public viewing?
McCartney: Yes and no, it has been done in the past with mixed results. The balance is transparency and convenience versus increased operational costs and less actual member involvement. Our meetings are open to our members and the public and we welcome all interested to join us and participate in the agenda; many do and are given an opportunity to be heard.
Are written agendas and written meeting minutes available?
McCartney: Yes, on the commission page of the city website.
Are your meetings currently recorded?
McCartney: No.
What are your key performance indicators (KPIs)?
McCartney: We set annual goals and monitor them throughout the year. We focus on budgetary compliance at all times. We monitor many KPIs such as rounds played on the golf course and visits to the pool by members, guests and community groups. We also track the percentage of our members who are Rye residents, which is currently at an all-time high, due to our efforts.
Who is the City Council liaison to your Commission for 2026?
McCartney: Councilmember Jamie Jensen has been our liaison for the past few years.
Tell us about the residents or others you interact with at your Commission.
McCartney: We primarily interact with our many members but our meetings are open to the public so we also interact with our neighbors and Rye residents occasionally. Non-members typically come before the commission with concerns about how use of the course is impacting their use of their adjacent property. Errant golf balls, tree removal or rainwater management are a few examples. We also hear from residents who want to join the club but are on the waitlist.
When was your Commission chartered by the City of Rye?
McCartney: We actually wrote a book that covered this topic a few years ago (2021) as a part of the Centennial Anniversary of the golf course (but not the club). The Rye Golf Club was founded in 1965 after the City purchased the defunct Ryewood Country Club. The Golf Club Commission was originally known as the Board of Advisors. Our role today is essentially the same as it has always been – to advise the general manager and the city on the best ways to manage this unique asset from the member/user perspective.
Looking back across 2025, what were your commission’s top achievements?
McCartney:
- We improved the quality and playability of the golf course while also planting 22 trees on property as a part of our tree replacement plan.
- We increased our membership (and reduced the waitlist) while not negatively impacting our members’ experience.
- We improved communications with our members through emails, newsletters and the website.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
McCartney: Five years.
Who appointed you to this position, and what year were you appointed?
McCartney: The golf commission originally elected me chair in January 2021 and then the mayor and city council appointed me. I have been re-elected and re-appointed each year since then.
Besides yourself, who is the longest serving person on your commission?
McCartney: Akhil Kumar is the longest-serving person on the Golf Commission.
When does your current appointed term expire?
McCartney: I was recently re-elected by the membership for a three-year term expiring in 2028. The golf commission recently elected me to serve as the chair again for 2026; it is up to the city council to re-appoint me.
What is your day job?
McCartney: I am a trial lawyer and I represent plaintiffs in product liability cases mainly involving defective products. The litigating and negotiating skills I have learned in my day job have helped in my roles at RGC over the years. I was on the city council from 2013-17 and served as RGC liaison back then so, in that capacity and in my current role, I have been able to help guide the club through a few difficult situations.
How much time does your role require in a typical month?
McCartney: About 4-6 hours per month depending on the nature of the projects underway.
If I took you to Jerry’s or Oakland Beach Deli for lunch this week, what would you order?
McCartney: Chicken cutlet and cheddar on a roll at Jerry’s; Tuna and jalapenos on a wheat wrap at OBD; Cajun Cuban at the Roadhouse.
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
McCartney: My family has lived on Park Avenue for 25 years.
Thanks Terry!
Learn More:
2025 Profile
Main Rye Golf Club Commission page on City website
LinkedIn
Rye Golf Club Commission members:
Terrence McCartney, Chair 12-31-28 (term expires)
Christopher Fanning 12-31-28
Lynne Murphy-Gere 12-31-27
Akhil Kumar 12-31-28
Eliot Chait 12-31-26
James Mulcahy 12-31-26
Arthur Tiedemann 12-31-26
