| Sustainability, Investment & Fairness – Good News On All Fronts! |
| Whilst good news about our return to golf remains in short supply your Management Committee is maintaining its focus upon the sustainability of the club and making best use of available resources to continually improve the course and enhance the member and visitor experience – and there is good news on all those fronts including membership renewals, so read on!
Your Committee met by Zoom on Monday (see the members area of the club website for the minutes) and the main take-aways are as follows: • Despite three lockdowns the club is in a healthy financial situation with an anticipated operating profit for the financial year ending 31st March of £20-25k – well ahead of our original pre-COVID budget. This sum excludes all non-repayable government grants and furlough monies received by the club over the past 12 months. • The Committee approved expenditure of £25,000 for the resurfacing of the car park. As members will be aware this has become an increasing health and safety matter in recent years and the hope is that these improvement works will be completed before our return to golf. • As far as the course is concerned the club will be taking delivery of a new £36,000 greens mower in April (to replace the current 15yr old and increasingly unreliable machine) and during lockdown the green staff have also been undertaking a number of drainage works and other course improvements. • The Club is to establish a Development Fund to build up resources for other club developments and course improvements as above (details to follow). • And last, but definitely not least, the Committee also agreed a membership year extension for all those members who renewed their membership during the very uncertain times of the 1st COVID Lockdown last April. This will ensure fairness and equal treatment for all members who renewed their club membership for 2020-21 as follows: – For those members who renewed their membership on 01 April 2020 their membership year shall be extended to 13 May and this will be their membership renewal date every year going forward. – For those members who renewed their membership at the end of lockdown #1 on 13th May 2020 and paid a reduced fee on a pro-rata basis their membership year will end on 01 April as before and this will be their membership renewal date every year going forward. – For those members who waited to renew their membership until the end of lockdown #1 on 13th May 2020 but then paid the full membership fee for the year their membership year will end on 13th May and this will be their membership renewal date every year going forward. – All 10 year members will have their membership period extended by 6 weeks and new certificates will be issued. – No credit is proposed or contemplated for lockdowns during the winter months. Finally it is anticipated that membership subscription invoices will be issued as follows: …..and remember your membership fees are the same as last year, there has been no increase – unless of course you change membership category. Hopefully you will recognise in the above your Management Committee’s continuing commitment to financial sustainability during difficult and unpredictable times, fairness and equal treatment for all members, continued investment in the course and ever improving the member and visitor experience. We look forward to your continuing support and to getting back onto and enjoying our fantastic course sooner rather than later. In the meantime please stay safe. Ian Silverthorne |