PRESIDENT REPORT JULY 2018

PRESIDENT’S REPORT July 2018

Hasn’t it been a wonderful winter? I have been impressed with the way our course has stood up to all winter has thrown at it. Playing in the 36 hole competition last week the course was nearly unplayable due to the amount of overnight rain we received. After a couple of hours the greens were rolling well and the fairways had drained. A credit to our ground staff for the way the course has bounced back following this year’s South West Open. Well done Dave and team. The path from the tenth Tee down the hill will be replaced next month. This will mean our 10th Hole will be out of action until the following Saturday. We will need quite a few strong and willing helpers on Sunday 12th August to lift and move all the paving bricks. The path we will install will be a fully concrete brushed surface slightly wider than the existing with more turning room on the corners.

The Club Upgrade is continuing. Approvals from the Shire of Harvey have been received and the building of the Decking will commence on August 20th. Members will note that from that time the putting green will essentially be out of commission as we need space for scaffolding, builder access and temporary fencing to that area.  The estimated construction time is 10 weeks which means it should be completed at the end of October. Members will have also noted the improvements to the kitchen. Later this week we will be ordering two 20L capacity gas powered deep fryers and install shelving above that area for storage of baskets and other cooking things. This week we are also finalising our order for more clubhouse furniture. This will comprise about 100 chairs and 20 odd tables seating 4 or 8 people. This order will probably arrive roughly the same time the decking is completed. The installation of the room dividers is scheduled for the end of August. Work is continuing on the design and construction of our Honour Boards. As mentioned previously they will occupy the wall between the Bar and the door to the change room area.

It has been fantastic to see the number of people, members and visitors, enjoying what our Club has to offer on Friday evenings. I was concerned that when winter arrived we would be struggling to maintain the momentum that the BBQs, members draw, raffles etc. developed over the summer autumn twilight season. We did 88 meals last week and I’m confident that this pattern will continue through the winter season. I can’t wait for summer on Fridays down at the club when the decking and outside area are complete. I must congratulate Linda and her team for the way they have embraced the changes and the professionalism that they have shown. Also it’s pleasing to see the number of people who are jumping on board the House/Social committee. I know Tami is delighted that there are more helpers to spread the load.

There are several Club Functions in the planning stages. December 1st is a must, our 70th Anniversary Celebration. This will see the “official” opening of our upgrade, it will be a great night and sure to be a packed clubhouse. We are having a Race Night on Oct 13th. More information will be out shortly on how you can buy a horse or sponsor a race. This of course coincides with the Spring Racing season and I’m sure there will be Fashions on the Field prizes and much more fun. Of course we also have our Members Draw which is set down for October 5th. Pay you fees early and there will be heaps of free draws for prizes. Remember you need to be there. Tami and Mandi will be providing more details as they become available.

Most of the comments above are centred on changes that members are aware of and are easily seen, however, the Board is active in areas that aren’t known to most members. These areas are concerned with the management and Governance of our Club.

1.      Leadership Development Program for the management team

As we have completed the recruitment and induction of the management team it was considered timely to embark on some leadership development to prepare them for the exciting times ahead. Dennis Courtney has volunteered to run his Leadership Development Program for our management team over the coming months. Before retiring Dennis has run this program for a number of local and national organisations. The program will run for approximately 12 months and consists of a mix of group and individual development activities. Next week they will be visiting a local company which has used this program for many years as part of their staff development. The major focus is on equipping the managers to better manage the performance of staff to improve efficiencies and behaviours.

2. Risk & Audit

As part of the Board’s governance responsibilities a Risk and Audit committee has been formed. Working with the Directors and staff a number of risks for the club have been identified and these have been prioritised. These risks can include physical, environmental and financial type risks. Some can be addressed immediately and we are doing so. Others are more complex or expensive and so mitigating measures will be put in place until more permanent solutions can be implemented. There is naturally a crossover of these into the next 5 year development plan and so these will form part of the new plan.

3. Next 5 year Development Plan

Our initial 5 year Development Plan is coming to an end and so a new Development Plan is currently being constructed. This new plan will be an extension of the existing plan. There were 30 Key Development Actions included in the current plan and while the most visible of these have been the clubhouse upgrade and green replacement programmes there has been excellent achievements in the other development actions. 22 actions have been completed, 7 will be rolled over into the new plan and 1 has been deleted as not now necessary.  As with the first plan this extension will involve extensive consultation with members and staff. The Women’s Committee, Staff and Directors have already given input and a members meeting will be conducted next month to solicit more ideas from members.

4. Junior Golf Development

Our club professional Shani Waugh has successfully run her junior development program both at BGC and other clubs in the south west over the last couple of years. This has gained widespread attention including from Golf WA. We have been assisting Shani further develop this program and members were updated on this with an email from Des last month. A meeting will be held at BGC to formalise a structure for this program in the south west using our previously established “Impact south west Junior Golf” not for profit association. With Golf WA taking a leading role it is expected that the program can attract funding not only from participating clubs but also the Golf WA Foundation.

The Pro Shop facelift has finished and Mark, Tracy and Sue have a wide range of stock on display. The Titleist fitting day was a great success for the Club and Mark has locked in a Ping fitting day on 10 August. Please use our shop, if there is a product on the market that isn’t in stock ask Mark and he will do his best to match the price you have.

As mentioned earlier the South West Open has come and gone. It was a great success for the Club and the visitors enjoyed what Bunbury had to offer. We have received great feedback from a number of the visiting pros including our eventual winner Braden Becker. Kim Felton PGA WA said….””Thank you for a great event and well done to the team once again. I’ve had nothing but amazing feedback from the players, especially about the 2 rounds and the super fun shootout on Sunday The Sunday shootout was the best atmosphere at any event post presentations for the year”…

Happy Golfing

Warren Mezger

Club President