President’s Patter – August 2022

BGC Development Planning 2023 – 2028

DISCUSSION DOCUMENT

With the finalisation of the new Grounds Shed in coming weeks we have achieved the goals set in the current extended Development Plan. With a view to having facilitated workshops with members facilitated by Harvey Shire at a date to be advised hopefully commencing in September this year I have put this document together to stimulate some thinking around the Club and its direction, goals and objectives over the next 5 years. Nothing in this document should be interpreted as being ‘fixed’ or as ‘recommendations’ for consideration although many of the ideas following have been the subject of recent discussion.

The game of golf is changing and a new philosophy of ‘what golf is’ is prevalent. The traditional view of the golf club is rapidly changing  and every successful golf club understands that we are also a business which, if we are to survive and grow, must carefully consider what we are able to offer and where our ‘competitive edge’ lies. To this end BGC must adapt to these changing ideas if it is to remain relevant to younger players and to attract new members.

 

CURRENT VISION – “To be recognised as the best golf club in regional Western Australia”

With Awards in 2019 and again in 2021 for Best Regional Golf Facility along with Best Tournament it can be argued that along with increasing membership, higher demand for services and consistent incredibly positive feedback from visitors we have achieved the Vision set in the previous Development Plan.

This begs the question does the Vision for the new plan now become to “Maintain our status as the best Regional Club in Western Australia”?

Whatever the Vision, specific goals and success measures will need to be established along with a priority list and timeline for the achievement of improvements to support the Vision.

Clearly the operation of a golf club by its nature needs ongoing funding merely in terms of general day to day maintenance and course management and it is therefore incumbent on the Board and its membership to ensure that whatever improvements are made or planned are supported by sound financial management with – as far as possible – self managed funding rather than more or extended borrowings along with consideration of any Grants that may be applied for.

Questions

MEMBERSHIP

What level of membership should be the target for new Development Plan or is it the case that the current level of membership is one that is optimal?

As we drive membership, we need to be mindful that this will require higher staffing levels and place further pressure on demands for access to the course for playing the game. As membership increases then the opportunity to take green fees – which are lucrative – from members of the public and visiting golf groups are likely to diminish.

On the other hand, the opportunity arises to increase service offerings in terms of catering and extending the success of Friday night dinners and lunches to other days and at other times.

In terms of membership are we satisfied with the various categories of membership that the Club currently offers?

Conversely is it too diverse or requiring further levels of membership not countenanced by the Constitution as it currently stands?

What other matters do we need to consider in terms of membership over the next 5 years?

PRO SHOP

Clearly BGC is in an enviable position in terms of currently being the only fully stocked facility outside of Mandurah in Greater Bunbury and the Southwest for the personalised purchase of golf equipment, ancillary requirements (e.g., golf balls and gloves etc) apparel and footwear.

The opportunity exists to further capitalise on this by extending the golf shop premises (a plan for which has already been developed by the Special Projects Committee).

What are the costs for doing this and how do these costs compare to the predicted increased in sales to support a return on investment?

The extension of the pro shop will have an immediate impact on the availability of push buggy space so this needs to be addressed prior to any extension unless members are required to temporarily house their own equipment.

One possibility is the building of a new shed which could be located on the current cottage site which is owned by the club. This would allow for the entirety of the current building which houses the pro shop to be fully utilised, expanding floor display space and allowing for a better customer/member experience.

Such development may also easily include the placement of golf simulators & the latest golf fitting systems to assist with coaching and sales but also to act as a recreational facility for golfers wishing to play a virtual game on other courses. This creates other growth areas  with increased  sales of alcohol and snack foods etc. as well as the opportunity to drive new membership.

DRIVING RANGE/PRACTICE FACILITY

Upgrading and improvement of the current driving range presents another opportunity to grow an income stream and drive potential membership. The placement of a ball vending machine, undercover tee area with the addition of floodlighting and fencing presents an all-year-round opportunity to grow a potentially lucrative stream of income. Obviously, this would need to be in planned stages which could cover the life of the new Development Plan.

Concrete paths which connect the chipping facility with the driving range which is currently a highly underutilised facility due to its isolation would provide BGC with an enviable practice facility.

With this connectivity established there could be an opportunity to expand  the current chipping green into a high performance short game area  or possibly be converted in to a very attractive mini golf course attracting a whole new range of potential new golfers and new members.

 

 

KITCHEN

BGC is developing an enviable reputation for the quality of its food service. Growing this part of the business would require improvement to the current set up as well as a considerable amount of improvement and upgrading to the outside shed area along with a proper retaining wall where the old fence has broken away.

What opportunities are there to increase service offerings and how confident are we that the investment in the extension and upgrade of facilities would lead to a commensurate increase in sales?

One way would be to increase the number of outside functions (weddings etc), but careful consideration then needs to be made of the impact on members and the potential loss of the ‘clubhouse’ vibe that underpins membership of a private club.

COURSE IMPROVEMENTS

It is clear that there is a large amount of work to be done to improve the aesthetics of the course. Steps up onto tee blocks, concrete pathways connecting tees, beautification of the entrance road etc are all things that must be taken into consideration to hold our position as the best regional golf club and to attract fee paying visitors. However, by and large these improvements cannot be offset by a counter balancing income stream.

Whilst they are important there is an obvious need for a carefully planned and costed schedule of works over the life of the Development Plan along with careful utilisation of voluntary labour to minimise expenses.

CLUBROOM

It may not necessarily be the case that the extension of the clubhouse or other changes would need to form part of considerations for the new Development Plan. It is clear that if we drive the opportunities outlined above then demand for services and membership will grow. It is not inconceivable that we could double our membership from current levels which presents us with other challenges, therefore planned growth is necessary.

There needs to be a ‘critical’ level of membership where serious consideration is given to upgrading the clubhouse. Look for example what Mandurah Country Club has recently done. Obviously, no consideration for this would be made till BGC has achieved a critical mass but nevertheless these are still matters that need to be thought about. In time to come a two-storey facility with a functions room separate from member facilities is possibly worthy of careful consideration.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In the mix of all the above we need to be mindful that ongoing costs to service the Club and Course as they now need to be met. Additional costs have already been discussed in relation to the control of nematodes in our greens and suppression of kikuyu on the fairways. These alone amount to many thousands of dollars each year and the careful deployment of our small and often ‘stretched’ grounds staff.

Whatever priorities we determine we need to remain mindful that there needs to be an income stream which supports any costs/investment outlay made by the Club. This is only a discussion document to get you thinking, there will be may other elements that are worthy of consideration but we must remember that the purpose of the Development Plan is to provide guidance to future Club Boards and to ensure that BGC continues to grow and thrive in a planned manner providing the ‘who’ ‘what’ and ‘when’ and the measures by which we evaluate its success.

The Board looks forward to the positive contribution of members to this critical planning process in weeks to come.

Rob Litttlewood

President