For details on the 2020/21 Subscriptions and recent category changes, please see a copy of the ENews that was sent to members on the 11th August.
Dear Member,
Membership Category Reforms
On Thursday July 30 an Extraordinary General Meeting was held and 8 resolutions were passed by the those present along with those members who voted electronically. Seven of the eight resolutions have an impact on current member categories in so much that some have been removed, varied or merged with other categories. Importantly, this is all part of a longer term objective to achieve the following:
- Remove inequality and unfairness amongst the categories with regards to gender, age and playing rights.
- Reduce the excessive number of membership categories which bring about confusion and administration challenges
- Reverse the trend of resignations by members from the non-playing category, particularly younger members
- Attract and retain a younger membership base for long-term sustainability
To some members those changes approved will have no impact however to outline what the changes mean as well as provide members other important information the following update has been prepared.
Following your review of the information below, should you wish to transfer your membership category please email your request through to jodie@lkcc.com.au as soon as possible so the correct subscription notice can be invoiced for the new membership year.
Younger Members
The new Younger Member category replaces the current Provisional Junior category and combines it with Provisional Members (male and female) between the ages of 21 and 30. This has been done to recognize the importance of having a consistent approach to managing younger members to ensure there is a clear pathway to full membership and an equitable and affordable fee structure to reduce attrition in this age range. The new category known as Younger Member will be split into three age group brackets with entrance and subscription fees based on a percentage of the full membership fees. Members in this group will have gender equality and the current number of categories and subcategories will be materially reduced. The age brackets will be 18 to 20, 21 to 25 and 26 to 30 with incremental increases in subscriptions and entrance fees for each age group.
North Course Membership
The North Course category was previously only available to female members. The changes made to remove reference to females now makes it available to members of both genders. The entrance fee for new members joining through this category will be the same for both females and males and is set at $5,000. The annual subscription fee for 2020/21 will be $2,500 for men however the subscription for females in this category will be $2,090 for 2020/21 but will increase incrementally over the next few years to align with that paid by a male. North Course members will have playing rights on the North Course only and may only play the Main Course as the guest of a member and on payment of a guest green fee up to a limited number of times determined by the General Committee. Current male members wishing to transfer to North Course membership are encouraged to advise the club as soon as possible so the correct invoice can be sent to you.
9 Hole Female Membership
This category was introduced in 2007 and we have had as little as 5 members over a prolonged period of time. In recent years demand for this category materially reduced and so the decision was taken to remove the category. The club will continue to run 9 hole competitions for female members on Tuesdays and Thursdays however those members current in the 9 Hole membership category will be required to transfer to either Full Female membership or North Course membership. We will be contacting each 9 Hole Member individually to discuss their options moving forward.
Non-playing Membership
The changes to the Non-Playing category were targeted at member retention as currently 45% of all resignations are from members in this category. Feedback received from those members currently in this category and from those exiting the club has assisted in the restructure of this category. The material reduction in the subscription fee from $1,800 for men and $1,125 for women to $1,000 is expected to result in significantly fewer Non-playing members resigning each year. It is important to note that to achieve this substantially lower subscription the decision was taken to remove the 6 games of golf previously allowed. Moving forward the category will be a “true” non-playing category however members can play up to 6 games per annum upon payment of a Members’ Guest green fee (currently $80) at times and under those conditions approved by the General Committee. The multiple variations of Non-playing membership along with the inequality between the genders have been removed and all members will pay $1,000 for the 2020/21 year however Senior Members will not be charged the $165 Quarterly House Trading.
Social Past Golfer (Retired) Membership
The Social Past Golfer and Retired Golfer categories have now been merged. The fee has been set at $125 for all members in this category for the 2020/21 year. This category provides one clear option that is accessible to any member who wishes to maintain a connection to the Club but has determined that they do not or are not able to play golf any longer. This category would be most suitable to those members who for reasons of illness, serious injury or permanent infirmity can no longer play golf however, no reason is required to become a Social Past Golfer (Retired). All current Retired Golfers will be transferred in to this category automatically.
Social Membership
The Social Membership category is a very underutilized category and will potentially become the pathway into a playing category when the club reaches the stage of having a waiting list. Access to the practice facilities will be allowable for new members however existing members would not have this access should they transfer to Social Membership. If a current member intends to keep playing at some point the most appropriate category for them is Non-playing Membership. The entrance and subscription fees will be the same for males and females ($1,650 entrance fee and $800 subscription fee commencing 2020/21) bringing gender equality to this category.
Partner Membership
Previously members were able to join up their partner with a one off payment of $20. That Partner Member then would have full access to the clubhouse and facilities as well as the hospitality offering including the Grill. The Club is very supportive of this rapidly growing category however like all other categories we believe there should be an annual subscription. The General Committee has determined that for the 2020/21 year that subscription will be set at $20 and will be included on the elected members account.
House Trading
House Trading is the term used to describe the quarterly spend obligation on members to encourage patronage of the club’s food and beverage offerings. Changes have been made to the quarterly House Trading amounts to bring into line those levies paid by men and women. It is important to note that the House Trading Levy does not apply to members who receive a senior discount.
The following table summarizes the new rates which will commence from October 1 this year:
Senior Discount Arrangements
After much deliberation the decision has been taken to reduce the discount provided to Senior Members effective from September 1 this year. This decision is based on a number of reasons not least of which is the club’s real concern about the significant number of members receiving the discount (more than 25% of the membership) and the longer term impact this will have on income. Senior Members will still continue to be exempt from the Quarterly House Trading however the differential between the respective full fee paying categories and those receiving a discount will halve.
2020/21 Annual Subscriptions
Due to the significant number of changes emanating from the resolutions passed at the AGM the 2020/21 Annual Subscription Notices will be emailed out by the final week in August.
Option to pay by instalments (direct debit)
We are pleased to advise that members will have the option of paying subscriptions by direct debit (automatically from a nominated savings account or credit card) will be introduced for the first time in 2020/21. The details are still being finalized including the arrangements with the club’s financial institution but full details will be released shortly.
Yours sincerely
Damon Lonnie
General Manager.