We would like to take this opportunity to provide an update to members on the status of the clubhouse master plan.
We attach a link (click here) to the message sent to members on 3 August 2016 in which we advised that the General Committee had ratified the recommendation from the Building Sub-Committee to adopt version 1/1A of the clubhouse master plan.
In this note we stated that before any element of the master plan was implemented, your General Committee would revert to members with the following information;
- Detailed drawings of the relevant areas,
- Updated cost estimates for the work,
- The rationale for the proposed work incorporating considerations such as enhanced member amenity and improved staff efficiency,
- Where appropriate, a business case supporting the proposed expenditure, and
- A funding plan.
Members would then be given the opportunity to vote on whether they want to proceed with the proposed work.
The first priority of the General Committee is to ensure that the standard of our golf course continues to improve to the quality expected by our members. Although progress has been made in this regard we appreciate that there is still some way to go and so our primary focus remains on the course.
We do wish to point out that since the master plan was adopted, some further work has been continuing ‘behind the scenes’ without incurring any costs to the club. In particular, Damon Lonnie and his team have been developing business cases for relevant elements of the master plan and we have been fortunate to engage a highly credentialed industry specialist (again at no cost to the club) who will independently review the assumptions underpinning the business plans when they are completed.
We are very conscious of controlling costs incurred on the master plan project prior to members being given the opportunity to vote on whether they want to proceed with the construction of a particular element of the plan. We are also conscious of ensuring members are provided with the level of detail needed to make an informed decision. Therefore it may be that we need to engage consultants to develop the concept designs so that we can present members with sufficiently accurate drawings/ artist impressions and cost estimates to allow you to understand what is being proposed. At this stage no decision has been made. The Building Sub-Committee has just commenced considering how best to achieve this goal.
We will provide members with further updates on the likely timeframe for this information to be presented once the General Committee has considered any recommendation from the Building Sub-Committee on the extent of additional work needed to develop the design to the required level of detail.
John Hanly – President and Ralph Gibson – Chairman Building Sub-Committee