It has been just on 90 days since taking office as your President and I can report we have been very busy on a number of fronts. It is very easy for the General Committee to forget to communicate the work which is being done. This update is the first of many in addition to the well-received weekly news in the General Manager’s emails. Please keep the General Committee, General Manager and me informed about your experiences as it helps us to improve the member experience.
Member Experience Survey Results
My sincere thanks to the many members who took the time to complete the Member Experience Survey. The General Committee were pleased with the level of response and also the honesty with which members responded. These responses, both positive and negative will help the General Committee and management set the future direction of the “member clubhouse experience”. I am confident that members are already seeing some of this being addressed, particularly with a reduction in food prices, increased variety of food offerings and a reduction in some wine prices, however there are more positive changes to come. There has been some criticism of committees past not sharing survey feedback with members and I have given my commitment to be transparent about such matters. With that in mind I am pleased to advise that the results of the survey, including an Executive Summary have been released on our website. The summary includes the actions and directions the General Committee is taking to address the outcomes of the survey.
Club Governance Review
At the 2014 Annual General Meeting a resolution was passed requiring the General Committee to undertake a review of the club’s Constitution with regard to governance processes and business principles. I am pleased to advise that a Working Group has been established for this purpose and will be chaired by member, Professor Alec Cameron. Alec joined us from Pymble Golf Club in early 2013 with wife Elizabeth. Alec is currently the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and has extensive elite sport and governance experience. The Working Party will comprise Alec, Ken Hellsten, Anne Kofoed, John Ilbery, Peter Davies and Haydn Chrystal. I believe we have a very good mix of qualified and experienced members to undertake this important review. Submissions will be invited from members directly to the Chair. The Working Group will report back to the General Committee which will bring the report and General Committee recommendations to an information evening in September / October 2014.
Roadway to Maintenance Facility
As has been highlighted in recent communications to members the General Committee has now awarded a contract for the completion of sealing the road from North Beach Road (eastern entry) through to the Maintenance Facility. A drawing indicating this work has been included with this update. In keeping with the theme of our main car park the road will be sealed with red oxidized asphalt with flush concrete curbing across the 15th fairway and between the 16th green and 17th tee.
Buggy Room Changes
Over the past two months a number of changes have been made in the Buggy Room. Matthew Lott has been appointed to a supervisory role and along with Damon Lonnie has implemented new cleaning schedules and an audit which has brought to light additional spaces for members electric buggies and golf bags. Over the next few weeks you will see further improvements in presentation as our new procedures manual is implemented. This covers not only presentation but the club cleaning service.
Electric Buggy Waiting List
This list is now managed by Damon and Sue in the office. Members are reminded that names on the list are kept in order of years of membership from most to least. As highlighted in our recent newsletters the General Committee has approved funding for the replacement of the shed beside the first tee with an appropriate structure to house the club’s fleet of electric carts. This will free up space under the BBQ/Pool area for member electric buggy and golf bag storage. The General Committee is confident that there will be few members left on the waiting list with the space created able to house a significant number of electric buggies with bags. The project will commence very shortly and is planned for completion towards the end of winter.
Perth International (October 23-26)
There has not been much information from IMG relating to the Perth International however we recently received a visit from David Rollo. David met with General Manager Damon Lonnie and briefed him on some positive leads on both sponsors and players. We are advised that the Hong Kong Open will fall the week prior to the Perth International which may act as an incentive for those competing there to make the flight to Perth the following week.
The Lake
Further to discussion on the lake at the Annual General Meeting the General Committee and the Lake Working Group have consulted with Course Architect Mike Clayton for his views on the design of the lake bund wall and are now awaiting his written opinion by the end of June. Once received this will be reviewed before a final design is agreed, costed and most importantly communicated to members. An artist’s impression of how the lake will appear in 5 years’ time will also be displayed for members. The process has been a long one however the strong feedback at the AGM was that the General Committee needed to get the design right to ensure the best possible result. This process will achieve this.
In closing, thank you for your support to date, I assure you we will continue to encourage feedback and to provide as much information as is possible.
Jim Crockett
President