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Christmas in July - Live music and lunch.
Bookings are open for the lunch with live music featuring Bronwyn Kenny.
Main Course
Roast Turkey Breast stuffed with pork, pistachio and cranberry
served with traditional roast vegetables, chipolatas and steamed greens
Dessert
Individual Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Ice Cream
. As normal the event is a prepaid event, the price per person $50.00 including live music.
Bookings at the clubhouse bar.
Bookings are open for the lunch with live music featuring Bronwyn Kenny.
Main Course
Roast Turkey Breast stuffed with pork, pistachio and cranberry
served with traditional roast vegetables, chipolatas and steamed greens
Dessert
Individual Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Ice Cream
. As normal the event is a prepaid event, the price per person $50.00 including live music.
Bookings at the clubhouse bar.
![]() Golf course architect of renown Bob Harrison (and BGC member)has designed many golf courses.. First with Greg Norman Golf Course Design starting in 1988 and now principal at Harrison Golf Bob has a current project on the Isle of Jura (they also produce a fine malt). Here are a couple photos of this magnificent course. Bob's website has more photos - please click here |
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Board Matters
We have a new board appointed from the AGM on Friday, April 29th 2016. We had our first board meeting on 12th May where a number of items were discussed. At the AGM there was interest in the matters that were discussed at board meetings from several members attending. Much of the meetings are taken up with reports from subcommittees, correspondence and expenditure approvals. In the first Board meeting of the New Board year committees and authorities are dealt with.
Committees for 2016 and Committee Authorities
The Secretary Manager is on all committees. The President is ex-officio on all committees as per the BGC Constitution. All the committees recommend actions for the Board to authorise unless authority has been delegated by the Board. The delegation of authority lasts for the current committee’s term.
Management Committee - Meets weekly and as required. Role:- takes day to day decisions - takes matters back to the board that the committee feels require more examination or discussion or that require board approval. Members - Paul Carroll, Ian McKenzie and Kevin Burke (chair). Authority to spend items within the budget - up to $3000 without further board approval.
Match and Greens -meets monthly and reports to the board. The Captain nominates:-
Robert Eriksson, Alec Dietsch, Barbara Clayton, Rosemary Downing, Alan Turpie and Ian McKenzie as members for the Board to appoint. The Captain has delegated authority from the Board to authorise orders for budgeted course consumables, maintenance items, contractor engagement without board approval. This authority may be delegated in part or in full to the course supervisor. Authorisation of expenditure is only by course supervisor countersigned by the Secretary Manager
Finance Committee - The Committee provides the Board with advice and guidance on issues affecting the financial strategy of the business including budgets and major expenditure or investments. Paul Carroll, Warren Ryan and Kevin Burke (chair)
Events committee - Bob Kemp has agreed to be the committee Chair, Carole Turpie and Linden Toll are nominated. The Committee will second an additional 4 members from the membership and meet monthly to select the meals from the functions menu for the coming events. The committee will produce minutes of meetings and report back to the Board. Authority to choose menu items for events excluding the formal dinners.
Membership matters - Secretary Manager - managing & liaising as per the 2015 practice.
Authorisation levels and procedures were established and authorised.
Significant expenditure Items.
Bridge on the 18th Headwall replacement of eastern side of the bridge on the 18th hole The existing headwall on the bridge is constructed from a single skin of masonry. The wall is collapsing and the surface of the bridge is subsiding. The headwall has gaps in it which permits water to leach out the soil surrounding the concrete pipes which in one cause for the surface to subside. Unlike the bridge on the 1st fairway which was uneconomic to repair this bridge can be effectively repaired by building a reinforced, concrete filled, concrete block head wall with a stonework facing similar to the bridge on the first. The first part of the repair has been authorised with an expenditure of $5,500. work will begin July.
Replacement of the refrigeration unit for the bar products cool room. . A new unit was approved (with a 3.5kw cooling capacity) to replace the existing units. A new fresh air inlet together with an inline fan was also supplied and installed to cool the condenser unit. Expenditure approval $6800.00
Fire alarm and security system replacement and upgrade. Background: The smoke detectors in the clubhouse are well, over 10 years old. NSW Fire and Rescue state: "Replace smoke alarms with a new photoelectric alarm every ten years, or, earlier if specified by the manufacturer.". The alarm system in the clubhouse is remotely monitored and covers the clubhouse, proshop and green keepers shed. It alarms with movement detectors and also fire. The system developed a fault which required repair. The existing system is not compatible with the forthcoming NBN. The new system is compatible with the NBN. Cost approved $3600.00
Installation of outdoor lighting. New lighting has been installed on the pathway and entrance on the eastern side of the clubhouse. LED lighting was chosen as it is much more efficient with reduced running costs. $4000.00.
Financial performance and benchmarking.
Our club is a golf club. Formed in 1901 and now 116 years old. The primary purpose of the golf club is to provide a facility for members to play golf and also to gather for social purposes. The club is governed by a number of pieces of legislation - principal among these is the Licensed Club's Act 1976. Licensed clubs in NSW contribute significantly to the economy and also socially. Many or most of the licensed clubs are supported by gaming machine revenue and other gambling activities. In most cases this provides a huge subsidy to the operations. In 2008 the Government commissioned the Independent Prices and Regulatory Tribunal to report on the licensed club industry in NSW. The report found that relative to the criteria that it used, 50% of the clubs were financially stressed and their viability was threatened. They also commented on the lack of governance which, in many cases, was exhibited by boards of licensed clubs having little board experience and financial expertise. As a result of this report the Government legislated that board members of clubs must undergo training to overcome these governance shortcomings. (Golf Australia has also highlighted governance as being a critical issue) Another critical part of the report highlighted the necessity for clubs to measure their financial performance and compare it with a recommended benchmark. Principal among these benchmarks was EBITDA % which is a measurement of the surplus that a club makes from its trading activities as a ratio against the overall revenue. Or, to express it a little bit more precisely, the earnings of the club minus any interest or depreciation expense divided by the total revenue of the club. To put some example numbers on this, if a club generated $100,000 from its trading activities and interest and depreciation totaled say $80,000, then the EBITDA would be $180,000. If the turnover of the club was $1,800,000 the EBITDA percent would be 10%.
The IPART report stated that an EBITDA % of less than 10% meant that a club was under serious financial stress and that a ratio above 15% was recommended. The necessity of having a reasonable EBITDA % is so that necessary replenishment and replacement of assets can be funded from the club's operations. (Borrowing to fund things, whilst it allows the purchase, puts a strain on the operation in that the loan must be repaid.) Last year the club had vastly improved financial performance and our EBITDA % was just below 10%. The Board's intention is to manage the club in such a way that the club's financial viability is improved and assured.
In our club's case members have been very generous in supporting various projects with donations. Other funds for investments such as repair and replacement of bridges, refrigeration systems, furniture, lighting paid for from the surplus from our trading activities. Likewise the significant course improvements over the last few years have been funded this way. All of these expenditures are justified on the grounds of a necessary replacement, safety, increased earning opportunity, better member amenity etc. Cases for each significant expenditure are presented to the board for consideration and approval.
We have a new board appointed from the AGM on Friday, April 29th 2016. We had our first board meeting on 12th May where a number of items were discussed. At the AGM there was interest in the matters that were discussed at board meetings from several members attending. Much of the meetings are taken up with reports from subcommittees, correspondence and expenditure approvals. In the first Board meeting of the New Board year committees and authorities are dealt with.
Committees for 2016 and Committee Authorities
The Secretary Manager is on all committees. The President is ex-officio on all committees as per the BGC Constitution. All the committees recommend actions for the Board to authorise unless authority has been delegated by the Board. The delegation of authority lasts for the current committee’s term.
Management Committee - Meets weekly and as required. Role:- takes day to day decisions - takes matters back to the board that the committee feels require more examination or discussion or that require board approval. Members - Paul Carroll, Ian McKenzie and Kevin Burke (chair). Authority to spend items within the budget - up to $3000 without further board approval.
Match and Greens -meets monthly and reports to the board. The Captain nominates:-
Robert Eriksson, Alec Dietsch, Barbara Clayton, Rosemary Downing, Alan Turpie and Ian McKenzie as members for the Board to appoint. The Captain has delegated authority from the Board to authorise orders for budgeted course consumables, maintenance items, contractor engagement without board approval. This authority may be delegated in part or in full to the course supervisor. Authorisation of expenditure is only by course supervisor countersigned by the Secretary Manager
Finance Committee - The Committee provides the Board with advice and guidance on issues affecting the financial strategy of the business including budgets and major expenditure or investments. Paul Carroll, Warren Ryan and Kevin Burke (chair)
Events committee - Bob Kemp has agreed to be the committee Chair, Carole Turpie and Linden Toll are nominated. The Committee will second an additional 4 members from the membership and meet monthly to select the meals from the functions menu for the coming events. The committee will produce minutes of meetings and report back to the Board. Authority to choose menu items for events excluding the formal dinners.
Membership matters - Secretary Manager - managing & liaising as per the 2015 practice.
Authorisation levels and procedures were established and authorised.
Significant expenditure Items.
Bridge on the 18th Headwall replacement of eastern side of the bridge on the 18th hole The existing headwall on the bridge is constructed from a single skin of masonry. The wall is collapsing and the surface of the bridge is subsiding. The headwall has gaps in it which permits water to leach out the soil surrounding the concrete pipes which in one cause for the surface to subside. Unlike the bridge on the 1st fairway which was uneconomic to repair this bridge can be effectively repaired by building a reinforced, concrete filled, concrete block head wall with a stonework facing similar to the bridge on the first. The first part of the repair has been authorised with an expenditure of $5,500. work will begin July.
Replacement of the refrigeration unit for the bar products cool room. . A new unit was approved (with a 3.5kw cooling capacity) to replace the existing units. A new fresh air inlet together with an inline fan was also supplied and installed to cool the condenser unit. Expenditure approval $6800.00
Fire alarm and security system replacement and upgrade. Background: The smoke detectors in the clubhouse are well, over 10 years old. NSW Fire and Rescue state: "Replace smoke alarms with a new photoelectric alarm every ten years, or, earlier if specified by the manufacturer.". The alarm system in the clubhouse is remotely monitored and covers the clubhouse, proshop and green keepers shed. It alarms with movement detectors and also fire. The system developed a fault which required repair. The existing system is not compatible with the forthcoming NBN. The new system is compatible with the NBN. Cost approved $3600.00
Installation of outdoor lighting. New lighting has been installed on the pathway and entrance on the eastern side of the clubhouse. LED lighting was chosen as it is much more efficient with reduced running costs. $4000.00.
Financial performance and benchmarking.
Our club is a golf club. Formed in 1901 and now 116 years old. The primary purpose of the golf club is to provide a facility for members to play golf and also to gather for social purposes. The club is governed by a number of pieces of legislation - principal among these is the Licensed Club's Act 1976. Licensed clubs in NSW contribute significantly to the economy and also socially. Many or most of the licensed clubs are supported by gaming machine revenue and other gambling activities. In most cases this provides a huge subsidy to the operations. In 2008 the Government commissioned the Independent Prices and Regulatory Tribunal to report on the licensed club industry in NSW. The report found that relative to the criteria that it used, 50% of the clubs were financially stressed and their viability was threatened. They also commented on the lack of governance which, in many cases, was exhibited by boards of licensed clubs having little board experience and financial expertise. As a result of this report the Government legislated that board members of clubs must undergo training to overcome these governance shortcomings. (Golf Australia has also highlighted governance as being a critical issue) Another critical part of the report highlighted the necessity for clubs to measure their financial performance and compare it with a recommended benchmark. Principal among these benchmarks was EBITDA % which is a measurement of the surplus that a club makes from its trading activities as a ratio against the overall revenue. Or, to express it a little bit more precisely, the earnings of the club minus any interest or depreciation expense divided by the total revenue of the club. To put some example numbers on this, if a club generated $100,000 from its trading activities and interest and depreciation totaled say $80,000, then the EBITDA would be $180,000. If the turnover of the club was $1,800,000 the EBITDA percent would be 10%.
The IPART report stated that an EBITDA % of less than 10% meant that a club was under serious financial stress and that a ratio above 15% was recommended. The necessity of having a reasonable EBITDA % is so that necessary replenishment and replacement of assets can be funded from the club's operations. (Borrowing to fund things, whilst it allows the purchase, puts a strain on the operation in that the loan must be repaid.) Last year the club had vastly improved financial performance and our EBITDA % was just below 10%. The Board's intention is to manage the club in such a way that the club's financial viability is improved and assured.
In our club's case members have been very generous in supporting various projects with donations. Other funds for investments such as repair and replacement of bridges, refrigeration systems, furniture, lighting paid for from the surplus from our trading activities. Likewise the significant course improvements over the last few years have been funded this way. All of these expenditures are justified on the grounds of a necessary replacement, safety, increased earning opportunity, better member amenity etc. Cases for each significant expenditure are presented to the board for consideration and approval.