BUSINESS HAS HAZARDS
QAThe club has its annual general meeting shortly, how is it placed going forward?
The club, from a financial point of view, has seen its best trading results in 10 years, but yet we are still not in a position to invest in major capital works and improvements. With a major upgrade of our irrigation system desperately required and is likely to cost in the vicinity of $1 million, we certainly still have some challenges. I believe the club truly now has the building blocks in place to secure its long-term future and continue to grow from strength to strength. The last five years have been about keeping our heads above water, but now I believe we are in a position to stretch our wings.
Q AWhat is on the horizon for the club in 2019, what is the club hoping to achieve?
We are hoping to continue to see growth in our membership, which is currently around 650, and continued improvements with our junior and women’s programs. We are aiming for continued growth in our social play rounds and are aiming to really ramp up our social activity around our major golf tournaments. This year we trialled different events such as a free movie night on the driving range and a night-time long drive competition. They were very well received and attracted many new people to our venue for the first time. We’re looking to use that formula but take it to the next level.
QWe have seen the obvious difficulties with running a golf club in the Far North (look at Paradise Palms). How tough is it at times to keep it running smoothly?
AIt is incredibly difficult to manage member and player expectations and budgetary constraints in an industry so heavily impacted by weather. When it rains, the club’s revenue plummets but costs actually go up. When it’s dry and with great weather golf clubs see revenue streams spike. There are plenty of jobs on the to-do list but as a not-for-profit operation, we need to ensure frugal spending and getting the most bang for our buck. A wise man once told me that all golfers want to play on Royal Melbourne (pictured above with Greg Norman on the fairway), but they want to pay as little as possible for the privilege.