The Annual General Meeting of Greenacres (Men’s) Golf Club will be held on Wednesday 10th March 2021 at 7pm
To ensure the evening runs smoothly the Council have published the Secretary’s and Sub-Committee reports below.
We would encourage members to read them and submit any questions they have by 24th February 2021. The same date will apply for members wishing to ask a question under A.O.B.
All questions should be sent to the Honorary Secretary via the email address secretary@greenacres-golfclub.co.uk
Questions submitted by the 24th February and the corresponding answers will be published prior to the meeting on the 10th March.
The one exception to this will be the Treasurers report, which will be delivered on the evening and members given the opportunity to ask questions.
| AGENDA | ||
| 1. | Introductory Remarks – Club Captain | Mark Magee |
| 2. | Minutes of 2020 Annual General Meeting | Rab Blundell |
| 3. | Annual Reports | |
| Honorary Secretary | Rab Blundell | |
| Honorary Treasurer | Simon Hopper | |
| 4. | Reports from Sub-Committee Chairmen | |
| General Purposes/Disciplinary | Rab Blundell | |
| Liaison | Rab Blundell | |
| Match & Handicap | Keith Hanna | |
| Competitions | Keith Hanna | |
| Social & Charity | Mark Magee |
Liaison
We have received questions which the Club can not answer as they relate to the Golf Centre. These questions have been passed on the owners
Question
Can the club come to an arrangement with the centre that societies are only permitted from 12pm onwards during summer months?
Question
It had become apparent that on some BRS bookings by members one name was added and the remainder of slots were being “reserved”. This requires to be better managed so as play is fair to all fee-paying members.
Answers
Council has come to an agreement with the Centre that Sunday tee times are limited to a maximum of forty society golfers with no bookings prior to 11:00. In turn the Centre asked members to only book tee times on the BRS they are going to use and not reserve spaces to stop other members/visitors booking into them.
Question
A question was received about the Golf Centre finances for 2020 and what would happen if we entered lockdown again later in 2021.
Answer
The Golf Centre will respond to this question directly.
Question
Can the golf centre provide divot repair mix on the par 3 tee boxes to promote regrowth and protect from damage. I believe the majority of members would use these to keep the playing surface in top condition.
Answer
As we, the Centre, have to keep contact with hard services to a minimum, until Covid Restrictions are lifted we can not return the divot boxes to the course.
Members Questions
Question: Could I get a reasonable explanation why like other sub-committee reports, the Club’s financial statement (Hon. Treasurers report) cannot be made available to the members prior to the evening of the meeting to allow members sufficient opportunity to assess and present any potential questions.
Answer: As the Financial Report is normally handed out on the night of the AGM we do not plan to post it online. Instead a copy of the report will be available upon request by the latest 17/02/21.
Question: I was wondering how I would find the link to join the AGM Meeting via Zoom?
Answer: Members are required to register to attend the meeting using the link on this news post.
Earlier this year I wrote to council asking for clarification on whether council had decided to take a percentage out of the two’s competition prize pot. I received a reply in which the treasurer outlined context and a history of club finances in order to address any concerns that I may have had in relation to this question. I would therefore like to ask a few questions in relation to the Councils response.
Questions:
Question 1
What were the causes for such a substantial increase in club expenditure, particularly in 2018?
The councils reply to my letter also sets out to remind members that ‘club finances are a delicate balance between cost cutting and increased pricing’. Since 2018 prices to members have increased by over 40% in competition fees, much more for midweek competitions and with the proposed increase of £5 this year in the joining fee it will also have been raised by over 40%.
Question 2
What cost cutting measures have the council implemented to mitigate or reduce the substantial increase in spending since 2018?
In relation to my original question to council the reply indicates that the twos competition is integral within the competition fee and it is a ‘complimentary’ pay-out at the discretion of council. Since being introduced the prize pot has been reduced by 30%. this is described by council as a ‘slight reduction’
Question 3
As the council is describing the twos prize pot as complimentary, can the council confirm that it is at the council’s discretion to further reduce the prize pot or even withdraw it without notifying the membership as they did this year.
Question 4
A comment recently appeared on the noticeboard indicating the intent to withdraw money from members GUI voucher accounts automatically when they book into howdoido to enter competitions. I believe that when a member wins vouchers it is for the member to decide how his vouchers are spent not the council. Could council please confirm their intent on this matter?
Answers
Every year the Club produces a Financial Report which is published and approved at the AGM. These reports will have shown a significant increase in hospitality due to our many teams enjoying success and progression to the latter rounds in the years referenced. Which have offset any cost reductions the Council have put in place until 2020 when these reductions resulted in an up-turn in finances.
In managing the Clubs finances it is the Councils responsibility to set the competition entry fee and prize fund when budgeting for the incoming season.
We no longer feel the need to have a starter and the Centre do not want to handle our cash for Sunday/Midweek competitions, so would like to introduce Competition Charging on the handicap software. If members pay in enough money to cover their entry into competitions, they will still accumulate prize vouchers.
Question
As this is a compulsory entry through the competition entry fee all monies gathered for the 2’s should be shared equally during that competition.
When the compulsory 2’s competition was first introduced all monies was equally spreads but at a certain point in time the council decided to take a percentage towards club costs without informing members, surely members should have had a say or at least be informed of this decision, I understand the council is voted in to make decisions but when it comes to compulsory monetary entry members have the right to vote on their money.
How / why was the club in dire need for a percentage of this money?
Where had all the previous funds gone?
Answer
The Treasurers report answers these questions.
Any of Business:
Item One:
The Greenacres council have decided the 2’s is a competition, but at the moment I think it’s an unfair run competition and members should not be forced or compelled to enter. Also, the club should not be taking monies from the 2’s.
I propose to make it fairer to members it should be run along the same lines as the Saturday competition of HIGH MEDIUM and LOW Handicaps. Members receive a handicap to give everyone a chance to compete, and I believe it’s only fair way to run the 2’s. When members who get a 2 get paid from their handicap group
Proposed Eric Strong
Seconded Hugh O’Neill
Objection
The proposing member states that the current run competition is unfair and wants to make it fairer towards all members, surely the proposal as outlined is also very unfair.
Take for example 150 members are automatically entered into the 2’s competition on a Saturday, under current rules the club takes a percentage, leaving approx. £120 in total for the 3 sections (£40 each).
In the low section where on average it is expected more players get a 2 and say 10 players each are fortunate enough to do this that equates to £4 each in winnings. In the mid section 5 players have a 2, that equates to £8 each in winnings (200% gain on low section). In the high section 2 players have a 2, that equates to £20 each in winnings (500% gain on low section).
How can this be a fairer run competition as required by the proposer?
A 2 is a 2 no matter which player gets one or a which hole.
This also brings into question the Holy Grail of a “hole in one”.
Under the proposed run competition does this mean that a player only gets half the money from their handicap section pot?
Under the above same example, a player in the low section who achieves a “hole in one” receives £20, all other players in that section receive £2 (£20 /10), so the player obtaining a 2 in the high section receives the same amount as the player making a “hole in one”.
This seems really fair!
Vote
In managing the Clubs finances it is the Councils responsibility to set the competition entry fee and prize fund when budgeting for the incoming season. In this instance we are willing to let members vote to decide how the prize fund for any member getting a two will be divided.
Question to Council
Having read Item one of AOB along with the Objection and not withstanding what has also been posed under “Questions”, it’s self evident that the only FAIR way in which a Two’s Competition can be run, is to make it non-compulsory and also be upfront with how the payout works.
My question is, does the Council concur with this assessment?
Answer
The Council do not intend to reverse the decision on asking members to pay an additional fee for a two’s competition.