ORMONDE FIELDS GOLF CLUB Ltd

Nottingham Road

Codnor

Derbyshire

DE5 9RL

BUSINESS PLAN

2016-19 THE FIRST THREE YEARS

CONTENTS

3. Mission Statement.

4. Governance.

5. Management Structure.

6. Responsibility.

8. Where are we now?

10. Analysis.

15. Where are we going?

16. How are we going to get there?

20. Who does what? What training is needed?

21. What members want?

22. How will we know we are there?

23. Financial information

24. Conclusion.

Summary and Overview of Plan

This business plan was prepared during 2016 with the assistance of ENGLAND GOLF for which we are most grateful. It is first such plan for the club and is designed to cover the period 2017-2019. The plans objective is to provide the present and future committees along with the whole club membership with a measure of direction for the future development of the club.

MISSION STATEMENT

ORMONDE FIELDS GOLF CLUB Ltd

1. To provide a quality golfing experience to all its members and visitors within a friendly and welcoming environment. Achieved

2. To provide and continue to develop a golf course of quality, with the intention to be of the best in the area. Ongoing Achieved initial objective as quality improved and continual development.

3. To provide members with the best value possible from their annual subscriptions and provide a legacy for future generations Achieved to an extent as now a better product.

4. To co-ordinate the development of the clubhouse and supporting facilities to meet the needs of members and visitors alike. Clubhouse changed hands but working towards this aim with new proprietors, some improvements to supporting structures but progress in some areas not achieved (outside of our control).. (Plan 2020 -23)

5. To ensure ongoing financial stability with income generation and prudent management of costs to ensure the financial security of the club. Financially stable as surplus for 3 years. Ideally increase reserves and develop financial planning in new plan next 5 years.

GOVERNANCE

In order to meet the demands of becoming a member’s club it is essential that OFGC Ltd has a management structure fit for the purpose of achieving the objectives of the business plan. The structure of OFGC is that it has been set up as a limited company by guarantee. A Board of Directors has been initially appointed and they will oversee the transition from a propriety club to a member’s club. This is a significant step forwards and considerable responsibility is vested in this board. Initially it is a board of 5 directors set up in accordance with the articles of association of the company.

The Directors are supported by the Office Manager, The Pro Shop, Green keeping staff and the Golf Committee. The Board of Directors will appoint a Golf Committee to replace the current structure of the General Club Committee. The Golf Committee will be responsible for the organisation of competitions, managing the Handicaps of members in accordance with CONGU regulations and any other such roles the Board of Directors may wish to delegate to them.

In accordance with the articles of the Company the Directors are elected for a three-year term. It is anticipated that there will be at least one vacancy per year in order to achieve continuity of work effort. When a vacancy arises either through due process or other circumstances eligible members may seek election to the Board of Directors, normally this process will take place at the Annual General Meeting. Vacancies will be advertised and interested members may put their names forward for election in accordance with the process.

The Chair of the Board of Directors will be selected by the Directors from members of the team.

The Chair of the Management Team will also act as Chair of the Golf Committee in order to promote a close working relationship.

With the exception of the Chair, election to the Golf Committee will continue as it exists and detailed in the club constitution.

Transition achieved. Some directors changed over the 3-year period. Development of director specific roles. Recruited new directors as necessary. Established Golf Committee. Structure is functioning but we recognise the need for volunteer roles in specific areas if no director input e.g. social media, juniors, project development.

PROPOSED MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the management team of the Club. They have overall control and responsibility for the day to day running of the club. Their crucial role is responsibility for the financial wellbeing of the club this will be achieved by providing prudent management including both income and expenditure. Initially it is anticipated that during the first three years of trading the focus will be on securing a healthy surplus thereby ensuring the financial security of the club.

The upkeep and development of the golf course ultimately rests with the Board. To achieve this they will as necessary employ suitable support staff including office and managers, green keeping staff, accountants etc.

The Board do not have responsibility for the Clubhouse facilities. The clubhouse is leased by the caterer from John Fearn and therefore not strictly within the Clubs control. However, the Board intend to establish a relationship with the leaseholder and provide input to the development of the catering facility.

Course Management

Whilst overall management of the course is the responsibility of the Board, we recognise that particularly during the formative months of ownership that this is not a task that we can achieve without suitable guidance and assistance. During the initial period of OFGC Ltd the day to day management of the course will be under the guidance of Mr John Fearn who will act as an unpaid adviser. The overall responsibility and final decisions on the management of the course remains the responsibility of the Board. This arrangement we believe offers the best and most logical way forward, using Mr Fearn's experience and knowledge of the course to the benefit of the members.

This period allows the Board and the proposed Greens Committee to document and gain experience becoming proficient in managing the course. Initially we propose to create in the short term small improvements and to develop a long term strategy to facilitate further improvements.

The Board recognises that the long term aim is to appoint staff to take on the responsibility of these tasks, complementing the existing workforce. When circumstances allow the aim would be to appoint someone to supervise the management of the course. All these objectives can only be achieved within a prudent financial structure.

Golf Committee

The Golf Committee will operate in support of the Board and the membership. The main function is to operate and run the Golf both formal and informal competitions, social activities, and to liaise with the Board on management of the course through its greens Committee. The Golf Committee may run subsections to achieve these objectives

1. Handicap Committee. To provide a program of golf competitions, including Open Competitions. Maintain the members Handicaps in accordance with CONGU.

2. House/Social Committee. The House committee will be responsible for the social welfare of the club and organise official and social functions to the benefit of the membership.

3. Greens Committee. This is a new development for the Golf Committee. The Greens Committee will be responsible for being aware of member’s feedback concerning the course, to record items which need addressing and to make recommendations to the Board for the future development of the golf course. They will liaise with the Board to achieve these objectives.

Golf Committee has functioned well. The role of the treasurer has been removed as financial responsibility moved to the Board on advice from England Golf.

Lack of Junior organiser but this is currently being addressed 2019 as increase in Junior members.

Greens Committee. Initially formed but did not progress as enthusiasm waned. Proposed to revisit this 2019/20 with a new group and direction.

Member Recruitment.

At some stage it is anticipated that a small Committee be developed tasked with both recruitment and member retention. This is a new area. As a member’s club it is vital to the finances of the club that we retain a healthy membership. Recruitment will be essential in order to maintain a viable level of membership. It will be the responsibility of this new section to identify, investigate and recommend to the Board any initiatives available whereby the club may benefit. This committee will also organise and manage events aimed at increasing membership, with particular emphasis on Ladies and Juniors member recruitment.

Committee not established but initiatives and projects established. Working with partners England Golf strong links established leads to a focus on retention and recruitment.

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

The course has a long and varied history originating at Marehay during the 1920's before moving to its current location, recently the Club celebrated its 50^th anniversary at the current site. Initially the course was 9 holes subsequently extended to 18 holes with a club house situated where the current 16^th green is located. The current proprietor Mr John Fearn remodelled the layout to its current setting with development of the current facilities ongoing since then to produce a quality golf course.

The legal status the current club

The club is a proprietary club and currently membership subscriptions are paid to the owner, as such the membership have the legal status of members. The clubhouse and catering is provided by a leaseholder who has an obligation under the agreement to provide these services.

Is the Club a business?

Currently the club, as a business, is managed by the owner, however a member’s committee exists to organise competitions and to manage the member’s handicaps in accordance with the requirements of the Derbyshire Union of Golf Clubs (DUGC). The committee also advises the owner of the membership requirements.

What is our Golf Club’s Business Plan designed to achieve?

The Plan will detail the development needs that have been identified by the Board of Directors its Golf Committee and the members during the process of plan preparation. It is expected that the Plan will provide the club members with a clear statement of the proposed improvements and changes to the club that have been identified, their priority, the means required and the expected level of investment that will be required. It will set a framework for the operation and management of the club for the foreseeable future for this and future management. In this respect the framework will provide the basis of future investment and attempt to avoid retrospective reaction to problems.

What time-frame is this Business Plan based upon?

The Plan is subject to amendment as required, but for initial planning purposes a 3-year period has been defined for the work programme.

How have, and how will we engage our membership in the Business Planning Process?

During the stages of the planning process, all members were given an opportunity to identify the positive and negative aspects of the club in order to provide the Committee with an indication of the most pressing changes to be made.

The Management Team will ensure that all members have access to the Business Plan and will be free to comment at any time through the normal communication channels. At the AGM, future reporting will take account of the Plan and provide the membership with direct feedback on the success of keeping to targets.

How will this plan be shared?

The Plan will be made available through a members-only secure section of the club webpage and will be reproduced as part of the AGM reporting process.

Who will be reading this plan?

1. Primary : All present Committee Members

The full Club membership

The leaseholder

2. Secondary: Representatives of EG and the DUGC

ANALYSIS

Understanding our club’s situation is an important part to help plan its future. By undertaking these exercises, we understand where the Club is, and which direction it should go.

Our SWOT analysis is designed to identify what we are good at, what we can do better, as well as the things which may have a positive or negative impact on our club. This is our Club’s SWOT which includes the input from our Members Forum: -

STRENGTHS

Positive reputation as a friendly club with an interesting course providing good value.
Stable membership numbers with total subscription levels increasing in recent years
Membership fees kept at reasonable levels compared to other clubs
Club financially sound.
Intensive competition programme both within the club and with annual opens
Active Seniors Section
Catering facilities operating
On-line visitor and members booking system in full operation.

WEAKNESSES

Clubhouse/catering not under members control
Under-use of catering facilities by the many of the membership.
Too many members treat the course almost on a “pay and play” basis, with little interest on other aspects of the club.
Course sub structure means that some degree of water-logging is inevitable during very wet periods.
Visitor numbers heavily weather-dependent.
Modest training facilities in terms of nets, practice bunkers etc.
Limited range of golf products for sale.
No full-time golf pro (although tuition is available, but this is not recognised by members)

OPPORTUNITIES

Visitor numbers could be expanded through linkages with other clubs, hotels and general advertisement and a new website development.
Modest expansion of range of catering might provide incentive for more visitors (players and general public).
Development of golf packages – golf &food combinations.
Taking active role in golf initiatives supported by EG, proving linkage to other clubs and accommodation
Expand training opportunities for both members and visitors through recognised programmes.
Encourage use of the club on-line booking system should help drive up visitor numbers

THREATS

Like all golf clubs, very much at the receiving end of the economic downturn in terms of both membership and visitors.
Similarly, income is highly dependent of the weather especially over the main summer months.
Aging membership, insufficient numbers of juniors and ladies willing to continue or become members.
Migration of members to other local clubs with cut price deals on membership.
Change in weather patterns

As part of our diligence process we looked at various analyses to address our Clubs position.

Financial Analysis

The most important question regarding the proposed takeover of the running of the Club “is it financially viable as a business run by members”. To get an understanding of our club’s financial situation we completed a Financial Analysis Spreadsheet. Using the information in this we have identified a number of noteworthy recent financial trends at our club :

Recent Financial Trends at our Club
1.	Income from membership has been stable at around £210,000pa
2.	Visitor income has varied in accordance with the seasonal weather but has generally been in the order of £62,000pa
3.	Payroll costs for green keeping staff, office staff and professional is the main expenditure and has been around £98,000 pa, approx. 36% of income
4.	The club has managed to operate with a healthy surplus over the years. * It should be noted that these figures are VAT deducted

We identified three future financial targets that we believe the club must achieve as part of this plan:

Future Financial Targets at our Club
1.	Income from member’s subscriptions to increase by Year 3 a target of 20 extra full members would provide an increase in income of £15000 Achieved
2	Income from visitors and societies to also increase by year 3. A targeted 10% increase year on year would achieve similar figures Remained Stable on average. Weather issues
3.	Adequate funding set aside over a 3-year period to allow for a course development programme to be defined and agreed. Years 1 & 2 Achieved, issues year 3

In simple terms we believe that having examined the accounts that were presented to us the Club is in a viable financial situation. Maintaining the status quo would generate a profit of approx. £60,000 if all variables remained stable. Setting realistic targets to increase membership and other sources of income would help maintain this in the current economic climate. Any additional surplus funds generated could be targeted to specific projects.

Competitors Analysis

The market competition that our club faces is much more than just other golf clubs. Here is the competition we have identified in our Club’s marketplace:

Direct Competitors / Rivals	New Entrants
Other clubs within our area Clubs with linked restaurant facilities Clubs with driving ranges Clubs perceived as better quality	None
Customer Bargaining Power	Threat of Substitutes
All clubs are now offering special deals No waiting lists or joining fees has now become the norm for many clubs Special 2 for 1 deals and the like make the “pay and play” option more attractive	Loss of juniors to other activities Loss of ladies to clubs with more active ladies section High profile of other sports, ie, Football, Cricket Rugby.

Golf like many other activities now competes with an increasing plethora of activities and pastimes as well as limited financial resources in the current economic climate. By analysing our local competition, we are able to identify those areas which we can target and develop to attract membership from the limited resources available. Some competitors we can match easily with simple adjustments or targeting certain groups. Longer term plans would need financial input which can only come as the club develops.

PEST Analysis

A PEST Analysis helps us understand the external factors which impact upon our Club. These fall into four different areas:

Political

Economic

Health and Safety legislation
Food Safety legislation
New employment legislation making greater responsibility on the need to provide staff pensions.
Inland Revenue legislation demands increased reporting and data collection

Recession leading to reduced resources for sport and leisure
Increased fuel cost for travel to club from distance
Reluctance to spend on non-golf aspects i.e. catering

Social

Technological

Aging membership
Poor acceptance of golf within younger generation
Blame Culture - pressure to hold the club legally responsible for any injury to players/visitors.

Need to maintain an active and up to date web presence
Need to operate a secure section on the web to provide business-sensitive information to members only.
Use of social networks are becoming more important and currently we have limited involvement

1. Politically. The Board will need to identify and establish processes to manage these objectives. Analysis of the current status of this area has identified a number of areas of concern which will need to be addressed.

2. Economically. The economics of golf have been identified in financial analysis and development is part of the business plan.

3. Social. Clearly identifies the lack of Junior and Lady Members.

4. Technology. Web presence and social media needs to be developed.

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

Having identified where we are now in terms of the proposed direction and structure of the club, looked at the viability of a plan in terms of the financial position and the strengths and weaknesses of this we need to move forwards and identify where we are going and how to get there. What is the purpose of our Club:

“Ormonde Fields Golf Club will provide a quality golfing experience to all its members and visitors within a friendly and welcoming environment”

Golf Club Core Areas

With our Club Purpose at the centre of everything we do, we have identified the most important parts of our golf club - our Core Areas.

Core Area of our Club

The Course: Maintenance of a high-quality course using professional green keeping staff. Achieved

Members and Visitors: A friendly and welcoming environment to be maintained for both members and visitors throughout the course and the clubhouse. Clubhouse changes hands which brought a lot of benefits but some challenges

Finance and Governance: Club managed in accordance to high principles of good governance and financial stability. Yes

Golf Competitions: Active programme of Opens, Friendly and internal competitions Yes

Recruitment: increase number of Ladies and Junior members Ladies slightly Juniors better in 2019 with coaching and increase in numbers.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?

How will our Club achieve its purpose?

Based on the identified Core areas for each of these we will need:

1. A Strategy Statement; how this core area will contribute to our overall Club Purpose.

2. SMART Objectives; what we are seeking to achieve in this Core Area.

3. Initiatives; the ideas that will help us achieve our SMART Objectives.

Core Area 1	Golf Course
Strategy Statement
Maintenance of a high-quality course using professional green keeping staff.
SMART Objectives
*SPECIFIC – MEASUREABLE – ACHIEVABLE – REALISTIC – TIMED* 3-year costed development plan to be agreed by the Management team prior to the AGM 2017 with additional development to be identified over and above normal maintenance for the 3-year period. Club member’s ideas/reactions to draft plan to be considered prior to completion Promote interest in course management through volunteer days
Initiatives
Management team and Greenkeeper to prepare outline proposals for discussion, for course maintenance and development strategy by the end of October 2017 Two volunteer days each season
Responsibility for Initiatives
Management team supported by Head Greenkeeper Some responsibility devolves to the Golf Committee Assistance from John Fearn

Development strategy needs action, Volunteer days patchy but great input from gardening volunteers, golf committee did not engage in activities.

Core Area 2	Members and Visitors
Strategy Statement
A friendly and welcoming environment to be maintained for both members and visitors. Revenue from visitors being utilised to the benefit of club members
SMART Objectives
Maintain total adult membership at around 420 by April each year. Proposed increase. Retention rate for members to approach 90% by April 2019 Survey both visitors and members as to their overall impressions on a regular basis with the objective of reaching highly satisfied (8+/10) by 2019 or before. Ensure regular updates to members on progress and issues through E/mail Training programme for club personnel to be instigated. Data on the number of visitor rounds to be prepared and reviewed. Regular comparison of our charges to be made with competing clubs. Regular visitor promotion to be undertaken.
Initiatives
Comment cards to be made available to all visitors and to members Maintain an active role within the local golf community and any similar associations Review to be undertaken of local clubs with respect to their current membership and green fees. Staff training to include their role in achieving a welcoming environment. Provide a welcome pack to all new members and hold a social evening to introduce members to the Committee and other members. Hold at least one Open Day per season to attract new members. Develop a close business relationship with the caterer to offer linked deals.
Responsibility
Secretary to have cards prepared for new Season (2018) Secretary to continue e/mail updates Secretary to ensure that links within the local Golf community are maintained and strengthened. Sub-Committees to be given the specific responsibilities · Management team to check on procedures along with the issue of amended Job Descriptions

Membership goal achieved but reasonable retention (80-90%). Online feedback positive but still a need to develop survey etc. Active role in community and golf environment. Staff training introduced. Welcome pack.

Secretary very active.

Core Area 3	Finance and Governance
Strategy Statement
Club managed in accordance to high principles of good governance and financial stability.
SMART Objectives
· Monthly updates on income and expenditure to be prepared for the Management team. All development and expenditure to be carried in accordance within a defined and agreed plan whether it be related to the course, staff training or improvements within the clubhouse. Income from visitors to be subject to a marked improvement over the course of the Plan such that total income from membership and visitors exceeds £79,000 by 2019 Accounts to be subject to annual inspection by the Reporting Accountant.
Initiatives
Detailed analysis of income and expenditure trends for the last 3 years prepared as an appendix to this plan and to be subject to annual updates. Accounts for 2016 and all subsequent years to be tabled at the AGM. Data on income, visitor numbers to be completed and compared with national and regional clubs through the EG database.
Responsibility for Initiatives
Club Treasurer to prepare summaries Club Treasurer with assistance from the Gents and Ladies Captains Secretary Office support

Achieved but more development on forward planning required.

Core Area 4	Competitive Golf
Strategy Statement
The Club will ensure that there is an active programme of both Open and Members competitions suitable for all club members.
SMART Objectives
· · Competition programme to be re-examined each season, with emphasis being placed on ensuring a good mix of competition structure. The Club will offer a number of top-class Open Competitions each season.
Initiatives
Handicap and competitions committee (Ladies and Gents) to prepare new programme at the end of each season in good time before the production of new diaries A varied program of Open competitions
Responsibility for Initiatives
Golf Committee - Handicap and Competitions committee assisted by the Opens Chair

Achieved.

Core Area 5

Recruitment of Key Groups

Strategy Statement

Active Junior Section providing direct link to main adult sections.

Initiatives to increase the number of Lady members

SMART Objectives

· Full coaching programme to be prepared to provide a structured training package for the 2018 season.

Links with local schools and other identified groups to be established.
Summer school to be undertaken each year.
Target to increase junior membership by the end of 2019 and retention to be increased to 75%

Initiatives

EG approached to provide suggestions in developing coaching programme for 2018.
Junior development programme to be prepared for the next 3 years.
Partake in EG initiatives aimed at Ladies in Golf.

Responsibility for Initiatives

Golf Committee – Recruitment position.
Junior organiser supported by Board and Golf Committee
Ladies Section.

Coaching Achieved only in 2018/19. New teaching studio and club professional will see big improvement going forwards..

Engagement with local schools ongoing from 2018 with Lady Coach for Juniors and ongoing initiatives.

Working towards GolfSafe Expected to be achieved in 2020

Junior organiser required.

WHO DOES WHAT

Having completed our plan, we have reflected upon who will be expected to carry it out successfully. For each of our Club’s Core Areas here is the responsible people and who will help them:

*Core Area of our Club*	*Person Accountable*	*Supported By*
Golf Course Development	Head Green Keeper	Green Committee
Members and Visitors	Management Team	Pro Shop & Secretary
Governance and Finance	Management team	Office staff
Competitive Golf	Golf Committee	Handicap & Competition Committee
Junior Golf	Junior Organiser	Sub Committee
Membership Attraction & Retention	Management team	Sub Committee

To successfully manage a Golf Club requires a suitable mix of both professional paid staff and volunteers who take on unpaid responsibilities.

Training?

In certain cases, our staff and volunteers may need training to help them in their roles. Here are the training requirements we have identified for our Staff & Volunteers:

*Person*	*Training Required*
Green Keeper	Professional skills appropriate to job role including refreshing of old skills. We identified areas where some tasks can only be carried out by certain individuals e.g. spraying, use of certain machinery. Training would be directed to achieving multi skilled workforce.
Junior Organiser	Coaching strategy and techniques.
Members as Volunteers	Food Hygiene and First Aid qualifications as required.

Green Keeping staff. First aid training. One member trained to C&G level II. Need for “golfing training” identified for 2020-23

Other courses identified and progress being made.

Junior organiser to be recruited and Club welfare Officer has appropriate training.

Volunteers - essentially gardening but on occasion a few work days proved useful.

What Members Want?

Every club has things that they would like more of, and things that they would like less of. To consult with members on what they would like to see at Ormonde Fields the Board commissioned an extensive survey of Members views centred around golf at Ormonde Fields. The survey was carried out with the help of Derbyshire Golf and a comprehensive report has been produced.

We identified many areas that we can address both as short and long term goals. Examples of these are:

More Of	Less Of
Greater use of the clubhouse by members	Short-termness of many members
Clean up of the approach to the club including the car park area	Less slow pay – particularly by 4-balls
Greater commitment by members in volunteering etc.	Disruptive mowing / work during/on competition days
	Dress code violations
Additional social events to support the Club
Additional waste bins.
Attention to course drainage.
Attention to Bunkers.

Obviously, these are just some examples but we have included them in the Business plan to demonstrate their importance to the process. Members input and the action that the Board takes to their suggestions is crucial to addressing the core aims of the Club.

A full report is available.

Clubhouse use has increase with new proprietor. Purchased new furniture for golfer’s bar to assist. Improvements in relationship ongoing but more use and better atmosphere. Important to attract members and visitors.

Gardening volunteers have greatly improved visual presentation of the course.

Social events increased in 2019 with new proprietor.

Waste bins were provided.

Drainage. Some work was done but cost issues and weather. Plan is to improve in 2020-23 plan.

Bunkers. A lot of work has been done but proposed for comprehensive review in 2020-23 plan.

Emphasis on retention and recruitment. Working with England Golf

Some improvements in green staff schedules but needs a review in 2020-23 plan.

HOW WILL WE KNOW WE ARE THERE?

To know if we are progressing satisfactorily, we need to keep score for each of our Core Areas. These are our club’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - the things that will determine whether our SMART Objectives on track to being achieved: -

*Core Area of our Club*	*Primary KPI*
Golf Course	3-year course development plan approved and operational
Members and Visitors	Adult membership to be kept close to 420 and retention level reaches 90% Members and Visitors to rate their overall satisfaction very highly (8+/10)
Governance and Finance	Income from membership and green fees to reach target by 2019
Competitive Golf	New programme including Opens to be agreed for inclusion in the membership diaries by the end of each calendar year
Junior Golf	Coaching plan prepared and being implemented and to be in place for 2018 season. Increased junior numbers. Retention of Junior members moving to adult section.
Ladies Section	Increase Ladies section numbers by 2019.

Our Board Meetings Agenda will include a regular assessment of our KPI Report, and any discussion required around Core Areas that are not specifically targeted.

We are nearly there. It is acknowledged that not all objectives were achieved but most were.

The course developed and a plan was developed but needs more definition and targets for 2020-23.

Membership achieved. Good satisfaction rates but accept more surveys and questions needed to be asked. Large scope for mid-week recruitment.

Opens in 2019 were well subscribed and are popular. Members competitions well supported.

Junior golf started in 2018 and progressed well in 2019. Targets and initiatives 2020-23 established and moving well.

Ladies no improvement. Despite offers and initiatives the number of lady golfers failed to increase as we would have liked. It would require a concerted well led initiative by the ladies’ section to achieve this going forwards.

Conclusion

At Ormonde Fields Golf Club we have the opportunity as members to take on the running of the Club for the benefit of members. It is currently owned and managed by Mr John Fearn as a business with strong leadership and governance. The business plan we have prepared, we believe, not only demonstrates that becoming a member’s club is a viable course of action but by seizing this opportunity we will ultimately improve the golfing experience for all users of the course and secure a golfing future for future generations of members.

The future is in all our hands but with a common purpose and the contribution and support of the membership OFGC Ltd could become one of the better golf clubs in Derbyshire.

Recommendation

The Management team having investigated the proposal to become a member’s club, as directed by the members at the EGM of 26/May 2016, find that there are no impediments to proceeding with this proposal.

2020. The members took over the running of the course as agreed. The club has moved forwards well during this time, but it is acknowledged that there are areas of success but also equally areas of disappointment. There are a number of factors principally finance, the club only has a limited income stream. In the current economic and social environment golf is not the only offer on the table. The business plan has largely been followed and been successful. Challenges have been met and solutions found. As a club the management structure is limited and relies on a small board of volunteers with some but limited support.

Proposed

New plan 2020 -25 with a focus on finance and projects.

Members input. Survey again and also ask for direct input.

OFGC January 2020